Saturday Special - Updates from the Lakewood Blue Claws and the Trenton Thunder

Lakewood Blueclaws

The Lakewood Blueclaws baseball team have announced the following promotions for the 2014 season:

2014 Promotional Highlights

Giveaways - Pitcher Pitchers (a drink pitcher with a picture of a BlueClaws pitcher, June 2^nd), World Cups (June 3^rd), USA Soccer T-Shirts (June 11^th), Salt & Pepper Shakers (July 24^th), Darin Ruf "Made the Phillies" Bobbleheads (August 4^th).

Entertainers - Phillie Phanatic (June 19^th and August 14^th), ZOOperstars (August 5^th).

Celebrity Appearances - Roy White (autograph signing with former Yankees outfielder, April 22^nd), Yo Gabba Gabba Character (April 27^th), Duck Dynasty's "Mountain Man" (autograph signing, May 8^th), WWE Legend Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart (autograph signing, July 13^th).

Theme Days

- Phillies Night (details TBA, April 21^st), Bark in the Park (bring your dog, May 17^th), What Could Have Been Day (June 22^nd), Pirate Night (July 1^st), "Napoleon Dynamite" 10-year Anniversary Celebration (July 10^th), BruceClaws Night (Springsteen Appreciation (July 26^th).

For more information go to Lakewood Blueclaws.

 Trenton Thunder

The Trenton Thunder have announced the following:

Holiday purchases will benefit the Children's Home Society of New Jersey

For each Season Ticket, Pic-A-Plan and Mini Plan purchased between November 25 and December 20, the Thunder will provide tickets for families in the Holiday Gift Outreach program run by Children's Home Society to attend a 2014 Thunder game.   In its first eight years, the Gift of Baseball program has allowed the Thunder to donate a total of 5,712 tickets to the Children's Home Society.    Mini plans include five or six of the most popular games on the schedule, free food at each game, a Trenton Thunder hat, a complimentary ticket to Opening Night and start as low as $55. More information about Mini Plans can be found here: MINI PLANS Pic-A-Plans allow fans to choose any 10 or more games and like Mini Plans include free food, a free hat and a free Opening Night ticket.  More information about Pic-A-Plans can be found here: PIC-A-PLANS Season Tickets are available as either a full (71 games) or half (36 games) and include a lot of perks such as early entry, special events and more.  More information about Season Tickets can be found here: SEASON TICKETS   The Children's Home Society of New Jersey provides at-risk children and their families with a range of services that empower them to achieve their potential.  They are child-oriented, family focused, community based, and outcome-oriented. The Thunder will begin the 2014 season at ARM & HAMMER Park on Thursday, April 3.  Season tickets, group outings, Pic-A-Plans, and Mini Plan renewals are on sale now.  Single game tickets will go on sale on March 1, 2014.  For more information about tickets, fans should call 609-394-3300 or visit trentonthunder.com.

Funny Friday - Name Confusion

Me -

My sister had a toy My Little Pony named Rainbow Dash. My brother always used to think it was called Diaper Dash.


Mom-

When Aurella was little she thought the show was called Hannah Tana instead of Hannah Montana.

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

What We're Thankful For

Me - What I'm thankful for, wow! I'm thankful for my family. Even though we tease each other and fight, we always are there for each other. I'm thankful for my friends who I have tons of fun with. They are also always there for me. I'm thankful for the creator of Friends because it is the best show in the world. I'm thankful for having shelter and the warmth it provides for me. I'm thankful for books because I love to read. I'm thankful for food because I like food. I'm especially thankful for French Toast. I'm thankful for desserts because I love sweets.  I especially love cupcakes. I'm thankful for drinks because my throat hurts a lot and drinks help especially water. I'm thankful for makeup because it makes my face actually look nice for a change. I'm thankful for TV because I love to watch. Besides, if it wasn't for TV there'd be no Friends, and Friends is the best show ever! I'm thankful for the microwave. I'm thankful for Broadway shows because it is really fun to go see them. It is fun to be right there and see them acting right in front of you. I'm thankful for pencils because they have erasers so you don't have to start all over again when you mess up. I'm thankful for computers because even though I have a typewriter, and I like it, computers are much easier to use especially if you have to go back and start over. I'm thankful for early Homo Sapiens who invented language because I love to talk. I'm thankful that I live in the 21st Century because if I didn't who knows what my life would have been like.

