Conservation of Energy

Inspirational song: Christmas Lullaby (Mannheim Steamroller)

Back when we were in college, and first dating, there were a few rocky patches as we tried to blend our tastes in music. We agreed on a lot, but it took more effort for me to get him to appreciate the entire catalog of Marillion music as I did, and I resisted heavily when he and his guy friends tried to play Boston around me. It was particularly difficult to convince me that Mannheim Steamroller had any musical merit. Something about their time signature and key changes was jarring to me. The man loved the Fresh Aire albums, and I just never found an interest in them. I discovered over the years that their Christmas music was more palatable to me, possibly because I knew the old tunes so well.

Flash forward to this past summer, and I got an email advertising a pre-sale on the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas tour. It was right around our anniversary, and I was missing the man something fierce. I thought, this would be a great way to show him how much I wanted him home, that I was willing to shell out big bucks for good seats to see an act he liked a whole lot more than I ever did. I worried that he would have another delay, another extension, and would miss the show. He made it in time, but I found the week leading up to the show particularly challenging. The last few days, the pain in my belly has been building. Today was so bad, I spent the whole day horizontal, and I haven't eaten a thing all day, other than a little juice. I napped most of the day, hoping I would build enough of a reservoir of energy to make it through. I made it all the way to sitting in the car in the garage before I ran back in the house and gave back the couple sips of juice I drank moments earlier. It actually made me feel well enough to get all the way to intermission. Now I'm on a velvet bench in the lobby trying to settle my stomach enough to squeeze back between my man and the very large gentleman who was on my left. Every time I think I am there, I get another little wave that pushes me back in my chair.

When we were young, the man worked a lot of the tough jobs that twenty-somethings have to take to get by. Even then, my favorite types of gifts were experiences. Unfortunately, with his work schedule, he had a hard time staying awake when we went anywhere, like to an Irish pub for his 21st birthday or when I had great seats to see a collaborative production from David Byrne and Phillip Glass. He fell asleep on a lot of our dates. Here I am turning the tables. I definitely blinked out a couple times during the first act. Sorry, honey.

It's a few songs into act 2. I think my stomach will let me make it through to the end now. Wish me luck.