We've decided on a name

Our newest foundling now has a name. Not that she knows it yet. Bagheera.
Hindu, title for a mystic, similar to fakir. Also a panther, popularized by Kipling and Disney. She still spends most of her time under the bed in my room (well, she's still seques- tered from the other cats for a while yet to give her time to gain weight). She'll let me pet her briefly, but hisses quite easily, and runs off quickly if given the chance. She's no longer bolting her food as soon as it's put down, realizing that it's a constant supply now. I think that's the longest tail I've ever seen on a cat.

Where to start? Evita Pix

I've been stockpiling pix now for a while so it's time to put them up here.
Lets start with Evita. These were taken during the first show, from the booth. For working with a rep plot, not bad looks. The first is the parade of her 'conquests' in "Good-night and Thank-You, Whoever." Next is Peron confronting the soldiers after one of the "Dangerous Jade" reprises. Last is the obligatory balcony shot of "Don't Cry for me, Argentina."

I hate musicals

Well, not really. Just this one.
Well, not really. Hate is too strong a word for this musical. It's not good enough to provoke that strong a feeling.
I'm almost done with I Do! I Do! now. I have one more day today of working on it, and tweaking it. I've been getting good feedback, but I'm not really thrilled with what I've done. It seems bland. Kind of like the musical itself. But it'll be a good show, strong performances, and good technical elements. Just don't expect to be whistling the tunes on your way to the car.
I thought I was done with the plot about 1:30am on Saturday, and was going to assign dimmers, and realized that I didn't have enough dimmers, or rather, too many lights for the space. SHIT. So, a few creative cuts later, and I got everything worked out. Looking up, I see that it's 3:30. Sunday was a LONG day. Monday was cue writing day. It ended up being numbered to 90, but I have maybe 110 cues. The annoyance was that the light board is chained to the booth, which is high in the side wall of the theater, so it wasn't a good view in order to see the lights on the actors. More or less, writing cues blindly. Tuesday was a 10/12, but done in three blocks, with two hourlong meal breaks. I finally got to see what I'd written, and had a good board op that could make minor changes on the fly. Each meal break was spent making the larger "what was I thinking" changes. Frankie, the stage manager, is good, he's been around the block a few years. He's got a good feel for the timing, and how things should flow, he just needs practice now.
Unfortunatly, I won't even be able to attend opening, because of the second NIU tech at NAT. Oh well, I'm in the mood for a night of heavy drinking, and I can't really do that up in Beloit, having to drive back for 25 minutes along dark, winding, hilly, treelined, two-lane roads.

Another annoyance has been my isolation up there. The building has wifi, but they don't give out the password to just anybody. I also discovered a lot of things about my phone. 1. Beloit is in the sticks enough that I'm roaming up there. 2. Roaming means that calls are made at double rate.(ok I already knew this, but it didn't mean anything before now) 3. Text messaging is not available while roaming. I can receive, but not send. 4. Roaming means that the phone is also constantly searching for a signal, and the fully charged battery drains completely in about 5 hours. So much for being the ultimate convenience. Who'd a thunk I'd be so annoyed by a 'convenience' I didn't have 7 months ago.

Why I don't ...

I hinted at doing this post a while back, and I'm procrastinating some more before working on I Do! I Do!. I've overheard some women recently making snide comments on married men who don't wear a ring. Of course, their assumption was that it was a conscious decision in order to deceive women. Bullshit, and I somewhat resent the implication. I may not flaunt my marital status, but I certainly don't hide it either.
This is the reason I don't wear my wedding ring. It started deforming almost right away, I suppose because of the high gold content. I put up with it for several years, and even got it re-rounded once, but it seemed to re-warp almost immediatly. It got to the point that it was uncomfortable to wear, and I almost didn't get it off that last time. Wife agreed that until we can afford new rings, I don't have to wear it, as long as I remember that I'm still married.

If you're interested, or care, the design is a celtic knotwork on top. We had them custom made, and afterwards, we were not really impressed. Evidently the jeweler didn't know what a celtic knot was supposed to look like, and while hers looked like a series of 8's, mine just looked like a honeycomb pattern, no over-under weave pattern. We had him do some detail work on mine to make it clearer, but I was not thrilled. Sometime, we'll find a good jeweler that knows his shit.

