Backwards in High Heels

Saturday night was our season-ticket night at the American Heartland Theater. We saw "Backwards in High Heels" - a musical based on Ginger Rogers' life.

Have to say - it was pretty good. I thought the choreography was pretty clever in how they told they story of Ginger...and I also liked the fact that Fred (as in Fred Astaire) did not show up until the 2nd half. The focus was really on Ginger - and especially the relationship with her mother. Here's some interesting trivia - did you know Ginger was born in Independence, Missouri? Yep - practically right down the street from here!

I enjoy theater. Hubby and I have season tickets to Starlight, American Heartland, and New Dinner Theater. We used to also have season tickets to the Missouri Rep, but...I guess you need to cut back somewhere, right?! Actually, we gave those up because we had the Sunday at 2:00 pm show - and it was always conflicting with family get-togethers or church events. So, we kicked those tickets to the curb.

I love the anticipation of the show - right before the curtains rise and the theater goes dark...I like escaping into the plot, and seeing how the actors bring the characters to life. I like the choreography, the lighting, the blocking - it's always neat to see how the director brings everything together.

So - my review for "Backwards" - is a definite thumbs up. Great, great show. And a great night spent with the DH - we had a great dinner at Milano's, and then saw a great show. A great homecoming for me - I was glad to be home from Fargo!

Peace.

Sherriology

I need to get a life. Anyway, it's Sunday night - I'm poking around Facebook, and came across this quiz.

The directions: Answer the questions, and title it with your name followed by "ology".

***********FOODOLOGY***************
What is your salad dressing of choice?
The pink and yellow dressing at Hereford House

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
American Restaurant

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
Chocolate

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
Hmmm...don't do pizza

What do you like to put on your toast?
Hmmm...don't do toast, either

***********TECHNOLOGY***************

How many televisions are in your house?
I'm embarrassed to admit it - probably 9 or 10

What color cell phone do you have?
Pink

***************BIOLOGY******************
Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
Wisdom teeth, appendix, 3 children, some cancerous moles

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
My suitcase

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
Yes

************BULLCRAPOLOGY**************
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
No way

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Catherine

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
Absolutely not

************DUMBOLOGY******************
How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
None - hate them

Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
Never

Last person you talked to?
Husband

Last person you hugged?
Husband

**************FAVORITOLOGY****************
Season?
Fall

Holiday?
Halloween

Day of the week?
Any

Month?
October

***********CURRENTOLOGY*****************
Missing someone?
My son (he'd get mad if I didn't say him)

Mood?
Happy

What are you listening to?
The news

Watching?
The news

Worrying about?
Getting everything done

***************RANDOMOLOGY*****************

First place you went this morning?
Church

What's the last movie you saw?
The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the original)

Do you smile often?
As much as possible

Sleeping alone tonight?
Nope

***************OTHER-OLOGY*****************

Do you always answer your phone?
Nope

Its four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
My friend Johnny from Galveston - he's the only one who texts me

If you could change your eye color what would it be?
Wouldn't change it - it's a mix of brown, blue and green. Some people call them "rainbow" eyes.

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
Cherry

Do you own a digital camera?
Yes - 2 of them. One of them is pink. Of course.

Have you ever had a pet fish?
Yes - "Bluebeard" was his name. He was a great fish. He could do tricks - and he'd wag his tail when I came home from work.

Favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night

What's on your wish list for your birthday?
A fabulous dinner in Rome - which is where I'll be this year for my birthday

Can you do push ups?
Yup, do em everyday - thanks to Tae Kwon Do

Does the future make you nervous or excited?
Always excited

Do you have any saved texts?
No - I don't know how to text

Ever been in a car wreck?
Small ones - never my fault.

Do you have an accent?
Someone in Minnesota last week said I had the "cutest" accent. Never heard that before.

What is the last song to make you cry?
"When My Heart Finds Christmas" by Harry Connick, Jr

Plans tonight??
Yeah - lots of sleep

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
Yes

Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
A new scarf, a new blouse, and a Jade pendant

Have you ever been given roses?
Just last week, actually. Hubby spoils me.

