Dear Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber:

You're not Bob Fosse, so please stop doing follies.

Love,
A fan

Not really sure why I'm in an arsey mood today, but it doesn't help when people randomly buzz flats just to be let into a building to see someone who probably isn't home. These people who claim to be from the City of New York buzzed me, and when I went to tell them to go away, they brushed past me, showed me an ID, which may or may not be fake and ran up the stairs. The woman claimed that they were expected...really? If these people were expected than the tenant which they were seeking would've answered the door.

Bloody harrassement by so-called city employees. Disturbing the peace and all that.

So this week I recieved 3 calls from three different theatres that wanted me to work for an entire week. I went with the first one who called: Burn The Floor. Yep yep.

Also, there is minor annoyance going on the Lord's Cricket Ground. Maybe it will become the M & S Cricket Ground. Heh.

So after much poll watching, I have decided I will not be joining Twitter at this time. The reason I wanted to join was to be able to update from my mobile, but I can always text stuff to my LJ. YAYSERS.

The comment I leave you with now is:

How many backless gowns does one need in a dance show?

Poll #1484689 Upperclass Twit of the year
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 3

Should I join the other upperclass twits and become one who twits on Twitter?

If I did join, are you on and would you follow me if I followed you?

AWESOMELY GREAT NEWS: I'm back online with my NEW Inspiron 15!!! Rawk on. Windows 7 baby!

SUCKY BAD NEWS: Bloomberg...reelected. :( Smoke outside while you can, peoples! He's going to totally nazify this city.

My computer got the swine flu virus. It was fixed with Linux. YAY!!!
Hopefully be back online at home soon.

I WANNA WORK IN LONDON!!!!!!

Despite the fact that Bye Bye Birdie got many bad reviews, the show has extended through April 2010.

I saw this by my building last week.
Most people stop at the jeep to compensate...but I think this guy feels he should have more than one!

Now, I don't believe everything in the Post, but this stuff is so amusing, it has to be true:

* Over the summer, Lloyd Webber recorded a concept album of "Love Never Dies" using a 95-piece orchestra. Listening to it one afternoon, he suddenly decided he didn't like the orchestrations in the second act. So he brought all the musicians back into the studio and re-recorded half the album.

* He's already produced several workshops of the show, including one a few weeks ago that was strictly about the special effects and cost almost $500,000.

* The first round of sets didn't meet with his approval, so everything was scrapped. Designer Bob Crowley redid the entire show.

I went to finally get my blood test today, and when I get to the building, there are 3 nurses outside on smoke break!!!

I am so much more pro-smoking than I was before!!!

My life is an endless array of spider webs and looking glasses and broken walls careening on all sides. I slam into the objects like they are nothing and continue on my journey. I seek to find and learn what there is. I yearn for understanding. I cannot help but think I am not where I am. Entirely all is as it was and will be and are and can and would. Life is what is and not what it is not, although sometimes it is as well. Somewhile, I was where I was and now I am where I am. Confusion is found in the educated and ignorance is found in the un-. Travelling is merely an illusion in the space-time of which we co-exist. The parallels seek anew what was lost, yet still existing. This must be true as it here, but what preytell do I mean? The maudlin society seeks more than what is forsooth they are alone, yet with others. Bombarded with things of luxury and not necessity causes the world to slip into a vortex for which there is not an event horizon. Society is made by the media and the actions and reactions of people, real and imaginary, are constructs of what the media requires one to be. Breaking of the media restraints and being oneself lands one in a building where one cannot be what one wants to be and will never be allowed to do so again. Money is not wealth, although people seem to think so. Money is just numbers or paper that float around and are used for barter and exchange. In the end it means nothing. The unique cannot be what they are, for real people are far and few between. It is these changes that cause conflict. More is less and more is more, for to not have more, is to not be more. But to have more makes one less. Speaking and writing and thinking are turning in2 nothing moar than Dgraydead spellingz & mizappropriations. This is the new god of the people. If it is not online it is not real. There is more to say and more will be said and more will be given what is its time to give and learn and love and speak and say and dance and think and hold on to. But education calls and time must be paid for its work and time is an employee of that which does not pay fair. B1O1. 2 B or not 2... continued.

