WICKED!!!

Good news! She's dead! The Witch of the West is dead, the wickedest witch there ever was, the enemy of all of us here in Oz is deaaaaaaad!

So it's been an interesting week at home to say the least. Alan is now gone, but I suppose I should backtrack a bit. Absolutely nothing of note happened on Tuesday, the only thing we did was go to the RAC where we played foosball, air hockey, and did boring work out-type things.

Wednesday was more interesting, first we (Alan and I) drove the two hours to Eau Claire to pick up Megs from college. We got there, ate food, and then went to the bookstore to get her Christmas present. But between the food and bookstore we went back to Megs' room where her roommate was in a bathrobe... awkward. After that Megan went off to her class and Alan and I went back to her room. This time, her roommate (who was supposed to be gone) talked to us while playing her game on PS2, until her mom showed up pissed because the roommate had her phone off and the mom had been calling and waiting for 30 minutes. So that was awkward with me and Alan there and not Megan. But finally they left and Megs got out of class and we headed home. We started going home following the GPS until we realized it was taking us on a route that went 60 miles further than the mapquest directions... so then we eventually turned around and found our way back (only spent an extra 15 minutes driving with that maneuver). So eventually we got home, ate food, and watched a movie (X-Men: the Last Stand I believe).

Thursday was of course Thanksgiving so we ate turkey and mashed potatoes and pie. Mom made 4 pies this year for just our family + Alan (apple, pumpkin, pecan, and cookie). After an early Thanksgiving meal we (Alan, mom, me, Megs, and Sara) went to see Australia (with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman) and it made me cry. A lot of the scenery (especially the gorges etc) just reminded me of the NW trip.

Friday was Wicked day. Woke up late (as usual), and eventually took Alan to see downtown Rochester. Which, sadly, can be done in about 10 minutes but we went inside University Square and the Barnes & Noble at the old Chateau theatre so it was mildly interesting (I hope). Then we came back and took Haley (the dog I agreed to dogsit this weekend) for a walk around Northpark (the neighborhood I live in). Showed Alan all the houses of where my teachers live(d) in my neighborhood, showed him the ponds and the park and all the places I've known for the past 16 years. I think I was more excited than he was, but meh. Then we packed all his stuff in the van, threw in some pillows and blankets and sleeping bags just in case, he grabbed the tickets (since they wouldn't be safe with me!) and we headed up to the cities in our swanky clothes.

We listened to the Wicked soundtrack on the way up, following the GPS directions to the OrpheumTheatre. Got there, found a parking place, and wandered around for a bit until we decided to stop and eat at the Lonely Tree Grill (or something like that). I had a delicious turkey melt sandwich, and then we headed back to the van. He grabbed his camera and then we went to the theatre, took pictures, and bought Wicked stuff! Excitement mounting, went in, took our seats, and waited for the overture to start.

It was a fantastic show. I've seen it twice now (once in Chicago) and I can't help but be madly in love with it still. I wish someone would legally record one of the stage performances and sell it on DVD.

I was extremely hyper before, during, but especially after the show. I feel bad for Alan, having to put up with me, but it was so exhilarating!

After the show we headed back to the van to stow our purchases, and for me to grab my winter coat (as opposed to the nicer looking one). We went over to the cinema we had passed on an earlier wandering to see if we could kill time there but all the movies had already started. Instead we went to Applebee's where Alan got a salad and I drank about 2 glasses of water + a Mountain Dew - I was extremely and inexplicably thirsty. We then wandered around the mall we were in - saw a piano bar and walked through the Hard Rock Cafe (I somehow managed to not buy a pin, I was proud of myself for that).

Eventually we headed back to the van and managed to make our way to the airport. We chilled at the airport for awhile, I would have felt bad if I had just ditched him there - there were some suspicious people hanging around and he looked so vulnerable in his Superman pj's... hehe.

So we had some fun times sliding around the floors on our socks and taking random pictures with his camera, but eventually it was time to say goodbye. I really hate saying goodbye. It was horrible in Australia, but for some reason this time it wasn't that bad initially. I think the fact that it was around 3am might have had something to do with it. It made the situation a bit surreal, and the fact that I'll never see him again easier to cope with.

Have you ever had to say goodbye to someone, knowing you'll never see them again?

It's hard, and it sucks. But I felt fine saying goodbye to Alan. Walked away, no tears or even needing to hold them back. Strange, but once I was out of the airport driving I did call him. Mostly it was to help keep me awake while driving, since no one else was insane enough to be awake at that time. Didn't talk too long, he had to make his way to the gate and tried to get some sleep in the airport as well. So I rocked out to the Wicked soundtrack to keep myself awake, going so far as to do different voices for the different characters. I was doing fine until about 15 miles from home, and then I basically hit a wall and had to fight to stay awake. It was kind of terrifying, but luckily no one else was out on the road.

Finally pulled in front of the house at 4:28 am, right in the middle of "Defying Gravity." Stumbled into the house, up to my room, stripped and crawled into bed - after calling Alan and hopefully communicating the fact that I was still alive and got home in 1 peice (I say hopefully because I was seriously out of it at that point).

And then this morning (Saturday) I kept getting woken up. Dad telling me he was going out hunting, my sister responding to my text that I had sent her the night before, my high school set designer calling about dogsitting, all sorts of things conspiring against me. Eventually I gave up on sleep and stumbled to the bathroom to shower. Since then, this day has pretty much passed in a haze.

I managed to finish A Handmaid's Tale (book I borrowed from my sister), did absolutely no homework, called Alan to make sure he made it back okay, talked to some people online, went to Culver's for dinner with Megs and dad, watched part of The Santa Clause with dad, played Apples to Apples with mom, gramma (who is visiting for the night/tomorrow), Sara, dad, and Sara's friend Emily. I managed to win a game which was surprising.

Since then, I haven't really done anything other than watching a few episodes of Family Guy and Heroes and updating here.

But the moral of this story is that Wicked was amazing.

And no good deed goes unpunished.

Thank goodness.