Mom- I'm thankful for so many things. Of course, first and most I am thankful for the love and support of my family. They make my life so much better so much happier so much more fun. I'm thankful for a roof over my head and a place to sleep. I'm thankful for heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. I'm thankful for books because I love to read. I'm thankful for computers because I love to write and computers make it so much easier. They also make it so much easier to find information and to buy things. I'm thankful for Amazon and E-bay because they also make it so much easier to buy things.  I'm thankful for music because I love to sing, and I love to listen to music. I'm thankful for mp3s because it makes it so much easier to take all my favorite songs and put them together and carry them around with me. I'm thankful for e-readers because they do the same thing with books. I'm thankful for the microwave because it makes cooking so much easier and more convenient. I'm thankful for the color purple not the movie or the book or even the Broadway show but literally the color. I'm thankful for Broadway shows, and Off-Broadway shows, and sometimes even community theater because there is nothing like live theater. I'm thankful for Oreo cookies, Lindor white chocolates, Nestles toll house cookie ice cream sandwichs and all those things that are so bad and yet taste so good.  I also hate those things because I can't stay away from them like I should. I'm thankful for blue skies and rainbows, and rare perfect days. I'm thankful for blogging because it gives me the opportunity to write which I love and to share my writing, and now it is giving me so many other opportunities too. I am thankful for so many many things.

And that's our view. What are you thankful for?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - The Lion King

What: The Lion King

Where: Minskoff Theater
             220 W. 45th St.
            New York, New York

Who: 5 and up 

Our view: Even though The Lion King has now been running for 15 years on Broadway, it is still as popular as ever. All the familiar songs and characters from the original movie can be found here. There are also additional songs. They are not particularly memorable for the most part. Even if you are not particularly fond of The Lion King, this version is worth seeing for the staging. The creative use of a puppetry to portray many of the animals in the story is probably what the show is most well known for and is certainly worth seeing. The costume and makeup are colorful. The singing and dancing is lively and energetic. For the most part, kids will love it. Just be aware, however, that parts of the plot can be downright scary like a visit to an elephant graveyard and the death of Simba's father although probably not any more scary then the movie with its wildebeest stampede among other things. However, if your child scares easily, you might want to skip it. For more information or to find out to order tickets or to find out when a touring production of the show is coming to your area go to www.lionking.com/.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

Tips for Tuesday - Misc: Kittens and Trivial Pursuit

Me - Today I am recommending kittens. I think kittens are really good pets to have. They make your life interesting. They give you a lot of affection and love. There are soft and cuddly. Also, you don't have to walk them or give them baths. They do, however, require attention.  Kittens make great pets.

Mom - Today I am recommending Trivial Pursuit. Finally, there is a purpose for all that useless information floating around in so many people's heads including my own. Since the original version of the game came out back in the early 80s, there have been numerous other incarnations of the game. There have been all movie versions, junior editions, all 90s and all 80s editions to name just a few. If you are interested in trivia in any way shape or form there is a version for you.  Also, if you like a game which actually involves thinking and knowing things then this is the game for you. Every time you play, it is different. There are so many questions and answers, the game is never exactly the same twice. I really love it, and I would highly recommend it.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Thanksgiving Food

Me -Thanksgiving food, wow! I don't like Thanksgiving food. I don't like turkey usually on Thanksgiving I have meatballs, ham or chicken instead. I don't like gravy. I have never had it because it looks strange. I would have nothing to put it on anyway because I don't like turkey.I have never actually had cranberry sauce, but I don't want to try it. It looks too weird and kind of squishy. I only like cornbread stuffing. I don't like regular stuffing. I used to like sweet potatoes very briefly. Now, I don't. They are a little too sweet. I used to like Pumpkin Pie too, but I don't like it any more either. I really don't like pie at all except Boston Cream Pie which is not really pie anyway. I do like mashed potatoes. That is the only Thanksgiving food I like. I like to eat other foods for Thanksgiving. I like to eat meatballs. I like to eat corn pudding. I like to eat apple sauce. I also like to eat potatoes like I already mentioned. For dessert, I like to eat black and white cookies, cookie cake, fruit salad if there is any and Brownies if there is any. We usually have an ice cream cake. I like that too except for the icing. Even though I don't like most of the traditional Thanksgiving foods, I still enjoy my meal on Thanksgiving.

