What do you think?
Monday, September 11, 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
More Success...
A smaller, more intimate venue and a relatively unknown (in the Midwest, anyway) style of theatre, but I think we pulled it off with great success with "The Guys." And hopefully we're developing a formula by which we can do nine of these without too much undue stress. We'll see.
Anyway, it was a near-full house, albeit in a slightly smaller venue. We were actually performing in a large garage work area of a new Camden art gallery, The Warren. The proprietor, Duane, is this awesome guy who just has this goal of being a sort of patron of the arts. For now, he's offering free gallery space to Camden artists and has arranged to have his space be our venue for the entire run of the Reader's Theatre Series, with the idea that our crowds will get people in the gallery to look at the visual art.
Beyond providing the space, though, he was hands-on, helping us build risers for the show, clearing out the space, etc. etc. And the night of the show, he was absolutely giddy at having, by far, the largest number of people come through the front door in any one evening. The show, of course, was a pretty intense emotional downer, though appropriate in the days leading up to whatever other ways we US citizens are considering to commemorate 9-11. An awesome twist, however, was that right after the show, the garage doors were thrown open and the assembled were treated to a visit by some real "guys" from the Minneapolis Fire Department. Unbeknownst to anyone but Duane and our company, they had pulled one of their engines up outside the establishment in the final moments of the performance, in preparation to do some Q & A and a little demonstration following the show. Kind of cool-after the audience's emotional involvement with individual firefighters' lives in the eulogy-based script of the play, the guys in the real-life crew served as some sort of emotional release, as the crowd broke into spontaneous applause for them.
Anyway, the firefighters just eat up that kind of attention, so it was actually a little tough to get them to wind it down, but when it finally did-almost the entire cast, crew, and audience traipsed across the way to enjoy 1/2 off appetizers, beer, & wine at Rix (ah, it always comes back to Rix, doesn't it?) We got a personal meet & greet from the very thankful owner of the place, and it looks like we'll be partnering with them for a similar deal through the remainder of our season-they're taking out a running ad to feature our performance and their special deal in the City Pages. Great publicity, potentially expanding our draw (and theirs) into new regions of the city.
I will confess to having originally had some reservations about this particular show. It's pretty easy to feel "9-11'd out," though I definitely felt, after reading the script, like it touched on the human element of individuals, with limitations & foilbles that is very often missing in the various commemorative events. I still had/have a slightly odd feeling about the choice of the play. It was definitely a "safe" choice, and not one that was particularly artistically challenging. Especially in light of the fact that we are setting about to establish a little breathing room between ourselves and the notion of a "community theatre." I am glad that we took it on and did it (in my opinion) well. Our ability to execute this end (civic-minded, straight & narrow) need be in no doubt. And the great thing about the entire, 9-show series is that it really will give us a chance to try our hand (& our collective, audience regulars') at a variety of genres of theatre in rapid succession, if all within the context of reader's theatre.
Picture: Cast Along With the Brave Men of Minneapolis Fire Station #20
Anyway, it was a near-full house, albeit in a slightly smaller venue. We were actually performing in a large garage work area of a new Camden art gallery, The Warren. The proprietor, Duane, is this awesome guy who just has this goal of being a sort of patron of the arts. For now, he's offering free gallery space to Camden artists and has arranged to have his space be our venue for the entire run of the Reader's Theatre Series, with the idea that our crowds will get people in the gallery to look at the visual art.
Beyond providing the space, though, he was hands-on, helping us build risers for the show, clearing out the space, etc. etc. And the night of the show, he was absolutely giddy at having, by far, the largest number of people come through the front door in any one evening. The show, of course, was a pretty intense emotional downer, though appropriate in the days leading up to whatever other ways we US citizens are considering to commemorate 9-11. An awesome twist, however, was that right after the show, the garage doors were thrown open and the assembled were treated to a visit by some real "guys" from the Minneapolis Fire Department. Unbeknownst to anyone but Duane and our company, they had pulled one of their engines up outside the establishment in the final moments of the performance, in preparation to do some Q & A and a little demonstration following the show. Kind of cool-after the audience's emotional involvement with individual firefighters' lives in the eulogy-based script of the play, the guys in the real-life crew served as some sort of emotional release, as the crowd broke into spontaneous applause for them.
Anyway, the firefighters just eat up that kind of attention, so it was actually a little tough to get them to wind it down, but when it finally did-almost the entire cast, crew, and audience traipsed across the way to enjoy 1/2 off appetizers, beer, & wine at Rix (ah, it always comes back to Rix, doesn't it?) We got a personal meet & greet from the very thankful owner of the place, and it looks like we'll be partnering with them for a similar deal through the remainder of our season-they're taking out a running ad to feature our performance and their special deal in the City Pages. Great publicity, potentially expanding our draw (and theirs) into new regions of the city.
I will confess to having originally had some reservations about this particular show. It's pretty easy to feel "9-11'd out," though I definitely felt, after reading the script, like it touched on the human element of individuals, with limitations & foilbles that is very often missing in the various commemorative events. I still had/have a slightly odd feeling about the choice of the play. It was definitely a "safe" choice, and not one that was particularly artistically challenging. Especially in light of the fact that we are setting about to establish a little breathing room between ourselves and the notion of a "community theatre." I am glad that we took it on and did it (in my opinion) well. Our ability to execute this end (civic-minded, straight & narrow) need be in no doubt. And the great thing about the entire, 9-show series is that it really will give us a chance to try our hand (& our collective, audience regulars') at a variety of genres of theatre in rapid succession, if all within the context of reader's theatre.
Picture: Cast Along With the Brave Men of Minneapolis Fire Station #20
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Anyone Ever Figure Out the "Oxygen Sensor?"
That device in your car with seemingly no purpose other than to keep your “Service Engine Soon” light off?
Thursday, August 31, 2006
"The Company", Reader's Theatre, and The Guys
Realizing that we are simply not staffed to put on multiple mainstage productions and having a need to keep an active profile in the community, my theatre company has elected to put on a Reader's Theatre Series, which will consist of one play a month over the next nine months. We plan to pull together a full-fledged stage production by next spring, but this will keep us busy, hopefully growing both our talent pool and audience, and in the news over the next half year.
