6 years ago today!

Happy Birthday to my best girl!

Annabelle Caitlyn Erickson- 08-23-02

Here's the haps

So in the more recent news of the Erickson household...

Logan Arthur has been booted off to boot camp. He's joined the Army and has reported for duty in some eastern state.

I think he looks very nice with his new regulation hair cut. He came to visit us for the evening, we took him to the Japanese Teppan grill. He seemed to enjoy it and it was good to see him get along with his older brother- even if it was only for a few hours.

My oldest nephew is now a father. He and his girlfriend have a baby girl- Shyanne Rayne Bullard. Shyanne was born on July 18 right into her grandmothers arms. Apparently her Mama was having some uncomfortable back ache, but the baby wasn't due for another week or so. In the middle of the night Mama woke up Grandma (my sister) and said she should probably go to the hospital and in the few moments it took my sister to get ready, Mama suddenly said Oh NO! and out popped Shyanne! My sister caught her and all is well!

August has finally arrived... In the next couple weeks I will finish up with the FTC productions of "Othello" and "Two Gentleman of Verona". I haven't costumed 2 summer shows in a LONG time- now I remember why I don't do it! I'll be happy to see the productions up and running.

I am pleased to work with so many of out CSUSB students outside of school and make new friends and contacts, but I think that maybe I really do need a break from putting up a show during the summer- I end up burnt out and crabby. As we all know, I'm usually crabby, but burnt out too is NOT good!

So... there's some recent news from our end of the universe- What's new with you?

Next Time on "Wild Kingdom"...

So apprently my backyard is the new locale of "Wild Kingdom". I have 2 episodes for you and both invlove a boy and his dog.

Picture, if you will, a warm weekday mid-morning. Early summer, late spring. A sleepy mother had just reawakened for the day having already taken her Kindergartener to school. The happy noises of a boy and his dog coming from the backyard. As she groggily stumbles to the bathroom to begin the day (if you know what I mean) her mind is jerked awake by a knock at the door. "Mommy we have to help the bird" "What?" Again..."Mommy we have to help the bird" Again... "What?".... "A bird?" We don't have a bird..." The mother, in her confusion and not fully clothed state follows her little cherub outside to find.... THE BIRD.

In the backyard is a small Adirondak chair- As seen here, it is a chair with several slats. Her chair has the slats VERY close together.

Now that you have the visual....

As she opens the sliding door, she gasps in dismay to see a small bird with one of it's tiny feet caught between 2 slats, hanging upside down. Blood all over. Poop all over. The little cherub points, "Mommy we have to help the bird!"

Yes, yes we do, the question is...HOW?

The bleary-eyed mother begins to dither. As she approaches the poor creature it begins flapping around in a panic. So she begins fluttering around in a panic. NOT good bird retreival technique. Gathering her wits about her (not much to gather) she goes into the house for reinforcements. Deciding to use a dish cloth, bamboo skewer and a knife, she reemerges into the back yard. Covering the bird with the towel to calm it's nerves (and hers) she begins to try to free the bird. Poking at the poor birds foot produces no good result. Trying to wedge the slats apart with the knife is only marginally better. Finally, in a flash of brillance she runs for the hammer!

Easy there... this is a family show- the hammer is for the slat. Gingerly holding the bird in the towel with one hand and deflty weilding a hammer with the other, the frazzled mother strikes a blow for bird freedom. As the small sparrow slips free of it's fetters it's little heart rapidly beating- the true comedy begins.

Clutching her injured prize to her bosom, she begins running about like a chicken with.... wait, bad metaphor, um... let's see... running around like a... well you get the idea. As she's running about looking for the proper recepticle for her bundle of bird muttering about how to call a vet and wondering if birds can wear a cast, she begins to rock the bird. Yes, that's right she's ROCKING the bird, as if this will calm, the now terrified, creature.

After bundling the bird in a box, she decides to use her life line and call a friend. Her trusty and ever reliable husband tells her to simply let the bird go. WHAT?!!? Shouldn't she take it to the vet for expensive and painful tests!?!?! No... Let the bird go...either he'll survive or he won't... Wow, that's harsh... But really, how is it different from any other day? Circle of life and all that...

So... Following her helpful hubbies suggestion she prepares to release him into the wild... before she can even unveil the bird off he flits and, while slightly lopsided, escapes into the wild blue yonder... And while slightly shaken and more than a little concerned about bird flu, she feels pretty darn good about her morning.

-End Episode One-

Fade In... Again we begin our story with a boy and his dog... But let me warn you... this tale has no happy ending...

Again the bleary-eyed Mama awakes to find her cherub out of doors. As she goes to greet her son she starts at what is before her. As it's the first part of her day, she forgot to put on her glasses, but even in her myopic condition she see what she thinks is the underbelly of a turtle.

A turtle? We don't have a turtle? And why is the turtle on the dogs pillow?

"Where did THAT come from?" she tries not to screech. "The kitty" "What? The Kitty? What kitty?" "WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!"

"The Kitties house"

Ok, so she decides the origin of the amphibian must remain a mystery. Upon closer inspection and to her dismay it quickly becomes clear that the poor little guy isn't playing opossum. The well chewed turtle is well past his 9th life.

Now to be fair, just HOW and WHEN the turtle was chewed up was still a mystery, but her gut feeling was that the poor creature had long met his maker before the boy and his dog came upon him.

After moving past the sad stage to the more than disgusted phase, again comes the dithering. She tends to dither- it's her thing. So after going in cirlces for a couple seconds and regaining control of her gag reflex she comes to a decision.

To the trash can she goes and after a slight moment of regret for the fairly new dog pillow, she carries the poor guy upon the funeral pillow to "the can". The only tricky part came when she tried to open the backyard gate with one hand and nearly dumped the chewed up corpse on her head...Ewwww

-End Episode 2-

Look forward to our next crazy adventure of a our bleary-eyed Mama and her amazing backyard antics... Who knows what Wild Animal will grace her patio next?

Fork...in...my...eye

Let's say you're a chair maker... ok? and you make custom chairs. And you've been hired to make 80 chairs. 40 in a renaissance style and 40 in a 1940s style. No problem right? Sure- can do!

SO you go to a meeting with your client and the tell you that they'd like to take some preview pictures of your chairs a few weeks before they're due. Ok no problem- can do! Oh, and you'll only have a hour to set up- ok no problem- can do! And... they really want to see all 80 chairs in the picture, it sells more... UM....PROBLEM! NO CAN DO.... You want me to bring all of my chairs, when I haven't even finished putting them all together yet, AND SET THEM UP IN ONE HOUR!?! TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHAIRS? AT ONCE.

"Well, they say, "I GUESS we could pay for an extra hour for the photographer. Just throw anything out there"

So let me get this straight, you want me to bring all 80 chairs, in various states of repair, for you to take pictures of... pictures that will represent MY work, and "JUST THROW ANYTHING OUT THERE"?

No- simply put no. There's not enough time. NO.

I don't like saying NO- especially is an astounded and shrill voice, but I did... I said no.


I should just go into the fork industry...

Hellooooo? Are you still reading?

Pot? This is Kettle calling... So, yeah...about that whole, "You need to blog more" comment. Um... my bad.

So where have I been, you may ask? Good question. I've been busy with Hamlet. Scratch that, TWO Hamlets. At once. In rep. And...GO!

Well that's all done now and I've been busy wrapping up the school year and going on a mini-vacation.

The fam and I flew up to see Danielle get her diploma case for her MFA. We had a great time and came home with a new appreciation for board/card games.

I know this all very uninformative, but HEY! IT'S A BLOG!

Bottom line- I miss my friends and must see them more...