Mom - For many people, Thanksgiving is all about the food.  For me, not so much. I mean I enjoy the Thanksgiving meal. I just don't enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  I don't like Turkey. I don't like gravy. I don't like cranberry sauce. I don't like most stuffing. I don't  like sweet potatoes. I don't like pumpkin pie. In fact, I don't like most foods that can be considered traditional Thanksgiving fare.A lot of those foods, we don't even have at our Thanksgiving meal. We always have turkey, but there is always an alternative to turkey. Sometimes, it is chicken or roast beef. Sometimes, it's stuffed shells or ziti or something else. We usually do have potatoes just not sweet potatoes. We usually have twice baked potatoes or mashed potatoes both of which I love. In fact, I love most kinds of potatoes twice baked potatoes, regular baked potatoes, mashed potatoes about the only kind of of potatoes I don't like are sweet potatoes. We usually have corn pudding which I love. We don't usually have pie at all. We are not big pie eaters in our family. There is always plenty of dessert though. One thing we usually always have is an ice cream cake. We have a lot of birthdays in our family right around Thanksgiving. Besides, we just love ice cream especially ice cream cake. For me, there is no better way to end the Thanksgiving meal.

And that's our view. What is your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal?

Funny Friday - Now here it is

Me -

We were talking about blogging post topics while I was doing my homework so instead of writing "homework" on my paper, I started  to write "homework then and now."

Mom -

At the end of an episode of Too Cute on Animal Planet when they give the updated information on animals that have been shown in the episode I call it the "where are they nows."

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Being Young vs. Being Older

Me - Being young vs being old, wow! When you are young, you don't have to go to school. When you are young you get away with everything.  When your older you can stay up late. When you are young, there are a lot of cute clothes. When you are older, you can pick your own clothes. When your little you spend more time with your Mom and Dad. When your older you can go places by yourself. When your little, you don't understand what grown-ups are talking about. When your older sometimes, grown-ups let you be a part of their conversation. I wish they always did. When your younger your friends with boys. When your older, you hate boys and then later you really like boys. When your little, you have to be taken every place. When your older you can take yourself places especially when your old enough to get a driver's license. Over all, I thing it is better to be young because you can see your parents more because you are home with them all day.

Mom - When you're young you don't have to work. When your older you don't have to go to school. When your young, you have tests. When your older, you have bills. When your young, you have people to take care of you. When you're older, you have to take care of yourself. When you're young, you can't go places by yourself. When you're older, you have to go some places by yourself. When you're young you don't always know better.  When you're older you should know better. When your young, you have growing pains. When your old you have aches and pains. When you're young sometimes you feel like people think you're too young for everything. When your older, sometimes you feel like you're too old for everything. When your young, you don't know much about what's going on in the world. When you're older, you know too much about what's going on in the world. When your young, the world seems so big. When you're older the world seems so small. When your young, you wish you were older. When you're older, you wish you were young again.

And that's our view. What do you think is the best age to be?

Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Build-A-Bear Workshop

What: Build-A-Bear

Where: Various Locations

Who: All ages

Our view: Build-A-Bear is stuffed animal lover's dream. For parents whose homes are already over run with stuffed animals  maybe not so much. There are plenty of animals, outfits and accessories to appeal to boys as well  as girls. A lot of them can be kind of pricey, however. They only have about 3 animals available to make at the lower end of the price scale and those three never seem to change while the higher priced items are constantly changing. It can be hard to find inexpensive outfits and accessories as well. If your kids have a fondness for stuffed animals and their accessories and are prone to begging, you might want to steer clear. Otherwise, unless you have really little kids who wouldn't understand, we would recommend  coming to an agreement before you get to the store about what they will and will not be allowed to get. It is actually much easier to stick to a budget if you are having a birthday part at Build-A-Bear. In fact, birthday parties at Build-A-Bear are quite a good not too expensive birthday party option. If you have a birthday party at Build-A-Bear, you  choose options and a budget, and the staff  will put together items for your guests to choose from beforehand. At the party, they will offer your guests only these items to choose from so your guests won't be tempted to pick out higher priced items that are outside of your budget. If you  decide to allow your guests to pick out every item for themselves, chances are the costs will add up quickly. Another nice thing about a birthday party at Build-A-Bear is that since most Build-A-Bear's that we have been to are in malls and don't necessarily have a party room, there is no extra charge for use of the party room as there is in many other places. No party room, however, does present the problem of where to serve cake and other food you plan to serve at the party. Where we live, most people decide to do so either at Friendly's or the food court which are both located in the same mall as Build-A-Bear, but you can choose the option that is best for you  depending on what is available at your location and what fits in your budget. For more information or to find a location near you go to http://www.buildabear.com.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

Tips for Tuesday - TV Shows: How I Met Your Mother

Me -Today I am recommending How I Met Your Mother. It is a really funny show about five friends who live in New York. We just started watching it this season. We happened to see the last episode last year which ended with a cliff hanger so we had to watch the first episode this season. We loved it so we continued watching. I wish we had been watching it all along.