We're about a week out from our initial Reader's Theatre offering, "The Guys." My involvement with this production is limited purely "behind the scenes" stuff like press release writing, box office stuff, & various logistics, but I am quite excited about it. Falling generally under a "commemorative 9/11" type of work, I was very suspicious when initially cracking the script open. However, it is an emotionally powerful piece that really extracts the individual human quality and story from all the political chest-thumping and flag waving that seems to surround everything about the event, which (sadly) seems like is often recalled more as a rallying cry than as a personal human tragedy. Which is the only way I think I'd touch the subject.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
The City of the Dead (my first attempt at fan fiction)
Studio Exec 1: You know, PJ, I’ve been talking to the boys and they like your City of the Dead scene a lot. But we feel like it’s lacking a certain punch. I mean, so the ghost warriors fulfill their oath and the fellowship just walks right out of there? That’s not what people want.
Peter Jackson: I don’t know…
Studio Exec 2: No-wait-picture this…a City of the Dead, right? Almost like a creepy old haunted house. So what if we added something to give people a little….fright...
Studio Exec 3: Like cobwebs?
Studio Exec 2: No, creepier.
Studio Exec 1: Rats? Bats?
Studio Exec 2: No…no…I’m thinking something really, really fucking creepy. Scary as all hell. Something that’s going to make people squirm, jump out of their seats, and cover their eyes. Like…like….SKULLS….
Peter Jackson: Well…
Studio Exec 3: Brilliant!
Studio Exec 1: Omygod, wait a minute. So there’s these skulls, right?
Studio Exec 2: Uh huh, uh huh…
Studio Exec 1: And people are already freaked out, peeing their pants, whatever…
Studio Exec 3: Yeah? Yeah?
Studio Exec 1: Well-get this…what if there are…like….tons of skulls! Skulls coming out of the walls, pouring from the ceiing and filling up the room…a gazillion fucking skulls piling up a hundred feet high and raining down like hail!!!
Studio Execs 1 & 2: Yay!
Peter Jackson: I don’t know…
Studio Exec 2: No-wait-picture this…a City of the Dead, right? Almost like a creepy old haunted house. So what if we added something to give people a little….fright...
Studio Exec 3: Like cobwebs?
Studio Exec 2: No, creepier.
Studio Exec 1: Rats? Bats?
Studio Exec 2: No…no…I’m thinking something really, really fucking creepy. Scary as all hell. Something that’s going to make people squirm, jump out of their seats, and cover their eyes. Like…like….SKULLS….
Peter Jackson: Well…
Studio Exec 3: Brilliant!
Studio Exec 1: Omygod, wait a minute. So there’s these skulls, right?
Studio Exec 2: Uh huh, uh huh…
Studio Exec 1: And people are already freaked out, peeing their pants, whatever…
Studio Exec 3: Yeah? Yeah?
Studio Exec 1: Well-get this…what if there are…like….tons of skulls! Skulls coming out of the walls, pouring from the ceiing and filling up the room…a gazillion fucking skulls piling up a hundred feet high and raining down like hail!!!
Studio Execs 1 & 2: Yay!
Monday, August 28, 2006
The Touching
Daddy-daughter time this whole past weekend, as Sharon went camping with her sister. I've been in the dumps a bit recently, a bit of an after effect from a lifetime of stress crammed into the past year. As such, I didn't have a lot of energy, and it was rather low-key throughout the entire two days. Lucy woke me out of my stupor at one point however, with this chilling proclamation:
Lucy:
Daddy, do you know what "The Touching" is?
Daddy:
No, Loo, what?
Lucy:
It's when the world starts to move
The moon starts to shake
And men begin to die.
Lucy:
Daddy, do you know what "The Touching" is?
Daddy:
No, Loo, what?
Lucy:
It's when the world starts to move
The moon starts to shake
And men begin to die.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Related to #2 in the Last Post
I think a lot of seriously repressed people live vicariously through movie goofballs such as Adam Sandler & Will Farrell. These are people who wouldn't dare rock the boat in their extremely ordinary day-to-day existence, and wouldn't even know quite what to do if they met someone as zany as their comedy movie hero in real life.
They'd probably move away in a hurry, though.
They'd probably move away in a hurry, though.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Six Things I Dislike
From Stephen.
1. The Culture of Loud. They talk loud on their cellphones, they have car stereos that you can feel from inside your house, and they seem to have no shame about sharing the innermost secrets of their domestic existence loudly, whether in a conversation on their cell phone, in their yard, or (amazingly) even deeply within the recesses of their own homes. And, unfortunately, I live around a few of them.
2. Anytime somebody gives the capsule movie review of "It's so stupid, it's funny."
The person saying this is bizarrely self-conscious about the fact that they found it quite funny.
3. Going to Church. Note: this is not a shot at the institution or even the organization. Just the act of going. There may be a church service that can speak to me; I just can't sit through it.
4. Status symbols. Lawns, "beamers," FUBU, houses with pillars; you name it, I don't have, want, or even get it.
5. Camouflage Toddler Boys' Clothes: To the parents who buy and have obviously created a market for this: What the fuck are you thinking, you fucking idiots????
6. That itch you get if you roll around in the grass with your shirt off. Haven't actually had to deal with this for a few years, as it was mostly a childhood phenomenon; but Heaven Above, it sucks.
1. The Culture of Loud. They talk loud on their cellphones, they have car stereos that you can feel from inside your house, and they seem to have no shame about sharing the innermost secrets of their domestic existence loudly, whether in a conversation on their cell phone, in their yard, or (amazingly) even deeply within the recesses of their own homes. And, unfortunately, I live around a few of them.
2. Anytime somebody gives the capsule movie review of "It's so stupid, it's funny."
The person saying this is bizarrely self-conscious about the fact that they found it quite funny.
3. Going to Church. Note: this is not a shot at the institution or even the organization. Just the act of going. There may be a church service that can speak to me; I just can't sit through it.
