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Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:50:29 GMT

Retired Engineer

Famous Logician

One of these is my relative.

~ Byron

Walk Now For Autism

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:34:48 GMT

This is a dual purpose post. First, here's the annual "Twins In Their Easter Dresses" photo. This year, the dresses were handmade by Mommy Moose herself.

Second, on Sunday, May 17, we will once again be participating in the the Laurel Highlands Walk Now For Autism, part of a series of walks held nationwide to raise awareness of autism and to raise funds for ongoing autism research. We've formed our own team, and if you would care to sponsor one of us, or the whole team, please feel free. And thank you most kindly. Click on our team link to see our very own page.

~Byron

The Story of Willy Wonka

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:28:29 GMT

I may as well put all of this together here.

Once upon a time, there was a Christmas program in a little town in Pennsylvania. Somebody wanted to sing in it, and so he went to the rehearsals. After a couple rehearsals, the director wanted him to sing "We Three Kings" with one verse solo, dressed as a King. So he did. And that got him interested in the theater.

About a month later, there was an announcement for auditions for the play Charlie and The Chocolate Factory at the same theater. This person had heard that there were probably some smaller adult roles that were needed, and he thought that being in a show might be kind of fun, especially if it were a children's show and he didn't have to do too much. And he found that it was a non-musical - no singing or dancing. The play keeps close to the book.

So he climbed the stairs to the audition. He knew about 3 people there - a father that was there with his two daughters, friends of the family. He did offer to be a very large oompa-loompa, but that wasn't what the director had in mind. He read a few parts, and was cast as Grandpa Joe. OK, he thought - Grandpa Joe has a few lines, and hangs around until the end, going through the factory with Charlie. This would be a relatively easy way to see what the theater was like.

Rehearsals started. There was some upheaval in the theater and in the show, including who was going to be the director. Various people moved in and out of other roles. Grandpa Joe kept going.

5 weeks before the performance date, Grandpa Joe got a phone call saying that the latest Willy Wonka they had had to back out of the show for schedular and physical reasons (bad knees and feet). And would the person playing Grandpa Joe be willing to switch to Willy Wonka. He temporarily took leave of his senses and said "Yes."

And that is how I came to play the role of Willy Wonka in the Ligonier Valley Player's production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was quite by accident. But I had the biggest role in the play, and the most lines. And I had to pretend to be somebody completely different than who I am.

Our last week of rehearsals, tech week, was rather interesting. For the first three days, our Mike Teavee was out sick with a fever. At the dress rehearsal, someone fell through the set steps and they had to be repaired (the steps, not the person). We did not do a complete run-through at dress rehearsal.

Performances were Friday night, and Saturday and Sunday matinees. We played to nearly a full house each time. Saturday afternoon was down a little, but we had to bring in extra chairs on Sunday afternoon. The theater manager told me that we set a three day record for candy sales. After the last show, the cast had a pizza party in the empty theater.

The biggest surprise was seeing Mom and Dad on Friday night after the show. They had driven out of their way on the way from their home to Myrtle Beach just to stop in and see the show. They spent the night at a nearby hotel, then came out to see the family the next morning before heading on their way.

After the show, I sent out the following to the cast and crew:

To those involved with "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory":

I would like to express my thanks and congratulations to you all. Thanks for making me realize what is possible with a little imagination, a lot of hard work, and the willingness to step out and try something new. And congratulations to you all for a job well done and performances well executed.

Sandy, Francine, and Jen - thanks for your guidance, direction, instruction, and encouragement.

To the Narrator - Toby - I regret that I did not get to actually see your performance (because of where I had to wait), but I saw what you were capable of in rehearsals. You really kicked the show off right.

To the Buckets - Robbie S, Kailin, Dorothy, Jim, Emilie - Great job in what most will perceive to be a small role. It was great to see who got "volunteered" for those roles!

To the Parents and Grandpa Joe - Pat, Jen, Francine, Joe, Jill, and Luba - Great job all around. Especially by some people that only thought their daughters would be in the show (Joe). Pat, thanks for stepping in after my role was changed. You made a much better Grandpa Joe than I would have.

