The Lass Who Loved a Chauffeur

What a full day it has been.

It started with a frantic call from my mother.  She needed to go to the store NOW.  She had lots of things she had to buy.  When I got to her house, she actually had a list (be still my heart!!).  The emergency stuff she needed to get was nail polish, lipstick, nail polish remover, and Kleenex.  We went off to the nearest CVS and it was, I'll tell ya, a trip.  I won't even bother to describe it.  It was just more of the same, but it turned out to be a real ordeal, but we did eventually not only get everything, but remember everything, including the wallet she lost, which was sitting right in front of her on the counter.

I couldn't stay and visit, though, because Walt and I were en route to San Francisco for the Lamplighters Gala.  We drove down through Marin county and over the Golden Gate Bridge and it was the kind of day I love in the City, where the air is sparkling clear, there is no fog, and everything looks like it is posing for a postcard picture.

The show was being held at the Palace of Fine Arts, my favorite building in San Francisco.  Everyone knows the iconic photo of the rounded top and the little lagoon in front of it, but I liked this photo I took from the side, where the rounded top is barely visible and you get a feel for the massive columns.

In the lobby of the theater was a huge silent auction going on.   Whatever committee had worked to get donations for the event had worked overtime.   The selections were staggering.  If only we could have afforded >$2,000, we could have bought a wonderful framed memory of "the catch" with autographed photos of Joe Montana and Dwight Clark.  Would have been wonderful for Tom, but alas waaaay too rich for our blood.

The show, with book by Jonathan Spencer and story and lyrics by a host of incredibly talented Lamplighters was, as expected, wonderful.  Called "Upside-Downton Abbey, or The Lass that Loved a Chauffeur," it was the story of the "Grandhome" family and their servants.  

 The story followed Downton Abbey's first season with lyrics to familiar Gilbert & Sullivan tunes rewritten into hilarious versions, such as this classic by Barbara Heroux, to the tune of the "matter trio" from Ruddygore, sung by heir apparent Matthew plotting to give a love potion to the Lady Mary to convince her to marry him...

I want to marry Mary,
But she looks upon me coldly,
So I thought I might address the case
A teeny bit more boldly.
Here's a potion for emotion
We could slip into her flagon
And convince the icy maiden
To hop on my bandwagon,...

Make the merry Mary marry, marry, marry, marry marry.

There was, of course, a surprising topsy turvy plot twist at the end which saves Downton from financial ruin and leads to the singing of the annual champagne song, leading to exit by the audience and the pouring of champagne in the lobby, where we had a chance to visit with Lamplighters friends whom we see only once a year, at this event. 

Such a feel good event, one to which we look forward each year.

It was after 9 when we left the theater, looking for food.  We drove across the Golden Gate bridge and into Sausalito, my favorite artist colony in the area.  We drove almost to the end of downtown before we spied a pizza parlor and decided to have dinner there.  Actually there were 3 choices of eateries, Mexican, Chinese and Pizza and pizza is never my first choice, but Walt was driving and it was his, so we went to Dario's pizza and what a delightful surprise it was.  We decided not to with pizza, but ordered pasta with pesto and clams and were served a little mountain of green pasta covered with chunks of clam.

It was preceded by (for me) squash soup, which was different from what I'd expected and a huge serving.  I took home half of it, and we both took home half of our pasta, but everything was just delicious and the waitress was attentive and delightful.  I was very happy for our choice.

The dogs were very happy to see us when we rolled into the carport at about 10:30, as they were very hungry.  I tried to finish writing this entry before I passed out, but was just too sleepy, so went to sleep instead.   Sheila, who almost never bothers me until I wake up, licked my hand at 6 a.m., desperate to go outside.

All in all, it was a wonderful day.