Dramatis Personae, Updated
Since meeting Beatrice, I've had the great fortune to add a number of additional people into the “supporting cast” of my life. Through the transitive property of dating (and soon marriage), her friends are now my friends and her family are my family. Technically, her family aren't mine yet, but it's all over but for the shouting, so I'll call them mine now. Here's my run-down of who's whom:
Baptista- Beatrice's father and my father-in-law-to-be. Yes, that makes Beatrice Kate, in fact, and me Petruchio, but I'm okay with that. Baptista is a solid, respectable man of means who got where he is through native intelligence, business sense, and work ethic. A doting grandfather. In retirement he and Merryweather live in a lovely house on a golf course and travel widely.
Merryweather- Beatrice's mother and my mother-in-law-to-be. Named after the youngest of the fairy godmothers from Sleeping Beauty. Goodhearted, practical to a near-fault, a perfect hostess and a blissfully happy grandmother. Where Baptista is stoic, Merryweather is expressive. She worked as a math teacher at the high school level for many years, and has the world-weary sense of humor to go with it.
Christoff- Yes, named for the ice-collector in “Frozen.” My brother-in-law-to-be. Good-humored and easygoing. Has his father's work ethic and his mother's expressiveness. An electrician, and infinitely more competent around the house than I am.
Cinderella- Christoff's wife. Named for her skill and dedication as a housewife. Keeps an immaculate home, and provides a loving and supportive environment for La Principesa and Caporushes. Was a sorority sister in college, and has a lot of sisters as a result.
La Principesa- Oldest niece-to-be, daughter of Christoff and Cinderella. As Harry Truman would've called her, “the boss's boss.” Talkative, opinionated, and excitable, just as you would expect a bright 3-year-old to be. It's my goal to turn her into a tomboy; her mother wants her to be a princess.
Caporushes- Younger niece-to-be, not yet old enough to play much part in these chronicles.
Cordelia- Beatrice's closest friend, named for the youngest daughter of mad king, Lear. Cordelia is sharp-witted, highly educated, and we wish she lived closer. She lives in Fountain Valley and works at Disneyland while also acting as a caregiver to her infirm father.
Miss Parker- Named for Dorothy Parker, the writer and member of the Algonquin Round Table. Miss Parker is sarcastic, brash, bighearted, and loyal. While Cordelia is Beatrice's oldest and emotionally closest friend, Miss Parker is her boon companion and best drinking buddy. A dedicated bachelorette, and life of the party.
Those are the major new additions to the cast by way of Beatrice's friends and family. I also have collected a number of work friends, and they need to be introduced, as well:
Gimli- Gimli is the head of the math department at Quartz Rock Secondary. He's actually six feet tall, but has the bluff, jovial, and occasionally bloody-minded character of his literary namesake. He and I are the founding members of the “Refreshment Comittee,” which is our way of making “getting together for a beer after school on Fridays” sound legitimate and professional.
Juno- Juno is the chair of the history department and as such, kind of my boss. She's also my “work spouse,” which means she checks up on me (in all senses of the phrase) at work, and keeps in very close contact with Beatrice. Beatrice, Rowena and I are working on finding her Jupiter. She's an officer in our union, and is kept in a frazzle almost all the time because of having a great many things on her plate.
Rowena- If Juno is my “work spouse,” Rowena is my “work sister.” She is a fellow first-year, teaching sixth grade math and english. She claims the title “queen of the nerds” on a semi-regular basis. Channels Ms. Frizzle, but with more sass. Named for the founder of House Ravenclaw. Engaged to Cedric, a wonderful guy who's teaching high school in Sherwood. Yes, that's a fake name, too.
There are a number of others, but I'll introduce them as they come into entries; for now these will suffice for the major players.
Baptista- Beatrice's father and my father-in-law-to-be. Yes, that makes Beatrice Kate, in fact, and me Petruchio, but I'm okay with that. Baptista is a solid, respectable man of means who got where he is through native intelligence, business sense, and work ethic. A doting grandfather. In retirement he and Merryweather live in a lovely house on a golf course and travel widely.
Merryweather- Beatrice's mother and my mother-in-law-to-be. Named after the youngest of the fairy godmothers from Sleeping Beauty. Goodhearted, practical to a near-fault, a perfect hostess and a blissfully happy grandmother. Where Baptista is stoic, Merryweather is expressive. She worked as a math teacher at the high school level for many years, and has the world-weary sense of humor to go with it.
Christoff- Yes, named for the ice-collector in “Frozen.” My brother-in-law-to-be. Good-humored and easygoing. Has his father's work ethic and his mother's expressiveness. An electrician, and infinitely more competent around the house than I am.
Cinderella- Christoff's wife. Named for her skill and dedication as a housewife. Keeps an immaculate home, and provides a loving and supportive environment for La Principesa and Caporushes. Was a sorority sister in college, and has a lot of sisters as a result.
La Principesa- Oldest niece-to-be, daughter of Christoff and Cinderella. As Harry Truman would've called her, “the boss's boss.” Talkative, opinionated, and excitable, just as you would expect a bright 3-year-old to be. It's my goal to turn her into a tomboy; her mother wants her to be a princess.
Caporushes- Younger niece-to-be, not yet old enough to play much part in these chronicles.
Cordelia- Beatrice's closest friend, named for the youngest daughter of mad king, Lear. Cordelia is sharp-witted, highly educated, and we wish she lived closer. She lives in Fountain Valley and works at Disneyland while also acting as a caregiver to her infirm father.
Miss Parker- Named for Dorothy Parker, the writer and member of the Algonquin Round Table. Miss Parker is sarcastic, brash, bighearted, and loyal. While Cordelia is Beatrice's oldest and emotionally closest friend, Miss Parker is her boon companion and best drinking buddy. A dedicated bachelorette, and life of the party.
Those are the major new additions to the cast by way of Beatrice's friends and family. I also have collected a number of work friends, and they need to be introduced, as well:
Gimli- Gimli is the head of the math department at Quartz Rock Secondary. He's actually six feet tall, but has the bluff, jovial, and occasionally bloody-minded character of his literary namesake. He and I are the founding members of the “Refreshment Comittee,” which is our way of making “getting together for a beer after school on Fridays” sound legitimate and professional.
Juno- Juno is the chair of the history department and as such, kind of my boss. She's also my “work spouse,” which means she checks up on me (in all senses of the phrase) at work, and keeps in very close contact with Beatrice. Beatrice, Rowena and I are working on finding her Jupiter. She's an officer in our union, and is kept in a frazzle almost all the time because of having a great many things on her plate.
Rowena- If Juno is my “work spouse,” Rowena is my “work sister.” She is a fellow first-year, teaching sixth grade math and english. She claims the title “queen of the nerds” on a semi-regular basis. Channels Ms. Frizzle, but with more sass. Named for the founder of House Ravenclaw. Engaged to Cedric, a wonderful guy who's teaching high school in Sherwood. Yes, that's a fake name, too.
There are a number of others, but I'll introduce them as they come into entries; for now these will suffice for the major players.