What's on second? I dunno'. ---Third Base!

Well, I gotta' tell 'ya...trying to download and read the Doctor Who E-book online, "Nightshade," by Mark Gatiss--is a bit like trying to follow the classic old Abbot and Costello routine. (One of my all-time fav routines, by the way.)

First, it took forever--nearly 10 minutes, to download--then I get it--can't read the darn thing...the print's way too small and not dark enough. May be okay for a 10 year old with perfect eyesight, but I'm an middleaged near-sighted old fart. So....

Guess I either don't read the book, or develop one heckuva bad case of eyestrain.

I'm giving up writing for a bit, and I can't read this darn book, guess I just have'ta stick to this blog, DWO, doctor who series I/II, my records and online cribbage for my entertainment, ey?

So, it's exactly 2 am---that's 7 uk time...and I'm wide awake. My office light just went on the fritz and I can't see my keyboard, as I have a just a little touch of nightblindness--barely...but enough to make dim lighting conditions a teensy bit of a challenge. You know how they say in theater to "break a leg?" I nearly did once, in a college play, when the director decided to raise the stage--painted black, of course, by several inches. And did this--a few hours before final rehearsal! But that's not all he utterly--and totally-- forgot to tell us!

So, someone was late for rehersal, it was the first scene and I was told to stand in--I made the proper entrance, was looking towards my mark, and, more importantly, simply couldn't see the stage in the dim lighting..tripped on that totally unexpected rise in height, and took a header into the lead actor--if he'd not been there, I would have fallen clean off of the bleedin' stage down into the pit! ]

That's the self same director who made me positively hate acting. He's the same one who, all of 30 minutes into opening night, totally changed the final scene (a pantomime)--and, of course, totally threw most of the already slightly nervous actors off. What a nightmare! Every rehersal--every one--my lines would change, my accent would change, my marks would change...my very first play--and my last. From that point on, I stuck with running sound and stuff. I'm not stage shy...but I like knowing what the hell I'm doing...and if I mess up backstage...no one can see me. Anyway...I didn't mind the acting stuff (Liberal Arts majors had to choose a minor--I just sort of fell into theater for scheduling reasons..can't act worth a darn--I mean I totally suck.) I enjoyed theater classes though...helped me grow as a person, gave me self-confidance I never had before...and I adored playwriting..now that was fun! Directing class was hard, but it was also kind of neat, too. Anyway, got a bit off the beaten path, haven't I?

So, yeah, I don't see quite as well as I used to. Seems I have something called retinitis pigmintosa--but it's dormant, and only in one eye. Still, my Polish gran was in an accident as a little girl, and couldn't speak or hear--and raised something like 7 kids alone during the Great Depression...so, who am I to complain about being a four-eyes, ey?

There were a lot of birds around work today...blue jay's, robins, sparrows, mourning doves. They were eating the berries that are ripe. Some friends of mine are going apple picking next weekend...hope the weather holds out. Been a bit filthy, this year...but when it's been nice, it's been super-nice, mostly. Sunday, early afternoon, you couldn't see the lake or mountains through the clouds and mist...by mid-afternoon..the view were simply splendid. Could see for miles. September weather can be a bit off and on over here in the Adirondacks.