4. Status symbols. Lawns, "beamers," FUBU, houses with pillars; you name it, I don't have, want, or even get it.
5. Camouflage Toddler Boys' Clothes: To the parents who buy and have obviously created a market for this: What the fuck are you thinking, you fucking idiots????
6. That itch you get if you roll around in the grass with your shirt off. Haven't actually had to deal with this for a few years, as it was mostly a childhood phenomenon; but Heaven Above, it sucks.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
No Turning Back Now
And I have no regrets, in either case...
1. We're into the thick of it on the home improvement front. We got our 100 amp electrical panel installed yesterday, and our asbestos and entire furance were removed today. It'll be interesting to see the basement when I get home.
2. Sharon & my nine-year anniversary today. What can I say? There's definitely couples out there that find a way to spend more uninterrupted time together than do we, but I'd put the enjoyment of the time we spend together up against just about anyone. It's been a crazy last 12 months, and these episodes of hanging-out time we do find have been islands of sanity in an otherwise insane world.
Lucy will be hanging out with friend Harper from about four till eight this evening a Sharon & I plan to go out for a walk in the woods, followed by a low-key dinner and lotsa good conversation, I'm sure.
1. We're into the thick of it on the home improvement front. We got our 100 amp electrical panel installed yesterday, and our asbestos and entire furance were removed today. It'll be interesting to see the basement when I get home.
2. Sharon & my nine-year anniversary today. What can I say? There's definitely couples out there that find a way to spend more uninterrupted time together than do we, but I'd put the enjoyment of the time we spend together up against just about anyone. It's been a crazy last 12 months, and these episodes of hanging-out time we do find have been islands of sanity in an otherwise insane world.
Lucy will be hanging out with friend Harper from about four till eight this evening a Sharon & I plan to go out for a walk in the woods, followed by a low-key dinner and lotsa good conversation, I'm sure.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Jebus
So...
Asbestos abatement: $1,800
New high-efficiency furnace & central A/C: $9,600
New 100 amp panel & grounded outlets: $2,000
New 40-year roof: $5,200
Tree removal: $2,600
The first four things, while a bit expensive because we're going with the top-of-the-line/energy efficient option in each case, are all upgrades that are simply bringing our house into accordance with current Minneapolis code, and essential (generally, if not to the specific level of quality we've chosen) if we are ever to sell our home. The fifth thing was an order from the City of Minneapolis.
Now, today, as we had the local plumber in to check out a weakly-flushing toilet, we have been informed that our outdated toilet is on its last legs. Under ordinary circumstances & levels of stress, I might consider taking on the toilet replacement myself. I'm finally to the "just pile it on in" point, however.
$500.
Sharon called me from home to give me the lowdown and I could hear the background buzzing & clanking of the electrician, plumber, and the gas company guy. Gas company? Oh yeah, our dryer has been on the fritz for the last week and a half. But at least that is covered by our "Service Plus" arrangement, though we are warned each & every visit that "the day will come when these parts aren't available anymore".
Well they are right now, buddy, so "fuck you" and get busy.
Asbestos abatement: $1,800
New high-efficiency furnace & central A/C: $9,600
New 100 amp panel & grounded outlets: $2,000
New 40-year roof: $5,200
Tree removal: $2,600
The first four things, while a bit expensive because we're going with the top-of-the-line/energy efficient option in each case, are all upgrades that are simply bringing our house into accordance with current Minneapolis code, and essential (generally, if not to the specific level of quality we've chosen) if we are ever to sell our home. The fifth thing was an order from the City of Minneapolis.
Now, today, as we had the local plumber in to check out a weakly-flushing toilet, we have been informed that our outdated toilet is on its last legs. Under ordinary circumstances & levels of stress, I might consider taking on the toilet replacement myself. I'm finally to the "just pile it on in" point, however.
$500.
Sharon called me from home to give me the lowdown and I could hear the background buzzing & clanking of the electrician, plumber, and the gas company guy. Gas company? Oh yeah, our dryer has been on the fritz for the last week and a half. But at least that is covered by our "Service Plus" arrangement, though we are warned each & every visit that "the day will come when these parts aren't available anymore".
Well they are right now, buddy, so "fuck you" and get busy.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
The Recap
Oh, boy. So, for the most part, the visit went exactly as one might have expected. We had a pretty good time playing basketball. We ate & imbibed (though only a single drink each, per night). We watched a Mystery Science Theater episode Friday night; and Saturday, in one of the all time promising acts of compromise, watched a Woody Allen movie staring Will Ferrell.
But, unplanned by either of us, a topic (THE topic) emerged-originally just in passing-that would grind the weekend to a near-complete halt. I will attempt to recreate the discussion, which began in the video rental store:
me: You ever watch horror movies...
him: That depends.
me: On what?
him: On whether it's based on Evil.
(pause on topic, until we get outside-me, with my own sense of "horror" creeping up)
me: What, like, Satanic influence?
him: Yup.
(pause, while I consider how to diplomatically put my next statement)
me: Let me see if I get this straight...Is it your belief that the Devil is alive and well, and actively involved in pulling strings and trying influence Man on a daily basis?
him: Yes, I'm a Christian.
me: Yeah, but not all Christians see it quite like that.
him: Yeah, they do. The real ones do.
(pause...no good can come of this discussion going any further, I realize)
me: But surely you realize that there's lots of clergy & scholars and so on, who don't see things quite so literally. A lot of Biblical study is about interpreting the various conflicting messages & so on and trying make sense of it all. I mean there's the whole thing about how, if we took everything literally, we couldn't eat pork...
him: Ok, stop. Just stop. That's blasphemy.
me: OK, wait...hold on. Not trying to cause trouble here, I'm just trying to understand. What about Bible study? Isn't that about figuring out what the Bible is trying to say?
him: No, the Bible is very clear on what it says.
me: What? Then what's Bible study all about?
him: How to be more Godlike.
OK. There are not words in this language or any other to convey the extent to which this blows my mind. Keep in mind, we're talking about a man who quite freely admits he's never, in his life, read a book for personal reasons. I'm pretty sure he has not cracked open The Good Book outside of an actual Church Service or put much thought or effort into any of this any time along the way. So...consider: It's one thing to be zealous when you read scripture and get the wrong idea. But it's an entire other thing to be zelous based on some general idea of what you assume the Bible probably says.
