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bkroeker
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Name: Barry
Gender: Male
Interests: Tennis, Racquetball, chess, reading
Expertise: Writing/Editing
Occupation: Media and Documentation Manage
Industry: Software
Message: message meEmail: email me
Member Since:
8/7/2006
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| For those fogeys who have remained on Xanga instead of moving to Facebook:
I shall award you for your faithfulness by recounting the details of my ill-fated Christmas Carol audition.
Suffice it to say that I was woefully unprepared, having been drafted for chauffeur duty for our youngest and tallest daughter's audition. On the way, I asked her what the play was. "A Christmas Carol" was her response, and my inner wheels began turning. "Perhaps I should audition too," I mused aloud. "Go for it" was the response.
It was all the encouragement I needed, so I dutifully stood in line, penciled in the application form, and held still while I was carefully measured for costumes I was reasonably sure I would never wear.
Public group auditions were the format for the day, and I watched as the first group went up to read. After a few reads, Miss Bourne asked if there were any others who had yet to audition. I grimly raised my hand and her eyebrows arched in surprise. Moments later, I found myself reading the part of Marley's ghost (a favorite moment of mine in Dickens' tome). "A bit of beef?" I bellowed indignantly at Scrooge's refusal to believe his own eyes. I shook imaginary shackles and moaned and groaned my way through the familiar passage. When I looked up, there were smiles of encouragement from the fellow auditionees.
My next part was a husband in one of the flashback scenes from Scrooge's childhood. I doted on my stage-daughter and charmed my lovely theatre-wife, and in return was handed my first of two Scrooge scripts. I wasn't satisfied with either rendition--Scrooge is a complex character whose metamorphosis is the focus of the entire play. But I tried to 'do' fear and remorse and perhaps achieved some small measure of success.
In the end, I didn't receive a 'callback' but I did receive a call from the director. It looks like Scrooge is a strong possibility. I have expressed my willingness to perform the role. :)
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| Wow, that's embarassing... February 13 and this is my first BLOG of the New Year.
And it won't be a doozy. I have writer's block. But TeacherPerson inspired me with her version of Snoopy's "It was a dark and stormy night."
Last night I was not sleeping well to begin with, and just when I was trying to drift off again, the rattling began.
I should explain that "the rattling" only happens during times when the wind is just right (wrong) and of sufficient intensity. There is some sort of flapping cable or something on the side of our house where the electric meter is. It sounds sort of like someone is taking a credit card and swiping it back and forth against the vinyl siding. It's very irregular and quite loud. And the only time I ever think about it is when I am snug in my bed and the wind is howling outside. We've lived in this house since 1989, but I never think to fix it.
Well anyway, there we were in the living room this evening, and by some MIRACLE I happened to think about it. And of course when I did, I did what ever other savvy homeowning husband would do. I headed downstairs to get the duct tape and a flashlight. But when I announced my intentions, my wife was having none of it.
"No, no"...she wailed. "It's very soothing. It helps me go to sleep."
I looked at her like she had finally lost her marbles.
Then my oldest daughter chimed in. "Oh yeah.I know what you mean. It is kind of relaxing." I remembered that in the 1990s, the bedroom had sort of flipped back and forth between kids and parents depending on the ages and sexes of our offspring.
Well, now the vote was 2-1, opposed to 'fixing' the problem, it was past 10:30 anyway, and a smart husband/father knows when he's been licked. Guess I better invest in a good set of earplugs for the next windstorm...
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| Hadn't updated in a while. Yes I live.
Enjoyed the Big Ten final in a snowstorm yesterday with our youngest. It was hard to see over some enthusiastic Michigan State fans who must have had a couple of beers to retain their cheer during the 49-18 shellacking they took from the Nittany Lions.
It was cold. C and I left with 5 minutes remaining, when PSU put in the rest of their second stringers. If I get organized, I'll post some pics later.
Thanksgiving should be fun this year. We'll be joining family in Indiana and are bringing Carries' fiance aloing to spice things up!
Gotta run to church. Cheerio!
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| It was late August and we were moving Kurt out of his apartment and back home. Unfortunately he had left his apartment key at home, so I was waiting with the moving truck in front of the apartment.
I took shelter from the sun under a lovely (Maple?) tree and was idly looking up at the branches when a crazy thought jumped into my mind. 'Hey, I could probably climb this thing!'
The bottom limb was just the right height, and there was a convenient foothold....
'No, you'll just get scratched up and bruised...' my naysayer side argued.
'The view will be great,' shouted my optimist...
'There's no place to get comfortable,' groaned the naysayer...
'If you don't do it now, you may never do it again,' chided my optimist.
Well, THAT got my dander up. 'I'm not dead yet,' I shouted to the naysayer. I grabbed the bottom limb and swung myself up. In no time, I was perched in reasonable comfort on the low branches. Then optimism urged me skyward and in no time, I was breathing the free air.
So what if Kurt told me I looked like an ugly bird. I could still soar.
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| Well, I survived camp and a cabin full of 9-12-year-old boys!
But that news was eclipsed earlier this month by the exciting news that I am to escort my oldest daughter down the aisle next summer.
Her fiance has charmed his way into our family with astonishing ease (it helps that he occasionally lets me beat him at Hearts and Chess). The in-laws-to-be are WONDERFUL people; the parents have shared such a similar background of commitments (marriage/family/Christ) and passions (pro-life/homeschooling) that we were able to develop a rapport very quickly.
The lovebirds have yet to set a date, but we hear it will probably be in late July of next summer. Mark your calendars now, friends!
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