Shipoopi!

Last week was the week for our church musical. This year we presented three performances of "The Music Man" by Meredith Willson. One of the big dance numbers in the show is the "Shipoopi," and I can honestly say that after six nights in a row of The Music Man (three dress rehearsals), I was completely "shipoopied" out! Of course, I was just sitting in the orchestra pit playing oboe & English horn; I can't imagine how worn out the actors/dancers on stage were! It was a lot of fun, as usual, and a terrific showcase for the amazing talent that's in our church. One interesting aside---the fellow who played the lead of Harold Hill here at South Main is John McCoy, who also played the role of Winthrop when he was in the 8th grade at Sandy Springs High School in Atlanta. I remember seeing that production, and my sisters Susan & Ellen played in the pit orchestra for it. In fact, that was the first time I ever saw The Music Man, and I remember being enchanted by the whole thing, especially the "think system" of learning how to play an instrument (I thought about playing the oboe a whole lot before I ever got one to play on!).

Robyn's been gone for 12 days and will return home this afternoon. She met a girl in Las Vegas who's coming to UH for her master's in bassoon performance (does that sound familiar?), and they've decided that they could save money by sharing an apartment. The unfortunate part is that Robyn is in a one-bedroom unit, and that means we'll have to move her yet again to a two-bedroom unit in the same complex. This will make five moves since May '05, six if you count the month that she spent at our house between Nashville and her apt. here. Good grief, Robyn, when are you ever gonna settle down??????

Another situation has changed since I last updated. Tim is now living alone. His roommate (ex-girlfriend) moved out August 1. I helped him clean up the dog hair and other remnants so that he can enjoy the peace and quiet in a clean environment. This has been an emotionally challenging time for him, so prayers are appreciated.