Good Fucking Grief! At another point during the weekend he made it known that he & his wife were severing their relationship with another couple who had seen, then discussed, the DaVinci Code movie while driving my nephew home from seeing a different show. More resolute, confident lessons in family values from a man whose pre-teen kids can quote the latest Adam Sandler sex-joke-filled movie from beginning to end, and play violent Playstation 2 games from dawn till dusk. Again, mind blowing.
This is all from a guy of privelege in America who may well be not mentally retarded. What hope do we have for the future in a world where 90% of the people don't have the same kind of time & resources to sort it out on religion, and a lot more reason to turn their crazy ideas into hate?
But, unplanned by either of us, a topic (THE topic) emerged-originally just in passing-that would grind the weekend to a near-complete halt. I will attempt to recreate the discussion, which began in the video rental store:
me: You ever watch horror movies...
him: That depends.
me: On what?
him: On whether it's based on Evil.
(pause on topic, until we get outside-me, with my own sense of "horror" creeping up)
me: What, like, Satanic influence?
him: Yup.
(pause, while I consider how to diplomatically put my next statement)
me: Let me see if I get this straight...Is it your belief that the Devil is alive and well, and actively involved in pulling strings and trying influence Man on a daily basis?
him: Yes, I'm a Christian.
me: Yeah, but not all Christians see it quite like that.
him: Yeah, they do. The real ones do.
(pause...no good can come of this discussion going any further, I realize)
me: But surely you realize that there's lots of clergy & scholars and so on, who don't see things quite so literally. A lot of Biblical study is about interpreting the various conflicting messages & so on and trying make sense of it all. I mean there's the whole thing about how, if we took everything literally, we couldn't eat pork...
him: Ok, stop. Just stop. That's blasphemy.
me: OK, wait...hold on. Not trying to cause trouble here, I'm just trying to understand. What about Bible study? Isn't that about figuring out what the Bible is trying to say?
him: No, the Bible is very clear on what it says.
me: What? Then what's Bible study all about?
him: How to be more Godlike.
OK. There are not words in this language or any other to convey the extent to which this blows my mind. Keep in mind, we're talking about a man who quite freely admits he's never, in his life, read a book for personal reasons. I'm pretty sure he has not cracked open The Good Book outside of an actual Church Service or put much thought or effort into any of this any time along the way. So...consider: It's one thing to be zealous when you read scripture and get the wrong idea. But it's an entire other thing to be zelous based on some general idea of what you assume the Bible probably says.
Good Fucking Grief! At another point during the weekend he made it known that he & his wife were severing their relationship with another couple who had seen, then discussed, the DaVinci Code movie while driving my nephew home from seeing a different show. More resolute, confident lessons in family values from a man whose pre-teen kids can quote the latest Adam Sandler sex-joke-filled movie from beginning to end, and play violent Playstation 2 games from dawn till dusk. Again, mind blowing.
This is all from a guy of privelege in America who may well be not mentally retarded. What hope do we have for the future in a world where 90% of the people don't have the same kind of time & resources to sort it out on religion, and a lot more reason to turn their crazy ideas into hate?
Friday, August 11, 2006
O Brother Here Come Thou
My odd family is well chronicled in this forum. For years, I've heard my friends speak of good times spent hanging out with siblings, going on visits to see one another, etc. It's always seemed so foreign to me. Of course, I have the generation-older brother & sister, but even with my brother Sean, who is a mere two & a half years older, there's really not been a whole ton of chumminess since we got into our teen years.
Not hatred or anything, but (with the notable exception of our love for playing basketball) our interests have diverged over the years to the point where we are living in respective "universes" about as far apart as could possibly be, for two men who are both morally grounded. Trying to keep the characterization fair as possible, he probably considers me an artsy-fartsy, liberal egghead who got "weird ideas" when he went off to college (that part in quotations, a real quote of his, by the way). I have generally regarded him as having a relatively unexamined life, not particularly interested in growing his base of experience & knowledge much beyond his currently comfortable array of life's pleasures, and insular in his worldview, with little regard for the origin or ultimate affect of that which we encounter every day. But we get along (except for, ironically, some blowouts during basketball games), see each other at holidays, and...well, that's just about it.
Within the last year, though, I decided enough is enough and it was time to try and build something a little more substantial. I reached out to him about us getting together to hang out for the weekend. He actually thought it was a good idea, and the ultimate evolution to our planning led us to this weekend. He's swinging by to pick me up from work, and then we'll pretty much hang out till, I'm guessing, late Sunday morning.
Sudden almost panic attack about a week ago: Shit, what are we going to do!?
He doesn't want to drink coffee in a coffee shop! He doesn't want to watch an arthouse film! He doesn't want a cultural tour of Minneapolis! He doesn't want to go on a run or hike!
I don't want to watch Anchorman! I don't want to golf! I don't want to "catch a Twins game"
I'm actually secretly hoping that some substantial conversation can come about this weekend, but seeing as that is something that my relationships with everyone in my family (non Minneapolis family, obviously) have completely, utterly lacked through my entire life, I definitely don't want to set my sights too high. I definitely wanted him up in Minneapolis, rather than going down to hang out in Waterloo/Cedar Falls for a couple of days. Talk about really having nothing to do. Anyway, I've been going dutifully down there to visit for years and years and I think it's time for someone to come up and be in my world for a change.
Still not exactly sure what we're going to do. To weird him out with eclectic activities is not going to be fun for anyone. I was thinking about having him drive us from my work up to my neighborhood by taking a roundabout, leisurely drive along the legendary Chain of Lakes, which almost anyone might find interesting ( I could provide running anthropological and cultural commentary, but there's that thing about weirding him out that I need to keep in mind). Then, maybe to Rix for a nice meal and some beer, the great uniter of men. I was encouraged a few weeks ago when he (in contrast to my dad) did not indicate any particular aversion to craft beer. It's as good a place to start as any.
