Diva Las Vegas Baby

Since my pregnancy, I've found great comfort in cozying up in my bed and watching a DVD (to either watch or fall asleep to). Right before the pregnancy, I discovered a wonderful independent film club, Film Movement, which has definitely come in handy. For only $15 a month or so, you get a DVD of an acclaimed independent film in your mailbox, once a month, to keep. And the films have been pretty good so far (I've received 6 films so far). The films come from all over the world, including the US, and tend to be somewhat misty and emotional or melancholy, but still engaging. One night, I settled into bed, our portable DVD player by my side, popped in the latest DVD and was completely shocked when I saw my Mom's name in the credits for casting (The Choking Man)!!! How thrilling!! Check out Film Movement .

Tonight we saw Bette Midler live at Caesar's Palace. It was a thrill to see someone of her legendary and diva status, and she was endearing and adorable and saucy and funny. It was also cool to see a bit of classic Las Vegas with the Showgirls and the glitz, and all without the spectacle and tricks and gymnastics that have become commonplace in Strip entertainment. However, my husband, while he did enjoy seeing Miss M (as she likes to be called), found himself embarrassed by it all, the misogynistic aspect of finding entertainment in scantily clad girls kicking in unison, the fact that as part of our entertainment history the Showgirl phenomenon was once thought of as a good gig (and apparently still is), completely dictated by male desire and appetite, and also the fact that at 62 (and she looks marvelous), even Miss M still has to perpetuate it in her stage show. On the other hand, there were still parts of the show that clearly showcased her zaniness, and perhaps the Showgirls...

I keep marveling over the fact that there are hummingbirds out here in the desert, and my sightings have been many. I used to see a hummingbird over at the apartment complex where we first lived in Vegas, and now I see a hummingbird almost daily at our current complex. I never thought I would see one in person, I always associate hummingbirds with assigned television watching for science class. But they are truly amazing, the way they hover, almost stationary amidst a blur of flapping wings. It would be funny if the hummingbirds I've seen have actually all been the same solitary hummingbird all along, and it followed me from my old complex to our current one!

Well, as anyone who reads this blog probably knows (and with my prolonged absence from blogging, there may not be anyone reading my blog anymore) - I am PREGNANT! I am due around December 5th, I am now 15 weeks, and I am ecstatic. The first trimester was a little anxiety-ridden, what with my exceptional talent for worrying. But I think I am a little better at calming down and relaxing and have even allowed myself to actually enjoy this journey towards motherhood. I am really beginning to show, which is fun. And I am enjoying being able to eat whatever (well, for the most part) and not feel guilty. I do wonder about how my body will change, partly from the pregnancy, but also from the fact that I won't be performing for a bit - what will happen to my muscles? I am definitely tired, a lot, but as anyone who knows me can attest, I love to sleep, so there you go. I am determined to get as much sleep as I can now, because who knows when I'll enjoy the comforts of a deep slumbe...

I've been so remiss in keeping up with the blog. Daily life has taken over and I guess it is time to update, and fast!! My husband is back at work, after his car accident put him out of the show for 3 months, and it is great to have him back because the show isn't the same without his energy and presence and playing. And I mean no disrespect to anyone who plays the same role as he does, we all bring something special to the table, it was just that my husband's absence was definitely felt. We renewed our lease for another 6 months, hooray, because I was afraid that we were going to have to look for new digs, and that is just not fun. It is getting hot out here, only April but feels like June in NY. Not looking forward to the debilitating heat, I can tell you that. If you're looking for me, I'll be by the AC. Brooklyn is fabulous, she's got a pre-summer cut, and she's mellowed out a bit, but still has her dynamic and playful personality. She's reall...

I wrote a couple of drafts, one in January and one in February, to cope with the difficult time I've been having out here in the desert, but for some reason, I couldn't finish either draft, and by the time I sat at my desk again to continue my diatribe, weeks had passed. I've re-read the drafts and I don't feel the need to publish them: in a nutshell, both drafts just elaborate on my disappointment in Vegas as a city and the fact that 2008 has proven to be a difficult year, with my husband's horrifying car accident, my Dad's show closing, and just good old stress. I think it may be time to usher in a truce with Vegas - I think. Or at least I'll try. And I want to remember and share a wonderful morning I had not too long ago. I had just finished registering our new car and I decided to take the local route home instead of the highway. It was unseasonably warm (although maybe for Vegas it was seasonably, I still think I'm in NY sometimes when gauging...

I was straightening up the kitchen counter, which gets cluttered in record time whenever I enter the house, and I made a pile of magazines, which grows exponentially every month because I can't seem to catch up on reading them. On the very top of the magazine pile, I placed, with a smile I might add, the latest copy of Ladies' Home Journal (LHJ) that I purchased to entertain me during a plane trip. And it was that small act that confirmed it for me: I am almost 40! My magazine collection no longer resembles the me that I remember. For me, magazines have always been junk food for the eyes, and I would either subscribe to or purchase individual copies of fun, trendy, sexy magazines. Cosmo, Elle, Marie Clare, Allure, Jane, etc. When did Ladies Home Journal become fun, trendy or sexy!?! But I loved the issue, it was the only magazine in a long time that I was able to really read cover to cover. I tried US Weekly or some garbage like that last week, and while there is a sick fa...