Wednesday

I tried to get on the Great Clips site, but for some reason, couldn't do it. Walked over there instead. I could have gotten my hair cut then, but the stylist I like, Maria, was off, so I decided to wait until this morning. I'll try to get in when they open at 10:00.

Did some household-y chores, including rearranging some closet shelves--those with canned goods and boxes. Otherwise puttered around until lunch, then it was time to go over to Vickie's at 12:30. We sat and chatted for a bit after I got there, then left for Diane's at Silver Crest. 

After we were buzzed in, I showed Vickie around the first floor--her eyes lit up as soon as she saw the pool table in the recreation room--then we went up to Diane's on the second.  I had told her not to prepare anything for us, but she had a container of chips and hummus, which we took to the recreation room.

After that, the gals played pool. Vickie was clearly an excellent player, but Diane got some good shots in, too.  After a few games, I tried my hand--abysmal--then two other residents came in, Robert and Tom. Robert played Vickie and she won all games, although he was pretty good. We said goodbye about 3:00 and drove home. It was an enjoyable diversion and I hope Vickie eventually is able to move there.

Home, I cleaned up a bit and went over to Von's for this and that. I also prepared the produce I had bought the other day: two squashes (butternut and spaghetti) and and a large sweet potato. 

I called Pat R., my go-to medical guru, about 5:00 and we had a good talk, mostly about the trials (lots of them) and triumphs (too few) of my dealings with good ol' Jim. Called him, too, to tell him that Island View Gastrointestinal Associates is one and the same as Ventura Endoscopy. What good that did is hard to say, but Jim did read the related emails I had sent him.  

Had some of my aforementioned produce for dinner and should have added a protein, but didn't. I packed up my script and the magazine with the article on my daughter-in-law, Paula O., the designer.  I had mentioned it to Paula M., my fellow IGM player, who happens to be a stager for real estate companies. She picked me up at 7:00 and off we went to rehearsal.

It went well. I'm close to off-book and director Shannon complimented me on some of my characterization playing the year 2023 (don't ask). Showed her and Paula the magazine article and they oohed and aahed over it. 

I'm getting more and more impressed with Shannon's directing technique as she leads her cast slowly and gently to what she wants. Last night, after previous rehearsals about which she commented only after full run-throughs, she instituted the "stopping and correcting" stage. This can be somewhat disconcerting for the players because the director stops the action, so to speak, at specific locations in the script. She or he then instructs the speaker on what she wants and we modify, then note it on our scripts. I probably wouldn't do this in my dinky little Acting for Amateurs enterprise, which is anything but a professional undertaking, as it might upset the natives.  Maybe Fractured Actors isn't exactly Broadway, either, but it's a helluva lot closer and I love being part of it.