Oops One more thing

Oh yeah, S and I went fishing the other day. R couldn't make it, but it was still fun. We went to a little park just off the river, and fished this little bay. My rods and reels are from my dad's era, if not his fathers era. ie, they're really OLD, but I did find one that worked enough to use. The only catch of the day was a little tiny fish, more bait than fish, about 2" long, that I caught on my first cast. He even jumped off my hook, so it was easy to flip him back into the drink. But it was a great time to chat with her and catch up with our seperating lives.

ANOTHER One???

Wife and I have taken in yet another cat.
Wife is partial to black cats, especially since our Pywacket died last year (year and a half? Two? I don't remember anymore). Her friend has been telling us about a cat that prowls her trailer park. She's had at least 2, maybe three litters in the past year, and just dropped the latest ones. Not a week later, our friend Diane found the kittens dead. killed by somebody who didn't want yet another brood of strays roaming around. Diane decided it was time for the mother to find a home. What better than ours? I've long since given up believing that I have any say in the matter. Monday, we went over and Diane had already caught and boxed the cat, who then promptly shat in the box, covering herself and the box with crap, and the whole trailer with stink. Well, we took her home, and promptly gave her a bath. We, yeah, right. I gave her a bath. Actually she's either used to it, or smart enough to realize she was getting cleaned up, 'cause she was very calm and accepting of the whole mess. We then put her in one of our dog cages in the basement, with blankets, a makeshift litterbox, and food and water. She promptly threw up all over the blanket (my guess is the soap residue as she was cleaning herself). Well, this morning, she went to the vet for her shots and a checkup. Since she'd just littered, we have to wait to spay her until her tits go down. So, with some flea killer (just in case, we haven't seen any) and a shiny new tag for the collar she won't wear, we turned her loose in the house with the three other cats. I'm thinking about boxing her up again overnight, so everybody gets some sleep.
I'm busy working on TWO shows at once now. I'll watch my first rehearsal of Evita and start planning that one tonight, and I'm spending today working on I Do! I Do! for Beloit. I went up yesterday for a couple of meetings, and then sat thru a runthru and a half, getting most of my cues into my script. Some exciting things, especially where the woman pulls out the feather boa and sings a torchsong to the men in the front row, ie ME. Rrrrowllll. But that'll be one of the more interesting scenes to light. Why did I agree to this? No really it's fun. I'm also hoping Evita doesn't prove too much work, it's a HighSchool production, 2 performances, and I'm not getting full rate, but it still has to LOOK good.
That show closes on Saturday afternoon, and I think I'm going to a concert that night. One of MySpace friends told me about it. The same one I met at the last concert. We'll see how that goes. I just have to avoid my usual fare, and drink the cheap shit, or I'll go broke.
I guess that's enough of a recap for now. I'll post pix of the newest cat soon. I have a couple of her cowering under the bed, but I'll post more later.

A Friday Five

I haven't done one of these in a while...

1. What about you makes you unique?
I don't know... my personality? Isn't that what makes each person unique?

2. What aspect of your physical appearance do you think makes you stick out from the crowd?
As I've said before... I'm massive. I tend to stand out in a group by sheer size.

3. What do you always have with you while out in public? (for example, earrings, purse, wallet, watch, etc.)
Well, the obligatory wallet, and more and more, my cellphone (who'd have thought that a year ago...), my Leatherman Multitool is also always on my belt. Other 'pocket stuffers': chapstick, keys x3 (house, car and work), pen, usually a headband as well.

4. Is there anything about your body that you think isn't normal?
Yes, but I'm not about to spill the beans here... Suffice it to say, that surgery was involved.

5. What are you complimented on (looks, smarts, anything) the most? Why do you think that's the case?
I'm not usually complimented on anything personally. Occasionally on my work, but not on me.

