I bought a grenade. And I used it. But no one was killed. Woo hoo! Does anyone else think it is crazy that people are allowed to walk around with weapons of killing, like assault rifles, and yet, walking around with an alcoholic beverage is against the law in most places? Oh, by the way, the grenade I am talking about is half a growler. I had never heard the term before. Anyone? I bought a grenade of oatmeal stout from Climbing Bines - which is correct - Bines are different from Vines - look it up if you don't believe me. I will write about Climbing Bines in my Brewpub blog, even though they aren't a brewpub. They are, at least, a local brewery! Yay local breweries!
So, what has been going on at Chez Schoen-René? A whole lot of nothing. Some busy-ness. Some indolence. Some sitting and staring at my room and thinking - wow, I could use someone to help me do some cleaning. And what should pop into my head? "Everybody ought to have a maid" from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Love that show. It was the second show I directed in college. I think I saw it in High School, with Chris Clemenson playing one of the parts. Speaking of college and high school - nice segue, right? (I would really like to have a Segway, by the way...) - it is my 30th college and 35th high school reunion this year and I consciously chose to not do anything about either of them. Yay!
Oh, some of the business (busy-ness) was working at the Smith. We had a band - The Lone Bellow - come in for a show. They were quite good - though not many people came to see them at our venue. I don't get (as in "understand") how some shows sell really well and others don't. Capitalism sucks. Just sayin'!
Mom news: she is getting more befuddled but so far we are still managing. Mary Gerhart came for a visit, but I was at the Smith, so I don't know how it went. Getting information from mom is a hit-or-miss prospect. I hope it was a good visit and didn't confuse her too much. I can't tell any longer if visits are good for her or just upset her. Sigh.
Feels like a lame post. But, better than nothing, right?
Showing posts with label theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theatre. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Two days
Hello - I want to whip out a quick post - if I can. I like to give value, so I write a lot of words. And that takes time. Even though I do type zippily.
The past two days have been a little on the tiring side. Sure, fun was had, but there was some work involved. And it has been a frustrating day so far. And is only getting more so. I am trying to find out why my mom's bill has gone up 3 dollars for no apparent additional service. This is up from the $75 it was when we first signed up for triple play - phone, internet and cable. Sigh. Now up to my third representative. The first couldn't help me - she was customer solutions - the second I couldn't hear - the third - well, so far she has proven less than competent. (Ok, that was a tough word to spell.) So, basically - we raised our prices - suck it - was the answer. Where has competition gone? I dread the post merger days of Comcast and TWC.
Oh, and we got our copier moved today, only to find out when the movers got here that they weren't responsible for the technical end - just to lug it and plug it and leave. Great! Talk about excellent customer service. Customers really don't have much recourse as companies get more and more monopolized.
Where was I - Oh, yesterday I was up at 6 so that I could get in to work by 7:30 - not that it takes me that long to get to work - I just don't like dragging bleary eyed Augustus butt anywhere. So I like to wake up, do some internet stuff, write a bit, scratch, sniff, play some bridge, brush my tooth, etc.
Eventually I made it into work - got what I needed to get done before the theatre group arrived (fly the legs and movie screen out - fly the electrics, valance and border in, change over the lights from booth control to lightboard control, etc.). They were prompt, efficient and nice. Load-in and sound check were all accomplished before doors opened and the (literal) hordes descended. Wait a sec - how many does it take to compromise a horde - we had 1300 kids and adults for the 10 am show. The show went smoothly, and I got out (after nice chattings with friends) at noon.
Then, I was a good samaritan. I took a coworker and her son to a dentist appointment - well, orthodontist. A good little chunk of time out of my day. But it was fun, in a helping out sort of way.
I went to the grocery store and bought the essentials - beer, toilet paper and kleenex. I swear mom is going through the latter two more and more quickly. I don't know what that is about - but there really isn't anything I can do about it. Feed her habit and maybe it will burn itself out is my philosophy.
Heated up left overs for dinner - I had to have dinner on the table by 5:30 (almost an hour and a half before normal) so I could make it back to the theatre in time. I had made beef stroganoff Monday, so served it again Tuesday - with some left over sugar peas - appropriate because the show we had at the Smith was "The Monster who ate my Peas." Mom didn't realize it was leftovers - though I do find that sometimes if I feed her the same thing two days in a row, she says she can't finish it all. I am wondering if she is vaguely recalling the amount of food she had eaten the day before and becoming psychologically more full. Weird.
Back to the theater - ran the show, got them loaded out and I was done by 9. Yay! I got home and helped mom with television (I am thinking of buying the NCIS dvds for her - she has loved the Doc Martin ones but I think she is about burned out on them...) and played a bit before falling into bed and snoring. Loudly.
Only to get up again this morning and head back in to work. We had work crew coming, I was supposed to meet with a volunteer, the copier was to be moved and the first meeting of a newly reconstituted (just add fresh meat) film committee was happening. First off, I had no clear idea what I was going to do with the work crew - luckily there were only three kids today, so that made life easier. And Vicki is good about figuring out what to do. They did help with the copier move by carrying a table or two and some other stuff around. Yay. Unfortunately, the copier move was not clearly communicated. I didn't realize that we were responsible for connecting the copier to the internet - getting a cable etc. And I thought the movers would make sure that all of our people could print to the copier. Nope. So, I will have to figure that out. Yippee! I also had to climb around in a part of the Smith that I hadn't climbed around in before to get the old cable out to use in the new location of the printer. Fun-like.
Got that all done just in time for the Film meeting. Luckily, my volunteer canceled. Huzzuh! The film committee meeting went well. Next step - some mission statements are being drafted after our discussions.
And now I am at home, trying to catch up on blogging and correspondence. Sigh. All too soon it will be time to think about dinner. And I could use a nap. And someone to snuggle with during that nap...
The past two days have been a little on the tiring side. Sure, fun was had, but there was some work involved. And it has been a frustrating day so far. And is only getting more so. I am trying to find out why my mom's bill has gone up 3 dollars for no apparent additional service. This is up from the $75 it was when we first signed up for triple play - phone, internet and cable. Sigh. Now up to my third representative. The first couldn't help me - she was customer solutions - the second I couldn't hear - the third - well, so far she has proven less than competent. (Ok, that was a tough word to spell.) So, basically - we raised our prices - suck it - was the answer. Where has competition gone? I dread the post merger days of Comcast and TWC.
Oh, and we got our copier moved today, only to find out when the movers got here that they weren't responsible for the technical end - just to lug it and plug it and leave. Great! Talk about excellent customer service. Customers really don't have much recourse as companies get more and more monopolized.
Where was I - Oh, yesterday I was up at 6 so that I could get in to work by 7:30 - not that it takes me that long to get to work - I just don't like dragging bleary eyed Augustus butt anywhere. So I like to wake up, do some internet stuff, write a bit, scratch, sniff, play some bridge, brush my tooth, etc.
Eventually I made it into work - got what I needed to get done before the theatre group arrived (fly the legs and movie screen out - fly the electrics, valance and border in, change over the lights from booth control to lightboard control, etc.). They were prompt, efficient and nice. Load-in and sound check were all accomplished before doors opened and the (literal) hordes descended. Wait a sec - how many does it take to compromise a horde - we had 1300 kids and adults for the 10 am show. The show went smoothly, and I got out (after nice chattings with friends) at noon.
Then, I was a good samaritan. I took a coworker and her son to a dentist appointment - well, orthodontist. A good little chunk of time out of my day. But it was fun, in a helping out sort of way.
