The Woman in Black -- My Review

AWESOME!!!!

That's really all that needs to be said. I never finished the book. I did see the play when I was in London. A friend of mine sent me a copy of the radio show. Now I've finally gotten around to seeing the movie and I loved it.

Daniel Radcliffe was very good. He's always had that haunted look in his eyes, even in his first production. He played the lead as young David Copperfield in BBC One's television movie. I've seen him in that, My Boy Jack, The December Boys, and of course the Harry Potter series. He's also been on Broadway and in the West End. I was worried they'd try to take this ghost/horror story and try to "jazz" it up by getting the young Radcliffe so a younger audience would attend. And when I saw that it was rated PG-13, I really feared the producers would try to play to a much younger audience (okay, specifically, teenage girls with a crush on "The Chosen One").

They didn't. The movie does not disappoint. Even Husband jumped a few times during it.

If I have to rate the productions I've seen/experienced, I still have to give the play top honors. In the play, there are only two men onstage and in the program's notes. They never say that there's a female who also appears and you never know if/when she'll show up. The skin-crawling creepiness of the play was excellent. I would have to place the movie and the radio play as a tie because with the radio play you still use your imagination and can be genuinely scared. With the movie, you get the great visuals and an expanded cast that helps make it more dramatic.

So, there it is. Didn't see anything worth watching on television so I figured I'd see the movie on Blu-Ray. Now I'm watching Waiting for Guffman. Yeah....I have weird tastes.

End of the Junior High Era

Today was Youngest Son's last day in junior high. Next year he'll be a freshman. Lord help us all.

I'm incredibly proud of him and am very, very happy that he's had some great experiences and made new friends since we moved to this town three years ago. He's been in three school theatre productions; he's participated in All-District Honors Band (was first-chair trumpet, too); attended the State Band Contest; has made the honor roll; and has a gang of friends that he really enjoys hanging-out with and who enjoy having him with them. As a kid who moved from school-to-school, I know it can be hard to fit-in when you're the new kid on the block. Youngest Son learned a lot more at a faster pace when he was homeschooled, but I agree with him that his past three years in public school have helped him grow in many different ways.

I'm especially proud of him as he has received the President's Education Awards Program Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence. To qualify for it, he had to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or more over his junior high career and test above the average and rank in the top of the State's Assessment Program that's given every year. He received a very nice certificate and a lapel pin that he can put on his jacket when he goes to high school. He pointed out the "autograph" of President Obama on the certificate and I told him that an auto-pen did that. He said he was surprised they just didn't Xerox it and is not impressed by it. He was actually disappointed because he didn't receive a plaque for best brass student in band and was awarded for his academics. I reminded him that it will be his academics that helps him get into the college he wants and will follow him through life. A plaque won by your "nemesis" whose parents can afford for him to take private lessons in order to be better than Youngest Son will only someday be an unwieldy paperweight that your children won't even be able to get rid of in a yard sale.

I think he feels a lot better now. And he enjoyed his last day there. No, he didn't participate with one group that wore the colorful Morph Suits that everyone was buying around Halloween and at least he wasn't dared like one of his other friends to come dressed like a princess today. He made sure he had phone/text numbers for his friends so they can get together over the summer before high school band camp starts in July.

Eldest Son texted me today that he's learned how to weld in his sculpture class in college. I told him I was proud and that the welding experience can also be used in other jobs as well. He hopes to finish his classes soon so that he can graduate in the next semester or two.

One going into high school and one leaving college soon....where does the time go?

Can we stop with the Titanic stuff now?

Yes, yes, yes....I know it's the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. I would have known that without all of the televised fanfare and the re-release of James Cameron's movie in 3D. You know how I would have known that? Because I read! Because I studied in history class! Because my life isn't so shallow that I only believe things shown to me on Twitter or Facebook as so many people over the past week have shown in their posts that they didn't know the movie "Titanic" (1997) was based on an actual historical event!

And I make sure to put the year 1997 behind the title of the movie because, yes, there is more than one movie named "Titanic." In 1943 the Third Reich attempted to make a propaganda film espousing the positive reasons to invade Britain by using the Titanic disaster as the backstory. "Titanic" (1943) showed Bruce Ismay, owner of the White Star Line, as an evil capitalist and all of the British as greedy while a lone German crew member who seemed to know that something bad was going to happen tried to warn everyone but was ignored. This German officer was later the hero of the movie -- even though "Titanic" (1943) never played in Germany until the 1950s. It was deemed too controversial because of the passengers in Second and Third Class areas trying to scramble for safety and being locked-out or denied passage was too reminiscent of the Holocaust. With Germany beginning to lose the war, no one in the Third Reich wanted anyone to recognize similar goings-on happening in Germany and other occupied areas where concentration camps were in operation. A lot of that type of footage was removed before the movie ever played in Germany.

But "Titanic" (1943) wasn't completely lost to history. There were many scenes of the ship and people running to the lifeboats that came from "Titanic" (1943) and were used in "A Night to Remember" (1958). "A Night to Remember" was considered one of the most accurate depictions of the sinking of the Titanic because a lot of the information used to write the movie came from interviews with survivors in the book by the same name. It was the most accurate at that time because it did not show the Titanic breaking apart because no one had ever confirmed it and there were different memories of what exactly happened that night.

Not until Robert Ballard discovered the RMS Titanic on the ocean floor in 1985 was it confirmed that the ship had broken apart before it sank. After his discovery, more movies were made. "Titanica" (1995), narrated by Leonard Nimoy, was shown in IMAX theatres. "Titanic" (1996), a two-part miniseries, was made for television and got a lot of facts wrong but somehow still pulled out an Emmy win.

Finally in 1997 the world was "graced" (and I use that term sarcastically here) with James Cameron's version which was fictional but based on historical fact and recent discovery. Even now he has said that there are parts he got wrong but he's not going back to fix them all because "when would you know where to stop?" And Celine Dion's song and chest-thumping visage on every awards show and commercial hawking "authentic Titanic reproductions" became embedded in everyone's subconscious. And I do apologize to all of my readers who are now tortured with it running through their heads at the moment -- I feel your pain 'cause it's stuck in mine, too.

By the way, those "authentic Titanic reproductions" were usually of the blue diamond necklace Rose (not a real person on the RMS Titanic) wore while in the nude being sketched by Jack (another non-real person on the RMS Titanic). The necklace never existed. Actually, there is historical reference to a blue sapphire necklace similar to the one depicted in the movie, but it would have only been an inspiration for the one in the movie. And, sadly, I've been seeing more and more replicas of the necklace, the gemstone, etc. being advertised late at night in "honor" of the 100th anniversary of the sinking.