Not hatred or anything, but (with the notable exception of our love for playing basketball) our interests have diverged over the years to the point where we are living in respective "universes" about as far apart as could possibly be, for two men who are both morally grounded. Trying to keep the characterization fair as possible, he probably considers me an artsy-fartsy, liberal egghead who got "weird ideas" when he went off to college (that part in quotations, a real quote of his, by the way). I have generally regarded him as having a relatively unexamined life, not particularly interested in growing his base of experience & knowledge much beyond his currently comfortable array of life's pleasures, and insular in his worldview, with little regard for the origin or ultimate affect of that which we encounter every day. But we get along (except for, ironically, some blowouts during basketball games), see each other at holidays, and...well, that's just about it.
Within the last year, though, I decided enough is enough and it was time to try and build something a little more substantial. I reached out to him about us getting together to hang out for the weekend. He actually thought it was a good idea, and the ultimate evolution to our planning led us to this weekend. He's swinging by to pick me up from work, and then we'll pretty much hang out till, I'm guessing, late Sunday morning.
Sudden almost panic attack about a week ago: Shit, what are we going to do!?
He doesn't want to drink coffee in a coffee shop! He doesn't want to watch an arthouse film! He doesn't want a cultural tour of Minneapolis! He doesn't want to go on a run or hike!
I don't want to watch Anchorman! I don't want to golf! I don't want to "catch a Twins game"
I'm actually secretly hoping that some substantial conversation can come about this weekend, but seeing as that is something that my relationships with everyone in my family (non Minneapolis family, obviously) have completely, utterly lacked through my entire life, I definitely don't want to set my sights too high. I definitely wanted him up in Minneapolis, rather than going down to hang out in Waterloo/Cedar Falls for a couple of days. Talk about really having nothing to do. Anyway, I've been going dutifully down there to visit for years and years and I think it's time for someone to come up and be in my world for a change.
Still not exactly sure what we're going to do. To weird him out with eclectic activities is not going to be fun for anyone. I was thinking about having him drive us from my work up to my neighborhood by taking a roundabout, leisurely drive along the legendary Chain of Lakes, which almost anyone might find interesting ( I could provide running anthropological and cultural commentary, but there's that thing about weirding him out that I need to keep in mind). Then, maybe to Rix for a nice meal and some beer, the great uniter of men. I was encouraged a few weeks ago when he (in contrast to my dad) did not indicate any particular aversion to craft beer. It's as good a place to start as any.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Fringe and Lancelot du Lac
For the first time in my 13+ years in the city, I attented a show at the Minneapolis "Fringe Festival," an annual huge conglomeration of alternative &/or new amateur theatre with venues throughout the Twin Cities over a number of weeks. It was really only loosely on my radar the last number of years, but came to the forefront this year, as my network of friends & associates in local theatre scene is growing.
The show we saw last night, Elaine Thompson's Showbiz Showcase, actually was written by and starred the actress who played the wife of my "sneeze" character in "The Good Doctor," and will be starring in the first of our upcoming Reader's Theatre Series; as well as featuring one of my troupe's company members. Seemed like a really good place to start. It was an enjoyable show three energetic & funny skits with a number of talented performers. One of my main critiques would be bang for the buck, as the show cost $12 (plus a $3 "Fringe Button" required to see any Fringe performances) and clocked in at only about 50 minutes of total time.
Luckily, that left us with enough "sitter equity" to swing on over to Town Hall Brewery, where I had a great veggie burrito and a really, really tasty seasonal California Cooler-style beer: the SFO.
Later on, after returning home, I decided to take some time to myself and watch a movie. Our DVD player recently went on the fritz so I've taken to what may be my primary method of solo movie watching in the future: watching it on my computer. Especially considering my poor eyes can't consistantly even read subtitles from my couch in the living room, sitting relatively close to the computer screen (which has far superior resolution than my TV, to begin with) is a welcome upgrade in quality of picture. It works great; the controls are far more simply than in my remote, and this comfy old chair I inherited from my grandfather is just perfect for sitting back, headphones on, for a good watch.
Anyway, I delved outside of my Netflix queue, which is something I'll continue to do on my visits to the library. See what's available (usually not much, but yet usually at least one or two things interesting), and take a chance. A good way to see relatively random things that otherwise might never make it into the rotation. This time it was between some classic B/W movie which I cannot now recall, and a 1974 French-made story of Lancelot of the Lake. Given my recent small deliving into the Arthurian legends, I thought the latter would be a good choice.
Interesting movie. Very different, style-wise, than most anything else that's out there. The setting is after the decimated knights of the Round Table have returned following a failed quest for the Grail. Sparse sets, dialogue, and even pacing'; along with a really dreary backdrop and very understated performances all contribute toward this feeling of melancholy and lack of morale among the knights. Arthur wants his shell-shocked, few remaining knights to spend time in prayer before taking part in any more action, as surely it was their lack of purity that led to their failure. All the while, Lancelot is internally conflicted & tortured over his secret love with Guinivere, wanting to forsake her in the name of God but, of course, unable. Ultimately, all the melancholy & sparseness left me a little hollow, but I think I did give it three stars on Netflix. I may go back and do four, as my appreciation has grown after a little reflection.
More importantly...in the same manner that Destry Rides Again was clearly the model for Blazing Saddles; this movie clearly was the model for Monthy Python's: The Holy Grail. Set-wise, costume wise, but especially battle-wise. The first five minutes of "action" features the knights rampaging with sword-fighting and "gore" so remarkably, laughably identical to King Arthur's battle with the Black Knight in Monty Python, that it will leave you gaping and asking aloud: is that for real?
I think it was an interesting film, and probably worth watching on its other merits. But God damn, those first five minutes are unbelievable.
The show we saw last night, Elaine Thompson's Showbiz Showcase, actually was written by and starred the actress who played the wife of my "sneeze" character in "The Good Doctor," and will be starring in the first of our upcoming Reader's Theatre Series; as well as featuring one of my troupe's company members. Seemed like a really good place to start. It was an enjoyable show three energetic & funny skits with a number of talented performers. One of my main critiques would be bang for the buck, as the show cost $12 (plus a $3 "Fringe Button" required to see any Fringe performances) and clocked in at only about 50 minutes of total time.
