paris weather

• 46°F
  ClearWind: S at 2 mph
  Humidity: 87%
  Today
  68° 48°
• Fri
  71° 51°
• Sat
  73° 53°
• Sun
  77° 55°

Ahhhhh.... I will return in just under a week. Until then... au revoir!

caged heat

This poor kitty was in the back of a car at the Ypsilanti, Depot Town old car show. His owners may think he likes getting out and being around people rather than staying at home by himself on Thursdays, but his expression shows other emotions.
In addition to this unfortunate cat, we were accosted by a very demonstrative, large black cat when we returned to our car. He leaped into the air to pet himself against my dangling arm and did the same to Cynthia. He was quite an adorable, loving cat. While petting him, Cynthia noticed a large group of cats on the loading dock of a nearby business so we went to investigate. We managed to get within 20 yards before the last of the cats ran off. Although they all looked healthy and robust, they were very skittish and probably wild cats. Too bad it was so dark. I would have loved to have gotten a photo of the lot of them.

cynthia moved out

I went through the empty-nest syndrome for a while when Porscha first moved out, Cynthia went to Austria for 5 months and Nicole moved back to Europe. It was difficult and lonely for me. The two saving graces seemed to be that Tom (our cat) was still home and Cynthia would eventually move back. Cynthia came back from Austria with a suitcase full of souvenirs, stories and a bit more confidence. She finished high school and is in her second year at WCC - a local community college. Last year, she bemoaned the fact that she was missing out of the full college experience - dorms, friends around all the time, more independence, and so on. It didn't surprise me when she announced that she wanted to move in with a group of friends for this school year. She quit her job at the library, works in Arborland, has borrowed my car to get there and to school and back. She, also, has the cat to keep her company. Good for her.
I am happy for her and, I think, I am handling empty nesting better. Well, except for the sinking feeling that this time it is permanent. It's an vacuous ache in the pit of my stomach, the crawling nerves that trickle up and down my arms and legs when I can't sleep at night. It's the too close tears that try to reveal themselves when friends and neighbors ask me how I'm doing with both kids away.
Children are a joy... no doubt about it. The time goes fast indeed. But all the old adages don't prepare parents for the inevitable emptiness that is left when they move out. Some people tell me they couldn't wait for their kids to leave, more room in the house, less messy, teenagers are a pain... And, it's true that there are benefits to them moving out. I have more time to work on my art, less laundry to do, less dishes to wash but, boy, I miss Cynthia! Don't get me wrong as I miss Porscha as well, but the loss of Cynthia's presence in our house is new, fresh and an open hurt... and she took the cat!

go ask alice

The thing about being in theatre is that you always get paid for holidays... of course, that is because one always works the holidays. For example, this Labor Day, I worked the Alice Cooper show. Monday, we worked 14 hours, Tuesday, we worked 10. It was gruelling work and I thought I was having a heat stroke for a while but a stint in a very nice man's air-conditioned car and a cold, wet towel around my neck had me back on my feet, pushing, pulling, lifting, tugging, swinging, etc. The last two days I have been trying to make up work for the rest of my life and have been having problems doing so. I am exhausted... exhausted and very bruised. My right forearm has the appearance of heroin use by a drugged out user with a bad aim. Those contusions will heal quickly as they are very superficial. The bruise on the top of my left shoulder, however, will be a painful souvenir of the concert and drag-out for a while. It is extremely tender.

deep fried twinkies

Think you have seen everything? Eaten everything? Think again! The Michigan State Fair 2007 offered exotic gastronomic concoctions that challenged the definition of "too rich". Take the "deep fried Twinkie" for example. A regular Twinkie is dipped in batter and dunked into a deep fryer until golden brown, It is then pulled out and topped with powdered sugar and drizzled with chocolate. Twinkies not your thing? They also offered deep fried Oreos.

school