Various Doings

Wrote a little verse and put it on my response to nephew Jeremy's wedding.  Took that, a Passover card to Aline, and Mike's accumulated mail to the P.O.
Went through virtually all my theatre stuff and separated it into two containers, one for scripts, write-ups, and other paper, the other for props and so on.  I was amazed at how much I have--much too much, probably--and that doesn't  include costumes.
Put Easter decorations out here and there.  Don't know who will see them but me, however, as I was invited up to my friend's for Easter.  
It was a wonderfully warm and sunny day and I put one of the wicker chairs and the table on the porch.  Thought I'd sit out there for a bit, but never got around to it. Made a salad and had it for lunch.
Took a drive to Forked River late in the afternoon.  I just wanted to see water, and I did, stopping at an Elks club, getting out of the car, and gazed for a time at the canal next to it.
Cut up garlic and onions, added mushrooms and sauteed all.  Put that together with macaroni and spaghetti sauce for a tasty dinner.

 

Sprinkler and Disney

Spring's arrival is sometimes depicted as the appearance of a lovely maiden, but not by me.  I see it in the form of short and tubby Bob S., who came yesterday morning and turned on my sprinklers, as he does every year.
Jo G. called to ask what exterminator I had used for termites, as she has noticed some at her house.  I couldn't find the information until it occurred to me it was in my safety deposit box and I went to the bank, got it, and brought it over to Jo.
The nurse practitioner from AtlantiHealth (actually a free-lance) came and it proved to be an agreeable experience.  After getting past the superficial "examination," we had a great time talking.  It seems his son lives in my soon-to-be-adopted state and is a "Disney historian."
What in the world?  Well, he's written a book related to that cultural horror, It's Kind of a Cute Story, which is an "as told to" Jeff Heinbuck, "by" Rolly Crump, a theme park "imagineer."  I looked it up and it seems pretty interesting; think I'll have it sent to my Tablet or, alternately, request it from the library.  Of course, the guy doesn't just write books; his Dad told me he has something to do with social media, vitamins, and/or stem cell research, I don't recall just what he said.
Drove over after lunch to the Shop-Rite in Galloway, got Easter decorations out of the garage, and tidied up here and there.  Other than that, just puttered and enjoyed the wonderfully balmy weather.  

Fairy Tales

Finally bestirred myself enough to assemble income tax info--more or less--and will get it done, I hope, on Monday.
Stopped at Parkertown Auto to get my headlight changed--that's two days in a row at Parkertown Auto--and when George looked under the hood, he discovered that, in addition, a hose was split.  Had to wait about an hour, but had my Tablet with me and entertained myself by reading a charming compendium of Japanese fairy tales that, happily, is on the device. They were so imaginative and entertaining; the villain in one was a giant centipede--ugh!--in another, there was a "tongue-cut sparrow" and the mean old lady who had done the deed, and there were warriors, kindly farmers, beautiful brides, and so on.  I found it interesting that, although the characters were different, the same themes of love, fear, and reconciliation prevailed, as they do in the familiar western stories.
Paid the car repair bill (only $32) and continued on up to Manahawkin to buy a few items.  Got home and did some household chores and computer stuff.  Aline called to say she was traveling up to Westchester today, as he sister-in-law had received some bad medical news.  In fact, I didn't want to emphasize it, but it's very bad, I'm afraid.
Bob S. is coming this morning to blow out my sprinklers (I always think that sounds obscene or, at least, provocative) and a nurse from Amerihealth will be here at noon for some reason or other.  

Trenton Thunder Game

Dropped my car at Parkertown Auto at 8:00 and Susan picked me up and took me home.  They hadn't finished it until almost lunchtime, but luckily, it was a minor problem and the cost was only $139.
Tried--not too successfully--to pull a few loose ends together, then showered, changed, and packed (I wasn't sure if I'd stay over up north), and drove up to my friend's.
We met her husband in Ewing for dinner, then went to the Trenton Thunder baseball game, where their granddaughter and her school choir were slated to sing after the seventh inning.
Seventh inning of nine?  It seemed we sat through at least twenty of this interminable game, in which I had not even a passing interest. (The Trenton Thunder played the Portland (ME) Seadogs and were losing 9 to 0 when we finally left after the seventh.)
Even so, it was fun.  Our former neighbor on Lower Ferry, Paula Seavy O'B., was working at a hot dog stand, and we chatted with her.  Sent Marilyn M. several messages, but she didn't respond and I assume she wasn't there.
Didn't get out until 10 and then had to pick up one of the couple's cars, which they had left in Ewing to avoid paying to park two.  Drove back to their place and I decided not to stay over.  Guess I'm getting to be a fogy, as I much prefer my own comfy bed.
On the way home, I was pulled over by a very courteous copper and told my right headlight is out.  Damn, just another thing to have to take care of.
I had told Susan I could stay over up north and, although I didn't, I slept in and didn't walk, so shoot me.