To my "five beloved Golden Ticket holders" - Robbie, Ethan, Kacie, KatiAna, and Zack - I continue to be amazed at the caliber of kids that our valley can turn out. It was a pleasure working with you all. I think that whenever I read the book in the future, or see the movies (either one), I will still think of you all as the true "faces" of Charlie, Mike, Violet, Veruca, and Augustus. I wish I could give all of you a lifetime supply of candy, but the chocolate bars will have to do.

And I can't forget my favorite Wonkettes - Abbey (the best gobstopper-and-gum-passer-ever and my favorite hornswoggler), Alaina, Arianna (a great spy and tree), Becca (all around great Wonkette), Emily, Hayley (best curtain puller, great spy, and I love your optimism), Katie, Kira, Mary (most excellent TV), Rachel (one of several excellent door girls), Ruthie (best TV camera and oompa-loompa grabber, and one of only three people here I knew at the start of rehearsals), Sadye, Shannon, and Sophia (another great spy). I know I'm forgetting all that all of you did, but whatever your part, you did fantastic, and I don't know how the show could have been done without Wonkettes.

And there's also my favorite Oompa-loompas: Amanda, Ellie, Ian and Jason (great dance moves, guys), Jenna, Jonathan (best Oompa-loompa king), Julia, Kaylee, Kate and Lily (Mr. Wonka's official tie-straighteners), Maria, Olivia, Sarah, Skyler, and Shayla (world's friendliest oompa-loompa). Each of you is something special and brought your own spark to the show. I couldn't see you do the poems, but I could hear it and it sounded great! I hope you enjoyed the Fun Dips.

And to all the other helpers - mothers and others - thanks. Yes, even to Sonia for applying some rather distinctive eyebrows.

I've never had to learn to remember so much in so little time - and it wasn't just the lines. It was where to move, how to stand, how to move, how to talk, what to do, what not to do, etc. etc. You all made it a little easier, and a lot funner (which maybe isn't a word, but it will do). Quite frankly, I had a blast.

And then there's this video, put together from various rehearsal shots.

~Byron

Walk Now For Autism

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:01:25 GMT

On Sunday, May 18, we will all be participating in the the Laurel Highlands Walk Now For Autism, part of a series of walks held nationwide to raise awareness of autism and to raise funds for ongoing autism research. We've formed our own team, and if you would care to sponsor one of us, or the whole team, please feel free. And thank you most kindly. Click on our team link to see our very own page.

~Byron

It's either in the enunciation or in the listening

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:53:51 GMT

During Sunday School, the children sometimes sing a song with the lyrics:

Cast your burdens.... onto Jesus.....

The other night, A was singing loudly:

Cast your burdens.... on the treetops.....

I'm not sure if the song-leader is failing to enunciate properly, or if that's just the way that A heard it. She might have figured that "burdens" sounds a lot like "birdies," and that of course birdies belong in the treetops, so it all made perfect sense to her.

We had a good chuckle.

Tonight, she was singing it normally.

~Byron

We are raising anachronistic children

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:50:06 GMT

A and I went out to Lowes recently to pick up some things. The background music was the song Turn, Turn, Turn. I asked A who was singing, and she listened for a few seconds, cocked her head, and said "The Byrds! I recognize it!"

A and E are the same girls who have posters of Shirley Temple and Judy Garland in their bedroom and playroom, and a framed autographed picture of Ralph Stanley on their bedroom wall. It's across from the picture of Gene Kelly from Singin' In The Rain ("my favorite movie" - says A). They like all kinds of old musicals.

They are, for better or for worse, blissfully unaware of who the current "pop" stars are. But I think every now and then that it would be nice just once to hear "Can we watch Hannah Montana?"

~Byron

The Snow Was Softly Falling....

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:16:19 GMT

Well, how's that for a start to an Easter post? Yesterday, Saturday, we had some snow flurries in the afternoon. It looked just like Christmas outside our windows. That makes the second year in a row (that I recall) that we've had snow on Easter weekend.

