Heaven doth with us as we with torches do; not light them for themselves.

I have become all too familiar with torches this summer… We have been without power since Sunday—courtesy of Hurricane Irene. And the stock answer for when it’s coming back is “By Wednesday.”


I know a lot of other folks up and down the East Coast have it way worse than us—trust me. My folks got wiped out in 1989 by Hurricane Hugo when it stalled over St. Croix Island for 12 hours. And that was a Category 5. Don’t mess with Mother Nature. I have a healthy respect for what she is capable of, believe me. I mean, the East Coast had an earthquake last Wednesday and a hurricane on Saturday and Sunday (that included floods and tornadoes.) Dang.

It wouldn’t be so bad if we hadn’t gone through 2 days of no power back in June. And what makes this more frustrating is that once again, everyone around us has power. The exterior lights from the apartments on the hill above shine down and mock us at night. It’s not fair. We’re nice people, we deserve light.

Unfortunately, we will have to toss everything in the fridge—something we can ill afford. And, of course, insurance doesn’t cover stuff like that. Just like no one wanted to cover the TV we had to replace after the electrical explosion. Okay, I get it; this was an “act of god.” And the local power company had to restore power to about 1 million customers. But they brought in 4,000 workers—including people from other parts of the country. Shouldn’t they be able to bang all those restarts out by now?

I’m being a spoiled brat? Okay.

But I miss my electronica. Hell, I miss being able to see my way to the john! My bathroom is in the middle of the apartment, so it is the black hole without electricity. I got those little “tap” lights for us, so we’re walking around the apartment with those.

I’m so bored, I was in bed by 10pm for the last two nights.

And let me tell you, cold showers suck!

And I may run out of clean undies if they don’t get us electricity back soon.

I know I’m directing a show set in the early 1900s, but I really don’t need to live it to do that properly.

Well, let me go see if we can borrow a cup of kilowatts from the neighbors up the hill.

SIDEBAR:



Made a couple of attempts to contact the power company for at least a guesstimate as to when my power would come back. Had to tap dance thru 5 (count ‘me 5) “press this” options only to be left on hold for 6—7 minutes. I had to hang up and get back to work. Can we PLEASE go back to the days when a human being answered your call!!!!!!!!

What Fools These Mortals Be....

Ye Olde Blog Goeth Green Again--re-posting an oldie but a goodie....

 [ this comes to mind because my employer has relaxed the dress code for the summer and I am still surprised at what some folks think is good work attire.]

Seriously, I’m beginning to think no one looks in the mirror any more before they leave the house. Or if they do, they’re completely delusional. The get ups people walk around in. And go to work in!! I remember the days when you wouldn’t dream of leaving the house in anything but your best

[GOD, I'M SOUNDING OLD AND CRANKY. I'm really not.]

Some people seem to have just given up altogether. Now, I am what is politely referred to as Ruebenesque So I try to dress in order to camouflage as many flaws as possible. Sometimes I even succeed. Apparently, I needn’t try so hard; it has become de riguer to “let it all hang out.”

And not just the celebrities who’ve had their lady parts splashed all over the internet because they possibly forgot to do a load of underwear. [I cannot even fathom leaving my apartment-IN A SKIRT NO LESS-without putting undies on. Hello!] Average everyday people are loose among us in some of the most bizarre ensembles. And they think they’re looking fabulous; that’s the scary/sad part.   [8-11= then there are the people who just seem to have given up all together and spend their lives in ratty misshapen sweatpants.]

Now, I don’t want to bring back the days of the hat and gloves people; I just want a little common sense. Somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of your brain there must be a little voice saying “You might want to rethink this.”

LISTEN TO IT!


08-10-11 postscript: I think this post came to mind because the costumers were at my rehearsal tonight and we had an ongoing of assorted 1900s ensembles.     Some good, some not so good.    [the 3 different muted plaids on Editor Webb comes to mind.].    But--we have about half the cast costumed.    OUR TOWN is written to be simply staged, so, other than the wedding dress Emily changes into, everyone will have one costume throughout.    I kinda see the whole thing as one elaborate rehearsal that the audience is peeking in on...