The latest incantation of the story is "Titanic" (2012) and is a four-part television drama based on the sinking. As if we needed another re-telling of the story.

And movies weren't the only things created about the RMS Titanic! Even if you don't count all of the books and memoirs written or related by survivors and their relatives, along with historical accounts and fictional dramatizations, there's still tons of stuff out there! In 1997 there was a Broadway musical about the sinking -- and it WON five Tony Awards!!

So, now that you've had your history lesson for today, can we please stop all the hoopla?

Don't get me wrong, though. It was an important event in history. Seafaring changed forever after the RMS Titanic sank and the International Ice Patrol was created from this disaster. Also, there now has to be 24-hour monitoring of communications channels, something that had the Marconi operators on the Californian not gone to bed, they would have received the Titanic's distress signal and been able to render assistance. And there are many who spent the last moments of their lives doing their jobs in the belly of the ship in order to keep it level and keep the lights on in order to help others escape, even though they knew they would be no way out for them.

Yes, remember and honor the memories of those who perished, etc., etc., etc. But now that the official time and date of the sinking 100 years ago has passed, can I please stop being bashed about the head with shows, movies, posts, and documentaries about it all? Just for a little while??

Am-Dram: Junior Edition -- It's Over!!!

Tonight was the last performance by Youngest Son's theatre group.  They did a really good job and no one forgot too many lines or had to ad-lib much.  Everything ran very well and I'm very proud of my little thespian.

I'm also incredibly proud of Youngest Son today because he had been selected months ago by his band instructor to attend the District Band Contest and perform a solo and in a sextet.  He's been really nervous about it and today was contest day.  The scoring scale they use is from 1 to 10 with 1 being the best.  You can earn a 1+ if you're really, really good.  Youngest Son received a 2+ on his trumpet solo, just barely missing the 1-level score.  He also received a 1 on his brass sextet's performance.  The only criticism given by the judge to the sextet was for the baritone player to remember to not overplay the French horn.  They did an awesome job!

Then in the afternoon, the rest of the band arrived to join those who were there for solos and ensembles and the entire concert band played two songs.  The group received a 1 rating for their performance.  Pretty good for a group that has never been to a big contest like that before!

At the moment, Youngest Son and Husband are at the Cast Party for the play.  I would go but I don't know the family well and am not sure how they'd feel about having Celeste at their house.  I have no problems going to public places because she's a service dog, but I don't like to just invite my shedding partner into someone's private home and there wasn't time to coordinate with them on whether or not they have pets, allergies, etc.

But that's okay -- I couldn't wait to get home to make this post!  I'm so very, very proud of Youngest Son.  It's been a really big day for him!

Am-Dram: Junior Edition -- Ad-libbing Addiction

The second production of The Borrowers is over and the kids did very well tonight. The crowd wasn't as large and there were the rude ones who wanted to talk all through the performance, but the actors and crew did a great job of keeping everything going as smoothly as they could.

Youngest Son, however, did get a talking-to on the way home. He did a really good job and is one of the few actors who doesn't have a microphone but you can hear him throughout the theatre. Sadly, he's got too much of Husband and me in him. We both get bored easily when things are too easy and we both have a very dark and dry sense of humor. That being said, Youngest Son almost doesn't stand a chance. He has friends at school and hangs out with some as much as possible. Most of them are in band and/or theatre as well. But he is known for being annoying. I even saw a post on his Facebook page that said she thought he was nice but that he's too annoying and too much of a smart aleck in band class. And some teachers report that he can be irritating in class when he gets bored. I tell them to keep him busy and they won't have a problem with it but they never listen to me.

One bad habit he's picked up is ad-libbing when something isn't working right. He doesn't go way off on a tangent that isn't related to what's going on, but he's quick with a response or, especially onstage, ready to grab the spotlight until whatever is causing the problem can be remedied. For example, in class one day his teacher was upset at the amount of noise the students were making. She asked, "Why do I hear talking?" and Youngest Son, without missing a beat, said, "Because you have ears!" (For the record, he didn't get in trouble for that -- just told to "shut up.") During the performance tonight, I could see the wheels of his mind turning when one character skipped a section in which Youngest Son was supposed to exit the stage. He stayed out there trying to look like he belonged in the scene until he finally heard a pause long enough for him to yell, "Yes! I'll be running away, and with this wooden spoon I don't know where it came from!" as he grabbed a prop another actor had dropped and made his way off the stage.

During a scene change, he and another actor were bringing out one of those wooden cable spools that they decorated to look like a spool of thread. The other boy started arguing over which side went up when, a little to loudly, Youngest Son said, "It really doesn't matter what side goes up! No one can tell. Now make yourself useful," as he handed the boy a basket to put onstage. I was embarrassed. Husband was laughing himself silly. The audience thought it was funny, too. Great. That's all he needs -- positive reinforcement from total strangers.

At least last night and tonight another actor made his entrance on-time. Youngest Son told me that if he'd have had to wait a while he was trying to think of something to do to fill the quiet space and all he could think of was reciting Eddie Izzard's "Bees and Wasps" bit from his stand-up act. I told husband this and he, of course, laughed hysterically as he imagined our 13-year-old onstage reciting a monologue asking questions like, "Do earwigs make chutney? Do spiders make gravy?" And, yes, in a way I'm glad he was thinking of something to do -- but this is a kid who once he gets started has a hard time stopping. He loves the limelight and isn't afraid of too much when trying to get it.

So, I can't say that all of this comes as a surprise, but after the ad-lib last night and the continuation tonight, I'm almost afraid of what will happen tomorrow night on their last performance.

Almost....but I'm still going to watch.

Am-Dram: Junior Edition -- Opening Night

Youngest Son is performing this weekend in his junior high's production of The Borrowers. He and most of his friends are all in the show and tonight was opening night. One of the actors had been sick during the day and missed school. School policy says that if you don't show up to school, you can't participate in any after-school activities (games, dances, performances, etc.). Poor guy wasn't feeling too great when I saw him this evening and another actor took over the part. He had to come out with the script in his hands because he didn't know the lines but did a really good job as a last-minute stand-in.

I was asked by the drama teacher/director to do some old-age makeup on one of the girls so that she'd look like the mean old lady she's supposed to play. I agreed (in exchange for free tickets) and enjoyed showing the kids how I could take one of their friends from a fresh-faced young lady and make her look old and grouchy. I wasn't as pleased with the makeup once I got out into the audience and I discussed with the director about changing it and making it more noticeable for the last two nights. She agreed and I'm looking forward to seeing the look on her face tomorrow night when she's made-up. She was shocked tonight -- so tomorrow could be horrifying for her. But, I made sure to give her a good pep talk before the show because she was so nervous. She'd played the Genie in last semester's production of Aladdin and was worried she'd set the bar too high for herself since this is a drama and not a musical. I told her not to worry and to remember that the audience may have read the book or seen the movies but they don't know the lines for the play. All she'd have to remember is to get out there and have fun with her part and she'd be just fine.

