Tag Archives: dad’s garage

Christmas with Skynet

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Last night, I invaded A Christmas Carol.

Dad’s Garage closed Invasion: Christmas Carol last night. Invasion, for the uninitiated, is an improvised version of the holiday classic. The basic premise is that each night, a random character is added to the mix with no advanced warning to the regular cast members. The unknown character is first introduced as the ghost of Xmas past, and then is sprinkled in through the remainder of the show. The cast members must incorporate the new character’s presence into the storyline.

Previously, some of the random characters have been a barbarian, a thief, a department store Santa, a Ghostbuster, and Hitler.

Last year, they did Invasion: Our Town with the same concept using the Thorton Wilder play. I invaded that one as an Indiana Jones-like character. Jesus made an appearance in a different episode.

I invaded Carol as The Terminator. Or rather, an early prototype Terminator, the T-1, “before they added bad breath.”1

Upon discovering that Scrooge was not Sarah Connor, I agreed to join Scrooge on his viewings of the past.

Later on in the show in a poorhouse scene, the husband of Scrooge’s old flame turned out to be John Connor, and a shootout ensued, killing all the poor (the front row of the audience). In the grand finale of the show, I finally discover Sarah Connor, wished her Merry Christmas, snapped her neck, and then we all said “God bless us, everyone!”

I am totally in the Xmas spirit now, humans.

__________
1 A too-vague reference to the movie that likely no one got. But really, that was for me.

Foreshadowing the Weekend

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There is 150 feet of 1″ manila rope in a box in our entry way, a slingshot in the basement, a roll of yellow poly twine on our kitchen counter, and a heavy bolt or nut somewhere on the premises.

There are two size #3 soccer balls in a bag in the entry way.

In the basement, there are a number of unused toys stored in shelves in the back room.

In the back of a small theater in Little 5 Points, there is a play-board with one more show left in it.

In the backyard, there are a number of left-over fence stakes still staked in the ground.

There are squeaky doors leading to the bedrooms of children, and a can of WD40 in the garage.

These material items form a map of my weekend to come.

Happy Birthday, Dad’s Garage

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Dad’s Garage Theater is celebrating its 10th season this weekend.

For all the ups and downs I’ve had with this place over the years, in the final analysis, I would not have had the wonderful friends, wife, and life I have now without it. The importance of that peculiar institution (Dad’s, not slavery) simply can’t be overstated.

So, a tip of the hat to the Little Theater That Sometimes Could, and best wishes for another 10.

Bored

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I am phenomenally bored today. Which is very, very, very rare for me.

I often am frustrated having to do a task when I have 6 or 7 other tasks that I’d rather do and/or am interested in doing, which isn’t boredom.

Boredom is not really wanting to do much of anything, or not being able to think of anything good to do.

That’s me right now.

I think it’s a hangover of having lots of interesting and exciting things happen recently. I just got done with a phase of this contracting work, and I’m waiting for prototypes to come in. We had a splendid birthday party for Ro on Saturday, with lots of family and friends and lively action (including , , , and ). I spent a lot of time with my 13 year old nephew, where he spent about 50% of that time explaining what it was he just said.

J: You should get that truck and put 20’s on it.
R: Whaties?
J: 20’s.
R: What’s a 20?
J: Rims!
R: Like tire rims?
J: Yes! Duh! What the fizzle, bizzle?
R: Whattle?

and so on, for hours. For the record, Lucky Yates completely understood everything he said, when he talked with him backstage at Dad’s. (I took Jovanni to Dad’s for Scandal! Friday night, and Theatersports Saturday night, because he does dearly love a little bit of Dad’s Garage now and again).

My nephew also eats like no one I’ve ever met. Every hour and a half, that kid’s gotta be eating, and eating big. And he’s 5’4″, 95 pounds. Amazing.

They had to stay an extra night on Monday eve, thanks to snow in Newark. They spent the day in the airport, and apparently Jo ate through half the restaurants there.

And really, what could be interesting in the wake of all that?