Storm Warnings

We had winds last night over 70MPH I was awake most of the night listening to them. The wind chimes were tinkling like mad, Even the ones out front were chiming away. Leslie would have gone nuts, I love listening to them. About 4:00 I heard a CRRRRAAAAAAACCCCKKKKKK CRASH! One of the alders out back broke the top off and it hit another tree on the way down. FOrtunately they both were in the woods so no harm was done to property.

THis morning I got up early to take Sadie in for her haircut and heard that the Bridge was closed. Hiway 20 goes over a two lane 200' foot high bridge that hooks two Islands together, It is the MAIN way on and off the Island. A 70+ MPH Gust hit a 40' Semi full of furniture, and crashed it into the guard rail, and since it was so windy, they could not get it righted for 8 hours until the wind died down.



That is the first time in memory that a semi has crashed on the bridge. He is soooo lucky, the waters below and VERY DEEP and SWIFT Moving, and no one survives the waters much less the fall.

Right now it is calm between storms, stars out amongst the clouds and COLD. The air smells so fresh and clean after the heavy cleansing rain we had yesterday. Even the birds were rejoicing in the freshness. I noticed As I was fillling the feeders that the tulips are popping up about 2" so spring can't be too far behind. I wish I had gotten my Daffodils planted like I wanted to last Fall. Ah well there is always next Fall, or the one after that...

Where have YOU been?

create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide

Now mind you most of these states have been just zipping through on the way to or from a Duty Station. But I have touched dirt in all of the colored states. And I have peed in both oceans!!! (That was my Mother's dream, to be able to pee in both oceans!)

Any body got a quarter?

Actually I am looking for an Arkansas quarter. I have all of the 2003 quarters except for Arkansas!! They used to be easy to find. When a new one would come out The bank would send us some in our 100,000 change fund for the store. So when one showed up in our till, we would ask who needed one, and sell it. Well I have had a dickens of a time getting any quarters out of these animals around here. So I need an Arkansas QUarter and then I can move on to 2004 and start collecting them. Then I will be on the lookout for Michigan. That one is due out right now. I only collect 1 of each state. I put them in this giant cardboard map I have. punch out the cardboard quarter and put in the real one. They will be worth something in a few years....25 cents!!! I need to get a Sacagawea dollar too. I had one but it is gone now...

I also am going to get a wall map of the world and post it on my door, in my office and pin where all my blog friends are at. I thought about printing out the bravenet map, but I want a big one anyway, so I will head for Barnes and Noble and get a good quality fiber one, so I can pin actual cities.

Haven't seen any of the new funny money yet either. The colored bills. Have you?

Moby...

I get all caught up in my high maintenance animals, Sadie, Bandit, Chitters, Ethyl, Lint, Loki and Bea Bunny But I have NOT posted about the least trouble of them all. MOBY!!! My Beta. He comes up top to visit when I tap on the bowl, and when ever the light comes on. I just have to remember to get filtered water for him every month or so, or his three story condo becomes a basement flat. Can't use water out of the faucet because the clourine is not good for him. I have no idea how long these fish last, but I have had him for 2 years now. and he is still looking good. 3 pellets twice a week is all he gets, and he lives on the algae in the bowl. If I put a picture of another Bets up to his bowl he freaks!!! puffs up his gills and attacks the bowl!! LOLOLOLOL Silly fish. Loki loves to sit on the table and just stare at him...so I had to move him to hte bookcase where there is no room for Loki. Pity. They kept each other company...

Where is the world is ....LOLA?

I have not seen Lola now for almost a month! I can't believe that the critters got all the squirrels...:-( They do not hibernate, but they don't like cold weather, so maybe they are all snug in a hole in a tree, waiting for spring, scarfing down all those peanuts they stashed this Fall. I am out of black oil sunflower too. I put peanut hearts out in the feeder, and cracked corn. The doves are happy as...Doves! And I have a lady Downey woodpecker at the suet feeder. The juncoes and the finches and chickadees are still hanging around but no pidgeons, no pine siskins, no goldfinches, and as yet no hummigbirds, although it is still a bit early for them. Last year I hung 1 feeder out on Feb 28 and had a hit right away. I will get them out tomorrow and see how long it takes to get hit.

I will have to brave the car and the steps and get into to Farmers Co-op for 50# of sunflower seeds, 50# of flyers choice bird seed, and 10 # of chick feed and millet. Then I will be ready for spring! I hear a bird I have never heard before, and I can not replicate it, I think it is a warbler, but since I cant see it I cant be sure. I have had a tiny greenish yellow bird come to the niger feeder, and I can't identify that either. It has a darkish green rump and lighter belly and a white ring around its eye, and is olive greenish yellow with a beak that looks like a pin. Narrow and thin. ??????

Bill? Leslie? Phyllis got me a membership in the local Audubon club, so after the show closes I will have to start attending meetings and learn more.

I certainly hope that Sadie hasn't chased Lola away permanently! I will try moving some feeder stuff over to the deck poles and see if that might help. Sadie can still bark at them, but not reach them at all, and there is plenty of cover too.

Well I need to go back and prop up the ol' knee and take another motrin. No more pain killers for me...Made me sickern shit! Don't like that feeling at ALL. Think I will fix a glass of cornbread and milk...CJ want some? YUMMY!!!

Monday blahs!