Mom - Today I am also recommending How I Met Your Mother. This year I am really loving How I Met Your Mother. It is a really funny comedy about a group of five friends one of whom is recounting to his children the story of how he met their mother. It has been on for 8 seasons, and this is the 9th and final season. I watched a handful of episodes over the years, but this season I have grown to love it. It is a really funny shows. I will have to go back and watch all those other seasons now.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Things We Would Like to Get for the Holidays

Me - What I want for the holidays, wow! There are so many things I want for the holidays. I want more Barbie dolls and Barbie doll clothes.I want a mermaid Barbie and some more boy Barbies.  I want a bathing suit for my Barbies.  I want some food for my easy bake oven which may be hard to find because I have an old one. I want a hair jeweler. I want all the seasons of Friends. I want some more things for my doll house. So many things that I want that I can barely even think of them all. I'd like a new scooter. The one I have right now is Hello Kitty, and I am way too old for it. I want DS games. I want Wii games, Just Dance 4 and Just Dance 2014. I want books. I want Charlotte's Web, both the live version and the cartoon.  I want Taylor Swift CDs especially her latest one. I want more Rainbow Loom rubber bands. I would like long sleeved shirts and leggings, a heavy jacket, and a jean jacket. I would like shoes to wear to dance class. I want a guitar. I want a video camera.  I would like a new i-pod touch that isn't cracked and has more gigs. I want a new mp3 player, but I know I am already getting that from my Aunt and Uncle. I want so many things I  can't even name them all

Mom - There actually isn't that much I would like for the holidays this year. I mean I like to get things myself but just as much or maybe even more I like to get things for my girls and see their happy faces when they open their gifts. There are a few things I wouldn't mind getting myself though. I would like a Fit Desk Semi Recumbent Petal Desk so I can go on the computer and get exercise at the same time.I would like an exercise treadmill for the same reason. I am sure I am not getting those though because they are much too expensive. I would like a Sunny Health and Fitness Twister Stepper. I would like The Sound of Music Scrapbook. I would like Jeopardy and.or Trivial Pursuit for the Wii. I would like a set of Funko Pop Vinyl Big Bang Theory figures and a set of Funko Mini Mystery Big Bang Theory. A friend of ours is Bernadette on Big Bang Theory. I like to have Big Bang Theory items partly out of nostalgia because I knew her back when she was a little kid and partly out of the fact that it kind of blows my mind that she is now so famous there are actually things like that made in her likeness. That is about all I can think of that I want right now.

And that's our view. What do you want this holiday season?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Funny Friday - Pardon the Interuption

Me-

My Mom and I were arguing about something and all of the sudden my sister said "Excuse me, but I'm cute."

Mom -

When Melia was younger, we were in the car and she was whining and complaining and carrying on and a song that she liked went on the radio. She immediately stopped whining, complaining and carrying on and started singing along to the song. As soon as the song was over, she went back to whining and complaining and carrying on.


We welcome you share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Monster Mini Golf

Me - Monster Golf, wow!  Monster Golf was a lot of fun. It was better than I expected. There was so much more than just golf. There were a lot of video games too, and you could win tickets for prizes. I never played golf in the dark before. It was fun. The pretend monsters at all the golf holes were a little scary to my sister, but not so much that she didn't want to play except for at one hole. I didn't like the 9th hole because it was really hard and my Mom and sister and I couldn't get the ball in at all. Only my Dad could do that hole. I like the glow in the dark golf balls. The games were fun too. I didn't really have a favorite. I really wanted to play more games but my Dad wouldn't let me recharge my game card. Next time, I would like to play more of the games. The prizes you could win for playing the games weren't so good, but it was still fun to play the games. There were also things you could buy. I liked that stuff better than the prizes you could win. I would recommend Monster Golf as a really fun place to go.