And she was. Actually, they all were. Oh sure, there were forgotten lines and cues and props that went missing. That happens in any show. What I was worried about was Youngest Son. He has a habit of ad-libbing when something's not quite right or if he sees something wrong. Did he do it tonight? You betcha he did!

It was funny that Husband, one of the other actor's father, and the junior high assistant principal were there for the performance tonight. They were all major characters in our recent Am-Dram production of Arsenic and Old Lace. When one of the Borrowers suggested reviving Mr. Clock with some elderberry wine, we all thought it was kind of ironic since that's what killed the 12 men in the cellar in our play. I was praying that Youngest Son wouldn't say something like, "No! Not that! It's from the Brewsters' house!" and, fortunately, he didn't. But, when the Borrowers left a "sugar cube" onstage during the scene change to Youngest Son's scene, I could hear Husband laughing because we both knew he'd never let it just sit there.

And he didn't. Youngest Son is playing Gypsy Boy, a Romanie Traveller, and is decked-out in a horribly mis-matched outfit which is perfect for his character. Mid-scene, he walks over to his "caravan" to get a boot and stops to pick up the "sugar cube" asking, "'Ow the 'eck did this get out 'ere?" After going to get the boot and not finding it, he comes back out and says, "Well, there's supposed to be a boot but I canna' find it and it's supposed to be in me caravan but it's not so why don' ya' sit down an' I'll tell ya' about it?" I heard from him after the show that some of the kids were thinking about throwing the boot over the set and hitting him with it. I'm glad they didn't -- it would have just made him improv even more. Fortunately, the other actor onstage remembered his lines and kept the scene going so that Youngest Son could recite all of his lines and didn't have to ad-lib anymore.

It was a little rough in places, but all-in-all the kids did a great job. Looking forward to seeing what happens tomorrow night!

Am-Dram: Junior Edition

Youngest Son has a play in rehearsal this week with performances scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. His school is producing The Borrowers and he's playing the gypsy boy that comes out near the end of the play to say something prophetic but it's usually lost on the audience because of the strange Romanie/Cant accent he has to perform so that he doesn't blend in with the rest of the characters. However, after listening to him this afternoon, I'm not sure we'll be hearing much of the accent.

It's not that he can't do it. He and I have practiced and I've shown him a lot of information about the Travellers and how to create his character. It's just that he said that most of the other actors don't know their lines or aren't doing a British accent, so what's the point of him doing one? I asked what his teacher said about it and how she likes his performance? He said that they haven't gotten to his part in the other rehearsals and when they finally did today, the teacher had left and someone else he didn't know was in charge of feeding lines to those who couldn't remember them.

Poor kid. He really, really wants this to be a good, standout part for him because he's only been in musicals until now. He wants to show that he can do drama and be a character actor so that when he moves up to high school and begins the drama classes there, maybe he'll have an advantage of getting some of the bigger parts and learning more along the way. He's already decided that he's going to major in theatre when he goes to college. I'm trying to convince him to double-major in acting and technical theatre because there are tons of actors out there waiting for their big breaks but you can always put your technical skills to use even in a small theatre company.

We'll see how the rehearsals go for the rest of the week. Fortunately, he's acting with a lot of his friends (and girls that he likes but won't tell them, too). Even though he won't be onstage much, at least he'll have fun hanging out in the wings.

Am-Dram: WE DID IT!!!

Congratulations!!! Our last performance tonight was awesome! We had a great audience and everyone remembered (most of) their lines!

I got there early (as usual) to help re-set the "stage" and make sure the props were ready for the actors. I did the speciality makeup for those who needed it and started watching as the audience arrived. A few at first, which was nice but they also were very early. We didn't open our doors for ticket sales until 6:30 p.m. and some were arriving as early as 6 p.m., which is unusual for a small community theatre production. Then when we opened the doors, more and more people arrived. And more people. And then a gentleman brushed past me "backstage" and asked if there were more chairs. I had no idea who he was or what he was talking about (found out later that it was the husband of one of the Board members). I looked out from my hiding place and the seats were full! He and a friend of his added more chairs. About 15 minutes later, they came back and got more chairs.

I told the director that we were still selling tickets and I'd decided to hold the house (meaning we wouldn't start the show on-time so more people could get in and seated). I kept watching the people coming in. Some didn't sit in the folding chairs provided -- they decided to sit on the small benches built-into the columns. People were all trying to make sure they had a great view.

The next thing I knew, the actors were taking the stage. I hadn't told the director that we were ready yet -- he'd just given them their pep-talk and said to "Get out there and do it!" So they did. And people were still buying tickets. But, they're onstage so we've got to get started. I walked out and thanked everyone for coming and gave the usual spiel about silencing cell phones and keeping conversations to a minimum but encouraging them to laugh and enjoy the show.

And, boy, did they laugh! The audience got all of the jokes, "oohed" and "aahed" when they realized something was going to happen, and gave the cast a standing ovation at the end. All of the actors did very well and I was very, very proud to be their technical director/designer/stage manager/prop master/everything else that needed to be done person. We had a great company and I wish we could have done more shows. We wanted to do more than two, but next week is Spring Break and most of our cast (either being a teacher or working with the school district) will be gone. Oh well, our two performances will be remembered for quite a while.

Now we just have to think about what show to do next. I'll be helping Youngest Son's junior high with their production of "The Borrowers" in April. Maybe we'll do another show in the fall. But for now, I'm going to put my black clothes and makeup kit away for a little while.

Yup, brain's still in there....

Finally home from across the state!! Had to go there with Husband again to have an ERG and an MRI and the ophthalmologist wanted them done where he was so he'd be sure to get the results quickly.

The ERG is an electroretinography -- they put six or seven different drops in your eyes; put electrodes on your face and a "wire" (feels like a hair) inside your eyelid; and make you sit in a dark room with your eyes shut for 20 minutes before putting your head into a machine and flashing bright lights into your eyes while constantly saying, "Don't blink!" Fortunately, the technician I had let me blink every now and then, but I kept wanting to reach up and move the "hair" out of my eye before remembering that it was supposed to be there. And I asked what I was supposed to be looking at since I felt like my eyes were paralyzed. She said there was a red dot at the back. I saw three red dots and asked which one. She said there was only one in there. Wondering how this test is going to turn out....

