In the hot seat

So I couldn't find anyone to run sound for me today. It's busy season across the city and every competent technician (and all semi competent and a good deal of the incompetent) have been booked already...Lured in by big money and status gigs. Sigh. So, part of my job description is that if I can't get someone else to fill a spot, I've got to step in. Not that dance recitals are difficult (get your levels and press play) but, I wasn't looking forward to it. I haven't actually worked a show in over a year. I've tried to keep my chops up but, lets face it, the magic of live theatre is that anything can happen at any time...that's the draw to any adreneline junkie. I used to thrive on the last minute but...did I still have 'it'? Well, the show went off without a hitch. The head lx and I were in the groove and all went well. I guess it's something like bike riding...once you learn...unless you fall off...or get forced into loosing your training wheels too early and end up with a strange aversion to all vehicles with two wheels...so bad that you can't even look at the profile of a car...but...maybe? I digress.

Coming home to kids and gramma...knowing that all that was in fridge was leftovers ... not wanting to put on stove...it's hot...still...hot and humid...yuck. I noticed that our street was having a block party...I remember having seen an invite. They were going to serve hotdogs and cupcakes...dinner plans saved!! (see above post and realize that foraging for free food is a survival skill...learned at many a backstage function) I got the kids sunscreened, shoed and hatted...oh ya...and put pants on the boy and off we went (after saying thank you and bye bye to gramma of course). Well, there were toys, and a jumping area, and indeed hotdogs, cupcakes AND salads AND chips AND juices AND pop AND BEER!!! Feeling at peace with the world, I set the kids free and headed to the sustenance table...beer in hand, I then headed for the food. With plate laden down my boy started crying...right there in the middle of the sitting area, he was relieving himself but, hadn't had time to drop his drawers. I looked around for the girl, she seemed fine, I asked some kind looking people if they would watch her and rushed A home to get changed. I put on his swimming trunks and we went back to the festivities. It was very nice...a lovely idea...good to get outside from the heat...nice to meet people (who all, apparently already know my children). The kids ate a couple bites of hotdog, some chips and then decided to go swimming (ya...I know...I seem to have broken yet another major parenting rule...one about waiting an hour before swimming unless it's shark infested water whereupon you wouldn't want to go swimming anyway unless you wanted to be dinner) ... the kids swam and splashed and had a blast. S started to try to actually swim...very cool. A, after a while, stripped off his trunks declaring to all who would listen that he really didn't need them...he could swim just fine without them...who could argue? When it came time to pack up, S was ready to come home as she was shivering and in need of some dry clothes. A, on the other hand, wanted to stay and supervise the emptying of the pool. I handed him my house keys and, knowing that he was the one who could let us all in, he proceeded to streak down the road...with the key chain flapping beside him (yes...my key chain is actually a 2' long chain). We got in...got bath time out of the way...had a snack...brushed teeth and crashed. Well...not exactly. I'm still hearing some strange sing song sounds from their room but...these too will fade away.

All in all, a hot day...but a good day.