Mom - Monster Golf was a lot more fun than I expected it to be. Part of it was just because of me. The last time, I played miniature golf I just rushed everything and did terrible. This time I took my time and remembered not to overswing and stuff, and I did a lot better. However, also it was just generally a lot of fun. I liked the glow-in-the dark balls. I like the creepy monsters adorning every hole that were just scary enough without being too scary. I liked the music playing in the background. I like the songs that were playing and I also liked  that the music was just loud enough without being too loud. I liked the perodic contests that were run throughout our time at Monster Golf, such as, who had a golf ball of certain color or who could answer a certain trivia question. I like that the prizes awarded were actually useful like a free pass for a future visit or tickets that could be redeemed for prizes. I like that there was other things to do besides play golf. However, I also didn't like that because sometimes it hard to drag the kids away from video games. I liked that there weren't really a lot of high value prizes that could be redeemed with winning game tickets. That makes it easier for kids to set a goal of what they would like to be able to redeem and then actually be able to reach that goal then it would be if there were a lot of higher priced items. I like that most of the stuff for sale was reasonably priced too. However, I didn't entirely like that there were things for sale at all because sometimes kids think that just because things are available to be bought that means they need to get something. That leads to fighting, whining and carrying on. I like the way the decor of the place contributed to the Monster theme. I think that I could probably visit a bunch of times before I would notice everything. That gives me a good reason to go back although I probably would anyway because it was a lot of fun.

And that's our view. What is your favorite monster?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Monster Mini Golf (Review with Giveaway)

 

What: Monster Golf

Where: 314 US Highway 9
             Marlboro, NJ
            (also in various other locations around the country)

Who: 5 and up

Our view: If you are looking for a unique experience playing miniature golf this is a great place to go. Instead of playing golf out in the sunshine with windmills, castles and other cutesy themed holes, here you will play indoors with glow-in-the-dark balls and monster themed holes. However, there is much more to Monster Golf than just golf. There are also a ton of video and other games to play as well. You can play games to win tickets and redeem them for prices. State of the art machines make it easy to find out the balance on your game card, add value to your game card and/or trade in your tickets.There are also various trendy and/or monster related items for sale. Despite the darkness of the venue, you feel welcome from the moment you step inside. We especially loved the periodic contests run throughout the day, such as, a free pass for a future visit to anyone with an orange golf ball or free prize tickets to anyone dancing to the music. We appreciated that the music that played throughout our visit was loud enough to be heard and provide a nice background without being so loud that we had to scream to hear each other. There are various party packages available for both kids and adults including private party packages where the venue is closed to everyone but party guests. There is plenty of seating in the two party rooms although, they did look like they could be a bit of a tight squeeze. That did not seem to stop anybody who was attending the two parties going the day we were visiting from having a great time, however. We would not recommend Monster Golf for very young children or any one with an extreme fear of the dark and/or of monsters. However, the youngest member of our family who is generally easily scared had a great time and was only afraid of the monster decor at one hole and that was because that one actually moved and it startled her. Monster Golf is currently available in approximately 30 locations in approximately 15 states. For more information about Monster Golf of Marlboro, NJ  or  for more information about Monster Golf in generally or to find a location near you go to http://www.monsterminigolf.com/fran-nj-marlboro/index.html or monsterminigolf.com/ respectively and/or tune in to tomorrow's Talking Topics post. If you would like to win a 4 pack of tickets for a round of golf at Monster Golf of Marlboro. Enter using the below Rafflecopter.

Tips for Tuesday - Apps. and Websites: Tappy Run and E-Bates

Me- Today I am recommending Tappy Run. Tappy Run is a really fun app. You play as a cat named Tappy. You can become an invincible Tappy which is where nothing can kill you. You can become fat Tappy which slows you down. Bluebird Tappy or eon Tappy lets you fly. Those are the powers apps. You can't just choose one just to be clear. Mostly you are just a cat. To jump you tap. You don't really move other than that. There's a lot of fruit, and you try to get it. I don't know why. I would definitely recommend this game app.

