Friday, September 21, 2018
On the boards again...
Charlie is in rehearsals again. The show is THE BOYS NEXT DOOR by Tom Griffin. It is about four mentally disabled men living in an apartment together, and their burnt-out social worker, who is ready to make a career change. This is called a comedy, and there are laughs in it, but it is also a drama, and kind of heart-wrenching, as these characters try their best to live in a complicated, often unkind world. The real challenge of the play is to put it on in a way that moves the audience to laugh...
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Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Downers
Last night when the sun went down, and the temperature descended from 90s down through the 80s, into 70s, I breathed such a sigh of relief... Too hot, and I am useless, totally unmotivated, lethargic, and kinda pissed off. The weather report last night, though, promised a high of 80 for today. Another heat spell out-lasted! Then, this morning, the forecast was for 89F, teasing with a suggestion of the potential of a possibility of thunderstorms this afternoon, which could cool the day down....
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Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Small black cat sighting
Twice now, in the past week, a small black cat has appeared at the back door to vex Embers. We do get such occasional visitors, but this one is smaller and better groomed that some. For this reason I guessed he isn't a stray, just on walk-about. He has a collar, so somone cares. But because of Embers' extreme opinions, I have not invited him in. Then, yesterday I saw a Lost Cat sign in the neighborhood, and it could well be this little guy. So I called and spoke with the owner. Kitty's name is...
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Monday, September 17, 2018
Pirate pix!
https://www.flickr.com/gp/therovingeye/6mx6QV Here are the best of the shots from the Pirate Festival over the weekend. And the bed. The Mile High Bed, in the Mile High City. I guess that makes the bed two miles high. Certainly felt like it. It may seem that some of the pirates are a little out of focus, but that's not my fault. I blame the rum. There are a few pictures of the adult costume contest, and several from the cardboard boat regatta, as well as the Compass Rose stage, and our favorite...
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Sunday, September 16, 2018
The Pirates have dispersed...
...though they will return next year, and we expect to be there with them. The hotel changed my room without a fuss. The bed was still way high so I brought in the step stool we use with the stage and that was satisfactory. The window looked out on the parking lot instead of the freeway, so it was much quieter, and it was right near the elevator so there was not the long, painful hobble to the far end of the corridor, and that also was much of an improvement. The included breakfast was okay,...
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Saturday, September 15, 2018
Speaking to the desk clerk
me: The bed is set really, really high. I had to stand on the coffee table to get into it. clerk: Yeah, we hear that a lot, that the beds are really high. me: Why hasn't anything been done about it, then? clerk: Well, we are scheduled for renovation (vague gesture towards a wall calendar) me: You could provide footstools in the rooms for people to get into bed. clerk: That's a great idea! I'll pass that along to management!
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Friday, September 14, 2018
Pirate Fest Friday
We started out an hour later than planned... drove in 3rd gear most of the way, and still arrived on time. We got into place, unhitched, then drove off for breakast, hotel check-in, and a bit of thrift store shopping. We got back to the site and got busy setting up. Naturally, some things had been left behind, namely the patio blocks we use to level the stage extension on its legs, and the plank we use to level the stage itself on slightl y uneven ground. We did without the plank, but had to get...
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Thursday, September 13, 2018
The long day before...
So, we decided not to take the big tent, but then got thinking how useful a small tent could be, to have some away-from-the-madding-crowd space. I spent the next several hours visiting every place I could think of where tents are sold. REI, Target, Big 5, Sears, and Dick's, where I finally settled on one that will do. It is tall enough, big enough, easy to put up enough. Then, on a less-considered but reasonable impulse, bought one an actually comfortable camp chair. Not just a chair... a...
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Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Getting ready...
The Northglenn Pirate Fest is happening this weekend--Friday and Saturday--just north of Denver. It is our third year providing their second stage for various events. My step-grandson, Vale, arrives this afternoon from Nevada. He has also been with us every year as Charlie's Assistant Roustabout: Together, they set up the stage and do all the heavy lifting after I have done all the driving. Today we will finalize the set decor, too, and re-hang the sign on the doors which was so weathered, it...
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Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Thoughts on Vietnam
I have been watching Ken Burns' documentary series about the Vietnam War. I was just beginning to notice the world around when we became enmeshed in the Vietnam War, and it was a constant element of my life from grade 3 up through college. Nightly body-counts; fears and sorrows for the brothers and sons of people I knew; the moral questions, challenges, doubts that grew to reach and define personal tolerances and limits--more than a decade of a hideous monster hovering over life in the United...
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