My broadband disaster has turned into a death match with my provider. Until it is resolved, watch out for irregular blogging, bolts of lightning emanating from my house, spears being thrown, kittens threatened, etc.
Other than that, everything’s peachy. I’m still laughing over the contest entries and will announce the winners soon. How’s everybody else?
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My kid is doing driver’s training and the hours are killing me.
And, one more day to call in for jury duty. Where I live, we are on-call for a month which is very inconvenient. I can’t make any plans because every day is Russian roulette. So far, my number hasn’t been called.
How long do hot flashes flash? Is it forever? Do they go away? Don’t stand too close to me, when you get in my air space, I can’t breathe. Plus, I could spontaneously combust at any moment.
I was moving some things around in the garage yesterday and I broke the little finger on my left hand…
Just when I thought my typing couldn’t get any worse.
Today we get another overnight visit with the The Grandson. This will be the highlight for my week. First up, feeding the ducks and geese. Then, as always, “it’s time to play trains.”
Where I work, the last full moon seems like it’s lasting a week, kids swinging from the light fixtures, and I’m exhausted.
I’ve discovered that I can write 2000 words on any television show I watch within an hour, but give me an essay question and 4 weeks and I am screwed. And I still have no idea how to use commas, go figure.
My money will always be on Meg O’Death!
And we’re fine. Just toying with which continent to live one!
Are you moving… maybe coming back to NZ, even?
Yes. To both. Maybe.
Excellent! Will keep an ear to the ground for future news.
‘On’, even.
The residual calm from the weekend at the nunnery has lasted for an unprecedented 2 1/2 days–last time, I figured it worked for a good 3 hours and 15 minutes after arrival at home. That was probably what got me through the recitation of a powerpoint presentation on violence in the workplace this morning before my class. I didn’t have a stroke or commit a felony, although that would have been highly illustrative in this context. The lad is deeply ensconced in high school and has committed several acts of homework in the past week (once we got through the antiphonal reading of the riot act by teachers and parent). He auditioned for the school musical (Charlie Brown) and is the understudy for Linus, so that’s all happy. The dog is highly optimistic about the future (the stars are predicting walks and biscuits); the cats anticipate a nefarious plot involving snow some time in the next couple of months.
Congratulations to “the lad.” I’m living proof that, once exposed to the theatre bug, it is darn hard to shake! (♪♫ Happiness is having a sister, sharing a sandwich, getting along… ♫♪)
I wondered why The Husband hadn’t responded to my (rather pathetic) query: Should I get an iphone?
Since the man in the phone shop said: “It would do my head in if I had a phone like yours….” – I have decided that yes, I probably should!
It is the school holidays (for 2 weeks) here in NZ, so I’ve been inundated with kids and their mates.
Also we have a new puppy (Chocolate Lab – Ella) who is keeping us all pretty busy.
I’ve recently injured my back… (puppy+Kiddie gate+armload of dog biscuits=”oh bugger and ouch!”) so these school holidays are proving to be a bit o’ a challenge!
P.S: I apologise for any crappy spelling or punctuation gaffes in this (and future) post/s, as the stuff they have me on is crazy-strong…
(Also, I have no idea how to use the site tools to create italics etc.)
You need HTML tags to do italics, etc. To write something in italics, do the following:
texthere minus the spaces between the < and i or /
Well that worked wonderfully – it wasn’t supposed to do the actual italics!
*tries again* testhere minus ALL spaces. *crosses fingers, hits reply*
Again! screw it.
Let me give this a go.
Yahoooooo! Thanks Candi! (Of course now I have to try some of the other tricks…)
bold
cross out(Not sure about these others)
Hahahaha, not sure where the last part of that went wrong.
testYou guys are Crazy!
Bother, I tried to do one like Candi’s back there with the big red laughing mouth… how do you do that one?
I’m enjoying home made brownies.
I’m enjoying home made brownies…did I already mention that?
Hmm, I wonder whose home made ‘em…Oh My Word these are simply deeeelicious!!!
Meg, while I sympathize with your disconnectedness, the fact that it motivated the three words, “How’s everybody else?” may make it all worth it. I am truly enjoying reading the comments to this post after my long day!
Am I alone in thinking that a cocktail party that brought all of your blog readers/commenters/contest entrants together would be really, really enjoyable? I’ll bring my spinach dip in the sourdough bread bowl. And a vat of Tanqueray. Though, I suspect that it wouldn’t take much lubricant to loosen up this smart, charming, funny, interesting crowd.
I’m in the middle of a busy week of theatre projects. On Tuesday, there was a staged reading of an original script by a local playwright called “The Casserole Brigade” that I directed. It received a warm reception and an active discussion with the playwright afterward. And dress rehearsals are going on this week for the play “Three Changes” by Nicky Silver, produced by a company where I serve as acting artistic director and production coordinator, and am also doing sound design for this show.
My goal is to make it through Friday night’s opening, and then to collapse in a satisfied heap.
The very best of luck to you for Friday night, Ron!
(Crap, am I supposed to say “break a leg” instead of “good luck” even if you’re not acting in the show? At least I didn’t say “Macbeth!” Oops.. I just did.)
Sounds exhausting Ron, but fun.
I will bring this macaroni salad that has red grapes in it. I know that sounds disgusting but it is so good.
Ron, I have this idea you are in the Chicago area–is this right? What theater ? I think we have a significant Chicagoland presence in this blog, so maybe a regional cocktail party? I’m in!
