Festival Friday!!

 

It's Lit Fest Weekend!!!Which means there will be lots of author picture on the blog soon.

But for now, the town is quiet.  The banners are up!  And some kids have created a Poet-Tree.

But best of all....the Fabbies have arrived!!!!!!! Laura helped me to pick them up at Logan since my little clown car could not fit Fabbies and fabbie luggage.  So far it's just the Fabbie Five - Jana, Lisa, Kats, Chris and me...Laura is honorary Fabbie since we are all piled up on her new bed.  Earle was the photographer. 

After the festival we meet Dawn and Nancy in NYC for a super fun week - which means the blog may have to wait until I'm back as we will be busy busy busy.  (And Bill is having tech issues getting his photos loaded.)  But we'll see...just don't panic if there is no post - we'll be back!!

The Port City Strangler

Fresh from his strangling of Gramma Jen, Malikai is at it again.

This time he squeezes the air out of Grampa Bill.

Malikai is taking us out one at a time.

But look how happy he is!

        

What a bold strangler, taunting the camera like that.

It looks like we've survived the strangling scare.

.... Unless this picture was taken BEFORE Malkai's strangling spree!!!!

(cue high pitched scary violin music)

Friday Night with Barb

Zoe's mom was in town last weekend so we had them over and grilled for the first time this season.  I say we but I mean Bill…Bill did everything.  He prepped the food, he brought us cheese and crackers, he cleaned up later…while Barb, Zoe and I just sat on the couch and talked.

Wyatte was in Salem for a performance so we only had Malikai with us.  To entertain him I let him strangle me.

But before I say any more I just realized that there is something in the photo that we have yet to discuss.  And this is why the captions come FIRST…

I've been meaning to do a post about the new fireplace so I guess now this is it.  

WE FINALLY FINISHED THE FIREPLACE MANTLE!!!  

It's the beautiful tiled masterpiece behind the gramma-cide taking place below.

In this last picture he was actually choking me and I had to wave my arms to make it stop.  Look at the evil look on his face!!! If I'm ever found strangled you'll know who to call.

But isn't the fireplace gorgeous???  I'll post more detailed pics of it on a slow blog day.

Medea

There is a thespian in the family.

Wyatte was in the Salem University production of Medea.

They performed in the Black Box theater - a small room (90 seats) painted completely black.  The sets were impressive with the wood painted to look like marble.

We had seats right down front stage left.

Do you know the story of Medea?  It's not a comedy.  There is a lot of wailing.  Everyone is distraught.  Wyatte and his theater brother are murdered off stage and a black sack is dragged on stage as if they were in it, leaving a trail of blood.  The perfect play for a beautiful spring afternoon.

After the show I put on a workshop I like to call "Anguish 101".

Wyatte, of course, needs no workshop.  He's already got the chops and the post production pose.

I'm ready for my close up, Gramma Jen.

When Wyatte is the new Brad Pitt we'll be able to say we knew him when he was just starting out.

Once in Full Moon

The Atwood Gang went on a field trip…just a few 100 feet down the road to The Actor's Studio in the Tannery to see the Full Moon Story Slam!

I didn't know that in between the planned 5 minute stories they also asked for audience members to come up and tell 1 minute stories.  The theme was vices.  Since I have no vices I didn't have any stories to tell.  It would have been the same if the theme was Flaws - nope, don't have any :-)

We went out for drinks after the show and Laura told us a great chocolate story that would have been perfect but I guess she didn't want to get on stage.

The judges sat off to the side…Andre's wife Fontaine and Paul from the bookstore were part of the panel.  We in the audience got to judge as well.

At intermission we went out and look who was pouring herself a glass of merlot….Miss Vicki of festival fame!  She arrived too late to get a seat in the theater but was sitting just outside the door where she could still see and hear the stories.  She and Dixie are both from Memphis so they were instant friends.    Vicki told Dixie where she lived adding, "The doors always unlocked so you can come in any time if you need to pee or want to take a nap…."  That's southern hospitality for you - stop by and take a nap!

The judges and the audience picked the same winner - - a man whose vice was being a workaholic until he had a stroke.  It was a good story but also seemed like an obvious choice.  Second prize was the guy on the right end whose father was an overeater so one night he ate and drank everything before his father could get to it.  It was pretty funny.  Definitely a great night out in the 'Port.

Fletch is rocking a pickup truck

Member of the Jen and Bill Experience Blog Seven made an appearance today.

Old friend Fletch and I met for a drink and to catch up on life.

His knowledge of our blog family is impressive.  He asks about you all.

He arrived at National Rental Car late last night, so all he had to choose from where giant pickup trucks or minivans.  He, being the bad ass he is, chose the big black pickup.

He wanted to go off roading, but alas, he had to go to a dinner meeting.

P.I.G.

Drinks at Plum Island Grille (PIG) to see the sunset turned into dinner and more drinks.

It's lovely that after 20 years together Jen and I enjoy each others company for a night out.

I am out of practice, though.  I was definitely worse for wear in the morning.

Our friends in London would be disappointed.

        

We are going to the beach EVERY weekend ....

So declared Jennie, on the first sunny weekend we have had in forever.

If we ever did the things that Jen says we should do all the time we would have enough blog posts for years.  It would be like living in London ... 

Mad Martha's

Saturday.  Lunch at Mad Martha's on Plum Island.

So bland on the outside.

So colorful on the inside.

We sat at the counter. 

The counter is made of all these hand painted tiles. 

There were little tins of trivia cards on the counter so Bill and I played while we waited for our lunch order.

This is sort of a quiz substitute.

Questions:

Answers:

I knew the answer to the one about milking cows from listening to The Archers - my favorite farming radio soap on the BBC.

Bill had a grilled ham and cheese and I had a yummy chicken and veg quesadilla.

We ate beneath these colorful fluffy paper clouds.

And then we walked over to the beach.  It was pretty cold in the breeze and we didn't last long.  Just enough to take pictures to make it look like we have an exciting beachy life.

Of course, our regular readers can probably guess what I said as soon as we got there??

("I love the beach.  I am vowing to come to the beach EVERY WEEK this summer!!!") 

Back by popular demand

No Blue Apron tonight.  Did that stop Jen from putting on a dancing clinic?

Hell NO!

My regret is that I didn't take out the camera until after Jen's inconceivable robot dance to Styx 'Mr. Roboto'.  (of course)

        

'Sweep the leg, Johnny'

Possibly my favorite.  It's too hard to choose.

(I'm talking about the picture below.  Jessica has messed us all up.)

Jen is available for bat mitvahs and children's parties.

(Seriously though, when Jen broke out the robot dance I wanted to call Laura over to witness the renewing of our wedding vows.  I loved her as much at that moment as any other.)