Show's Over, Please Disperse
2006-05-08, 15:57

Life just keeps coming at ya, don't it?

The show is over, having been put mercifully to sleep. Did the second weekend go horribly? No. Was it fan-freakin'-tastic? Certainly, no. Friday night was the first (and, it was to be, last) time that I really felt like I was feeling the show, feeling like I was interpreting/performing the songs, not just singing them. Sometimes these things just click. Not that it was a perfect performance. I had a couple of minor flubs, but nothing that couldn't be overlooked. Luckily, this was the night the kids came to see the show, so they could see me at my relative best. Both seemed to enjoy it, and The Girl said, "No fair, you were too good." That's her version of a compliment, esteem-issues-based Virgo to esteem-issues-based Virgo. I'll take it. And it was a nice warm-up back into theater for The Boy, who is going to be in a production of The King and I over the summer.

I walked into Saturday's performance in a foul mood, mainly due to a toddler's travel bed that would not stay popped up, and made its way across the room through the air more than once. As we've used the thing a total of about six times before, it should not be broken, and we will be contacting the manufacturer about the ease of assembly. Consequently, I had a very hard time getting into the show. I'm pretty sure that I was off in a few places for the first couple of numbers I was in, including what should have been a pretty two-song crossover duet with the other male singer. It felt terribly strained, and the warmth, the motion, was completely missing. I didn't really get myself into things until 'Mr. Cellophane', where I get to let out a little aggression (at least as how I interpreted it), which proved pretty cathartic. Getting to interact with the audience a little helped, too.

It didn't help that the band was god-awful slow the entire night. When you get used to a certain pace for a song, it really throws you off when that pace changes, especially in front of an audience. I knew we were in trouble overall, when the band didn't even start rehearsals until a week and a half before the show started. They had one night of rehearsal even before we started singing with them, and they didn't even get through the whole show, so they were seeing the second act for the first time while they were playing with us. This is not how things normally go. I hope.

My dad called on Friday to tell me that my grandmother was heading to the hospital. Earlier in the week she'd fallen and bruised herself up a bit, but otherwise seemed okay. Then Friday morning she had some serious pain in her hip, to the point where she couldn't stand. X-rays showed she got a hairline fracture (which they said was surprising, that it was so minor - she's got good bones, thankfully). She went into surgery Saturday morning (which is always scary, especially since she's 80+ years old), and they put in what my dad described as a "lag bolt" in her hip to stabilize the bone so it could (hopefully) heal. Apparently the operation went well, and they were supposed to be getting her up and walking again (under careful supervision, of course) within a day or two. I'm hoping to stop in and see her this afternoon.

I'm nervous, though, that this is going to be the thing that sends her over the edge and into supervised care, which would suck. She's been self-sufficient and living in a retirement community for a long time now, and I'd hate to see her lose that. But there's always that thing with the elderly that sends them down the spiral of health. Here's hoping that this isn't the thing, as she's still got a goodly bit of life in her yet.

It's not just us; other people are starting to notice the intelligence level of our sweet baby girl. We were at Panera last Sunday, and there was a couple sitting near us that, after of course noting her unbearable cuteness, noted after a few moments of observation her smarts. They seemed surprised at how aware of things she was, and that she didn't have that glassy-eyed, "what the heck is going on" look that toddlers usually have. And these were people who used keywords and tones that denoted an at least moderate level of education. I'm just glad that it's not parental bias that's at work in our belief that Laurana is an exceptional child. I don't want to be filling her head with accolades we don't realize that she doesn't deserve. I'm not one of those "every child should get an award" type parents. Participation alone doesn't deserve a ribbon. Where's the incentive to improve? Thank goodness, The Boy and The Girl both agree with this policy. They're actually insulted by 'participation' awards, because it becomes just a thing that you feel like you can' throw away, and that it lessens the importance of real awards. Having intelligent children has its drawbacks (talk about know-it-alls!), but they are far outweighed by the benefits of having kids to be proud of for seeing the world as it is, rather than as the Corprocracy would have them see it. Awareness may age them a little faster, but they'll be much better prepared for the Real World (no, not the TV show).

And now, to end with a meme, suggested by duffiemoon (ha ha, I did better!):

English Genius You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 100% Advanced, and 86% Expert!

You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go! Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it! For the complete Answer Key, visit my blog: http://shortredhead78.blogspot.com/.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on Beginner You scored higher than 99% on Intermediate You scored higher than 99% on Advanced You scored higher than 99% on Expert

Link: The Commonly Confused Words Test written by shortredhead78 on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

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