Tuesday, April 29th
I'm not quite as maudlin as I was a few weeks ago. The anniversaries are over and I've been rather busy. I'm sorry to say that Patrick, the cat, continues to decline. He has stopped eating and drinking and today, more or less stopped moving. I'm expecting him to be dead in the morning, and if he is not, I think the time has come to take him to the vet to be put to sleep. He's no longer having any fun. He was still leaping up on the bed as of Sunday so it's a rather sudden change but we know his kidneys are shot and there really isn't anything fixable.
This past weekend was the big tap spectacular. It's a major Birmingham tradition - Time Step studio at the Alabama theater, one of the big old 20s movie palaces downtown. The average age of the 100 or so women is about 55, yet there they all are in their lycra and sequins and false eyelashes and rouge having a great time with a hooting and hollering audience. The dozen men (of whom I am one), are a bit younger, have to do double and triple duty as there are so few of us, and sacrifice all dignity in service of entertainment. This year I appeared in a red Elvis jumpsuit and a barrel, amongst other things. One of my numbers is linked below.
Tommy is in the throes of finals. His last one is tommorrow, then he is off until August. We are headed to New Orleans on Saturday for a bit of a celebration. I have to speak at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology meetings there on Tuesday of next week. Then we come back and head into 'Music Man' rehearsals and final rehearsals for the gay men's chorus concert scheduled for the 13th. The music for that is sounding pretty good but we could both live without the hootenanny hoedown folk song number.
Sunday, April 13th
Today would have been Steve's 60th birthday. I'm having a hard time imagining a sixty year old Steve and I don't think he'd have been very taken with the idea. I guess his being sixty means I'll be 46 in a few weeks. That's far older than I ever intended to be. Stop the world, I want to get off. The passing of the years is showing up the most in Patrick, the cat. He's nearly 15 and he's fading. He continues to slow down and lose weight. He's on pills from the vet to help his failing kidneys but it's nigh on impossible to get them down his throat.
I made just enough money last year to bump me up a tax bracket and I got socked with an unexpected major tax liability. I was not thrilled but whatcha gonna do? I need a new laptop but that purchase along with others may need to wait.
The annual tap extravaganza is taking shape and happens in two weeks. It will be its usual riotous self. I seem to be wearing a barrel in one number, armor in another. At least no fan dance this year.
Rehearsals have started for 'The Music Man' - I'm playing Mayor Shinn. Should be pretty easy as he's not in most of the big musical numbers. Just have to learn my lines and try not to imitate Paul Ford too much.
Tuesday, April 1st
No April Fools pranks so far today and that's good, as far as I am concerned. The majority of them aren't well enough executed to be funny. Perhaps I can get through the entire day without one.
The reading of 'Terrorist' went quite well. About thirty people turned up and that was enough of an audience for the actors to play off of and to get a sense of what works and what doesn't. It plays quickly - just over an hour for each act so I don't think too much has to be cut, but there are little things to trim here and there that should cut 5-10 minutes off of it and then I think it will be in good enough shape for a production if anyone actually wants to do it.
Patrick is mad at having to take two pills a day to help with his kidneys. He's no better, no worse which is, I suppose, good enough. As long as he's getting around, eating and drinking and using the litter box I'll be happy.
Tommy and I are back to our usual patterns. Work, chorus rehearsals and I am trying to get all six tap routines down for the tap show on the 26th. I have the major ones under my belt but some of the things that are just being added now are not in as good shape. Fortunately, I know how to fake a lot of things when I have to.