I came home from the playhouse yesterday, and wrapped my knee. It is hurtung so bad! I can barely walk anymore. I know that walking up and down the stairs at the Playhouse has to be irritating it. I left just before the second act ended. (I am expecting a total sell out now that the word is getting around! I wish you all could see the show. It is so good.) I dug out the pain killers and started popping them every 4 hours. I woke up this morning with a horrible headache, and an upset tummy. I came in here to blog and almost lost it! So back to bed I went, Gulping fresh air and sipping cold water. Managed to keep the water down, so I put the pain killers away. I just slugged in bed all day. watched a little tv and read a lot of book. My knee is burning like it is on fire. I do not remember pulling anything lately, but I know I do have a tear in my something or other tendon.Just to the left of the Right Kneecap. Hurts like friggin HELL!!

It is so funny...when I am not feeling well, ALL of the animals are in bed with me. sometimes even Bea...Ethyl is on top of me, Loki beside me on the right, Lint beside me by my legs, Sadie whereever she can find room, and Chitters is either in the window above my head, or sharing my pillow with me. It is a load of fun trying to turn over when you are pinned down by animals!! AND a knee that shoots horrible pains into you everytime you move it.

I finally feel good enough to eat some Tomatoe bisque soup and toast, so Hopefully the pain killers have worked their way out of my system. YUCK! I hate that "I drank way too much alcohol" feeling especially since I rarely drink. Vertigo I guess they call it...

I am still trying to figure out why my blog does not allow you to go clear to the bottom. I have deleted bravenet counter, nope, I put bravenet counter way on the bottom...nope. I left a big gap between it and the rest nope. HELP!!! I dont know where to look now. WOuldnt know what to look for even if I did know where to look. I'm still learning this geek stuff.

Sadie wants in, so gonna go back to bed...See ya in the morning...

Laundry Pup

I'm sitting here catching up on Blog-walking, and felt Sadie under my chair. I looked down and she was not there but over by the door. I looked again, and there with her head stuck through the leg of my underpants was Sadie, Looking very pleased with herself...I forgot I had sorted the wash before I left for the show.

Opening Night

WHata RUSH!!! Opening night was fabulous. The town is definately talking about this show!!! We had 4 ministers in the Buy-out show for Habitats for Humanity on Thursday, and they LOVED it. Last night one person said that his pastor recommended the show to him, so He came. He had seen it twice before back east, but this one far surpassed anything else he has seen!! wow!!

One of our main characters Karol, who is also our Choreographer Lost her Mother last night during the performance. So she will finish tonite and tomorrow, rush down to Texas to the Funeral and then be back for thusday nights show. That is so hard!! We knew her mom was not doing well and probably would not make it. She was very emotional during the cruxifiction scene, but it worked. What a trouper.

The house was almost sold out last night, and at the end there was a spontaneous standing ovation! I was floored!! THe cast was thrilled, and the Audience wanted to stay and chat all night with the cast. Unfortunately we had a cast party after the show, so that was late getting started. It was 13 miles out of town, in the woods, and it was really foggy. So here are twelve cars driving through the woods in the fog trying to find addresses on mailboxes that we could not see. Finally got to the party, and there were more people there than there were in the cast!! 1/2 of them I had never seen before.

Party was still going as I left about 12:30, but since I live 20 miles from town in the OTHER direction, I needed to get home before the snow started. I got home around 1:15, read a few blogs and hit the sack. I was drained!!! the Adrenalin rush had depleted my resources, and I needed to get those batteries recharged. I slept for about 6 hours and woke up ready for another night of Directing...LOVE IT!

Morning favorites...

Every Morning when I wake up, the first thought is Bathroom, then I let Sadie out, and head for the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. I have gotten to the point that I want my coffee HOT and STRONG!! I have switched to French Roast and Love it. It is so full bodied, and smells soooo good. I must have 50 coffee mugs in my house, but I use only 4 of them. About 12 years ago, I bought 5 Laurel Burch coffee mugs, that hold about 16 oz of coffee. The handle allows 3 fingers comfortably into it. Feels just RIGHT! Not many feel that way. When I get to the cupboard and discover that all of my favorites are in the dishwasher and DIRTY, I growl. I have no idea why, I just do. I guess I am a creature of habit, and hate to use a different style of mug. I have been looking ever since then for more of the Laurel Burch mugs, but I can't find the right ones. There are a lot of them out there, but they are not what I am looking for. I want the same style I have, short, straight, big handle, and pretty. alas.....I have to make sure I run the dishwasher every four days or so...Pity.



This one was in my office for 10 years, now I use it here...It's my favorite.

YES!!!!!!

SLAMMIN'!!!!! This lady writes rough reviews and hardly ever stays for the whole show, she stayed until the end, transfixed!!! WHOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!