For anyone out there, like us, who enjoy WQXR, tomorrow night at 8pm, it will be switching to 105.9 FM.
This change is to give the station more money, and probably other things as well.

The End.

I first saw this in Cat Fancy...so here's the website:

http://www.heavenpeturns.com/product/Pillowpeturns699

Ew.

I used to care if someone took me off their friends list on LJ or Myspace. But nowadays, I really don't care. I believe in real life relationships, not internet ones. If people take me off, I will reciprocate and it won't bother me any. Just sharing.

Yesterday, 2 women come into the theatre at 2.03. One of them asks me, "Has the show started yet?" I reply, "No." However, it starts about a minute afterwards. This, added to the fact that Roundabout has this unique policy of putting General Admission Comp tickets in ANY available empty seats (like the ones these women were in), caused these 2 women to go psycho crazy.

One of them takes charge and starts screaming at the usher, who calls for the House Manager. The House Manager can't even finish a sentence around these two women, so she's frustated and gives up and sends them to the box office for a refund (N.B. Roundabout Theatre Company NEVER GIVES REFUNDS. It says so on the ticket, and is listed on a board in the lobby area). Elapsed time: 2 minutes

At the box office one of them asks for the Roundabout number of whoever the head guy is (something Haines...) and she leaves a nice, polite, yet annoyed message. The other woman, however, demands a refund, and box office is trying to explain that no refunds are given as the performance has already started and that they (the women) can take either different seats, or a different performance. She is still screaming about how he's being sarcastic towards her and says various rude things like: "I make 3 times more money than you, I don't have to listen to you!" (how does she act in a restaurant?) and "I'm a consumer affairs advocate, I can see this show shut down and you fired!" (ummm...no) and "I bought premium seats, I want my seats!" (which, she didn't as there aren't any tickets at Premium Seat level and her tickets were around $40.00 each) and "Don't buy tickets here, they give your seats away!" (to every other customer that comes in). Elapsed time: 15-20 minutes.

So box office eventually gives in and tries to give a refund, mainly to get these people to go away. However she bought tickets through Telecharge, not Roundabout, and on her credit card. Roundabout cannot refund Telecharge purchased tickets because it's a Shubert company, not a Roundabout company. So, he has to cancel the tickets, and get a cancellation number, which she then has to give to Telecharge, and she also has to call her Credit Card company to ensure the charges are dropped. She is still upset because she couldn't get refunded that day. She leaves after this. Elapsed time:10 minutes.

Total time: Approx. 35 minutes.

Oh, one more thing, during all of psyco craziness, every single staff member was calm and polite to her. It's all caught on video. :)

Amount of time if these two women were calmer and patient to get into their ticketed seats: at most 3 minutes.
HAH!

The past few weeks, I've hiding out at the Henry Miller's Theatre...hoping for something livable (income wise). Turns out, that's not going to happen. Somehow I figured it would end up this way.

Back to my loveable friends, the Shubert Organization. SCORE!!!

I will be missing opening night, as well as press nights of Bye Bye Birdie, so no comps from me.
*shrugs*

I found this posted on All That Chat:

AVENUE Q WILL NOT CLOSE!!
Show transfers from Broadway to New World Stages
Performances begin October 9
Tickets on sale now!
Unprecedented move for a musical from Broadway to Off-Broadway


(Sunday, September 13, 2009, NY NY) AVENUE Q, the Tony Award-winning musical that has delighted and surprised theatergoers since it first arrived on Broadway in 2003, has another surprise in store when the musical's producers announced from the stage at the conclusion of the show's final Broadway performance at the John Golden Theatre (252 W. 45 St.) on September 13, 2009 that AVENUE Q will, in fact, move to a new address in the Times Square neighborhood and begin performances on October 9 at New World Stages (340 W. 50 St.).

The musical's Broadway producers Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman and Jeffrey Seller announced that AVENUE Q - the hilarious and enormously popular musical about a group of 20-something people and puppets who live as neighbors in an outerborough of NYC -- will be presented at New World Stages as it was on Broadway, with director Jason Moore, creators Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx and Jeff Whitty, as well as the show's designers, choreographer, musical team and, of course, its cast of colorful, furry, outrageous puppets participating in the transfer. Casting for the Off-Broadway engagement of AVENUE Q is TBA. The musical will be produced at New World Stages by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, Jeffrey Seller, The Vineyard Theatre and The New Group.

