Whine & Cheese

Oil & Lube Day

Get your mind out of the gutter!!

As you may remember, I marked my one-year anniversary with MINI Cooper a few weeks ago.

Now, you didn't think the folks at MINI would forget about the big day, did you?  Granted it was [gasp!] two days late, I did receive this e-mail:

So while it did get a recent washing (thanks to Todd!), today we're off for our first service appointment (well, if you don't count the 4 tow truck trips and the 7 weeks it was in the shop last year... repress!  repress!)... even though I did not get even halfway to the 10,000 miles oil change alert.  However, the owner's manual says oil must be changed at least once a year... sound reasonable!

One of the very nice things about MINI is that most services and repairs are covered for three years... including oil changes!   Unfortunately, all the work needs to be done at the dealership... and those are few and far between!  There is only one MINI dealership in Arizona and only 30 miles away (now those MINI owners in Tucson, Flagstaff and beyond have a drive!).   If you told me a few years ago, I would be driving 30-45 minutes for an oil change I'd offer you some cocoa puffs, since you would have been cuckoo!

And while there are not a ton of Coopers out on the road, with only one service department in the state, getting an appointment can be a challenge.

Figuring I'd just hang around while it's taken care of... I innocently asked how long it would take?  Ready? 3-4 hours... apparently this not Jiffy Lube... though the appointment gal did try to suck up and say it was a very conservative time estimate (I would hope!).  Now, I could get (and pay) for a rental vehicle, but it seemed kind of silly to do two-round trips (at that 30-45 minutes each way) in the same day, especially when it wasn't a major service appointment.

I asked about Saturday appointments.  After the gal stopped laughing, she told me they were booked out on those for over a month.

So!  Since my workload was agreeable, I am off for a mid-morning appointment today (as they do not do Friday afternoon appointments either)...

To keep me occupied... I'll bring a book... my iPod... perhaps some Sudoku... since it is also a BMW dealership maybe they will have some nice stuff in the waiting area... and I'll have to check out to see if any of the new 2007 MINIs are on the showroom floor.

There is also a Borders about a 1/2 mile north of the dealership.  A bookstore is pretty much my ideal "time killer"... so perhaps once my Cooper gets settled in, I'll walk over there (got to get the new Oprah book!)... and then back to the dealership. ..

I'll Tumble 4 Ya

Tuesday was a very windy day here in Arizona.  I don't know what ended up being the maximum m.p.h, but it was enough for us to take notice with the windows rattling and a pretty good howl going through the trees.  As I mentioned the other day, it looks more like autumn than spring thanks to all the dead leaves (trees and bushes?) from that January freeze.

Yesterday morning, I went out to survey the damage... a few chairs moved around, but fortunately nothing bad to report.  On the contrary, just the opposite as the winds had nicely conveniently swirled a whole bunch of dead leaves into a tidy pile into a corner (which I should sweep up!), but I had to laugh when I looked out in the backyard and saw this in another corner...

A tumbleweed!

A former East Coaster, to this day seeing a tumbleweed still cracks me up.  Of course, I have seen  them in Roadrunner/Coyote cartoons and Western movies or television shows...but I just thought they were a little too hokey to actually exist.  But they do... and even in the heart of suburbia they do live up to their name and tumble across streets and the increasing rare empty lot/field.

I almost hate to 'fess up to this... but our town's official holiday (not Christmas) display is a tree made up entirely of tumbleweeds... and yes, they do have a "tree" lighting ceremony every year... and no, we have never attended.

Now, how this tumbleweed got over our 6-foot wall block fence... plus, given its resting spot, a pool fence... I really do not know!

AI6: This Sh&t Is Bananas

Last night, Gwen Stefani was on hand to coach the Idol wannabes.  Shockingly enough, Gwen seemed like a pretty normal person (imagine that!)... and quite beautiful even not in "rock chick" mode.  While she seemed quite cool, I don't know how much actual advice she doled out... oh, wow you're good... stick to the melody... and ummm, I'm not sure.  But still it was nice to see a contemporary artist on the show. 

As usual, you can guess who made my Top 2... but beyond that you may be surprised... I know I was! 

#1 - Melinda ("Heaven Knows"/Donna Summer) - Not quite the "wow" factor of previous weeks... but Melinda still easily lands in the top spot.  Nice to see her do an up-tempo song... she just makes me smile... and despite what Simon said, I liked the outfit... thought it was little less "old lady" than normal.

