Today was "Wicked" Awesome!

My camera died and we got a new one yesterday. However, I have to do all that techno stuff before I can download any new photos from it... I've taken 3. So you will have to bear with my 1,000 words instead.

Last night at dinner, Anna, one of the interns told me about a ticket lottery they do with "Wicked." Two hours before each performance, they have a lottery. So I decided to try to get tickets for today's matinee. Anna has tried 7 times for the evening performance. I figured I needed to start ASAP. They are first and second row seats.

Jennifer and I left the apartment at 10:45. We had to be at the ticket office on Broadway and 51st at 11:30. We stood in line and I wrote my name on a green card (remember it's Wicked... everything is green). You may sign up until noon and then the cards go into a gold spinning mesh cylinder. Then the fun begins. They call names — I suppose the number depends upon the day. This afternoon they called about 20 names. If they call your name and you have a picture ID and cash, you can buy two tickets.... for $26.25 each. My name was called! The show is at 2 pm.

I called Anna and offered her the second ticket, if she was able to get off work. (A fine chaperone I would be for getting an intern fired for leaving work early.) We sat on the front row. Stage left. I was on the inside aisle. Our row had three seats. Get this... the third seat on our row was sold to a fellow from Westminster College, in Salt Lake City, here on vacation. Only he bought his ticket a couple months ago... for over $70. I didn't tell him how much we paid.

The show is incredible. The fun part for me is that I was close enough to actually see the costume details. It is such a great show... And now I feel for the Wicked Witch and almost energetic enough to want to do costumes again.

It was raining when we got out of the theater. It has been fairly humid today. Jennifer's hair is still straight — mine is not. Now it is pouring.

Jennifer went to a new park while I was at the theatre and met up with the next door neighbors after school. It's across Broadway in the projects. The daddies took took the daughters. Then after dinner, they came over for popcorn and to play. Eva and Tara are from Croatia. Eva is in Kindergarten, Tara is 3. Their dad is doing post-graduate work here.