Val's grandslam and Kelly's Diva night

What a great night!  Val hit a grand slam home run at her tournament softball game!  I didn't get to see it but Ken called me immediately following and I told everyone who would listen (and even those trying not to hear).

I was at the Picnic with the Pops Wicked Divas night.  It was fabulous.  My girlfriend, Mindy and a friend of hers took the lead and set it all up via email.  They invited friends and invited their friends to invite friends.  It was a networking night, diva fashion.  Mindy and her friend provided wine, water, plates, napkins, silverware, etc. and we all brought a dish to share.  The event takes place on a huge lawn area near OSU campus where the Columbus Symphony Orchestra performs each Saturday evening in the summer.

Tonight they played songs that brought back my youth, and my former singer self.  Two Broadway musical stars, former Elphabas (the Wicked Witch of the West) from WICKED, Julia Murney and Stephanie J Block, joined the orchestra and sang songs from Wicked as well and many other select Diva songs as below:

Overture to Gypsy
Selections from Carmen
Intro and All that Jazz from Chicago - reminded me of high school music camp (swing choir)
Don't Rain on my Parade (Funny Girl) - I won a regional talent contest singing this song. Mindy caught me singing this one and gave me the boa and took my pic.  It is already on Facebook.
Back to Before (Ragtime)
My Fair Lady Medley - In grade school, Lee Ann and I learned all the words to the key songs and performed them for anyone who would listen.
Ragtime (Ragtime)
Think of Me (Phantom) - I sang a Phantom song for Jeff and Jen's wedding
Ring Them Bells (written for Liza Minnelli)
Congo
Songs of Diana Ross - I knew most of the lyrics to the songs in the medley.
No More Tears (Diana and Barbra!) - ohhhhh, a former karaoke circuit song that I sang frequently with Fran
My Heart will Go On (Titanic)
Over the Rainbow (Wizard of Oz) - reminded me of a recent visit to Oz
Defying Gravity (Wicked) - what an incredible song - my incredible husband says this song reminds him of me because I defy gravity

There were several other songs on the program, but they had to cut it short because of thunder and lightening and rain.  We packed up without much rain and headed to the cars.  I helped Mindy take some things to her car and then headed to an adjacent lot to my own car.  I wasn't 100 yards away from her car before the torrential downpour started.  I put my soft-sided cooler over my head and continued to my car, laughing and talking with others who didn't make it to their cars on time.

The 20 or so women who showed up got to know each other, sang, drank wine, and had lots of fun. There was even chair dancing involved.  I stayed on my diet, believe it or not.  Mindy said I looked great and we laughed about how I was showing more skin than she had ever seen on me.  My diva outfit was a sundress I bought for Florida this year (when I had the huge expander breasts).  Now it is even more deep cut, but I wore it anyway.  Mindy and her friends said it was perfect for the occasion and Mindy said I should wear it to the reunion.  I doubt I'll have the guts to do that.  We'll see.  I haven't found another outfit to wear yet, so I might get stuck with it by default.  We leave in 5 days.

Day 29 of South Beach Diet:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with salsa and spinach
Lunch: Chipotle salad with chicken, guacamole, and hot sauce
Snack: Turkey lunch meat and a 5.5 oz V8
Dinner: veggies and hummus, 3 shrimp cocktail, and a little chicken salad at the concert
Drinks: water all day and red wine and water at the concert

No walking or running today.  Just lots of cleaning/housework.