Down Memory Lane

Char is going through a nostalgia phase right now, based on finding a stash of "Pinata Papers," a newsletter I put out for several years to keep our Pinata family together when we started spreading out around the world and didn't all live within a few blocks of each other any more.

We've been sharing memories and ideas for how to make all the old "Pinata Papers" available to anybody who wants them.  

So many of our memories involved Tiny Tots, the nursery school most of the kids attended.  It was our social hub for years.  The kids went to school there, we had parties there, and since it was a co-op, the fathers took care of the upkeep of the building (and did NOT burn it down, except just a little)

Char reminded me that we wrote a song for the school.  I could only remember the last line of it, and in her next e-mail she came up with the lyrics for the whole song ....

Of all the schools that bear reflection
Unstructured without flaw
Tiny Tots is our selection
We revere her hall

Raise the banner
Wave it madly
Proudly keep her free
Hail to thee, our alma mommy
Hail to thee, TT

That may have been boring for most of you, but there is a handful of people who might enjoy it.

I reviewed two shows this weekend.  When I review a show, I don't like to schmooze.  Some critics do and maybe that is to my detriment, but the thing I hate is having someone ask me "so what did you think" at intermission, especially if I don't like the show.  I also prefer to leave fairly quickly after a show rather than stand around to glad hand with the cast.

One of the plays was at a fairly new to me theater.  I have been there before, but am still learning the ropes.  Additionally there is a new publicity person, who is very friendly, very eager, and wants very much to make sure the critics are accommodated and that our our wishes for photos, etc. are met.

The play was not very good.  Pre-show publicity had indicated all sorts of things none of which were apparent and the critics were unanimous in our muttered comments that we didn't like it.  One called it "a piece of shit" (that probably won't make it into the review!)

So wouldn't you know that it was this night after the show when the publicity person came to greet me and make sure I had everything.  I was also told that my writing was really good and that they enjoyed my reviews very much. One of the big guys (manager or assistant manager or something) also came up, all smiles, telling me how much he enjoyed my writing and asking me how I liked the show.  I told anyone who asked that it was certainly a different kind of show, and, indeed, it was.

It just wasn't a good "different kind of show."