Rockin' the gospel


By Marcie Miller
Prepare ye to be entertained. Whidbey Playhouse’s performance of “Godspell” is two hours of joyous celebration of the Gospel according to St. Matthew.
If you’ve been to Bible school, you know the plot. In this 1970s era version Jesus wears a Superman T-shirt, and the flower children-like disciples sport a rainbow of colorful costumes. In between songs Jesus alternately cajoles and chastises his followers, deftly weaving in familiar parables and psalms.
Mary Lou Chandler, in her directorial debut, along with Rusty Hendrix, has assembled an impressive cast for this upbeat musical, but it almost took a miracle.
The parts were cast and rehearsals began in November, but they still had no Jesus, which is of course, the main part. Chandler said she even considered casting a female in the role, as far more women than men auditioned for any of the 11 roles.
“I thought, ‘Is Oak Harbor ready for a female Jesus?’”
Then, rehearsals were interrupted by a fire in the light booth, and working around the Nutcracker production December.
“It was one challenge after another,” Chandler said.
One month into rehearsals, Fernando Duran answered Chandler’s prayers, and took the role of Jesus.
Duran is a professional actor who divides his time between his two loves — Hollywood and his family in Oak Harbor.
Duran said he was at first reluctant to take the role, having just performed two musicals. He told Chandler that if she couldn’t find anyone for the role, he would do it, but he was going to Arizona and wouldn’t be back until well after rehearsals started.
When he returned the role was waiting for him, and Chandler said he has fit right in with the cast.
“It just jelled the first night,” she said. “He was the catalyst that brought it all together.”
The role of Jesus requires both a strong singing voice, and a strong sense of religious conviction.
Duran has both, and preaches to his followers like he really means it. And he does.
He is a member of Living Word Church, and said he became a Christian at 13.
“Playing the role of Jesus is awesome,” he said. “I feel like God has given me a gift for acting, and now I’m giving back.”
Duran plays the charismatic leader well, and his disciples reflect their adoration in song, dance and celebration.
“Godspell,” by John Tebelak and Stephen Schwartz, was a huge hit in the 1970s, with more than 2,600 performances worldwide. “Day by Day” became an international hit, but it’s the prophetic “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” that will raise the hair on your arms.
In the Whidbey Playhouse production the song booms out from the back of the darkened hall, thanks to Petty Officer 1st Class Steve Curran, who plays both John the Baptist and Judas. As John the Baptist he lead the singing group from the back of the hall and onto the stage.
Curran, wearing a red “Make Love Not War” T-shirt, brings considerable acting experience to his dual roles, including productions at the Dillard School for the Performing Arts and Marquette University.
He jokes that he joined the Navy when he realized he was not a good enough waiter to make a living as an actor. His wife, Dawn Curran, is Godspell’s musical director.
One of the highlights of the play is a burlesque version of “Turn Back, O Man,” by Oak Harbor native Dulcey White Lovell. She has performed with Whidbey Playhouse since she was a child, and is obviously very comfortable on stage. She has developed a fine voice over the years, and belts out this tune while teasing the audience with a red feather boa.
Other cast members are Nicole Bouvion, Isaac Johnson, Destiny Kelly, Gwendolyn Oest, Karol White, who is also the choreographer, Kathryn Young, and Charisse Berner. Berner’s daughter Amelia, 7, makes her first Whidbey Playhouse appearance in a cameo role as a marionette.
Charisse Berner is familiar to many as the Oak Harbor School District director of curriculum, but she was a music teacher for 18 years.
Like many of her cast mates, Godspell has special meaning for her. In 1973 she was a featured soloist in a Bellevue Jr. High Choir’s recording of Godspell. While she has been active in music all her life, her last role was as Mary Magdalene in a high school production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
Godspell marks her return to the stage, where she plays guitar and sings a lovely version of “By My Side” with Karol White.
With work and family, the rehearsal schedule has been tough, she said. They have been practicing four times a week, three hours at a stretch since November, and the pace has picked up with opening night approaching.
At dress rehearsal last week there were only a few minor glitches, easily smoothed over by the enthusiasm and professionalism of the actors.
A special treat is the addition of a live band, with Dave Willis on bass, Bruce Hutcherson on drums, Judy Magison on guitar and Dawn Curran on piano.
Go to church on Sunday, but first go to “Godspell.” Both are good for your soul.
See the show
“Godspell” opens Friday, Jan. 23, at the Whidbey Playhouse, 730 SE Midway Blvd., and runs Thursday through Sunday until Feb. 14. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $14 adults, $10 youth age 4 to 17. No children under 4 please. Saturday, Jan. 24, is Bargain Night, with all tickets $2 off. Groups of 10 or more receive a $1 per ticket discount any night.
Call the box office at 679-2237, or go to www.whidbeyplayhouse.com.

2nd try tonite...

I just lost everything I posted. And when I tried to go back it kept going to zonkboard, I DON'T WANT zonkboard! I closed it, came back logged in again to blogger.com and right back to zonkboard. I HATE SHIT LIKE THIS!!!!

What i was going to say is YAHOO!!!! I had a standing ovation!!!!! The cast was Awesome!!! even people who were kinda skeptical about me and this show were thrilled!!! I was told it was a 2-kleenex ending!....YES!!!!



The black man in the middle is Ike. He came back on sang his solo and left. He is so good!!




When he sings OH GOD I'M DEAD! The white rope lites around the basketball hoop come on and looks like a halo!! way cool!!

HUGE SIGH here...I am so relieved!

Galaxynet :: Home

Galaxynet :: Home

One last rehearsal....

Tomorrow we have our first full live audience. It technically is still called a dress rehearsal until Friday night which is the "Opening Night". Our Members get to come in and see it free, as do all family members of the cast and staff. They pay fifteen dollars for a years membership, which helps us fund a few things. We have 200 members. Most of them do NOT come that night. Being a member allows you to vote on the upcoming season shows and we have a potluck-business meeting once a month. But the Members night gives us a feel for what the live audience will be like. Gives us a chance to work around applause, boos, lighting cues, etc. They are very forgiving. Wednesday we are off, and Thursday is our "Buy-out" still technically a dress rehearsal, but we sell the house to non-profit orgs to use as their fundraisers. They buy the house for 600.00 and sell the tickets for whatever they can get. usually 10-20 dollars. there are 125 seat, so if it sells out, the charity can make a lot of money. Friday night we open, and run every Thur-Sun for 4 weeks. Then it is all over!!

The lighting cues still need a tweak, but for the most part, we are ready! Ike is back, although he keeps forgetting his cues, and can't dance, but he still sings. ANd Jesus forgot his first few lines tonight so He had to fake it. (You'd think Jesus would have some HELP from on-high wouldn't ya?)