Luckily, that left us with enough "sitter equity" to swing on over to Town Hall Brewery, where I had a great veggie burrito and a really, really tasty seasonal California Cooler-style beer: the SFO.
Later on, after returning home, I decided to take some time to myself and watch a movie. Our DVD player recently went on the fritz so I've taken to what may be my primary method of solo movie watching in the future: watching it on my computer. Especially considering my poor eyes can't consistantly even read subtitles from my couch in the living room, sitting relatively close to the computer screen (which has far superior resolution than my TV, to begin with) is a welcome upgrade in quality of picture. It works great; the controls are far more simply than in my remote, and this comfy old chair I inherited from my grandfather is just perfect for sitting back, headphones on, for a good watch.
Anyway, I delved outside of my Netflix queue, which is something I'll continue to do on my visits to the library. See what's available (usually not much, but yet usually at least one or two things interesting), and take a chance. A good way to see relatively random things that otherwise might never make it into the rotation. This time it was between some classic B/W movie which I cannot now recall, and a 1974 French-made story of Lancelot of the Lake. Given my recent small deliving into the Arthurian legends, I thought the latter would be a good choice.
Interesting movie. Very different, style-wise, than most anything else that's out there. The setting is after the decimated knights of the Round Table have returned following a failed quest for the Grail. Sparse sets, dialogue, and even pacing'; along with a really dreary backdrop and very understated performances all contribute toward this feeling of melancholy and lack of morale among the knights. Arthur wants his shell-shocked, few remaining knights to spend time in prayer before taking part in any more action, as surely it was their lack of purity that led to their failure. All the while, Lancelot is internally conflicted & tortured over his secret love with Guinivere, wanting to forsake her in the name of God but, of course, unable. Ultimately, all the melancholy & sparseness left me a little hollow, but I think I did give it three stars on Netflix. I may go back and do four, as my appreciation has grown after a little reflection.
More importantly...in the same manner that Destry Rides Again was clearly the model for Blazing Saddles; this movie clearly was the model for Monthy Python's: The Holy Grail. Set-wise, costume wise, but especially battle-wise. The first five minutes of "action" features the knights rampaging with sword-fighting and "gore" so remarkably, laughably identical to King Arthur's battle with the Black Knight in Monty Python, that it will leave you gaping and asking aloud: is that for real?
I think it was an interesting film, and probably worth watching on its other merits. But God damn, those first five minutes are unbelievable.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
The Monterion
Bummed because you've been checking in and there's no Oliopolis post for the day and wondering why I've not filed a report on my trip to Escalante Grand Staircase? Well...kill two birds with one stone and visit Mixdorf's Piece of Cheese, where he is the midst of recounting the adventure in a truly epic style.
I ask that you all space out your visits over the next day, however, as we'd like to avoid crashing his server...
I ask that you all space out your visits over the next day, however, as we'd like to avoid crashing his server...
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Goodbye, Old Friend
Yet another? Yes, as today a contractor will be cutting down our enormous old elm (150+ inches around the trunk, well over a hundred feet high). The money we need to spend on this, especially in light of all our other current expenses, hurts. But all the stresses related to the money & so on has not, until today, given me enough time to reflect on the hurt of seeing a beautiful, magestic living thing (far older than me) have to go in this fashion.
We assume that it was after last fall's storms that took off some huge branches that the Dutch Elm beetles got in the open wounds. This summer, our tree has quickly succumbed to the disease, going from a lush green canopy of more leaves than there are people in the state of Minnesota to a state of absolute defoliation. Walking back by the tree this morning on my way to the car I was, completely without warning, overcome with the realization I was walking away from this gentle giant for the very last time. A tree that was there prior to the first house going up in my neighborhood, and whose crown afforded birds views of a score of miles or more in any direction, would not be there when I return home. I just had to stand there, craning my neck up to try and catch final glimpses of its upper reaches. It's immense, quiet nobility was evident even as it stood there a dying shadow of its glory from only a year ago. I cried. I patted it and said "goodbye."
As a verifiable animal lovers and bona-fide tree huggers, it's incredible-almost utter lunacy-what our family has had to bear over the past year. Think about it. Top half of Silver Maple: cracked & gone. Kuna-i: dead. Saraki: cancer, leg removed. Now, Elm: dead.
Cripes, the humans in the Hylton household better start holding each other tight.
We assume that it was after last fall's storms that took off some huge branches that the Dutch Elm beetles got in the open wounds. This summer, our tree has quickly succumbed to the disease, going from a lush green canopy of more leaves than there are people in the state of Minnesota to a state of absolute defoliation. Walking back by the tree this morning on my way to the car I was, completely without warning, overcome with the realization I was walking away from this gentle giant for the very last time. A tree that was there prior to the first house going up in my neighborhood, and whose crown afforded birds views of a score of miles or more in any direction, would not be there when I return home. I just had to stand there, craning my neck up to try and catch final glimpses of its upper reaches. It's immense, quiet nobility was evident even as it stood there a dying shadow of its glory from only a year ago. I cried. I patted it and said "goodbye."
As a verifiable animal lovers and bona-fide tree huggers, it's incredible-almost utter lunacy-what our family has had to bear over the past year. Think about it. Top half of Silver Maple: cracked & gone. Kuna-i: dead. Saraki: cancer, leg removed. Now, Elm: dead.
Cripes, the humans in the Hylton household better start holding each other tight.
Monday, August 07, 2006
The Joys of a Naturalist Wife
A favorite story of mine: the time Sharon was reading "The Hungry Little Caterpillar" to Lucy.
Sharon: And then he built a cocoon...which is actually a chrysalis...
Yup, I learned that night that butterflies don't make cocoons. Who knew? Sharon knew. Who does make cocoons? Moths do! So, the another thing that a naturalist mama will do is find wildlife, bring it home, and actually not kill it cause she knows what the hell she's doing. She knows, for instance, that the cercropia moth caterpillar, once hooked on specific type of leaf, will not eat anything else. So, though it's meant aquiring that leaf on trips to a specific Pin Cherry tree at the nature center where she works, she's dutifully kept the terrarium (yup, we've got a couple) supplied. About a month ago, Lucy got to experience the joy of watching a Monarch caterpillar become a butterfly (got to release it and watch it fly away, no less). Tonight, these plump little cercropias began spinning the silk that will be their home over the winter.