Research indicates that this transfer is unprecedented, marking the first time that a Broadway musical has, indeed, moved to an Off-Broadway theatre.

About the decision to keep AVENUE Q running in New York, Mr. McCollum says, "AVENUE Q is about all of us, so why should it close? People arrive in New York every day hoping to make their dreams come true, so as long as they're here, we're here! It's just one of the funniest, wittiest and wisest musicals ever written and the more you see it, the more you love it."

AVENUE Q beloved puppet character Rod says, "When I got the news that AVENUE Q was re-opening five blocks away, I couldn't have been more delighted. After all, young people are still searching for meaning in their life -- even more than when we opened six years ago! So I'm glad we're here to help them and people of all ages navigate the turbulent waters of today's world. My only regret is that my next job was going to be dresser for Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig, but hey, I'll take stardom any time, baby!"

AVENUE Q producer Robyn Goodman notes in an aside that she is also aware that gay puppet Rod is also tickled that he will now be geographically closer, and otherwise, to the male actors in the musical ALTAR BOYZ, running at an adjacent theater at New World Stages.

AVENUE Q's man-hungry puppet Lucy says of the transfer, "I'm a working girl at heart. So the idea of moving Off-Broadway totally turns me on -- plus, that means I can call Hooters and tell 'em to shove that job! And to be at New World Stages is a dream come true. I always wanted to get closer to my audience. Frankly, honey, whether you're serving 500 people a night or 800, after the first hundred they all sorta blur together."

Winner of three 2004 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score (Messrs. Lopez and Marx) and Best Book of a Musical (Mr. Whitty), AVENUE Q became an overnight sensation on Broadway in July 2003, having transferred to the John Golden Theatre from a wildly successful, extended and sold-out engagement Off-Broadway at The Vineyard Theatre in Union Square.

During its six-plus years on Broadway, AVENUE Q played a total of 2,534 performances, surpassing such musicals as THE PRODUCERS, OKLAHOMA! and ANNIE to become, at present, the 20th longest-running show in Broadway history.

Some 2 million people have seen AVENUE Q on Broadway, with countless others having enjoyed the musical in London's West End and on the show's enormously successful U.S. National Tour. On Broadway, the musical attracted audiences including a former President (Bill Clinton), a U.S. Senator (Hillary Clinton), celebrities including Tom Hanks, Diana Ross, Zac Efron, Kelly Clarkson, Carol Burnett, Charlton Heston, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Hillary Swank, Jennifer Aniston, Sean Penn and Judge Judy, all of whom have enjoyed the wit and wisdom of the musical with such popular songs as "It Sucks to be Me," "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist," "The Internet is for Porn" and "Schaudenfreude."

A musical about 20-somethings who move to the city with big dreams and tiny bank accounts, AVENUE Q has music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, book by Jeff Whitty, and is directed by Jason Moore. Based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, with puppets conceived and designed by Rick Lyon, AVENUE Q has musical supervision by Stephen Oremus, choreography by Ken Roberson, scenic design by Anna Louizos, costume design by Mirena Rada, lighting design by Howell Binkley, and sound design by Acme Sound Partners. General management is by Ken Davenport, Davenport Theatrical Enterprises.

Critics have called AVENUE Q "A breakthrough musical of a very different stripe…savvy, sassy and delicious," - The New York Times, and "one of the funniest shows you're ever likely to see," - Entertainment Weekly; and The Washington Post stated that "AVENUE Q rekindles your faith in the American musical." "A witty, inventive charmer." New York Times

At the 499-seat theatre at New World Stages, AVENUE Q will perform Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets will range in price from $86.50 to $66.50. TICKETS FOR "AVENUE Q" AT NEW WORLD STAGES ARE ON-SALE NOW AT TELE-CHARGE 212 239 200 or www.telecharge.com

Or visit the Avenue Q website at www.avenueq.com

********************************************

And Rent didn't do this.....because....?

Been watching the Bye Bye Birdie revival, and while it's not a bad show, it isn't really a great one. There are some things that I find a bit odd....while there are also some things that I find to be quite innovative.

