Rock-a-bye Sweet Baby James

A dear friend died 14 years ago today. I think of him often. He was just a few years older than I was -- he was 30 when I was just 25. When he told me I would understand life better once I turned 30, I laughed it off. But he was right, even if it was just because I better understood loss. Fourteen years and many losses and disappointments later, I still think of him. With my 30s behind me, I can tell my younger friends they'll understand better once they turn 40 ... and I can smile.

He also helped me appreciate the songs of James Taylor. So, this is for him. Rest well.

Ear worm

I woke this morning with a song stuck in my head -- an insidious ear worm. It was "These Boot Were Made For Walking." It's probably one of the worst songs to get stuck in your head, on par with "It's a Small World."

On the plus side, it allows me to post this Boots Medley video from "Kinky Boots," a British movie we watched recently. IMDb users only give the film a 6.9 rating, but I really liked it. It's uplifting, fun and its ultimate lesson is delivered by drag queens in stilettos.



Fans of "Serenity" might recognize Chiwetel Ejiofor. (Now you have one more reason to love that movie.)

It sucks to be me

What I watched -- Live theater version: "Avenue Q" at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver

The lights come up on an urban street scene. Row houses line the street. It's all a bit like "Sesame Street." Puppets and live actors mingle. Characters have names like Kate Monster, Brian, Trekkie Monster, Christmas Eve, Gary Coleman and Lucy the Slut. Yeah, this is not your kindergartner's puppet show. While it's like "Sesame Street" with puppets, songs and important lessons, the puppets of "Avenue Q" drop the F-bomb, have carnal relationships and sing songs to teach us "It Sucks to Be Me," "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" and "The Internet Is For Porn."

At various times, two adorable bears show up to help our characters make decisions. They are the bad idea bears. They offer essential advice like, "Take her home. She's wasted. Yaaay!" and "Why buy a six-pack if you can save money buying bulk? Yaaaaaaaaaaay!"

And while it has puppets, it's definitely not for the kiddies. To my dismay, as usually happens with things that are inappropriate for children, people brought their pre-teens. I imagine they had some interesting conversations later that evening explaining the puppet sex.

"Avenue Q" is irreverent, funny and probably offensive to a lot of people. So, of course, I thoroughly enjoyed it. You can see and hear some clips on the official Web site. But you really have to see the entire show to fully appreciate it. It's playing in Denver now through Sept. 21.

On my mind

Today would have been my mom's 71st birthday. This video, with images of her through the years, is for her and everyone who loved her.

River Horse

The matriarch hippo at The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo recently died. Which started me thinking about my love of hippos. It started when I was in fifth grade when we sang "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas." (Ear worm warning)

I got a hippopotamus for Christmas -- several actually -- and have been collecting them ever since. Obviously, it wasn't a real hippo. (I also got a Hot Wheels Mustang on my 16th birthday cake instead of a real car. Mom was a laugh riot.)

I have hippos made of crystal, wood, leather, tin, pewter and ceramic. I have stuffed ones and I even have a hippo cookie jar and hippo earrings.

The one to the left is one of my favorites, given to me by my mom and combining my love of hippos with my love for books. (The book he's sitting on is "Hippocrates.")

This one to the right is another favorite. My brother and his wife brought this little guy back from their honeymoon in Florida. He's relaxing on his lounge chair, soaking up some rays.

I'm not sure what this (very small) obsession says about me, but I do love hippos. Whenever there's a documentary on the hippopotamus on Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel, I have to watch. Although I cover my eyes or change the channel when the crocodiles start stalking the babies. Yeah, yeah, I know it's nature but I like my nature with less mauling of cute baby animals, thank you very much.

I also know "Despite the hippos' cute appearance, they are among the most dangerous and aggressive of all mammals. Their canine teeth and incisors grow continuously, with canines reaching 20 inches (51 centimeters) in length. Bulls especially use their canines for fighting. To ward off enemies, a hippo may yawn, scoop water with its mouth, shake its head, rear up, lunge, roar, grunt, chase, and make a loud wheezing sound, all of which are threat displays. A hippo can kill people if it's provoked or feels threatened. But the impressive tusks and canine teeth are used mainly for defense or fighting with other hippos."(Thank you San Diego Zoo.)

I don't worry too much about the ones in my house attacking anyone, but they are kept on their own separate shelf -- just in case.