Theatre @ MindSay

                  D’s first day back, not bad overall (until the end…will explain).  My day started with A in a VERY singing mood.  I was trying to write down the lyrics to the song he was singing,, but it was going too fast, so I quickly and craftily pulled out my camera and recorded video of it.  IT IS SO FRIGGIN CUTE.  He is such a monster sometimes; he’s a big  boy, but he acts like a 4/5 year old, and he’s so innocent sometimes and UGH, I love him and his songs, even if they don’t ever make a ton of sense.  And to their credit, E and D were tolerant of the first…3?  They clapped when he was done, then when he asked ‘how many stars?’ they were like ‘a thousand!’ ‘a billion!’ ‘infinity!’ and it was really sweet.  T

                What else, what else?   Today for writing group, we practiced and performed Jacob’s “The Battle for Cyzib” play.  Adooooorable, even though  he definitely could have added details/made it make more sense.  He played the character ‘Hairman’, Tyler was ‘Director’ (whose only job was to say ‘I hope you enjoy this play’), and Seth took over as ‘Blob’.  They were so cute, especially Seth who was actually acting.  It left me with this really gooey, gushy feeling all over. And then continuing that high…AB GOT A PERFECT, 10/10 ON HIS ‘ON TASK’ task.  10 times the alarm went off, and all 10 times, he was undeniably doing what he was supposed to be doing.  As I was leaving at 11:15, he was starting to fatigue and not do work, but that first hour and 15 minutes… <33. 

                At recess there was a snapping turtle laying eggs by the structure (seriously?  WHERE DO I LIVE!??!), and then I had a really great session with ENC after lunch.  Taught some Social Studies, and then I got to re-teach to A, who pulled it together and did really well with it.  He asks some good questions; so does E.

                My day ended with A having a great Art period.  We took the library/1^st grade hallway instead of the usual 3^rd/4^th, and he wondered if one was longer/shorter.  We started Art with Polly, and then after a bit of his apple snack, we went out in the hall and we timed our walk to see which path is better.  We were little Scientists, and it was SO COOL.  Even something so simple as “I think this hallway is longer and will take more time to get there” led to an informal lesson and talk about hypotheses.  Awesome.

                This afternoon, after I finished reading E and D’s nonsensical story, I decided it was time to empty the extra fishtank I had brought in on Thursday.  With a week and a half left of school (What? Insanity.), I think they’ll survive in the slightly-murky water.  So I pick up the heavy tank, and get it to the sink to empty.  This is the moment my body decided to have a Whack Attack and sneeze.  Water EVERYWHERE.  Only me.  Terrible, but also hilarious. I was just starting to clean up when Larry (vice principal) walks in.  He tells me that D had just had a minor fit in the front of the school/lobby.  Threw his bookbag, yelling a bit…yipe.  I had no idea he was even still IN school; E and he had been dismissed before A and I got to the bus, so I had assumed he’d gone out the side door like he was supposed to and was already home.  Not the case.  Not as bad as it could have been, and apparently when Larry put a hand on his shoulder to calm down he did and left, but… WHY COULDN’T YOU JUST KEEP THE GOOD DAY COMPLETLEY, KID?  WHY!?!

*title of entry = what A said after one of his songs and before he started another.  The kid is a  HAM. <3

I slept til 15h00 again today. Like I always do on the weekend. I set my alarm for 12 or before, and I just lay in bed, until mom decides to make something to eat, or I finally push myself to get up.

I haven't had time to do anything I enjoy doing. Such as theatre, painting, drawing, writing, walking...

I'm spending all my time trying to complete assignments for other classes. I never do well on them, but I try my best. People say well that's all anyone can ask for, but obviously not. My best hasn't been good enough since grade 9.

I don't even want to try anymore, knowing it will only be criticized to death. Yes, to death. Torn apart until there's nothing left. My hard work, with no diamonds, not even rubies or sapphires, among the ores. All rubbish. Useless waste.

And I want to do theatre, but I honestly, seriously, fear, that I will never be good enough. I tried out for at least 7 shows at a theatre near me, and I got into 2. One was good, the other I wasn't even a real character, and was supposed to be one of the 30 merry men, of which the rest were young children. It was a joke, so I said I didn't have time for it because of school.

And this girl I really dislike, she always gets a part. She goes to my school now, and she got the lead in the musical. I was going to try out for the musical, but I knew I wouldn't have the time to dedicate, and still be able to do my schoolwork.

I don't know if I'll ever be good enough to do any of the things I want to do.

I'll probably have to settle for some office job I hate, like so many people.

I don't even like theatre class right now. I don't like the play we're doing, nor do I like the idea of having mini-scenes.

I hate every class in school right now, and I'm not doing well in any of them either.

I guess everything in life is pretty bad right now.

I'm trying hard to think of the good things, but I don't find many... I guess I hang out with friends more, and I have a camera to capture the memories. That's good. That's about it.

Last night we saw History Boys by Allen Bennett. An amazing piece on history, education, truth, friendship, betrayal, youth, age and loss. We laughed frequently and even cried. Eight energetic and awesome young actors played the students and I swear there is star power in that group.

