Know What? Never, Actually...

If you're a follower of my posts here, it's likely that you've read about my friend Gil.

I met Gil last June.  Since then he's become one of my favorite people.  We've been through a lot and are great friends - to the tune of hanging out as many as four or more days a week.  We have much in common and make each other laugh.  The truth is I'm quite a bit older than him.  And not just a little, really quite a lot.  But it didn't put any stops in our friendship.  I've got a Peter Pan complex, remember?  I act his age most of the time (not meant in any bad sense) anyway.  [Most people mis-guess my age by as much as 15 years!]  In fact, the age difference worked out well, for he'd been able to put me in touch with "current" ideas, culture and lingo and by the same token I've "taught" him a bunch of "old school" things.  But usually, the gap straight up didn't matter a whit.   Just an all around great buddy, my best friend here in the city [as opposed to Laughter, my true best friend - who, by the way, is also very fond of Gil.]  So you can imagine how devastated I'd been when it came to pass that he'd be moving away!

Yep, an opportunity arose out of the blue, and he decided to jump on it.  It wouldn't be any small move, either, but of the distance and life-changing variety.  I'm here in Chicago and his plans would take him to Baltimore.  Those plans?  A sweet job [which would also involve trips to South America] and otherwise being just an hour or so from his home turf.  Which meant not only would he be doing something he figured he would love, but also being that much closer to HIS actual best friend, not to mention other members of his family.  Truly happy for him, I had to let that outweigh my sadness.  And it did, but being bummed would creep in from time to time.  And time seemed quite short.  For he'd be leaving in just two weeks [from when the opportunity arose]!  We'd been looking forward to a fantastic Summer of fun.

We decided to make the most of our time and spent nearly all of it together, more than usual if that's even possible.  But as can be expected with expecting every moment to count, we'd grated on each other a bit.  Don't get me wrong, everything had been and is fine between us.  It's just that we needed some patches apart, too. Familiarity breeds contempt as they say... But the clock kept ticking, right?  I'll be damned, though, if I didn't seem like I'd spent an entire two weeks crammed into one!

To put a fly in the ointment, as the saying goes, my excellent and long-time friend Sunshine came to town the final weekend that Gil would be here.  I'd known about Sunshine's visit for a couple of months in advance [coming to perform in an Improv Troupe as part of the Chicago Improv Festival] and I'd been uber-excited for her to meet Gil.  So you can imagine the turmoil and churning inside knowing I'd have to deal with dividing my time between the two of them - and that circumstances would prevent Gil and her from coming face to face.

I find it's nearly impossible for me to NOT relate events in my life to the tale of Peter Pan.  So it's no surprise that I felt like him - and my favorite Lost Boy would be going off to grow up!  Not that I'd be alone on the island by a long shot.  But no one wants to see a best friend no longer be around, especially when the adventures together had been so sweet.  And so, that's ONE way that my friendship with Gil ties into the art of storytelling.  There's another, but I shall save that for a different post, as it deserves its own.  For you see, as it turns out... this tale had been far from over!

 

I'd been ultra lucky enough to be able to spend all day Friday with Sunshine beginning with breakfast, joined by NutTree (a mutual friend from college) as well as Zoey.  Sunshine and I had a magical visit full of reminiscing, running amok downtown, excellent improv theatre and laughs.   Later in the day, I got to meet her lovely, funny and enjoyable friends who would be performing with her.  They're friends of Sunshine, how could they not be utterly entertaining and wonderful folk?  Even better, Doodles came in from the suburbs on Saturday afternoon and we had a great time as well.  We met up with Sunshine, but of course (we had all gone to college together, you see), and we cheered for her in her moments of glory on the stage when performance time rolled around.  For the record, Banky and Clara came to see her show, too!  And Zoey again – oh.  She’s a long-time friend of mine, along with Sunshine and Doodles.  But I digress... I -had- been talking about Gil.  But it's not as if his leaving had been out of mind during all of this joy either.