Wierd things:
-->What year is it supposed to be in (revival wise)? It gives a feel of the 1970s, yet the original show is 50 years old. The girls in the show go from pants-->skirt-->pants, and while the change makes sense in Act 2, it doesn't really make sense in Act 1.

-->Some of the lighting is awkward. This show can be done with non-moving lights and spotlights, as it is done in high schools. Don't really see why it has be so flashy.

-->Gina Gershon. Good actress. Bad singer...Is she in the show to be eye candy?

-->The "Sweet Apple, Ohio" bench is too Brechtian for this production. Give the audience some credit.

-->The moving platforms that have people being moved, where the people could be walking...it's like something out of The Jetsons


Good things:
--> The Train that is made so well it gives the illusion of a real train

--> The projections

-->Scene transitions are very smooth and exact

-->Sound is well done

-->Bill Irwin is well done

-->The stage crew does a great job

-->In 3 days, the show has lost 5 minutes to its run time, mostly due to tightening and re-blocking

-->The Ed Sullivan sequences help the new generation to understand at least something about who he was

-->The actor that plays Hugo is very convincing and a surprise

This is kind of like a review, but isn't really. Things are still changing over there. If one wanted to go, I would suggest not paying too much, as it plays as a really expensive high school musical. It is cute, and I know of many theatregoers who like cute things.

ganked, with permission, from myrddan

I was watching Billy Elliot's matinee yesterday, and I wondered how interesting it would be to see Bernadette Peters in the role of Mrs. Wilkinson.

Q.How long does it take to get from The St. James Theatre, NY, NY to Anaheim, CA, via WALKING?
A. Apparently, 38 days and 1 hour, without sleep.

Q. And how about walking to Juneau, AK?
A. 44 days, 17 hours

Hah!

Yesterday, myrddan and I went on a Nostalgia Ride given by the NY Transit Museum. We dressed up to fit the train, so we could take photos on it. Of course, we were the only ones to do so, but no one seemed to notice. The Transit Musuem, which is built from an abandoned subway station, is very nice, and has many of the subway cars used now and before. However, the London Transport Musuem is way more interesting, as it includes transports besides trains and buses.The ride was fun, especially being in a 1940s car, and having people on the platform look at it a bit oddly. It was not all well and good, though. The train took us up to the shop facility on 207th st and the whole group of about 50 people were given 1 tour by the shop manager. He explained nothing important nor gave anything more than the basic information. It was also hard to hear him. We tried to leave the tour, but were unable to do so for most of it. We did however, manage to sneak over to a bathroom. After which, we discovered the train would not take us back for another hour and 20 minutes and the only food in the place was from vending machines. We asked one of the people that was "watching" us where we could find food that was not in a vending machine, and she gave me the run-around about where I wanted to eat and where places were. Finally, we got told how to leave. This was during the worst point of that crazy rain of yesterday, but we had had enough of the poorly-managed day, so we ran, in the rain, to the nearest Elevated line, which was the 1 on 215 st. This took us to 42nd, where we got off, and ate some sushi before returning home. So, I would not reccomend the nostalgia rides, mainly for the price of $30. The tours would probably be nice with less people, and those are between $10-$20, depending on venue.

By protecting myrddan from the downpour, and from hypothermia, I caught some sort of cold, which I thought this morning was either strep or tonsilitis, but by now, I feel it is just a regular cold, and will be gone within a day or two.

As is mentioned in my previous posts, there were penny farthings on the ferry yesterday morning. Truly wonderful. As I had mentioned earlier, this came to pass 12-fold, as there were not just 1, but 12 of them on the bike rack, apparently going to a bike auction in Copiague, NY.


Saturday, I saw Black Man Rising and it was better than I expected. The cast was quite talented, the lighting was good, mainly by its use of gobos, the set looked nice, and it wasn't too long. There were a couple problems: the transitions between subjects in the plot did not always work, mainly by being too short, some of the scenes dragged a bit as well. There were some nice things: the gay black man who was not able to go the million man march because of his sexual orientation; the discussion about women; the school teacher; the Obama discourse; and the singing was wonderful. One does have to be black to enjoy the show, but one should be familiar with the culture. I felt it was the black version of Hair. I do hope it comes back soon.

