Leo and Clayton

All the drama is over

After about seven weeks of rehearsals in the evenings and on the weekends, we finally had production nights for To Kill a Mockingbird, and a Sunday matinée. I came down with some pretty wicked congestion, sinus pressure and very sore throat on Sunday night. I stayed home from school and didn't attend rehearsal on Monday. Despite that, I think it was very successful. We received alot of positive feedback from those who voiced their opinions.All of our actors performed very well. Actually on Friday we skipped a significant portion of the court scene, inadvertently, near the close of Act one, but the audience didn't notice or mind.
The Wednesday previous, we had another day performance for our freshman students. They even liked it, so to me that's pretty credible. Because ninth graders don't like anything as geeky as a play.

We were pleasantly surprised to have sold out performances on Friday night and Saturday, and nearly three quarters capacity on Sunday. Friday night I had a whole slew of people I knew who took time out of their busy schedules to come be in the audience. Let's see, Mom and Dad, Grandma Bonnie, Aunt Becky (thanks for the pretty flowers Beck!), Jane and Joe Works and Jane's mother Maxine Wollen attended. Thank you all for the support. It was a big investment of their time as our play extended past four hours when arriving early is taken into account. That's alot of sitting in some not too comfortable chairs. Sunday, Marian and her father attended the matinée performance. Again, thanks.

It took many evenings of my time and I need to thank Marian, Jack, and Leo for allowing me to pursue something as selfish as the play. Marian had many, many days where she was the sole entertainment, guidance counselor, food provider, and many other roles for the boys. She deserves a standing ovation for her efforts. Many days I'd leave before they were up, and arrive after they were in bed. I know it put a strain on Marian to have sole responsibility for the boys all day long. Also, thanks to Jack and Leo who, bless their hearts, are so easy to forgive their dad for not being there to spend time with them in the evenings.

I'll finish with the comments on the play with this: acting is fun. It's a rush to go out on stage and let everyone scrutinize your every move and word while you embody another's spirit and character. The people who worked to make the production of To Kill a Mockingbird are some of the neatest, most supportive people I know who are very understanding and multi-talented. Working with and getting to know these people has been a blast. Some of them I knew from the previous summer's production of The Skin of our Teeth, but there was a whole new group that I came to know in addition to them for this play. Thanks to Harper Lee for writing the novel. It's a classic. You are rendering a great disservice to yourself if you haven't read her book. It's fun, and it's deep. Thanks to Steve Strickland, who played that dirtbag Bob Ewell, who picked some mighty fine guitar and sang some low down, trampy blues for us (and allowed me to join in) at the cast party Sunday night. I recommend getting out there and taking on a role in your community theater, it is good for your spirit. I'll try to get some pictures of it up here someday.

That Saturday I took Jack to Humboldt to spend the day with his Papa David on his birthday. Mom had traveled to Tulsa (as it turns out) with her gal group, so dad was on his own for his birthday. Jack and I arrived close to eleven. Dad and I played our guitars and Jack played along on the harmonica. Then, we took ride on the gold cart, despite the cool, wet weather. Then, we wrapped it up with trip to visit grandma Irene (g.g. for great-grandma Irene) where she fixed us a delicious lunch of scrambled eggs and mushrooms, with toast and coffee. That was a pretty nice day.

I have to say thanks to Clarie for all her wonderful support. She's like a good pair of underwear with all the support she provides. I know she's not through giving support either. I want to make you proud Clarie, and your advice does not fall on deaf ears.

I have to toot Marian's and my horn a little. Last week, during all the scrambling to put on a play, we celebrated our 8th year of marriage. We couldn't even do anything special. She got a nice message on post-it note from me. She tolerates alot from me. And she does a great deal of doing without for her family's sake. But, my goal is to change that and place myself in a position where I can be a better provider and give her the nice things a woman like her desires, and deserves. I'd be a bum without Marian. I love you, Marian.

We've completed the first quarter of school already. It's flying by. Believe it or not, I sort of look forward to this time of year when it's not just crackling cold yet, but nice and brisk and I can come in from the dark to a warmly lit, wholesome smelling kitchen. There I'll find my wife with her little ole' apron on cooking something up, and my two boys on the kitchen floor playing while she does so. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm richly blessed.

I pray overflowing prosperity and blessings on all my family, friends, and enemies, and myself. Try to value each day and suck the marrow out of it. I love you all.