I got to meet the man who almost was Jesus tonight. He backed out at the last minute before I could audition him. He is black has Whoopi-braids, and is GAY. now THAT would have stood stodgy Oak Harbor on it's Presbyterian ear!!! LOLOLOL

I took head shots tonite, for the Lobby wall, and need to get their Bios printed out on photo paper, then I am done!! I will have given birth to my first theatrical Baby. I have helped deliver babies lots of times, but this is MY first all by myself. I think I have something to be proud of. Time will tell!

Kenny's Poem

I have a friend who occaisionally sends me jokes, so when I got this I was expecting a punch line. It turns out he had just lost his cousin in Austin, Texas, that he was very close to, so he sat down and wrote this poem. It is very good, and he has given me permission to post it here for you all to read....

A Souls Journey
By Kenny Merrell

The departed no longer speak
Their silence echo through the room
Now living only in memories past
Just shadows in the gloom
Kept now within a special place
To visit now and then
At night, in bed, before we sleep
We bring them out again
Remembering
What event matters not
Just movement in the mind
Their spectral shimmer giving joy
Of what they left behind
A soul departs to meet it¹s fate
Life experience to atone
For slights and spites no longer felt
The outcome never known
The soul that lies within our mind
Is warm and comforting
If we could just bring it out
To measure life¹s meaning
The departed no longer speak
Their silent voice far reaching
Across a void of space so vast
On earth our time so fleeting
The touch of God upon our soul
The only comfort passing
The one true journey leaving earth
For life everlasting

He is Kenny Merrell and can be reached at kenneth@whidbey.net He is a wonderfully kind man, and makes a killer brisket!!! His wife is soooooo spoiled.

What next!!!

Last night was Press night, The rehearsal on Wednesday was excellent!!! The press comes in during a dress rehearsal to take pictures and hopefully give us good reviews and a lot of free publicity. I went in last night, and Steve the Surgical Tech in the Navy and also plays John the Baptist, came up and said Bad News!! I immediately thought he was called to duty and would not be able to be there that night. WOrse!!! Isaac, who plays the part of Lamar and sings ALL GOOD GIFTS solo, was in for surgery on his infected thumb and had a cardiac incident in the hospital. SO Ike is out. He had a minor but very important part in the play. OH CRAP!!!! Actually we can do it with out him, but it will not be the same. I am hoping that he will be cleared on Sunday and I can offer him a proposition. If he can walk on and sing his solo, and walk off, we can cover it with a note in the program. If not, I'll Punt!! I can sing it if i have to, but I don't do stage. The casr was FANTASTIC last night, they all covered Ike's lines beautifully and we faked his song. THe performance made me cry. It was so good!!! Fernando who plays Jesus, has grown soooo much in the role. He is great!! I am so proud of them all. They have grown into a family together. I wish you all could see it!

Sadie-Bug has not had an accident in the house in almost two weeks!! She comes and tells me she has to go and then runs out and does it. She is so cute. ANd such a LOVE. When she is tired, she will come put her feet on my lap and lay her head down for me to rub her ears, then she will yawn. I pick her up put her in her pen and out she goes. This is not to say that she only sleeps in her pen, she is after all a DOG, and that is their job...to sleep. She sleeps a lot, but her nap time is a special thing. It kinda tells me it is time for me to take one too.

I rented Pirates of the Caribbean tonight. Good movie, but I did not see the charm of Johnny Depp like others have. Must be too old. Going to see either Return of the King or The Last Samurai tomorrow night. I sure hope this third one ties it all together, cause I am so lost!!!

What's that you are saying Sadie? It's time for bed? ok...let me sign off here, and we'll go nite-nite.

See ya tomorrow.

Trueisms....Cowboy style

These are for all ya'll in TEXAS...Bill, Don. TX

Don't name a pig you plan to eat.

Country fences need to be horse high, pig tight, and bull strong.

Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plough around the stump.

A bumble bee is faster than a John Deere tractor.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.

Meanness don't happen overnight.

Forgive your enemies. It messes with their heads.

Don't sell your mule to buy a plough
.
Don't corner something meaner than you.

It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

You can't unsay a cruel thing.

Every path has some puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about never happens.

Don't squat with your spurs on.

Don't judge people by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older & think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

Don't interfere with something that ain't botherin' you none.

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

It's better to be a has-been than a never-was.

The easiest way to eat crow is while it's still warm. The colder it gets,the harder it is to swaller.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

If it don't seem like it's worth the effort, it probably ain't.

It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.

Sometimes you get and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with watches you shave his face in the mirror every morning.

If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

Don't worry about bitin' off more'n you can chew; your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger'n you think.

Only cows know why they stampede.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now & then to make sure it's still there with ya.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.

You can't tell how good a man or a watermelon is 'till they get thumped.

Never miss a good chance to shut up!


I had some of these framed and hanging in my office in Nevada!!

Whupped!!!

I am whupped!!! I have been at the Theater almost everyday for two weeks. I spent the weekend there trying to get lights aimed, and the cues set into the computer. Almost got it all finished and yesterday discovered that I lost them all. So now I have to start over with the cues. I hate this!!! I wish I knew what I did wrong so I would not do it again, I KNOW I saved the session, it just was lost!! ARRRRRGGHHH

On a good note...we had a fantastic rehearsal last night! Jesus has been working his lines at my insistence, and actually has emotions in them now. He is now saying the lines instead of spouting memorizations. He has slowed down, stops where needed, and puts depth into his emotions. We have not had a full cast though in quite awhile, due to one thing or another. THis happens when you have volunteers who are not getting anything out of this other than satisfaction and getting their egos stroked.






