Cold Spaghetti

Our friends, Jessica and Karim are in town. Jessica and I were Graduate Instructors for the same women’s health class and in the same MSW/MPH dual degree program at Michigan; Karim, a French National, has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan. They currently live in San Diego: Jessica works for a child health and safety organization and Karim does research in underwater accoustics.

So — we’ve had a great time! They arrived Friday afternoon and we enjoyed a relaxing evening with a walk around the neighborhood and home-cooked dinner: my family Ziti, collard greens with garlic (recipe compliments of Karim and Jessica), and green salad. While we put dinner together, I made triple c’s (chocolate chip cookies — so much easier with my beloved mixer), which we enjoyed with strawberries for dessert.

Link on the link below to hear my dear friend and fellow bird (“we’re not chicks”), Lee Etzold, on the National Public Radio show, All Things Considered.

Lee, a (fantastic) professional performer, is part of an all-girl cast of the musical, Grease. Lee plays Danny Zuko (the male lead, played by John Travolta in the movie). All was going fine, then a few hours before their first scheduled performance, Samuel French (the licensing company) sent a letter to the director silencing the show. It felt that not casting the men and women by men and women was unacceptable and shut down the production.

So what next? Will they be asking for actors to disclose their sexuality so that only straights can be cast? I can just see the conditions: “straight females only for Sandy and the girls; with the exception of Rizzo, who can be gay.” Give me a break!

Grease is a story that celebrates obnoxious gender roles (men drive fast and wear black leather, women worry, cry, and fuss in their skirts and pumps) and serves it all up on white bread. It’s where we girls learn of our life options: changing for the guy (’cause we’re never good enough as is), or beauty school. What better vehicle for exploring gender and American pop culture than this iconoclastic show?! After all, gender IS performance (complete with costumes and acting) and the American Theatre is a wonderful place to examine how gender plays out. I love the idea of the show and I think it ridiculous not to support it. Does Samuel French really think that we will forever be okay with and never question the 13-year old’s fantasy of bubble-gum stereotypes? It is time to move on!

SO — Listen and hear Lee! (As well as a great article!)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4667355

Contact information for Samuel French, should you want to write them to express your disappointment at what yutz-balls they are:

Samuel French, Inc.
7623 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90046-2795
Phone (323) 876-0570
Fax (323) 876-6822
Office hours are Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Pacific Time.

The perfect example of conservative politics. Create the problem, then make a big showy display to show your resolve to “fix” it:

Governor digs fixing potholes: San Jose crew destroys part of road for staged event

(brought to my attention through boingboing)

Hiding in boxes, playing “Peek-a-Boo” and other games in packing material at Granna and PapPap’s!

Will loves playing with the shower cap!

Will is transfixed by Baby Einstein Numbers Nursery after a tiring swim in the pool!

Will and I came to Mobile for a few days to let Paul get caught up on work hours undisturbed, to return some borrowed items from my Mom, and to have free unlimited babysitting while I try to get back into the swing of things.

What: HUGE, gigantic, mammoth, BIG, large, wide, and SCARY roach. (Now deceased.)

Where: On our piano (he escaped) then, later, on the floor in the study.

Our fears: Perhaps from the trash from the construction site next door? Got in under a door perhaps? Paul, who knows the house and it’s access points better than anyone, thinks the most likely mode of entry is our luggage. To say that I am freaking out about unpacking is an understatement. My fears of others kept me up last night.

Current plan: Ask neighbors, find out common patterns. Learn techniques for removal and prevention.

Home again, Home again!

CLOSE CALL: It almost didn’t happen. After my night of illness (how many people can say that they were spectacularly ill in their husband’s boss’s only bathtub?) we weren’t sure if I could make the trip. At 3:55am, we decided to give it a try. We left at 4:41am.

DEPARTURE: 7am flight through Memphis.

HOME: By 11:30am.

FIRST THINGS: Feeding Will lunch, letting Paul check in with work. Then… naptime for me. I slept from 1 until 5:30 (Will joined me at 4pm and slept until we woke him for dinner at 7.) We are all beat and slowly getting back to normal life again.

HAPPY TO BE HOME FOR: the sounds and smells of home, warm ‘gato’ on my feet, Margarita, easy internet access, ceiling fans on high ceilings, TiVo.

Sunday.

BRUNCH: aka “St. Lucia Send Off” was at Eileen’s at the Chimney’s in Historic Fredricksburg.

FUN BRUNCH MOMENTS: Meeting Janice’s TRIPLETS and watching Paul juggle for all the kids.

PACKING: Got packed up in an organized fashion (only one bag needed for the overnight at Paul’s boss’s house) and managed to fit everything!

ROAD TRIP: To Randy and Katherine’s, about an hour.

VISITS: Randy and Katherine generously hosted several of our friends who came from around the area to see us (really to see Will.) They included: Dave and new bride Shelley (Dave was Paul’s hockey buddy in AA and now works for NOAA in DC); Paul (my good friend from high school); and Robin and Dave (Robin and I were in the same MPH/MSW program at Michigan and now Robin and Dave are consultants for the World Bank.) It was GREAT to see everyone and made us miss all the great people who live in that area.

WILL AND MURRAY: Will’s new word for dogs is “Murray” based on Randy and Katherine’s little pomperanian, Murray. Murray is maybe four pounds and is totally adorable. Will has been saying “Murray!” non-stop since the visit!

MORE VISITS: After the great visit with Randy and Katherine, we took off to Paul’s boss’s house. We stayed with them in December and adore their son, Bobby, who is just over 2 years old. Amy (Paul’s wife) made a great dinner and we stayed in and watched the kids play a bit.

UNFORTUNATE EVENING: I was pretty out of it and feel asleep while putting Will to bed. This sleep was interrupted by a run to the bathroom… the food poisoning that hit Paul on Friday hit me. Paul was nice enough to clean up after me and to let me sleep on the cool tile of the bathroom floor for a little while. Thank goodness Will hasn’t followed our lead in this regard!

Will plays “behind the door” with Katherine and Murray. In this game, Will squeezes himself between the back door and the glass window and knocks on the glass door as if he is asking to be let in. Murray played along, barking happily that someone was at the door to play with him!