#2 - Lakisha ("Last Dance"/Donna Summer) - It seems as if every year one of the "divas" does this Donna Summer classic... so we're not talking a terribly risky choice... but it was yet another solid outing, with just enough star quality to move her past some of the other good vocals tonight.

#3 - Chris R ("Don't Speak"/No Doubt) - A ranking "high" from me for Chris this week... you know I have been iffy about him, but I liked his take on the song... granted a tad too "boy band" sounding, but there's not much Chris can do anything to change that...   

#4 - Gina ("I'll Stand By You"/Pretenders) - Another all-time high ranking... Gina look what happens when you sing a song with a melody!?!  You do have a voice... try it again next week and you might just stick around for awhile.

#5 - Phil ("Every Breath You Take"/The Police) - Thought this was a pretty good song choice for Phil. My ears live in fear of his big notes, which are always way too sharp from my taste... and Phil certainly could have attempted then, but I am glad he did not... and thus I reward him for it.  Was a bit freaked out by the eyebrows... though most folks this morning seem to be commenting on the eye-liner.

#6 - Blake ("Love Song"/The Cure) - I love Blake... but this one just did not do it for me at all... just a snoozer from start to finish... and I didn't think the vocals were that great either.  Todd said he would have flipped Blake with Chris at #3... and most folks seem to agree... so what do I know?!   

#7 - Jordin ("Hey Baby"/No Doubt) -  Oy, after knocking my socks off last week... it was two steps way back for our Arizona Idol this week.   Thought this was a mess... inside Jordin strikes me as a bit of a dork, and she couldn't pull off this "hip" song... her low notes were rough and her highs were too sharp... and while Simon picked on Melinda, Jordan got my ghastly wardrobe award of the night.   

#8 - Chris S ("Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"/The Police) - Chris continues downward sligh-ed... after seeming like one of the favorites, he has yet to find his comfort zone on the big stage.  I agreed that this song should have worked for his voice, but it was didn't... I knew something seemed "off"... but couldn't quite pin it down until the judges noted he wasn't in step with the music. .

#9 - Haley ("True Colors"/Cyndi Lauper) - "Oh and you're beautiful"... yet another vocal kiss of death from Paula to Haley.  I totally agree that she is lovely to look at... but my gosh, everything is just so sticky sweet with her... she's pretty much a scoop of vanilla ice cream... and not Breyer's kind.

#10 - Sanjaya ("Bathwater"/No Doubt) - Even before the vocal, I said "Well, Sanjaya's through another week."  I'm really not sure whether he wants to stay or go?  The singing was awful, he forgot the words, he picked the most obscure song of the night (well, at least to me)... and then there was the faux-hawk, which is what will keep him in another week...

Elimination Prediction:  Only 4 of the 10 are 'safe' over at Dial Idol (click "Predictions" on the upper right bar)... but who needs predictive dialing... as I am, amazingly enough, 2 for 2 in my predictions... so really feeling the pressure this week!   

Let's see ... process of elimination... I think Melinda, Lakisha, and Blake are still pretty safe (but one of them will eventually be the "shocker" of the season).  Sanjaya's hair is certainly safe.  After landing in the Bottom 2 last week, I think Chris R gets the WTF? voting bump this week.  Gina gets by on a good performance, Jordin likely still has the youth vote... so I say a bottom 3 (if they do 3 this week) of Phil and Chris S... with Haley getting the somewhat delayed boot.

"Little Rock" Headed Towards Medium

Figured it was time for a puppy update!  This past Friday was Rocky's 12-week/3-month birthday... which means he is starting to have enough of a brain to start really learning stuff. 

He is really growing!  This morning I tried to get a picture that would show you just how much he's grown.  I tried to get him next to Toby so you would have a little perspective... but those of you who share your home with multiple pets know know how difficult it is to get all of your kids in the shot.

So, I was just snapping away. I didn't think I had much until I started to look back at the some of the very first  pix we took of Rocky... and was really quite surprised by this "before and after"... 

While he has certainly grown taller and bigger... I had not realized how much his "look" has matured over the past month.  Most notably, his ears are starting to "pop."   But don't get the wrong impression... he looks very serious in this new picture, but he is very much still the goofball.

(Also if the picture looks more like October than March... well, you're right there too.  Thanks to that crazy deep frost in January, our huge tree in the backyard does not have a green leaf on it, we're not sure if it will ever come back.)