We are having a tiny bit of rebellion amongst the cast members also. THey are not liking the way the story ends. (no jokes now Don!) THey think that there should be a resurection after the cruxifiction, and the authors did not put one in. They did however write a new song and gave us the option of using it anywhere in the show we would like. So we are putting it in the very end just after the finalle, which makes it very anticlimactic. THis works as a form of resurection the way we are doing it, but I don't like it. I think we should just end the play the way it was written, and cut the song.
I will run it again tonite and if it doesn't work, I'll rethink the ending.

Press night tomorrow, and then 3 days off until Hell week. Next Friday we open, and then I can relax. I think. THen I can start my same old boring LIFE AFTER NEXCOM. Actually, I went into the Exchange yesterday to have my nails done, and listened to the complaints about the way things were going. I DO NOT MISS IT ONE LITTLE BIT!!! I walked out laughing! I don't have to listen to bitchy customers complain about the lack of service, or the lines at the registers, or the prices of the merchandise. (We had as many if not more associates than any department store outside, you stand in line at every single grocery store in town, and I save 8.5% at the minimum over outside prices, because there is no tax!) AH maybe life SHould be boring!!! (BIG SMILE HERE)...

SHOCK AND AWWWWWWW!!!!!

WOW! Everyone! THanks for all the wonderful warm wishes on my Birthday!! It was really nice to open Email and see all those e-cards coming my way SADIE even sent me one (wink, wink, Leigh) !!! But the REAL Shock is opening my comments on the last post and seeing my SON!!!! he was at a friends house who had a computer, so he tried my blog for the first time. I am still FLABBERGASTED!!! What a WONDERFUL Birthday present!!!! just to see his name on my blog!!! and he sent me a nice long email. SOunds like he is on the road to recovery...CROSSED FINGERS HERE.

Gotta run get ready for rehearsal, see ya And THANKS AGAIN!!!

MMMMMMWWWWWWWAHHHHHHHHH!!!

Hey Kids... WE HAVE US A SHOW!!!!!

I have been working night and day at the Theater, getting things ready for Opening night. The rehearsals have been long and hard. But as of last night, After the second whole show run through. There are only a very few tweeks left. The music is wonderful, the dancing needs a little work, and the lines need some memorizing, but over all, It is going to be good.

We are working straight through the weekend, and hopefully by Press night on Thursday all the kinks will be worked out.

I will get back to blogging and blo-walking after I get this show open. I miss you all.

test

I'm testing from work....

A present for Mommie...

So My Sweet little Sadie-bug wanted to go out in the worst way this morning. If a dog could cross their legs, she was...Bouncing in her pen and whining big time. As one grows older, ones bodily functions are more insistent that when you are younger. In my case when I wake up I have to pee....NOW! So I hurried up and did my business as Sadie is jumping and yipping right there in her pen. I get her in my arms and she is trying so badly to get down, and I open the back door. She LEAPS from my arms right into the 6 " of snow, and runs out to pee. And pee she did!! I left her out while I went to make a pot of coffee and turn on the computer, and get the Daughter up to try and get to work.

After about 15 minutes, I let Sadie back in, she ran in quickly and disappeared into the house. I came in to read my morning blogs, and Sadie was not at my feet. HMMMMMMMMM I get up to get a cup of coffee, and Sadie had an old dirty brown rag in her mouth. I reached down for it and noticed that that sock had tiny FEET!!! My dear Darling Puppy brought me a RAT!!! Not a mouse, not a vole, not a baby rabbit, but a RAT!!!!! I am jumping up and down and screaming at her to drop it, waving my arms and yelling. She just KNOWS that I am soooo PROUD of her!!! I finally get her to drop it and I went to get the dust pan to scoop it up in.

4 cats and it takes a puppy to catch the RAT!! Now I don't remember seeing it in her mouth when she bounded in, but SURELY it was there. I would hate to think she actually caught it here in the house!!! Nah....She had it when she came in....Really, she did....

silence....plop.....silence....plop, plop.....

The freezing rain has started. The snow was hanging on the trees like a blanket, and on the roofs like a giant cotton blanket. With the rain, the snow is getting heavier and sliding off the roof and the trees with plops, and drips. Then the wind whooshes through the trees and silence once again until the rain has soaked another patch of snow amply enough to allow it to let go of its hold on another patch of roof and plop noisily to the earth.

I was awake most of the night waiting to see if the snow would really come as predicted or if this was gonna be another bust. We are so used to getting excited over a severe weather advisory and then NOTHING! It started about 5:00 this morning, and by the time I woke up at 845, we had about 4 inches. It was so pretty falling and covering all the grass, and the roads.

My sister posted about how much fun she had today. I too remember having to get up and go in to work, and how much fun people had building tiny snowmen on the garden shop furniture, and car hoods. I even had one put on my desk! I live in a neighborhood where there are no little kids. Most of the people around be either braved it in to work, or stayed in the house all hunkered down!!

I wanted to get out there so bad, but I just KNEW I would fall again, and I don’t think the old knee would survive another crack. I stayed in my flannel Pjs and slippers, and just watched the day progress. I tend to “nest” in my bedroom, sitting at the head of my bed, resting my elbow on the window sill, and drink my coffee watch the area news reporters and watch the birds try to dig through the now 6” of snow to get to the seeds that they know are there.



I had 4 Varied Thrush today, which is really unusual. They are normally not feeder birds. They scratch for bugs. The dove flock was a bit confused, and the Juncos and the chickadees and pine siskins were twittering and cheeping and just gobbling down the Niger seed from the 2 thistle feeders I have out. The House finches knew there was feed in there but they either can not hang up side down or could not figure it out. They sat upright on the perches and pecked at the tube.