I went to the grocery store and bought the essentials - beer, toilet paper and kleenex. I swear mom is going through the latter two more and more quickly. I don't know what that is about - but there really isn't anything I can do about it. Feed her habit and maybe it will burn itself out is my philosophy.
Heated up left overs for dinner - I had to have dinner on the table by 5:30 (almost an hour and a half before normal) so I could make it back to the theatre in time. I had made beef stroganoff Monday, so served it again Tuesday - with some left over sugar peas - appropriate because the show we had at the Smith was "The Monster who ate my Peas." Mom didn't realize it was leftovers - though I do find that sometimes if I feed her the same thing two days in a row, she says she can't finish it all. I am wondering if she is vaguely recalling the amount of food she had eaten the day before and becoming psychologically more full. Weird.
Back to the theater - ran the show, got them loaded out and I was done by 9. Yay! I got home and helped mom with television (I am thinking of buying the NCIS dvds for her - she has loved the Doc Martin ones but I think she is about burned out on them...) and played a bit before falling into bed and snoring. Loudly.
Only to get up again this morning and head back in to work. We had work crew coming, I was supposed to meet with a volunteer, the copier was to be moved and the first meeting of a newly reconstituted (just add fresh meat) film committee was happening. First off, I had no clear idea what I was going to do with the work crew - luckily there were only three kids today, so that made life easier. And Vicki is good about figuring out what to do. They did help with the copier move by carrying a table or two and some other stuff around. Yay. Unfortunately, the copier move was not clearly communicated. I didn't realize that we were responsible for connecting the copier to the internet - getting a cable etc. And I thought the movers would make sure that all of our people could print to the copier. Nope. So, I will have to figure that out. Yippee! I also had to climb around in a part of the Smith that I hadn't climbed around in before to get the old cable out to use in the new location of the printer. Fun-like.
Got that all done just in time for the Film meeting. Luckily, my volunteer canceled. Huzzuh! The film committee meeting went well. Next step - some mission statements are being drafted after our discussions.
And now I am at home, trying to catch up on blogging and correspondence. Sigh. All too soon it will be time to think about dinner. And I could use a nap. And someone to snuggle with during that nap...
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Mastication and Fire Curtain
Eww, mastication. In public. Sometimes I have to watch, sometimes I can avoid watching. Sadly, I can't turn my ears off. Sigh.
My friend asked me to talk a bit more about he fire curtain - or as it is called, a safety curtain. In larger theatres that have proscenium arches, there used to be a large fire hazard on stage. Gas lighting, and then early electric lighting was fraught with possibilities for starting a blaze. A curtain was rigged to close off the stage from the auditorium in case of a fire breaking out - allowing the patrons to escape. In the old days, these were often made of asbestos, because they were flame retardant. The curtain was sort of like a wall, only made of fabric.
In The Smith's case, our fire curtain was deteriorating. We had to have it replaced. The modern safety curtain that we have is made of Zetex - apparently made from fiberglass. It was a huge job. The new curtain weighs almost twice as much as the old one. It is run electronically - so motors and winches had to be installed. The old smoke pockets weren't large enough to easily accommodate the track into which the curtain was to be set, so they had to be removed - large pieces of steel reaching from the stage to the grid - about 60 feet worth! Then new ones had to be installed! Add to this all the wiring that had to be done. And a manual release system, so that people on either side of the proscenium (Backstage - not front of stage) could pull a handle and have the curtain lower. Not a small job!
I just got a call saying they were done. Yippee! I am heading down there in a few minutes to lock up and will get training tomorrow. Even cooler, in my book, is that I found out that it is ok to paint on the fabric, as long as we use fire retardant paint. Huzzuh!
My friend asked me to talk a bit more about he fire curtain - or as it is called, a safety curtain. In larger theatres that have proscenium arches, there used to be a large fire hazard on stage. Gas lighting, and then early electric lighting was fraught with possibilities for starting a blaze. A curtain was rigged to close off the stage from the auditorium in case of a fire breaking out - allowing the patrons to escape. In the old days, these were often made of asbestos, because they were flame retardant. The curtain was sort of like a wall, only made of fabric.
In The Smith's case, our fire curtain was deteriorating. We had to have it replaced. The modern safety curtain that we have is made of Zetex - apparently made from fiberglass. It was a huge job. The new curtain weighs almost twice as much as the old one. It is run electronically - so motors and winches had to be installed. The old smoke pockets weren't large enough to easily accommodate the track into which the curtain was to be set, so they had to be removed - large pieces of steel reaching from the stage to the grid - about 60 feet worth! Then new ones had to be installed! Add to this all the wiring that had to be done. And a manual release system, so that people on either side of the proscenium (Backstage - not front of stage) could pull a handle and have the curtain lower. Not a small job!
I just got a call saying they were done. Yippee! I am heading down there in a few minutes to lock up and will get training tomorrow. Even cooler, in my book, is that I found out that it is ok to paint on the fabric, as long as we use fire retardant paint. Huzzuh!
Friday, September 27, 2013
Michael J. Fox is my age
Just sayin'! Anyway, I watched his new sitcom on TV last night and it made me sad for some reason. He was fine, the characters and set-up are fine. It just made me sad. And I don't think I will watch it again. Partly because it made me sad. Largely because it is on network tv and I can't stand sitting through the commercials. I mean they really make my skin crawl. I must admit, having an iPad handy does make them a bit more palatable. But still, I would rather not be inundated with them if I don''t have to be.
I went to the Farmer's market yesterday. The pickings were kinda slim. It looked like a third of the vendors weren't there. I think next week is the last week for this particular market. Eeek! Anyway, I looked at several booths and then decided to spend all of my hard earned, hmm, not so hard earned coupon dollars at one. I bought: small seedless grapes - yum city!! - leeks - haven't figured out what to do with them - a cool sweet red/orange banana pepper - some beets - for dinner on Saturday night - some kale - out of which I made baked kale chips that were ok - I need to make them into smaller pieces for mom next time - and five ears of corn which I steamed last night - mom ate two of them! Go her! I am glad, in some ways, that she still has her appetite. And sometimes a sense of humor. Yippee!
We also watched a collection of short Pixar films. I thought they were enjoyable overall - even though I had seen most of them before. I am not sure whether or not mom liked them. I think she did. Mom used to own Pixar stock which became Disney stock which she sold. She used to be a big fan of Pixar but has forgotten all of that. Sigh.
I didn't spend much time at the Smith yesterday. Yippee! And the fire curtain installation is proceeding on the schedule that was last presented to us. Two crews helps a lot! Speaking of the Smith - I get to show Blue Jasmine a few times this weekend. Huzzuh!
I looked into getting tickets to Matilda. There were $50+ of service charges for buying two tickets! Oh my god, no! I have to figure out some other way to get tickets. Maybe Erich would buy them for us and then we could pay him back. Or something. $50 is parking in NY or a lot of other things. Service charges my butt! $2 a ticket - maybe. Even that is stupid. Why are there service charges? What services are they providing? Glarg!
I went to the Farmer's market yesterday. The pickings were kinda slim. It looked like a third of the vendors weren't there. I think next week is the last week for this particular market. Eeek! Anyway, I looked at several booths and then decided to spend all of my hard earned, hmm, not so hard earned coupon dollars at one. I bought: small seedless grapes - yum city!! - leeks - haven't figured out what to do with them - a cool sweet red/orange banana pepper - some beets - for dinner on Saturday night - some kale - out of which I made baked kale chips that were ok - I need to make them into smaller pieces for mom next time - and five ears of corn which I steamed last night - mom ate two of them! Go her! I am glad, in some ways, that she still has her appetite. And sometimes a sense of humor. Yippee!