Well, I'm back at work again. Once again, shows have been "postponed". The shows from NIU are very disorganized. Student run, and non-professional. Despite not taking the usual 'every 90 minutes' break (or whatever it is), they're taking FOREVER to tech these shows. they spend 8 hours teching one of them yesterday, and partially from lack of sales, and partially from lack of being ready, they cancelled the kids show last night and this afternoon, having only the adult show tonight. They're back again in two weekends to do them again. Both of them that time.
But I'm not designing them so I don't have to sit thru them, but only have to be around. So I'm Blogging.
I have tomorrow off, so I think I get to go fishing with S and R, our box office manager. I haven't done that in a while, but just getting out to the State Park will be a treat, the company will make it memorable. I had a nice chat with S last night during the second half of the adult show Tech. Haven't had a chance to do that in a long time. Still haven't confronted the prospect of her leaving town soon.
Oh well, back to watching the show. Have I mentioned before how much I enjoy watching college girls in their knit 'dancer pants'?

miscellany

I've had several moments in the past few days where I say to myself, "ooh what a cool idea for a blog post."
Do you think I can remember any of them now?
Yes, I'm not an imbecile.
Only a moron, cause I can only think of one.

I watched Garden State the other day. I think I kinda liked it. I can almost relate to that kind of emotionless existence. Some days I really feel that numb. But one part really hit me, when they were talking about 'going home', and reaching the point where it's no longer 'home'. I had the revelation that that's the reason I don't really care where I live, 'cause wherever I am is home. In highschool, my parents moved, with me, to Europe, so I did my senior year overseas. After graduation, I went straight to University, and while I was there, my parents came back, but to a new house in our hometown. Whenever I'd visit, I stayed in the 'guest room', not 'my room'. Then they moved to California, where I never visited, then Cincinnati, and now Florida. None of those places were ever home to me. They were never really even comfortable (you know what I mean, when you're in a strange house, you never quite feel you can get comfortable? or is it just me?). Maybe that's why I'm so disconnected from my parents, where they are isn't home.

Well, I'm at work now, just finishing up, but taking advantage of the highspeed. S was also in doing the same thing. My only gripe is that I'm here to work and it's the only time I've gotten to see her in a week, and I WANT TO CHAT. Oh well, chatted briefly, but we'll get together this weekend sometime. Maybe poker, maybe just drinks, but something. Cabin fever is setting in at home. Seeing lots of movies. Anybody seen The Jacket? Adrian Brody and Keira Knightly? from 2004. Really cool premise. But I'm also coming into crunch time for outside jobs. 4 of them yet this month. starting this weekend, a show (or really, two shows, one for kids one for adults) touring from Northern Illinois University. They're even more disorganized than we are. Then Evita, then I Do! I Do! up in Beloit, then a reprise of the NIU shows. Then I'm back on contract and thinking about Bad Dates.

Where did the summer go.

Ok all you rich friends, HINT HINT

Just ran across this, browsing thru Amazon.

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Instant Movie collection.

Another concert and a movie.

Saturday at work was a concert by HMS and Wandering Sons. Two groups. The show started and I didn't know which was which. Not that it mattered, I had 6-8 different 'looks' that I kept cycling thru, depending on the mood of the song. I had also programmed in the side chaser lights in case I needed the 'glitz'. As the show started I pretty much counted them out, the show was way too mellow for that. After each band did their sets, they came out and did a few together. Then, Rick Nielson and Bun E. Carlos from Cheap Trick came out and played a song with the bands. That's when it got rowdy, and Whatthehell, it was screaming for glitz.
So the concert was a big hit, and they announced a second night, August 12, to do it again. Surprise to me. I have pix, but not on this 'puter, so I'll add them later.
This afternoon, S and I went to see Pirates II. What a movie! S pretty much nailed it: This movie is The Two Towers, it's Empire Strikes Back. It's the middle of a trilogy. The first film sets up the characters and establishes the world they inhabit. The second film is exposition and development, setting up the third film's resolution. Yes, it's still very action packed, and exciting, but it starts so many plot threads to be resolved, it starts to get muddled.
S had seen the film on opening night, but couldn't really enjoy it because she was thrust into a group of her boyfriends friends, and was a bit intimidated by non-geek friends. And face it, S and I are Pirate geeks. So this time, in addition to seeing a lot more things, she enjoyed the experience more. Needless to say, I did too.