Today at noon D & M arrive. they are such close friends that they have their own coffee mugs with their names on them and the guest room got finished yesterday with the new shades installed and the jacuzzi scrubbed and disinfected. and this morning I will buy fresh flowers for their room. Abs will freak out at first but after they have stayed and behaved for a few days she will settle in and probably sit on one of them.

So I wont be around much, unless they all go hiking and leave me alone for a few hours to decompress. introvert that I am.

Last night's The Clean House a play by Sarah Ruhl was wonderful . It's about order and chaos and the need to have both in your life. There is a wonderful line where Ana is dying of cancer and she talks about not wanting a relationship woith her disease. he knows she has to have a relationship with death but she refuses to have a relationship with disease.

 

and for the first time in over  year I wore stockings and high heels- thigh highs but before the first act began I could feel them creeping down my legs so I asked at the box office if they had some rubber bands abd the fat oneos  they gave me were perfect for keeping the lace topped stocking up for the remainder of the evening. I mean NO WAY am I ever going to wear pantyhose again. so I might invest in some fancy black lacey garters or a garter belt. Jim would like that too. panty hose are among the least sexy and least healthy gaments on earth.

 

Yesterday Jim chopped firwood as long as it wasn't raining and I scotchguarded the placemats and table runners I finished. Now I will make another white cotton nightgown- this time with a leafy lace yoke.  Oh and I caught the abster drinking from the bidet- how cute is that?

            I’m back after taking a little break last week to study for exams and combat the flu.  I passed all my exams and redeemed myself for that disastrous last semester at ECU ten years ago, and now I have only a slight cough I just can’t get rid of.  To celebrate my success and semi-recovery, Angie and I ventured to Raleigh Sunday for an afternoon of theatre.

            We went to Theatre in the Park for Ira David Wood’s annual one-man performance of Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory.  It was a very touching story, and I believe that it was the best theatrical performance I have ever seen.  Since we’re only a week from the day, I thought I’d pull up a memory or two of my own.

            Believe it or not, spending Christmas Day at the police department isn’t that bad.  I spent six of the eight Christmases I was employed with the TPD sitting there in the dispatch center.  Aside from actually being expected to work on Christmas, it was a rather enjoyable day that I could spend the bulk of reading or watching TV.

            Sometime mid-morning, the whole squad would gather in dispatch to exchange gifts with our sergeant.  The first call of the day never came in until around 4, when someone who’d been hitting the booze all day finally had just enough to foul everything up for me and their family.

            I really loved Christmas when I was little.  I always hated kids who insisted there was no Santa Claus, and I still do.  Adults who “don’t want to lie to their kids” are even worse.  I remember being in a church service once when the preacher’s wife proclaimed that Santa Claus did not exist, and then proceeded to assault our ears with her rendition of “Mary Had a Baby.”  I briefly questioned the existence of God, let alone Santa Claus, after listening to her caterwauling, but then I came to my senses.  I don’t think God minds Santa Claus if you keep him in proper perspective.  You’re in the minority; get over it.

            I’ll have you know Santa Claus came to my house every year, and one time there was some red fur on the wood in our fireplace where he had torn his pants.  He left numerous apple cores and orange peels behind on the table where I’d put them out for him.  He even left me a nice letter once explaining why he wasn’t able to leave the toy I’d asked for as proof of his existence for a little jerk in my class.  So what if Santa’s handwriting resembled my mother’s?

            Shame on me, I hated it when Christmas fell on a Sunday and we were expected to go to church, but I did always enjoy the Sunday night services before Christmas when there was a church-wide carol fest.  There were special numbers in addition to congregational singing, and one little girl in my class played the Air Force song on the piano.  Puzzling to me also.

            My family always had our big dinner on Christmas Eve, and then we’d open one gift before going to bed.  We’d get up Christmas Day, open the rest of the presents, and then have country ham biscuits for breakfast.  Sometime after noon, we’d visit the grandparents.

            When I was little, Santa Claus filled a stocking for me at my Granny Lewis’s house too.  She always had a table full of ham and turkey, and every dessert imaginable.  In later years, as the family swelled with in-laws, she just cooked a huge pot of vegetable soup and a few desserts, but truth be told, after stuffing myself with ham and turkey on Christmas Eve, just a month after doing the same on Thanksgiving, the soup was a welcome relief.

            This Christmas will be different.  I’m going to Sparta to see how the in-laws do it.  It’ll be my first Christmas away from Tarboro since 1992, and my first away from home ever.  I went to Sparta a few days after Christmas last year, and I was able to take part in one of their traditions that was right up my alley: going to the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, to see a Christmas play.  Last year we saw It’s a Wonderful Life, and this year we’ll take in another version of A Christmas Carol.  It should be fun.

            Since I’ll be away, I’ll just wish you a Merry Christmas now...and thank you for doing the same.  Don’t wish me Happy Holidays or Season’s Greetings.  It’s Christmas.  Have a merry one.

 

© 2007 by J.D. Lewis