I'm really, really over this winter.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Theatre review: R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe
If you’ve ever been to Epcot, you’re familiar with the work of R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome. Fuller, though not a household name, was one of the great scientific minds of the twentieth century. He was a bit of a Renaissance man, which may be why he’s not a household name—he simply did too much to become truly famous in any one area. He was a writer, philosopher, mathematician, geometer, poet, architect, designer, environmentalist, and inventor. Though he invented the geodesic dome, he taught poetry at Harvard—after being kicked out twice in his youth.
He was probably sixty years or more ahead of his time in his one true passion—eliminating waste, and protecting the earth from the ravages of men. He invented a showerhead that gave a full-body cleansing with only one cup of water, a fuel-efficient car that sat 11, and an energy-efficient, inexpensive pre-fab house. He wrote and lectured extensively on sustainability, before the concept really existed.
So, okay, a pretty interesting guy by all accounts. If, like me, you’re new to R. Buckminster Fuller, you’re probably wondering if this show is a good introduction to the man. (So many one-man shows can be more about the actor in question than the subject.) To which I can offer you an unqualified yes.
For me, ART’s production was a more whimsical and much more delightful sort of documentary on the man, less about presenting facts and more about presenting the true nature of Fuller. Actor Thomas Derrah plays Fuller with a cheeky, subversive sense of humor (his abrupt “I have to go to the bathroom” as intermission segue brought the house down). He perfectly captures Fuller’s manic energy and constantly spinning brain, and utilizes that energy to push the show at a breathless pace. Though it clocks in at over two hours, hefty for a one-man show, the time flies by.
The exquisite design aids in that pacing, while paying tribute to the design capabilities of Fuller. David Lee Cuthbert’s set is anchored by a circular platform, covered with a dreamy blue spiral, underneath a geodesic-inspired proscenium arch, with an absurdly tall ladderback chair. Around that are Fuller’s classroom accoutrements—a chalkboard, an overhead projector, a table with a scroll of paper. Derrah moves effortlessly between the real elements and the surreal ones (sometimes literally—Fuller was apt to dance publicly in strange ways in his later years), while Jim Findlay’s video design gives us an integrated look at Fuller’s drawings and plans. Overall, it’s a production rich in sensory detail.
I do wish there’d been a little more about the man’s non-geodesic dome inventions. But that’s an incredibly minor quibble about what was otherwise an intellectually and visually stimulating play. It made me want to run out and read a book about R. Buckminster Fuller, buy his Dymaxion globe, and live in his energy-efficient house. Not a bad result for an evening’s entertainment.
R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe
Written and directed by D.W. Jacobs
Performed by Thomas Derrah
Set and Lighting Design: David Lee Cuthbert
Composer and Sound Design: Luis Perez
Costume Design: Darla Cash
Video Design: Jim Findlay
Running Time: Two hours and fifteen minutes with one fifteen-minute intermission
American Repertory Theater; Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge MA
Tickets begin at $25
Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm
January 14 – February 5, 2011
He was probably sixty years or more ahead of his time in his one true passion—eliminating waste, and protecting the earth from the ravages of men. He invented a showerhead that gave a full-body cleansing with only one cup of water, a fuel-efficient car that sat 11, and an energy-efficient, inexpensive pre-fab house. He wrote and lectured extensively on sustainability, before the concept really existed.
So, okay, a pretty interesting guy by all accounts. If, like me, you’re new to R. Buckminster Fuller, you’re probably wondering if this show is a good introduction to the man. (So many one-man shows can be more about the actor in question than the subject.) To which I can offer you an unqualified yes.
For me, ART’s production was a more whimsical and much more delightful sort of documentary on the man, less about presenting facts and more about presenting the true nature of Fuller. Actor Thomas Derrah plays Fuller with a cheeky, subversive sense of humor (his abrupt “I have to go to the bathroom” as intermission segue brought the house down). He perfectly captures Fuller’s manic energy and constantly spinning brain, and utilizes that energy to push the show at a breathless pace. Though it clocks in at over two hours, hefty for a one-man show, the time flies by.
The exquisite design aids in that pacing, while paying tribute to the design capabilities of Fuller. David Lee Cuthbert’s set is anchored by a circular platform, covered with a dreamy blue spiral, underneath a geodesic-inspired proscenium arch, with an absurdly tall ladderback chair. Around that are Fuller’s classroom accoutrements—a chalkboard, an overhead projector, a table with a scroll of paper. Derrah moves effortlessly between the real elements and the surreal ones (sometimes literally—Fuller was apt to dance publicly in strange ways in his later years), while Jim Findlay’s video design gives us an integrated look at Fuller’s drawings and plans. Overall, it’s a production rich in sensory detail.