Easter Sunday dawned bright and clear. The sunshine filled the kitchen, and it looked a lot warmer outside than the 19 degrees that the thermometer was showing. The girls woke up excited, yelling "Happy Easter" and "Jesus rose again!" The first order of business, of course, was the basket hunt. They were thrilled with what they got - a little bit of candy, and a few toys.

Here's A and E, dressed for church. Like last year, we had to add sweaters on top of their very Spring-y dresses.

Then it was off to church. The sermon was a good one, from John 20, reminding us of the peace that Jesus brings to those who believe in him - peace that is not a mere cessation of hostilities, but a sure and certain reconciliation to the Father.

We had, according to E, a "special dinner for lunch." Mommy Moose had found a good cut of sirloin, and I had put it in the marinate before church. I stuck it under the broiler and waited. I also quickly made a mental note that marinades made with oil (per the instructions) should probably not be used under broilers. But the smoke dissipated rather quickly, thanks to the open windows and slider to the deck. The flames also went out after I got the pan outside, without causing any damage to the steak. I lowered the pan for side 2, and the steak came out perfectly. We also had mashed up sweet potatoes and vegetables (no, not together), and a cherry pie for dessert.

After lunch, we hid some eggs around the house and the girls went bananas for their very own Easter egg hunt (or "hegg unt," as one of them was saying).

The girls played outside nearly all afternoon - in the sunshine and 40 degree temperatures. I noted that the newspaper called for snow flurries all day.

Happy Easter!

~Byron

Never mind that last post....

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:27:05 GMT

The purpose of this post is to inform you that the URL for Mommy Moose's blog has been changed back to: http://laurelmtn.blogspot.com from http://fromthelookout.blogspot.com (which now no longer works).

Thank you,
The Management

Blog Address Change Announcement

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 02:32:20 GMT

No, not mine.

For those who keep track of such things, the URL for Mommy Moose's blog has changed from http://laurelmtn.blogspot.com (which doesn't work anymore) to http://fromthelookout.blogspot.com

Now I Know Where It Comes From

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:23:49 GMT

My mother and father were here for a visit over Christmas, primarily, I think, to see their grandchildren. And also their son and daughter-in-law, too. Talk turned to the family tree on Dad's side.

Dad's father was one of two brothers. Dad's mother (a Schneider) was one of ten children. Most of the ones that survived childhood lived well into their nineties. The Schneider family grew up around Fairfield, CT. Dad related some Schneider stories.

When Dad's father (Gustave) was courting Dad's mother (Martha), it was somewhat of a long-distance courtship. Grandpa (well, my grandpa, for the sake of this story) would travel to Fairfield and stay at the Schneider homestead. One time, Martha's sisters put marbles in Gustave's bed. He didn't say anything, but merely pushed them to one side. When questioned about it, he only replied "I thought they were mothballs."

And when she was a little younger, Grandma (Martha) won a contest amongst the Schneider kids. Since they lived on a farm, and this was before TV and radio, they had to invent some of their own entertainment. They had a contest to see who could open their mouth the widest. Martha won - and wound up with a dislocated jaw for her efforts. The doctor was called, and just as he was pulling into the driveway, her jaw popped back into place.

Dad also told the story of his Uncle Gus (Martha's younger brother, and one of two boys out of the ten children) and the dinner plate of Gus's sister Mary. Gus had rigged a small balloon to a hose of some sort, and placed the balloon under Mary's dinner plate. When dinner was starting, Gus would blow into the hose, and Mary's plate would slowly rise and fall.

I think I know where the Frank families got their interesting sense of humor.

We are fortunate in that we have a fairly complete history of the Schneiders, from Martha's parent's journey to America. Also of note is that both Martha's parents were Christians, attending a Lutheran congregation in Bridgeport, CT. They would also host evangelistic services at the family farm. Descendants are now found in many different Christian denominations, and the Schneiders have also produced at least a few ministers, among them author and LCMS minister Don Matzat.

The sad part now is that all of Martha's generation are now gone - Uncle Gus, the youngest, passed on a couple years ago.

I am thankful for the memories.

~ Byron