I gotta tell you a funny story, and this seems to be the place for it. It really defies description--I've tried to tell it to two different people in the last couple of hours, but it hasn't worked. I still have to tell it.
I just got home from rehearsal. My boys are doing The Odd Couple on Monday for the corps of cadets, family, friends, etc. and we're in that final "oh-crap-are-we-gonna-be-able-to-pull-this-off" mode.
They were supposed to have their lines memorized by February 1st, but, unfortunately, they're teenaged boys. To top it off, one of my main characters (my Felix) got suspended today. I got wind of it last Thursday, so I already had another kid frantically learning the lines, but it was still really fast--he only had a weekend, really.
So tonight was rough. I was trying to be firm without panicking them, but that's hard to do when it's a mess. I had to get up on stage and walk through it with Felix and Oscar. (Did I mention that Felix is deaf? He has one of those cochlear implants, but he doesn't seem to be able to understand me unless he can see my mouth.) I was blocking a scene where Felix is wearing a towel as an apron and Oscar jerks it off him.
I was standing too close and at just the right angle. Oscar jerked it and it whipped around me and popped me on the butt. It made that noise--that towel-popping noise--and I squeaked and jumped. Both boys literally fell on the floor laughing and I collapsed on the couch. Every door on the set opened and the cast and crew came rushing onto the stage and my light guy came to the edge of the balcony--no one had seen it. Rehearsal was effectively over at that point, and it ended on such a good note!
It was one of the most wonderful moments of my life. I'm strict with my boys; lately I've become more aware of people outside of school telling me I'm funny because my boys don't get to see it--they have no idea I'm funny, and probably wouldn't believe you if you told them I'm funny. It was so good to just LAUGH at my own expense tonight and have them laugh, too! Life can be so good...
I would count my blessings, but I was never good at the higher maths...
