It’s Backwards – Welcome to My Laundry Room

               Often when we have been out walking Bonnie we will generally walk the same four streets.  Occasionally, we will allow her to lead.  She likes to go up where the new houses are being built.  Some are stick houses and some are manufactured – like this one.  

          It was in the street for a while as the equipment that was supposed to move it went out of commission – I don’t remember how long it had been in the street before it was moved – unfortunately with the front facing the backside (maybe a yard though that part doesn’t appear to be promising right now) and the backside facing the street.   

          It is understandable why they did it that way.  Not totally, but the mistake may have been in the awning.  After all there is an arch over the backdoor and two lamps at what should be the front.  Big windows – living room.  That is where the front door should lead, right?  But all that is visible to the neighbors below – not that either view is rather spectacular.  The home owner has a view of houses either way.  No checking out the living room window to see who might be in the driveway though.

          The way the house sets right now may have one saying, “Welcome to my house.  Here is the laundry room – right next to the door – just in case you would like to remove your clothes and come into the kitchen . . .”

          Roland and I had actually looked at a house that was closer to the high school.  It was turned around so that we had entered the back – oh, and there are my appliances right next to the door.  Hello.  Oh, if it’s spaciousness you want, continue to the back of the house which is really the front.  You will have a view of a rock from your living room.  What the heck?  Roland didn’t want to move there because the house was backwards.  I didn’t want to move there because of the shared driveway.  That can get annoying when the neighbors seem to have more vehicles than drivers.

          I think all housing came to a halt when it snowed followed by rain. There have been several popping up and mailboxes going in.  Thus far the mailboxes haven’t been assigned numbers. Further up the road is an unfinished stick house.  The roof had been outlined but not completed.  Must have been murder on those building the house, but from mine and Jenna’s point of view it appeared as a gingerbread house the way the snow covered the beams. 

          Weather has warmed up enough for the crew to fix the damage and continue with their work.  But I still think the other house should be turned around.

She Calls Herself a Theatre Brat

  

       The Grand Old Victorian Theatre was open when we moved to Oregon, but the plays were $40.  That included dinner, but still . . . That would have been $120. for the three of us.  Not in our budget.

       The theatre closed and remained on the market for nearly two years.  I remember looking at the property when Roland was looking into opening an adult daycare.  It was a perfect location. But we could not afford to take out a loan.  We needed investors.  In order to get the type of loan and investor interest, we needed/need support from the community.  So many have told us what a good idea it is, and that it is needed - but we need written testimony and not just verbal agreements.

       We had sent out a survey but did not get any feedback.  I had told Roland that the survey was too lengthy.  He had looked at opening a booth at Summerfest this year just to educated people. Meanwhile, he has graduated and apparently given up on the idea of the adult daycare.  Meanwhile, the theatre had been purchased to be used as a theatre under the same name.    

       I pass the theatre several times a week - or at least I had in March.  I remember seeing signs about upcoming auditions for a play that would be held the last two weeks of May.  I let Jenna know about it and we went to the first auditions held.  Jenna was cast as a lawyer in a mystery called "Murder in the Heir".

       Less than a month later, she went to audition for the musical Hi Ho Robin Hood.  Roland decided to audition also.  She will be playing the sheriff's daughter, Salome and Roland will be playing Friar Tuck. It will be performed the last two weeks in August.

 

 When the play is over, Roland will divorce himself from the theatre and says he will look for a second job.  Jenna will be involved in high school and hopefully will be involved in whatever production the high school may be doing as she is too young to audition for the Grand's next play - which Roland and I are not comfortable with her being a part of anyway. 

       I have time to post to my blog while they are at auditions.  Unfortunately, I am having troubles relating my thoughts to my fingers.  I have had some meaningful thoughts, too.  But now that I can make the time for them . . . well. I seem to lack motivation right now. 

       My alarm went off this morning reminding me that I had volunteered to be the story later for the Summer Reading Program.  Had my alarm not gone off, I would have forgotten.  I got to the library in plenty of time to read through a story . . .  trouble was I had spent so much time looking for one that I really wasn't prepared.  Serena and the kids seemed to be okay with what I had picked out.  We discussed bugs a little bit and then Serena had them draw pictures of flowers that would eventually become fruit or vegetables.  Each picture was hung up and all the children were given Cheetos and told to touch the flowers with their cheese dust hands.  They represented the bees and the Cheeto dust represented pollinating each flower.  I thought it was a fun idea.  

       I stayed longer than usual as I no longer have an 11:30 class.  At least not for the next four weeks.

       Tomorrow Jenna and I will be going to Riddle to participate in the teenage reading program.