Music to Mop By

When I was a senior in high school I was given some options. I could A) go to Phoenix with the marching band and march in the Fiesta Bowl parade, B) go to New York and sing at Carnegie Hall with a group of choirs from Tennessee, or C) stay in Tennessee and go see Phantom of the Opera at TPAC in Nashville. I chose C.

My reasons: A) the trip to Phoenix was very shortly after Christmas and I didn't want to be away from home over the holidays, B) I wasn't sure I could raise the $ in time for either trip, C) the New York trip was being organized by a man I wouldn't trust to take a shitzu to New York much less a group of teenagers...and I was a teenager, so that's not a big vote of confidence, D) I was flat out obsessed with Phantom.

It all started in 8th grade. I was back in Illinois visiting Grandma and Grandpa M&M when my old youth group had a lock in at the church. I went to spend time with all my old buddies and ended up making a new group of friends. One of my girl friends (H.) had brought a bunch of friends from school. They were all Phantom junkies and made me listen to the entire soundtrack on a walkman that night. I was hooked.

When I found out Phantom was coming to Nashville I was on cloud nine. Mama and Daddy said I could pick which of the three I wanted as my graduation gift. I instantly chose Phantom. They got tickets for me and Did, and my boyfriend (Stoffer...the one who had a job just so we could date) got one so he could go with us. It was fabulous! When the chandelier crashed down from the ceiling...I'll never forget it.

A few months later Did's folks got us tickets to see Les Miserables at TPAC for graduation. I was a big fan of Les Mis too, but not quite as obsessed with it as I was Phantom. It was also wonderful. I wept when Eponine died. It was beautiful.

Today I scrubbed my kitchen floor (yes, it does relate, keep reading). Not the mop and bucket, or Swiffer Wet Jet type of scrubbing, but the hands and knees with a scrub brush and a bucket type of scrubbing. I have a Wet Jet and I love it, but every so often the floor needs elbow grease. This was that "so often." So I broke out Les Mis and popped it in my cd player and went to work.
Instead of hearing the kids yell in the living room I heard, "He slept a summer by my side, He filled my days with endless wonder, He took my childhood in his stride, But he was gone when Autumn came..." And instead of the sudsy floor I saw Marius and Cosette's wedding.

Now I am doubly glad I stayed home from those trips. Not only was that the first time Art and I spent the night together, but the memories of those shows is here to get me through days of endless cleaning!

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This is one of my favorite pictures of #1 Son. He's watching his chickens. He hangs on that gate a lot!

OH, and I got Inkling's wedding invite today. It's beautiful. If I had a scanner and could figure out a way to post it without accidentally inviting more people to her wedding, I would. I would just like to point out that it did arrive on time and in one peice against the wishes of two naked truckers. You'll just have to go read her post to understand.