We also watched a collection of short Pixar films. I thought they were enjoyable overall - even though I had seen most of them before. I am not sure whether or not mom liked them. I think she did. Mom used to own Pixar stock which became Disney stock which she sold. She used to be a big fan of Pixar but has forgotten all of that. Sigh.
I didn't spend much time at the Smith yesterday. Yippee! And the fire curtain installation is proceeding on the schedule that was last presented to us. Two crews helps a lot! Speaking of the Smith - I get to show Blue Jasmine a few times this weekend. Huzzuh!
I looked into getting tickets to Matilda. There were $50+ of service charges for buying two tickets! Oh my god, no! I have to figure out some other way to get tickets. Maybe Erich would buy them for us and then we could pay him back. Or something. $50 is parking in NY or a lot of other things. Service charges my butt! $2 a ticket - maybe. Even that is stupid. Why are there service charges? What services are they providing? Glarg!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
I must admit...
I must admit to being a little stressed out. All this getting up early every day is for the birds! I cannot wait to get back to a more relaxed schedule with the occasional early call. Glarp. And mom is getting on my last nerve and I don't really have any recourse there. True, Juliet has offered a respite in November, which will be very welcome - we just need to figure out the details. I need to figure out what the schedule it at the Smith. I doubt we will do anything that weekend - unless the Nutcracker is coming up around then. Nope, not on the schedule yet. I will check with Kelly. Eventually.
Meanwhile, stuff progresses at The Smith. The riggers are still working on installing the new fire curtain. The electrician popped in and did a little work today and now says that he doesn't know when he will be able to get back to do his bit for the curtain. Sigh. Bruce our volunteer carpenter is working on building storage thing for some lights. And the HVAC people are apparently coming in to finish up the work they started back in June! Yippee!
The other day I watched a video of a recording session of a song done by the Capital Children's Choir from London, England. Good stuff - catch them if you can!
I went out on Tuesday and had a mostly boring evening. I went to Canandaigua to have some wings. They weren't really buffalo style - I will have to see what they have on their list. These were just hot. Not bad, but not awesome either. And it was pretty dead there. Sigh. I guess I will go to Red Dove next Tuesday.
Went to Parker's last night and had a lovely time with Bill, the technical and design person at Hobart. We had drinks and chatted about all sorts of things. It was nice to have a chat with an adult. We might actually do sushi next time!
Ok, too exhausted and, yes, a little stressed out to write more. Though writing this has helped a teeny bit! Yay for public therapy!
Meanwhile, stuff progresses at The Smith. The riggers are still working on installing the new fire curtain. The electrician popped in and did a little work today and now says that he doesn't know when he will be able to get back to do his bit for the curtain. Sigh. Bruce our volunteer carpenter is working on building storage thing for some lights. And the HVAC people are apparently coming in to finish up the work they started back in June! Yippee!
The other day I watched a video of a recording session of a song done by the Capital Children's Choir from London, England. Good stuff - catch them if you can!
I went out on Tuesday and had a mostly boring evening. I went to Canandaigua to have some wings. They weren't really buffalo style - I will have to see what they have on their list. These were just hot. Not bad, but not awesome either. And it was pretty dead there. Sigh. I guess I will go to Red Dove next Tuesday.
Went to Parker's last night and had a lovely time with Bill, the technical and design person at Hobart. We had drinks and chatted about all sorts of things. It was nice to have a chat with an adult. We might actually do sushi next time!
Ok, too exhausted and, yes, a little stressed out to write more. Though writing this has helped a teeny bit! Yay for public therapy!
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Worrying vs. Planning
Most worrying and most planning are equally fruitless. Though it seems that planning is a little less so. And sometimes, planning can help you be prepared for when things take a left turn when a right was expected. For instance, I am going to borrow some light trees from HWS for a ballet in October. And I was going to store them until HWS did a dance performance the next month. Figuring out where and how to store them was taking up some grey matter but I did come up with a couple places and a few questions about space at the Smith. Yay! Then I get a message saying that HWS will need them back after all. So, see, worrying and planning...
Mom is still surprising me. I keep waiting for the next shoe to drop and thankfully it hasn't. Yay! Yesterday she even asked to go to the library! And to New York to see a show! She hasn't asked to do anything like that in a long while. Maybe the heat was debilitating. I don't know. But it is pretty ok by me! She would like tickets to Matilda for Christmas. We will see if we can make that happen. And I hope to get us to the library on Monday or Tuesday.
Things keep percolating along at The Smith. The work has begun to install the new fire curtain. Yay! I didn't realize that they were going to rip the old smoke pockets off and install new ones. Fun, fun, fun! I am hoping that Kate and I will be able to do some more work next Thursday. That would be good. It is our last full week of being closed for a long while. And I can think of six projects right off the top of my head that I would like to get accomplished. The tech cemetery needs neatening - again. The stage right corner under the apron needs cleaning out. The orchestra pit under the apron needs cleaning out. Two closets stage right need cleaning. And a storage space near the dressing rooms needs cleaning out. Yay cleaning other places that aren't my house!
I think I have come to a small realization. It isn't that I am a saver. I am just not good at letting things go. I think they are different mindsets. Similar, but not the same.
Mom is still surprising me. I keep waiting for the next shoe to drop and thankfully it hasn't. Yay! Yesterday she even asked to go to the library! And to New York to see a show! She hasn't asked to do anything like that in a long while. Maybe the heat was debilitating. I don't know. But it is pretty ok by me! She would like tickets to Matilda for Christmas. We will see if we can make that happen. And I hope to get us to the library on Monday or Tuesday.
Things keep percolating along at The Smith. The work has begun to install the new fire curtain. Yay! I didn't realize that they were going to rip the old smoke pockets off and install new ones. Fun, fun, fun! I am hoping that Kate and I will be able to do some more work next Thursday. That would be good. It is our last full week of being closed for a long while. And I can think of six projects right off the top of my head that I would like to get accomplished. The tech cemetery needs neatening - again. The stage right corner under the apron needs cleaning out. The orchestra pit under the apron needs cleaning out. Two closets stage right need cleaning. And a storage space near the dressing rooms needs cleaning out. Yay cleaning other places that aren't my house!
I think I have come to a small realization. It isn't that I am a saver. I am just not good at letting things go. I think they are different mindsets. Similar, but not the same.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Maybe you noticed?
I took yesterday off from the arduous schedule I have given myself in regards to blogging. It wasn't that there wasn't time. There is always time - weird, but most days have just as much time in them as every other day. Anyway, it wasn't a lack of time, it was a lack of mental energy and physical time combined. You all may not realize this, but it takes a decent amount of mental energy to even come up with a boring, nothing filled post. Just think how much a pithy, interesting post takes! The mind boggles (which is a fun game, by the way...)!! So yesterday, since I did work at The Smith a good bit, I just didn't do much in the way of anything blog related.
Speaking of working at the Smith - Kate and I got a lot done! All of the lighting instruments that we can find are now stored in one place. Yay! We tested a lot of instruments and found many that work - some that could easily be repaired and a few that probably could be junked. We emptied out of most of the area under the apron and discovered a bunch of random things under there. Some of which will go away. Some of which was redistributed. We have stored the lighting cable under there for now. We still have two areas under there to go through and that will be one more area touched. Yay!