October's dark, damp days

It's a Thursday, and it feels like it. Rain fell on us in the early morning hours while inside we were tucked away, cozy in our beds. Drizzle dampened the tops of my legs on my 15 minute bike ride to school, and moisture gathered into fat drops on the brim of my helmet as I rode. Light from the streetlamps reflected onto the wet streets stretched nearly a block long and cast the rode in a yellowish bath. Now, the black sky is incrementally growing brighter outside the window in my classroom, but low lying clouds will insure a gray, morning.

Last Saturday I loaded up the family and we drove to Humboldt for the 52nd annual Biblesta parade. I had been contacted by my aunt Debbie to be on the First Baptist Church's float. I portrayed one of two men who encounter Jesus on the road to Arameas. I wore a full length crimson robe and turbin, and the funnest part was wearing an artificial "fu-man-chu" beard. Matt Loomis portrayed Jesus. I've known Matt just about my entire life, so it was good to chat with him. The day started out cool and gray, but then turned to warm sun and cool breeze.

Marin, Jack, and Leo sat on the west side of 8th street in front of the bank with grandma Bonnie, aunt Becky and mom, where they've sat each year for as long as I've been attending the event. Marian tells that Jack completely averted his eyes away from and would not view the horses as they passed, but rather watched her face and asked, "are they gone?" But, he liked watching all the people and he almost worked up enough nerve to enter a "moonwalk" inflatable jumping area. Mom took him to the elementary school playground for a while. After the parade, Marian, Leo and I sat with Becky and talked, while grandma had moved to the park to listen to the music entertainers. Mare and I sampled the hot dogs and pie.

We then took the boys to see grandma Irene. We talked and the boys played and then she joined us at mom and dad's for the ham and bean dinner. Dad still wore his full biker regalia as he was helping to put on the motorcycle show. He'd just arrived back the day before from a whirlwind trip on his bike to Las Vegas. He's the real deal. Then mom and dad had to take off to attend their church's revival, so our family loaded up to leave around 6:30.

Sunday was a bright and gorgeous October day, so we took the boys outside of town to the pumpkin patch for a hay wagon ride behind the tractor. They took us out on a short ride to the pumpkin patch and we picked out three. Jack finally got his chance to try out the moon walk at the pumpkin patch and he tore it up. He was just bouncing and singing and screaming and just being a boy. It was a fun afternoon.

The play is going along well, I've started accumulating my costuming options, and I've nearly got all my lines down pat. I attended Wednesday night graduate class last night. Tonight and Friday night I'll be at the courthouse attending play practice. I'll be relieved when the play is over and I can be home in the evenings.

For those of you who are wondering, Shelby (my dog) is doing well. She's itching and scratching and otherwise underfoot most of the time; same as usual.

I also forgot to mention Marian received a speeding ticket the other day when she was leaving Ottawa, driving to Lawrence. It's an expensive little ticket. She was leaving a 30 mph zone and approaching a 45 zone. I guess she jumped the gun a little.

Kitchen moments

This is a lengthy video of Jack seated in the high chair at the table looking at some recent acquisitions from the library and just being a kiddo.

I hope everyone is well. This Saturday we'll be traveling to Humboldt for Biblesta. I'm looking forward to seeing both of my grandmas and parents.

Marian took Jack and Leo to books and babies today. Then on to the dr.'s office where Leo received three shots. While there, Marian tells me, Jack played real hard with a group of other kids in the waiting room with all the toys there. She said she let him play for an hour there while he was just silly and happy. He didn't nap today, but she said he remained pleasant all day.

I promise we are not shy about photographing Leo. But, I do see a lack of his pictures here. So, I'll make a pointed effort to get him on video and download some pictures of him here. I don't want to appear to favor one boy over the other. I love them both equally. We're very blessed with healthy kids. I am blessed to have such a great wife and the boys are blessed with a great mom. We're blessed. There, that ought to cover it!

Today was gorgeous weather, if a little windy. Temperatures in the seventies and that fabulous autumn sun really welcomed in October. Play practice tonight, in an hour; then, Friday (hallelujah).

We love you all, you know who you are.

Saturdays in September

What a glorious time of year. Saturday afternoon in the shade of the mature maple tree, while all around luxurious, warm sunlight bathes the neighborhood. A cool breeze from the west makes even common outdoor tasks a pleasure. A good day to take Jack on the single speed Hawthorne, in the seat behind the saddle, not in the trailer. Wear the bright yellow, reflective safety vest to increase visibility. Turn east out of the drive onto Powhattan. It's one of the sections between north and south streets that is gravel, and it crunches beneath the tires. Adjust the rearview mirror on the helmet so cars can be seen approaching from behind.

