Blogging Randomness

Reader be warned, this will be a very random post.

Rehearsals are continuing for the play I'm directing. I don't think I mentioned the play before: The Diary of Anne Frank. As rehearsals continue I'm starting to think more and more that the girl I cast as Anne is an almost perfect fit. Well, maybe too perfect. The other day I was telling her how I wanted her to act airheaded at a certain spot, and she responded in all seriousness with "What's airheaded?" I was tempted to say something like "Just the way you are," but refrained. I guess she doesn't need much coaching in that department. And today, when she heard a classmate was going to a concert, she asked if they were going to see the Beatles. I told her I heard that Elvis was having the concert. She really did know the Beatles are no longer together, but it sounded really funny, and was very much in line with the types of things she says. Apparently there's some imitation Beatles group that she knew of, and was wondering whether they were the ones holding the concert. To her credit, she also knew Elvis was dead (or is he??), and actually caught on to the fact that I was teasing her. But it took her a little while...

I mentioned I'm in A Christmas Carol. It's going well, but keeping me very busy. My days this last week basically went like this: School from 7-2:30. Anne Frank rehearsals after school (three days a week at least). Grab a bite and quickly cook up the next day's lessons. Then A Christmas Carol rehearsal for anywhere between 2 and 4 hours. Then bed. Oh, and the night I didn't have rehearsal I sent off a description for my essay submission to the academic journal, so the review process should be in the works (normally takes 2-3 months to hear back).

Thankfully the show is pretty easy. The director has recognized that many of us are not dancers, so he isn't having us learn any dances to do. So it's just music and lines to memorize in a week. We're singing some pretty neat songs, including an arrangement by John Rutter of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Did you know figgy pudding plays a prominent role in the song? Performances will be rewarding, me hopes. We have fourteen of them, plus one radio show. I won't be able to do four school performances (I tend to be otherwise engaged during the school day), but should make the other eleven. There's something nice about doing a show so many times. It makes the work so much more worth it. And it means thousands of people get to hear some traditional Christmas music, which is always a good thing.

I gave a test to my U.S. History classes this week, and offered them the option of playing the extra credit music game. To my (eventual) amusement, my first class opted not to hear me sing! Guess they didn't want to tolerate my morning voice. But it gave me a great opportunity for me to make fun of them, both to their faces and to other classes. All the other classes wanted the chance for extra credit, so I sang "One day more, another day, another destiny, this never ending road to calvary, these men who seem to know my crime will surely come a second time, one day more." The responses I got included Rent, Cats, Chicago, Sound of Music, West Side Story, 42nd Street, Phantom of the Opera, Oliver Twist, and even one wannabe brownnoser who answered with "U.S. History is awesome." But no extra points for him, even if it was creative. A handful also correctly identified the show.

I also threw out a little brain puzzle for extra credit, and was shocked at how few people got it right. To be fair, the test did take a lot of people most of the period, so many who answered may have been rushed. Can you solve it? This is it:

If Thanksgiving must come on the fourth Thursday of every November, on which dates in November is it impossible for Thanksgiving to fall?

This should be easy for you all. If you really can't figure it out, email ednolbmai@hotmail.com for the answer. Then post a comment saying you are stumped and sent the email.