"A Place for Your Stuff"

"A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. You can see it when you're taking off in an airplane.

You look down and see all the little piles of stuff. Everybody's got his own little pile of stuff. And they lock it up! That's right! When you leave your house, you gotta lock it up.  Wouldn't want somebody to come by and take some of your stuff. 

Cause they always take the good stuff!  They don't bother with the crap you're saving."

George Carlin Braindroppings 1997

Due to the time spent scanning and posting past local theatre programs and pictures on facebook and the digital world, people are asking "Where did you get all this stuff and/or crap?" How much of everyday life is devoted to "stuff"? Well, after being fired, no laidoff, no on vacation now for 4 months, you have to fill up your days cleaning house, buying groceries, sorting laundry, organizing the garage and finally cleaning out those closets and dresser drawers. Time to down size your stuff.  Throw out some stuff. Give away some stuff. What the hell is this stuff?

The theatre programs? This collection started in 1977 when I saw my first "Broadway" play at the Opera House.  Any guesses?  Grease. Since then I collected or kept programs from plays as an audience member or as a participant whether it was as a producer, director, actor, tech or general flunky. They all are important to me. Memories of people, memories of theatrical moments (both good and bad) and of a time. I wish I had the program from my first appearance on stage as the Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz" at Garden Springs Elementary. More stuff
and more memories.

So I have now passed these crumbled stained programs out into the digital world. Hopefully, to bring some memories back to others. Good or bad. How do we dispose of stuff? Recycle it? Sell it? Give it away? How about sharing it? I think I'm finished with this stage of my theatre history archive.  I would love to make some new history and fill up a new box of programs and pictures.  ô¿ô

"So you keep getting' more and more stuff, and puttin' it in different places. In the closets, in the attic, in the basement, in the garage. And there might even be some stuff you left at your parents' house: baseball cards, comic books, photographs, souvenirs. 
Actually your parents threw that stuff out long ago."

George Carlin

Live with Regis and Kelly at 9am for God's Sake!

Why aren’t we allowed to watch “Live with Regis and Kelly” at 9am live with the rest of the country, should I say world? Are they hiding something from us? Is there something going on in NYC that we have to wait an hour before seeing our past?

I then want to watch Saturday Night Live at 12:30 am on Sunday. I want to watch Katie Couric at 7:30pm or 8 instead of 6:30. I want my Noon News around three in the afternoon.

I guess I could move. I could buy a satellite dish and watch it Live from the studio. Or drive to Ashland Kentucky and watch it Live in some little diner. But I would probably get beat up for asking them to change the channel.

Well it's almost noon and it's time for breakfast.  ô¿ô

Is It Really A Fair?

I was still in high school when the Woodland Art Fair started 35 years ago in a parking lot and needless to say I wasn’t that impressed. Hey, I was in high school and I had more important things to do besides walking around looking at “art”.
Flash forward. AFB Art Fair. I have been almost every year and have enjoyed watching the changes and growth of the fair over the summers. The “Fair” has taken focus in the last few years proven by the quality of artists brought into the park. And I think they have listened and acted with their public in meeting certain needs. Kudos to all the sponsors, volunteers and the Lexington Art League.

To get to the fair you have to get in the thick of the atmosphere and side streets that surround the park. Kentucky, Lafayette, Park, Oldham, and Woodland to name a few. Locals sitting on their porches drinking coffee, neighbors talking over fences and yards sharing daily updates from the night before and cats taking morning naps. High Street and Kentucky Avenue prepare you for entrance into the fair. Yard Sale? Maybe. Art Sale? Yes. Antique Sale? Hmm, let me double check on this. But mostly this is their neighborhood, their park and their fair.

Enter the fair.  First thing, food and fruity beverages needed for the upcoming tour of artist's tents. The smells call out "Eat Me" this must be a fair. And we follow. One of everything, please. Do we have enough cash? Can Gypsy have that fried pork tenderloin that Louie Hillenmeyer just offered? Gypsy, on loan while Paul visits San Diego and our first adventure taking a dog to the fair. Aah she's cute.  How old is she? Oops, I almost stepped on her. Comments that got old over the day and a good reason for leaving her at home next time.

