I have had quite the weekend.  No lie.

Friday night, I went to see Jekyll and Hyde downtown.  Both C and I agree it was one of the best shows we've seen.  If you can see this show live, do it, but I don't know that it will compare with the one I saw.  It was incredible, amazing, insanely good, and any other word that the Thesaurus has to go with incredible.

However, getting there was a trip.  Literally.  I got a flat tire.  No big deal, I've done that before.  I'm an old pro at it - I know to have my emergency brake on when the mechanics get there so they don't get their hand flattened by my gas guzzling Jose (that's right, my car's name is Jose Durango.  My mom named him.  I was originally going to him Connie, but Jose's a boy, not a girl.).  I know that there's no reason to panic - it's a flat tire.  However, when the mechanic pulls out the object that flattened your tire and says, "Holy crap - let me get my phone so I can take a picture of that," it's a weird night.  No lie.  See for yourself on the left.

Saturday, early morning, I went to the flea market with some friends for The Marriage of Figaro props.  It took much longer then we thought, but it was so worth it.  We got so much cool stuff.  I then had to go on to a work event, where I ate more Eat n' Park mini cookies then I should have.  Then back on to my house for fifteen minutes before driving to my aunt's apartment (where I had already spent the previous night) for my younger brother's birthday dinner.  My little brother turned 21 yesterday - though he isn't quite so little.  We always joke that I'm the short one in the family.  And at 5'7", unfortunately, it's true.  Sad, but true.

I woke up for church this morning, exhausted.  I really didn't even make an effort to get ready.  But I'm glad I went.  I always feel a little bit more peaceful throughout the week when I go to church on Sunday.  I've gone two or three weeks without going and it just ruffles my feathers.  I like my church, I like that Sylvia and Jerry have taken me under their wings, always introducing me to people.  I joke that she's my sponsor, which isn't too far from the truth probably.

But now, I'm just slowly getting my energy back.  I will partake in a late afternoon shower, which in my opinion, are the best.  You feel like you're accomplishing something, but it's also a deliciously lazy, indulgent thing to do, taking a shower in the afternoon.  Or anytime later than you really would have.  Then I might scrapbook sometime this afternoon.  The last thing I scrapbooked was my trip to London in May of 2009 - I'm so behind.  Or I might finish taping up the cuts for Figaro.  Or I might just decide to curl up in my reading corner and read a book. 

How was your weekend?

This is a non-ramble post...

Okay, this may offend some of you and if it does, well, too bad.

There was an article on CNN's Belief Blog today that I whole-heartily, 100% agree with.  Here it is.

I am pro-choice.  I firmly believe that nobody has the right to tell me what to do with my body.  There was a Minnesota (I think) senator who made a speech about gay marriage where he said something to the effect of "I'm Jewish and I don't eat certain things.  But I'm not going to turn to someone who's not Jewish and say because my religion mandates that I eat this way, you have to eat this way too.  Even though you aren't Jewish."  It may have been a speech about gay marriage, but it applies to so many other things in our world today.

I am also very pro-adoption. 1) I think it's a very eco-friendly thing to do.  Think of all the diapers you've saved yourself by not having a baby.  Of course, you'll spend twice as much, if not more, in adoption fees, but you've saved the production of diapers.  2) My youngest siblings are adopted.  They will be here five years (!!!!) this summer and it amazes me how well they've adapted (they weren't babies; he was 9, she was 7) to everything.  I can still vividly recall meeting them the first time at the amusement park in my hometown and my younger sister just clinging to me the entire time.  They were the oldest in their family, but they have quickly learned how much fun (and profitable) it can be to have older siblings.

I've also seen the issues that come along with adoption and I will not hide them from people who ask me about them.  My brother has some very serious issues that deal with living in an orphanage.  This is partly why I am pro-choice.  I've always been pro-choice, I've always felt it was my body, but now I also see it as a way to prevent a child from feeling unwanted, unloved, and generally feeling like they don't belong anywhere.  That is something I wouldn't wish on anyone.  I look around at all the pictures I have of my younger brother and sister and I am so thankful that they are in my life - I would have a  naked refrigarator if it weren't for my little sister.  But there are children out there who aren't as lucky as my siblings are. 

I also don't understand the need some people have, when discussing adoption, to claim that they want "their own child."  To me, that just doesn't make sense.  How often do teenage girls claim that this person is their "sister," when they have no blood relation to each other?  How is adopting a child really any different?  You find a child and you fall in love with them.  You bring them into your home and they become yours.  It's the same with best friends.  You meet them, fall in love with them, and suddenly they're yours and it's like you've never been without them.

I think more people need to really examine how they feel about it - are you really willing to let even just one child sit in a room and feel unloved because you want a child that's "from your body." 

I feel like I haven't properly explained myself and it's turned into one big ramble fest anyways, but I also feel like I've made my point.  Adopting is just as important an issue as any other in family matters and needs to be discussed.  By everyone.

This blog will have rambles.  They may not make much sense. 

One day they may be about the amazing Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies that are sitting on my stove, cooling.  (Recipe courtesy of Joy the Baker.  Gotta give credit where credit is due.  She's great - hilarious really.  You should meet her.)  But seriously, I may have to dig into those before the 30 minutes I'm supposed to wait.

The next day (or the next paragraph as the case may be) may be about the book I'm currently busting my way through (Juliet by Anne Fortier - currently receiving 2 stars and 4 stars - more about that later)

Some things about me:

I like to swear, but I promise to try and keep it to a minimum here.  Now that I have a big-girl job, I've been self-editing myself in the dire hopes of not swearing in front of my big-girl job boss.

I love musical theatre and I'm starting to like opera.  I blame my friend C.  She pulled me into one she was working on and now I'm stuck.  I almost thought of looking up the original cast recording of The Marriage of Figaro, but then I realized that unless I pulled an H.G. Wells (The Time Machine.  Look it up.  Or not.  2 1/2 stars in my opinion.  But Goodreads doesn't let you give half stars - poo on that), I wouldn't be able to do that.

I set up a reading corner in my apartment yesterday with above mentioned friend, C.  I've included a picture for you.  That fancy print of London I got at Ross Dress for Less.  Get one for yourself.  Or get one of a place you want to go and use it as inspiration to turn that account that you've only saved $4.01 to go visit a friend into something that could actually pay for a plane ticket.  I will.

You will learn about my friend C a lot.  She's my best friend.  I'm hers (I hope - we haven't had that 3rd grade conversation about best friends yet.  But we did have a sleepover Friday night that included sushi and Harry Potter.  And then we spent three hours Saturday morning talking about boys in our pajamas before going shopping.  It was a good best friend day.).

So that's me for now.  I'm going to go back to Juliet, which I interrupted to make the most amazing smelling brownies and write this for you.

Introduce yourself.  Don't be a stranger.  I like new people.  They're fun and they make life interesting.

And as I always tell my friends - breathe.  It's good for your soul.