Keeping Your Head About You, When Others Are Losing Theirs!!!!!!!!!!

                              As usual, darlings, it was a whirlwind weekend!  But, of course, being the Raving Queen, when is that not the case.

                              Things started off on Friday eve, with a Third Avenue Stroll, a sort of impromptu weekly street fete in Bay Ridge, where pedestrians can walk from about 81st to 101st Streets in the street, restaurants are going full throttle, and stands and performers were out , though not with the abundance I would have expected, due to the overcast skies and rather drizzly, cool weather.

                                Nevertheless, we met up with Monsieur's glamorous friend, Ellen, whose stunning white sweater/blouse was complimented by the equally dazzling necklace of aqua blue beads around her neck.  All of which heightened her flawless, Jennifer Jones like complexion and shining ebony hair. Darlings, Ellen was the object of envy of many on the street that night, including the Marilyn Monroe drag artist!!!!!!!  That's right, girls!!!!!!!!!  You heard me!!!!!!!!  Bay Ridge has come a long way, baby!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  We ended up at Giacomo's, where we had the tastiest meal.  The calamari was luscious, as was the salad.   My tagliatelle bolognese, especially when washed down with some red wine, did the trick for me, darlings, while Ellen and Monsieur's Chicken Parmesan (which I sampled) was filling and flavorful.  Things were really hopping that night, so I forgave the service for not being quite at the Anna Wintour level my Anna Wintour standards expect!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Saturday was a shopping spree, with our friend Judy, and Monsieur's cousin, Jodie, from Connecticut.  We dined at Hinsch's, where I just had to have one of their fabulous ice cream sodas (chocolate, of course!!!) which always makes me feel like Lana Turner being discover at Schwab's!!!!!!!!!

                                       From there, we trotted over to Century 21, where Monsieur and Jodie picked up some items.  Walking back to the apartment, we stopped at a Greek store, where Jodie got some feta cheese, then home to air conditioning and drinks.  Once our guests left, Monsieur and I ordered in from Mister Tang, and it was fabulous!!!!!!!!  Lambs, I was so tired, I couldn't stay awake, not even for Investigation Discovery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          Sunday was something else.  I went to Mass, where that woman who looks like Jennifer Jones was handing out church bulletins.  Wouldn't it be something if her name was Jennifer, or Bernadette?????   We were supposed to have theater plans that afternoon, but by the time Monsieur and I noshed down at Chock Full O' Nuts, we had no idea what we were doing, or if!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             So, we get back home.  I had just settled down for a relaxing broadcast of "Motives And Murders," when at 1:50--1:50, mind you!!!!!-Monsieur's friend, Larry (whose birthday today was) called, announcing he had tickets to "One Man, Two Guv'nors," and to meet him and Steve  in front of the Music Box Theater.

                                               What could we do, girls?????????  May God forgive me!!!!!!
I didn't even have time to run a comb through my hair, let alone apply a fresh blush or foundation!!!!!!  We left the apartment, dressed as we were--in colored Tshirts, shorts and sandals!!!!!!!  Me!!!!!!!!!!  Going to the theater like this!!!!!!!!!!!! Again, may God forgive me!!!!!!!!!

                                                I was sure we would not make it, because it was about 2:15 when the Manhattan bound R pulled in. And we had to go all the way from 77th Street--to West  49th and the Theater District in Manhattan!!!!!!!!  But, thanks to the practicality of Monsieur (thank God one of us is more practical than the other!!!!!!!!!!) we got on an express N train , and, thanks to the stops it skipped, we actually made it to the theater literally just in time  for the performance!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                  Dressed, as I was, in an air conditioned Broadway theater (the Music Box!!!!!!!) it was freezing!!!!!!!!! Now, what about the show???????  I have to admit it was not on my theatrical radar, and I would never have picked this show.  It is based on "The Servant And Two Masters" by Carlo Goldoni, with a little bit of Oscar Wilde and 'Earnest' thrown in, so no wonder it all seemed familiar.  What it actually is is a Benny Hill (that is the level of humor, darlings!!!!!!) dragged out to two and one half hours!!!!!!!!  Not the worst thing I have seen, but far from the best!!!!!!!!  And not highly sophisticated!!!!!!!!!!!  Where was my coconut dacquoise and champagne?????????

                                                    The actors were skilled, and its lead actor, James Corden, won the TONY Award for Best Actor, beating out Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Death Of A Salesman."  I mean, come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Corden is a skilled, talented trouper, whose work certainly is worthy of a nomination, but an award?????????  And the script was no "Noises Off," so all the stunts and pratfalls could not cover this up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                       But, honey, talk about pigs in shit!!!!!!!!!  While Monsieur and I looked at each other, wondering what was so funny, everyone around us--especially the group behind us--were laughing their heads off, like they were at the greatest thing!!!!!!! Which they were not, I can tell you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                          Just like what we experienced last summer with "The Book Of Mormon!"  Are audiences so hyped by hype that they believe anything they are told is good is??????????  Doesn't anyone make judgements for themselves, anymore??????? I have to wonder!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                             Darlings, my judgement says stay away from this one!!!!!!  And to think I could have watched Investigation Discovery all afternoon, and Monsieur could have read, or macramed, or something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                               And two and one half hours!!!!!!  Ninety minutes, and no Intermission, OK!!!!!!  Get us out of there!!!!!!!!!!!! Instead, we get tortured!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                  But it was Larry's birthday, and we were happy for him, though I am not sure he enjoyed it that much!!!!!!!!!!!  Of ua all, I think Steve liked the show best, though he was not raving!!!!!!  At least our dinner---just us girls--at the Polish Tearoom (aka the Edison Hotel Coffee Shop!!!!!) was distinctly post-theatrical!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                   We were exhausted by the time we got home!  Theater is supposed to stimulate, not anesthetize!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                      Maybe they should broadcast this play to colonoscopy patients!!!!!!  It would certainly put them to sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                     Here is hoping for better theatrical excursions,  darlings!!!!!!!!