3 1/2 out of 5.

Why is Spongebob at Madame Tussaud's? He's not even a real person!!!

So, I was bored and googled myself, and discovered, I am apparently more prominent on the internet then I was before. Not counting the YouTube Video postings of any Nightforce show, here's what manifested itself:

http://addictomatic.com/topic/gittlitz

What is that??? It's a bit scary, actually.

As for work, I've been at Billy Elliot and that's been going well.

Sunday, myrddan and I will be taking a ride on 1930's vintage train from Brooklyn to 207th st, Manhattan. It will be much fun.

Speaking of, if you're new to my Journal, I do suggest checking out the myrddan journal, it is chock full of things that will make your heart sing. :)

Went looking to see how much tickets are going to cost for the new Spider Man musical...

And here is what I disovered:

$67.50-$135.00

Premium seats are $275.00

I guess they're trying to make their money back right away. I think I'll wait until September and see what discounts the box office will offer.

I think Virgin Mobile is doing matainance or something of that sort today, for I still get phone service and text service, but when I try logging into my account, it claims to not exist. Wierd.

A straight woman who hangs out with gay men is called a Fag Hag.
A straight man who hangs out with gay women is called a lesbro.

Thank you, The Advocate!

As I was walking around Lower Manhattan last night on the way to the Ferry, I realized, that at least at night, Lower Manhattan looks a lot like London at night. :)

Here are the long awaited London Photos in a quite image-heavy post!!!!



The Steampunk Man:

( WELCOME TO LONDON! )

London photos will be up eventually. Been doing other things.

Anyway, this week, I will be seeing Mary Stuart and reasons to be pretty. YAY!!!!
Now all I have left to see is Exit the King and Waiting For Godot.

:)

Oh, the one thing I didn't miss is this bloody humidity!! AARGGHH!!!

For those that like Rent, or don't...or are at least familiar with it, I present to you, with prejudice, the BEST RENT PARODY EVER!!!!!

Broadway Abridged's Rent Parody

Firstly, the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, and his secret service men, went to see Joe Turner's Come and Gone at the Belasco. I wonder what he thought of it?

Secondly, I wish to make an announcement to all those Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter people: Reality is better than Cyberspace. Why spend 6 hours a day, or more, on these things, where there is a wide world out there with wonderful things to see? I myself used to be on Myspace, but I left, and you know what? I felt free. Free from all the drama and crap those social network sites have to offer. So why am I still on Livejournal, you wonder? Well, it's still privately owned, albeit by the Russians, it hasn't caused me any problems, and there aren't so many options and things to do on here that my life fades away into a computer screen.

In other news, my cute, fluffy kitty, Chowder, is busy playing with her catnip toy, after trying to get in the shower with me!

Tonight, I'm going to watch Ballet at City Center. Heard mixed things about working there, but the pay is the same as what I'm already getting, so I'm going...and sign up for more work!! YAY!!
Been hanging out around the house and taking care of some domestic things. Playing video games and whatnot. Heh.

So, here's some pics of Wales:


( Click to see Wales )

It's not so much as Dublin is expensive, but it is full of overpriced tourist attractions (expect for the Ghost Bus) and very rude people.

However, I did find some things to take pictures of as well.


Like, me drinking a Guinness while listening to Irish Music:



Oscar Wilde lived here. However, his house is gone, so there was a statue put in its place:


The Ghost Bus:

which took us to the Hellfire Club



and behind some Viking Gates to show us the steps where lepers were blessed, as well as the "Gateway into Hell" of Dublin's underground city




And some other Dublin Wierdness:

So, Belfast.
Lots to do and see!



( Another score of photos )

So here are the first bunch of trip pix.
( There is a score here, so it's under this cut )

I'm home. Pics will be up in the next few days!!!

London kicks ass!!!!!!!!!

That is all.

Well well well, I made it on the interwebs yet again. Here I can upload pics, but left the connector in my hotel room. I think I'll just wait until I come home, and upload them all at once, giving everyone wonderous things to see, with all the visual overhaul. *gigglefit*

So...what do I want to say here...well, Dublin's best attraction so far has the wonderous GHOST BUS. It included haunted graveyards, satanic churches, the Hellfire Club, and was truly entertaining for the entire 2 hours, and at the hefty price of €25, which is approx. $35 a person, it was a wonderful night of theatre, and probably the best thing to do in this entire city.

