Thursday, July 19, 2007

Trickle, Trickle, Splash, Splash

This has been a awfully rainy summer, and I'm frankly sick of it. I wouldn't mind if it was several sunny days punctuated by one big storm from time to time, but it just seems to go on and on. Nothing spectacular, but just enough to kind of spoil the days.

Today I did my monthly Grand Jury duty, and it didn't rain at all, until it was time to leave, and then it rained steadily. Figures.

I have discovered that directing community theater is a wonder, but also frustrating, experience. Wonderful because everone is there for the love of theater and works very hard. Frustrating because the actors, not getting paid to do this, have to attend to their real lives, and it's hard to get everyone together in the same theater on the same night. I think we've only had two rehearsals so far with the whole cast. I might be wrong about that. It may have been only one.

But with all of that, I think "Refund," and the other shows we're presenting that night, will be very entertaining.

And just before our shows open, the auditions for "Pajama Game" will be held. I'll be there, and I hope to be up on stage rehearsing in September. I love directing, but I think I'll be happy to be responsible for just one character for a little while.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Graduation Gala

Early Saturday morning we left for New Jersey. Katherine, my oldest niece, graduated from high school in June and will be attending college in the fall. This was the family and friends party, with lots of family and friends. The highlight of the day for the younger set, ranging in age from four to nineteen, was the swimming pool, in which nearly everyone had an extended water fight.

Will was right in the thick of the water fight, though Daniel managed to avoid that and instead had fun getting carried around by Katherine and her friend Marla. Later he got confident enough the paddle around in a swing ring. The only time he really got upset was when he couldn't go back in the water.

We saw a doe grazing very nearby, and I managed to get fairly close before she decided to saunter away. I took a few pictures, but oh! to have a long lens!

At dusk, the fireflies came out in force, and the children had a lot of fun catching them and watching them glow. in the grass.

We left for home the next day. A mostly uneventful trip, expect that we saw the aftermath of a most unusual accident. On highway 87 North in New York, there is a service area, which is a two-story building housing restrooms, shops, and a couple of fast food joints. It is up on a cliff. And through the fence, hanging over this cliff, was a charter bus. Yikes!

Oh, and when we got pretty close to home, William made a remarkable discovery: we picked up a hitchhiker. Crawling around on his window, and later Karen's, was a single firefly.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Long Day

Today I had the sad duty of taking my Mom to the airport. Her visit with us seemed much too short, and I can't believe it's over.

I drove her to Boston's Logan airport, about two hours away, for a 6:45 am flight. I left her at the security checkpoint at about 5:30, leaving me enough time to grab breakfast before getting to work in Portsmouth at 7:00. I worked until 3:30, stopped at storage for folding chairs (for watching fireworks), picked up the boys, and am currently parked outside the library to use their wireless connection to post this blog.

Tonight I will be rehearsing, and then I will collapse into my bed. Tomorrow I plan to spend a lot of my time sitting in the swing watching Will and Danny playing in the pond.

Requiem For a Lobster

On Saturday we went with my Mom to one of our favorite haunts, the Lobster Trap in North Conway. I ordered the easy-to-eat lobster pie, Mom ordered a tail, and Karen ordered a whole lobster. The meals arrived after the boys had spent a considerable amount of time looking at the live lobsters in the tank in the lobby.

And when Karen's whole lobster arrived, all Danny could keep saying was, "poor lobster." Excuse me, ma'am, would a like a little guilt with your lobster?

To make matters worse, Danny starting launching into one of his fanciful tales about North Conway lobsters, and how you can't eat them becuase they are babies, and because they can swim underwater.

I think next time Karen is going to have the lobster pie.