Current worry?
No worries - but trying to plan some trips for this summer.

Current hate right now?
Whiners, complainers, and people who don't take responsibility

Met someone who changed your life?
Lots. I know some amazing people.

How will you bring in the New Year?
With family and friends.

What song represents you?
Amazing Grace

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
Yep

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year?
Yes - a few

Do you have any tattoos/piercings?
One tattoo on my right shoulder - and my ears are pierced

Will you be in a relationship 4 months from now?
I'll be married for at least another 50 years!

Does anyone love you?
Yes - of course! (I'm so lovable, you know!)

Ever had someone sing to you?
Don't think so - maybe my mom sang me a lullaby once

When did you last cry?
When I saw the floodwaters last week in Fargo

Do you like to cuddle?
Sure

Have you held hands with anyone today?
Yes - with my son and my hubby at church today

What kind of music did you listen to in elementary school?
The Partridge Family - LOL

Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
A good mix of both

Do you like pulpy orange juice?
ACK!

There's No Place Like Home

After a 9-hour drive yesterday - I finally am home! I love that word - home!

Wednesday night, we had 8 people in our shelter. All of the mandatory evacuation orders had been lifted, and most of our clients had returned home. When we got off of work at 7:00 am Thursday morning, our manager told me to check in around 2:00 pm to see if the shelter would continue to be opened.

I crawl into bed at 8:30 am and fell asleep. I awake at 3:00 pm when Ted calls me to see if I've heard anything from Frank. I am astounded and amazed that I had slept that long - I really AM beginning to adjust to the night shift!

I call Frank - and good news - the shelter is closed and we are free to go! Woo hoo! I call my team and we make arrangements to head over to HQ and outprocess - and we will then head home Friday.

We had an uneventful drive home yesterday - it's always nice to be heading home, and so we made good time. We checked in at the chapter, left our paperwork, and then dropped the rental cars off. I got home right before my kids got home from school - boy, weren't they surprised to see mom standing at the door!!

Last night was spent with unpacking, doing laundry, going through the mail that's piled up, cleaning the house a little - and just lovin' on the pets and family.

Life is good. All is well with the world. And there's truly no place like home.

Peace.

Fargo Floods: Why Am I Here?

Events of Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Location: Fargo, North Dakota/Moorehead, MN area

Disaster: Red River Flooding

It's almost 1:00 am in the morning, and I am sitting at Moorhead Senior High School, in Moorhead, Minnesota.... I'm managing an emergency American Red Cross shelter which was set up on March 26th due to the flooding of the Red River.

I have been doing the night shift for a week now. I'm tired. I'm cranky. I haven't been eating right. And I'm not getting my normal exercise.

Why am I here?

I have dealt with sick children, crying babies, drunk men, angry women, anxious homeowners, and one client who spoke only Farsi - not one word of English.

Why am I here?

I haven't seen my own family in a week. I'm lucky if I catch four hours of sleep in a dumpy motel, listening to the pounding on doors and the hesitant, "Housekeeping" every five minutes as I bury my head under my pillow, praying for darkness and sleep.

Why am I here?

I arrived in a blizzard on the night of March 24th, when six inches of snow hit the Fargo area. Another blizzard hit Monday, lasting for almost 48 hours, dumping another 14" of snow on top of the snow from below. And a fine, sheen glaze of black ice covers every walking surface around. I tiptoe to my car so I don't fall and break my neck.

Why am I here?

I'm here because I'm a volunteer with the American Red Cross, who vows to provide relief to victims of disaster. I'm here because every year the ARC responds to over 70,000 disasters - including over 150 house fires each day. I'm here along with hundreds of other ARC volunteers who want nothing more than to provide that relief during a disaster - and put our own personal comfort and needs aside for the moment.

I'm here because my hero is Mother Teresa. She once said, "Each one of them is Jesus in disguise." So, when I deal with the sick child, or the drunken man, or the angry woman, or the anxious homeowner - I remember that they are Jesus - in disguise - and I smile and listen and comfort and assist.

