...laughing at pictures of a happy little boy having fun with cousins.
...knowing that Ricky will be home by this time tomorrow night.
...baked goods that feature sugar, butter, and CHOCOLATE!
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January 2011
January 25, 2011
January 17, 2011
MLK Day
I read The Help by Kathryn Stockett last night, in honor of Martin Luther King Day. It wasn't really in honor of the holiday, just ironic timing that I finished it last night. The story delves into the lives of black maids living and working in Mississippi during the civil rights movement. I give it 4 stars for being an easy and compelling read and 0 stars for taking of the Lord's name in vain.
In other semi-related news, we spent most of MLK day driving to San Diego. Oliver and I have grand plans for lots of sightseeing in San Diego this week, while Ricky wiles away the hours in meetings. To kick off the fun, we visited the Mormon Battalion Visitor's Center tonight for family home evening. It was recommended to us by my brother's family and I second that recommendation.
The tour is visual and engaging for adults and children. We made music, wielded guns, and endured a cattle stampede. Make no mistake, it was a wild time! Oliver really enjoyed the gold panning, what with all that wonderful water to splash in and the bounteous supply of rocks and mud for mouthing. Not to mention the gold! All that glittery gold! He almost didn't want to leave with us. I'm telling you it was wild! The lure of a quesadilla dinner and Cold Stone dessert won out in the end. At the end of the tour we got our picture taken. (For FREEEEEEEE!)
If you happen to be in Old Towne and are in the mood for some good old-fashioned (and wild) family fun, it will be well worth your while to stop on by.
January 12, 2011
January 08, 2011
A Bird in the Hand
We had a small adventure at our house this week. If you'd like to experience it for yourself, you'll need two people (one male, one female) a small bird, a cat, and a clueless toddler. You will also need two off-stage/off-camera voices for the bird and the cat.
A Bird in the Hand
by Ricky Fielding
Act I
Scene I
The scene begins with RICKY and KIM watching television. RICKY is lounging on the floor, facing the television set, KIM is sitting on the couch, entertaining OLIVER with a book. The couch is situated with its back to a large window. In the background, British voices can be heard on the television.
CAT
(Enters Right, something in his mouth)
KIM
(Screams, Jumps from her seated position on the couch to the back of the couch)
RICKY
(scrambles up, stopping in the middle of the motion to pause the show...[note: is this a branding opportunity? it could be a Tivo®, a Roku®, a directTV®, or some cable company])
What's wrong? Are you ok?
(Rushes toward KIM)
KIM
(Still sitting on the back of the couch, points) There's a bird in the house! (Screams again.)
RICKY
(Confused, looks around. Rolls eyes.) It's not a coyote or a mouse; it's not going to eat you. (moves toward the bird on the ground)
CAT
(Saunters around the bird as if nothing interesting has happened) Yeah, I know, he's not huge or anything, but I've been putting on weight just sitting here in the house. The big ones jump faster. (Yawns, stretchs, pounces toward bird)
BIRD
(Jumps into the air, flies in the direction of the couch) Yikes! (Slams into glass) Ouch! What was that?
KIM
(When she sees the bird coming, jumps off the couch, screams again [Note: Kim screams a lot in this. Do we want to toughen her up? We may need a stronger heroine])
CAT
(Runs, jumps behind couch to get bird) Whoa! We've got a live one here. Hold still, you little bugger. ([Note: Do we intend to show this in the UK? Bugger might not be appropriate here, then.])
RICKY
(Finally cluing in to what's going on, rushes to the couch and pulls it away from the wall. Grabs the cat and throws him over the couch, gets the bird into one hand)
CAT
Hey! Hey! What's going on? I bring this perfectly good bird in for a little playing around, a little ex-er-cise, and you take him away. (Saunters away, exits stage left)
RICKY
See, Kim? He's just a little bird, he's not going anywhere.
KIM
Ooh -- wait a minute! (Runs off stage and returns with a large, professional grade camera with an oversized flash, starts snapping several pictures.) This is going to be great for my blog. Finally, something exciting and blog-worthy. I could win an award. A Pulitzer.
BIRD
Whoa! Whoa! What's going on here? Man, can you lighten up here, I can hardly breathe.
RICKY
All right, let's take him outside.
END OF SCENE I
Act I
Scene II
"The Release"
KIM, RICKY, OLIVER, and the BIRD enter stage left, they are outside. KIM is holding OLIVER. RICKY is holding the BIRD in his hand. There is a tree, stage right. Spotlight on RICKY.
KIM
Sorry, little bird, that our cat almost ate you.
RICKY
(Opens hand.) Fly little bird, fly away. Bill is a skilled hunter and you will not escape his gaze if you stay in this neighborhood. Fly far away from here, this place of such trauma. Today, you escaped the fate of that dead bird on the patio, of that husk of a gold fish behind the water barrels; you are alive and well. Fly away as a new bird, committed to sharing what you have learned with birds everywhere.
(Bird remains on RICKY's hand; violins start to play in the background; RICKY notices that bird isn't leaving)
Oh, little bird. are you hurt?
KIM
Come on, Ricky, you're just going to have to kill it. (OLIVER begins to cry. [Note: if we can't get an actor old enough to take direction and small enough to play, at most, a two-year old, we may have to use a small child and just have KIM pinch him to make him cry.])
RICKY
(Reproachfully) Kim! Do you think I can kill this noble creature on the very day he so narrowly escaped his death. Is his life worth so little? (RICKY seems conflicted and confused. RICKY moves his free hand toward the bird, as if he were going to twist its neck)
BIRD
Hey now. I just need to catch my breath.
RICKY
(Pulls his twisting hand away, begins to cry. Closes other hand on bird and collapses to his knees. [Note: if the actor can't cry on demand, he can collapse facing upstage and pull a nose hair, but he should keep his hand holding the BIRD where the audience can see.])
What did I almost do? (Holds the BIRD up to his face)
BIRD
Come on, just let go and give me a second. (pulls away as much as possible from RICKY)
RICKY
(holding the BIRD close to his face, now facing stage right) I am so sorry. How could I stoop so low? How could I almost kill you for my own convenience, to return to my television? Fly away little bird, this world is not safe for you. No, not even my hand is safe for you. (Holds bird close, sobs loudly) If only you could fly. (Regains some composure) Don't worry. We'll take care of you. We'll keep you in our home until you're well again. You'll see. Someday, little bird, you'll fly again, from tree to tree and branch to branch. (loosens grip, looks up into the branches of the tree.) Someday you'll be able to sit in those branches and look down on our home where you nearly died, but where you were nursed to health as well.
BIRD
I'm getting out of here. (The BIRD flies into the branch on the tree. Triumphant music plays.)
The lights fade with the spot on RICKY dying last. RICKY remains on his knees, staring into the tree. KIM exits with OLIVER stage left.
END OF ACT II, SCENE II
January 07, 2011
A New Hair Design
We took Oliver to "Ricky's Vietnamese ladies" for his first professional haircut.
January 05, 2011
The Blizzard of 2011
This last picture is the coolest, because it was taken in the black of night at 10:00 p.m. Somehow, Ricky got it to look like daylight.
