I'll Be Back Before Midnight

Most nights I usually am, and this reference is quite true this time of year.  I'll Be Back Before Midnight is a play that was written in the late 1970s by a fellow named Peter Colley.  It is playing at The Livery Theatre in Goderich and I am the Assistant Stage Manager.  It is not a very sexy job or anything, although I have been busy and the play has probably benefited from an extra joker around such as myself helping out.

Without giving too much of the plot away, it is set in a farmhouse, there are 4 characters, and it is a who-done-it, murder comedic mystery.  The four character's lives get interwoven by some incest, marriage, and neighbourly relationships.  Surprisingly it isn't nonfiction based on many of the folk around Huron & Bruce County.  What do I do as the A.S.M.?  I have quarterbacked the props and back stage management of the play so far.  I also trip some doors/hatches and some other suspenseful actions that will be seen by the audience to add excitement.  I pull the drapes too...  At any rate, we had a mini dress rehersal on Sunday, a more formal dress rehersal tonight, then show-time on Thursday.  It runs for 7 shows.  It is going to go over well I hope.

And on the homefront - Molly and I are just hanging out as Shelly hit up some March Break travel to the big city of Toronto.  We've been swimming, hanging out at the library, lots of walks, and just trying to keep the house organized and clean.  All in all a success. 

Molly was into the cupboards and dumped out a fourth of a box of Cheerios - So she's just been eating off the floor when hungry.

Inclement Weather

Just a few pictures and a brief update about what has been going on.  Basically there has been a lot of inclement weather days for blowing snow or icey roads.  I have kind of lost track of all them.  Today makes about the nineth or tenth day off.  Yesterday was another....  On half of the days I get out to the school and poke away at some work - like yesterday.  But today the highway is closed, so for now I am just at home doing some stuff - well, updating the blog, then I'll get some stuff done.

So just a few pictures....  Molly and Shelly are doing really well.  I am doing fine myself....

 

Molly and Shelly going out for a walk...  She really enjoys being in the backpack...

 



Molly and I just hanging out....  In the kitchen....

Anyhow - like last time I wrote that I'd try to post more and update more...  And I should. 

New Year

I just opened up my camera card to see what was on it - Nothing.  Not one picture taken in 2013 yet....  That is the way it is going to go I guess. 

On New Year's Eve I was over at a friends place to ring in the event.  Shelly was home in bed - not feeling well at all.  Molly was feeling well, but asleep.  I could have just stayed home, but it was nice of Carolyn and Rick to invite me over, so over I went.  It was a fun night in the end.  It is too bad Shelly wasn't there, but next time.

But Molly and Shelly are both truly doing fantastic.  Molly of course is about 15 months old and is kind of walking.  She weighs about 24 pounds.  She is right into the cupboards, laundry baskets, and the book shelves, big-time.  She grows out of clothes quite quickly, and eats, and eats, and eats.

I have been playing a bunch of hockey, running quite a lot too, and I am also helping out back stage in a play at The Livery.  It is called, "I'll Be Back After Midnight" by Michael Combs I think.  It is a murder mystery comedy.  It is quite funnny and will be an enjoyable production.  Offically I am the Assistant Stage Manager.  I am getting the props sorted, helping organize the stage, and there will obviously be other duties.  Nothing fancy. 

Well, I just wanted to put a few words down so I don't leave it too long....  I'll get some pictures and more stories on the go.

 

Last Post of 2012

Even though there are a few days left in 2012, I doubt I will put fingers to keyboard again.  So let this be the last posting of the year...  Thanks to everyone who came by the blog to check out a post or two.  Hopefully 2013 brings more pictures and stories.

Christmas was the news of the week around here, and for pretty much everyone else I suppose.  We all made it through the holidays with the usually bits of silliness, gift giving, visiting, unwrapping, eating, blah, blah, blah.  All in all, we are still alive and well. 

We started off on Christmas Eve on a bit of a house crawl.  Dinner with Don and Janet, night cap drink with John and Rhonda, a walk around the square, and home by nine or so.  Santa had not yet delivered the goods...

On Christmas morning we had a later start.  We weren't really out of bed and shaking until about nine.  We had a big scoff to eat, and just sort of puttered around.  Molly opened/tried to open a few gifts, but was not into whatsoever.  No big deal.  We never really got her anything anyway!  I went out for a run...  And it wasn't so much different then any other Tuesday. 

 

We never really got into a posing mode this Christmas with fancy clothes on and that ideal back-drop to shoot a likeness.  All of our pictures were a bit out of focus, eyes closed, missing people, and missing important moments. 

 

 

 

Shelly and her mom were quite upset though this Christmas.  Shelly's horse Lucky was "put-down".  (Not urban "put-down", rather rural "put-down".)  It was unfortunate, but necessary because of its deteriorating condition.  I went out to the barn on Christmas Eve day to give it a hoof clipping - my gift to it I suppose....  and it was laying down, not able to get up - It looked like it had a broken leg even.  At any rate, its fate was in this poor condition.  So ya...  Shelly won Lucky when she was in elementary school at a fair.  It had outlived hundreds of cows, barn cats, mice, raccoons, the rooster, and so on @ the Johnston ranch... To Lucky!