I'm here because I'm a Christian, and the Bible says, "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" And so I go out to assist those in need, ignoring my own needs - whether that be a need for sleep, or food, or warmth. I know my needs will be met later.

I'm here because it's the right thing to do.

Peace.

Fargo Floods: March 28 - 31

Events of March 28 - 31, 2009

Location: Fargo, North Dakota

Disaster: Red River Flooding

One day is beginning to blend into another. Heck, when you're working the night shift, you don't even KNOW when it is day and when it's night. Everything is mixed up and upside down and out of whack. I don't even know what day it is anymore....Tuesday? Wednesday? Shoot...I give up.

However - I actually think I am now beginning to - God forbid - adjust to this schedule. Today, I miraculously got a whole 5 hours sleep - uninterrupted. I am very happy with 5 hours...that is a good thing.

My team made an observation the other day that we are all appearing to lose weight. We sit down one night (oops - I mean morning - it was 4:30 am, after all!) and we talk about when one is supposed to eat while working night shifts.

So, we sit down and begin trying to figure this out...Our observations...we "wake up" to go to work around 6:30 pm... and work begins at 10:30 pm. So, somewhere in there, we should be eating...dinner? Breakfast? What do you call it? Not sure. Anyway, we are at work from 10:30 pm until 7:00 am. We don't eat, because there's nothing but snacks & junk food for the clients during the middle of the night, and we're all trying to stay away from the junk.... We get off at 7:00 am and head back to the hotel - where, just maybe, we'll grab a granola bar or something. Then, around 11:00 am, we're all settling down in our hotel rooms for some attempted shut-eye.

As my team was trying to figure out why we're all losing weight - it hits us - we've eliminated "lunch!" Our lunch should be some time in the middle of our work shift - maybe around 3:00 am....? Well, who the heck wants to eat at 3:00 am????!!! For the last week, we've all eliminated an entire meal here - duh. No wonder we're all looking a little gaunt. On Tuesday night, I went out with Ted before our shift to grab a hot meal for dinner. It was the first meal I've had in a week that didn't come in a package, wrapper or box.



My work here at the shelter is becoming pretty routine...I'm in the groove, so to speak. I check on my clients - I walk around, assessing the needs of the people, making sure they have everything they need to be comfortable. I guess I am what you'd call the "Midnight Mom." I have tucked people in, cleaned up puke (an 11-year old boy ate too much of that junk food!), felt someone's forehead checking for a fever, assisted an elderly lady to the restroom...all that "mom" stuff. And then there's the paperwork - lots of reports and "counts" and bed checks that have to be filled in.

I like to go around and talk with the clients. The stress is getting incredible...as they've not seen their flooded houses in over a week, and they really want to go check on the damage. So, some listening and talking and hugging becomes part of the job. I've learned some neat things - such as, if I put pepper between my toes, it will keep me warm. Huh. I don't know if I'll actually try it, but it's good to know.

My team is excellent. I have Evie sitting at registration, manning the front door. I've got Ted at information, reconciling bed counts and doing some of my paperwork. (He's a retired accountant - it's a perfect position for him!) I've got Mike managing the floor - checking trash, moving furniture, keeping the cot area clean and organized. I've got Lee over in the kitchen - keeping the coffee fresh for all of the state troopers and firemen who come in at all hours after working on the levees. And I watch over them all and make sure they all have what they need to do their job.

I'm beginning to settle...my sleeping is getting better, I'm on a first-name basis with my clients - heck, I'm even dreaming about the levees. And a foot of snow that came yesterday doesn't even register on my Richter scale. I've become a true Minnesotan.


A photo of the work on the levees during the blizzard yesterday

So goes life managing an emergency Red Cross shelter during a disaster. And on the night shift, no less.

Now - it's 1:05 am...almost time for me to start thinking about what I'm going to have for lunch. Yummo.

Peace.