Good Concert

Well the concert downtown went really well. The 'band', billed as accoustic rock, was just Stuart Davis and his guitars. So cool, and perfectly suited for the bar. Anything more is overpowering in that small a space. I shot some darts. Met my friend, after she had spent most of the evening chatting with her friends, and we chatted a little bit. I had recognized her from photos on MySpace, but since I don't have any posted, I was unknown. I sent her a drink, "from the Viking at the end of the bar" (I've always wanted to do that...). She RAN over and gave me a big hug. How COOL! She seems really nice and somebody I think I can chat easily with. So, SCORE!
I had hoped to meet with another MySpace friend there as well, but she never showed (well, she came well after the band packed up and after I had left), but we're gonna meet up some time soon as well. Hey, maybe myspace isn't so bad after all.
I got the message late yesterday that the tech for tomorrows concert at the theater is put off 'til TOMORROW. Evidently they only need one day to set up the show from scratch. OK I can deal. What I'm having a hard time with is that Boss is having the Asshole SM, Mike, act as contact person and point man for the load in. Cool, it's not me. Sucky that it's somebody who's clueless. Well, we'll see how it goes, and be assured I'll let you all know.
The upshot of that was that I now had today off. K and D were going to Pirates tonight, but I spent the afternoon with Wife running errands and visiting a very sick friend of hers. Then S called and said that she and her boy were going to the Nine pm show with a bunch of his friends. She really wanted me to join them to ameliorate their presence. I called out but they were sold out for that show. Oh well. I asked, and she said that she might stop by tomorrow night for the show. Either way, we're going to Pirates on our own on Sunday, if she can take another viewing of the movie (safe bet, regardless of how it is).
So that's my update I promised. Sorry, no pictures, I forgot the camera at home. Though I do have an interesting shot that will answer a question that's come up in several ladies minds about me (use your imagination ladies...).
Later.

Fourth musings

The Fourth of July has never been one of my favorite holidays. Of course, there are few holidays that are even on my radar. Reminds me of the old joke: Do the English have Fourth of July? Of course they do, it's right between the third and the fifth. (insert canned laughter here) I've never really understood how setting off firecrackers and other noisemakers is especially patriotic. Firework displays are great, but just plain noisemakers? Nah. However, this will probably be one of the most relaxing 4th holidays in a long time. This past year, my girl, who is approaching 14 yrs old, has been getting deafer. Every year, with all the explosions, she would go bonkers, yowling, crying, cowering, trying to find, and fit into the space between my jeans and my legs. Well our overzealous neighbors always let off fireworks early, and so far, she hasn't heard a thing. Poor thing, but YEA for a stressfree evening for both of us.

I got a posting from a "friend" on MySpace about a band playing at Kryptonite this Thursday. Stewart Davis. I've heard OF them, but I liked the few tracks they had on their site, so what the hell. I think I'm going to go. a) I need a night out. b) perhaps I'll finally meet this person whom I share a lot of friends with (yes, she's female, and yes, she's reasonably cute (judging by her pix on her space)). Now to broach it to wife so she'll let me out of the house...

So to all my friends and readers, have a good July 4th, whether it's a holiday or not. Don't blow anything off that can't be reattached.

Hypocrite me

Ok I just got finished emailing all my various globe-trotting friends, chastising them for not writing. Then I get here and realise just how long it's been since I posted.

A sheepish OOPS!

Well, my excuse is that not much has been happening. With the last two shows having been cancelled at work, not much has been going on. I did manage to get a chance to go out drinking with S and her new beau. He seems nice enough, but he's very high strung, and excitable. Very outgoing, but forthright, so he often comes across as brash and abrasive. Getting past that, and he seems to be a good person. I hope he lives up to all our expectations. Needless to say, now that work is out, and S is finally off contract there, and with a new boyfriend, I'm not seeing much of her. I'll have to create an event so we can get together for drinks. Poker is pretty much a thing of the past now, as all our other players have faded away.

Lets see... I did the second kids drama school performance of School House Rock Live Junior last Friday. Slightly modified from the previous session to accomodate only having 5 kids, but they all enjoyed it and so did the parents.

We have a rock concert coming into our space next weekend, so that'll be fun.
Fourth of July picnic at a friends house, I'll take pix if I remember.
Still doing yard work, finally getting around to cleaning up the now dry brush piles of thorny canes and branches. I'll write more in a day or two.