Random Bits on Columbus Day

Today I left the house to run errands and quickly realized three things: the bank isn't open so I can't deposit any checks, the post office isn't open so I can't overnight a package to my brother, and everyone who works at the bank and post office plus a ton of other people who work god knows where are at the party store shopping for Halloween costumes. Sometimes my timing can be really off. With most of errands unaccomplishable on a bank holiday, and my nerves shot after trying to buy party napkins and plastic champagne glasses while being surrounded by fake cobwebs and screaming witches, I retired to Borders Books for a tea and a glance through the magazines that people had left on my table.

Transitioning back into reality after a vacation is tougher than I remembered. I haven't truly vacationed in so long. I come back into the country only to realize that Republican senators have been making advances on under age boys and Asian despots are testing their nuclear abilities and our country's still being run by a moron...that was nice to forget for a little bit actually. I also just read today that the Army is only meeting its recruitment quota right now because they've lowered their aptitude standards for entrants. Perhaps they think if their grunts are stupid enough, they won't realize what a shit-hole they're stepping into as they step off the planes in the Middle East.

Anyway...I actually went to Borders to pick up a German newspaper to use with my actors this afternoon. I thought Borders used to have this huge wall filled with papers from all over the place and now I couldn't find a single newspaper in the entire store. What happened to that? I couldn't find an Audition News or a Backstage West either. 'Twas very frustrating and I was left reading Real Simple and Esquire, a discordant grouping of magazines sitting on my little table.

I had my first rehearsal for "The Brecht Project" this afternoon. I have a great group of students in this piece. The theater, however, was completely empty save a golf cart when I walked in the door. I had no idea how to proceed with no chairs and tables or ANYTHING to double as a prop or set piece. There weren't even rehearsal cubes. It's crazy to start so completely from scratch; I haven't worked on something that required this type of dealings in quite some time. Opera is so different in its ability to provide immediately. I'm hoping by the end of the week we'll have a good group of stuff to deal with and move around so the kids can start understanding the rhythm of the piece.

My cat has decided he hates the litter box again. John and I don't exactly know what to do. We've moved the litter box to a new location (the one he seems to prefer right now) to see if it is a locational problem, but if it isn't then we're sort of stuck. I love Lucius to death, but he seems to everything he can to make our lives difficult. He sits on his purple pillow on the couch with those big eyes and little white puffy face and I can't help but fall all over myself to help him out, then he walks in his room and poops on the floor. Impossible.

I guess that's it for now. Things are falling back into the swing. Someone asked me the other day if I felt any different now that I'm married and I really don't. It just seems like us, the way we're supposed to be. We grilled tonight and ate dinner together like we always do and the day-to-day stuff continues in this fashion. I love every minute of it.

The pic is of the two of us on the Doolin Pier, looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. The sea was wild that day, the wind cold and blustery. The waves were taller than we were. It was a glorious time to be out on the edge of the world.