The Fifth of July

It took some time for friendships to start warming up within the Markham cast, but this holiday weekend gave us all a bit of quality time.

After our show Saturday night, my stage hubby Kirk and I threw a few rounds of darts at Patrick's Irish Pub, a small bar near the theatre which, like the Shakespeare downtown, has Guinness on tap. Having said that and knowing my readers, I'm now claiming that I wasn't thirsty. Just darts for me, thanks.

After our Sunday matinee, I joined cast mate Nadine and her boyfriend Brian for an evening movie in San Marcos, after a stop at her parents' weekend BBQ. If you've ever had an interest in Batman comics that was quashed by the films, get yourself out to see Batman Begins. This one was done right... and promises much better sequels than Joel "nipples" Schmuck-macher ever gave us.

On Monday, I attended a small pool party at the Poway home of another cast member -- the same Poway home that inspired the "I Did It, I Did It!" party post two weeks ago. This time the guest list would be limited and the territory familiar, so I agreed readily and arrived fashionably late.

Only two other cast members had been invited, but I'd met the bulk of the attendees, local actors, at one time or another. I enjoyed the company of one married couple in particular: wife Julie lent me an extra bathing suit when it became clear that I hadn't brought one and was the only one not swimming (hey, no one got in the pool at all last time!); husband Jonathan turned out to be a former Nashville resident, a Vanderbilt alumnus nostalgic for the Loveless Cafe and familiar with Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre. He'd seen a show there sometime around 1992 and the odds are exceptionally good that he saw any number of my current friends and co-workers performing in that year. Martha? Eric? Bobby? Maybe Brian! Small world.

After a bit of pool B-ball and a taste of grilled goodies, guests of the house on the hill were treated to a good evening view of two simultaneous and identical fireworks shows in the canyon below. One would have been the Poway display, and though I could not guess the second city, it was obvious both shared the skills of the same pyrotechnic artist. From any other view, no one would ever have noticed.

After a long weekend, I planned to be a house slug today, cooking something easy for dinner and settling in to the West Wing marathon on Bravo later this evening. And then it hit me: I'd lost track of the days -- Marathon Monday rarely gets a Tuesday showing. Of course, now that I own the first four seasons on DVD (sorry Chris), I can have a marathon any old time I want. Tonight, that's just what I may do.

Notes: Welcome back to America, Brian.... Tag! Anne-G, you're it -- enjoy your stay in Germany. I'll be reading along.... and Happy Birthday, Kenny!