Sparklers And Sunsets

Met nine of my fellow "Sparklers" at Smithville and had a congenial enough lunch. This group, however, is one of the reasons I keep looking westward.  Aside from Virginia and Lucille--and Josephine's okay--they tend to be epitomes of conventionality, which they proved yesterday.  To wit: the big topic of conversation was a couple who took a sick baby to sea or something.  Presumably, this was on television (or how the hell else would they hear about it?) and it elicited ever-so predictable comments.  They ranged from "and the baby was sick to begin with!" to "taxpayers had to pay for the rescue!" to the obligatory "people like that shouldn't have children!"  Obviously, this was the Indignation Indicator Du jour;  tomorrow, some other domestic outrage or celebrity divorce or threat from the foreign devils will be "discussed," with no context, no background, and no conclusions reached.   Oh, well, ho-hum, the food was good, anyway.    
Drove down to surprise Betty after and we had a nice chat.  She's debating whether to take the cramped, unfurnished apartment in Coffin Alley or a much more expensive, but more comfortable one on Harvard Avenue.  I don't understand why she can't find out how much the insurance company will pay to put her up while the house is worked on, but I'm not familiar with these things.
Stopped for a half hour to see Madge and Mary H. on my way home.  These sisters--eight years apart--have lived harmoniously for years, something that amazes me.
At loose ends after dinner, I drove down Green Street at sunset and took some pictures of the pink sky and water.  Talk about conventional--these pics must be duplicated practically every minute of every day by every camera owner within fifty miles of either coast.
So-o-o, I'm not such a free spirit and high-above-the-neanderthal-intellectual-horde after all, maybe.        

A Long Post About A Not-Good Day

Resumed walking with Susan and, after breakfast, went over to the clubhouse to buy a ticket for the Women's Club luncheon in May.  Maureen K. was one of the sellers--yoicks!  I had interviewed her and Carl weeks ago and, what with all the time and effort necessary to put into the play, hadn't even begun their profile. Now, The Breeze deadline was--is--looming and yesterday, I was horrified to learn the K.'s were leaving for five days this morning! 

Rushed home and started pulling together my fragmented notes.  Wrote up a mediocre and much-too-long piece and sent it off via email for the K.'s to check for errors.  

Changed and went to the open board meeting at 2:00.  I usually don't attend, but I thought Jim N. might be pushing his Wounded Warrior campaign and I wanted to be the anti-voice.  Turns out he didn't open his trap, but I stayed anyway.

"Our veterans" (not my veterans) had been asked to assemble after the meeting to have their picture taken for the May (Memorial Day, doncha know?) Breeze cover.  I didn't, of course, bring up this odious--as well as trite--idea, nor did I approve it, but I didn't bother to protest when it was brought up last month.

Left to go buy oranges at Acme, then went back to attend a Breeze editorial meeting with my fellow staff.  We discussed ideas, enjoyed coffee and homemade cookies, courtesy of Lee S., and had a good session.

It was close to 5:00 after and I was absolutely desperate for something to listen to in the car (for months, I had taken a tape recorder and rehearsed my lines for Hedda), so I drove up to the Stafford Library to get some DVDs.  

Stopped first at B.J.'s for oranges and tofu, then searched out Aline at the library. She was working until 6:00 and I stayed to take her home in the steady rain.

I walked in close to 7:00, then had to listen to a lo-o-o-ng message--so long it was continued after the time on the machine ran out--from Maureen, who had all kinds of changes and corrections for the Breeze article.  

I called her and was subjected to talkyedy-talk-talk, rapidly rapt, because after all, this was about her and there's nothing more important than her, even though she's a profoundly mundane, even boring, housewife in suburban New Jersey who never had an original thought in her head and thinks the sun rises and sets with Pope What-His-Name in the Vatican.

Well, that's mean, she's really not that bad, I guess, but I was frazzled, mostly because I had made the changes on Word and they didn't "save," although I had hit "enable editing."  Just as I was crying with frustration--by this time, it was after 7:00 and I had had no dinner--my sainted son from Tokyo Skyped me to save the day. He not only retrieved the changes, but explained that I was "saving" all wrong and was just duplicating the article (I'm still not sure why).

He walked me through it and I wrote the instructions down and will henceforth follow them.  Even beyond that, he allowed me to see and interact with the adorable little jumping jack, who will soon, I know, be crawling, then walking, then who knows what? 

Finally sent off the corrected piece, made my popcorn, watched a few minutes of television--the cultural level of which was actually frightening-and finally fell into bed.     

              

End Of The Run

                                          *I*T*'S   *O*V*E*R* !
And it was probably the best of the four.  I think my performance was smoother than my other three and so were those of my colleagues.  We had. by far, the largest audience of this run, and the dynamic between the players and the played-to should never be overlooked.  Among my friends, the Sunday matinee brought out Susan and Walter, Barbara and Ray, Julie and Gary, Nick and Lucille (she in a walker), Pat L.,and Regina B., and remarkably, Rachel K. and her husband and daughter, plus Bernice I., there all the way from Egg Harbor and Margate.  In addition,  Betty and five of her buddies--long-suffering ladies--attended; the same group, plus Muckie, had come to Arsenic last year, and I appreciate their interest.
I invited Aline and Ellen V. to join the aforementioned (I can't seem to avoid the use of archaic English usage!), so there were eight of us at dinner at Buckalew's and we had a fine time.  After, I suggested to Aline that we drive down to Holgate to see the water.  We did, and it was as magnificent and soothing to the soul as ever. Dropped her off after making a tentative date for Wednesday (but when I got home, I saw I already have plans for that day; must call and reschedule).
Ellen called--remarkably to this Luddite--from her car, sans hands, while stuck in traffic coming back from Santa Barbara, and we had a good talk.  Popcorn and iced tea later, bed by 9:30, and soon Susan and I will go for our walk, so life is back to normal, whether I want it to be or not.
For me, there's always plenty of regret when we end a run, although in this case, there's a fair amount of relief, too.  There were some costume issues, the long wait (about an hour and a half) between acts one and four when I appear seemed interminable*, and the almost 50 mile round-trip drive to Long Beach Island is nothing but a drag.  However, for better or worse, it's over and now I'm going to attend to all the everyday minutiae I've been neglecting for so long.
*Thank Zeus for my Tablet!  No only did I spend my time in the dressing room playing games on it, but I read the whole of The Call of The Wild and actually enjoyed it.