Gil had a window open on Sunday, so off I went to spend the day with him...(missing another performance of Sunshine in the process!) which I knew just might prove to be the last time I'd see him in who knows how long.  But something happened.  To put it in a nutshell:  Gil had heard from the "other end" of things and apparently the tune of what would be happening changed.  It no longer seemed so wonderful, one might go as far to say shady.  Suddenly it did not seem like a good move (figuratively and literally) at all.  But we weren't sure.  A genuine dilemma.  Thus, we (us and his sister) had been in limbo.  Gil in a different and much more dire version of it, naturally.  He had his whole future on the line!  I’d just been dealing with the possible "loss" of a great friend.  When I left that night the decision had still not been made - as info had yet to come from the other end.  As much as I would love to have him stay, I certainly wanted the best for him.  If only what’s best had been clear...

The next day he texted me to come over in the early evening.  I’d be able to meet his mother (another Peter Pan reference!) for her plans in the city finally left a spot open.  I’d been thrilled.  I’ve talked with her on speaker-phone and heard great things about her.  So I went off, got re-tracked (by Gil, in mid-transit) and wound up at a bar/grill with them.  Needless to say, I now know why Gil's so charming - his Mom is pure delight. 

I know you’re in suspense as to how this turned out.  Just imagine how it felt for all involved, right?  Over the course of the visit there in the booth, Gil let me know what had been decided.  After all that roller coaster, full of bittersweet and emotionally charged incidents, he’s staying!  He decided to give Chicago another go and make his major life shifts here instead.  And he has!  The very next day, would you believe it, Gil landed himself a sweet job.  How great it had been to hear the joy in his voice when he called to tell me.  Way to go, Gil!

 

So there you have it...  QUITE a weekend, eh?

If there's one thing I've [re]learned over the past month, it's that if we think we know what tomorrow will bring, we're just pretending.  Or, let me say it via a lyric from my favorite band:

All that you dream of will echo surprise – and all you have to do is just believe.

Mr. Magorium Left Me Wondering...

When I saw the trailer, I had thought the movie Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium looked rather charming. But I’ll be honest, it didn’t sparkle so much that I felt I needed to see it in the theater. I finally got around to watching it this past weekend.

I did not expect it to be the most wondrous film this side of the imagination. Plus, I (quite randomly for her) asked Sunshine the other day if she had seen it and what she thought. After some jogging of memory as to which film it might be, she said she had seen it with the comment: Eh, it’s a movie. Doesn’t suck, isn’t fantastic. Thus, I didn’t have the highest of hopes for it.

I’m not about to say that it exceeded expectations or even blew me away. I suppose I agree with Sunshine. Entertaining, but nothing to write home about, as the saying goes. So why am I writing about it? A couple of reasons.

First, I am sort of contradicting myself when I say that my hopes for it did raise a little when I saw who wrote it - Zach Helm. He’s the marvelously demented man who brought us Stranger Than Fiction. From the moment I saw its trailer up through this very moment, Fiction has been one of my favorite movies. (My commentary on it is here.) Mr. Helm also directed Mr. Magorium, just to note. And each of them star Dustin Hoffman who’s delightful in both. Thus, I thought maybe Mr. Magorium’s store just might win my affections just as much. But not so much. Don’t get me wrong. I did like it. It just didn’t thrill me the way Stranger Than Fiction did.

Second, I just wanted to “ask” if there’s supposed to be a sequel. Or if not a sequel than more to this story? For the way it ends, without spoiling it, a whole great deal more is about to happen. Sure, it could be one of those tales in which the audience is meant to do all the imagining as to what comes next. For anyone who has read my novel Peter Pan’s NeverWorld, there is a whole bit about “finished from done.” It didn’t seem as if this film knew the difference. That’s not meant as an insult or slam of any kind. I’m not saying the film felt unsatisfying or lacking. Just that there seemed to be...more to this story. It ends rather abruptly. And yet, it’s entirely able to stand on its own, too, as per the aforementioned allowing the audience to create their own adventures for the characters. It's also quite possible that the entire point had been that we must live our own adventures, not knowing quite what will happen next.

But on the whole, it's a fun ride. If you’re looking for a sweet, charming, “eye candy” movie, this won’t let you down. But it won’t necessary leave you on Cloud 9 either.