But overall things are still going quite well.  I have determined we were just "lucky" in those first few weeks with house training.  I think he's reversed house-broken now... waiting until he comes back inside to take care of business!

Last week, I noticed that our walks were better than ever.  Less stopping and starting, less resistance to the leash, and more endurance to go farther... still not perfect, but getting there.

Thus far our biggest challenge (and greatest fear) has been Toby... who remains a bit Jekyll & Hyde when it comes to his 'lil brother.  There is still issues with the food bowl and some not-so nice mood swings... all quite hard to figure out.  For instance, last night when Todd got home I told him I thought Toby was moody, he could kinda see it... but then 15 minutes later the two dogs were playing fine... an half-hour or so later Toby growled at him while we were watching TV... so who the heck knows, but we're trying our best.

Nice Day For A White Wedding

No Amazing Race update today... got home late and didn't have a chance to watch last night's episode... and truthfully, given our TiVo TV schedule, not quite sure when we'll be able to fit it in... especially now with Monday night Dancing, which has already led to 24 to being pushed to yet another undetermined night (we still haven't watched last week's episode).

Anyhow!  I'm guessing the title of the post gives you the reason... a wedding!  Todd's brother got married down at his parent's place in Tucson.  It was a beautiful spring day in the desert for an outdoor ceremony ... low 80s and bright sunshine.

Over time I have grown more cynical over this "marriage" stuff ... but what do you know, Mr. Snarky still got a bit misty from time to time.  It was certainly a wedding for modern times... a second trip to the altar (gazebo?!) for both the bride and the groom, three kids among them, parents, step-parents, etc. 

Now, I don't know Todd's siblings all that well... both live the next state over and I have only met them a handful of times... so you would think I would be at least a little emotionally detached.  But, then again, this is coming from a guy who used to get occasionally choked up at the "meet and greet" area of the airport... at total strangers!   So, it was tugging at the heart strings to see Todd's niece and nephew looking so very sharp and grown up (though they are not... ages 13 and 10?)... and how could you not get a little lump in the throat seeing an 11-year boy walk his mom down the aisle... or have verklempt-y moment when he responded to the question "Who gives this woman to this man?"

My favorite part of the was the "ceremony of sand" (we had quite humorous running commentary from the folks behind us:  Woman: "What are they doing?" Man: "Some kind of sand art").  Each member of the family had their own jar of colored sand to which they filled up a new vase.  The groom added black sand, followed by the bride's white sand... then each of the kids took their turn... adding their own color on top, creating new layers.  When the kids were done, the bride and groom simultaneously topped it off with a combination of the white and black sand.  Loved the whole symbolism... remaining individuals but forming one new and whole unit... and again, quite touching even as I write about it here and now.

As mentioned, the ceremony took place at Todd's parent's place... more specifically, the clubhouse at their retirement community.  While it is easy to make fun of these "active adult" villages, it was so nice to see so many of Todd's parent's friends gathered for the celebration... many of them volunteering to "work" the reception in food preparation, music, and clean-up... and most, I am guessing, who had never met the bride and the groom before yesterday (and may never see them again!).  Such as sense of camaraderie and friendship... one can only hope that all of us should be so lucky in our golden years.

It was quite fun watching Todd's family "party."  They are quite outgoing and friendly folks and none of them hesitated to get out on the dance floor.  Todd, on the other hand, is pretty reserved... and pretty much was in a constant state of "oy!" during much of the action... we joked that it was a good thing there is some serious family resemblance or else we would have wondered if he was adopted.

More funny, is that it is pretty much just the opposite in my family. Growing up, I was often viewed as the potential "adopted" person... the outgoing and lively one in my pretty darn quiet family.  While I may be shy at first, I have always said "inside, I'm an extrovert" and I think most of my friends or family would agree.  So I guess we balance each other out quite nicely.

The most humorous (or one of them!) part of the reception came at the end... with the remaining guests (including many of those active adults) gathered in the center of the room for a rousing version of The Village People's "Y.M.C.A"...  myself and Todd, as one of the very few non-participants, exchanged "are you kidding me?" looks to each other from across the room.  Yes, some things are even too gay for us.

