Bless Me, For I Have Sinned ... Again

It's been forever since my last post here. Wow! I know I said I was going to slow down but this is pretty crazy. As you can imagine, a lot has happened. If you'd like to know everything, settle in and read on ...

I went out with people from work to celebrate a co-worker's 50th birthday. We met for supper and drinks at O'Donaghue's Pub in Chatham. I had the curried chicken which was really good. I only ordered it medium because I didn't know how hot the hot would be, but should I order it again I think I would try the hot because the medium was a true medium. Very yummy! We had a good time and then I went out to a retirement party with my boss and his wife at the Lion's Club in Newcastle. This was an interesting experience on many levels. They actually serve wine there, red in a bottle that isn't hideous, and very reasonably priced. They also left all the overhead lights on except directly over the dance area, which was unusual but seemed to work very well with an older crowd. It's hard to be off your face drunk in bright light. It was an older crowd, we were among the young ones. And I had a really good time.

I attended the MYPIE Wine & Cheese reception at the Rodd and met some new people. I was a little nervous because really that whole business thing is not my scene, but it went okay and I think I'll make an effort to attend more events. The speaking part went okay. I wasn't really prepared, just half-assed prepared, so there were things that came to mind as I was speaking that I wished I had thought of when I wrote the bit. And I wasn't sure the bit was actually cohesive, because we were right into BnM deadline that day and I was stressing about all that. But afterward several people told me they could relate and they appreciated my talk, so that was good. Someone even suggested I should publish it in BnM, which I hadn't considered, but might work.

MYPIE happened on a Wednesday and then we were totally on deadline. Thursday was spent with the Design Editor putting the finishing touches on BnM, then back to the office to get ready for a BnM Road trip to Fredericton. I had hoped we would get some printing done that Thursday night, but I lost my printing buddy to the Timberwolves Annual Golf Tournament, so that was okay. Friday morning was a flurry of last minute BnM communications before I caught the early afternoon bus to Fredericton. Thankfully the bus was running late out of Moncton because of road construction, otherwise I might have missed it.

It was the first time I travelled on a bus since people have been stabbed and killed while travelling on the bus. I seemed to be more alert to my fellow travelers, but otherwise nothing was different. I still sat about mid-way back at the emergency exit window. (Ever since I actually figured out how to use the emergency exit I'm a big fan of me being the one to open the window.) I was so tired and hungry on the bus ride that I decided I would actually get off in Boiestown and buy a Monster energy drink and something to eat ... that is until we stopped, the driver said we had 5 minutes and nearly everyone got off the bus in a mad rush to the store. Screw that! I promised I'd have a big coffee or something when I arrived.

I wasn't the only one running on little sleep and energy. Joe had been travelling out west and only just arrived home that morning having flown in the wee hours. None of this would have mattered in the slightest if not for the fact that we had tickets to TNB's midnight performance of Rocky Horror. So there was a little concern about how lively we might be come midnight.

I was supposed to meet a co-worker at the bus stop in Fredericton to deliver a package. The only problem was we'd never met before. She'd seen a photo of me in BnM, but as we all know that pic is a couple of years old and I had gotten a whole lot blonder and thinner in the face since then. To top it all off, I completely forgot I was supposed to meet the girl, so I wasn't even looking for her when I got off the bus. So we missed one another and decided she would be better to contact me during the Small Press Fair Saturday afternoon.

It was sunny and warm when I departed the bus in Fredericton, but that would soon change in the overnight with pre-hurricane rains descending upon the capital city. I grabbed my Monster Energy drink at Victory Meat when we went shopping for supper supplies. After downing it and a scrumptious supper (it's always better when I don't have to cook!) the wine started flowing and soon it was nearly midnight and time to go to the theatre, still energized and very much awake.

What to say about Rocky Horror? ... I FREAKING LOVED IT!! AMAZING! FABULOUS! What a great time! We weren't in costume. We didn't have props. But it didn't matter. Several of the audience did show up in costume, looking fantastic, and many people brought props and knew what to do with them. I had never been to a live performance before. I had never been to a theatre showing of the film. I've seen it on tv. That is all. But man! It's a completely different experience to be in a room filled with people partaking of the campy trashy fun! I would so go see this again and again. I understand the cult following in a way I never have before, that I could never just by sitting in my jammies in front of the tv on Halloween night.