We also went through the storage area where the extension cords were. Mostly empty now - except for a few hundred (literally - maybe a ton worth when I think about it and do the math - 50 at 46) pounds worth of stage weights. Wow! I guess we might need them one day if a show comes in and has a lot of heavy stuff to fly. Right. Anything is possible. All in all it was a sweaty and productive Smith Day.
And what happened on Wednesday? I couldn't tell you without a lot of thinking - and my thinking cap is in the wash. Actually, I can't remember where it is - and no, it isn't on my head - I already looked.
Speaking of working at the Smith - Kate and I got a lot done! All of the lighting instruments that we can find are now stored in one place. Yay! We tested a lot of instruments and found many that work - some that could easily be repaired and a few that probably could be junked. We emptied out of most of the area under the apron and discovered a bunch of random things under there. Some of which will go away. Some of which was redistributed. We have stored the lighting cable under there for now. We still have two areas under there to go through and that will be one more area touched. Yay!
We also went through the storage area where the extension cords were. Mostly empty now - except for a few hundred (literally - maybe a ton worth when I think about it and do the math - 50 at 46) pounds worth of stage weights. Wow! I guess we might need them one day if a show comes in and has a lot of heavy stuff to fly. Right. Anything is possible. All in all it was a sweaty and productive Smith Day.
And what happened on Wednesday? I couldn't tell you without a lot of thinking - and my thinking cap is in the wash. Actually, I can't remember where it is - and no, it isn't on my head - I already looked.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Another Learningful Day
I learned, to my chagrin, that Abscom wanted to start work at 8. Oops. I thought they had said 9. Oh well, better late than never. The Syracuse Scenery people had said between 9 and 9:30 - which is when they arrived. It was an interesting experience to watch the "containment" wall go up. I couldn't really see the work that was being done on the curtain rigging - it was happening on the grid which is out of sight from the house. Heck, it is hard to see from the stage!
Meanwhile, I was keeping myself busy with various Smith related tasks. First, I contacted our film distributors and started getting my ducks in a row there. We normally preview/screen a given film a few days before it is presented to an audience. Originally, David would sit through the whole film to see if there were any problems. Later, he learned that the film could be run without turning the projector on - and then checking the server log to see if there were any errors. Saves wear and tear on the projector and saves someone from having to sit through the film. I also asked them a technical question, to which I have yet to receive a response.
Another mission was to try to nail down the schedule for the rest of the work being done. There are four parties involved and I had to contact them all multiple times. Fun, fun, fun! (I finally managed to do figure it all out today.)
In other news, I decided I wanted to start working on possibly getting our "cloud" machine functional. I didn't know where to start except for the internet. I put in Cloud Machine and found a picture of something that looked like ours. Turns out we have a Brenograph. Yay! Next step, finding out more about the machine. And finding out how difficult it will be to change the carbon arc illumination to something more modern and safe.
All in all a busy day at the Smith. I was busy doing my stuff while the Abscom people were busy doing theirs. By the end of the day, the curtain was completely in the containment unit awaiting dismantling (which happened today - but more on that tomorrow).
Last night, I watched 50/50 which I thoroughly enjoyed. The lead was a little wimpy for my taste, a nice guy, but that is ok - I kind of identified with him. And I love Anna Kendrick. Seth Rogen appeals oddly. I don't know why. It was funny and poignant. Glad I rented it!
Meanwhile, I was keeping myself busy with various Smith related tasks. First, I contacted our film distributors and started getting my ducks in a row there. We normally preview/screen a given film a few days before it is presented to an audience. Originally, David would sit through the whole film to see if there were any problems. Later, he learned that the film could be run without turning the projector on - and then checking the server log to see if there were any errors. Saves wear and tear on the projector and saves someone from having to sit through the film. I also asked them a technical question, to which I have yet to receive a response.
Another mission was to try to nail down the schedule for the rest of the work being done. There are four parties involved and I had to contact them all multiple times. Fun, fun, fun! (I finally managed to do figure it all out today.)
In other news, I decided I wanted to start working on possibly getting our "cloud" machine functional. I didn't know where to start except for the internet. I put in Cloud Machine and found a picture of something that looked like ours. Turns out we have a Brenograph. Yay! Next step, finding out more about the machine. And finding out how difficult it will be to change the carbon arc illumination to something more modern and safe.
All in all a busy day at the Smith. I was busy doing my stuff while the Abscom people were busy doing theirs. By the end of the day, the curtain was completely in the containment unit awaiting dismantling (which happened today - but more on that tomorrow).
Last night, I watched 50/50 which I thoroughly enjoyed. The lead was a little wimpy for my taste, a nice guy, but that is ok - I kind of identified with him. And I love Anna Kendrick. Seth Rogen appeals oddly. I don't know why. It was funny and poignant. Glad I rented it!
Friday, September 6, 2013
Late post full of Wonders!
Sorry, it was an early morning for me - more on that tomorrow. But why
don't people realize that I can do more if I am awake than when I am
still half asleep. Hmm...
Here is a thought that I keep having and wanted to share: Racism (here on Earth) (and maybe bigotry, though I think that one is tougher) might only end when we find actual aliens from another planet and realize that we all here have a lot more in common than we do with them...
I finally broke down and bought honest to goodness Bandaid brand bandages. The others just don't seem to work as well for some reason. And mom needs and deserves bandages that work! Yay!
Work at the Smith continues. Kate and I spent four hours there yesterday working out more of what is where and how things have been cludged together. I think I have a handle on what is working, what is not, what is where and why - for the most part. We discovered two more instruments that have burned out lamps. We got the remote control for the lighting board figured out again. We got a couple of instruments relamped. Tested 30 instruments and found some working ones - stored the bulk of the lighting instruments in a space that isn't used very frequently, and cleaned up the stage in preparation for the removal of the fire curtain. Yippee! Long day - lots of exercise and lots of accomplishment. I like it like that.
Mom and I watched Oz the Great and Powerful last night. Overall I liked it. Sadly, I didn't love it. Mom, despite it not being anything she really understood, liked bits of it. Her phrase that she uttered several times during the movie was - "I hope little kids don't watch this movie" meaning that it was scary for her (and for kids) in some places. I didn't find it that scary. I didn't like the lead actor at all. Maybe I wasn't supposed to. I didn't like his acting. He actually made me cringe a little. I also thought Mila Kunis was did decently until she turned green (yes that was a spoiler). All in all, decent, not great. I did add Mary Poppins and The Lone Ranger (when it is released on DVD) to my Netflix cue.
Here is a thought that I keep having and wanted to share: Racism (here on Earth) (and maybe bigotry, though I think that one is tougher) might only end when we find actual aliens from another planet and realize that we all here have a lot more in common than we do with them...
I finally broke down and bought honest to goodness Bandaid brand bandages. The others just don't seem to work as well for some reason. And mom needs and deserves bandages that work! Yay!
Work at the Smith continues. Kate and I spent four hours there yesterday working out more of what is where and how things have been cludged together. I think I have a handle on what is working, what is not, what is where and why - for the most part. We discovered two more instruments that have burned out lamps. We got the remote control for the lighting board figured out again. We got a couple of instruments relamped. Tested 30 instruments and found some working ones - stored the bulk of the lighting instruments in a space that isn't used very frequently, and cleaned up the stage in preparation for the removal of the fire curtain. Yippee! Long day - lots of exercise and lots of accomplishment. I like it like that.