Here's a shot from the pseudo-macro of my digital cam. Spinning end kind of obscured in darkness, but curving around below. He/she/it's been going at it all night long.
Sharon: And then he built a cocoon...which is actually a chrysalis...
Yup, I learned that night that butterflies don't make cocoons. Who knew? Sharon knew. Who does make cocoons? Moths do! So, the another thing that a naturalist mama will do is find wildlife, bring it home, and actually not kill it cause she knows what the hell she's doing. She knows, for instance, that the cercropia moth caterpillar, once hooked on specific type of leaf, will not eat anything else. So, though it's meant aquiring that leaf on trips to a specific Pin Cherry tree at the nature center where she works, she's dutifully kept the terrarium (yup, we've got a couple) supplied. About a month ago, Lucy got to experience the joy of watching a Monarch caterpillar become a butterfly (got to release it and watch it fly away, no less). Tonight, these plump little cercropias began spinning the silk that will be their home over the winter.
Here's a shot from the pseudo-macro of my digital cam. Spinning end kind of obscured in darkness, but curving around below. He/she/it's been going at it all night long.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
One Of These Things We All Like Doing More Than Others Like Reading
This comes via email from Sharon, who doesn't blog:
A) Four jobs I have had in my life (as a guy who has had a lot, and I mean a lot of jobs, trying to pull out some of the more obscure...):
1. Security at a retirement home
2. Reading computer texts to a blind guy
3. Teaching rowing and canoeing merit badges at a scout camp
4. Dining Room Captain
B) Four movies I would watch over and over (as has been well documented, I'm not a big "watch movies over & over type of guy, but the below have certainly fallen into this cateogry thus far in my life):
1. Blazing Saddles
2. Lord of the Rings trilogy
3. Star Wars original trilogy
4. the well is dry...
C) Four places I've lived (no real surprises here...)
1. Minneapolis, MN
2. Waterloo, IA
3. Ames, IA
4. Waverly, IA
D) Four TV shows I love to watch: (question seems to suggest current shows, for which there are none. I choose to delve into a few syndicated, rented, or otherwise pre-recorded joys)
1. Star Trek
2. Simpsons
3. King of the Hill
4. Blackadder
E ) Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Foz de Igazu, Brazil/Argentina/Paraguay
2. Los Cabos, Mexico
3. Coyote Gulch (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area), Utah
4. Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land, Maine
4 Websites visited daily: (not counting little circle of friends' blogs, here)
1. www.startribune.com
2. www.damninteresting.com
3. www.espn.com (in spite of myself)
4. www.my.yahoo.com
G) 4 favorite foods:
1. pizza
2. tie-many things Mexican
3. tie-many things South Indian
4. donuts, cake or otherwise-I care not
H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Hanging out with various friends
2. On tour
3. England, where my heart lies
4. Rix
I) Four passions (love, truth, goodness, & fun come to mind, but trying to offer something a little more concrete...
1. those I love & consider friend
2. creative arts (encompassing music, visual arts, literature)
3. social/environmental justice
4. "getting down"
Oh, and "tag."
A) Four jobs I have had in my life (as a guy who has had a lot, and I mean a lot of jobs, trying to pull out some of the more obscure...):
1. Security at a retirement home
2. Reading computer texts to a blind guy
3. Teaching rowing and canoeing merit badges at a scout camp
4. Dining Room Captain
B) Four movies I would watch over and over (as has been well documented, I'm not a big "watch movies over & over type of guy, but the below have certainly fallen into this cateogry thus far in my life):
1. Blazing Saddles
2. Lord of the Rings trilogy
3. Star Wars original trilogy
4. the well is dry...
C) Four places I've lived (no real surprises here...)
1. Minneapolis, MN
2. Waterloo, IA
3. Ames, IA
4. Waverly, IA
D) Four TV shows I love to watch: (question seems to suggest current shows, for which there are none. I choose to delve into a few syndicated, rented, or otherwise pre-recorded joys)
1. Star Trek
2. Simpsons
3. King of the Hill
4. Blackadder
E ) Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Foz de Igazu, Brazil/Argentina/Paraguay
2. Los Cabos, Mexico
3. Coyote Gulch (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area), Utah
4. Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land, Maine
4 Websites visited daily: (not counting little circle of friends' blogs, here)
1. www.startribune.com
2. www.damninteresting.com
3. www.espn.com (in spite of myself)
4. www.my.yahoo.com
G) 4 favorite foods:
1. pizza
2. tie-many things Mexican
3. tie-many things South Indian
4. donuts, cake or otherwise-I care not
H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Hanging out with various friends
2. On tour
3. England, where my heart lies
4. Rix
I) Four passions (love, truth, goodness, & fun come to mind, but trying to offer something a little more concrete...
1. those I love & consider friend
2. creative arts (encompassing music, visual arts, literature)
3. social/environmental justice
4. "getting down"
Oh, and "tag."
Friday, August 04, 2006
History of Britain
A subject about which I have some interest, and the subject (& title) of a documentary series, the first volume of which finished last night, courtesy of Netflix. The highly-regarded Simon Schama produces and narrarates this generally fascinating series, which tends to focus a little more on compelling individual personalities than it does the some of the other minutea cultural history; at least, once it gets beyond the stone age. This particular installment actually included the first three episodes of the series: Beginnings, Conquest!, and Dynasty; and, in keeping with what is generally the case after I have consumed non-fiction, I've retained very little I would be able to actually draw upon in a conversation. I just have to trust that there's some sort of "whole is greater than sum of its parts" way in which my mind is expanding as a result of such exercises.
A couple notable things that did lodge themselves in my mind:
A couple notable things that did lodge themselves in my mind:
- A section on the Orkney village of Skara Brae, where a storm unearthed a stone-age village with a series of dwellings and evidence of culture & social structure far beyond anything that had been discovered from that period. See the link for what appears to be a really great Wikipedia article on the place (though I haven't actually read through it yet).
