Henry Ong

There is an Irish saying, that tears shed here speed a soul's progress to heaven.  Last night, so many of us were weeping, but I don't think Henry needed our tears to pass into whatever plane awaits us when we leave this one.

He was one of the good ones.

I met Henry almost 30 years ago, when he was a PR specialist at the LA Public Library and I was doing... what I am still doing.   I had no idea that my sweet funny co-worker was on his way to becoming a world renowned playwright.  He must have been working on Madame Mao's Memories then.  I lost track of him but we reconnected at some point, I think when a play he was asked to write for local deaf students was presented. Chris and I were able to see readings and performances of his work. I loved his adaptation of "Nina Balatka" I remember how happy he was to see us at the original reading of The Blade of Jealousy at UCLA.  We saw it again at a reading to try to get investors and finally, I celebrated my 60th birthday at a full stage production on Opening Night this past June.  Henry was glowing, as he usually was. 

I am glad he got to produce his Magnum Opus, "The Dream of the Red Chamber", doing a Chinese street theater style version of it in a park. He even gave me and Chris a few lines to read to be part of it.  I was still recovering from pneumonia at that point and I was tiring easily, so we only were able to stay for one act.  I really wanted to see more.  It was classic Henry Ong, with great characters and silly little asides, much like Henry himself.   When I first met him, he would walk up to a group of us, look at us and ask if we had seen someone who was standing in the group.  It became a "bit" and he would always act shocked that the person was right there.  He could be so silly.

My first thoughts on hearing of his passing were of his husband, Matthew.  The love between them was palpable.  Word fail me here. 

 Henry, I'm sorry I never got to love Trollope the way you did.  Maybe I should give the old boy another shot.   I am sorry we never got to have that dinner here at Casa Myers.  I make a wicked vegan curry.  This week, I will make it to share and talk about you. You are not really gone; just "hiding behind a pillar"  Your work will continue to be performed and enjoyed.  I love you, Henry Ong.

Writing or lack thereof

Recently, I got a call from my Alma Mater, asking me to donate $100 to the school.  I could do it quarterly, so I said "Why not?"  even in these economic times, I think I can swing $25 every three months.

I got a gracious letter from the Dean of Humanities ( I have a degree in English, as I am fond of pointing out, which means I can quote Chaucer while asking if you would like fries with that.)  She invited me to contact her assistant and arrange a tour and lunch.  Seriously, I would be ashamed to have such attention for a measly $100, which was the point, I suppose.  They would probably get more money out of me if I went so,  no.

In talking to the Poly Sci major who solicited me ( good training if you are going to work in politics, right?)  I talked about what I was involved in at CSUN.  It's been a long time, but she made me remember working on the school literary magazine, then called "Angel's Flight"  She said she had never heard of it. That made me sad, but I looked it up. They still DO one, it's just called something else- the Northridge Review, I think.

As I looked at things regarding Angels' Flight, there was a lot of it I remember differently.  Time smooths things over, I suppose,

The Editor ( who was listed as the founder, but that's just BS) was a woman I disliked. She didn't care for me either, but I was "allowed" to stay and work because they needed bodies.  I had worked on literary magazines in High School and college and had initially hoped to be some kind of editor ( I was good at it, even if I CAN'T edit my own stuff worth a tinker's dam)  She was killed in a car accident the summer between my junior and senior year, which she had prophetically written about in a poem called "Premonition"  She was older than I was and I think she was going for her doctorate.  After her death,  all of her mean girl behavior- and she was for all intents and purposes a mean girl- were swept under the rug.  I believe we dedicated the next edition of the magazine to her, fitting and proper even if she were not a nice person.  In the minds of a few she was a saint and a brilliant poet and her loss was mourned all over the poetry world.   I remain neutral. Maybe because I knew and disliked her, I failed to see that she was this brilliant wordsmith everyone talks about.  I tried to re-read some of her things recently and still feel her work was average, as mine was.  I have to be honest with myself.  I enjoy writing, but poetry is a minuscule market and you have to be dazzlingly brilliant to be a working poet.  It is a craft I enjoy and I may go back to work at it,just for myself.  I love the feeling of finding just the right word to express what I am feeling.  I try to use as few words as I can to convey the emotion.  It's a puzzle, but I enjoy the process.