I put on my UGGS and took seed out and brushed off the platform feeders and filled them with food. Filled the hanging feeders and refilled the suet feeders.

The best part of the morning was watching Sadie play in it. She saw snow last month but nothing like this. She jumped off the porch, and ran after the birds, jumping and barking and frolicking in the snow. I laughed and laughed at watching her. She was having soooo much fun! I took pictures but she was running through it so fast all she is is a blur. Her ears were flopping and flapping as she ran, her tongue hanging out, and snowballs forming on her feet and belly. She has gotten so good at letting us know that she needs to go outside that I almost forgot to let her back in! When I remembered her I ran to the back door and called for her, she was snuggled under the deck with Lint and the rats.



Sadie and I went in to take a nap, and she actually jumped on the bed all by herself. I did not have the heart to put her in her pen after that achievement, so I let her curl up with me. I sleep on my tummy and as I was settling in for a nap under the electric blanket, a bird chirped right at the window, so up over me Sadie goes, Standing on my back and looking out the window. She thought that was great fun. We played that game for about 15 minutes until she decided that if she put her back feet on my head and her front feet on the sill she could get closer! OK Game over.

I finally settled her down and she and I got about a 45 min nap. I woke up and Oprah was signing off. Bummer. Sadie was still asleep, so I let her while I read.

I called off rehearsal so I just stayed in my pjs the rest of the day. It is now 1100PM and I need to take a shower and change my PJ’s and go read some more. The rain is turning to solid ice on the roads, and I have to convince Donna that she really should stay home one more day. It was so nice not having to worry about her driving in the snow. She kept the fire going all day, and just stayed in nice and warm also.

I would love to see the snow stick around a little longer, but I can’t afford to cancel any more rehearsals. It sure was fun staying home and slugging today though. It is as if the snow had given us permission to be a lazy butt, just for one day…

YIKES

OHMIGAWD!

Kim Novack is on Larry King Live tonite, talk about a face lift gone bad!!!! the whole top half of her face is still like plastic and the bottom wrinkles up under it...

Im glad I'm Fat and dont have wrinkles....on my face!

Godspell...the show from hell.

I am directing the Musical Godspell for the WHIDBEY PLAYHOUSE in Oak Harbor. This is a community little theater, and every job, show staff position is voluntary. No Paycheck, We do this for the FUN(?) of it. yeah, right!!!

This is my very first directorial position after many as Asst Dir, and Producer, and a few as costumer. This is a very tough show to direct, because there is so much slap stick and so much improv with the show. I was terribly excited to do this show, as I had heard the music and had the CD, and I love musicals. I got the notification way back in March that I had the show. I started planning and got my schedule all arranged, chose my staff, and made the calendar out. I held auditions, and NO MEN SHOWED UP!! gotta have at least 2 men for Jesus and John the baptist. Then I get told that I can not have the stage until Dec 15, as they threw in another show...NUTCRACKER. that meant I had less than a month to get the set built and the lights set and the props up and get ready for opening night. THey let me rehearse in the new rehearsal hall, but then took it away for the kiddies from the NUTCRACKER to be staged in during performances.

Then there is the Holiday schedule to contend with, and then the FLU and today I get told that on Sat I needed to cancel rehearsal because the membership needed the stage for PLAYDAY!! then I also got told that the SUNDAY tech set was going to have to be rescheduled because there is a memorial being held there for a person who loved the playhouse. Tonight when I got in and broke the news, we started smelling something scorching. So we caled 911 and had to haul our asses out of the building into the freezing cold parking lot until the fire dept could determine what the problem was. The firecheif came out looked at the breaker boxes and shut us right down!! it appears there was a smoldering panel and could have broken into flames at any second. I told you this was in an old Dutch Reformed Church
at least 110 years old.

I crammed them all into the rehearsal hall, sans props and set, and costumes and rolled through Act II. Now we have Tues Wed Thurs until we film the cable commercial. So after rehearsal tonite, I told the cast that we were gonna have to rehearse more. SO Friday at 630, Sat at 100 Sun after the memorial, and then we should be ready to film. then 2 more rehearsals and we are onto Press night.

I am hoping that with the extra rehearsals they will be ready. They are all really hard workers and perfectionists, so I can only hope for the best. We SHOULD have the Lord on OUR side with this one!!

Jesus is still forgetting his lines. so After this Blizzard is over (if it ever gets here) I plan on working 1 on 1 with him and putting him through the paces and have him bounce lines off of me. I have no more shows lined up this season, so I am looking forward to this being over and done so that I can just zone for awhile.

OH the GOOD NEWS....I got a raise in my retirement check. They recalculated my retirement and I am getting an extra 23 dollars a month retroactive to Mar 1 so that would be lets see...thats 165.40 for the year after taxes. Whoot!!!

Can't say the US government is CHEAP!!! PHHHFFFFTTTT!!!!

Driving by fields on an Icy evening...

I spent most of today at the Playhouse, finishing the set and starting the light cues. Then we had a full rehearsal for act I. It was the first time that we have run Act I all the way through with songs, music, choreography and blocking. We were still missing one cast member, and that hurt, but We trudged on ahead. OH LORDY there is soooo much to be done between now and opening night. I hope it all comes together. Jesus really needs to work on his lines, he missed the first month of rehearsal, and he is catching up but he still has a long way to go. They were off-book with prompt tonite, so there was a lot of stumbling around. I gave them a reality check tonite and told them that they only had 4 more rehearsals until they filmed the commercial for cable TV. Shocked them. Maybe they will be better prepared for tomorrow's run through of Act II.