Then I had to go down to have an MRI of my brain and optic nerve. I'm claustrophobic and was not really happy that I had to be in one of the closed-style MRIs, but they at least put some good music into my headphones so I could listen to it instead of thinking about being a large person in a small tube and hearing the magnet whirl around and around. It took about an hour and at least they confirmed that my brain is still in there, so I feel better for that.

Now comes the waiting game. Usually, they said, the results are known within 24 to 48 hours. With this being a weekend, I have no idea how long it will take. I'm just gonna relax for the rest of the evening and save my energy for tomorrow night's last theatre production.

G'nite everybody!!

Am-Dram: It's opening night!!!

Opening night finally came and went and it was great! Oh sure, there were parts of scenes that were skipped and people forgetting lines or props, but that happens every opening night. Fortunately, the audience didn't notice the errors and the actors kept right on going. I kept a close eye on the prompt book to make sure I could give cues to people when their "normal" cues were missed so they could get onstage. We even had one actor stuck "upstairs" because his whole introduction in one part had been omitted. I found a spot for him to enter and we at least were able to get him where he needed to be. I'm very, very happy about the production we gave.

There were some non-theatre-related things that happened tonight that drove me insane. First, the doors weren't supposed to open to the public until 6:30 p.m. The place where we were having the play, though, has its doors unlocked until 9 p.m. every night, so people were coming in and sitting down without realizing it was a play. Once we got them to buy tickets, we were trying to figure out some rough sections but there were people in the audience and we didn't want them seeing what we were doing. I also had to get two of the actors' makeup completed and on the way into the building the shoulder strap of my kit had come undone and it flipped on its side. When I opened it, everything was mixed-up and it took me a little while to find what I needed. Being a OCD makeup designer and expecting to find everything "in its place" had me frazzled for a bit.

But the most irritating/stupidest things that happened tonight happened around Celeste. She was "backstage" (we didn't really have a stage so we couldn't have a "back," just an area where we would hide) and while I was organizing props on one table, one of the other actor's friends/family came back there and started petting her. Husband pointed out the "DO NOT PET" signs on her backpack and the people were like, "So?" He had to tell them to stop and go away before they would. Then -- and this one stunned all of the people standing around me -- our assistant director was sitting at the table selling tickets and eating her dinner. I'd seen her having some rice and something Chinese and trying to keep from making a mess before the audience arrived. While I was "backstage" again, two older boys came up to me and said, "We spilled some rice up front. Can we use your service dog to go eat it and clean it up for us?"

I (insert slang word for human excrement) you not. They really came back and asked to use my service dog as a Hoover to clean their mess. I was stunned. Everyone else around me was stunned. It was all some could do to keep from laughing and I could tell they wanted to but were afraid I'd be angrier if they did. I gave them a very terse "NO!" and told them to get away from me. I didn't care about being polite at that time. I was counting-down to the beginning of the show and couldn't believe the stupidity of the question. Of course, during the play when people would be "backstage" and drop something they'd tease me and ask if she could eat it for them. It's kind of funny as I look back on it. But the funny bit is really overshadowed by the ignorance and rudeness of what happened.

So, at least I survived opening night. If it was a complete bomb I'd planned to post the opening song from "The Producers" Broadway show (even though I never really thought it would be one). Fortunately, it was awesome and we've got another show Saturday night. Tomorrow I'll be having my brains scanned again, so maybe I'll get a nap. I'll let ya' know how it goes when I get home.

A nice teaching event today

*Whew!!* No theatre today. No rehearsal. No frantically trying to find props. Only have to get Husband to practice his lines tonight so we'll be ready for opening night tomorrow. Have been trying to spend today not thinking about the production for a change. I've not been successful at it, but I've been trying.

I did get to see my therapist today. She could tell that things haven't been going so well. She asked how last Wednesday's appointment was. I told her and said she should read my blog for more details. She asked how the show was progressing. Again, I told her and said she should read my blog. She asked if blogging has been helping and I wasn't sure what to say. I think it has but then there are days I wonder. Plus, she thought it was a great idea and a good way to keep-up with what I'm doing/feeling/etc. but hasn't been reading it. Glad I post for myself and not for her.

In the waiting room today there were small children. Two were about 6 or 7 years old, another was younger, and another was not quite 2 years old. Of course, when Celeste and I walked-in, she became the center of attention. Parents started trying to grab their kids and the "Don't touch the doggie!" chants started. The toddler ran to her and hugged her before his mother could grab him. When they're at that age where they don't understand what a working dog is and can't communicate themselves, I look to the parents to keep their kids in line. The mother apologized profusely but the little boy was just fascinated. She kept telling him "No" and pulling him away from Celeste while trying to get him interested in some of the toys they'd brought.

Having seen the toddler do this, the other three came over and started to pet Celeste. Their parents tried to grab them away from her and apologized. I told them not to move the kids but I also told the kids to not touch her. I then explained, in simple terms, that she is a working dog and cannot be petted by others. Of course, the kids looked at me like I was some insane lady and by now the toddler had snuck back over and gave Celeste a big wet kiss. She wasn't happy about it, but she wasn't going to do anything, either, since that would be against her training.

I had Celeste and the children sit on the floor. Every now and then they'd try to sneak a pet or try to get her to kiss them. I showed them her vest and backpack and for the ones that could read I showed them the "DO NOT PET" patches. I explained that she has to be paying attention to me and that if someone bothers her, she can't do her job which makes her upset because she's a working dog. The older boy asked if she was like the police dog they'd met at an event in town. I said that the police dog is a working dog too but that he and Celeste don't do the same jobs. His mother said, "Remember when the police officer said you couldn't pet him until he said it was okay?" and the boy replied that he did. I said that the same rules would apply to Celeste and any other dog with a vest or backpack that they might see. The youngest girl was quickly bored and wandered off but the older kids were fascinated. I explained that they should never touch a working dog unless they've asked the owner/handler first for permission. And I told them that they have to get the permission first because some working dogs can't be petted or played with and to never try to pet a dog they don't know. The two kept reminding each other about the "DO NOT PET" patches and asking first as they caught the other trying to sneak another pat on the head.

When the parents and children left, one of the other patients came into the waiting room and said how beautiful Celeste is and asked if she was trained or if I was training her. I explained that she is a service dog and assists me all day, every day. She told me how blessed I am to have a dog like her and that I must feel very lucky, which I do and I agreed with her. She asked me if I minded talking about Celeste and what she does for me. I told her that I didn't mind and the lady volunteered that she has PTSD and always wondered if a service dog could help. I could see my therapist looking out of the doorway at us and I said that Celeste has helped me immensely before she began to tell the lady what a major change in me she's seen and how much she enjoys Celeste being in our sessions.

