Scents of a Woman

  The task seemed simple enough, as it was assigned to me with a little bit of reluctance. A lot weighed on my ability to succeed as anything less than perfection would mean total discomfort for my wife. She was putting her entire well being into my hands with the trust that I bought her the right kind of deodorant. Those who are thinking, nothing to it, are like me and had never shopped for a woman’s deodorant before.

Personally, any brand or deodorant is fine with me, as I forget to put it on half the time anyway. Plus, when I sweat, really sweat there’s no protection strong enough to keep me from stinking anyway. However, my wife prides herself on always having a fresh scent and is very particular about her underarm freshener. The details I was given were very specific; Degree Expert, Fresh Energy Protection and Motion Sense, must all be written on the container. Not even I could screw up with those directions…Wrong.

Just like with everything else, the options for types of deodorant has become overwhelming. Once finding the right aisle, after rushing through the feminine hygiene section, I began to feel dizzy.
The rows of different kids on deodorant appeared endless, and that’s just the Degree brand. There is deodorant that offers protection for eight hours, athletes, sitting at a computer all day, housewives and everything else you can imagine. There was everything, except of course, what I was looking for. There wasn’t anything that had ‘Degree expert’ on it. I looked and looked for about 15 minutes, which seemed like an eternity, and was then sent a savior. Well, actually a friend who is technologically savvy and who has been married before so understood the weight of the dilemma I was under. He’s now divorced, in part because of one to many failed trips to the store.

After looking with our four eyes, actually eight because we both wear glasses, neither of us could still find the right deodorant. Maybe its called Degree, because you need a PHD in order to locate it. My friend then pulls out his iphone and Google’s the exact type of deodorant we are looking for. According to the internet, so it must be true, it does exist. At this point the missing Malaysian plane would be easier to find than Degree Expert. He then goes to the Wal Mart site and looks for the item, the records indicate that it’s in stock. The search then intensifies as he zooms in on the picture to read the bar code number. Did I mention my friends works for the CIA?

Finally, we are able to find a match with the bar code numbers, but the bottle now has a new look. All the descriptive wording such as Degree Expert and Motion Sense has been changed. No wonder I couldn’t find it. It may have took nearly an hour, but I was at least comfortable with the knowledge I had successfully completed the task and my wife could be proud of me.

It’s a good thing I know now what to look for because I’ll be going back again soon for some more, because all she said when I presented the deodorant to her was, “You only got one? I usually get four at a time.”

A Sunday Habit

Along with going to church and having an afternoon nap, usually not at the same time, my Sundays now have an additional habit. Some members from the cast of the national touring production of “Sister Act: The Musical” provides some heavenly delight with their weekly offering of #SIC or Sunday Intermission Cover. It’s a couple minutes of pure entertainment that I look forward to every week.

There’s no let-up in cast members Ashley Moniz (Sister Mary Robert), Chris Cooke (Ensemble), Tad Wilson (Joey), and occasionally others who every Sunday during the 15 minute intermission record a favorite cover song. The video is posted online with the hash tag SIC and is quickly spread amongst their fans. Covers they have done include “Wake Me Up” and of course the very popular “Let it Go.” I’m sure it’s just a matter of time until “Happy” is added to the list.

Those who have seen “Sister Act: The Musical” are well aware of the talented voices involved and #SIC is a further opportunity to enjoy them. Their vocal range is impressive and likely strong enough to part the Red Sea. The videos are just a few minutes long, but in addition to their savory voices, a laugh or two is always sure to be included. Their efforts deserve praise as rather than using the intermission to catch their breath, they continue to entertain.

I was fortunate to see “Sister Act: The Musical,” earlier this year when it Dayton, and am grateful for the opportunity to still enjoy the talents contained within the show. It all didn’t end when the curtain closed, as #SIC  provides an encore. Seriously, how many shows can you say that about?
These devoted actors care enough about their audience to reach out to them on a weekly basis and keep spreading cheer.

One of the major players in #SIC is Ashley Moniz, its appropriate she’s playing a nun because her voice is angelic. Her spirit is also as sweet as the music she makes. Chris Cooke and Tad Wilson are equally gifted and appear to be as endearing off stage as they are on.

Whether you have seen “Sister Act: The Musical” or not, I suggest making #Sic part of your Sunday habit. I’ll even get you started. Click Here.