I left the playhouse at 945 this evening and as I walked across the frozen parking lot I saw the stars and the moon stuck on the sky like they were lamps, Lighting the way across the dark. I drove on through Oak Harbor and made sure I looked at the time and temperature bank sign. It said 18 but felt much colder. I headed out of town, and started on the way home. Down the highway that is caked in ice in spots...Usually where the sunlight did not reach the asphalt to melt away the snow. Past the frozen hay fields that this time of year are laying fallow. As I looked across one field it struck me just how bright the night was. It was if the sun had not set all the way. It was not an orange light or a purple or a yellow light like the sun would cast, but a bright silvery white light, cast by the almost full moon, reflecting off the snow that is still clinging to the grass. It only snowed about 1/2 inch, but then it turned really cold, so what did fall is now solid ice. With what is expected tomorrow, and Tuesday we should have a good depth.

the road was still very icy in places, so I made sure I drove for the conditions. I could have driven much faster, but kept it at 40 MPH as there were no other cars on the road, and I was enjoying looking out and wondering how many different eyes have seen what I was seeing over the years that the island has been populated. I go off on tangents like that every once in awhile. Thinking that I could be the only human to look at the underside of a rock, or the side of a cliff that has just fallen in. The Eons sometimes speak to me through the nature that I see and love so much.

I do so love the cold and ice. Especially at night when I know that all of MINE are safe and warm. Snuggled down into my bed covers with my nose poking out the window crack sniffing the ice cold air and smelling the frost. It is so clean and refreshing. I can hear the owls hooting far off in the distance and know that they will be over my way in about an hour or so. I also hear the coyotes yipping at the moon, down by the lake, and then the hybrid wolves howling their lonely song into the cold night. I love to listen to them. It is so primeval. I feel like I can hear the generations behind me in their song. I can lay awake for hours just looking out the window at the stars and moon and listening to the ice cracking in the bird bath. I also have heard the sap freezing in the plants and trees.

I have just finished my tea, so now it is time to Crawl into my nice warm bed in my nice cold bedroom and turn my thoughts to more Stellar things. See you in the morning....

HMMMMM And I have to drive into town.....

... Winter Storm Watch issued for Monday night and Tuesday...

A moist and vigorous warm front is expected to move into western Washington on either Monday night or Tuesday. With a cold arctic air mass currently in place... precipitation with this front will start in the form of snow. Snowfall should become heavy at times with the potential for significant and heavy accumulations across The Lowlands all the way down to sea level. The snow should turn over to rain sometime on Tuesday.

While it is too early to say exactly how much snow will fall... this event has the potential to be the heaviest and most widespread snow event for the western Washington lowlands since the heavy snows after Christmas in 1996.

It still remains unclear whether the snow will start on Monday evening or Tuesday morning. The timing of the snow will also have an impact on exactly how much snow falls.

People are strongly urged to keep up with the latest forecasts on this evolving snowstorm... especially with the potential impacts on the Tuesday morning commute. A changeover to rain on Tuesday could further worsen driving conditions on Tuesday by turning the snow on the ground to thick slush.

IT'S FREAKING COLD OUT THERE!!!!

BRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!! We got an itsy bitsy little teeny weeny amount of snow, but man did we get the cold!!! Right now it is 16 F with a wind chill of 7F. I love it!! The air smells so FRESH!! I braved the elements today and drove or skated in to town. I had called a work party for today at 1:00, so felt I needed to be there. We managed to get the backdrop of the set painted and the stairs moved to Center Stage, and got the flats all taped and ready for paint.

It was freaking cold in the theater; the house is an old turn of the century church. So it has this gas heater that was retro fitted about 1960, and it does not do a very good job of heating a huge space. I expect they were counting on all of the fevered bodies of the Dutch Reformed Congregation to help keep it warm. With only 5 bodies in there today, it didn’t work right. The paint was really thick. I think it was on the verge of freezing. Looked like syrup pouring out of the can.

Computers are wonderful things. We had ½ a can of two different colors, dark purple and a purple navyish color. Neither was enough to paint the flats with so we mixed it up. Looks really good!! But I needed another gallon. I knew we would never be able to match it exactly, but ACE Hardware has this great color match computer, that takes the color you want and then gives you a formula for it. WHOO-HOO!!! Worked great. Tomorrow we finish painting, and then set lights.

Sadie ran out this morning while the snow was still fresh and fluffy and once again skidded off the porch. You think she would have remembered that she did that last week. She ran around again tossing the snow up in the air and playing with it. There was not really enough to make a snowball to throw for her, and she was having a good enough time on her own, so I just let her play. The past few days there have been NO accidents in the house. And she has come up and let me know that she wants out. GOD do you think I have succeeded? Could it be that she GETS it now? Oh please oh please oh PLEASE!!!!

I have just typed this into a word document, because GALAXYNET keeps kicking me off line. SO now I am ready to cut and paste this into blogger. I think I like doing it this way, it has a spell check built in!! How cool is that?

January blahs

I woke up this morning all groggy from little sleep. I also woke up grouchy. I also woke up wanting to go back to bed. I went to bed as soon as Bob left last night, around 830 or 9, with every good intention of reading my book, but I fell asleep with the light on, and my nose in the book. I woke up at 230 with Loki tap dancing on my head. just his hind feet, so I knew he was looking out the window. His ears were back,, and he was chittering, so I figured he saw a bird. Then I remembered that it was dark out, no birds, what the hell was he looking at...a BAT? A rabbit? nope a bird feeder full of big mice!! hanging from the eaves it was, and no more than 6 inches from my face!!! It seems they climbed the phone wire I had laid across the bird feeder so Sadie would not chew on it. (Bob took it off the house when we painted the outside year before last...don't want to rush the man...) I knocked on the window and they scattered like mad. I know some of them have to be hurt falling so far, but they were gone.