The lady began to ask more questions -- What is it like to have the dog with you? Do you have problems going places? What does she do for you? All the typical questions that are usually asked (and not always to my face when people think I'm blind or deaf and can't hear them). I answered her and we talked for a moment about how my life has changed in both good ways and bad. I told her that once you have a service dog you can't hide your disability because there's a four-legged "billboard" basically announcing it and that there are times that the public just doesn't (or won't) understand why you have one when you "look just fine." She said she'd never thought about that but for her she'd rather have the "billboard" and could deal with stupid comments on her own. We laughed and my therapist said she'd talk to the lady's therapist about whether he/she believed that a service dog would be a good addition to her treatment. Then the lady thanked me and I went in for my session.

I'd been feeling really frazzled and angry over the past few days, but getting to sit and educate others on service dogs and how they can help people with "invisible disabilities" was awesome. When I left for my appointment I could barely stand to be anywhere and was just sure I was going to scream or cry or do something because everything had been so negative recently. Watching the kids understand to not disturb a working dog and helping another PTSD survivor realize that there is another way without tons of medication to mitigate your disability was very therapeutic. Even more therapeutic than the therapy session -- and I didn't have to pay for what I did in the waiting room.

Maybe I'll actually get a chance to sleep tonight. I probably won't since I'm sure the voices (which have already started again) will be reminding me of every little thing that has been going wrong with the show and worrying about my doctor appointment on Friday when I try to go to bed. But at least today I feel like I've accomplished something positive. And for now, that will do.

Am-Dram: Stress level critical....

Just got home from last dress rehearsal for our production. Not very happy. Actually, there are lots of people not very happy at the moment. Director came and helped bring in new set pieces early (which I greatly appreciated) and then left for the local school's junior high band concert. Myself, Husband, and another actor in the production all had to miss seeing our children in the concert because we had to be there for rehearsal. I spent over an hour by myself trying to set-up the "stage" because no one from the community theatre "community" has volunteered to help with sets or props (except for the people in the show and I really, really appreciate them for that). I tried to answer questions on why things were set-up like they were (I changed the arrangement of the furniture so people would get on-and-offstage quickly) and why we couldn't have things we wanted and why things we had before we didn't.

All I could do until the assistant director arrived was apologize and make-up answers the best I could. I have no authority over the building we're using and I have no authority on the Board to make decisions. I even tried to placate the press representative (which we need because we've not had much advertising) into staying for just a few moments longer to get really good photos of the main actors who were coming in but a little later than we expected.

We didn't finish the run-through tonight. Lots of lines and entrances were missed. I told everyone before the rehearsal that I was not going to be giving lines tonight. I hope they all take the next day (we don't have a rehearsal tomorrow and we open on Thursday) and review, review, review.

Me? My Xanax and I have a date tonight. And tomorrow. And I have to see my therapist tomorrow, too. I just want to get through Thursday -- then I can deal with the new crises called "Friday" and "Saturday."

Am-Dram is harder than it looks!

Well, the countdown has started. Things are starting to fall into place, but many other things are still really in need of help.

Our first dress rehearsal for our community theatre's play is over. And we've only got one more to go.

Sadly, because it's a play and not a musical, not as many people will come to see it. We know that already. When we did Seussical: The Musical in 2010, we didn't sell-out any productions but we filled the theatre very well. That's because when you have a huge cast and the majority of them are children, you get all of the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, distant cousins, etc. lining-up early for tickets. This production of Arsenic and Old Lace is adult-oriented and has no children's parts. For that reason alone, we're not predicting a high turn-out for the show. We'll have people who come to see all of the shows and everyone who comes should enjoy it. We've even censored the language (not that there was much of it to begin with) to make it a family-friendly show.

Because it's going to be a smaller production, we couldn't afford to use the main community center theatre like we did for Seussical. It would be too expensive and even though I'm the technical designer/director for the show, the community center requires us to hire someone specific to run the lights and sound equipment, which is another cost on top of just using the theatre. There's stuff going on all around town and the school's theatre wouldn't be available and we even had to cancel one night's performance before we started because of an event happening in the same place where we'll be performing. We're using the lobby of the community center because it has a large staircase (for Teddy to run up-and-down) and it's cheap. The downside of it is that we (1) don't have any theatrical lighting so everything has to be done either practically (with actual lamps and candles) or imagined, (2) the area echoes badly and the sound of some actors gets lost in the rafters, (3) the audience will be the edge of the performance area (and some performing will take place in the audience), and (4) other people will be coming in-and-out of the building and we don't have any solid walls to keep external sound out. It's a technical nightmare -- and could explain why I've been feeling bad lately. If my name is on something, I want it right and as close to perfect as it can be. This is not easy.

Another downside to community theatre is that it's all volunteer. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy doing this. Volunteering my time/effort is enjoyable for me. However, I love our actors dearly but it's not the same -- you can tell them to be quiet backstage or to not go around the curtains where the audience can see them but that doesn't mean they'll listen to you. It's like herding cats at times.

But there are a lot of good things about doing this show, too. I'm meeting people in town that I would never have gotten to meet otherwise. We're becoming a close "company" and having a lot of fun when we're together. Everyone is enjoying seeing each other and helping each other with their lines, props, and costumes. Plus, with the exception of Eldest Son who's off across the state in college, I'm finally getting to do a theatrical production with all of my immediate family members. Youngest Son is helping-out backstage with props (because there are no parts for kids) and I even convinced Husband to audition and he will be playing Dr. Einstein. It's a fun activity to do together and I've enjoyed helping them learn more about something I'm very excited about.

Tonight was our first night "onstage" in our production area. A lot of lines were forgotten. Some actors were unavailable. Not all of the props and scenery made it to the venue. But everyone did their best. If they keep it up for our last dress rehearsal tomorrow and into our production nights, we'll be fine. If they remember how excited they were when they first got the parts and deliver their lines like they did in our first read-through, we'll be awesome.

Oh, and for those who don't know, "Am-Dram" stands for "amateur dramatics" and, no, I don't allow anyone around me to use the name of The Scottish Play. I'd say "break a leg" but I did that onstage in college and don't want to curse anyone else with it.

My kingdom's fence is falling down, part 2....

Well, the contractor didn't come today to fix the fence but no other panels fell off today. Fortunately, it also wasn't a very windy day and the sun was nice and shining.

Which just figures because he and his crew are supposed to be here tomorrow to fix it. A day when the weather is supposed to change and the winds will be fierce. The weatherpeople are already saying that there's going to be a Red Flag Warning plus other watches and advisories for the day. If you don't know what a Red Flag Warning is -- that's when burning things is not advised because the wind will be very forceful and can spread embers quickly and over long distances. It's also used in nautical terms to let you know that the water will be too rough because of the waves created by the wind.