Express Lane: Issue 26

Idol producers noticed crying Ashley at dress rehearsal... and gave her seats for the live show... reality blurred has the scoop that even landed the 13-year old an interview on The Today Show.  (3/22/07)

Desperate Dude Does Rehab - The hunky gardener of Wisteria Lane, Jesse Metcalfe, goes into rehab to "deal with alcohol issues"... and besides all the other cool kids are doing it? (3/22/07)

'Idol' contestant's faith questioned - Apparently pre-Idol Chris Sligh was purely a Christian artist... who would have thunk?  Some folks don't like the curly-headed one's move to the mainstream.  (3/20/07)

Starbuck Goes 'Bionic' - Formerly (??) of 'Battlestar Galactica,' Katie Sackhoff at least lands a guest starring spot as an "evil bionic woman" in the pilot for the upcoming NBC 70s television series remake. (3/20/07)

Web site takes bets on fate of Heather Mills' leg on dance show - Quite politically incorrect, but slightly humorous. A gaming site is accepting bets on whether Mills' artificial limb "will fly off during a routine" on this season's 'Dancing With the Stars' - don't worry the heavy favorite is on "NO." (3/12/07)

The Kalahari Typing School for Men (#9)

I'm guessing I haven't won many new W&C readers this week... three days of reality television followed by two days of books!   At least no puppy update to send you totally over the edge!  Anyhow, as a reality tv fan I often feel scorned for watching "trash" (I particularly love it when it comes from the "I don't watch reality, well except for..." folks)...  but, on most nights, after my low-brow reality shows I am curl up with a book... well, maybe not curl... but anyhow...

This is another much delayed book recap. It looks like I finished this one over a week ago (you really don't want to know how I know that!).  After the "big meal" of Ten Days in the Hills, it was time to for a light snack... and you know what that means, Alexander McCall Smith!  He's my go-to guy when I need a quickie... well, ahem... a literary quickie.  This is my second McCall Smith book of the year... not wanting to run out of books in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, I snuck over the Sunday Philosophy Club series earlier this year... but it was time to return to Botswana and my beloved Precious Ramotswe for the 4th book in the series, The Kalahari Typing School For Men.

As usual, there really not a whole lot to say about these books.  Always enjoyable... but nothing to meditate or extract any kind of deep meaning from... which is exactly why I read them!

Heck, there really wasn't even much detective work going on in this installment.  More character building as our plus-size leading lady struggles a bit ... learning it's not so easy being a foster mother, encouraging her assistant to start a new business of her very own particularly when a new detective agency opens up shop across town.  Again, not exactly earth-shattering, soul-searching material... but Mma Ramotswe handles it all with all her trademark optimism and wit.

Coming full circle, while I might not get much respect for reading McCall Smith's books (even within my own household... haha!)... it's the whole "can't live on bread alone" theory... reality television and McCall Smith are, for sure, two of my favorite desserts. 

2007 10K Reading Challenge:  + 189 pages (Total Pages: 2743 pages)

Ten Days in the Hills (#8)

My new book blogging strategy is to let a few weeks go by and let it "sink in."  I started this "latest" before we got Rocky.  It's hard to think of what life was like without him (in a good way), so it really seems like I finished this one eons ago (eons = 2+ weeks).  Anyhow, today's book post is:

Ten Days in The Hills by Jane Smiley... and yet another hardcover... this is my 3rd hardcover of the year... already equaling the number of hardcovers I read all of last year.  But being a Jane Smiley fan (or so I thought) and having read some good reviews of this book, I stepped right into that impulsive book purchasing puddle.

First off, an explanation for that parenthetical "or so I thought." I will sheepishly admit I got my Janes confused... I thought this was Jane Hamilton... alas there was no A Map of the World or The Book of Ruth when I reviewed the author author bio and the "Also By" page (I told you it was an impulse buy).  But, no worries... I lucked out having read Smiley's A Thousand Acres and a Pulitzer winner too... so no literary slouch here or buyer's remorse.

Smiley likes to update the classics (i.e. Acres was a re-imagination of King Lear).  In Ten Days, Smiley puts a modern spin on Giovanni Boccaccio's The Decameron (originally published in the 1300s!).  If your reaction is "what?!".. don't worry I had never heard of it... and it is certainly not required reading to enjoy this book.  In Boccaccio's work, 10 people flee to a villa in the Italian countryside during the Black Death plague in Florence.  During their stay, they share stories with each other, with 100 stories ultimately being told (in a Canterbury Tales-esque fashion) over the course of 10 days. 

The modern spin?  10 folks informally gather at the film director's home in Hollywood Hills the morning after the 2003 Oscars... "fleeing" news of the recently underway Iraq war.

