To add more details. Yes, I get that sports brings in the big bucks and all that; however, the play isn't even mentioned anywhere on the entire school website. They don't even mention they have a theater department. Also, no mention in the city calendar of events. The drama department needs to get with the publicity. Lack of audience could be because no one knows there is a show! I am curious to see if the scrolling message board in front of the school says anything, but 100% sure that it will only talk about football.

I don't know if my high school plays were only filled by family, but we always got a crowd. Then there was Hubby in his L.A high school days, when a theater critic from the L.A. Times would show up. He got his letterman letter in Drama. But it was L.A., after all, and actors come from somewhere.

You're a good neighbor, Laura!

I have 4 10+ hour flights in the next month, and I get terrible neck problems from sleeping against the window or the headrest.

Where are you going, Consuela?

consuela, what's your bucket list vacation? Sounds exciting. The trtl looks better than the ostrich pillow.

Where are you going, Consuela?

Paris (red-eye on Christmas eve, landing on Christmas morning); then connecting through Amsterdam to Tanzania on the 30th; 4-day safari in Ruaha National Park; then a 9-day trek up Kilimanjaro. It's about 3 weeks in total.

Packing is a problem, because Paris in the mix kind of confuses things. We're doing Paris because my sister cannot bear being home for the holiday (her husband died unexpectedly 3 months ago), so we will meet my oldest brother & SIL in Paris, then hook up with my nieces, their BFs, and my middle brother's family for the Africa section of the trip.

We've been buying a lot of gear for this thing, including new backpacks, layers of wool & down jackets, expensive hiking socks, headlamps, cellphone chargers, and all that. It's easy to overdo it, I fear. OTOH, once-in-a-lifetime event.

I am kind of looking forward to being offline for most of 3 weeks, while also worried I will return to discover 45* has started a war or fired Mueller and sparked a general uprising...

Oh wow! That is a lot of packing, though.

I get your sister; I'll be on a plane to San Diego Christmas morning.

Except what came today is this really cool super weird head-rest for sleeping on planes.

I definitely will be interested in your opinion of this after you get back!

Laura, you're such a kind person. I hope you had a good time at the play.

re-paint PAINT. jeesh typing.

Consuela, would it help if you shipped your Paris clothes home before heading on to Africa? The initial luggage would be a lot, but things would get progressively lighter.

I have one of those neck things, Consuela! It works pretty well - not perfect, but the best thing I've found for overnight flights. We are spending Christmas in Vienna this year, so I need to find mine!