Inside Andy's Brain ( A Scary Place)

Tuesday, August 30th

And another month is drawing to a close. It's been a scorcher around here the last few weeks. Around 100 during the day with high humidity and not dropping much below 80 at night. I was hoping hurricaine Irene might change things somewhat but no, it's too far away and hasn't done anything to north central Alabama weather.

'Big' finished its run a week or so ago. It was a cute show. I didn't have a lot to do - half of the opening number and then a couple of scenes as window dressing later in the show. I was done 40 minutes into Act I and then read a book until curtain call. I am now on page 870 of George R R Martin's latest, 'A Dance with Dragons' and should finish this weekend. This and the previous volume were not as jaw dropping as the first three volumes in the series. I think he has too many plot threads at this moint and has spent the last 1600 pages trying to maneuver everyone into position for the ultimate showdowns so I hope the next volume will start to do that. And I hope it doesn't take him a decade to produce it.

Tommy and I were characters for the annual fund raising Fairy Tale Ball again this past weekend. This year, we were the shoemaker and the elf and we helped the kids with little craft lace up shoes. It was fun and a lot easier than being the Emperor without any clothes that has been my lot for the last couple of years. (Being a family friendly event, I was, of course, wearing long underwear).

The big push this next week is to get Politically Incorrect back into shape for another performance in Montevallo scheduled for the 9th. After that, everything (except work) takes a back seat to my trying to cram everything into my head for my board exam on October 19th. I will be very happy when that task is over.

It has been too hot to do yard work and our yard guy has vanished so the jungle is taking over at the house. We think we have found another yard guy and meet with him later today to see about beating back the undergrowth. The other major project for fall is repairing our front stairs before they kill someone. Tommy says he can do it. More power to him.

posted by Andy @ 9:52 AM

Tuesday, August 9th

If I thought the world was crazy before, it's definitely gone a few steps farther these past few weeks. The tea party managed to destroy the full faith and credit of the US government through pure idiocy, Obama manged to come off as even more inept than ever and London is turning into a true city on fire. It won't surprise me at all if urban violence of that type starts spilling over into this country in the next couple of years when true 'austerity budgets' start to hit throwing the schools into a tailspin and severely curtailing government and health services. I have no idea what the leadership classes are thinking as they march us all over the cliff.

On a more personal note, in the midst of tech for 'Big - the musical' based on the Tom Hanks film from 25 years ago. It's a cute show but my role as the other boys father is pretty blink and you'll miss it. I'm in the first ten minutes and that's about it until curtain call. It's my last theatrical outing for a bit (other than another gig for Politically Incorrect Cabaret) as I need to put the energy into Internal Medicine Boards which are scheduled for October 19th. Big is full of 80s nostalgia. Mall hair, parachute pants and a Galaga machine that has more stage time than I do.

It's been hot and sticky throughout the southland. It gets unbearable, storms and rains an inch, cools off for about three hours and then the cycle repeats. The rain has made every weed in the yard take off and it's too hot and sticky to want to get out there and do anything about it. The house is at least in shape on the inside. Have some deck repair work to do on the outside this fall though.

posted by Andy @ 7:57 AM