4/28/2013

weekly update 4/28/2013

I did a couple of theater events this week. A member of my book club is the director of a group who performs at a church not far from the library. I missed the last play she was in, and this time they were doing I Remember Mama. I didn't want to miss it. So, Thursday, I went to church. It was OK, but the Savannah Children's Theater is more professional. On Friday, I went with Lisa & Dave to see a new theater company's first Savannah production, the Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). It was fantastic! I can't say enough good things about this performance. It was professional, well acted, funny - just wonderful. I laughed so hard in Hamlet - yes, Hamlet - that I was crying. Othello was done as a rap to make it more politically correct, since Othello is black (although not African-American; they called African-Italian). And many of the tragedies which were stories of the kings of England were done as a football game, with the crown being passed, fumbled, punted around to many the characters Shakespeare wrote about. To stage all of the Bard's plays in less than 2 hours, is quite a feat, and they did any excellent job. I see myself attending many these in the future. 

I also went out to the USTA tournament that I go to once a year that's held not far from Savannah. Donna went with me, and the day was perfect (except for those pesky sand gnats) - not too hot and not windy. We watched a very entertaining and competitive match between oldie Nicolas Massu and a kid from the Ukraine, and then watched a couple of matches featuring up and coming American players. Those matches were not as good, as they were both won in straight sets, and they were not exciting. There were some very good points, however, and it was fun to watch. As I was watching the match on the outer courts, I saw a player with the ankle brace like Andy Murray wears in his matches. So, I asked him about it. He was very friendly, and told me that it's not really a brace, but just a support to prevent injuries. He was from the UK, same as Murray, and he told me that because so many of the matches there are played on grass, which can be slippery, they wear the supports to prevent turning their ankles during play. We talked a little about Andy Murray, and I said that I'd wished Tim Henman had won Wimbledon, and he agreed - just chatting away like old friends. I never asked his name, but looked him up online with I got back to the condo. His name is Sean Thornley, and he plays mostly doubles, and he's 25 (he looked to be about 12; I suppose I looked to be about 100 to him).

I didn't watch the NFL draft, but I wanted to see who Buffalo picked in the first round. I was hoping they would get Ryan Nassib, the QB from Syracuse, but they instead picked the one from Florida State. I dunno, wouldn't a player who already plays in the cold northern climate be more at ease in Buffalo than one who, like me, enjoys sunshine and warmth most of the year? Well, I'm also the one who wanted the Bills to draft Michael Vick all those years ago, and we know how that turned out, so I'm probably off on this one, too. Seems that the Bills loaded up on offense with the players they took, and I hope that won't be a mistake.

Saturday night I went out to dinner with the ladies dining out group that frequently meets to get caught up with each other while enjoying a nice, Savannah restaurant. I'm afraid that the next time we meet, we're going to be a small group as many will be heading to the north soon.

It was my week-end to open & close Bonaventure Cemetery, as well as to sit at the desk in the afternoon. As luck would have it, there were 2 volunteers scheduled for the afternoon shift. Shortly after I started my duties there, two women came in who were clearly disappointed that the Historical Society was not giving tours today. So, I suggested that if Don, my partner for the afternoon, wouldn't mind tending to the desk solo, I would give a 1-hour tour if they would like. So, that's what we did. It was impromptu, and I don't want to do it often, but it seemed to work out well. They offered me a nice tip, which I refused (as is my custom; I do tours because I enjoy sharing my knowledge, not because I want to be paid), but they put the money in the donation box for the Historical Society. That made me feel as if I'd contributed a bit more than most weeks. 

This week there was a full moon. Along the coast, that means high tides. The little creek that runs near the condo had become a lake two times a day. It was strange to see. And the moonlight peaking through the clouds over the tall Georgia pines trees is amazing!

view of the full moon from the parking lot at the condo