Mom and I watched Oz the Great and Powerful last night. Overall I liked it. Sadly, I didn't love it. Mom, despite it not being anything she really understood, liked bits of it. Her phrase that she uttered several times during the movie was - "I hope little kids don't watch this movie" meaning that it was scary for her (and for kids) in some places. I didn't find it that scary. I didn't like the lead actor at all. Maybe I wasn't supposed to. I didn't like his acting. He actually made me cringe a little. I also thought Mila Kunis was did decently until she turned green (yes that was a spoiler). All in all, decent, not great. I did add Mary Poppins and The Lone Ranger (when it is released on DVD) to my Netflix cue.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Learned a butt load!
What an odd phrase - "butt load." I use that and variations on that a good bit now and again. And yesterday I was schooled (in a good way). I had a meeting with the two main parties going to do some work at The Smith next week. I am glad that they were able to meet face to face as a realization was had - each thought the other was responsible for an important part of the task! Eeeek! I think it all got resolved to everyone's satisfaction and the work will still take place early next week. Yippee!
That wasn't what I learned. Sure I learned some stuff during that conversation, but the important stuff happened after the communication snafu was discovered. I learned a) how to put on the harness for going up on the grid, something I plan to do at some point in the future, b) that what I call electrics, lighting installation people call connector strips and c) that it will be possible to maybe fix at least one of the broken circuits fairly easily. That would be nifty indeed! Yay! I am so excitimacated (thank you George Bush satirizers for that word)!
When did it become difficult to get pictures off of my camera and onto my computer? It used to be so easy - yes, my computer is old and the software is out of date - but still, it should be fairly simple to get the photos into iPhoto still. Shouldn't it? Grrrr. It seems like I have to restart the computer each time I want to upload pictures to the silly application. Poo! Well, at least they are there now. Safely ensconced on my computer, never to see the light of day again...
Just kidding - here are a few pictures:
Wow, I have missed having pictures in this blog. No, I am not going to start doing it again - see the above paragraph.
I think Fall is coming. Yippee?
That wasn't what I learned. Sure I learned some stuff during that conversation, but the important stuff happened after the communication snafu was discovered. I learned a) how to put on the harness for going up on the grid, something I plan to do at some point in the future, b) that what I call electrics, lighting installation people call connector strips and c) that it will be possible to maybe fix at least one of the broken circuits fairly easily. That would be nifty indeed! Yay! I am so excitimacated (thank you George Bush satirizers for that word)!
When did it become difficult to get pictures off of my camera and onto my computer? It used to be so easy - yes, my computer is old and the software is out of date - but still, it should be fairly simple to get the photos into iPhoto still. Shouldn't it? Grrrr. It seems like I have to restart the computer each time I want to upload pictures to the silly application. Poo! Well, at least they are there now. Safely ensconced on my computer, never to see the light of day again...
Just kidding - here are a few pictures:
 |
| A not so great picture of the fire curtain that is being replaced |
 |
| Close up of the corner |
 |
| Fuzzy front of harness |
 |
| Fuzzy back of harness |
I think Fall is coming. Yippee?
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Topical Tuesday
We are thinking of instituting a Topical Tuesday movie series at the Smith. The idea is to show movies that are thought/discussion provoking. Maybe show them on alternate weeks. Wednesdays, again on alternate weeks, we are going to run movies that are interesting cinematically but not necessarily large audience draws. Any ideas for a catchy name for our Wednesday movie series would be appreciated and entertained (maybe a glass of water - champagne is soooo expensive...). (Whacky Wednesday is off the table!)
That is part of what I did on Monday, a staff meeting at The Smith. I also met with a man (Mark) who works with the Dance Department at Hobart and William Smith about a fall dance concert that they are going to present at The Smith rather than at the Winn-Seeley gym as they have done forever in the past. I think he was anxious at first, but got more relaxed after we had chatted for a while.
Lastly, I spent a little time going through a large collected stack of CD/DVDs. Many people create them for an event presented at the Smith. I think there were four or five years of senior slide shows from Geneva High School in that pile. Mainly I was trying to find anything that we can use for music before movies and plan to let go of all of the stuff that has been abandoned there. Goodness knows we don't need them when the show that they were for happened 5 years ago! Or longer! I think I am going to like working as the Technical Manager of the Smith. Now I just have to decide if I want to always capitalize "The" or not. Hmmm...
Mom had Jenny the aide and was a bit cantankerous until she got her food. Mom ate a lot yesterday. Dinner was chicken and corn and broccoli - after that she had at least one fiber bar and ice cream. I have to remain happy that she has an appetite! She watched Shall We Dance again last night. She really doesn't like Swing Time and Shall We Dance all that much. I will put them at the bottom of the rotation. I like them both and don't understand what she doesn't like about them. It could just be Alzheimer's. (When in doubt, blame it on the disease.)
You may be wondering what excitement transpired on Sunday. I am wondering that, also. If anyone has any idea, please write and tell me!
That is part of what I did on Monday, a staff meeting at The Smith. I also met with a man (Mark) who works with the Dance Department at Hobart and William Smith about a fall dance concert that they are going to present at The Smith rather than at the Winn-Seeley gym as they have done forever in the past. I think he was anxious at first, but got more relaxed after we had chatted for a while.
Lastly, I spent a little time going through a large collected stack of CD/DVDs. Many people create them for an event presented at the Smith. I think there were four or five years of senior slide shows from Geneva High School in that pile. Mainly I was trying to find anything that we can use for music before movies and plan to let go of all of the stuff that has been abandoned there. Goodness knows we don't need them when the show that they were for happened 5 years ago! Or longer! I think I am going to like working as the Technical Manager of the Smith. Now I just have to decide if I want to always capitalize "The" or not. Hmmm...
Mom had Jenny the aide and was a bit cantankerous until she got her food. Mom ate a lot yesterday. Dinner was chicken and corn and broccoli - after that she had at least one fiber bar and ice cream. I have to remain happy that she has an appetite! She watched Shall We Dance again last night. She really doesn't like Swing Time and Shall We Dance all that much. I will put them at the bottom of the rotation. I like them both and don't understand what she doesn't like about them. It could just be Alzheimer's. (When in doubt, blame it on the disease.)
You may be wondering what excitement transpired on Sunday. I am wondering that, also. If anyone has any idea, please write and tell me!
Friday, August 23, 2013
Short but to the point post
Part of the yesterday's excitement was visiting the Geneva Community Center where the Smith is sort of helping to put on movies. I don't understand how this came to be, but I am happy to help out. The space is still the black box theatre it was last time I visited. I did, though, learn about where the light switches were! Yay!
Yesterday was also the last day of service at the Leaf Kitchen. I went and had a few beers to show solidarity. I don't think Tatiana got the turnout she was hoping for, but it seemed to be picking up as I left to head home and make dinner for mom.
I watched Safe House last night which starred Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington. I was tired, but it kept my attention, which is a good thing. Overall I enjoyed it - not great, but entertaining. I like Ryan Reynolds. And there wasn't a whole lot of dialogue. I don't want to give it away, but the good guys won!
Today I get to start work on the first wedding I am helping with at The Smith. Yippee!
Yes - short post - got up late and have to head off to work.
Yesterday was also the last day of service at the Leaf Kitchen. I went and had a few beers to show solidarity. I don't think Tatiana got the turnout she was hoping for, but it seemed to be picking up as I left to head home and make dinner for mom.
