everything is trucking along

You know it is when you are really intimidated by a bunch of work you have to do, and then you work on it for a while and then it seems like everything is doable and going to be okay. This is the feeling I have today. And it is a good feeling.

"Work is the eraser of doubt" is a quote I heard once, and it applies here. It is a quote from Piers Anthony, a fourth rate sci fi writer, who is still better than LRon Hubbard. Piers was given to puns, a tendancy i only put with in very good friends, and even then not gladly (you hear me Kevvy and Jacob?) And though i deride him now, the fact is I read about 20 of the guys books from grade 11 to 12.

So, health care. Have you enjoyed the fact that in Canada your wife getting cancer means you don't go bankrupt? That's all gonna change. Don't believe the assholes. The government is set to fuck up health care good and proper and we're gonn pay for it. Not tody, not tommorrow, but when your wife gets cancer.

So make some noise. You kids think you're invulnerable, but you're gonna want some health care on eof these days. I'm telling you.

wrecked is awesome

BTW wrecked in Toronto is going great! The cast rules and it looks and sounds great, and the show at Danforth Collegiate went well, despite the fact there were over 600 people there and we're only ever supposed to play for 300.

The crowd was unruly. When "Buddy" was asked the question, "did you ever think maybe pot makes you dumb?" they all shouted NO! It was a show stopper. Certainly some L.O.H's (lovers of herb) in the crowd. But they settled they got into it, and left and got back into it. Overall I was encouraged that this will be a big success.

So I was mistaken

And showbiz seems to be actually tough. It's a pretty hard thing to wrap your head around. Sure, doing shows was always some work, and fun work atthat, art even, which I am called to do vocationally and love to labout at, but this business stuff. So many people are so paranoid about contracts that there need be lawyers and agents and all kinds of people, and it seems that people have good cause to be paranoid, but the fact is, I have as of yet, never been cheated, practically ever in a theatrical business dealing. (touch wood)

it is also a big misapprehension that because I am successful and in charge of things that I am also an entertainment lawyer, ready to see at a glance what might be wrong with this contract and that. This is not so. I studied no law. Check my wall. It does not even bear my BFA degree, which was lost, unbeknownst to me, and found years later in Jacob Banigan's (formerly mine) basement, and then rather promptly lost again. I guess I should frame it, but it doesn't seem like it would look cool. Why can't degrees be commissioned to awesome painters/psychics who create a visual depiction of the graduate's potential? I would hang that up.

Anyway, I am tired, being used to getting up quite early from my time in Nicaragua and the busy-ness of life of late. And even though the show (rather a good one) kept me up quite late last night I was up at the crack of dawn to start worrying about and doing things.

It occurs to me rather self consciously that I use this forum to do something that is often much like whining.

It occurs to me also that of late my main typing mistake is that I put the spac eba rno twheret hewor dendsb utjus tbefor ethelas tletter of the word. Weird, right?

I sense that the RFT young company is becoming restless. I sense that me and Kevin are too often away, and these young artists feel rudderless. I also am noticing that while Theatresports is a fun outlet for many, it is vital art to others, and that the attitude of one might be ruining it somewhat for the others. I worry I am not a good AD in this respect. Sure, I promote well and put bums in seats. But I need to do more. Be more in this job than I have been.

How to balance between this weighty responsibility and my rather complicated playwrighting career? Perhaps a coke addiction...

check it out

the BoyGroove website is up! www.boygroove.ca!

So i filled out the profile

And now I am so exhausted.

The Other Reason I am in Toronto

So the other reason I am in Toronto, the non-BoyGroove thing on which I am spending most of my time, is my play for young audiences Wrecked being done by the excellent company Roseneath Theatre and directed by the awesome Richard Greenblatt, who you theatre nerds will know is the world reknowned co author of Two Pianos, Four Hands, as well as a million other things.

Also -this cast is terrific, what a bunch of awesome folks who are great in the show and bring the play to wonderful life. I hereby deliver a large package of mad props, and invite them to "holler". The show is gonna tour around high schools in Toronto for about 8 weeks.

The cool thing about doing TYA in Toronto is that their schools are old, and in the olden days schools used to be built with an "auditorium". A huge room, capable of housing the entire school population in comfortable chair for an assembly or a speech, or in our case, a play. In Alberta we have to do them in gyms, and the kids have to sit on floor. Which generally sucks.

The play is doing it's first high school performance today at Danforth Collegiate. I am going to check it out, and then get out of Dodge. First stop is Brussels, where my Uncle bought a massive house, like truly huge, like how can a house this big NOT be haunted, big house.

(One of the things about small towns in Southern Ontario is that there are mansion sized houses for sale all over for bargain prices. This one cost my uncle a really reasonable 200K or so, which in Toronto will buy you a parking space and zoning for a tent. )

Then I am off to Kitchener to visit my wonderful Moms who gave me my life all those years ago. Thanks Mom!

And here I am on the beach. I am exhaling cigar smoke. One day i will do this while dealing nicaraguan art. 

We took several art shots of the waves and jania in repose. So creative. 

And there is my lovely girlfriend. Note especially her tanned shoulders. 

This is me boogie boarding. It's surfing for people who don't know how to surf. It's fun though. One time I was in the water and someone yelled shark. We all got out pretty fast. 

This is another example of alejandro's wonderful work. Note the mathematical detail, the precision, the colour, the energy. So good! 

Here I am with Alejandro Carera, the foremost pimitiist painter in Nicaragua, with the painting I was lucky enough to be able to buy from him. This experience spawned my fantasy of becoming a latin american art dealer, who smokes cigars and wears a jaunty hat. 

here i am with some street kids we befriended in Leon. I am not smiling, but it is not because I am not having fun. At the time I was making hulk noises and shouting "Todos de ninos! Todos de ninos de Nicaragua!" 

This is a painting of a smug Reagan sitting on the head of a peasant woman, while her life's blood spills out. Dancing beside her are Kissenger and Cheney. Kind of says it all, doesn't it? 

This is a monkey we saw in it's very own tree. It may the one who tried to pee on me. Or it might have been it's pal. Pee is a monkey hello! 

This is a sunset from a rickety boat we took to Omatepai, an island in lake nicaragua, as big as an inland sea, featuring the world's only fresh water sharks. 

This is a picture of my blogging spirit, youthful, yet full of the spirit of the warrior, somebody is actually reading this stuff. I fight on! But with the eyes of a child... 

A Nicaraguan Slide show

At long last. Some pictures from my trip. Such a trip it was. And as I read of the 18 inches of snow in Edmonton from my warmer current locale in Toronto, I do heartily miss those warm days not so very long ago. Hopefully they will come again soon. Until then, digital photos!

Look at Harper in his little army suit. Doesn't he look like....Bush? 

look how CUTE they are!!