For the Love of Theatre, or How the hell did we end up with a dog?!?

Oh, the things we do for the things and people we love. We currently - possibly temporarily, possibly permanently - have a dog. We're outnumbers by the animals now. Surely, there will be a revolution in the house hold. Oh, who am I kidding? The cats already rule.

So, here's a picture of said doggy.
He is a four year-old Chow mix and he's very docile. He's a beast, no doubt, but quite tame. In the past 12 hours of baby-sitting him, I've heard him bark twice. Once, when Hannah was sniffing him out and he turned to quickly. She was startled and battled at him. This scared him and he retreated to a corner to hide from her. The other time was when I put him in his cage for the day. He seems to know he'd be in the cage for a while and wanted out. Other than that, he's been a sweetheart. And he snores a little.

Now, the question is how the heck did we end up with this dog. Well, wifey is working on a show, a stage version of Steinbeck's, "Of Mice and Men." They need a live dog for one brief scene. The producer called up the SPCA and set this up. The show puts in the program that this dog can be adopted and how the audience can go about it and the SPCA provides the dog. It's a little ingenious way to get a dog adopted. In the show, the dog comes out briefly, then is taken off stage to be shot because he's lame or something. At the end of the show, the dog come back for curtain call and people will be told he's available for adoption. What better what to emphasize the dog's need for a home than to pull on the audience's heart strings by killing him in the story?

The only problem is by the time the show opens, wifey and the kid may have already adopted him.

During the rehearsal process and the run of the show, someone has to take care of the dog. Another cast member volunteered, but apparently had to back out of that. And, so because we love theatre, we're baby-sitting the dog. By the time I got to rehearsal last night to get the cage, wifey was already smitten. Sonuvabitch.

Actually, I'm not totally against adopting him. As long as those two agree to step up their responsibilities around the house - keeping the house cleaner and less cluttered - I don't think it would be a problem to have the dog. Except maybe when my mother comes to visit... My biggest concern is the cats. Hannah seems to be ok with the dog. Jack and Misfit are either under the bed or in the closet... Understandably hiding from this behemoth.

The way I see it, there's no need to do the paper work to officially adopt him until after the show is over. After all, if someone else wants him, I don't have a problem with that. Of course, the kid is incredibly excited and why shouldn't he be? He wanted us to wake him up early this morning so he could walk the dog. Hey, this is a good opportunity to teach him some responsibility. I mean, we have the dog for a month. Maybe in that time, the kid can show he's willing to do what it takes to have a dog. Then, after he's proven himself, we can discuss the matter further.

Right. That'll happen. You know this dog is pretty much a permanent fixture at this point. I don't really have a say in this.

The SPCA said that the couple who brought the dog in were getting a divorce and neither of them wanted it. That's strange because I would think divorcing couples would be fighting over the family dog. The SPCA called him Scooby. The name shall be changed. That's a tacky name for a dog, much less this beast. Of course, I don't really have a say in the naming. But, Scooby will not be his name.

Dammit! I'm already attached enough to be debating good names for him. This. Cannot. End. Well.

Well, maybe for the dog. He gets a home.

Closing Sucks

The best part about a show closing is that you now have free time again. The worst part about a show closing is that you now have free time again. Children of Eden ended a very sucessful run (both creatively and monetarily) yesterday and I've hit the usual post show crash. Yet, somehow, this time it feels different.

I really hate the show closing. What really sucks about them is you spend 6 to 8 weeks building relationships with people and just when you figure out what some of those people mean to you, the show is over and you never hear from them again... until the next show. That may have something to do with me starting rehearsals for Assassins next week.

But, the point is just this past weekend I've realized that I was making pretty good friends. And what I mean is that I may have been taking some of those relationships for granted. There's definitely some blossoming buds on the friendship tree, but today I worry that some of those buds have been trimmed due to time constraints. Given more time, I wonder how those flowers would bloom.

Now don't get me wrong. There's plenty of people I worked with and were friends with before we started working on Children of Eden. I am not talking about them. I still love them much (though I do wish to see them more often).

No, I'm talking about a few people I met for the first time at the first rehearsal and just kinda clicked since. It's hard to really get to know someone in a few weeks, especially when your (individually and as a whole) concentrating on something bigger. Then, just when you get comfortable, just when you get close enough to figure out that person would make a good friend, the show is over and the burgeoning friendship is put to its biggest test. Can that fragile bud bloom without the convienence of the show? Is it sturdy enough to withstand the shock of the show ending?

I don't know if it is and only time will tell. I certainly hope a couple of the bonds I created do get stronger. If you're reading this, well, there's a good chance for it. I mean, if you know me well enough to know how to find this website without me having to tell you, that says something.

There's more I want to say about Children of Eden because it's important. So, stay tuned for that. There's good news there.

Nerd Test

Like there was any doubt...

Of course, I would have though I'd have a higher tech/computer score. But then again, alot of those questions were about computer programming languages.

Things I Learned Today

1. It takes at least nine hours for a 50 gallons hot water heater to completely drain out of a 1mm hole.

2. Carpet aborbs alot of water.

3. Wet vacs don't hold more water than carpet.

4. I know where the water value for the house and hot water heater is located.

5. It takes approximately 2 minutes for a medium-sized sauce pan to fill up with water from 1mm hole in a 50 gallon hot water heater.

6. It takes approximately 10 medium-sized sauce pans to fill a 5 gallon bucket.

7. Simple math says that filling a 5 gallon bucket with the water from a 50 gallon hot water heater mean filling the bucket 10 times. 50 gallons/5 gallons = 10 fillings.

8. If it takes 2 minutes to fill a medium-sized sauce pan and 10 fillings to fill a 5 gallon bucket, simple math says it will take 20 minutes to fill the 5 gallon bucket (2 minutes x 10 fillings = bucket full in 20 minutes).

9. Extrapolating further, simple math proves that it will take approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes to drain a leaking hot water heater. (See #7 & 8; 20 minutes x 5 gallons = 3 hrs & 20 mins to drain 50 gallon hot water heater).

10. Leaking hot water heaters prove that simple math is very wrong.

11. Plumbers will arrive at least one hour later than expected, but will always call before hand to make sure you're home when you can't reach the phone.

12. I learned that with the right equipment, I could probably install a new hot water heater.

13. Attaching a hose to the hot water heater spiget and putting the other end down the basement ground-hole drain will empty said hot water heater much faster than simple math shows.

That Christ Guy

So, I'm thinking of maybe getting this as a tattoo... maybe...



Yeah, I know. I'd be That Christ Guy, the Jesus Freak with the Jesus tattoo. It's probably a little cliche, though less so than, say, a butterfly on the lower back these days, no? But, I really like this image. I found it here at Cafe Press. I don't like it on a T-shirt. It's screaming to be made into a tattoo.

Still, I don't know. It's safe to say I'm really thinking about it. I've always said that if you're going to get a tattoo, it can't be something you just get. It has to be something personal to you. You have to think about it. You have to make sure the image is right. You have to be positive you want that image on you for life. The funny thing is... I wouldn't mind this image in the least.

Do I really have to explain why?

I don't know. There's something about having this image of Christ on my shoulder at all times that appeals to me. Something about the permanence of this ink-in-skin that I like. It's a reaffirmation of the choice I made to follow Christ. It's a constant reminder of why He suffered in pain and died for my sins. I imagine when I get tempted to sin, I can remember the pain of the needle inking me up and would be reminded of Christ's sacrifice. I can look to my arm and choose to do the right thing.

But, do I really need a tattoo to get all that? Something tells me it's not necessary. I mean, I know it's not necessary. Then again, it would make a righteous tat.