I watched Safe House last night which starred Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington. I was tired, but it kept my attention, which is a good thing. Overall I enjoyed it - not great, but entertaining. I like Ryan Reynolds. And there wasn't a whole lot of dialogue. I don't want to give it away, but the good guys won!
Today I get to start work on the first wedding I am helping with at The Smith. Yippee!
Yes - short post - got up late and have to head off to work.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Media-tastic Day
Yesterday was a media-rich day. The first media event was live theatre! Yay live theatre! Two local theatre groups got together and mounted an ambitious production of Guys and Dolls and presented it at the Smith. I got mom up and dressed and to the theatre early. (I must was that sweater she wore - eeek!) She managed pretty well, though her clothes wearing skills were a bit iffy - she kept trying to put one arm through the neck whole of her shirt. That didn't work. Anyway, we got there and sat in the seats that I think are best for her. Since we were there really early, we watched the cast wander around and do some warm-ups before the show began. At 2, with an audience of about 250 (which is great, but looked teeny in that space (holds 1400)) the show began.
Overall, I enjoyed the production. The performances though uneven were enjoyable, the music was decently performed, the sets were great and worked well and the lighting wasn't adequate. Of course there were things I would have done differently, I wouldn't think of myself as a director if there weren't. I think mom enjoyed the show as well. Lots of recognizable music in the piece (which I had forgotten).
A funny note: one of my favorite parts of Guys and Dolls is when Nicely Nicely sings "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat." Mary Flett, I am sure you remember that part. Anyway, I love the music and it has a lot of possibilities for production. Just as the song started, mom needed to go to the bathroom, so I missed most of it. But we made it to the bathroom successfully - which is one of the reasons I picked the seats I picked for her! Yay!
Later, mom and I watched Argo. I thought it was good, not great. Ben Affleck didn't have a lot of dialogue, which helped a lot. That was a scary time for a lot of people - I vaguely remember the whole hostage crisis - but not the bit about the six people being rescued. The main thing I remember was the disastrous attempt to try to mount a rescue and the helicopters malfunctioning or crashing or some such. Anyway, the movie was a little too confusing for mom, but I think she managed to eek out a little bit of enjoyment from it, which is always a good thing.
We have a doctor's appointment this week with Dr. Ryan. Yippee!
Overall, I enjoyed the production. The performances though uneven were enjoyable, the music was decently performed, the sets were great and worked well and the lighting wasn't adequate. Of course there were things I would have done differently, I wouldn't think of myself as a director if there weren't. I think mom enjoyed the show as well. Lots of recognizable music in the piece (which I had forgotten).
A funny note: one of my favorite parts of Guys and Dolls is when Nicely Nicely sings "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat." Mary Flett, I am sure you remember that part. Anyway, I love the music and it has a lot of possibilities for production. Just as the song started, mom needed to go to the bathroom, so I missed most of it. But we made it to the bathroom successfully - which is one of the reasons I picked the seats I picked for her! Yay!
Later, mom and I watched Argo. I thought it was good, not great. Ben Affleck didn't have a lot of dialogue, which helped a lot. That was a scary time for a lot of people - I vaguely remember the whole hostage crisis - but not the bit about the six people being rescued. The main thing I remember was the disastrous attempt to try to mount a rescue and the helicopters malfunctioning or crashing or some such. Anyway, the movie was a little too confusing for mom, but I think she managed to eek out a little bit of enjoyment from it, which is always a good thing.
We have a doctor's appointment this week with Dr. Ryan. Yippee!
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Crazy times at the Smith Box Office
Opening night of another show at the Smith. Guys and Dolls was pretty well attended. A lot of people, though, wanted to get their tickets right before the show. Good thing that there were two of us - and then three of us - working the Box Office. I had just learned the system that day. Matt, my coworker has been using the system for months. We rocked it. And with Kelly helping to make change, things went pretty smoothly! Yay! The tough part was that I was there way too long - from 4 till past 8. Hopefully I won't be needed for that time frame again. It made it hard to get mom food.
When I got out, I went to Parker's to get mom a fish sandwich dinner. Sadly, they were out of their fried fish. Poo, even. I left and finally, after a little mental waffling, opted to get food from Friendly's for her instead. I got her the fish platter and ended up eating a little of it myself. Mom, when I got home, was all set to go to bed (at 8:30 pm). She had had her ice cream and was winding down. Interesting how her sense of time is so terrible. Anyway, she was excited to eat. When she is no longer excited to eat, that will be a pretty good sign that she is ready to go. So far, not nearly ready!
After dinner, we had a movie night - Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Follow the Fleet. This might be one of my favorite of the Fred and Ginger movies. They are cute in it together as if they actually might like each other, unlike in others of their movies. (I don't get a lot of "chemistry" from them - more brother and sister than lovers.) There is a number where they are making "mistakes" that result in collisions and such. Mom didn't like it. I thought it creative and entertaining. All in all, I enjoyed the movie.
Other than that, my left shoulder is really sore for some reason. Probably user error.
When I got out, I went to Parker's to get mom a fish sandwich dinner. Sadly, they were out of their fried fish. Poo, even. I left and finally, after a little mental waffling, opted to get food from Friendly's for her instead. I got her the fish platter and ended up eating a little of it myself. Mom, when I got home, was all set to go to bed (at 8:30 pm). She had had her ice cream and was winding down. Interesting how her sense of time is so terrible. Anyway, she was excited to eat. When she is no longer excited to eat, that will be a pretty good sign that she is ready to go. So far, not nearly ready!
After dinner, we had a movie night - Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Follow the Fleet. This might be one of my favorite of the Fred and Ginger movies. They are cute in it together as if they actually might like each other, unlike in others of their movies. (I don't get a lot of "chemistry" from them - more brother and sister than lovers.) There is a number where they are making "mistakes" that result in collisions and such. Mom didn't like it. I thought it creative and entertaining. All in all, I enjoyed the movie.
Other than that, my left shoulder is really sore for some reason. Probably user error.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
We lost! Sniff, sniff
We lost in the championships of trivia. Not even a place in the top five! Grrr. And there were no country music questions to blame it on. And I think we got both of the sports questions correct (Thank you Sarah!!) Still, a good time was had by many, many people. Over a hundred people participated in the event. Many more than the bar was prepared for on a Monday night. It did take me a good long while to get my first (but not only) beer of the evening. And the beautiful town of Waterloo NY got explored. True, we did end up right where we started, but it was nice to have a little walk about in downtown Waterloo.
I need to figure out, quickly, when my mom and I are going to go see Guys and Dolls. Not really sure I am dying to see it. Still, it would be good for mom to get out and about. I don't know that she has been out in a while. I went in to the Smith twice yesterday. Once for the staff meeting and once to do a little work - removing the steps - easy peasy - and getting sound down into the dressing rooms - not so easy - luckily David knew how to do it. I will have to see if I can retrace what he did so that I can do it as well. I think we need to buy a few more cord adapters to make life easier and more streamlined.
What other excitement did yesterday entail? Dinner was fairly tasty - asparagus, corn on the cob, friend rice with peppers and onions and a bit of pork from the freezer. Trying to use up what's in there. Oh and it was a Jenny day! I wasn't around for her whole time, but apparently she did a good cleaning of mom's nesting area near the television in the living room. That could be done more often and I wouldn't be upset about it!
Happy Tuesday!