I am not going to take the Dean up on her gracious offer. It would feel wrong to me. One of these days, I will go back to the Campus and see the changes. I graduated in 1980.  The 1994 earthquake reshaped the school and I wonder if I will miss the old campus or delight in the new ones.  I should visit the Oviatt Library I practically lived there my last semester.  It has been renovated, something I know a bit about.  We'll see.

Labor Day

Some people think of Labor Day as the "end of Summer" holiday.  As a kid, I din't understand the significance of the labor movement.  Some people still don't.

There was a guy on a local page complaining that the trash wasn't going to be picked up on Monday because "they are celebrating their holiday"  I wanted to say something to him, but sometimes it's better to let sleeping dogs lie on those community pages, but here is what I SHOULD have said:

Look, buddy, Labor Day celebrates how the labor movement improved working conditions for ALL of us in this Country.  Labor Unions helped create weekends off, the 8-hour work day, child labor laws, workers compensation, just to name a few.  It helped move forward the idea of a minimum wage- a living wage.

I benefit from my Union job, sure, but everyone benefits from the work those early Labor Unions did to improve working conditions in this country. 

So as the final Cookout of the summer wound to a close in yesterdays sunset, I wonder how many people raised a glass to the struggles of Labor and celebrated to working class on the first Monday in September?

August 29. Again

My mom once told me she was glad her mother did not die around a holiday.  She said she couldn't remember the exact date and it was easier not to have the date remind her of her loss.

I can't seem to do that.

My mother died on August 29, 2004 after a courageous battle with Alzheimer's  My brilliant, funny loving mother slipped away piece by piece for four years. The pain of that still causes my throat to close and the tears to burn my eyes. 

I miss her terribly.  That really goes without saying but since I am typing it, I am putting it out there.

I think of her when I am in the kitchen, having coffee in the morning.   I think of her when I try to balance my bank statements.  She pops into my mind at the oddest times.

Recently at work, there was a challenge to post your prom picture.  I posted one of me in the beautiful satin dress she made me.  It was the most elegant thing I had ever worn.  She fussed over the slippery material for a week, getting it just right.  It fit me like a glove. The memory of that time is precious to me.  Every day I would come home and she would come home from work and she would fit me.  It took several adjustments to get it right.  It was lovely and no one else had "my" dress.  When I went to the prom my senior year, someone had a cape made of the same material as the dress she made me for that dance- it was he dress I wore as a bridesmaid in my sister's wedding four months before.

My mom loved to sew.  She used to make all our clothes.  I think it was her relaxation.I did not get that gene.  I knit ( and still make her slipper pattern when I can) crochet, embroider and needlepoint, but I hate sewing.  Sorry Mom.

So, if I seem a bit weepy or far away today, please excuse me.   I'm missing my mom. If you still have yours, give her an extra hug or a phone call. She's a gift you will miss when she is gone.

Shakespeare, Utah, road trips and home.

We head for home today after  a week of travel and fun.

We had a blast at the Shakespeare Festival  IF we were to do it again, I would probably try to go to the lectures, but this vacation was more about sleep and Shakespeare than Shakespeare alone.

The Merry Wives of Windsor was pleasant enough, well acted but I really don't care for musicals where the music is inserted for no good reason. i like MUSICAL THEATER, were the music advances the plot, but Not where they just dropped in period songs to give it flavor.  They should just use it as transitional pieces, not have the entire ensemble come out from every corner to sing.   It made the play overlong.

We were delighted to spend time with our friend Lisa and have dinner with some of the other members of the Company.  It was probably one of the best times on the trip- certainly the FOOD was terrific.  A nice relaxing hour!

I seriously underestimated the cost of food and even with looking at the prices often had a sense of sticker shock when the bill arrived.  It's ok.  We gambled less than we thought we would so we SHOULD be going home with money.  The thing is  NONE of the food was WOW that's amazing- except the cheese bar at the Bellagio.  I ate too much cheese.

I like the people at Bally's best.  They are super friendly and helpful.  The original bellman was an 81 year old man who was in better shape than most 50 year olds.  He was quite funny as well, and he said he used to drive for Mayor Yorty, he laughed when I remembered the nickname "Traveling Sam'

We are off to eat at a buffet, gamble a bit and then head for home.  Work tomorrow.  I kind of wish we had one more day, but I am sure I have a ton of emails waiting for me.  Sigh.

