Oh wow I have been gone too long

Sheesh you leave for a few months and they change the whole format of blogging. Well I suppose I better say something about Maddie graduating from college this weekend. All of you have watched her grow up and now she is all grown up and going off into the wide wide world. She has managed to surpass her parents in smarts and is graduating cum laude from River Falls with a major in Technical Theatre and a minor in Art. She scored a job for the summer at American Players Theater in Spring Green Wisconsin. It is one of the oldest and best outdoor repertory theaters in the country and she will be doing scene painting and properties work over the summer. After that is a mystery.

We have been back and forth twice now in the past four weeks. Once to pick up a load of stuff (still in dining room) and see her in her last main stage production. She played several roles in Richard III. I found her a lovely token for this production. It is a small portrait of the little princes being murdered in their beds. She loved it and it creeped out the kids who were playing the princes in the play.

Once we saw how much crap she had we decided to go back again in two weeks to pick up another van load and attend the final award ceremony. Two days before we left the van started leaking radiator fluid. It did not get fixed in time and so we had to take the car. We also ended up with the 10 bins we had purchased for Maddie locked up in the mechanics garage so we had to buy more once we got up there (grrrr) It poured rain most of the drive up and there is no cruise control in the car. It was a long drive but we made it safe and sound. Packed up what we could, attended and enjoyed the awards (Maddie and another girl scored the outstanding senior awards and Maddie got best scene design although she was the only one) We drove off packed to the gills and stayed with our dear friends in New Richmond.

Puck and I have been struggling with the concept of moving all that stuff back home and finally decided to purchase a tin shed. It came in a very narrow box that was too heavy for us to lift. We had to take the box apart and remove the pieces one at a time. It has now taken us 4 weeks to almost have it finished. All I can say is it is a good thing that the neighbors and their small children moved away or they would have gotten a fine new education in expletives.

On the home front our Governor sucks and the recall effort is going strong. He keeps telling us all he has done for education but our senior librarian is retiring and they are not going to replace her. Instead they are going to man all 3 libraries with a singly librarian and staff them with support staff. I was not going to apply for the job. My immediate boss just got a new job as principal of the middle school so he will be leaving. The guy on the other side of the building will not be there next year either and I would be the only continuity in the program. I got to thinking though and hell who am I staying for? I really need to give this a shot. I got my application in with minutes to spare. They called about the interview and it was supposed to be next Monday. Well I had taken that day off so I could help Maddie get settled in Spring Green. She starts her job two days after graduation. They squeezed me in this Friday right after school. I think I am the best qualified, but we shall see. I got to thinking and I don't think I have had an actual job interview for 40 years.

I am on the interview committee for the new Alternative teacher though and that all happens tomorrow. It is going to be a busy and scary week. I think about you all and how you have gotten me through some of the roughest and best times of my life. I am sorry I did not share the ups and downs of directing a play this year (it was a success) and will try to be a better blogger in the future.

Wish me luck