The 1:30 showing of Sex and the City was not completely packed, but those who did fill the seats more than made up for the lack of a sellout.

As I've said before, I was hesitant, at first, to see this movie, but I am really glad I decided to see it. It was like watching six episodes of a never-aired-on-TV seventh season all at once: There was the voice over (which began with a recap as the opening credits flashed), the fashion shows, the cocktails and kids (who were slightly more grown up, but still small enough to be cute).

And, yes, there was conflict. I'm not going to go into details here, but, suffice it to say, I went away happy. And, judging from the audience reaction, I wasn't the only one. There were several instances of audible gasping or laughing or hooting -- like one big group of girlfriends visiting with their favorite quartet of girls and catching up on all the good stuff after not talking for four years. In other words, it was glorious fun.

I don't know if there will be a sequel, but if they're isn't, that's fine by me, too. Of course, I would've also been fine without this movie, but now that I've seen it, I'm glad it was made.

Just 16 hours until I see the Sex and the City movie, followed by dinner at the Melting Pot.

I know it sounds like an awfully expensive proposition, but we're going to a matinee showing of the movie, then to an early dinner, for which I even have a coupon.

So, it should be no more than a $50 proposition. I can totally swing that.

Besides, it's much cheaper than a pair of Manolo Blahniks.

I have theater tickets!

Earlier this evening, in less than 30 minutes, I purchased seats for me and my mom at the following Broadway shows: Boeing-Boeing, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Gypsy and Sunday in the Park with George.

Total amount charged to Discover: $708.

Of course, that includes the two extra tickets purchased for my sister -- for Boeing-Boeing and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof -- in the amount of $215.

Net ticket purchase: $493.

The adventure begins in three weeks. But first: Where shall we eat?

Nope, no theater tickets yet, but I am pleased to report that my sister is definitely joining in the 2008 Broadway weekend.

So, aside from that, I need to do is decide what museum I want to visit.

Easy, right?

Are you kidding me?

There are like a million museums in Manhattan, and I've only been to a handful. Time to get cracking on the research!

One day back from a long weekend, and I'm already planning to take some time off.

No, seriously: I just purchased two tickets for a Broadway weekend with mom. (And, if we're really lucky, my sister will join us, too.)

Next up: figuring out what shows we're going to see and when.

After that: choosing a museum to visit during the day on Friday (because you always need to visit a museum in between the Broadway shows).

Memorial Day: a federal holiday on which most people have a day off from work to A) remember those who fought and died for our country, B) have a barbecue or see a blockbuster to signify the start of the summer season and C) go shopping.

As I fought the crowds at Sawgrass Mills this afternoon, I couldn't help but notice all the Memorial Day sales. I'm sure this wasn't something retailers have cooked up just to stimulate the economy, as I recall seeing such events in years past.

This year, though, I was part of it.

The Gap Outlet had Capri-length sweatpants on clearance, so I purchased two pair for $4.18.

Target had a variety of cute tops that had been marked down, so I bought a couple for $4.74.

Voila! I have two new outfits for a total of $8.92.

Ain't bargain-hunting on a national holiday grand?

I just finished watching the 19th annual Memorial Day concert, broadcast live from the nation's capital.

Along with co-hosts Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise, several singers and actors paid tribute to those who gave their lives while serving their country. The personal stories were so moving, and the musical selections were properly patriotic.

However, I have two questions:

Why Sarah Brightman? She's not even American. Sure, she sang a beautiful "Requiem," but then had to follow it with an overly operatic "There You'll Be," otherwise known as the theme from the movie "Pearl Harbor." Now, I'll be the first to admit that I hated the tune when it first came out because it was overplayed on every radio station I listened to. However, seven years later, the Faith Hill tune is on my iPod, and I love to listen to it when it comes up in the rotation.

Does Rodney Atkins own anything besides T-shirts and jeans and a baseball cap? I mean, that may be his usual style, but I would think that this occasion calls for something a bit more dressed-up and respectful. Brightman and all the others -- including Gladys Knight, Idina Menzel and John Schneider -- were all attired in tasteful evening wear. Would it have been too much for Atkins to put on a button-down shirt and tie? (I'll cut him some slack on the sport coat.) And maybe switch out the cap for another type of hat? Just sayin'.

Today, I saw "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," a movie that millions of people have been waiting for 19 years to be made. I hadn't anticipated it nearly that much, but I was looking for a good two hours of escapism, and the film did not disappoint.