Necessity’s sharp pinch! (King Lear 2.4.231)

As most of you know, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in February (on Valentine’s Day no less!! God has a wicked sense of humor sometimes)



So, for the past 5 months or so, I have had to completely readjust my diet and lifestyle. A huge “pinch,” if you will—but necessary if I want to avoid having to take insulin.


And a host of health problems as well:


                     Retinopathy—which can lead to Blindness


                     Bone and joint issues


                     Kidney failure


                     Heart failure


                     Infections—leading to amputations


                     Oh—and, uh,… DEATH


To name a few….


It’s been a challenge, but I’m trying. Initially I was a very good girl about checking my blood sugars three times a day; but sticking myself with those lancets hurts! Lately I haven’t been as diligent—and I scold myself appropriately. [I do try to remind myself that giving myself insulin shots would be worse….] As a result, I’ve learned that I would suck as an IV drug user…. So there’s a positive, right?


Exercise is recommended, so I’ve been trying to take walks when I can. My sleep issues make me tired most of the time, so this is not always easy for me to accomplish. I’ve tried to at least do a couple of laps around my floor at work—especially since the heat indexes around here have been through the roof this summer. Said heat is also causing the pollen/allergy situation to be a real bitch too. Lots of days with watery eyes and clogged ears. Add to that my bum knee and other aches and pains. And every time I think I might have the money for a gym membership something happens.


[I’m a mess—just take me out back and shoot me.]


On the dietary front, I have been pretty good at watching my carbs. I diligently go for whole grains when I do have a sandwich. And my pasta consumption has been cut by about 80%!! Oh—and this chocoholic must give a couple of shout outs to some folks who are saving my life: Voortman’s for their Fudge Chocolate Chip Sugar-Free cookies, Crystal Light for their zero carb/zero sodium/zero sugar lemonade flavored packets that make my water taste so yummy on a hot day and Trader Joe’s for their low-carb, sugar-free dark chocolate bars…


And their tofu “Cuties” ice cream sandwiches [you really feel like you’re getting ice cream]


I’m learning it is possible to have my treats while still watching my sugar and carb consumption. Cutting out salt/sodium was no biggie because I’d done that years ago. [I find I can’t eat anything that’s too salty now—it tastes weird to me.] And I have done well dining out too. I recently went to dinner with a friend to celebrate our birthdays. I ordered the flounder (stuffed with crabmeat); I had a choice of either fries or rice pilaf with it—and I chose the rice.


I may just beat this sucker gang.

The voice of parents is the voice of gods, for to their children they are heaven's lieutenants.

Okay, so Mom and I have been roomies for about 13 months now…..


And things have been very smooth for the most part, I have to say. We both respect each other and try to give each other space—which is no mean feat in a 2 bedroom apartment. [But those 2 bathrooms are a godsend let me tell you.]

I think it helps that our schedules are very different. Because I have to be at my desk, ready to go by 8am (a real challenge for someone with sleep issues), I try to be in bed between 10:30 and 11. Of course, I may not fall asleep until 1 or later…. Mom, on the other hand is a night owl. She sits up and reads, or writes until 2 or 3 in the morning. Quiet activities that don’t keep me awake—my brain and my aches and pains do that job quite well all by themselves.

We have developed a division of labor for now that’s fair. After all those years of being an independent working gal, Mom is kind of back to “50s Housewife” mode. She does the cooking, shopping and meal planning—which is why I am able to stick to a diabetic diet and have lost about 30 pounds. I do the dishes, help with the laundry and run the vacuum. I also do what heavy lifting I can—we borrow boys for what I can’t do.

Even after all this time, I am still adjusting to having to clue someone else in on my schedule/whereabouts. Ten years by myself, I got used to just coming and going as I pleased. Especially when I’m involved with a show. It is not uncommon for me to go directly from work to the theatre—I do this quite frequently when I am the director. I like the quiet of the empty theatre to collect my thoughts on where I want to take a scene. But now that Mom is planning such lovely dinners, I hate to disappoint her. As opening for OUR TOWN approached though, I will have to skip the luxury of a meal prepared for me. I hope she understands.

The best part of having a roomie though is the fact that my mother cracks me up—she is one funny lady. You never know what’s going to come out of her mouth.