Incidentally, there are two not so hidden references to the movie in this review. ;)

Actually, there’s one other aspect of this film I want to discuss. But I’ll leave that for another time…

The Crimson Herring in the Bull's Eye

I’d been IM-ing with Sunshine and she came up with quite the concept.

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned the “futuristic Robin Hood” movie that’s going into production. I asked her thoughts on it, even though I figured she’d probably not be so keen on the idea. She replied she didn’t really care, no, as Robin Hood had never been one of her favorites. But since she loves movies, she might give it a try depending on how it looks. Then came the swerve.

Okay, at first it’s not a swerve, but a common complaint. She wondered why Maid Marion (Maid Moron in her words) always had to be such a wuss. I replied that at least in recent manifestations there has been attempt to give her more than a damsel in distress role. I added that it might not have always been successful, but at least they tried. One Marion, however, does in fact "kick ass" - in the BBC series. She’s got all the attributes of a fair woman, plus. She’s well learned, can hold her own in wit and intensity with the "domineering" men and also is quite active. Not just in helping Robin and company to sneak in (or what have you) but also in fighting alongside him. (“Spoiler” info to come… if you don’t want part of it spoiled for you, move on to the next paragraph.) I explained to Sunshine how in the BBC series, long before Robin returned to Nottingham, she had become a personage called The Night Watchman. The Watchman would perform a role of protection and aid, in much the same way as Hood. You might even say she gave Robin the idea. She continues this risky business even when caught and exposed. At any rate, the writers (and actress Lucy Griffiths) gave us a Marion worth her salt.

Okay, here’s the curve ball Sunshine threw: Why can’t Robin Hood be a woman? There’s not even a name change involved. I don’t know about you, but I really love this idea. And since the legend of Hood is completely malleable as I explain in this post, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. The more I thought on it, the more I liked it. And now I want to see it.

As we continued on with the discussion, we wondered… would the Sheriff, Sir Guy of Gisbourne (and others) think they are dealing with a man? Hmmm. At first it seemed too pat/expected. I mean, wouldn’t it be cooler if they knew they were being bested by a woman? Especially in that day and age. Then again, that can also be construed as too pat/expected. Furthermore, wouldn’t it be advantageous of a female Robin Hood to have the authorities believe she’s a man? Can’t ask for a redder herring disguise. It’s a difficult one to rejoinder. Of course, the discussion led Sunshine to another legend-shifting idea. What if Robin Hood and Maid Marion were the same person? Whoa, yes. Perhaps that is a crimson herring?

Certainly a lot to think about. I know I’d like to see a version where Hood is a leading lady. (Just don't give her a skimpy outfit!)

Peter Pan vs. Another Scholar

I've begun reading the latest entry into analytics of Peter Pan - Second Star to the Right: Peter Pan in the Popular Imagination by Allison Kavey (Author, Editor), Les Friedman (Editor).

That is to say I've just begun it, not even out of the Introduction yet. So far it has delighted me with the way it handles the issues. I think Sunshine just might appreciate this passage:

Wendy always made me faintly ill with her prim manners and fondness for darning socks.
…
Despite the fact that is she the only genuinely nice character in the entire story, I can say nothing but nasty things about Wendy. She tries not to be selfish, she takes care of other people, she has emotional range. But she trades so much for so little, and that ultimately makes me both sad and angry.

Yet I have also been quite annoyed with it. First, the title. Star? Really? (See the explanation in this post.) In its defense, yes, it does specifically state "in the Popular Imagination." Well, that might justify the use of it. But then, she goes on to have actual facts wrong. Such as [twice] dating P.J. Hogan's movie as 2001. She lists the Wendy-daughter-line as Wendy, Jane, Moira. It makes it a bit difficult to take it seriously when accuracy is just not there.



I've had it in my possession since its February release, but I have not been in an academia mood when it came to reading. But since I've finished my book of short stories, I thought I'd give it a go.

Oh Puck - I Screwed Up!

I did something very bad last night.
But we believe we rectified it.
What did I do?
I’ll lead up to it.