That being said, I must also add that I would not have been disappointed had Harrison Ford just stood still for two hours -- in the Indy costume, of course -- while John Williams' score played in the background.

As for the movie itself, it was fine. After loving 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," I was not really expecting this one to top it. (In my opinion, it did not.) However, it was silly and there were plenty of inside jokes to keep me interested. Cate Blanchett as Col. Dr. Irina Spalko and Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams were both fabulous. Karen Allen's return as Marion Ravenwood was good for old times' sake (and to move the story along) but she seemed to age faster than Indy. (Frankly, I think Harrison Ford should continue to do this character as long as he possibly can.)

After the movie, I went to a restaurant that will be closing at the end of the month. I used to go there a lot while I was in college and, like many things, I didn't really appreciate it until I knew I wasn't going to have it anymore. So, I ordered a few things off the menu I had never tried before, and left Cafe Tu Tu Tango with one more happy memory.

This had to have been my shortest workweek ever.

After working all of last week, I took three days off (which, with the weekend, made it five days off), then worked just two days before heading into this weekend (at the office-sanctioned time of 3:30 p.m.). Now, I've got three days to do what I usually do in just two.

Of course, that means we have to do something in two days that we usually do in three.

Oh, well. It all evens out in the end, I suppose.

Yes, it does feel really good to know you are missed.

After being away from the office for the last three days, I returned this morning to a dozen appreciative co-workers. (Not all of them said this directly, but those who did more than made up for that.)

It was a typically slow Thursday and, for most of it, I felt I would've been better off staying home.

Sometimes, you just need to have another vacation to recuperate from the original vacation, you know?

My sister is officially a Ph.D.

Technically, the degree was conferred on July 19, 2007 -- that's what it says on the diploma -- but the ceremony was last night.

There were 43 Ph.D. graduates in attendance. I cheered for my sister and her five friends as loud as I could (which isn't saying much) because if their journey to graduation was anything like my sister's (and I know it was) then they deserve all the recognition in the world.

There were also M.D. graduates being recognized, but I didn't know any of them, so I followed along in the detailed program as each person's name was called.

While in Houston, we got to spend some quality time with my sister's friends and their family members who were in town for the ceremony. We even had a post-graduation meal at one of the first places my sister went when she was being recruited for the Ph.D. program. (Talk about the circle of life -- er, the circle of grad school -- eh?)

So, it was with bittersweet feelings that I arrived at Bush Intercontinental Airport's gate E16 for the flight back home. You see, before my sister started grad school eight years ago, I'd never been to Houston. Now that she's officially done, I don't see myself going back.

It's not that I don't like the city; it's just that there's no reason I would want to return. In fact, I must say, in the six trips I've taken, there hasn't been a bad one in the bunch. (Yeah, it was a bit hot this time around, but it's a dry heat.) So, I bid farewell to the fair city, until we meet again.

In 12 hours, I'll be headed to the airport, where we'll fly off to Houston for my sister's graduation from graduate school.

Am I finished packing? No.

Should I be packing? Yes.

I'll be back here on Wednesday.

The premiere of the big-screen adaptation of "Sex and the City" is now less than a fortnight away. So, in its honor, Entertainment Weekly has devoted a double issue to everything about the fabulous, fashionable foursome. It's so comprehensive that I'm only halfway through its episode guide, and there are like 50 pages left in the magazine.

So, am I psyched to see the movie?

I'm not so sure.

The series ended so perfectly, and part of me doesn't want to see the girls go to that dark place they've been teasing. I don't want to see Carrie and Big plan a wedding, only to have it all fall apart. I don't want Miranda to give up on Steve after finding out about his betrayal. I don't want Samantha to be tempted to cheat on the oh-so-hot Smith by her even hotter neighbor, Dante. And I certainly don't want the perfection that is Charlotte's life with Harry and their adopted daughter, Lily, to be ruined by the pregnancy she's always wanted.

So, will I be able to overcome all of this and just go to the movie?

We'll have to just wait and see.

In any workplace, turnover is a fact of life. However, July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008, might end up being the one-year period with the most turnover my department has ever experienced.

During that time, we will have lost five staffers.

We will have also gained five new co-workers, so I guess it all balances out in the end.

My point (and I do have one) is that I don't think there's ever been so many people who have left in such a short period. Four left because they were moving to different places. One didn't exactly choose to leave.

So far, the new hires have been great.

