I Was Unplugged

Sometimes when I go away to Michigan with my family wamily for a week, I can't remember my blog password when I get back. I kept my phone charged because I had to contact people at week's end, but, in the meantime, nobody called me! When I got home, nobody had called me (except the appointment desk to reschedule a fasting blood test later in August; it had already been rescheduled once, and I rescheduled it for the day on which it had originally been scheduled. Loop-de-loop. I hope all the wine has worn off by then.) I think this means I live a fairly unplugged life much of the time. Or nobody likes me.

We had a lovely time in Michigan! Good company, good fun, good food, good wine. That's me, my mom, my sister, and my niece. Why does my mom look blurry? Why is the bust of a woman wearing Mardi Gras beads looking down her nose at us?

At week's end, I attended an annual champagne-drinking girls sleepover, while the hubby and kids visited the Garfield Conservatory (wow!) and played beach volleyball with friends.

It was also a thrill to read poems at Woman Made Gallery on Sunday afternoon, with a fabulous bunch of poets. I got to meet Donna Vorreyer, a poet I admire, and other fine poets who were also reading or in the lively, lovely audience. It was grand to meet several people I'd only met online. "You're so real," I said to Donna, who had/has a couple readings of her own in Chicago this month, too. Wish I could attend.

I came home to 2 rejections, a poetry award nomination, and poems to proofread for September publication. And lots of intense theatre work, preparing for the play I will direct this month for September performances, The Language Archive, by Julia Cho.

Part of my "unplugged" time was spent in preparation, perusing the play for the umpteenth time, making more notes, and re-reading The Art of Directing, by John W. Kirk, the guy in this picture, and picking the brain of my dear director sister, on the right.