Yesterday I received an email from a friend I do not see very often. It’s a shame I do not see him, as he lives in the city. (Chalk it up to busy schedules, laziness, etc. - you know how it goes.) He had an extra ticket to TimeLine Theatre’s world premiere production, Not Enough Air. It had been short notice, as in, “What are you doing tonight?” Not wanting to miss the opportunity to see a live show for free as well as catch up with NutTree, I hurried through my errands (which did not take nearly as long as I anticipated, thank goodness) and met him at the show.

As we waited for the black out in the little black box theatre space, NutTree and I caught up on life. He told me he started reading Peter Pan’s NeverWorld, only to realize three chapters in that it would probably behoove him to read Peter and Wendy first. He received a beautiful copy for Xmas and he’s been taking it slow, savoring the short but bittersweet tale of Barrie. Then he can properly move on to mine. But enough about Pan.

Our dialogue flowed in the way that conversations do. Eventually I told him about the new friend Bart and I have made (let’s call him Banky) because Banky, NutTree and I all like the music of Phish. (Although I’m not as “into” them as most, or as much as I had been at one time.) I related how during one of Banky’s visits, Lage and Bart (who are not so much into Phish) became quite freaked out by their song My Friend, My Friend which includes the line “…he’s got a knife” and does indeed become rather unnerving. NutTree knew precisely why I mentioned it, having been equally freaked with him too many moons ago at Knox College when he brought Phish to our group of friends.

Flowing ever talkatively onward, we discovered that he had also been to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s recent production of Amadeus, which I posted about here. We relished aloud at all the marvels - the costumes, the acting… and NutTree whole-heartedly agreed Salieri (actor Robert Sella) “had” us from the first anguished cry of “MOZART!” I went on to say how nearly everything Chicago Shakespeare does is top notch and amazingly crafted. I said how Bart and I have Season Tickets…and…. and… and… ok, here’s the bad thing. Yes, I did it. I said, “Bart and I are seeing their Macbeth in couple weeks.” EEK! I immediately, clichédly cupped my mouth and asked, “What did I just DO?” (For those of you not familiar with theatrical traditions, it is the utmost bad luck to say that name in a theatre if the Bard’s play is not in production. It is to be referred to as The Scottish Play. Some even go as far as not to say the name Macbeth in any situation other than a current production or classroom setting.) NutTree, no stranger to theatre himself, looked half horrified and half amused. “What do I DO?” I panicked.

NutTree didn’t have an immediate answer, and I scoured my brain to come up with a solution. Then, NutTree said, “My friend, my friend, he’s got a knife is this a dagger I see before me?” (The “dagger” line is from the Scottish play, if you’re not aware.) I then added, “In the show BlackAdder two actors dispel it by saying, I think, somehting like, ‘Hot potato off the shores Puck will make amends!’”

NutTree grinned and chuckled and said, “Pete, I think we just counteracted it. We’ll be fine.”

Fortunately, nothing went wrong as far as we could tell. And we were treated to a stunning bit of theatre. I adored the sound design, by Andrew Hansen. Bravo! All the elements of the play proved to be engaging. But the sound I found nothing short of brilliant, the glue which held all the other elements in place. I recommend Masha Obolensky's Not Enough Air highly. Bravi! I plan to see it again for all of its nuances. And I think Bart will appreciate it very much.

In my defense (as if I deserved any) I have been saying Macbeth unabashedly and freely quite a bit lately, considering that we are seeing the show very soon and Sunshine is currently studying and performing Lady Scottish Play. By the way, she has had quite astonishing insights into the play and the Lady. I urge you to read them:

I'm Bringing Unsexing Back: My Lady M
CSI Shakespeare: Investigating Lady Macbeth's Death

But the really sad part? This is not my first offense of this crime.

Awaiting the tomato storm.

UPDATE: Upon seeing this, Sunshine made her own post and details the Curse of the Scottish Play. Did You Just Say the M Word? Spin, Spit, Curse, and Knock She also posted the clip from BlackAdder that I spoke of in this post. :)

Once and Future Cinema

Like many people, I’ve a love-hate relationship with Hollywood. That much should be evident in my posts about Tinseltown. Right now, however, I thought I’d mention some tidbits that actually seem as if things are going right for a change.