Ok, pretty cool concept... and don't worry there's not 100 stories... just 10 chapters (with some section breaks), one for each "day."  You are pretty much the proverbial fly on the wall.  There's a whole lot of conversation... about politics and the new war, relationships (the "cast" is largely extended and blended family members), movies, and sex.  Those last two topics even combine as the director gets this idea to create a sexually explicit My Dinner With Andre-esque indie movie called My Lovemaking with Elena.

That pitch (a sex version of Andre) segues into two potential reasons why some might want to pass up this one.  First, the characters do "make love" quite a bit... and while it didn't make me blush, at times it was a bit "well, hello?!" in the explicitness department.  So while I'm no prude, I would be cautious recommending it to certain folks... i.e., Mom (or at least my Mom).

Secondly, if you are familiar with My Dinner With Andre, the book is pretty much about nothing (Seinfeld-ian one may say).  If you are one of those picky people who like to have a plot in your novel, well this one may not be for you either.  There's a lot of conversation... some sex... more conversation... eating breakfast... more conversation... sitting by the pool.... more ... well, you get the idea.  I had to laugh when I read this Amazon review:

"I gave this book 200 pages to hook me and it failed miserably. I had to stop reading it and ask my husband (who had just finished it) to tell me if anything actually ever happens. He said nothing happens. So I put it down."

I can't argue with her!   I, for one, didn't mind it.  Agreeing with the characters' political beliefs (though are overly obsessed with the war) certainly helped... and although pretty elitist, I enjoyed the Hollywood tangents as well. 

But it was certainly the "thickest" book yet in this year's reading challenge... and I am not talking number of pages (though it is one of the longer books).  I had good intentions of reading it in 10 days... but the new puppy changed all that... but even if Rocky had not come along (sacrebleu!), it would have been a challenge with its leisurely pacing.  For the record, it took me a whopping 18 days (including 3 days I did not read at all).

So recommended... but certainly not for everyone... caveat emptor.

2007 10K Reading Challenge:  + 449 pages (Total Pages: 2554 pages)

AI6: Crying Over You

It was a British Invasion this week on American Idol ... though if you think you might hear a Beatles tune, think again... and while she was totally cool, hands up for folks who never heard of Lulu before last night?  I can't think we were the only ones.  Here are my rankings for

#1 - Melinda ("As Long As He Loves Me" from Oliver) - I thought this would be the first recap that did not feature Melinda or Lakisha in the Top 2... but alas, while Melinda started slow (and yes a tad boring), it slowly rose to a knockout of a finish.  Can she be stopped?  But will folks tire of this "old soul" (I won't!).

#2 - Jordin ("I Who Have Nothing"/Shirley Bassey) -  Holy Moly!  Maybe our Arizona Idol does have the chops to go all the way!   She had incredible power without being shouty or sharp (Todd thought there were a couple of stray notes)... and she performed (vs. "just singing") the song... plus she is certainly making us forget she's 17 (well, at least while singing... she's kinda a goofball otherwise).

#3 - Blake ("Time of the Season"/The Zombies) -  I thought for sure that a guy was going to make my Top 2 this week... but I have Blake just missing out.  But I really loved this one... as Todd said, Blake is really an artist (not just a singing).   

#4 - Lakisha ("Diamonds Are Forever"/Shirley Bassey) - I feel guilty for putting Lakisha all the way down in the fourth spot since there was really nothing wrong with the vocal... just wasn't crazy about the song choice.

#5 - Chris R ("Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying"/Big Maybelle) - This is where I tell you that Chris is not one of my favorite vocalists... but he keeps landing near the top of my rankings each week... so he must be doing something right.  Still a tad too whiny for me, but he sounded pretty good for a slow song.

#6 - Chris S ("She's Not There"/The Zombies) - I think it's more Chris "Slide" these days... as I am starting to feel as he Mr. Sligh is taking himself out of contention to make it really deep in the contest.  The walk-thru the audience was a bit much for me... and did anyone else stop listening to laugh at the "Bringing Chubby Back" audience sign?  Plus, he was a bit out a breath in the end.

#7 - Stephanie ("You Don't Have To Say You Love Me"/Dusty Springfield) - An unusual off night for Stephanie... a bit warbly and she sounded like she was pushing her sing a bit too much.  And alas, it is never a good sign when you don't even favorably stack up against a former Idol contestant... anyone remember AI4's Nadia Turner's stellar take on this one?  Unfortunately for Steph, I did.