In our area, we have a local weatherman who issues a Small Dog Warning on days like that. You can guess what that means. Actually, from what I've been reading on the forecast changes this evening, it might become a Medium Dog Warning. I want to see these guys trying to muscle around large 6-foot-by-8-foot panels of wood in the wind. Had they just done the job correctly the first time they wouldn't have to worry about it.

I'm headed back to the television. Had a long rehearsal tonight for our community theatre production; will have another long rehearsal tomorrow night; and there's an episode of Top Gear (the BBC version, not that crap on History Channel) with Eddie Izzard as the Star in the Reasonably Priced Car. Top Gear and my favorite comedian -- I should sleep well tonight.

Parents' night....

Youngest Son is away at a sleepover. One of his friends is having a birthday party & they've gone to play Laser Tag and eat their weight in pizza. Husband and I spent the evening buying items for props for our theatrical production and will probably be shopping more tomorrow. I just can't stand not having what I want for the show and as I've said before it's going to look right if there's any way I can make it happen. Plus, I can always resell the antique items on eBay or something. So, that's all I'm posting today. Almost said to heck with it but figured I'd stick it out another day at least.

What am I doing....

This blog thing sounded so simple when it started. "Sure, you've got free-time -- fill it by writing!" the "voices" said.

"You've got such interesting stories, they need to be written down," the therapist said.

"Your stories and the way you tell them are hysterical! You could be famous if you wrote a book!" the family members said.

Today I sat down and looked at the calendar. "If you'd just gotten off your duff and started the blog on your 40th birthday like you wanted, you'd be almost done by now!" my mind said. It's now got the "voices" taunting me over my ability to procrastinate like there's always a tomorrow to do something.

I'm into my third month of this and I don't feel like I've made any really insightful posts. No words of wisdom that others would inspire others. Oh, sure, when I ranted about the crappy military collector's show and the one where they freeze-dried people's pets, those got a lot of responses. And, yes, my political rantings have had higher read-counts -- but those are fads. This political season is going to end in November whether we like the outcome or not. Based on what I'm hearing on the news and in other blogs and from my friends on Facebook, I don't think we're going to like it.

So today I thought about why I started the blog. One of the biggest reasons was so that I could dump all of the crap the "voices" in my head keep badgering me about into a place where I can (1) either deal with it in a fun instead of tragic way, (2) deal with issues that are so old yet still hurtful in order to try to make sense of them so I won't have to deal with them anymore, (3) dump ideas and work with them until I've created something useful or seen that it was a waste of time in the first place, or (4) at least keep my writing skills up-to-snuff and entertain and/or educate others. Husband and my therapist keep saying how stunned they are at the amount of things I know about and can pull obscure facts from thin air in mid-conversation. I thought maybe this would be the place to figure out how and why I know what I know because when they ask me where I learned it, I don't know.

But I look at today and the past few days and wonder if I'm actually accomplishing anything at all. Most of my days since last Friday have been spent either at the gun show (which was fun and we made a decent profit after expenses) or asleep because of the pain medication combined with my daily meds that can knock me on my butt without the extra help. I've been fretting over a community theatre production because if my name is going to be on the programme as a technical director, then dammit it's going to be the best I can produce because I have a basically non-existent professional theatrical reputation to uphold. (Yes, I did get to work with "Miss Saigon" and "Sunset Boulevard" when I went to London on a theatrical tour/internship, but that was in the 1990s and no one remembers it but me.) I'm a perfectionist and I don't like to skimp or slide-over particulars but I'm being forced to with no money, no assistance, and no time to make it better.

I've been trying to hide some medical issues that have come-up from certain extended family members because the last thing I need is a lot of drama over something no one can do anything about at the moment. My Step-Father recently severely broke his right leg and has another minor fracture in his left. He's having to stay at a rehabilitation hospital because he cannot walk at the moment (because of the rods and pins) and also needs his dialysis. This has me feeling bad that he's alone there because it's three hours away from where Biological Mother is at their home preparing it for when he can return home again. I'd go to visit him but my medical issue prevents me from traveling long distances by myself. And when Biological Mother asked me on the phone the other day how a doctor's appointment went, I had to remember that she was thinking of one months ago because I hadn't told her what's been happening. I hadn't told her that I went to that appointment which led me to two others with the same doctor and a referral to another specialist who has now referred me to another specialist I have to see next week and if that person can't figure out what's going on, then there's no real hope of ever fixing the problem.

So, I finally told her when she called the other day. I told her that I'd gone to the optometrist to get new glasses but the new prescription doesn't help me see any better than the old prescription. I tested lenses with the new prescription and couldn't see anything any clearer at any distance. I was referred to a glaucoma specialist because my optic nerve is cupped in a manner that, at first glance, would make any ophthalmologist jump to the conclusion that I have glaucoma. I've been told for over 20 years that I have low-tension glaucoma (the type that damages the eye but can't be detected by just measuring the pressure of the eye alone), so I went to have a special test done. It's called an OCT and I can't remember at the moment what it stands for but they flash lasers at my retinas and measure the depth and thickness of them to determine the amount of damage.

I took the results to the glaucoma specialist who said, in a very assertive tone, that I don't have glaucoma. He had me re-take the OCT exam as well as a visual field test. The visual field test is like sticking your head in a fishbowl where they place a patch over one eye and then flash dots of light at different intensities all around the domed surface and you're supposed to click a button when you see the flashing dot. Oh, and you have to stare at a bigger, red dot while they're doing that so you won't look around the bowl and cheat by looking for the lights. After they do one eye, they do the same thing for the other. I failed it badly. The technician kept trying to remind me to click the button when I saw the lights and I told her if she'd make the lights show up I'd click it. I didn't know that the test had already begun.

The glaucoma specialist then looked at my eyes again, reviewed the tests again, and examined my eyes to see how well I could see with my current glasses or with a new prescription. He came to the same conclusion -- a new prescription wasn't helping me see any clearer. As a matter of fact, my eyes had gotten even worse since the last time I saw him a few weeks before. Now there was a serious problem. In our state, if you can't see better than 20/50 with correction (glasses or contacts), you can't legally drive at night. I've been having a lot of problems with my night vision for a long time and had recently noticed that it was much, much worse. I just didn't know it was that much worse. He immediately referred me to a retinal specialist across the state to see if he could help fix whatever is going on because it's not glaucoma and he's now stumped.

So, I travel across the state to have another appointment. My eyes are dilated and another OCT test is done (I hope the insurance pays for all of these repeat tests). An angiogram of my retinas was done so that detailed photos could be taken to determine where the damages are. I know that I have a type of macular degeneration called Lattice Degeneration, but I couldn't imagine that after all of this time it would just start acting-up. Oh, and if they ever do an angiogram on your eyes, fair warning -- they inject flourescent dye into your veins so they can see the veins in your eyes but forget to tell you that you'll urinate flourescent colors for two days. Just thought you'd like to know.