I need to figure out, quickly, when my mom and I are going to go see Guys and Dolls. Not really sure I am dying to see it. Still, it would be good for mom to get out and about. I don't know that she has been out in a while. I went in to the Smith twice yesterday. Once for the staff meeting and once to do a little work - removing the steps - easy peasy - and getting sound down into the dressing rooms - not so easy - luckily David knew how to do it. I will have to see if I can retrace what he did so that I can do it as well. I think we need to buy a few more cord adapters to make life easier and more streamlined.
What other excitement did yesterday entail? Dinner was fairly tasty - asparagus, corn on the cob, friend rice with peppers and onions and a bit of pork from the freezer. Trying to use up what's in there. Oh and it was a Jenny day! I wasn't around for her whole time, but apparently she did a good cleaning of mom's nesting area near the television in the living room. That could be done more often and I wouldn't be upset about it!
Happy Tuesday!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Sometimes one just has to laugh
I choose to think of this event, in retrospective (I mean this in the sense of observing something in the past with perspective - heck, maybe that's what the word really means...), as funny. I was working at the Smith for an event - more on that later - and wanted to also maintain contact with mom and get her in her zone - watching BBC news and such. So I called her and warned her about half an hour before the show started. I called again at 6, which is when the BBC begins to check in. Well, she couldn't figure out how to turn on the TV. I tried walking her through it - from getting the remotes - she was confused and thought that the phone and the TV were somehow the same thing - she kept telling me "it" said "in use." Took me a while before I realized she was talking about the phone and not the television. (Which is terebi in Japanese - the weird things we remember...) Anyway, she couldn't get the remote - or any remote - to work on the TV. I was working, so I told her to forget about it (hahahahahaha) and to read her book instead and I would fix things when I got home. Well, I got home and found that the correct remote was not anywhere to be easily found. She had found two remotes - one for the blueray player and one for the stereo. Obviously neither of those would have ever worked to turn the television on. I tore the living room apart looking for the third remote. Nothing. Nada. Rien, even. Then I had an epiphany-let and sure enough, the remote, according to mom, had walked upstairs to her bedroom all on its own! Wow, what a clever remote! Are we laughing yet?
I was at the Smith for a longish while yesterday. We had a kick-off event to some sort of fundraising. Yay! (Ok, I know more about it - just not going to talk about it). I went early so that I could help Kelly to feel more comfortable and supported. Good thing I did. The stage needed some re-arranging so that we could make it presentable for the presentation portion of the program and to be able to bring the movie screen in. Lights needed to be focused - which I did - on the podium - which I had forgotten I had put behind a big door - but David found (because that is where he has often stashed the podium) and sound needed to be finished setting up and tested - Amp on last and off first - have to remember that! And there were also sundry other things to take care of. Table and chairs for an acting bit - and to top it off, we had to work to get a nifty presentation, made by one of the staffers operational. The laptop we use to present things has an outdated version of Powerpoint on it. So we used another staffer's mac laptop. I am not a Keynote expert - so getting things to work took a bit of mental sweat. Sigh. But eventually everything came together - as it often does in a production - and life was beautiful.
Last night was movie night at Chez Schoen-René and we watched Warm Bodies. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be - many of the best bits had already been shown in the trailers. Still, it was fun. Mom said she was going to have nightmares - let's hope that isn't/wasn't the case.
I was at the Smith for a longish while yesterday. We had a kick-off event to some sort of fundraising. Yay! (Ok, I know more about it - just not going to talk about it). I went early so that I could help Kelly to feel more comfortable and supported. Good thing I did. The stage needed some re-arranging so that we could make it presentable for the presentation portion of the program and to be able to bring the movie screen in. Lights needed to be focused - which I did - on the podium - which I had forgotten I had put behind a big door - but David found (because that is where he has often stashed the podium) and sound needed to be finished setting up and tested - Amp on last and off first - have to remember that! And there were also sundry other things to take care of. Table and chairs for an acting bit - and to top it off, we had to work to get a nifty presentation, made by one of the staffers operational. The laptop we use to present things has an outdated version of Powerpoint on it. So we used another staffer's mac laptop. I am not a Keynote expert - so getting things to work took a bit of mental sweat. Sigh. But eventually everything came together - as it often does in a production - and life was beautiful.
Last night was movie night at Chez Schoen-René and we watched Warm Bodies. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be - many of the best bits had already been shown in the trailers. Still, it was fun. Mom said she was going to have nightmares - let's hope that isn't/wasn't the case.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Shuffled off...
Yes, I shuffled off to Buffalo last night. A friend offered to go to Anchor Bar with me to try the original wings. Glad I went. I have never really spent much time in Buffalo, thinking it was far from Geneva. It really isn't, in the greater scope of things. 1:40 to downtown, door-to-door, I think. Not even going too much over the speed limit. Anyway, Anchor Bar was fun. Then we went and caught the end of Measure for Measure done country style by an outdoor Shakespeare company. Fun! Lastly, I got a driving tour of that part of Buffalo! Yay!
I was curious how big the city was, population-wise. I always thought it was twice as big as Rochester and Syracuse. And it might have been, once upon a time. Sadly, it has shrunk tremendously. I do hope that as the weather gets hotter, more people will move back up into these great northern cities. Well, a lot of coastal cities will become uninhabitable, so...
On a completely different front, there are things that I would like to do that I am not doing. I know I will do them eventually (or not) but still...Top of the list, count my change. I normally do this every six months (as some of you know from reading this blog that long)(really? - Yes, really, I have been doing this blog for more than a year. I think...) in June and January. Heck, it is almost August. (Every time I type August, my fingers type Augustus with out me being aware of it until too late...) I also want to do more books - add them to my database, that is. Then again, I am trying to figure out if there is a way to export the list from there in case I want to manipulate the data in some fashion. Hmm. And do laundry - which is actually the lowest thing on my wish list - but high on my actually might get done, list. And mom is threatening that she will go with me. Might be good for her to get out. And I could make her do some actual work! Sit back and have her load the washer and transfer the clothes to the dryer. I could relax, maybe do my nails and read a good romance novel...(Is that an oxymoron?)
I was curious how big the city was, population-wise. I always thought it was twice as big as Rochester and Syracuse. And it might have been, once upon a time. Sadly, it has shrunk tremendously. I do hope that as the weather gets hotter, more people will move back up into these great northern cities. Well, a lot of coastal cities will become uninhabitable, so...
On a completely different front, there are things that I would like to do that I am not doing. I know I will do them eventually (or not) but still...Top of the list, count my change. I normally do this every six months (as some of you know from reading this blog that long)(really? - Yes, really, I have been doing this blog for more than a year. I think...) in June and January. Heck, it is almost August. (Every time I type August, my fingers type Augustus with out me being aware of it until too late...) I also want to do more books - add them to my database, that is. Then again, I am trying to figure out if there is a way to export the list from there in case I want to manipulate the data in some fashion. Hmm. And do laundry - which is actually the lowest thing on my wish list - but high on my actually might get done, list. And mom is threatening that she will go with me. Might be good for her to get out. And I could make her do some actual work! Sit back and have her load the washer and transfer the clothes to the dryer. I could relax, maybe do my nails and read a good romance novel...(Is that an oxymoron?)
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Less Miserables
Last night was movie night, here at Chez Schoen-René. The movie was Les Miserables - the movie of the musical of the book by the same name. I am glad I watched it - but I was underwhelmed. Maybe it was more overwhelming in the movie theatre. I know that I enjoyed the live production of it I saw - I think it was a touring company in Rochester a long while ago. Part of it is the music - there are really only about three different themes in the whole show. Part of it was that I don't really like the story that much. Not sure why. All the death perhaps? Or the amazing coincidences. Whatever. And it didn't help that mom asked me (after about an hour of silence) who people were all the time. I think by the very end of the movie she figured out which was Jean ValJean. Hurrah for small blessings.