I do wish there’d been a little more about the man’s non-geodesic dome inventions. But that’s an incredibly minor quibble about what was otherwise an intellectually and visually stimulating play. It made me want to run out and read a book about R. Buckminster Fuller, buy his Dymaxion globe, and live in his energy-efficient house. Not a bad result for an evening’s entertainment.
R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe
Written and directed by D.W. Jacobs
Performed by Thomas Derrah
Set and Lighting Design: David Lee Cuthbert
Composer and Sound Design: Luis Perez
Costume Design: Darla Cash
Video Design: Jim Findlay
Running Time: Two hours and fifteen minutes with one fifteen-minute intermission
American Repertory Theater; Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge MA
Tickets begin at $25
Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm
January 14 – February 5, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
I heart secondhand furniture
The last couple of days have been a home decor bonanza. Best of all, I didn't pay retail for any of it.
The bad news is that my husband and I found ourselves the proud owner of a solid cherry entertainment center, purchased at the Salvation Army for the low low price of $70. Why is this bad, you ask? Well, I didn't realize it was solid cherry until we had to move the thing. I thought it was pressboard/veneer. So my husband and I, by ourselves, had to wrestle a six-and-a-half-foot-tall, solid cherry entertainment center into a van, along an icy walk, into the house and up seven steps to the living room. I swear to God that thing weighed at least 700 pounds. It took us 40 minutes just to navigate the seven steps (with a complicated system of blankets and big books), and even then we gouged the steps and the living room floor (since fixed with wood polish). I thought my husband was going to have a stroke. I thought I was going to give myself a hernia. Fortunately, somehow, by the grace of God, we managed to get that thing inside and situated. And we're never moving it again. Next time we move, movers are tackling that thing.
Sore muscles aside, it is a very nice piece of furniture. A little cleaning, polishing, WD-40 on the hinges and tightening of the screws made it practically brand-new. Here it is:
I found lots of other furniture at that Salvation Army. In fact, I found all the rest of the furniture that we needed. A sofa for the fireplace room (which we'll put a slipcover on), a desk and dresser for the guest room, and a cute chair. Also for the fireplace room.
It all needed a good polish, but then, I paid less than $200 for everything.
I was so emboldened by my excellent Salvation Army experience, that I continued my shopping spree at Fiddleheads, the most excellent local furniture consignment shop. I picked up several non-furniture household goodies:
This great old picnic basket,
this big glass beverage dispenser (perfect for sangria at parties),
this big wooden bowl,
and (drum roll please) this Waterford crystal decanter.
I am now the proud owner of a real live Waterford decanter, for $50. Not bad, huh?
(I also got a full set of martini glasses.)
Now that the spending/decorating spree is over, I'm going to take a hot bath and soak my weary muscles.
The bad news is that my husband and I found ourselves the proud owner of a solid cherry entertainment center, purchased at the Salvation Army for the low low price of $70. Why is this bad, you ask? Well, I didn't realize it was solid cherry until we had to move the thing. I thought it was pressboard/veneer. So my husband and I, by ourselves, had to wrestle a six-and-a-half-foot-tall, solid cherry entertainment center into a van, along an icy walk, into the house and up seven steps to the living room. I swear to God that thing weighed at least 700 pounds. It took us 40 minutes just to navigate the seven steps (with a complicated system of blankets and big books), and even then we gouged the steps and the living room floor (since fixed with wood polish). I thought my husband was going to have a stroke. I thought I was going to give myself a hernia. Fortunately, somehow, by the grace of God, we managed to get that thing inside and situated. And we're never moving it again. Next time we move, movers are tackling that thing.
Sore muscles aside, it is a very nice piece of furniture. A little cleaning, polishing, WD-40 on the hinges and tightening of the screws made it practically brand-new. Here it is:
I found lots of other furniture at that Salvation Army. In fact, I found all the rest of the furniture that we needed. A sofa for the fireplace room (which we'll put a slipcover on), a desk and dresser for the guest room, and a cute chair. Also for the fireplace room.
It all needed a good polish, but then, I paid less than $200 for everything.
I was so emboldened by my excellent Salvation Army experience, that I continued my shopping spree at Fiddleheads, the most excellent local furniture consignment shop. I picked up several non-furniture household goodies:
This great old picnic basket,
this big glass beverage dispenser (perfect for sangria at parties),
this big wooden bowl,
and (drum roll please) this Waterford crystal decanter.
I am now the proud owner of a real live Waterford decanter, for $50. Not bad, huh?
(I also got a full set of martini glasses.)
Now that the spending/decorating spree is over, I'm going to take a hot bath and soak my weary muscles.
