Home again, i woke up to threatening clouds, but only a little drizzle of rain.

I'm already late for the stuff scheduled for today, but i made it here.~w

Two shows done and one to go, we have a break since the auditorium is also the lunchroom. That's actually very common these days. It just makes for a weird broken up day for us since lunch starts at 10:30am and lasts until 1:00pm. It takes a while for everyone to eat. We are in Midlothian, Virginia today and having a blast performing for the students at Clover Hill Elementary School. Tonight i will probably be exhausted, but i will get to sleep in my own bed.~w

I have to say that it seemed to me that the middle school kids today were wackier than average. Or maybe it was me that was wackier than average. In any case it was a wild wooley show full of surprises. Really, i can't complain about that at all. It makes me feel alive somedays. If i looked at all the little things that didn't quite go my way today (late start, forgetting to return the keys at check out, dropping a poem from the show, not being able to pay for the hotel with the company credit card...)

i suppose i might get a bit grumpy. However, all in all i'd rather feel good about being alive and having some fun with kids today.~w

We're hanging out in the library of Poquoson Middle school on our break between shows.

I started to check email and then realized i was reading poems being submitted by the 7th grade students around me. I decided to put off reading them until later since a felt a bit funny about it. They seem to be busy with it though!~w

I got to go to elementary school today. Yeah! Why is it that school is fun at that age, but suddenly becomes odious the next year? Kid energy is fun though, it make me feel all bouncy and happy to spend a day playing with them. Maybe that's why when i tried to take the drug test my friend andy mentioned it told me this:

Tomorrow we have middle school shows in Poquoson, Virginia.

I hope i can keep up the bubbling enthusiasm that rubbed off on me today.~w

I'm back to the land of internet access after two days in a bed & breakfast.

I must stay it was nice and quiet and i got some book reading done. Well, quite except for the dinner party downstairs last night, but the barber shop quartet was nice. Anyway, i was feeling pretty rough by the end of today and worn out from being "on" for the school all day when i started going through my email. I had in my inbox a pile of poetry from students and most of it came from the middle schools we visited Monday. In addition there was a letter from a student who loved our show and a letter from a teacher who (to summarize a very long email) said:

"I was very, very, very, very, very, very, immensely impressed with the presentation from Poetry Alive today! Please share this letter with Sylvester and Wendi and let them know how grateful I am to them for helping me to nurture my muse and giving my students another enlightening experience with poetry."

So, i suppose i can't complain too much about being tired and feeling out of it with praise like that. 3 more days...~w

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Monday 3/4/02
I spent today doing shows with Sly in Snow Hill, Maryland.

I would say they went pretty smoothly considering that Sly & I ran through the show once last night before doing them today. I'm exhausted after day one though and i have 4 more to go. The shows seem to take more energy coming in the middle of things. Plus we need to rehearse tomorrow's show tonight in order to be ready. My mind is a mush puddle.~w

It rained all the way from Asheville, NC to Winchester, VA yesterday. However, i made it safe and sound to the company of my co-workers.

Today's drive will be to Maryland's eastern shore, but i'll have company this time. It's always more fun to make a long drive with someone to talk to besides yourself. I did manage to listen to several CDs that i hadn't heard in a long time though. I don't feel awake yet because i miss the birds in my yard and the sunlight (or any light) coming in my window. I have one of those awful rooms where the only window faces the wall and so there is no light and no view. I think i need to get out before i feel like the day has begun.~w