Some weeks are like this.
It's Murphy's Law.
You know it when it happens. There can be a whole month of days....and for some reason, things fall on the same weekend. So, as minstrels (read: those that live by the Muse) you "make hay while the sun shines" and take all the possible work you can and then book around the edges.
So it is with this weekend.
Day 1
Today, saw Harry & I getting up at the "crack o' dawn's arse" at 4:30am. I didn't want to fool around, because of the time element... but knew it was the best motivator for the begging Harry to get going.
Sort of like a carrot to a horse.
How'ere, once you have sex, that early in the morning, even if it is only a "quickie cuz you gotta get going-to take the edge off-sort of sex" you KNOW you are both gonna wanna lay there entwined some more afterwards....to lounge....and you're still gonna have to face the fact that you gotta get your ass outta bed at "o'christ o'clock"...
and now you have even LESS time than before, because you both decided to fuck around.
OY.
COFFEE. That's what's next. Lots of it and keep it coming....even if it makes me want to pee while we are on the one hour road trip after we finished loading the car and that we started driving at 5:30am. Or at least.....5:fucking45 by the time Harry gets done with printing bills for the day and loading his last bit in the car and packing his fiddle particularly, and filling his coffee mug again ...and like that.
Anyways....we are off!
We arrive...pretty happy.... to the school at 6:40AM. To unload and set up our show, "Songs of the Civil War" and thankfully there is no warring this morn in this civil union. (see previous wake up call ;)
Unload Subaru that is packed to the gills with: speakers, crash box, snakes (the electrical monsters not the scaly ones :), instruments (2 guitars, mandolin, fiddle, bodhran), and huge garb bag (full of matching costuming and backdrop and flags for this event), music stand, banner, show notes (in an order from military/historical beginning to silly songs on the end), period dolls/props, accessory table, water, instrument stands...and let's not forget the "buckled to the roof of the car" is a bundle of truss and trees (wrapped in a tarp and duct taped and bungeed) for the 10' x 12' backdrop.
Load in, set up, put finishing touches on stage....students arriving any minute now...Merlyn dressed and Harry almost dressed but still setting up wireless for each instrument...clock ticking....tic tic tic tic tic tic tic....
now ARMED and READY...the kids file in.
250 fourth and fifth graders and teachers.
It is now 8:15am.
We have exactly 40 minutes after the introduction to cover music of the Civil War.
Holy Shite. That's a lot to cover in a small amount of time!
SMILE.
SING!!
You get the kids exposed to some history, factoids, filking of old songs, clapping along in time (hopefully....this IS how one learns), and then, when all is said and done and you have watched the clock (because it's all about MODS....and TIMING....and squeezing in the learning in a SET PERIOD OF TIME....and cutting songs or verses...cuz you have SO MUCH material...and you make executive decisions about your show on the fly...it ALWAYS goes faster than I want it too...and I always want to squeeze in so much every time....)
And you make SURE you give 5 last minutes before the last fun song for QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (because this is your favorite part...aside from the singing and playing ;) and you get to hear what are in kid's heads:
"What was the name of the 2nd song?"
"Tell us about Harriet Tubman"
and one bright child who was apparently not paying attention to extensive introduction to "Goober Peas" that asked, "What's all that about the Peas?" and you reiterate the information again with a smile...careful not to slay him like the pub wench you really are....
You finish the show, the kids and faculty are pleased. But even more impressively, the President of the local historical museum and society (that is putting on the event) comes up to you (in full Union uniform) and tells you what a good job you did.
That's nice...
but not nearly as nice as several dozen of the kids coming up at the end of the show and start approaching you to tell you what to name your dolls...
or one girl who came up to me, tentatively who said to me, "When you sing you remind me of my Nana". I said, "Is this a good thing? or a bad thing?" She beamed, "Oh...a very GOOD thing." And I squeeze her arm.
Another girl, came up amongst the kids giving me names for my dancing limberjack doll...and I could tell she wanted to tell me something important. I said, "yes?" She cleared her throat...
"When you were little, did you sing good then too? Did you like to sing?"
I said, "I have always sung. Even in my crib. My mother told me I would wake up singing and sing till she got there. And she would have me sing to her in the car when she drove."
She liked that answer and said..."I love to sing. I sing all the time!" I said, "and you keep singing hon! Maybe one day you will be onstage too" :)
The kids filed out to their next adventure on their day planned to learn of the Civil War down at the museum...
We struck the stage, unbuckled, unplugged, unpatched, unscrewed, folded, sorted, changed clothes, and loaded our gear and repacked it all into the stuffed Subaru and drove another hour back to Harry's van we left at the mini mart parking lot halfway from home. We got subs and ate them at 11am because we were starving. I took my car home...
and he took his van, also loaded...to the Chiropractor College to run sound for a Memorial Service for the cadavers that are in medical experiments... It is nice that they do this extra step to honor those. Leonardo DaVinci had to study in secret. How else do you think the science community knows so much about the body?(a plug goes here for you to sign your donor cards...). After this event, Harry had to go to yet another college and load out his brother's scaffolding that has was leftover from an install...
And den?
Chinese food....... and pack for tomorrow's Ren shows. Different costuming, different show, different backdrop.
All in all, a fun, energetic, interesting, learning day in many ways.
Day 2 tomorrow.
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