In this post I expressed my feelings on the remake of Forbidden Planet. In short, this is one update I can understand. Assuming it is handled with care, I am quite enthusiastic. Well, just before my Holiday break, I came across encouraging news. James Cameron has reportedly taken interest in tackling the project. Perhaps for some the over-saturation of Titanic leaves a sinking feeling. But one cannot deny it is beautifully filmed and executed expertly. And who can sneeze at the first two Terminator movies? His upcoming Sci-Fi venture Avatar features innovations in combining live-action photography and photorealistic CGI in 3-D invented by Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment. Supposedly it will revolutionize film and has Hollywood who’s-whos dropping their jaws. Who better to transport us to the Krell’s techno-magic on Altair IV? Let’s hope he’s not forbidden from doing so…

Though I am only vaguely familiar with the next film’s source material, I am much more familiar with the source of the source material. Kenneth Branagh has stepped up to direct the film version of the Marvel comic Thor. The fate of this movie has (like so many others) been all over the map. At one point the desired direction by the studio had me already buying a ticket. Shortly after, though, I felt ready to boycott it. Let me explain. Reportedly the majority of the film would take place in Asgard, the home of the Norse gods. (Drool!) But budget and production concerns scrapped the idea, opting to show very little of Asgard and focus on Earthly action. (Yawn!) Well, as of now, I’m thrilled that it is once again hailed as primarily about Norse mythology, with events unfolding in that realm. Myth is a passion of mine yet I am hard pressed to come up with a live-action film about the legendary Norse stories. I can think of two… and one of those had been a single scene that didn’t make the final cut. The film The Mask originally opened with an assemblage of the gods banishing the troublemaker god Loki into the infamous mask. Not the best depiction, but a depiction nevertheless. The other is the movie Erik the Viking. My apologies to anyone who liked this flick, but I did not. Except for when the gods appear toward the end. I quite enjoyed the spin put on it. But again, it’s not enough and/or feels non-existent. If there’s one complaint oft repeated about Hollywood it’s that nothing “new” is being done. Hollywood ransacked much of the Greco-Roman stories again and again – it’s time to see Norse myths. Well, Mr. Branagh, bring it on!

Another long gestating project is the big screen adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game. Now in this instance it’s not what’s being brought to the screen that makes me smile. It’s the fact that as of now, it won’t be coming to the screen. According to a MovieWeb article, the movie has been kiboshed on account of Card’s “disappointment in the film's thematic direction.” He won’t allow the movie to degenerate into a “action hero” flick at the sacrifice of the complex human relationships within his novel. In other words, he wants “an honest presentation of the story.” Can you blame him? Bravo, Mr. Card! My friends Sunshine and Doc Holiday adore this series. Despite their praise over the years, I am guilty of not yet reading the books. I know, I know…shame on me. I’ll rectify it. Let’s just hope that if a movie is made, it will both rectify the current situation and satisfy the author and his fans.

And lastly, a new pic from Where the Wild Things Are has surfaced. Not overly stunning, yet not without merit. I originally posted about this adaptation here.

Hosah for storytelling.

The Lights Never Quite Came On...

If you're wondering why I didn't yet post my reaction and compare/contrast of the movie City of Ember to the book, The City of Ember, there is a good reason. I have not yet seen it. Cassidy and I wanted to go together on a weekend. But our schedules have not yet allowed us. Bart and I are to see her this coming Sunday, perhaps it will happen then. Perhaps. For my interest in seeing it has waned. From what I heard, the movie did not do so well. Plus, you might recall that Sunshine's students read it for class. They watched the film. Sunshine tells me they returned and asked her, "Did they read the book before they made the movie?" I probably would ask the same thing. For I can be rather fussy when it comes to adaptations as well. It's nice to know that the next generation is learning to be intolerant of sloppy work. To respect art. It's one thing to make allowances and changes to reflect a new medium. It's another to completely alter a work. And from what I have seen in commercials, the other complaints I have heard from Sunshine's students and the fizzling excitement I've read of what is supposed to be a "family movie," this is not one of the better conversions.