First thing this morning, I went out and filled all the feeders, and moved the phone wire back down low. If they can climb into the feeder now, I'm Moving out and letting them have the house. I have four count them FOUR 1-2-3-4 cats that live here, but they have no clue what outside is so the mice live there.

I got that done and came in to blog crawl, and try to change my colors...BOB came over. I don't know about you but when I am blogging I want to BLOG not talk, not explain everything I am doing, just read and type. so THAT was put off. Remember I said I was grumpy too. I bit his head off about his ridiculous political views and then stomped on his opinions. He left.

I went out to find a book to read, and this dumb-ass island has no DECENT bookstores anymore. Barnes and Noble in Bellingham 75 miles away, and Amazon.com a click away have put them out of business. Now if you want a book on fables, or science Fiction, or fantasy, you can get it, but if you are looking for a good book to get lost in.....NOPE. I also needed to get some bird seed to fed the critters with. Every place was out.

ARRGGHHHH I did manage to get my refills for my meds taken care of. and I did buy one mind candy book, and I bought a small bag of seed. I got home and BOB was here, It is Friday night. That is OUR night to watch TV or go out to dinner. He brought dinner in, so I would not have to cook a lot. Hamburger patties and pork and beans. (GAK)

I have never in my life fixed a can of pork and beans. I always doctor them up. Bacon, onions, mustard, brown sugar, ketchup and garlic and liquid smoke. Then bake the hell out of them. NOPE not the way he wanted them gotta have them straight out of the can! (GAK! RETCH!)

As soon as we ate he left. He was tired and I got on him about watching the History Channel AGAIN!!! this time it was the Magineaux Line, and how the Germans took it. (WOO!) He said good by, and I turned to my daughter who said MOM you got your refills right? Yes I did they are right here. Well says she, is your Zoloft in there? yes says I. And how long have you been out? only 1 or 2 days. A-HA!!! says she!!! That's why you are such a bitch!! or words to that effect.

WELLLLLL PPPPHHHFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!

so there. THink I'll go to bed now! took my Zoloft. Things will be mellower tomorrow.

OH YEAH! and I yelled at a couple of poor young missionaries who happened to knock on my door just as Bob left the first time. I was in getting ready to do my hair, and they knocked. I get to the door with my hair sticking out all over, and my brush in my hand, a scowl on my face, read their little name taggie things that says JESUS CHRIST loves you.
yelled at them and slammed the door. I was walking away as I heard the redheaded one say loudly..."You have a nice Day now!"

BITE A BIG GREEN BUG!!! PHHHFFFFTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!

maybe maybe not....

So I opened my email today and found this from my server...so Maybe you can find me, and Maybe you can't! Maybe I can find you and maybe I can't. We'll see...

Greetings Folks,

As part of our relocation, we will be moving ALL servers to the new location
beginning at 10:00am January 3 through 6:00pm January 4, 2004. Users should
expect intermittent dialup, mail, and web service outages. While mail will
be delayed during the outages, you should not miss any emails. We will make
every effort to keep the outages as short as possible. Thank you for your
patience and understanding.

Sincerely,
Galaxynet Staff

See you on the other side

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy Birthday CJ!! see? you made it!! Many more are wished for you!

I hope everybody had a safe and fun New Years Eve, and are not too hung over today. I had no alcohol, at all. I remember drinking until I puked on New Years Eve, so I do not do that anymore! no reason, just did not like the way I felt. My Dad was the same way, He just stopped. Of course he more or less had to, could not afford for both him and MOM to drink, and Mom did drink.

Bob came over to spend the evening with me, as usual. Brought over a Pesto Pizza! it was really good! no tomato sauce just pesto, garlic, sundried tomatoes and of course the usual toppings, pepperoni, olives, cheese, onions, YUMMMMMMM...
we ate the pizza and then Donna and Bob sat watching the history channel HISTORY of SEX. 4 hours of ancient sex! YAWN!!!! I got bored, so I sat at my desk and balanced my check book, and started entering my jan feb mar and april checks into MONEY, so I could get it sorted for my Tax accountant. After the late news, We drove down to the beach so we could see the fireworks around the sound.

We sat there in the dark, looking out over Admiralty Inlet, looking across the water at Pt. Townsend, and down the Sound to the glow of Seattle. The wind was COLD...and the tide was in, so the waves were lapping at the logs so we sat in the car, listening to the radio waiting for midnite. A few fireworks started popping over the water across the inlet, and then.........NOTHING!!! no fireworks, no noise, just a chilling wind and Bob and I and the radio. Sadie was shivering in the back seat, so at midnite, He leaned over gave me my yearly peck on the lips, JUST one!! and off we headed for home again.



Been this way for exactly 20 years now. BORING!!! I so want to make reservations for the three nights at the WESTON Hotel in downtown Seattle, eat a nice dinner on the waterfront, then walk over to Seattle Center which is the site of the 1962 WOrlds Fair, to the Space Needle and watch the fireworks from the needle. I just think that would be soooo cool!!!
I guess I am the only one, because everytime I mention it The entire family looks at me like I'm nuts! "Too Many People!" Well Yeah! that's the point!!! be right in the middle of 20000 fun loving people all running around and celebrating! I just think that would be a HOOT!!

Instead we watch it every year on TV, then Bob goes home, and I go to bed.

I hope the rest of you had a more exciting night than I had. I enjoyed sitting on the beach at looking out across the water, but I remember it being a lot more fun when you could steam up the windows a bit! ahhhh to be young again....