Then, at the intersection turn north onto Sycamore. A smoothly paved gradual incline leads to the a main artery out of town in Wilson street. A right turn goes east again. It descends gradually all the way to a Franklin Co. road, Davis street. The bicycle picks up speed gradually to where the single speed Hawthorne hits top end and pedaling is impossible. Few cars and pickups are out and about, and they're generally respectful of the space the bicycle requires. Hold your line and keep straight. Give them a wave as they pass if they gave the bike room. Not everyone gives room.

On Davis street, turn left again and head north past the American Eagle distribution center and its campus. Between the two massive cream colored buildings is a walkway above a paved delivery road. It's enclosed for employees to walk between the two addresses.

The road levels out and at the stop sign where the road intersects with Franklin Co.,Sand Creek

road. Schuff steel is on the corner where they hundreds of massive dark steel I beams and channel iron and different arches stacked neatly beneath a football field size bridge crane. A mistake made in handling one of those steel beams is unforgiving. Men have died on a half dozen different occasions there through the years of its operation.

Stay north on Davis and a quarter mile section of the road turns to gravel. Keep going up to the newly paved approach to the viaduct over what will be the new section of Kansas highway 59. Do a U turn and look at the dozen or so different five ton trucks with their unique tanks and hoses and boxes and each one a red cab with a white business logo on the door.

Get a drink from the canteen as thousands of small flat bottomed, puffy topped clouds race by above. Drink in the deep blue of the September sky. Smell harvest on the wind.

Back down the overpass, retrace the path onto the gravel and stop beside a field of feed corn still on the stalk. Get off the bike and walk around beside the corn. Listen to it. It sounds like people talking in a convention, or in the intermission of a play. It rattles, chatter. It whispers. Thumb off a dozen kernels into the palm. Pour ten into Jack's pocket and let him carry two in his hands.

It's getting on toward supper time now. Ride along and keep the eyes on the side of the road for pliers and rope and bungee cords, and reflectors. Listen to Jack ask about the chasing dogs and the cows in the dairy farm. Listen to the train pass a ways off, then see the long line of rail cars through a break in the trees. Thank God for prosperity and family, and his creation. Ride home without incident and cook chicken out on the grill. Heat canned corn on the rangetop.

For your enjoyment: my interesting family

Greetings! I don't have much to report. Last weekend was the big car show in Ottawa. Saturday night we walked downtown to watch the vintage cars and customs cruise up and down main street. There were an estimated 1200 cars entered in the show. Downtown Ottawa was packed! I was genuinely surprised. It's an annual event, but we'd never attended. We took the boys in the double stroller, the side by side one. That was a mistake. It made it very difficult to maneuver through the throngs of people crowding the sidewalks. Food vendors set up booths on the courthouse lawn,with all the usual fare. That's what we had for supper. Seeing all those old vehicles made me want to have an antique truck to putter around on and in. No more than I drive and need a truck, I figure I might as well have one with some character.

School is going along. The play is going along. It's a little cold on my bike ride to school these days in the morning. We're already only a few weeks away from completing our first quarter.

I've began a graduate class on multicultural literature. I'm reading some interesting books with that label in common. One is a graphic novel, a book length comic, which is an autobiography of a

girl growing up in revolutionary Tehran, Iran. It's informative and helps simplify the conflicts taking place over there.

I have some pictures that are really quite random, and that I am not responsible for taking. They show my family members (mom, dad, and sister) doing some different things. Enjoy!

This Clarie competing in a "mini-triathlon". Yes, that's right, a triathlon! My dad David took this picture. I was not present. Clarie's hard core!

Below is a picture of my dad David standing in front of a "longboard" in Hawaii. Mom and dad visited Hawaii last year (the bums!) and dad tried his hand, er . . . feet, at surfing. He's standing next to his surfing coach, Russel Risch. He married Chika Hiwatashi. She was a Japanese student who stayed at our house for a period when I was in elementary school. Hang ten dad!

On the right is my mom Terry and her sister, my aunt Debbie, tap dancing in a show. They've got the step-ball-change down. The bling! Look at that bling! Hot feet, hot feet!

Above is mom and Debbie again, and I think that's the third sister, my aunt Becky. The Trifecta! You can't defeat them, you can only hope to contain them.