So we make the loop to look at all the juried artists in this year's fair. What an incredible range. You have to see it to experience it.  But I like the filler. The people. Mostly strangers that want to talk about the art and wares in a particular tent, the colors, the skill, the talent and time and the artist and artistry. The only thing missing was more artists and tents. Problem? Take over more space in the park? Move the venue? No!!! It is the Woodland Art Fair and artist, neighbor and patron need this space. And yes, I stopped by the "Shakespeare" tree and said a little prayer.

The hit of the fair? It had to be the penny floating in bags of water to keep the flies away from some vendor's areas. Does it work?  You will have to Google and decide. But I did not see any flies. With the cooler temps and the doors and windows open these days I might have to give this a try.  And yes you can buy this contraption or just make your own.

2010 was a good year for the AFB. Will I go again next year? Yes. I hope I'm around for the 70th anniversary.  ô¿ô

 

Another Summer Almost Finished

I guess the foreshadowing for this summer started in October of 2009 when the Canadians bought Liquor Barn in Kentucky and I started having stomach cramps.  I predicted things would change and most of that came true by April and July of 2010.
When I was called into the boss's office on April 9th, 2010, I thought we were going to talk about upcoming changes and new opportunities not expecting to hear "your services are being out sourced and we no longer have a position for you."  What?  You look to your local management "friends" seeking support and some sort of explanation and all you get are eyes diverted looking away.  Thanks.  You showed your true colors and suckered me into your "friendship" after all these years that really was never there.  Angry?  Yes.  Moving on?  Trying but, still confused and very mistrustful of a few people and some more specific.
So you start all over and take a few weeks off to relax and digest what has happened then start looking for a new job.  When one has done some sort of theatre work for years and then spend 13 years in the retail liquor business new jobs are hard to come by.

Then, the stomach problems start up again. Pain and discomfort that can knock you down for a couple of days.  Go to the doctor.  They think it is a acid reflux problem.  Take a pill. OK. But wait, you turned 50 a few months back so why not have a colonoscopy to check everything out.  OK? Two times in less than four weeks and I am going to get reamed in the ass again.  Results?  Everything plumbing wise checks out just fine. Shew.

Then May 17th rolls around and it is time to celebrate 13 years of wedded bliss. I love you Diane.  Instead of a big vacation we decide to stay local and see the sights of Kentucky. Lots of fun capped off with a day trip canoeing down the Elkhorn Creek.  Thank you Canoe Kentucky. 

June and July roll along. Our annual July 4th of parades and fireworks with Tom and Michael is always fun and a great time.  Then we get to spend a wonderful weekend with our friends Kevin and Evelyn in Nashville.  We need to see them more often. 

Then one morning BAM!  I wake with a lower stomach cramp and pain like I have never had before.  Nurse Diane decides it's time to go to the Emergency Room and see what is causing all these problems. OK, I'm in pain, don't like pain, make it stop.  So, I spend four days in the hospital, the first two with no food or liquids just intravenous liquids and vitamins.  Someone please feed me!  So, what is this? I was having an acute pancreatic attack.  Dammit.  I guess 30 years of hard drinking and trying to live like a twenty something rock star is starting to catch up with me.  So now what?  Low fat and high fiber diet and STOP DRINKING!!!

Well that has been hard but making good progress. And today I feel better than I have in months. I need a CT scan at the end of August then wait for the results in two weeks. They found a cyst on my pancreas while in the hospital so they want to see if it has decreased after all this clean living. I hate waiting.

So the summer is coming to an end.  Local kids are back in school, UK will be starting soon and that brings back the football season and soon basketball.  GO BIG BLUE! So I'm thinking about writing and sending my thoughts about local theatre and local happenings out into the cyper space and see what happens.  Maybe a real job?  Peace and love until the next time.  ô¿ô