Yeah, yeah, yeah I know, everyone is saying summer isn't quite over yet... even though there is a small contingency of people who feel that summer is over after July 4th ( you know who you are). I feel compelled to write about my summer (part one) while I should be packing for my vacation to the shore (part two). Being the ADHD person that I am...my summers are anything but relaxing. This year was no different, maybe even worse. I noticed that I haven't "blogged" since the beginning of July. That just proved to me how busy I actually was!
Now anyone who has been a loyal reader of my "MJ Sayin" nonsense knows that I direct musicals in the summer and last year I chonicled it week by week. ( I must have had more energy last year.) This year's show kicked my ass. The fact that it was "Egypt Hot" right up to show time didn't help my already thermometor bursting ( you know that graphic) temp-erature or temp-erament. I also kept up my restaruant job because I am a money whore as you know and three days out of the week I was full time Gaga (not Lady...regular Gaga...no meat dress required but that does sound delicious). I made sure my mom got to where she needed to go. I celebrated 3 DECADES with my husband and in honor of that we decided to re -do our kitchen. WTF? This summer's itinerary required the energy of an Olympiad and the organization, skill and rigor of a Navy Seal...So much for relaxing but remember this is just summer...part one. Bring- it - on!
The Show: It was very challanging this year. It was a young cast and a very social cast. I had assistants who were extremely helpful ( I honestly couldn't have done it without them) but they were also young. Which makes me the adult..a term I haven't come to grips with yet. I have to say this show was one of our very best endeavors. It was well attended and we may have made a profit which is not always the case. But there was a lot of drama. My favorite quote is "if there was as much drama on the stage as there is behind the scenes we would win a Tony!" I would come home from rehearsal ex-haust-ed!
Trying to keep everyone in line and happy and staying true to the integrity of my job as director while being open to other ideas and handling power struggles as I tried to deter a possible "let's drink after the Friday night show" cast party proved to be a job that even Bob Fosse would have struggled with. But he had better drugs... "it's show time folks"! But all in all - it was awesome. I am always so proud of my STAGE kids. It came together (as it always does...). This year there was much more...."you can't do that" and it won't work" and "oh no you didn't" but that just makes me more obnoxious about making it happen, although I never gloat but the addition of a little kids choir was nothing short of genius. With show # 5 under my sequined belt. I look to next year with new ideas and a fresh dose of crazy to unleash on my naysayers!!
The Kitchen: Usually when we do anything to our house, we draw up divorce papers, just in case. Anything short of changing a light bulb winds up in WW III (decades). So just image ripping out counter tops and painting. For the most part what I want is what happens but not without a fight and a Decorating 101 refresher course. My choice for color this time was a dark salmon-y pink. I grew up in a house where our wall color choices were "egg shell" or " ecru" . So we went from asparagus green to salmon ...yeah I know- food colors ...I honestly don't do it on purpose. The biggest dispute we have is that he is :Make it work at all cost it doesn't matter how it looks I am: I want it to look pret-ty. His way requires rolls and rolls of duct tape. My way is all accessories and decorative drawer pulls ( "what the f*** are pulls" ....a direct quote) After almost a month of living in an episode of HOARDERS...the kitchen edition, we have a beautiful, functional kitchen and our marriage is for the most part, intact. I guess in times of great adversity ( I can't find a fork ) you hang on to that person. When the road gets really rough ( how do you heat things up without a microwave) you stick together. After years of living with a broken dishwasher or actually being the broken dishwasher... here I sit...blogging AND doing the dishes...yes, it's the simple things in life!
Everything else: My waitress job is actually a welcomed change from being around kids all the time. Not that our staff is grown up by any means. But I love talking to people and bringing them food and making them happy ...(which is something that I do when I'm home ) only these strangers throw tons of money at me....not a bad gig. Not to mention there is bottle of Jack Daniels at arm's reach! So that's cool.
The moment I punch out on the last day of school....and I mean the moment, my mom is there, rubbing her hands together in anticipation of spending the summer with me.(By spending the summer I mean driving me and my sister crazy) I love my mom...I know so many people who have lost their parents and I am so lucky to have both of mine.....BUT ..."that is all I have to say about that"...thank you Forrest Gump. Guilt prevents me from going on. The irony of her telling me I work too hard while passively aggressively insisting I come pick her up to spend the day is priceless and she usually ends the trek by saying how much she enjoys my company and loves spending time with me. Yeah I'm a schmuck...but I'm a really tired schmuck. I have to remember that I will be there some day and I can see my kids doing rock/paper/scissors over who gets stuck with me....and the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon....everybody sing!!!
I could go on and on about my grandson...my lovey! He has gone from repeating little phrases to actually having conversations and making little jokes. It's an amazing thing being GAGA! We had great adventures this summer (part one) and it continues on to part two.
Part two consists of driving to New Jersey with this little guy and his mom for a fast and furious couple days at the shore. I can't think of anything better (well I do wish the rest of my kids could be there too). After another crazy, busy summer ...a day or two of ocean air sounds like a fabulous diversion to my upcoming school year (more to come about that shitstorm)!
I think of a mere 30 years ago...two KIDS hopped in the car and just took off to the ocean for a honeymoon. We landed in Cape Cod , a little north of where we are headed....but we always are drawn to the Atlantic and I never would have thought we'd be there 30 years later with a grandson...time flies when you're directing shows, re-decorating a house, serving drinks and food a couple nights a week, chasing an exhausting, yet amazing little 2 1/2 year old, taking care of ailing parents while trying to maintain a certain level of dignified immaturity.....just sayin
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