Sadly, one of them will be leaving us not quite one year after she started in the position.

And so it continues: The constant training of new co-workers.

I guess that's what makes every day interesting.

Today was one of those really slow workdays.

I was under the impression that I was going to be called in for an all-day meeting, so I didn't want to start a big project, for fear I'd just have to stop before I could really accomplish anything.

Well, the call to the meeting never came, and I eventually started on my project. But I wasn't really into it, so the day just dragged.

As the clock struck 4:30, I shut down my computer, turned off my light and grabbed my bag. An hour later, I was home safely, in the mood to wind down before heading to bed and getting up to do it all again tomorrow.

How do I love technology? Let me count the ways ....

Or not.

Suffice it to say, my sister sent me an instant message today ... from London. She's been there for four days now, and nobody had heard from her. But, in the middle of my workday, a little window popped up on my monitor -- and there she was! We chatted for a few minutes, catching up on things, and then I had to get back to work.

And then I thought: My sister saw Stonehenge yesterday, and here I am, sitting in a dark corner of an office, just doing my job. As my father always says, sometimes, life just isn't fair.

There's really nothing for me to say about today, other than it's the 23rd anniversary of my maternal grandmother's death and I still miss her.

What can I say about today?

It wasn't anything special.

It wasn't anything horrible.

It wasn't stressful.

It wasn't long.

It was just a decent, no-complaints-necessary Monday.

And that's just fine by me.

Today we gathered at a small, crowded Italian restaurant for Mother's Day dinner. At 4 p.m. (The reservation was actually made for 3:45, but we ran a bit late.)

There were nine of us at the table, which was fine for the venue. I don't think it could've accommodated the entire family, unless we split into groups. (The kiddie table and the grown-up table would've worked.)

The food was good, the conversation was lively most of the time and by the time we left the restaurant -- before 7 p.m. -- it was still light outside!

My old gripe was that it was a wee bit warm in the family-owned eatery. Maybe because we were near the front, and every time the door opened, a gust of hot air blew in.

Nevertheless, the gathering made for a great time with great food and, of course, great people.

Today, I attended a reading for my cousin's book, "Because You Are My Baby." However, my cousin wasn't there. Instead, her sister, read from the book and engaged the handful of children in conversation. The whole thing took less than 30 minutes.

In other words: We spent more time driving down to Coral Gables and back than we actually did at the bookstore hosting the event. For the record, Books & Books is as wonderful a bookstore as I had imagined, and I'm glad I went.

I just wished my cousin could have been there to read her own words. Alas, she was halfway around the world, bonding with her daughter. Who can blame her for missing the reading?

Thank goodness it's Friday!

It seemed like a long week, but maybe that's because I put my new work philosophy into practice, and I'm feeling all Zen and relaxed and ready to have two days to myself. (Well, not entirely to myself, but I'm free of obligations for the most part.)

Now, if only I could will myself to sleep a little later tomorrow, all will be right in the world.

Tonight was the Scrubs finale on NBC. The network was careful not to specify 'season' or 'series,' so I'll do the same. But, just before the episode because, I could have sworn the promo voiceover was something like, 'it's time to say goodbye to Scrubs' -- although I could be wrong.

I hear that it'll be back for 18 episodes next season on ABC -- the studio that produces the show -- but no official statement has been released.

Anyway, this episode was a wonderful homage to The Princess Bride, one of my favorite movies. Dr. Cox comes home from a rough day at Sacred Heart, and his son wants him to tell a bedtime story. So, he does it in terms Jack can understand -- as a fairy tale. Cox is the knight, Elliot is the princess, her patient is the maiden being pursued by the monster, Janitor is the giant, Keith is the prince, Ted is the humpback, Shirley is the wench, Doug is the medieval version of the guy who rounds up the dead people, Kelso is the dark lord Oslek, Turk and Carla are joined as the two-headed witch named Turla, and JD is the village idiot.

My favorite line is the knight to the monster: "My name is Percival Cox. You're killing my friend. Prepare to die."

Other than that, it was just a lot of fun to see what they were going to do next. This was the season's "big episode," and I can see why NBC used it as the finale (even though, chronologically, it took place before Kelso resigns his post). However, I'm still a bit annoyed with the way NBC has treated this show. Hopefully, next year, ABC will give it a proper send-off -- because, really, it's time for it to go already -- dontcha think?

I just read that Cafe Tu Tu Tango, in CocoWalk in Miami's Coconut Grove, will be closing at the end of the month.

