sorry ’bout that

If you tried to check in earlier today, you likely got the surprise I did; i.e., that the blog had expired.  Fortunately, that was merely because I had forgotten to renew it.  Through the magic of capitalism, I quickly navigated through the myriad ISIS hackers and boner pill ads to correct that.  I had intended to take care of it last Saturday, but the best weekend in pro football distracted me.

I can offer a nobler though not as accurate reason.  With my hip surgery done and the mending going well, Jude and I have become immersed in the production of a play I’ve written.  I’ve been working on it for several years.  It started as a parody of the song “Edelweiss” that I wrote for an environmental group we belonged to.  I was trying to find a comic way to remind people to shut their cars off when possible.

It goes:                                                                                                                                                                                             “Idle wise.  Idle wise.                                                                                                                                                                        Use your vehicle smartly.                                                                                                                                                                Fight the itch, turn the switch                                                                                                                                                           All the way off, not just partly.                                                                                                                                                          Tank full of gas, won’t you make it last?                                                                                                                                          Help our air grow clearer.                                                                                                                                                               Idle wise.  Idle wise.                                                                                                                                                                       Bring pinker lungs that much nearer. ”

It tested well with the group, so I wrote a parody of “My Favourite Things” with lines like “ducks stuck in tailings ponds, oil on their wings; these are a few of the scariest things”.  That worked, too, so I thought “Hmmm. The Sound of Music has many more songs available.”  Thus, The Smell of Money was begat.

I couldn’t interest the local theatre in an abbreviated version, so I polished it up and contacted Lois Taylor at Heriot Bay Inn.  The HBI is an island landmark, an inn with fine dining, a rowdy pub and a well-earned reputation for funky fun.  Lois calls it “Quadra’s living room”.  I’ve blogged about it here.

Lois liked it, so HBI is presenting it later this month.  I’ve recruited some of the best talent on a very talented island, and rehearsals have been a hoot.  I’ll be blogging more on it.  I hope to post some video from it.

And happy new year.