January = Blah

It's official: I have the January blahs. Chalk it up to weather, January, winter, restlessness, or my December MasterCard bill (Christmas x three kids is so pricey), or life in this suburban hell, but whatever you call it, I am in a mid-month funk.

But I'm thinking things will perk up here shortly.

And maybe it's only a one-day funk. It wasn't around yesterday, because yesterday was incredible. Gary and I enjoyed my Christmas gift of tickets to Jersey Boys. Which was fantastic. We headed out just before 6 (would have been nice to leave earlier, but I had already traded days in the gymnastics carpool last week to go to the theatre with my friend Nancy, so I could not weasel out again without losing all credibility), and after 50 minutes in rush-hour traffic, we made it to the theatre district in time to catch a bite at the über-cool sushi joint that abuts the Hobby Center (where I risked my life by eating the tuna, along with smoked salmon and vegetable tempura). It was rainy and cold, so we took advantage of the über-cool tunnel system that connects Bayou Place (where many of the chic eateries and bars are located) to Jones Hall, Hobby Center, Wortham Center, and the Alley Theatre. And parked in the garage - didn't even need my umbrella. Made it into our seats just before 8 and did not have to leave half a glass of wine behind - timing is everything.

I knew I would like Jersey Boys. But I did one better - we loved it! It was like The Sopranos meets musical theatre. Really, how can you not like a show about a boy band from Newark whose members keep getting sent upstate? Or who have mob ties? Which made me wonder, aloud, if everyone from Jersey is connected? Gary asked me if I had not been paying attention: The only way out of the hood is to get sent up, knocked up, or mobbed up (though how the middle one helps I'm not quite sure). Suffice it to say, the show was incredibly entertaining. And the musical numbers were good - even, I'd venture, if you're not a huge Frankie Valli fan. I would not define myself as a huge fan, but there are a couple of songs I quite like, and the show did them justice. It used most of the numbers to tell the story, which gave all of then more meaning.

In short, I liked it. But you might take my review with a grain of salt: I love Broadway musicals. All of them. Every one I've ever seen, and I've seen several. But Gary liked it too, and he is probably more discriminating about his musicals than I am. And very tolerant, I should add, as he is happy to attend with me. And I refuse to pick up a fishing pole to make him happy. The thing is, though, I do not expect him to go with me (why do you think we have daughters? or I have friends like Pete? or Helen? or JoAnn?) and I do not keep him from going fishing. It all works out.

Sooooo ... even after that amazing night (which left me very tired today, as we weren't in bed til midnight), I am feeling the winter blues. But, as I said, there are remedies.

Such as, I've quit reading a couple of blogs regularly. These are not blogs written by friends, and how I started reading them is a long story. I read several. But two in particular are getting to me - the word "sanctimonious" comes to mind as I read them. I doubt they miss me. Even on my blah days, I refuse to make time for blogs I find annoying. Life is too short.

It was a blah start, so it'll be a blah ending. Blah. But brighter days are in store.