If you're familiar with the movie you know how it opens.



So they had a huge screen that was almost like the curtain covering the stage, and she came from the back of the room to the stage singing. It was like she was singing right into a camera that was broadcasting her lips onto the screen. Very cool! And of course the credits rolled on the screen too, in trashy red Rocky Horror font. The big screen was also used for the first scene when Brad and Janet are in the car in the rain, which made it seem like we were all outside in the rain. Even more so when they got out to run to the Frank 'N Furter's mansion and everyone in the place held newspapers or their programs over their heads to keep dry.

Every time someone onstage said Janet's name the audience yelled, "SLUT!" And every time someone said Brad's name they yelled "ASSHOLE!" Which happens a lot!

As they approached the castle and Janet was singing "There's a light..." everyone in the audience turned on flashlights. I knew this stuff was going to happen, but I had no idea how much of an effect these interactive things would add to the performance. It was exciting to be there, to be a part of it.

When Riff Raff (who was excellent! from his first lines, I was agape by how good he was, how great the costuming was!) let them inside the castle, the screen lifted revealing the colourful red set. An elevator centre stage. A live band in the balconies upstairs. It was truly fabulous!

And then we did the Time Warp!



Oh my God! What a time! Everyone in the audience was on their feet dancing. Jumping to the left, stepping to the right, hands on their hips, knees in tight, pelvic thrusts ... honestly, so much fun! As the music built to Frank 'N Furter's entrance the anticipation was almost too much to take. Because everything so far had been beyond my wildest expectation, and all the characters so far had been spot on ... would Frank 'N Furter live up to the promise the production had already created? Or was that impossible?

When the elevator doors opened I actually squealed with delight. I couldn't contain myself. He was beyond fabulous! Totally the sweet transvestite! Great costume and sexy strut! A bit skinnier than Tim Curry, but perfect nonetheless.

Just when you would get caught up in the show and forget about the props in the audience it would be time for something else to happen and it would take you by surprise and take the whole thing to a brand new level. Like when they played the Wedding March and confetti rained down on everyone or when the rolls of toilet paper were surfing through the audience.

Overall, I can't say enough good stuff about the production. TNB did a great job. And now I'm even more excited to take the kids to see Narnia in December.

The weekend didn't end with Rocky Horror though, it was just the beginning. We spent Saturday at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre for a Small Press Fair. The cafe was closed, so we were there all day without sustenance, but it was a good day for BnM and I made some new contacts. Saturday evening saw us mad dashing to the Superstore for sustenance. A pasta feast followed. Yummy! And much wine. Much, much, wine. I don't know if it was all the wine, the lack of sleep, or what but Saturday night dissolved into fits of giggles, which I desperately needed.

Sunday saw us as passengers in a 15-seat van bound for Moncton, where we enjoyed some Acadian hospitality with a huge feast of a brunch and some great literary conversation about language and community. We drove home under threat of a hurricane that never came ... and then drank even more wine before calling it a night fairly early because Joe had a long day of work come Monday morning. He left just before 8am to pick up a rental van and drive to Sackville for a pick up, then Moncton, then back to King's Landing.

I puttered around packing to return to Miramichi on the bus. As I walked toward the bus station I realized I was shaky weak, totally not going to make it the few blocks, so I nipped into Kings Place in search of food energy. At Shoppers I bought some candy and chips for the bus ride, then I hit McMunchies for a bagel blt, hash browns and coffee. As I sat on the bus, barely able to keep my eyes open, let alone function mentally on any level, I wondered how in the frig Joe was making out driving all that way and lugging stuff to and from the van. He made out okay, but God love him, I didn't envy him the task that day. I slept a long time after I got home.