If I ever do see it, I'll post about it. But it seems as if I should let my vision of Ember come from Jeanne DuPrau's novel.

My other posts about it are here and here.

Update: Sunshine read the post and told me more. She said she is proud of her students for their disgust. She said, a really precocious girl told me with absolute horror in her voice that they added a MONSTER. "A MONSTER!!! There are no MONSTERS. They missed the point entirely."

Brava, precocious girl!

Don't let Hollywood stomp on literature by thinking they know better. It's the rare case when they do.

Heroyo-yos

I didn't really intend to post about Heroes again. I really didn't.

But you see, I had joked with Sunshine about how "funny" it would be if the show especially "rocked" this time. I had said that if it did, I would make a post entitled "Heroyo-yos." Well, let me yell you, I laughed, gasped, hmmm'd, cheered, silenced and applauded. Just me. Nobody else is here, I'll freely admit, I applauded.


Season 3 has certainly been a Yo-Yo of a ride.
But fortunately this yo-yo knows how to do tricks.


I don't think I could stop watching if I tried.
Bravo Tim Kring and his writing team! Bravo to the actors and crew! Okay.
Let's hope the posts about it stop. :)

May I Have a Word?

It's every writer's perogative to invent new words. Sometimes the correct word does not hitherto exist. Or perhaps a combination of words is best suited to the situation being described. A creative effort to really convey a concept better than existing words will allow. My opinion of it is that it is acceptable in stories (or poems) so long as the word's meaning is clear from the context.

However, there are cases where it's just so alliterative or ingeniously non-sensical that it just doesn't matter what the word means at all. The definition is not the point. I am thinking specifically of Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky. For example, what is "a frumious Bandersnatch" or a "vorpal sword" that produces a "snicker-snack" noise when used? It doesn't matter. It's the playful sound and mysterious allure of seeming definitive. And yet, it does mean something, as the "feeling" of the poem is clear. The mystique is marvelous, telling a clear story even though the words are unfamiliar. So perhaps what I've come to accept as the "rule" applies to the great rhyme of the mythic monster as well.

Of course, many scholars have examined Carroll's terrrific nonesense to the point of actually defining the words. Whether based on context or clues from Carroll himself, many feel they have deciphered it. For instance, the poem begins 'Twas brilling... Apparently, "brilling" now means boiling water at approximately four in the afternoon in prepartion for cooking dinner. Who knew?

Well, I have recently broken the rule. The other day, out of the blue, I uttered: filiquious. It sounds like a real word, doesn't it? "Don't be so filiquious." Having been burned by not having coined the phrase "ridiculously ubiquitous," I made sure to do one of my favorite things and consult the Dictionary. (You can find out why this is "fun" to me here.) Hosah! I did not find "filiquious." The next question of course is: What does it mean? So I sought out the root words, prefixes, suffixes and similiar words. But I still didn't arrive at an obvious conclusion.

Using the miracle of chatting instantly online, I present my "findings" to Sunshine. She came up with what had initially figured as well. That "fili" would be related to a son or daughter. I explained that I'd thought that, but also that I discovered it to be actually more akin to the root of words such as filament...which meant that it refers to "thread" or "strand." "Quious" it would seem is something not unlike the "who" that is involved. Example: obsequious. In order to be obsequious, there must be a person who is displaying servile complaisance. Thus, I figured filiquious must be done with or to or by someone. Presented with this information, Sunshine typed, "Or are you just stringing me along??" Excitedly I told her that I'd also had this thought, but had not been sure of its worthiness. However, since both of us derived this concept from the new word, we decided this must be the answer. Sunshine came through again with this example sentence: After the filliquious discussion, he finally told her what she needed to know.

So there you have it. It's a word to succinctly say a common occurence, one that most people would prefer not happen. Filiquious- the quality or state of dangling information or stringing someone along.

I did not mean to be filiquious with her in my pursuit of the matter, but I am glad that she helped solve my self-created literary dilemma. Thanks, Sunshine!

