MY BOGGY BLOG: find your way through the murk

Hot & Fringey

Tonight I was driving home, turned off the A/C and opened the windows. The air felt so cool and smelled spicey after the rain... every plant and tree seemed to pour out a perfume after the much-needed wetness. We've been having a hot summer, and hardly any rain, just heard tonight that we've had 25 days over 90 degrees so far. And it's so humid. Our meager means of house-cooling aren't doing much against this heatwave. Fans and two window a/c units are just making a dent. So even though I cooled off driving home and it did feel so good, now I'm back to sweating!

I was driving home from a Fringe show, the third one I saw today. If you haven't heard of it, many cities around the US and even other countries have what is called a Fringe Festival, which is (here) 11 days of live local theatre-- gutsy, goofy, emotional, experimental, artsy, funny-- you name it, you can find all kinds of theatre during the Fringe. This year I helped out as a volunteer and got some comps to see some shows for free. Even if you don't have any comps, shows are only $12 each. Volunteering and then going around to see several shows has been very fun-- the people associated with the Fringe in this town are all great-- workers and audiences.

Today I saw a wild and wacky show called "Bouffon Glass Menageree," which was a spoof on the Tennesse William play, which was fresh in my mind because we'd seen it at the Guthrie a few months ago. All the characters were turned into Bouffons-- outcasts of society portrayed in an extremely grotesque fashion. For instance, the character playing the sister, Laura, had pale dreadlocked/messy hair, sickly skin, a torn and ripped hospital gown which gaped open to reveal her very gray saggy adult diapers. The performance ran through the play's plot quickly, with screaming insults and audience taunts and perverted humor... and it all worked in a wonderfully clever way! They even pulled a guy from the audience to play Jim, the Gentleman Caller, and that somehow worked too. This is one of those "you have to see it to believe it" experiences.

And I suppose the same could be said about the play I just saw tonight, "The Honeymoon Period Is Officially Over." I had heard how good this show was and that it had received "Best of Fringe" at other festivals, so I made sure to get there early. And that was good because it did sell out. This play was a one-woman show where she portrayed about 20 characters in an ongoing skit about the relationship going sour between a man and a woman. The actress is British and she would play one character in a scene, changing voice and actions and turning her head to show them having a conversation, and she did such a great job that you never got confused as to who was talking. Her sole prop was a piano bench, and she acted out actions and facial expression. She acted out chickens, a cat, a hamster, a peacock and a fire, which were all a part of the story... and it worked so amazingly well. I'm so glad I got to see it!

Now, back to sweating... maybe I'll step outside for a minute to see if it's still cooler and smelling sweet...

What a Week!

The week started pretty well, with sailing lessons for the kids. They complained heartily to be taken away from their indoor activities (video games and computers), out into the BRIGHT SUNLIGHT (ACK! IT BURNS!) to spend two hours in the afternoons from Monday through Thursday learning to sail in sail boats on Lake Harriet. There hasn't been a whole lot going on this summer, so I thought this would be a fun thing to try, and I've never set foot on a sail boat, so I hoped they'd appreciate the experience.

Older son enjoyed it and thought it was cool, while daughter and younger son tolerated it. However, I really had a nice time re-experiencing the joy of this city lake, one of many. I sat by the lake near the concession stand, sipping water and ice tea, and working on the children's fiction book I'm collaborating with someone on. This was my week to really get a good draft completed and work it and rework it. Writing beside the lake was so very pleasant with the sun on my back and th breeze from the lake, the birds stopping by and lots of people to watch. I took a walk there every day too.

Then there was the collapse of the 35W bridge here in Minneapolis on Wednesday night. We were at Minnehaha Falls for a potluck to meet up with some friend of DH's who we hadn't seen in 7 years. Shortly after 6 pm, DH got a call from another friend who was supposed to be on his way. The bridge had collapsed, and he'd walked over and seen it first hand since he works at the University of Minnesota. We were shocked and went into the Sea Salt Cafe at the park to watch the TV. Awful, horribly, terrifying, shocking. We called relatives to let them know we were okay. We came home to 8 messages on our machine, people wanting to know how we were. Including the mother of a friend of mine from back in junior high, who moved to Colorado just before high school. Her mother lives back here now and my old friend had asked her mom to call and make sure I was all right. Wow... people all over the world were concerned for Minneapolis this week!

Older DS and I tried to drive over and see what we could see of the site today. We could drive over the freeway overpass just north of the collapse, but you realy couldn't see much. I did get such a hollow, sad feeling looking southward-- you could tell the bridge just ended in mid-air over there. And having driven over it hundreds of times, knowing it wasn't there and that such a tragic thing had happened, made me want to cry.

But then we march forward. Today my twins turned 16 years old, and we had a low-key day, gave them presents (cool cell phones and other stuff) and then we went out to dinner at The Malt Shop. It felt like a real treat because we haven't been able to go out to eat for quite awhile, with DH still being out of work, ever since June. I know they enjoyed it. Tomorrow we have to clean up around here a lot and we're having a family party for them.

But just thinking about the kids turning 16 is quite shocking in and of itself. I can still zip back in my mind to them as little babies, how it doesn't seem that long ago. It was hard work! But as everyone says, it passes so fast and here we are, with them pretty much mid-way through their teen years, will be juniors in school this year, will be off to college in 2 years. I feel happy and sad about them getting older, all at the same time. Sad to have them grow so far away from those babies, sad to think of them growing up and going away, happy for who they have become and how we can all still have a good time together. They are fun. Annoying at times but fun and smart and thoughtful.

I still have to finish up polishing my draft of my book by Sunday to send to my collaborator, but for now it's mega-cleaning for this party. We often need the spur of a party to get us to clean up around here. And it's time!