- English kings were pretty much all dickheads and goofballs. At least, pre-Magna Carta. Most of them were of Norman descent (not even English speaking), and even their rock-star King, Richard the Lionharted, had a pretty ugly run ending with pretty much the bankruptcy of England buying back his freedom after he had been captured during a Crusade.
Much much more in there. A lot of good stuff. I wouldn't send it out as a general recommendation, but anyone with an interest in this subject would find it quite interesting.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Good Omens?
Good Omens. I should probably offer recaps of more books that hit my nightstand, but unless books leave indelible marks on my psyche, I usually forget. Taking a page (so to speak) from Stephen & Matt, I will attempt to do it a little more often. Starting with now.
Good Omens (Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett), a book I originally heard about on MPR, sounded interesting enough to check out. More specifically, Neil Gaiman was engaging enough in the interview to pique my interest. There's probably not a whole lot I can add to the various descriptions & reviews on Amazon, beyond the fact that it was the funniest book I'd read in a long time. In memory, in fact. Funny, to the point of me having to just stop reading, pause, and re-read lines on a regular basis, while muttering to myself, "Good Lord, but that's hilarious..."
In a very brief nutshell, it's a send-up of Armageddon.
A few times in the reviews, Good Omens was mentioned as being something like "the next installment of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, so I should probably mention that, while I see the comparison, I wish it hadn't been made. While there was some good stuff in "Hitchhikers Guide..," it represents a creative style of writing & art that doesn't generally appeal to me a lot. Rapid-fire, dark, sardonic. Often, it seems to me, sacrificing substance and depth of humor in favor of the relentless nature of the delivery. I guess maybe I'm not generally a huge fan of comedy books, since depth of character & compelling-ness of plot, & many other things I read for are tougher to come by in that framework. They're pretty much sacrificed, in fact. So (in my view), if you're going to ditch those aspects of your book in order to give yourself fully over to the "art of the joke," you better do it damned well, and you better not make me roll my eyes, or I'm gone.
And Good Omens did it, by God. Non-stop, luxurious hilarity and I recommend it heartily.
Good Omens (Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett), a book I originally heard about on MPR, sounded interesting enough to check out. More specifically, Neil Gaiman was engaging enough in the interview to pique my interest. There's probably not a whole lot I can add to the various descriptions & reviews on Amazon, beyond the fact that it was the funniest book I'd read in a long time. In memory, in fact. Funny, to the point of me having to just stop reading, pause, and re-read lines on a regular basis, while muttering to myself, "Good Lord, but that's hilarious..."
In a very brief nutshell, it's a send-up of Armageddon.
A few times in the reviews, Good Omens was mentioned as being something like "the next installment of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, so I should probably mention that, while I see the comparison, I wish it hadn't been made. While there was some good stuff in "Hitchhikers Guide..," it represents a creative style of writing & art that doesn't generally appeal to me a lot. Rapid-fire, dark, sardonic. Often, it seems to me, sacrificing substance and depth of humor in favor of the relentless nature of the delivery. I guess maybe I'm not generally a huge fan of comedy books, since depth of character & compelling-ness of plot, & many other things I read for are tougher to come by in that framework. They're pretty much sacrificed, in fact. So (in my view), if you're going to ditch those aspects of your book in order to give yourself fully over to the "art of the joke," you better do it damned well, and you better not make me roll my eyes, or I'm gone.
And Good Omens did it, by God. Non-stop, luxurious hilarity and I recommend it heartily.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
There and Back Again
For those interested in a play-by-play account of the proceedings, check out Mixdorf's Piece of Cheese, which will be recounting the experience, in a serialized format.
As for me, I'll give a few overall ruminations as to my personal experience:
As for me, I'll give a few overall ruminations as to my personal experience:
- The remoteness and beauty of Escalante & Glen Canyon's landscape was stunning.
- With cliffs that soared close to if not over a thousand feet at times, the "Gulch" in "Coyote Gulch" has to rank among the greatest understatements in the history of geologic names.
- Escalante backcountry is simply not intended for hiking & camping in July.
- By extension, if our (Mixdorf, Mighty Tom, T-Clog, me) future "expedition" ventures are limited to summers in order to accomodate T-Clog's teaching schedule, (whether by bugs, heat, or severe weather) we are going to severely limit appealing options for getting out in the wilds.
- 28-straight-hour road trips are not as conducing to stimulating, delightful conversation as one might think. Particularly when one is battling open windows, fatigue, and/or a traveling companion whose mood may well be related to the gravitational pull of the moon.
- My days of tent camping may be growing fewer and farther between, even as my interest in spending time in the wild places of the world is as strong as ever. It is mostly a comfort/common sense issue. For me, anyway. We'll see how well I can sell this to Sharon, who I think gets as much enjoyment out of cooking on a camp stove, sleeping in a tent, and all the other little domestic camp tasks as ever.
- I love the mountains.
- I am afraid of heights.
- I love deafening silence that can be found in remoteness.
- The myth behind calorie consumption I have long suspected was laid bare.
and...there were definitely good times, humorous times, amazing times. There were also uncomfortable times, frustrating times, and contention amongst the traveling party. Building up a vision in your head over a period of nearly 15 years is a terrible burden to put on a one-week trip, and it would have been nearly impossible for it to live up to our sweet imagination. In hindsight, I can't help but consider what wise Mixdorf suggested a few days prior to leaving: we could have fun for a week in Evansdale (IA). Meaning, fun and memories usually have a lot more to do with the company you keep than in with the things you do or have. So, the reality of the experience was closer to simply "a week with the guys" than it was "trip of a lifetime;" complete with requisite sporadic episodes of buffoonery, fun & mini-adventures, a new pantheon of humorous references & inside jokes (the week's winner being "Little Lord Fauntelroy:" details to come in Mixdorf's blog, surely), wild mood swings from T-Clog, and pizza.
I was also ruminating that a week in Evansdale might not cost us $400 apiece, but then when I considered the amount of alcohol making our own fun in Evandsdale might require, I realized that it just might.
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