...And Back To Indiana
The only obligation strong enough to drag me from bed this morn was fetching the pups. After two hours of running a circle around the house, running circles in the house, and demanding attention every moment, Ty and Bit have collapsed on the couch to snooze in canine bliss. Dev and I missed the pups so much, we were reduced to approaching random strangers walking their dogs on the street, and begging them to let us just pet the dog--just a quick pet, please!
The production of Romeo and Juliet was outstanding. Special attention was paid to the development of non-kin families, and how the young lovers were set adrift by losing those ties. It was less about teenage love at first sight, and much more about young people seeking a place to belong and a person to belong with. Also layered in were the servants' roles--lines and interactions usually cut, partially or completely, from productions because they seem to distract from the central story. All were kept, and the servants were played by young actors of an age with R & J. Their onstage, background reactions to the story of their age mates, and the dual suicide, provided a deeper generational aspect. Very cool performances.
We spent the next day playing in Santa Barbara, topped off with yet more Italian food. Sunday Dev and I headed to Anaheim, and met queenoftheskies for lunch. Writing talk! Hooray!!
Then two days at Disneyland that managed to exhaust us both utterly. I even made Dev paddle a canoe, and rewarded his willingness with an Indiana Jones hat. (He's a little bummed it's almost 90 today in Indiana, because that means he can't were the hat with his leather jacket. :) We splurged for a lunch in Blue Bayou, the restaurant inside the Pirates ride, because I've always wanted to do that.
Lastly, I amused Dev greatly when we went on the Soaring over California ride. It's mostly a visual experience--some motion and wind effects coupled with an IMAX-type screen. I thought that meant you sat in a seat, like a theater. Actually, that seat hangs from above and your feet dangle in midair. I loved much of it, even though I kept my legs curled under the seat for fear my sandals would fall off. Even though I kept saying, "I would go slower here! I wouldn't go that fast here!" I was much better the second time around, though. I put my sandals in the under-seat bin and kept my eyes open. :-)
Flights home were, thankfully, uneventful. I much prefer the (most often) smooth approach and landing in Indy to the E-ticket ride that is Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Midway.
And now, back to the grind, and the hope it will feel less grind-ish in the coming months. It's been tough to be happy here the last six months, because so much of my heart has already returned to California. But I've decided I'm going to do my best to leave a positive mark on my current community, choosing to build something that is worthwhile rather than simply do what I must to get by. The hope is it'll make the time pass more pleasantly, while at the same time making a difference.
Tomorrow, it's back to writing with a focus. Patricia was wonderfully motivating on that front, and chatting with queenoftheskies was a needed push. The moment I finish the karate book, it's time to give Chant what may well be its final polish.
In wildlife news, I spotted a bald eagle sitting in the stubbled field south of our house, just standing there looking around. It was huge! When we lived on the farm, we'd see them in flight now and then, but I'd never before seen one on the ground.
The production of Romeo and Juliet was outstanding. Special attention was paid to the development of non-kin families, and how the young lovers were set adrift by losing those ties. It was less about teenage love at first sight, and much more about young people seeking a place to belong and a person to belong with. Also layered in were the servants' roles--lines and interactions usually cut, partially or completely, from productions because they seem to distract from the central story. All were kept, and the servants were played by young actors of an age with R & J. Their onstage, background reactions to the story of their age mates, and the dual suicide, provided a deeper generational aspect. Very cool performances.
We spent the next day playing in Santa Barbara, topped off with yet more Italian food. Sunday Dev and I headed to Anaheim, and met queenoftheskies for lunch. Writing talk! Hooray!!
Then two days at Disneyland that managed to exhaust us both utterly. I even made Dev paddle a canoe, and rewarded his willingness with an Indiana Jones hat. (He's a little bummed it's almost 90 today in Indiana, because that means he can't were the hat with his leather jacket. :) We splurged for a lunch in Blue Bayou, the restaurant inside the Pirates ride, because I've always wanted to do that.
Lastly, I amused Dev greatly when we went on the Soaring over California ride. It's mostly a visual experience--some motion and wind effects coupled with an IMAX-type screen. I thought that meant you sat in a seat, like a theater. Actually, that seat hangs from above and your feet dangle in midair. I loved much of it, even though I kept my legs curled under the seat for fear my sandals would fall off. Even though I kept saying, "I would go slower here! I wouldn't go that fast here!" I was much better the second time around, though. I put my sandals in the under-seat bin and kept my eyes open. :-)
Flights home were, thankfully, uneventful. I much prefer the (most often) smooth approach and landing in Indy to the E-ticket ride that is Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Midway.
And now, back to the grind, and the hope it will feel less grind-ish in the coming months. It's been tough to be happy here the last six months, because so much of my heart has already returned to California. But I've decided I'm going to do my best to leave a positive mark on my current community, choosing to build something that is worthwhile rather than simply do what I must to get by. The hope is it'll make the time pass more pleasantly, while at the same time making a difference.
Tomorrow, it's back to writing with a focus. Patricia was wonderfully motivating on that front, and chatting with queenoftheskies was a needed push. The moment I finish the karate book, it's time to give Chant what may well be its final polish.
In wildlife news, I spotted a bald eagle sitting in the stubbled field south of our house, just standing there looking around. It was huge! When we lived on the farm, we'd see them in flight now and then, but I'd never before seen one on the ground.