S and I finished our last performance of ‘Gypsy’ today! It was a wonderful experience especially for him as his first play.

He has been asked to be in a production of Pippin so he will be playing Theo. Rehearsals start in January but this time I will be backstage rather than onstage. I used to always like being onstage but at this point I prefer being backstage so for Pippin I will be doing props and something.

In the spring I will be helping out for a production of ‘Cabaret’ running the lighting boards or something. Gypsy and Cabaret are with a theatre group I haven’t been a part of before so I have to work my way up from the bottom. I am hoping that in a few years I can work my way up to stage manager. I have been a stage manager before for a production of ‘West Side Story’ as well as ‘The Lion in Winter’ and I loved it.

I love being back in theatre!

H: Hey S, wake up, do you want some pizza?

S (half asleep and still dreaming): Okay, I just have to take off my ninja mask to eat it.

– Rush music playing in the background –

H: Mom, is that too loud?

H’s 82 year old mother: What?

H: Is that too loud?

H’s 82 year old mother: What?

H: (louder) Is the music too loud?!

H’s 82 year old mother: (louder) What?!? I can’t hear you.

H: (even louder) IS THE MUSIC TOO LOUD!?!?

H: (shows me how his toe nail fell off because a new one grew underneath)

CRIMSON: Ewwww, now you’re a circus freak!!!!

– an hour later –

S: Mommy, do you love me as much as the circus freak?

PHONE: ring ring

D: Here S answer it.

S (in Indian accent like Apu from The Simpsons): No this is not Crimson, this is… uh, some random person, yes yes, thank you, goodbye.

CRIMSON: Give me the phone you clown (takes phone). Hello?

TELEMARKETER (with Indian accent): May I speak with Crimson Myst…

Our crazy fish has departed from us and swam his way to the big ocean of the next life. Yes dear friends, Winter has passed on but we are richer for having had him even if he had an unnerving stare that made you look over your shoulder in case there was someone behind you because of the way he looked at you so intently. He will definitely be missed… even if he is just a fish.

*glub*

Hola!

D and I went to our first Spanish class in preparation for our trip to Peru in June. We are going with a group of students from the university I attended and will be doing community development work there with the local population. I am really, really looking forward to it and think it will be a great experience for D who is currently in grade six.

I have a terrible memory so hopefully I will remember or learn enough Spanish to be able to communicate in a basic fashion and not accidentally tell someone they are the bastard offspring of a three legged, demented goat with tertiary syphillis.

Well, unless they are of course… but what are the odds?

Samurai Winter.

The craziest, hungriest looking fish known to man.

Okay, maybe not to man but to my family at least. This is our Silver Molly fish that we have had for about a year and a half. Anyone who ever comes over and sees this fish, the first thing they ask is ‘Have you fed your fish lately?’. Not because he looks emaciated or scrawny or anything, he is actually our biggest fish but he just has this way of looking at you… like you are going to be his next meal or something.

Seriously.

 This little guy is not afraid of anyone and always comes over to stare at you if you come within ten feet of the fish tank. I swear he must have been a Piranha in a past life. He’s also pretty scrappy and has survived jumping out of the tank a few times. Once even landing on the carpet where it took us a good 2-3 minutes before we found him.

So is this scraping the bottom of the fish barrel by posting about my fish? I gotta say again though, he just has his way of looking at you…

This is a conversation between my son (S), daughter (D) and myself (Me) about what my son wants to be when he grows up.
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D: S, what are you going to be when you grow up? I’m going to be a veterinarian.
S: Drive police cars and fire trucks
D: You can only be one thing. Which one are you going to be?
Me: He can be more than one thing if he wants. You don’t have to be one thing forever.
D: And what else S?
S: Fix remotes and TVs
D: And what else?
S: Go in sheds
Me: What are you going to do in the sheds (trying very hard not to laugh)?
S: See the dead mice
D: And do what?
S: Bring them home
D: What are you going to do when you bring them home?
S: Give them water.
Me: Why would you give water to dead mice?
S: To make them alive again
D: Then what would you do with them?
S: Put them in water and hold them.
D: They can’t breathe under water.
Me: Maybe they are swimming.
S: Then get a small cup that fits in their house and give them water.
D: And then what will you do?
S: And then they will sleep.
D: And after they sleep?
S: Let them play with my toys.
D: They would play with your toys?
S: Yes, and then they will give them back.
Me: Sounds like very nice mice.
S: Yes, they are nice and they give them back because they like me.

CRIMSON: Eat your meat

D: It’s cold, ugly, and disgusting

CRIMSON: Microwave it, heat it up

D: What do I do for ugly and disgusting?