*I have one other question: In the famous illustration by John Tenniel, why does the Jabberwocky wear a vest?

A Glow of Hope from a Fizzled Night

After a trek which turned out to be pointless due to some misinformation I'd been given, I decided to placate myself by buying a book.

Sunshine is reading The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau with her class at Cool School.

I had seen the movie trailer a while back when Bart, Cassidy and I went out to see The Forbidden Kingdom. We all knew we'd be back to see it.

Thus, when Sunshine mentioned the book, I perked up.

She says it's quite fun. So I'm looking forward to it.

I'll be reading it in transit, as per usual.

And also as per usual, I shall give a report about it when I am done.

Oh - for the record, all three of us enjoyed The Forbidden Kingdom. It's not utterly spectacular, but it did entertain greatly. If you like watching the incredible feats of Martial Arts combined with fantasy, then I recommend it.

As for the movie of The City of Ember, here's the trailer:

AdMINISTERING the Cat...

I like word games. Usually. The kind played, say, on a road trip. My family devised one we affectionately call Mind Bender. I’m not about to explain the rules to you. They can be rather cumbersome, as a friend of my brother’s challenged them. It caused us to draw up official documentation. But don’t worry about that.

Way back in college, Sunshine shared with us a game her mother and she would play: The Minister’s Cat. I guess I always thought they made it up. It’s a simple enough (and fun enough) game. When I asked her about it recently, she enlightened me that they learned of the game from a black and white movie. The characters played it. She felt pretty sure that Scrooge played, which meant it had to be in Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. So….to the Internet! (a la “To the Batcave!”on the 60s TV show)

We were both surprised to learn that it’s not just ‘us’ and that black and white film. It’s an established game! There are even variations. You can learn about it here on Wikipedia. For the record, Wikipedia does not list the movie wherein Sunshine and her mom encountered it. But I found that, too: Scrooge (1951) Apparently it's in numerous adaptations of A Christmas Carol.

It just goes to show that things are often bigger than originally realized.

Let’s play…
The Minister’s Cat is an Auspicious Cat…

UPDATE:  On an episode of Frasier, he fancies that they might play a spirited round of... yes.

Star Light, Star Fright!*

It seems that Disney's Tinker Bell is getting a star on the Walk of Fame. I don't know about you, but I think this is wrong. No, I am not against it because it's Disney doing it. And no, my feelings on Tinker Bell (Barrie or otherwise) are not in play here either. I just think we're opening up a can of cats. [I like to mix cliché metaphors to breathe new life into them.] This is a fictional charatcer. Giving a fictional character a star on the Walk of Fame? I'm sorry, what?!? I'll be the first one to stand up for a fictional character...I adore them, I respect them, I need them. But...come now, where will this lead? Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer should have stars more so than Tinker Bell, no? American icons such as they? And what about Scrooge? I mean, hey, what has been adapted and re-tooled and referred to more than Dicken's A Christmas Carol? Plus, Ebenezer turned his whole life around, saved a little boy and became a beloved pillar of the community...surely he deserves a star. Where does it end? And my other question is...wouldn't you think there'd be a finite amount of space? Do we really need to be using it up with make-believe entities?

Bart has informed me that he thinks Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny already have stars. Good grief (to quote Peanuts)! Perhaps I had not been in the loop on this one. I don’t even want to look it up and see if it’s true.

What I can see is making a strip of Stars for fictional characters…
But including them among Hollywood?

*Title by Sunshine, who is sitting right here...she's in from Ohio chasing a dream or being chased by one, it's hard to know at this point. :)

What Wood You Remember?

The pictures in a recent blog post of Sunshine’s caused me to recall not only the way the area around my childhood home used to appear, but activities I partook of while there. Until now, it never quite occurred to me how it affected me.

Just blocks away from my house I could enter an expansive woods. My friends and I would go cavorting. We even made a map of the sort-of trails and had fun coming up with names. We’d trudge through, pretending to be all manner of things, I’m sure. From explorer to hobbit. Maybe even hobbit explorer.