Monday, January 17, 2011
So THAT'S why
Warning: TMI alert. If female issues freak you out, don't read any further.
I've always had irregular periods. (Outside of the 15+ years I was on the pill, anyway.) Sometimes they'd be relatively normal, 4-5 weeks apart, and sometimes I'd go two or three months at a time without one. And I never had any warning they were coming--I don't have PMS, or cramps, or bloating. Not that I'm complaining about that, mind you, and it's not like I wanted more periods. But from mid-August of last year to mid-January this year, I didn't have one period.
So I figured I should probably have that looked at. I went off the pill last February, figuring it'd take my body awhile to cycle back to normal. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant, with a lower-case t. We'd like to get pregnant, but I'm not freaking out about it or anything. However, it's hard to get pregnant when you have NO IDEA when you might be ovulating, and even harder when you don't ovulate at all (as in, five months without a period).
My gynecologist informs me that I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, which means I don't really ovulate. It's a hormonal imbalance, nothing serious--the first step is to take a drug that will correct the hormonal imbalance, and see if that gets me regular periods/ovulation. If not, the next step is fertility drugs (which I'd really like to avoid, for a number of reasons. The primary one being that with this syndrome, my chance of having multiple babies would skyrocket to 15%, and twins already run in the family. And it's been my experience that if a doctor tells me there's a 5% chance of something happening, it will happen to me. Thus I'd be virtually guaranteed to have twins or triplets. Or more. No thank you.) None of this surprises me; I figured I was hormonally out of whack anyway, since I never got PMS.
But you know what? If it turns out I can't get pregnant, I won't be completely heartbroken. Don't get me wrong, I'd be a little heartbroken. I'd like to start my own family with my husband. But I don't feel the maternal call strongly enough to pour tens of thousands of dollars into fertility treatments or IVF or whatever, which we can't afford anyway, and I can think of excellent uses for all the income not having kids would free up (like travel, and plus we'd be able to travel), and I like my boobs the way they are, and my stepson will be a teenager soon and I don't relish the thought of parenting an infant and a teenager at the same time.
Still, I'd like to start my own family with my husband.
Obviously, I'll keep you posted. And hey, if nothing else works, I'll put on a cheerleading uniform and we'll do it in the backseat of an old Camaro after a football game. Then I'll be guaranteed to get knocked up.
I've always had irregular periods. (Outside of the 15+ years I was on the pill, anyway.) Sometimes they'd be relatively normal, 4-5 weeks apart, and sometimes I'd go two or three months at a time without one. And I never had any warning they were coming--I don't have PMS, or cramps, or bloating. Not that I'm complaining about that, mind you, and it's not like I wanted more periods. But from mid-August of last year to mid-January this year, I didn't have one period.
So I figured I should probably have that looked at. I went off the pill last February, figuring it'd take my body awhile to cycle back to normal. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant, with a lower-case t. We'd like to get pregnant, but I'm not freaking out about it or anything. However, it's hard to get pregnant when you have NO IDEA when you might be ovulating, and even harder when you don't ovulate at all (as in, five months without a period).
My gynecologist informs me that I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, which means I don't really ovulate. It's a hormonal imbalance, nothing serious--the first step is to take a drug that will correct the hormonal imbalance, and see if that gets me regular periods/ovulation. If not, the next step is fertility drugs (which I'd really like to avoid, for a number of reasons. The primary one being that with this syndrome, my chance of having multiple babies would skyrocket to 15%, and twins already run in the family. And it's been my experience that if a doctor tells me there's a 5% chance of something happening, it will happen to me. Thus I'd be virtually guaranteed to have twins or triplets. Or more. No thank you.) None of this surprises me; I figured I was hormonally out of whack anyway, since I never got PMS.
But you know what? If it turns out I can't get pregnant, I won't be completely heartbroken. Don't get me wrong, I'd be a little heartbroken. I'd like to start my own family with my husband. But I don't feel the maternal call strongly enough to pour tens of thousands of dollars into fertility treatments or IVF or whatever, which we can't afford anyway, and I can think of excellent uses for all the income not having kids would free up (like travel, and plus we'd be able to travel), and I like my boobs the way they are, and my stepson will be a teenager soon and I don't relish the thought of parenting an infant and a teenager at the same time.
Still, I'd like to start my own family with my husband.
Obviously, I'll keep you posted. And hey, if nothing else works, I'll put on a cheerleading uniform and we'll do it in the backseat of an old Camaro after a football game. Then I'll be guaranteed to get knocked up.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Snow day
Today's a snow day. Heavy blizzard conditions in Boston, at least 15 inches on the ground already, with snow falling throughout the day. Strong winds and at least two massive branches down in our yard. Neither one of us is going to work today, and maybe not tomorrow morning, depending on how long it takes to clear the driveway.