#8 - Sanjaya ("You Really Got Me"/The Kinks) - What's Sanjaya doing at #8 when there are 11 contestants left?!   Ok, it may be a little reverse psychology (though I don't think he's going anywhere!)... but at least he tried something different... ok, the vocal was still pretty sucky... but you couldn't knock it over with a feather.  And dare I say it was a tad raunchy (in a good way)... but since Sanjaya is 17 years old, I'll just leave it at that.

#9 - Gina ("Paint It Black"/Rolling Stones) - Todd put Gina in his rankings basement and this morning I am likely being too kind... this was too loud, too shouty... and all a bit strange (it's a weird song).  What bugs me about Gina is that she gets too defensive with any type of criticism and, if she's really a "rocker chick," she needs to have thicker skin.   

#10 - Phil ("Tobacco Road"/Nashville Teens) - After a surprisingly good showing here last week, I am back to not really liking Phil.  Ditto the Gina criticism of being too loud and shouty... I honestly couldn't understand a word he was singing at times... and, as with Gina, they both seemed to be trying too hard... which I think is the biggest sin.   

#11 - Haley ("Tell Him"/Billie Davis) - I should have cut Haley a break... as I enjoyed this bubbly performance more than Gina and Phil... but vocally I still don't think she's there.  But as with Sanjaya, I was glad to see her shake things up a bit... though by shaking, I am talking about her breasts (which I am assuming is what Simon was referring to when he said folks would be talking about things other than Haley's vocals)... and her legs were quite nice as well!o

Elimination Prediction:  As always, I'll lead the curious to Dial Idol (click "Predictions" on the upper right bar).  This week, the predictions based on busy signals has have 5 of the 11 "safe" (and some surprises, at least to me).   As I suggested, Sanjaya is safe and I don't think he will even be in the bottom 3 week... so I will be surprised if the Bottom 3 is anyone outside of Stephanie, Gina, Phil and Haley.  Phil, being the "surprise" bottom three-er last week, might get a voting bump this week... so in an all-gal grouping, I'll go out on a limb and say Stephanie's journey ends tonight.

Oh, the title of this post... of course, a reference to the lasting image of last night's show.

(Like she needs more face time!)

Sidenote:  That was my face just a little bit ago.  I was just about done with this post and my browser "froze" with no chance to save it... so I lost everything after Lakisha (translation: about 70% of the post)... ayyyyy!!   Save your work early and often!

The Dancer's Life

Keeping with the dancing theme today...

This past Friday night was yet another trip to the theater... this time to see The Dancer's Life.  Fortunately for us, there were no major cast substitutions... with the role of Chita Rivera played by Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero... or perhaps, you know her better as... the Chita Rivera.

For that slice of my readership who are not be theater queens, Chita is a Broadway living legend.  A two-time Tony winner (and nominated 7 other times), she is best known for originating the roles of Anita in West Side Story and Velma Kelly in Chicago... neither of which won her a Tony (those would be The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman)... but would win Rita Moreno and Catherine Zeta-Jones Oscars for those same roles in the movie versions (Chita seemed particularly miffed for being passed over for West Side Story).

As you have likely surmised, the show is a retrospective of Rivera's impressive career on stage and screen.  In what will be the production's "full circle" moment, we meet Chita in 2002 as she is about to receive a Kennedy Center Honor, the first for a Hispanic woman... before she starts to recall (via the words of famed playwright Terrence McNally) stories from her life and perform her greatest hits.

Now this is where it gets a bit dicey. The show is called The Dancer's Life, which as you can guess, requires dancing.  This is a good time to tell you that Rivera is 74 years old!   As you can see in the official show picture, she looks incredible... scratch that... amazing (those legs)!   But, while age does not affect one's singing or acting... dancing is a whole other thing... and the phrase "... for her age" often seemed to be tacked on to much of my internal monologue.  Again, I feel horrible for even bringing it up... hell, at just over half her age I have trouble getting out of bed some days... so I can't possibly throw stones... but the Rivera's dancing, while surely competent, had to be just a shadow of its former self.

Now it's never sad or cringe-inducing... just the opposite, it is quite inspirational... but still I wondered if there was a little bit of Norma Desmond syndrome on stage.  Did the theater diva think she still has it... were the lights, applause and music all delusions of grandeur and former glory?

Whatever the case, I still got goosebumps as Rivera donned a top hat and closed the night with Chicago's opening number... All That Jazz... whether my Norma comparison is accurate or not... there's no doubt that Chita was very much ready for her close-up.