I'll go out and make it or steal it or take it, or die

Last Friday - Hamlet . . . the Rest is Silence by Synetic at the Kennedy Center New Family Theatre with Leta, J*, Alan, Rolf. Dinner afterward at Floriana's Mercury Grill.

Last Saturday - Rolf's niece's graduation party day. We made fruit platters in the luau theme, and brought orchid leis from Hawaii, that didn't seem to be worth all the effort. Among the highlights of the day was riding out there in the Jeep with Rolf. His cousin Sherri showed up, and I love her, but don't see her often. An Aunt of Rolf's, that is on his dad's side, Jean, told me to just call her daughter "Cousin", because "we're all family." I never get tired of being loved, I tell ya. Oh - and I called Rolf's dad - "Dad." First time in 25 years. We've been giving him Home Depot gift cards, and we gave him one for Father's Day. But his other kids ratted him out. They'd told us how he loves them, uses them like it's a game, tracking the value, shopping the ads. So, we figured we're pretty much going to be giving them to him for ever right? But as we were leaving the party, Rolf's Mom piped up, and said that it means more work for her; because he likes to go buy stuff for the house, but she's the one who ends up installing it and doing the work. I was sitting in the Jeep, ready to pull away . . most of the immediate family is standing there - and I said "Dad? You better enjoy that card then, because it's the last one." And everybody laughed, including him - but he stopped and looked like he was thinking "Wait a minute. What just happened?" And we laughed all the more as we drove away.

Last Sunday . . . I had to work. I fucked up at work, and I had to go in. It was humiliating, but I got it done (financials), and was out of there by 11. Swung by the house and picked up Rolf and d'Ohgy and went down to see Mom and Dad for Father's day. They'd had their first garden party of the season - this one for the Baptist Senior Fellowship, or whatever they're called. And they were just so delighted that people enjoyed the garden. We're delighted too, because we designed and installed it ourselves, with no hired help, as a gift. This is the first spring where we didn't really do much, they've claimed it as their own and have it under pretty good control. They were aglow with pride and appreciation, as we ate at a table pulled close to the flowering hydrangea.

Then, it was off like to the races to pick up Puck and Memae for a drive in the Jeep out to the True Colors Concert Tour at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Where, during Erasure's brilliant set, Rolf turned to me and said "I'm so glad I'm in my forties, and that I'm with you. Because without you I wouldn't have any fun." We left a moment or too before Cyndi Lauper finished up, because the sound engineering was very bad, and Puck and Memae had disappeared long before. When we got back to the jeep, in front of a backdrop of trees, Memae lay across the back seat with her head over the far side, and Puck, looking much like James Dean, had her leg up on the front fender leaning over on her knee. It seemed to be a very happy picture, curious and beautifully composed in the fading light, but when I made a comment about the "poses" Puck said, yeah, well, this is my livid pose." 'Cause Memae was yakking up the drinks. It really put a damper on a great evening. That, and me being so pissed at the sound engineering that I messed up Rolf's good time, and Rolf thinking I'd been plying Memae with drinks - kind of made for a quiet ride home . . . and a pretty quiet week too.

Tuesday - I hired the Music Director from the last Forever Plaid that I did. He's going to be my vocal coach and accompanist for the summer. I'm getting ready for some big stuff! (Well, big to me.) Then Rolf's friends, his "international shopper" and her husband came over for drinks and to bring us the Moroccan Berber carpet they picked up for us. It's 70 years old, the colors are about perfect. It is obviously hand made in an ethnic family way. It is very exciting.

Wednesday- Leta, Alan and I went to see Souvenir at the Studio Theatre. It was brilliant. It's the life story of Florence Foster Jenkins, who thought she was a great singer. Nancy Robinette is brilliant as the subject, and J. Fred Schifman, was just perfect, with audience side glances worth of Paul Lynde. It was perfect. Go see it!

Also, I started back at Weight Watcher's on Wednesday. It was October of 2002 when I started there, and May of 2003 when I'd lost 45 pounds. Now, four years later, I've put 40 back on. My goal is to take my shirt off on stage for The Last Five Years that I am doing in October.


Thursday - after work, we packed and came to the beach. Where there has been much fun, and (thank G-d) plenty of sex. It seemed like a game to play Surf Fishing License Scavenger hunt to get everything we needed. To get the license, we had a nice drive down the Delaware National Seashore to the life saving station, then back and through Rehoboth to Walmart for a $50 in fishing supplies, plus a tow rope, and tire gauge. Then we needed a board, so if we got stuck on the beach in the Jeep, we could use the board to support the jack - or something. All I know is it is required, and if you don't have it, they'll give you a ticket. So we hunted through the shipping crates at a local flower nursery to get the board. We finally drove the Jeep onto the beach for the first time at about 2:30 Saturday. It's going to be fantastic. We're going back in a few minutes.

Last night was the "Is this a quiet party, or am I going deaf" BBQ at Cliff's. Wow. It's pretty rough when I'm the one having to struggle to get conversation going. I'm the quiet one. Rolf had to work at it too. There were 12 of us. Nine of them just sitting around staring at each other. Bears. Very very odd.

Upcoming shows to see: Reefer Madness, Witches of Eastwick, SideShow . . .

Big changes at work. A little scary. A new start? Or prelude to being unemployed?