The Many Adventures of a Thede

I'm a week into Junie B. Jones rehearsals, and I'm having a pretty good time. All the actors are nice, and seem like people I might want to be stuck in a van with for the next five months. It's fun to be doing a show with a bunch of people who are so close in age to me. The youngest person in the cast is 22 and the oldest is 27. It seems like usually most people involved in productions are older than me. Not that hanging around people 10 to 20 years older than me is bad. But it just makes for a different dynamic when everyone is the same age. It's like being back in college.

We had a fun New Year's. Bo got back into town early in the morning on New Year's Eve. I was in rehearsal, so he had a chance to unpack and take a nap during the day. We met up in the evening and headed downtown where we met James and Natalie at Chelsea Grill for dinner. Bo and I were planning on getting off the subway at 50th St, but the train we were on ended up running express from 72nd St to 42nd St. So, basically we got off the train IN Times Square. Fortunately, cops were everywhere with barricades set up, so things were organized. But even so, it was pretty difficult walking down 42nd St to 9th Ave where the restaurant is. But, I guess I can say I was in Times Square on New Year's Eve. Anyway, we had a nice dinner with James and Nat. Some more of our friends came into the restaurant bar as we were finishing up and then we all went to a penthouse party on 53rd. This guy's place was AMAZING! He had a huge place, and it was totally tricked out. Flat screens in every room (including the bathroom), speaker system in the ceiling, grand piano, beer on tap, a private roof with a hot tub. Yeah, I was like...what am I doing here? Anyway, we all watched the ball drop on TV and then took lots of pictures. I'll post some to flickr soon. It was probably one of the best New Year's Eves I've had!

On New Year's Day Bo and I watched a bit of the Capitol One Bowl (Bo's team, the Gators, lost). Then we headed out to New Jersey for dinner with the family. Aunt Janice made her famous lasagna, not black eyed peas and collard greens, which is what Bo was afraid she would make. Apparently that's a New Year's Day tradition down south, but I'd never heard of it. I assured him that my family would never make anything like that! My cousin Anne's little boy Theo has made leaps and bounds since we saw him at Thanksgiving. He's walking a bit and he makes animal noises and says a few words (Mama, Daddy, bottle...when the phone rang he held his hand up to his ear and said "'lo?")

So, Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a great 2007, and that your 2008 will be even better! Take the time to think about all the great things God gave you this past year. And try to think of a way to bless others in the new year.