The retinal specialist comes in, looks in my eye, and says, "You must have glaucoma based on your optic nerve." I tell him that if he'd read the notes and test results, he'd find that I don't have glaucoma. He stood there and read my file, reviewed every test result that was sent to him, looked in my eyes again, and said, "I don't know what you have." They checked my vision again and now I'm up to 20/60 with glasses. One more jump and I'll end up unable to legally drive -- day or night. he continued to check tests and the photos and reports before sitting down in front of me and admitting, "I can't do anything for you. There's nothing wrong with your retinas that should be causing this that I could fix. You need to see someone else."

Now I'm waiting until next week to see a neuro-ophthalmologist at one of the more-prestigious medical colleges in the United States (which happens to be across the state from where I live) so that they can scan my eyes, my optic nerves, my brain, and whatever else they decide to stick into a machine to see if there's a tumor, a damaged area, a disease, an alien, or something else. I'm waiting for the usual answer I get -- "It's all in your head." My eyes are in my head, so of course it's "in my head." I had an ophthalmologist once tell me it was "in my head" as if I was making it all up. He was quite humbled when a partner of his had to do a cryogenic surgery to repair a hole in my retina that the first one had missed by thinking I was pretending (and I didn't have to pay for the surgery). But now I'm facing the prospect of not being able to drive, not knowing what's causing this, and/or finding out that it could be something that can or can't be fixed easily and -- guess what -- Biological Mother is worried now. I didn't want her to be worried now because there's nothing that can be done until I have the tests and someone comes up with an answer. And if this doctor can't come up with an answer, there's no one left to see (no pun intended).

What am I doing? I'm sitting here completing one of the objectives of my blog by getting things out in the open and trying to get my "voices" to shut-up about them. But, at the same time, I'm boring the rest of y'all to death, announcing a problem that other family members still don't know about (but they might as well hear it from me here), and I'm still not feeling any better about it. If this is supposed to be therapeutic, it's not helping. Even Celeste is noticing the tension in the room and trying to get me to quit typing.

Am I doing this right? Is this actually going to work? It is worth the daily "freak-out" when I don't have a topic already in mind? Does it fundamentally matter in the greater scheme of things? And would anyone notice?

And, before anyone says it, the answer is not "42." I've already tried it and it's not worked....yet.

It's worse on the third day....

My oral surgeon left me a note that I should not be surprised if my jaw/cheek/everything else hurts worse on the third day after the surgery than it did on the day of it. Actually, I wasn't in any pain the day of the surgery -- I just had it done 'cause I knew if I didn't I would have to sooner-or-later when the pain would be too bad to suffer. Well, he was right! It's the third day and my jaw is screaming at me. It might not have helped that I had a lot of talking to do during rehearsal tonight.

One of the up sides to community theatre is that you get people who are really interested in making your production work. People want to be seen doing well onstage and they're very willing to do what they need to in order for the production to be a success. Sadly, one of the down sides to community theatre is that there's basically no budget. That means that either the technical director (that would be me) has to find/buy/make all of the costumes and props or he/she has to delegate that job to the actors. I'm a great delegator. I love delegating things to other people, especially if it's something I don't want to do in the first place. If it's very important and is critical to making the production work, I have a harder time letting-go of something. But otherwise, if there's a prop or costume piece that an actor needs, I find it best for them to go out and find it so that they're comfortable with it (not too big/heavy/etc.) and because they'll be using it and I cannot afford to purchase everything. True, there are theatrical rental houses, but I can't afford that, either.

Tonight I started our rehearsals by giving everyone a list of the props they'll need and other set decoration pieces we'd like to have. Many looked at me as if I were insane, asking me to find something for themselves. I'd already told them they needed to bring their costume pieces and that they'd be responsible for their own costumes, so I guess asking for props was a little "over-the-top" for some of them. Then I found out that one of our actors quit, leaving us with a role to fill with just three weeks before the production. That's another down side to community theatre -- they're volunteers so they can come-and-go as they please and there's not much you can do about it.

Fortunately, tonight our director decided to try a few new things with the play and different people took on the parts where the actor that was cast didn't show up tonight (we were missing quite a few). We had a great time as everyone started laughing and having fun and it helped those of us there to continue the "theater bonding" we need to make the show look like an enjoyable performance and not a bunch of strangers reciting lines. Hopefully we'll have as much fun tomorrow night!

My brain hurts....the continuing story

At least today I'm not staring as much at the computer. Today I'm looking at books, sending text messages, and making phone calls in order to help get our production underway. So, since I'm going to be really busy with the show now, I might as well give my faithful readers some information about it.

Our local community theatre group is doing two performances of "Arsenic and Old Lace." If you've never seen the play or the movie starring Cary Grant, then you need to as soon as you can! It's a great story about the Brewster Sisters who perform their "charity" on lonely elderly gentlemen and are assisted by their nephew Teddy (who believes he's Teddy Roosevelt) in "disposing" of the evidence. Another nephew, Mortimer, lives with them and is a drama critic for the newspaper and plans to marry Elaine who lives with her father, Reverend Harper, just across the cemetery from the Brewsters. Mortimer finds out what his aunts have been doing and tries to protect them, but is soon confronted with his long-lost cousin Jonathan (and his associate Dr. Einstein) who has plans on making the old Brewster home his new headquarters of crime. It's a hysterical production and all of the actors have been having a blast working on the scenes and getting their lines memorized. Husband is even in this production. He's not as big on the theatre as I am, but I convinced him to audition since he's seen the movie thousands of times and he will be portraying Dr. Einstein.

I'm the technical director for the production which means I have to help design the set, design the costumes, find the props, manage the technical crews, and act as stage manager during the productions. Finding a place has been difficult since the only "theatre" (actually built for theatrical productions) in town is (1) incredibly expensive to use and (2) doesn't want people to build sets on their parquet flooring they've installed for the annual Gospel Sing that comes through every August. They also only allow the person who sold them their lighting and sound system to operate them during any productions and he's WAY too expensive for us (even though the director and I are perfectly capable of running the equipment). When they built the theatre they even decided to cut-out the fly loft and counterweight system because they figured an additional 20 feet less to build would help the budget but didn't realize that theatrical productions need a way to bring scenery in and out and that often the easiest way is to go up. Plus, our production requires a "practical" (means that they have to be used and built to code) set of stairs for Teddy to imagine as San Juan Hill every time he goes up them and screams "Charge!" Since they'd have to be fastened to the floor, the theatre is a no-go for this production.