I've been there once in the past year, but before that, probably not in a good 10 years -- if not longer. Most of my visits were during 1992 to 1996, when I was in college and lived close by.

Even though I'm nearly 40 miles away, I'm going to make a point to visit one last time, and maybe try something new from the eclectic menu.

The news report gave conflicting reasons for the restaurant's demise, but the bottom line is the CocoWalk is in the midst of a repositioning. The AMC theater will close at the end of the year to make way for a new, high-end Regal Cinemas. Frankly, I enjoy the theater just the way it is. (No, I haven't been there in about a decade, either, but I do have fond memories of it.) I understand that most people are into the plush-seat, stadium-seating type of theater, but I just want to watch a movie in a quiet, comfortable place.

Maybe that's why I tend to stay away from the theater more often than not.

Of course, I'll have to swing by CocoWalk for one last dinner and a movie.

After such a delightfully relaxing weekend, this is shaping up to be a really busy workweek!

I'm working on three special sections and, well, who can forget the original, weekly edition?

But I'm only one person, so I have to continually bounce from one publication to the next, never falling too far behind on any of them.

Sometimes, it's a little bit tough to be me.

But that's OK. I'm used to it.

I meant to post this two days ago, but I was too excited, and I wanted the full story to have played out. Now that it has, I can report on it.

On Saturday afternoon, I got a call from James at Broadway Across America, saying that he went into work just to see if he could get me the tickets I needed. I was grateful, and told him I'd take the four tickets he had reserved for me on Friday, then get one extra.

And that's exactly what happened. $175 and a prepaid parking ticket later, we were on our way to the performing arts center in Miami. There was hardly any traffic, and if we hadn't missed the exit, we'd have made it in record time. (At least we now know how to get to Jungle Island.)

We parked the car and walked into the building where the ballet/opera house was. All the way down the hall in the back was the studio space. A small desk served as the will call window. I gave my name (they didn't even ask for ID) and was given an envelope with two tickets: the extra ticket I bought, plus the parking ticket. I told them I should have had four other seats and, after a quick check of the computer, I was issued a voucher for the four seats.

The theater was tiny -- some people might say it was intimate -- and mom's seat three rows back was probably better than the rest of ours were.

The show was a hoot -- I found the lyrics to be clever and the acting spot-on -- but even in such a small space, it was hard to hear what the actors were singing unless they were right in front of the microphone.

Anyway, they spoofed some of my recent favorites -- Wicked, Jersey Boys, Spamalot, A Chorus Line -- along with my all-time favorite, Les Miserables. They also included shows I haven't seen -- The Light in the Piazza, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins -- along with Ethel Merman and Sarah Brightman. The fact that this show changes every season makes it all the more incredible. In fact, this -- official title: "Forbidden Broadway: Rude Awakening" -- is the 25th incarnation.

And even though I'm glad I didn't pay full price -- the show's only 97 minutes, after all -- I'm really glad I got to see it.

Thanks again, James. My family and I had a blast.

The Broadway Across America gods must be crazy.

I thought my plan to purchase five tickets to a Sunday evening performance of Forbidden Broadway was not going to come to fruition. I hadn't spoken to Anthony since Tuesday.

And then, the phone rang.

It was James, telling me that he was filling in for Anthony today and he had my tickets.

I was thrilled, and I asked James to give me the seat information.

And that's when we realized Anthony told James I would need four tickets.

The thing is: I need five tickets.

James told me that he could get me a fifth ticket, but it wouldn't be at a discount and it would be eight rows behind the other seats. He was very patient when I told him I would have to make a couple of phone calls and get back to him. When I did, I told him I still needed the five tickets. He said he'd have to get in touch with the Miami people again. Unfortunately, they were running around in preparation for tonight's performance. He promised to get back to me as soon as he heard back from them.

That was nearly six hours ago.

I still have no tickets. I e-mailed James, just to remind him that I needed five tickets, and told him I'd be forever thankful if he came through for me.

I guess I'll know by Sunday night if he did.

I had a little freakout at work today.

I had this fear that all I do is work to live, that there was nothing to look forward to.

Don't get me wrong: I have a great life, awesome family and some fairly decent friends.

I just have nothing to look forward to.

As in: I need to take a vacation, but I can't afford to. (This overall feeling was triggered by the return of a co-worker after a week's vacation, still on the post-vacation high. Now I want to experience that post-vacation high.)

What's a girl to do?