Mom - Today I am recommending E-bates. E-bates gives you cash back for shopping on-line. Browse and shop at any of E-bates thousands of available stores. Stores range from well known stores, such as, Amazon, Best Buy and The Disney Store to lesser known stores, such as, Alloy Apparel, Bogs Footwear and Cameta Camera. Cash back percentages vary from store to store. Discount coupon codes for various stores are also available. After your first $25.00 purchase, you get a free gift card  For more information or to sign up go to ebates.com.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Saturday Special - Trenton Thunder 2014 Promotion Dates

	The Trenton Thunder the double A affliate of the New York Yankees have announced the following promotions for 2014 Giveaways including: Replica championship trophies Helmet toothbrush holders Bobbleheads (featuring Mark Texeira, David Robertson, Hideki Matsui, Boomer) Replica championship banners Replica championship pennants Thunder Cooler Bags Sportstoys Minifigure Boomer Dress Up Magnet Catcher's Helmet Coin Banks Youth Replica Jerseys  Thunder Scarves  Adults Replica Jerseys Bucket Hats Visors  Drawstring Bags Roll-A-Banners Reusable Shopping Bags Team Card Sets  Chase Photo Montages Lanyards Posters 2015 Magnetic Schedules Other promotions include: 17 Firework nights Free-All-You-Can Eat Night Bark at the Park Super Value Tuesdays featuring Kids Eat Free & $1 Hot Dogs Thirsty Thursdays     Theme nights including: Super Hero Night  Faith & Family Nights  Irish Heritage Night  Pirate & Princess Party  the Fifth Annual Good Deed Game Football Kickoff Night   For specific dates and/or further information go to trentonthunder.com. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Funny Friday - Mistaken Identity

Me -

When I was littel I loved the song I Want Candy because I thought it was about the candy you eat and not about a girl named Candy.

Mom -

Melia: I met a girl named Dildora.

Aurella (thinking she meant Dora the Explorer): I love her!


We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in tomorrow for a Saturday Special.

Pippin

Me - Pippin, wow! Pippin was a great Broadway show. I loved it. It was so funny. It was like one big circus. I liked the music also. I liked when they were using this person as a human jump rope. I liked the part where a guys head was in a chest and it was still talking and everything. When they accidentally let go, it would say "Falling,! Falling!", and then would have to put it back again. I still don't understand why they call the main woman in the show "the leading player." All the characters are funny. I don't have a favorite. My favorite song is No Time At All, but I like them all. I like the words and music of No Time At All, and also  I like that the audience gets to sing along for part of it. I also like what the Grandma said during the song. Not all her words are on the CD though so if you want to get the full effect of it, you have to go see the show. There really wasn't very much of a plot. I did like the way Pippin learns to live in the moment and that you don't have to do something different every day to love your life. However, mostly the whole show makes no sense to anybody that sees it. Despite, that it is a great great show. When I first heard about it, I thought it was going to be a completely realistic bloody war story. It turned out, it was not. It was completely unrealistic. It was not  bloody or gory at all. It was just a lot of fun.

Mom - We were fortunate enough to be invited to a blogger day at Pippin the Broadway musical. I had always loved the show, but had never seen it professionally performed before. Although this new version differed somewhat from the original version which I had previously seen in Community Theater and on video, it was still quite enjoyable. Even though the plot doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense at times, Pippin is still one of the most fun shows you can see. It is also one of the those rare musical along with Godspell and Xanadu where the cast seems to be having as fun a time being in the show as the audience does watching it. That makes for a really special experience. This particular experience was even more special for us because after the show we were given the opportunity to speak with a couple of the actresses in who were in the show. Charlotte D'Amboise played Fastrada, Pippin's stepmother and Rachel Bay Jones played his love interest, Catherine. Both were very down-to-earth and graciously answered our questions. They even posed for a picture with the group. However, unfortunately, we had to leave prior to that time and were unable to be a part of the picture.

And that's our view. What is particularly special experience you had that you remember?

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Pippin

What: Pippin

Where: The Music Box Theater
              239 W. 45th St.
             New York, New York

Who: 10 and up

Our view:  If you want to see a lively show with great music, and dancing and even circus tricks, this is the show for you. If you want to see a show with a great plot, this is not the show for you. Although Pippin is a fun show to see and from the looks of it to be in as well, there is a lot about the plot that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It is not at all suitable for young children because of violence (although the violence is implied, you never really see any blood or anything), language and adult content (a lot of talk about sex and sexual innuendo, two people in bed together, no naked bodies or anything like that). The show is actually recommended for 8 and above, and but having an 8 year old  in our family and knowing that some elements in the plot were definitely not appropriate for her and other elements of the plot would upset her, we would recommend it for 10 and up.  Even if you have seen Pippin before, you have never seen anything like this. It is not just a play. It is not just a musical. It is a circus spectacular. It is all very entertaining, but at times it is  a bit much. There is so much going on so much of the time that your eyes don't know where to look. The acting, singing, and dancing are all very good. The songs are great. The set and costumes are colorful. Certain elements of the plot or song lyrics or spoken lines have been changed from the original version of the show but for the most part it is not that noticeable if you don't know the original version like the back of your hand. The most noticeable change is that there is a new ending to the show. However, we won't give that away here. Go see it for yourself. In fact, we would recommend seeing it because despite some flaws, it is a really good fun entertaining well acted show.

