mojosmom

I broke my camera.

I came home last night, took the camera out of the case preparatory to removing the memory card so I could upload photos, and put it on the desk by the computer. I turned around, and crash! I knocked it onto the floor. The cover to the battery/memory card compartment doesn't close properly, and there were teeny bits of plastic on the floor.

The good news is: I have a service contract and this sort of thing is covered.

The bad news is: They have to send it off to be repaired and the estimate is at least 3-4 weeks. I hope they say that so that I'll be thrilled when it comes back sooner, but somehow I don't think so.

Where I'd been

Redmoon Theatre did "Hunchback of Notre Dame" at Rockefeller Chapel. As usual, it was full of puppets and masks and mime and blackouts. They made excellent use of the center and side aisles of the church, not to mention the pulpit. And the lighting! Whoa! At one point, the whole place was in darkness, and then they lit up the great stained glass window so it just glowed. After the performance, they invited everyone up to check out the props. Here is Esmeralda and her mask:


Earlier in the day, I'd been to a benefit for my Italian instructor. Her mom died recently, and Daniela had gone back to Italy to be with her, and was gone three months. Of course, that meant she wasn't working and she took a big financial hit. She is such a generous, giving person herself, so a metaphorical hat had been passed at the Casa Italiana, but friends also decided to have a benefit lunch. A local pizzeria, of which she is a big supporter, donated their space and time and labor, and we had good food and a raffle and silent auction. I don't think she realized before how much people care about her.

I've been remiss. So here goes.

Last Sunday evening, I went over to see Redmoon Theater's latest production, Loves Me . . . Loves Me Not, which was playing in the lagoon behind the Museum of Science and Industry. Yes, you read that right, in the lagoon. The audience sat on the steps of the Museum. The sets, representing a flooded house and gas station had been sunk in the lagoon, and actors moved about in a variety of boats, both prosaic and fantastical. ( How do you produce a spectacle about a flood in the wake of Katrina? )

This past week, I've been coaching at the University of Chicago's Mandel Legal Clinic Intensive Trial Advocacy Program. It's designed for law students entering their third year, who will be participating in various clinical programs. I enjoy teaching trial advocacy, and this is always a bright, enthusiastic and hard-working bunch. Plus, it's an opportunity to see some folks I don't normally get to see (the folks who run the program tend to bring in the same group of coaches). The last day (at least for faculty) was Thursday, when the students do a closing argument. One girl in my group came in and told nme she wasn't very well-prepared. When I asked her why, she said that most of her family was in the path of Hurricane Rita, and she had spent most of the morning on the phone with family as they tried to work out an evacuation plan for her grandmother. I told my fellow coach that we were going to cut her some slack! As it turned out, she didn't need it. Whether it was because she had been worrying about something else, I don't know, but she was the best of the group, a natural story-teller.

A new term at Casa Italiana, and we have a new instructor and a couple of new students in our class, as well as a new textbook. Elio (the instructor) seems good, so we'll see.

Wednesday was the first play of the Goodman Theatre season, the musical Purlie, based on Ossie Davies' Purlie Victorious. At thirty-five years old, it is, of course, a bit dated, but despite that, it was excellent. Some marvelous voices!

I had hoped to go to a couple of World Music Festival events Thursday night, but I had come down with a nasty summer cold. When I left the law school that day, all I wanted was to go to bed with a box of Kleenex™. So I did, and felt a tad better on Friday, and much better yesterday.

And it was good I was better yesterday, because I had Nina and Randy's wedding to go to. It was lovely (aren't they always?). Nina looked absolutely stunning, with her hair up, and a simple, elegant gown, a sleeveless a-line, not too much beading and a small train. The bridesmaids' dresses were navy-blue, in a rich, heavy satin, not identical, but each in a style that was suited to the individual's age, size and shape. The reception was fun, good food, decent enough music, though I left early-ish because I didn't want to push my luck and relapse, especially since I'm going up to Fran's later today.

I talked to Stacey the other day. She was getting ready to head to Washington for the anti-war demo, and tells me she is planning to run for precinct committeeman! We talked about going to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival next year, whenever and wherever (they may do it in Baton Rouge or Lafayette).

I think that's about it!