In a different direction lay another woods. This one, as I recall, seemed much more savage. Zaph (who is no longer with us in this version of reality) and I used to carry a boom box blaring 80’s tunes and whatever else we deemed necessary to bring to his house. For that is why we’d trek through (besides the fun of it)…to reach his house. He lived in a huge home situated right amid the trees. It even has a lake with a pier. A gravel winding downward path serves as a driveway. The kind of downward path that made you call upon all of your driving skills and gave the impression of embarking on a grand adventure. But we would approach on foot through the back. Through the woods.

I also remember seeing bats flying over my backyard with great frequency. Coming from the direction of the woods, of course.

Thanks, Sunshine, for resurrecting these memories. It makes me think. Perhaps I enjoy fantasy stories because I had a place to act them out. Winding through bushes and tree trunks and over stones. It could have been the forest of Endor, Mirkwood, Sherwood, Tulgey Wood, Where the Wild Things Are, Tom & Huck’s island or the Neverland. With the bats and wildlife, is it any wonder I am attracted to such stories?

It’s all gone now, sadly. Totally suburbanized. The poor children there…they’ll have to hunt for fairies in their gardens, if they have them.

“So into the woods you go again, You have to every now and then.” - Sondheim

Another Culture Weekend

Once again we packed our weekend with much fun and culture. Bart and I went to lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant with his sister Lage. Then Bart and I headed down to The Greenhouse Theater, a smaller space affiliated with the Tony-winning Victory Gardens Theater. We saw a performance of five one-woman shows, the fruits of Tekki Lomnicki’s class on writing a one-person show. Sunshine attended this class before moving to Ohio and came back to perform her piece, Inconceivable! All in all it proved to be great. Each show had both charm and weight, true delights, relating issues ranging from insights into historical figures to dealing with ludicrous racism during 9/11.
Brava to them all!

After that Bart and I moved on to the Tony-winning Chicago Shakespeare Theater for their latest rendition of Comedy of Errors. Let me tell you, Bart and I have been subscribers for about four years now. We are always impressed, but this show had to be one of the best we have ever seen. Wow! Genius. Brilliant! The show did not just contain Shakespeare’s wacky classic, but another play erected on top of it. The concept took place in London during the 1940’s when a troupe of screen actors get together to film Comedy of Errors and only having 36 hours to do so. They filmed it gratis for the troops fighting Hitler. The new script shined with delicious characters and relationships “on the set.” Yes, it had the obligatory moments such as “CUT!” But it never overused such devices, either. The special effects (bombings!) were fantastic and it even began by staging the prologue as a screening, making it appear flickering and in black & white! Top notch performances (as always at Chicago Shakespeare) and a miraculously expanding set that worked well both as stage and movie studio pieces, complete with cameras and cinema lights [the kind on the stands] creating the perfect atmosphere. Ron West, who wrote the script for the Shepperton Studio scenes and Barbara Gaines (always love her direction!) are to be congratulated, measure for measure. (Sorry for that bad pun.) Just fantastic. If you are in Chicago, don’t miss this one. BRAVO! Not much time left - it runs until June 29.

Today is also Fathers’ Day, so a nod and shout to all our patriarchs out there!
We will be having a lovely dinner with Bart’s father.

Later tonight we’ll have Lage, Dragonfly and Tall Boy over to watch the Tonys. More culture! We of course will be using the magic of TiVo in order to watch.

So, hooray. Another lovely weekend.

Cue "The Twilight Zone" music...

So I'm reading Sunshine's blog and see this during the hour after midnight (i.e. 13). This is a direct, unplanned screenshot. Eerie. :)

Little Updates

If you haven't already noticed, I've added a place to drop me a line about something not post-specific. On the left are a little quill and ink as well as a book. The book will view the Guestbook and the quill and ink will let you write on it. (There is also a link to sign on the Guestbook viewing page.)

Sunshine, whom you may have already read about, now has a blog Mission Improvisational. I've posted a link in my "Also Visit" section.

The release of Peter Pan's NeverWorld is taking longer than I would like, but it is still not entirely out of bounds of my original estimate. I can tell you that it shouldn't be very long now, two months or less. I'm rooting for less, how about you? Actually, two months is a worst case scenario.