What I have been doing to kill the time, however, besides spending the rest of my Euro (they don't pluralize their currency for some reason), has been shopping for friends. I have T-shirts and fudge for the Merlins. As well as a few other things of interest. Apart from this internet charge, of €1, I will have about €2 and some change. Looking for Hyperiums manuals for myrddan, although no one here seems to have heard of them.

Cloves are not sold in the Republic of Ireland at all. It's apparently some sort of "American Thing". All these Goth kids and no cloves :(

And the food has been great as well. Dad took us to a Chinese Buffet last night, which appears to be the best deal in town, and we were pleasantly surprised at the excellent quality of the food....except the Jell-o, which tasted like normal Chinese Buffet Jell-o.

Well, tomorrow I'm riding the FERRY to Hollyhead, England!! YAY!!! Not-free Ferry!!! YAY!!!! Water!!! And then a train to Conwy, Wales, and then afterwards, a train to London where I am spending my last week of holiday.

By the way, for all you theatre people out there:

Flashlight=Torch
Crescent Wrench=Spanner

Hee hee.

Oh...the Dublin map I have is completely out of scale. Walks are very long and annoying. Side streets are not even on the map, so I can't get a general idea of how long it takes to get anywhere.

I'm in Belfast, and it's a great city. Dad's been paying for a lot of things, so I've hardly spent much of my own money, actually. I'm not buying many things at all. There's this brand of fags out here called Black Devil which are vanilla flavoured cigarettes. So far, no luck on finding the Sampoerna Extra, but I'll definately try in London.

I'm going to buy some Jameson and Guiness-flavoured fudge. Don't know how good it will be, but it looks interesting. Haven't found anything really uber-celtic we can't get at home. The Titanic tour looks like it'll be really simplistic in scope, but I hope to get some awesome info about how it was built and such. I'll be online again in Dublin. The internets are crazy expensive here, based on the exchange rate.

I hope NYC hasn't had anything too crazy happening in my absence. I heard about Obama and terrorism and such like over here. Watching the House of Commons and Lords go at each other.

I'm in Galway, online for 50c for 30 minutes. Been checking out the town and the pubs. The men flirt with me because I'm a pretty american girl. My dad doesn't understand it...

Anyway, going shopping today and the Galway Museum, and checking out the churches, possibly.

Guiness Beer totally rocks over here. The stuff in American is such crappy crapness.

I will post pictures if I can...but this comp will not let me touch the tower.
It's all good though.

There's so much beauty I cannot photograph it all.

So, I'm doing well and having fun. I hope y'all are having fun as well.

¬hugs and snugs¬

Greetings all readers,

Beginning 2 May and lasting through 22 May, I will be in the United Kingdom with my father. I will be traveling to various places such as Galway, Belfast, Armagh, Dublin, Hollyhead, and London. I will update with my adventures when I get an internet connection. Pictures will follow at the conclusion of the sojourn.
If anyone else on here will be in any of the above areas, and would like to meet up, please comment here, and we'll figure something out.

Mmm...'k byes!!!

This week I will be seeing God of Carnage and Blithe Spirit.

Also this week, I leave for 3 weeks to Ireland and London.
I may post during my holiday, I may not.

YAY!!! Well-Earned Holiday!!!

Oh, and for those that care, Norman Conquests is truly awesome!!!!

So I went to Rite Aid on 70th and had them do my photos. Not only did it take a week, instead of the 1-hour or 2 days promised, but most of my digital prints came out in black and white, while the film prints came out in colour! Most annoying, yet doable. Duane Reade is the place for photo development peoples.
So, here are some lovely black and white photos:

( Chowder )
( Erich )
( Me )

So it appears that the producer I have been working with has retired. I am a free agent again.
One of the shows he was working on is still going forward in July with a couple reading series in the summer festivals. So, I at least have that. I do hope the pay is decent.

myrddan has gotten a full-time job.
I am still an usher.

Things are going quite well, actually.