I spent a lot of the day yesterday at The Smith - helping clean out the projection booth - which has needed it in a big way for at least a few years. There is satisfaction in making a place that looked jumbled and messy look like it is organized and clean. It took a little longer than I had envisioned, but that is the way of things sometimes.
Today was partly a Smith day too. We had a meeting about the new air conditioning system that was recently installed. After that we did a little tour of the space looking to see in what condition the contractors had left the spaces. Overall, they left them pretty neat! Yay!
I feel dull today. I posted a response to a challenge on Daily Challenge and so far, not one person has commented on it. Sigh.
Wow, and this sure is a dull post. I will do differently tomorrow. Promise!
I spent a lot of the day yesterday at The Smith - helping clean out the projection booth - which has needed it in a big way for at least a few years. There is satisfaction in making a place that looked jumbled and messy look like it is organized and clean. It took a little longer than I had envisioned, but that is the way of things sometimes.
Today was partly a Smith day too. We had a meeting about the new air conditioning system that was recently installed. After that we did a little tour of the space looking to see in what condition the contractors had left the spaces. Overall, they left them pretty neat! Yay!
I feel dull today. I posted a response to a challenge on Daily Challenge and so far, not one person has commented on it. Sigh.
Wow, and this sure is a dull post. I will do differently tomorrow. Promise!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
One down, one to go
Last night was opening night for the opera. Sadly, there were not very many people in the audience. Happily, the show went pretty well. There were a couple of mistakes. One late curtain. One forgotten hatstand. And one forgotten bench. Luckily the last one was the actors' fault and not the stage crew's fault. I also had the added difficulty of having to run from backstage to the Mezzanine, set up a quick exception in the HVAC system to turn the air conditioning on again and then back to continue resetting the stage for the next act.
The performers came alive on show night. All four of the leads did a great job. And the chorus really came together. No, I am not forgetting Garsevan, who did a funny job as the notary. I am happy to be associated with this production!
After the show, we were all treated to an Indian meal at the restaurant across the street from the Smith: Pure. I had some beef dish that was a smidge spicier than was comfortable, but I struggled through it. Happily.
Other than that, not a lot of interest occurred. I think I got up, made mom lunch and puttered around while waiting to head to the theatre.
One performance down, one to go!
The performers came alive on show night. All four of the leads did a great job. And the chorus really came together. No, I am not forgetting Garsevan, who did a funny job as the notary. I am happy to be associated with this production!
After the show, we were all treated to an Indian meal at the restaurant across the street from the Smith: Pure. I had some beef dish that was a smidge spicier than was comfortable, but I struggled through it. Happily.
Other than that, not a lot of interest occurred. I think I got up, made mom lunch and puttered around while waiting to head to the theatre.
One performance down, one to go!
Monday, July 15, 2013
Brain Doubly tired now...
I just wrote a decent post - not great or anything, but decent. I hit save. It seemed to save. But each time I hit publish, nothing happened - well, not what was supposed to happen. So I hit save again and then left the page to see if I could figure out what was going on. Well, I figured out what wasn't going on. My post wasn't being saved. Sigh. So, let's start again, shall we? Joy and Rapture.
I haven't been able to focus on much except for the opera just now. It is very time consuming, enervating and takes over my life a bit. As does any show, actually. I think it is hard on my mom when I am away as much as I need to be for this production. I am not in her head, but I get the feeling that she feels extra special lonely when she remembers that I am out of the house. I basically drop in a few times a day and then go to bed.
Here is a fairly typical day: starts with rehearsal at 10 which goes until 12. Then when I manage to extricate myself, I head home to create lunch for mom. At 2 rehearsal starts again, so back to the rehearsal space. Rehearsal generally stops at 5. Then I have to zip home again - usually with a shopping trip to Wegman's being required - to make dinner. When I am home I try to give my mom some quality time. Doesn't usually work, but I try. Then around 7 I am supposed to be back at the theatre. Optimally, I would be earlier to each of the rehearsal sessions. But I am also picking up one of my staff - and there is travel time and parking time and such that eats into the time. Suffice it to say that I feel like I have little time for mom or for me recently. Rehearsal ends at 10. Actors may not be called or they might be let out early, I get to go to every rehearsal and stay till the end. Yippee! It makes for a long day.
Mom asks me what I do during all of that time. Not an easy answer, really. In this show I am the stage manager/tech liaison and general dog's body for Al the director. Let's look at today for example - I fixed a piece of furniture, moved a lot of furniture, raised and lowered a lot of drops, helped hang a set piece, unknotted a coil of fishing line, photocopied a prop for the show, and tried to pay attention to what was happening on the stage. Physically demanding, mind tiring, and all around intense work, interspersed with times of doing little. And things change from day to day. Luckily, I really do enjoy doing just about anything related to theatre. My favoritist thing, as I have probably said many times, is direct. Maybe again one day...
One of the upsides to this production, this year I am actually hanging out with some people from the opera after rehearsal. I don't get a lot of adult companionship most of the time here in Geneva. Not that these are dates or anything. Just getting together for a beer and talk. Yay!
All of this is to explain why my brain is tired and I haven't been blogging as awesomefully as I normally do. Your understanding and patience is appreciated!
I haven't been able to focus on much except for the opera just now. It is very time consuming, enervating and takes over my life a bit. As does any show, actually. I think it is hard on my mom when I am away as much as I need to be for this production. I am not in her head, but I get the feeling that she feels extra special lonely when she remembers that I am out of the house. I basically drop in a few times a day and then go to bed.
Here is a fairly typical day: starts with rehearsal at 10 which goes until 12. Then when I manage to extricate myself, I head home to create lunch for mom. At 2 rehearsal starts again, so back to the rehearsal space. Rehearsal generally stops at 5. Then I have to zip home again - usually with a shopping trip to Wegman's being required - to make dinner. When I am home I try to give my mom some quality time. Doesn't usually work, but I try. Then around 7 I am supposed to be back at the theatre. Optimally, I would be earlier to each of the rehearsal sessions. But I am also picking up one of my staff - and there is travel time and parking time and such that eats into the time. Suffice it to say that I feel like I have little time for mom or for me recently. Rehearsal ends at 10. Actors may not be called or they might be let out early, I get to go to every rehearsal and stay till the end. Yippee! It makes for a long day.
Mom asks me what I do during all of that time. Not an easy answer, really. In this show I am the stage manager/tech liaison and general dog's body for Al the director. Let's look at today for example - I fixed a piece of furniture, moved a lot of furniture, raised and lowered a lot of drops, helped hang a set piece, unknotted a coil of fishing line, photocopied a prop for the show, and tried to pay attention to what was happening on the stage. Physically demanding, mind tiring, and all around intense work, interspersed with times of doing little. And things change from day to day. Luckily, I really do enjoy doing just about anything related to theatre. My favoritist thing, as I have probably said many times, is direct. Maybe again one day...
One of the upsides to this production, this year I am actually hanging out with some people from the opera after rehearsal. I don't get a lot of adult companionship most of the time here in Geneva. Not that these are dates or anything. Just getting together for a beer and talk. Yay!
All of this is to explain why my brain is tired and I haven't been blogging as awesomefully as I normally do. Your understanding and patience is appreciated!
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