And that's our view. For more about Pippin go to pippinthemusical.com or tune in to tomorrow's Talking Topic post.



Disclosure: We received complimentary tickets to see Pippin. However, the opinions expressed here are our own based on our viewing of the show.

Tips for Tuesday - Movies: Monsters, Inc. and Captain Phillips

Me - Today I am recommending Monsters, Inc. Monsters, Inc. is a movie about a little girl who gets into the monster world. Two monsters try to get her back into the human world and along the way they befriend her. It is a very good movie and was my favorite for many years when I was young. I would recommend it for ages 2 to 10.

Mom - Today I am recommending Captain Phillips. Even though we all already know how the movie turns out it still keeps you on the edge of your seat. Tom Hanks gives another Oscar worthy performance and he is equally matched by Barkhad Abdi as the leader of the Somali Pirates. It is hard to believe that Barkhad is making his film debut and has never even acted before. I am sure this move will be nominated for Oscars, and you should definitely see it.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday

Yestercades

Me - Yestercades, wow! Yestercades is a really fun place. I went there for a family friend's birthday party. I liked the fact that they have something for everyone. By that I mean, they have old arcade games, they have new electronic games like Wii and X Box, and they have board games. I like the arcade games Pac Man and Ms. Pac Man. They also had Baby Pac Man, but it was stupid. I didn't play any of the Wii or X Box games. I liked the board games. I played Jenga. I played Battleship. We didn't have time to finish that because we had to go eat pizza and have cake. I would have liked to play Clue and Let's Go Shopping. I actually would have liked to play all the board games. They all sound interesting and fun. My family thought maybe one day we will go there just by ourselves. My dad really enjoyed the arcade games. My sister and my mom and I enjoyed the board games. We thought it would be fun to go without the time limit of a birthday party. In the party room, there were more games. One of them was a baseball game from the 90s. My mom really loved it. She said she wanted to get a truck and steal it. She looked it up on e-bay, and they had one for like $600.00. She didn't buy it, of course. She said if we ever win the lottery we are going to. Maybe, we will just buy Yestercades, if we win the lottery.


Mom - Having never been a video game enthusiast, I went to Yestercades not expecting much at all. I was pleasantly surprised. I mean sure they had plenty of arcade games, but there was so much more. There were all kinds of video gaming systems with numerous games from each available to play. That didn't really interest me personally so much either. I prefer board games.  There were a bunch of those available to play too. I would most have liked to play Trivial Pursuit which has always been my favorite board game, but it would have been unfair to play against my two girls who haven't been alive as long as me and haven't accumulated as much trivia. My husband was off playing video games himself . Even though I have never know him to be much of a gamer, he was like a kid in a candy store in Yestercades. Instead, Aurella and I played a board game called Lets Go Shopping which neither of us had ever heard of. Melia and I played Battleship. I would have liked to play more board games. They had so many good ones Clue, Operation, and Perfection to name just a few. Unfortunately, we did not discover the board games until almost the end of our visit. There was one arcade game there that I actually liked.  Actually, like is not a strong enough word. There was one arcade game that I totally loved. It was a 1999 World Series baseball game featuring the two teams that actually played in the 1999 World Series and their players including David Cone, my all-time favorite baseball player. Never in my life have I wanted to steal something so much. Unfortunately, I wasn't carrying a pocketbook and even if I was I couldn't exactly fit a full size arcade game in to it. Later, I found one of the same game on e-bay for only $625.00 and as soon as I robber a bank or hit the lottery I'll  look into getting one right away.

And that's our view. What kind of games do you like?

Funny Friday - Missing Grandma

Me -

When I was 2, my Grandma went on a trip to France. Any time anybody mentioned the fact that Grandma was in France, I said "Grandma no France! Grandma come to my house!"

Mom-

When Grandma was away for a few weeks, one night at dinner Aurella was looking around like she was looking for something. "Are you missing something?" I asked.

"Grandma," she replied.


We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.