I discovered when I returned that we'd had a power outage at BnM headquarters and magazine production was now running a week behind as a result. I also had a lot of work to catch up on as I hadn't been doing any while I was away. So I dove in and buried myself for the next week. Stopping only long enough to dye my hair a dark brown that adhered to my former blonde dye job and turned coal black. With hair so long and thick and wavy ... and raven ... I felt every inch the witch as Stacy and I went to the movies to see Burn After Reading (which I enjoyed immensely, totally cracked me up). Later that night, my hair frustration became unbearable and I lopped off my hair (no, I was not drinking at the time, tho some PMS seems to have been involved)... but unlike the last time I lopped it all off, this time I totally screwed it up. So I locked myself in my apartment until I could get emergency hair surgery on Thanksgiving weekend. I went out only one time, because I needed to do banking, and I wore a hat. This meant I had to miss a Tea Party I had been looking forward to attending. Oh well. Live and learn.

So that brings us up to this past weekend. I went upriver on Friday after work so I could get my hair fixed on Saturday afternoon. I was doubtful it could be fixed, and was prepared that I might have to wear hats out everywhere for another few weeks, but my hairdresser worked a miracle and I escaped (just barely) with a style that looks as if it was intentional. It is short, and dark, and VERY different for me. I am probably unrecognizable to most people. But surprisingly, I like it! I'll have to see if I can get some pictures to post.

Saturday night we went out to celebrate birthdays. First supper at O'Donaghue's Pub in Chatham. Then the Opera House for ... dancing I guess, or proof positive that we're not teenagers anymore. I drank entirely too much. WAY too much! The burger I had was not the one I was craving, but it was pretty darn good though totally huge! I could not eat it all. And I can eat a pretty big burger. The gravy was amazing. But the cheesecake! Oh boy! The cheesecake was the best. Curl my toes good.

Sunday I had a pretty severe hang-over. A Monster Energy drink and a handful of Motrin really did nothing to ease the problem and normally that would set me right. I laid on the couch all afternoon watching Corrie and wondering how in the frig I was ever going to get to a place where I could do Thanksgiving Dinner. Then I found the ice cream. A couple of bowls of ice cream and a few glasses of water and I was able to throw in some grease by way of a bowl full of potato chips. By then it was 4pm and finally I could see my way clear to taking a shower without puking my guts up, which I did.

Supper was at my sister's house. And by 5:30 I was able to eat a big plate full of turkey and all the fixings followed by dessert. And after that I was right as rain and able to have some more wine and play games with my sisters and their husbands. We played Name That Tune 80s edition dvd game, which you might think I'd be good at, but I'm not really. I really only know pop from the early 80s because then I got heavy into partying and other things and didn't pay attention to much else going on, plus my musical tastes started to drift away from top 40 to less mainstream. Then in the late 80s I went to Toronto and discovered all the 70s and punk stuff. So I really was never into music videos much. And after about 1984 I completely stopped with the top songs countdowns, Grammy Awards, etc. It's a little weird but it feels like one day I was taping Rick Springfield off the tv onto a cassette recorder ... and then I never heard another thing until 1991 or 1992 or whenever it was that I went to work at the radio station. I honestly don't know what I was doing in between.

Mom called over to Jenn's later to tell Sherry and Gary to drive me home when they left because neighbours had seen a bear hanging around. When they drove me we thought we saw eyes just down the road, so it's good that I didn't walk. I was reminded of the night when Stacy and I were walking just below Joe's. It was one of those really dark nights where you can't see the hand in front of your face, and it was before everyone had dusk til dawn lights in their yards. You'd be walking along trying not to fall into the ditch. A car came and stopped. It was Uncle Terry and Bliss and they told us to get in because there was a bear in the ditch just right there in front of us. We would never have seen it. I've often wondered what, if anything, would have happened if they hadn't come along just then.

Yesterday I just hung out at Mom's all day and watched tv. This morning I came home with Jason on his way to work. It was freezing! And very foggy. It's still chilly. Of course I had hundreds of email from having been offline for a long weekend. And now I need to get up the gumption to go out and exercise my democratic right to vote. It's election day! I'll be following that closely later this evening.

But for now, you're up to date..

Mood: sleepy
Drinking: coffee, black
Listening To: computer humming
Hair: spiky, black