Monita, actually I’m in Des Moines, Iowa (transplanted from Meg’s native Goleta/Santa Barbara, and later the San Francisco Bay Area). Alas, the theatre scenes in Chicago and Des Moines are very different. Des Moines isn’t large enough to support even one true professional theatre like Chicago has by the dozens. But the level of community theatre is, therefore, quite high. I keep busy mostly directing, now, but also doing lighting and sound design, and acting.
So, I’m a six hour drive from Chicagoland. But I’d definitely make the trip for a gathering of such an illustrious group! Meg, is Chicago (or Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Omaha, Des Moines, St. Louis or Kansas City) on your travel schedule anytime soon?
Chicago is one of my favorite cities, but unfortunately, neither it nor the great Midwest is part of my travel plans in the next few months.
2011 might be a different story. We’ll see. If I get anywhere within a few hundred miles of Lake Michigan or the Mississippi, I’d love to get together with everybody.
Ron: Hope your opening night is a smash!
Thanks, Meg. Despite the double whammy put on me by FlakeNoir (both the “good l~(k” thing, and the Scottish Play thing), we had a great final dress last night. And, contrary to conventional wisdom, GOOD dress rehearsal = good opening.
And I hope you do get to visit the midwest soon. But, if not, maybe we’ll meet without you. (And talk about you.)
Sorry Ron! (How do I make an embarrassed emoticon?)
I really do hope you, er… “break a leg?”
(Somehow, I don’t think this will make up for it.)
Seriously, I’m very happy that the final dress rehearsal went well.
FlakeNoir, I’m just teasing you. I am not a bit superstitious, and am happy to get any and all well-wishes, regardless of how they are worded.
(Now, before I head to the theatre, where’s my rabbit’s foot…???)
Whew!
Re: The rabbit’s foot – have you tried looking for it underneath the ladder? (It’s just over there behind that black cat.)
Thanks, Meg, I will keep my fingers (and toes) crossed for 2011!
Hey, Ron, I’m STILL in! And this means that at least one other regular blogger is near me in Chicagoland–Plainfield? Naperville? I know you’re out there–was it Dan? I hereby make a motion to form the Midwest Meg Gardiner Readers’ Club, any seconds?
I second the emotion!
I’m totally up for a Midwest get-together. I live southwest of the city in the Tinley/Orland Park area. And Ron, when the air is just right, I can hear Interstate-80 – I live just north of it. All you have to do is head East.
Midwest Meg Gardiner Reader’s Club. The MMGRC. Cool.
Hi, Dan, I’m in Yorkville and work in Joliet, so we are not so far apart. But SOMEONE ELSE lives around Plainfield or Naperville–could it be DANA JEAN? That would make an MMGRC base of at least 4 of us—not a bad start! Hey, Meg, your minions are organizing!
Monita, I live so far away from Chicago, it takes 500 years for the light from Chicago to get to me.
Ron, I am always interested to hear about local theater. My mother loved the theater and acted in many plays in a theater group in my home town of Nyack NY. Some noted actors that also worked in some shows were Helen Hayes, Michael J. Pollard and one of my all time my favorites, Burgess Meredith. mom not only acted but had numerous other skills developed by her participation in running lights, sewing costumes and could sing like a canary when necessary. I am pretty sure she would have been a marvelous director but she chose to exercise that particular skill on us. :>)
So….Break A Leg!
Organize away, minions!
Rich, thanks for sharing the story about your mom. My dad met Burgess Meredith in the Army in his non-combat job during WWII. And, I think I am allowed to divulge that Meg, Snart (whose real name I know, but shant reveal), and I were all active in theatre together in high school.
I’ve had the fun of doing theatre with both of my two children. While my daughter, now done with college and working as an industrial engineer, has probably retired from the stage for good, my son, still college age, is pursuing a career in acting.
And, opening night went well last night, though with a small house. Both local reviewers were there; perhaps I’ll share their reports down the road. And today? Slept in, savoring strong coffee, enjoying the crisp fall weather, and trying to work up the energy to do some laundry…
Meg needs a message board.
I dunno, Dana Jean. Meg already does so much for all of us it doesn’t seem fair to ask for even more. Next thing, people will want to meet her and beg for photographic opportunities. A line must be drawn. :>)
What? So you’re saying a slumber party at Meg’s house is too much to ask for?
Message boards are definitely a lot of work, but a girl can hope.
A message board probably won’t be project number one for my website.
But I can offer open threads periodically, so people can talk.
How about a Meg Gardiner Flickr Group? I’d love to see some pics taken by my fellow commenters! I haven’t been a Flickr user for very long, but I think it’s relatively easy to set up a group that we could post pictures to.
A Tale of Two Review(er)s.
So, as promised, here are links to the two “published” reviews for “Three Changes.”
The first, published in The Des Moines Register, our only local daily paper, is written by the arts critic who is really more of a music and visual arts guy than a theatre guy. If he doesn’t like a script, it is hard to get past it. (He didn’t.) http://bit.ly/dCeUAC
The second is written by a guy who has a weekly radio program covering cultural events in our area. He is involved in theatre himself, so rarely writes a strongly negative review. And his reviews are posted online, but not widely distributed on their own. http://bit.ly/beFT0N
Both saw the same performance, and both had issues with the script. But the impressions given are vastly different.
And, in order to compare these examples to actual good writing, here is a link to the NY Times review of the Broadway production, written by the always-excellent Ben Brantley. He, too, had some problems with the script. But he gives the reader far more information to justify his opinions, which also allows a reader to better form their own. http://nyti.ms/9XdL2j
(When we, the production team, tackled this script, which had already been selected, we took comments made in Brantley’s review into account in deciding how to present the show.)
THanks for sharing those. They didn’t seem horrible to me. It sounds like your group did a great job with a script that apparently is tough to bring to the stage.