On the plus side, this working from home in my jammies thing is sorta awesome.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Aislynn
In this picture she looks kinda like a cross between a dried-up monkey and a string bean with hair, but I have no doubt she's actually cuter in person. For being 9 weeks premature, she's doing exceptionally well, and may get to go home much earlier than expected. Whew!
In other news, it's only the second snow of the year, and I'm already sick of it. Also I have a cold. But I've started thinking about the garden I want to put in this spring; thinking about herbs and vegetables makes the snow (a little teeny eensy) little bit less depressing. If anyone has any experience with starting a garden in a cooler climate, I'd love to hear from you! Chance of last frost up here won't pass until the beginning of May.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
The Christmas of Gross
This was the Christmas of Gross.
It was great seeing everyone, don’t get me wrong. My niece (now five months old) is cute as a button. The travel was long and arduous, but we were prepared for that, and the new Prius performed like a champ. (Total gas expenditures: less than $200 for 2,800 miles.) But not only did my husband get the stomach flu on Christmas Day, leading to some fairly Technicolor carpet decorations, my sister-in-law went into premature labor at about 4 am New Year’s Day. There was quite a lot of blood. Guess who got to clean that up, too.
New Year’s Eve was what you’d expect. We opened presents, played family beer pong, got drunk on my uncle’s homemade hooch in the hot tub. My brother and his wife, almost seven months pregnant, came in late. We all went to bed around 1 am.
About 4 am, I awoke to her screaming in the next bathroom. There was blood all over the bed, and all over her. She’d had some trouble with bleeding earlier in the pregnancy, so as my brother scrambled for clothes, I woke up my mom, who woke up my aunt (a nurse), and we got them bundled up and out the door to the nearest hospital. My parents got dressed and took off after them, while my aunt and I washed all the sheets and towels, cleaned down the bathroom, and started the process of scrubbing out the bloody mattress. Far too much drama for 4 am, in my opinion, especially as I was working on about three hours of drunk sleep.
I was afraid she was miscarrying, but she had actually gone into premature labor. She’s currently flat on her back in the ICU, pumped full of labor-stopping drugs, while they try to keep the baby in her as long as possible. At nine weeks premature, the baby would probably survive on her own (she’s already four pounds), but regardless, both my sister-in-law and the baby are looking at very long hospital stays. So think good thoughts/pray for both of them. I could have a new niece any day now.
My husband and I drove back home the next day. He’s now coming down with a head cold, and I’ve had just about enough of bodily fluids to last me quite a while, thankyouverymuch.
Then we had to shovel last week’s two feet of snow out of our driveway.
Next year people can come to us for the holidays. Or maybe we’ll just go to Fiji.
It was great seeing everyone, don’t get me wrong. My niece (now five months old) is cute as a button. The travel was long and arduous, but we were prepared for that, and the new Prius performed like a champ. (Total gas expenditures: less than $200 for 2,800 miles.) But not only did my husband get the stomach flu on Christmas Day, leading to some fairly Technicolor carpet decorations, my sister-in-law went into premature labor at about 4 am New Year’s Day. There was quite a lot of blood. Guess who got to clean that up, too.
New Year’s Eve was what you’d expect. We opened presents, played family beer pong, got drunk on my uncle’s homemade hooch in the hot tub. My brother and his wife, almost seven months pregnant, came in late. We all went to bed around 1 am.
About 4 am, I awoke to her screaming in the next bathroom. There was blood all over the bed, and all over her. She’d had some trouble with bleeding earlier in the pregnancy, so as my brother scrambled for clothes, I woke up my mom, who woke up my aunt (a nurse), and we got them bundled up and out the door to the nearest hospital. My parents got dressed and took off after them, while my aunt and I washed all the sheets and towels, cleaned down the bathroom, and started the process of scrubbing out the bloody mattress. Far too much drama for 4 am, in my opinion, especially as I was working on about three hours of drunk sleep.
I was afraid she was miscarrying, but she had actually gone into premature labor. She’s currently flat on her back in the ICU, pumped full of labor-stopping drugs, while they try to keep the baby in her as long as possible. At nine weeks premature, the baby would probably survive on her own (she’s already four pounds), but regardless, both my sister-in-law and the baby are looking at very long hospital stays. So think good thoughts/pray for both of them. I could have a new niece any day now.
My husband and I drove back home the next day. He’s now coming down with a head cold, and I’ve had just about enough of bodily fluids to last me quite a while, thankyouverymuch.
Then we had to shovel last week’s two feet of snow out of our driveway.
Next year people can come to us for the holidays. Or maybe we’ll just go to Fiji.
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