We would use the Junior High's theatre/auditorium where Youngest Son's recent production of "Aladdin, Jr." was held, but (1) they want too much to rent the space, (2) the area is occasionally used by classes and our stuff wouldn't be as secure as we need it, and (3) we'd still have to build the set with the staircase and that's going to cost more. Even though the assistant principal of the Junior High is in the play as the evil Jonathan, we still couldn't afford to have it there.

We're currently rehearsing at the church where our director works. There's a nice area that was part of the original church that's been converted into a theatre. We asked if we could use the space but they turned us down because it's not a "Christian production." I'm still trying to figure out if they're objecting to the fact that it's not about a story in the Bible or if they're objecting to the language, violence, and murder that takes place. Last time I read the Christian Bible I saw a lot of violence and murder in there, so perhaps that's not what they're talking about.

Finally, we've found that the local Civic Center will allow us to use their main lobby as a theatrical space. And, to make things even more fortunate for us, they already have a large staircase right in the middle of it! We'll have a thrust stage configuration -- that means the audience will be seated on three sides of the stage and it makes them feel as if they're inside the Brewsters' living room as well. Add a couple of doors, a window seat and window, furniture, and use large curtains to stand-in as the walls (cheaper than having to build them) and we'll have a minimalistic version of the set most people see but it will still work and give focus to the actors and not the background. Plus, it's a LOT cheaper!! That's a big bonus in community theatre!

So now that we've found a place, we've had to work on the dates. On the weekend we wanted there's a soccer tournament scheduled in the exposition hall -- right next to the main lobby area. That's not going to work. There are other events at the schools and in town on other weekends with which many cast members would have conflicts. We wanted to do three performances but have had to scale it back to just two for the dates that are available for the actors, crew members, and the building. But at least we now have dates so we can start selling tickets.

Yesterday I spent the day working on costume designs. I started trying to sketch the costumes for the Brewster Sisters and for Jonathan and Mortimer. Then, I finally gave-in and started looking on the Internet for photos of the types of clothing that I want them to wear. Since it's a community theatre production, each actor will have to create his/her own costume. This is when we love the local thrift shops, resale stores, and free-stores -- especially since this is a period piece (supposed to take place in the 1940s) and a lot of old clothing can be found at those places. A little accessorizing, a little altering, and a little imagination will make them work and on a reasonable budget. I made costume plots for each of the characters and handed them out at last night's rehearsal. They have until next Monday to start finding parts of their costume and have to bring in what they have that night so we can make sure they're on the right track.

Next is the prop list. This one is going to be easy and hard at the same time. There's a prop list in the back of our script books -- but it's as if you were staging a Broadway production (actually, it is the list from the Broadway production) and we don't have that kind of space or money. Our director is loaning us all of the set pieces since he has a Victorian-style house and a lot of extra furniture that will work perfectly in our "make-do" space. I've been calling people who say they have items we can borrow and trying to come up with ideas on how to "fake" the things we need but can't get. Youngest Son wants to major in theatre now and has volunteered to work on the prop crew so he can get some backstage experience. Little does he know that his experience is going to be cleaning a lot of dirty things I find at junk stores, things that people donate (which usually have been sitting in a basement for years), and building/creating items that we can't find but are important to the play. Technical theatre is often a "trial-by-fire" and he's going to get one.

Our lighting is going to be different since we have to use the lights in the lobby and a few additional "practical" lights and up-lights so that we can have brightness and darkness in the "house" as scripted. No theatrical lighting here. I've been working with theatrical lighting and lightboards since I was a teenager, so for me it's going to be different trying to get the mood-lighting I want with very little with which to work. Somehow, though, we'll make it happen.

Fortunately I've gotten new materials for my professional makeup kit because I have to make the actor playing Jonathan look somewhat like Boris Karloff (that's one of the running gags in the show). He's a great guy and really open to letting me experiment on his head. You don't usually get an actor/actress who's willing to let you paint and glue stuff all over them. And the other makeup and hair designs for the rest of the actors will have to wait for now. They'll be doing their own anyway since no one else has special-effect makeup. Well, there are ladies playing male roles, but it's not that hard to get them to look male-ish enough for the theatre. I'm just going to have to be sure the Brewster Sisters have gray/white hair, that Elaine hides her purple highlights, and that the rest of the cast (well, those who have hair, that is) gets theirs styled correctly for their part.

I know in the end I'll look back at all of this and think about what a great job everyone has done and how hard we've all worked and smile. Right now, though, my brain won't shut-up because the "voices" have each taken sections of the play (lights, sound effects, costumes, makeup, etc.) and are arguing about how to get it all done on a budget of about zero dollars. So, you'll probably be able to tell when I'm really busy 'cause my posts might not be as eloquent, insightful, or as long as previous posts. But, the little "voices" nag me every day to make sure my daily post is here -- so I don't think remembering to do this will be a problem.

My brain hurts....

I've spent all day in front of the computer working on costume designs, prop lists, poster designs, and script reference "cheat sheets" for our local community theatre's upcoming production.

Anyone who thinks being onstage is the hardest part doesn't understand what we technical theatre people have to do to make them look good. And right now, my pillow is looking better so I'll write more tomorrow. It's going to be a fun production!

Feeling like death-on-toast lets "voices" speak.

Yay!! Jackie's feeling under the weather today, so we get to write!!

Who are "we," you ask? "We" are the "voices" from her head, and we're all trying to figure out what to post.

There are lots of things going on -- rehearsals for the Community Theatre play; getting the new fence constructed; dealing with the new neighbors behind the house with a pack of dogs that won't shut up -- and that's just the short list!

However, she's a smart cookie and has taken her medication for the day plus a flu-fighting kicker. "We" are still busy with our lists, arguments, worries, etc. But she's got a comfy couch and blankets to curl up with which allows sleep to shut us up for a little bit.

This post is just being placed here 'cause "we" convinced her that she could do this and mistakenly promised that as long as she would be able to type somewhat legibly, "we" would help keep the posts coming. "We" forgot that the laptop works in the bedroom, too....an oversight we stupidly made.

Ooh!! Puppy Bowl advertisement on TV!! That's always cute (though Jackie will deny it) but it won't be as much fun as the Super Bowl tomorrow. Gotta make sure she's ready for the game tomorrow. Youngest Son is practicing his trumpet. Husband already did grocery shopping and dealt with the dogs when they barked at someone coming up the drive unannounced. Now he's doing laundry. Harley is laying the in the floor and Celeste is staring at "us" like it's a mortal sin that "we" are posting online. And Cat is....well....she's being Cat and staying away from everyone.

And now Celeste is really starting to stare so "we" are going to go for now. Nice doggie....putting the laptop away....