 

 

You wouldn't believe it....  But Ralph the dog was in deplorable condition too - Seemingly worse than Lucky.  Now Ralph is Shelly's mom's pride!  Gladys loves her dog more than many-of-person.  But Ralph, well Ralph was not walking, not eating, had lumps, etcetera, etcetera....  So, shall I continue? 

Ralph was also "put-down" (rural definition)....  One after the other.  It was the right thing to do.   I'll tell you, Shelly and her mom were quite upset at the loss of both of the animals - and on Christmas morning of all days.  But after a day or two, and thinking about the quality of life the animals had, it was a choice that was necessary.  On a farm you have two kinds of animals; dead and alive ones.

 

 

I have never seen the Johnston's house cat walk on such a straight path!  It knows you better be well, or else....

 



Strike

So last Monday was a new first for me.  It was my first ever strike as an employee.  I had walked a few picket lines before, most recently this summer in support of my brothers and sisters at SIFTO salt mine in Goderich, but this one was the real deal....  Well, it was real, but only one day long, so it was nothing compared to what tens of millions of workers around North America, and the globe, have had to go through.  At any rate, I did my part, and it was extremely anti-climatic, as not much of note happened whilst holding the line.  A few honks, some jeers, one middle finger....  I was stationed at an MPP office, and the faceless politico didn't even have the nerve to go to the office that day.  The strike shift was 3 hours long, I probably walked 4.5 miles, it was really wet and cold out, but we did our part and our message was sent.  To democracy!

Sister Leanne and someone else who I can't quite remember her name:

 

 

My buddies and I got horrendously skunked during the December deer hunt.  I did not even see a deer, let along any animal with four legs!  Honestly - not a squirrel, coon, coyote, etc...  I saw a few dogs and some domesticated cows and horses, but nothing, nothing, nothing.  With this, I am somewhat baffled because we are in spots that seem like a coastal-villa for deer with lots to eat, lots of cover, marshy, not beside a house or school, but then again they are so sneaky and can walk around you without you having any idea.  Besides, I don't know too much about deer hunting in general - I've only been out for 6 or 7 years.  I can clearly remember the first year though.  My buddy shot one within the first 20 minutes we were out - I took cracks at one or two each night thereafter for the week - missing of course.  But we saw tonnes of them.  And since then, it has just trickled down slowly but surely.  I don't know....  Oh well.  I still have a tag though for my bow and arrow.  It is good until Dec. 31.  So over the holidays I am going to be out and hopefully my fortunes will be better with that implement.

 

 

Molly is doing super terrific.  She is all but walking - Doing everything there is to do, but she has yet to take those fretful solo steps unabided.  No big deal.  Perhaps by New Years she'll have gotten it down.  But she is really doing swell - Enjoying all there is to enjoy at day care and all of those other 14 month old activities.

 

 

 

 

 

So the ho-ho-holidays are soon upon us all.  We don't really have any major plans.  The weather has been so mild around here.  It was 7 above zero with no wind, and no snow in the forcast.  Everything is green and muddy.  Maybe we will all get to Toronto or something for a bit of a vacation.  School starts back up on the seventh of January.  Lots of time for something, but not too sure what yet.



Some Very Good Looking People

The infamous Mark Kiteley got married a few weeks ago. It was at a semi-swanky Richmond Street bar in Toronto, so that meant I had to get gussied up, shaved, and find a date...  Funny enough, the bar was called the Richmond - I guess there is no doubt then about where it is for people to find it. Shelly couldn't go, so I searched through my little black book, stopped at the "Bs", and phoned up the great Steve Beasley and he was all-in for a night out in Toronto. 

The event brought in a lot of fine fellers (and one great gal).  We had Andy Hahn, Alexander MacLeod, Chris Bakal, Beaser, myself, Rich Tremain, and his gal Teressa.  Wow!  What a group.  Andy's gal, Alex's, & mine's couldn't go - so it was quite the rooster show.  Rhys was there with his boy Goose, so ya, lots of dudes on Richmond, as compared to on Church Street that night.  Good times had by all.  Someone thought it was a good idea to hit up the Crazy Horse Saloon for a 2:00 am drink - I don't know why.  It seemed like we all had our fill, but such is the way judgements are made at times.

And here we go:  Richy and Alex.

 

Beaser + Teressa

 

 

 

Bakal + Hahner

 

 

 

 

 

Being that it is Toronto and all, there is always a few weirdos and vagabonds kicking about.  These three showed up; John, Ethan, & Emma Coups.  And of course the next picture, well, they don't really need much of an introduction.

 

 

 

 

One Year

Molly's first birthday came and went last Saturday.  It was an unusual day of sorts as Shelly was busy with a long list of prearranged engagements & I was in Toronto at my buddies wedding.  Molly spent the day with my mom.  But Shelly made it out for a quick bite to eat, and there was even a bit of a birthday party going on.  So good on you Molly!  One year old.  Maybe next year I will get to your second birthday.