It's been a wonderful trip.

The Merchant of Venice

We are at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.  The venue replicates the Old Globe Theater and very nice and comfortable ( as I am fairly sure the Old Globe wasn't)

Last night, we were treated to  an amazing performance of The Merchant of Venice.  This play is lumped into Shakespeare's "comedies"  but if this is a comedy I failed to see it.  Sure, there were moments of comic relief, but what was happening on stage was certainly no laughing matter.

I understand that the play was written at the request of Essex who wanted to sway public opinion after he murdered Elizabeth's Jewish physician.  It probably worked.  Looking at it with a modern eye. I found no one to like, except the person you are supposed to loathe, Shylock.

Shylock is played to aching perfection by Lisa Wolpe. She completely embodies the anguished money-lender in every nuance.  I need to stop using the word "amazing" and move on to "bone-Chilling" and "awe-inspiring" It was every bit of that.  I found myself weeping at the conclusion of the play.

It is difficult to single out any other performers, Kyle Bullock, playing Bassanio, brings passion to the role and Betsy Mugavero  as Nerissa was delightful to watch as her role played across her expressive face.

I loved how they tied scenes together with vocalists singing musical lines. It made the transitions between the scenes smoother.

A lot of people left at intermission, and I can't help but wonder if they thought the play was over.  Either that or the subject matter was NOT the light comedy they were expecting ( read the synopsis folks!)  In any case,they missed a stellar performance of the denouement court scene.  I admit I was trying- and failing- not to cry.

This stayed with me and I will continue to mull it over in my mind over the next few weeks.  Tonight is Henry VI  a play I know NOTHING about!

staying in hotels

We are on vacation and our first stop is Las Vegas.  I'm over Vegas, frankly.  I'm getting too old for the lights and the noise and being in a scooter, the transportation situation is a hassle.

We are staying at the Park MGM, simply because we got a great deal.  The hotel used to be the Monte Carlo, which I can't remember ever going to, although I must have at some point.

For lack of a more eloquent word, this hotel is weird.

Let me start with the rooms.  The windows are smallish and are covered with an ugly olive green shade.  I LIKE green, it's my favorite color but this thing is the color of army uniforms in the 50's.  The accent wall is a dull forest green.  The effect is unpleasant.The lamp is placed off center to anything.  It looks like an afterthought.  The cord is tacked to the wall, after it wraps around what looks like an old spool for cloth-wrapped wiring.  it ends up in brass colored conduit that is affixed with rounded fittings that are screwed to the wall on one side.  Chris says it's Steampunk, but I disagree.  A Steampunk lamp would be metal.  this thing is a cloth monstrosity that looks like the top of my mothers cake pan, rendered in cloth.  It is ugly,

The artwork on the walls looks like someone's bad vacation photos and their untalented children's art projects.   The postcards in the bathroom looked like they were framed at Target.

The bathroom had a sink that is square and completely flat.  it did not drain without help.  The "handicapped" shower has a seat and grab bars in a very small tub.  The room is huge but the sink and tub look like they were designed for rooms half the size.  You could hold a square-dance in the empty space.

I guess if you are staying more than one day, they do not clean your room.  At all.   I like to have the room freshened, the trash taken out, the bathroom wiped down, new soap, the bed remade.   I make my bed at home! I wound up taking the full trash out to the common trash can in the elevator lobby.  Someone told me I should call housekeeping, but in the past that has never worked out.  We will see if this is a trend at our next stop, in Cedar City.  We are going to the Shakespeare Festival

The good stuff- there was a nice pool and Jacuzzi which I enjoyed for a bit until I remembered I hadn't put sunscreen on  and given that  I JUST had something removed, I went inside.    If you go to the Aria Cafe, look for  a waiter named Bobby. He's a delight!  There is a free tram between the Park, the Aria and the Bellagio, which made going to eat easier.  Chris and I BOTH have scooters.  They charge an arm and a leg for parking, so we left the car in valet for the entire time.  I think the "ransom" may be steep, but worth it.