You'll never turn the vinegar to jam

2008 started out shitty and even though it had it's high points and pleasures a great deal of it remained shitty, right up until the bitter end.

In a drive to support every stereotype you can possibly imagine I spent one of the last days of 2008 in New York City to see the tree and do some shopping but mostly because Liza's at the palace and she's wearing what I think is vintage Halston.

Although it was clearly apparent that this Liza was "Liza with a Z" after 36 years, a lot of drugs and alcohol and a couple of hip replacements her performance itself was utterly impressive.

The audience was enthusiastic to the point of being on the verge of a standing ovation after practically every other song so I don't think anybody left disappointed.

At some point near the beginning, Liza said that someone (it was either Mama or Kay Thompson I can't remember which) once told her that "the most valuable thing you can give a person is your time". It is completely true because time is a precious commodity. Giving your time requires commitment. I believe it stands to reason that the places or persons with whom one chooses to spend the majority of their personal time are the places or persons one values the most.

According to my Playbill the closing number was going to be "I'll Be Seeing You" which I imagined would have been an appropriate and sentimental way to end the show. That however was not the case. Liza closed the show with "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and when you consider the theater we were in and the performer on the stage, I don't really need to say anything more. If you understand, you understand. Sentimental and appropriate weren't words that really captured the moment.

There was one song Liza didn't perform that, for me, would have made the whole thing complete. With the end of 2008 only a little more than 24hrs away one song could have appropriately summed up how I was feeling that evening. But it's a new year with new opportunity and promise so I'm letting it all go.

When I'm through then I'm through and I'm through, Toodle-Loo.