Sunday This and That

Let's just say that it was kinda ugly around here yesterday.

We had rain.  We had snow.  Twas warm enough for most snow to melt before hitting the ground.

And, it was warm enough for the combination of rain, snow and traffic (foot and mechanized) to produce a nice batch of mud, especially on the road. 

Not long after Bill and Willie had left for to the Lady ZAGS basketball game in Spokane, I hit my wall. 

Not literally but figuratively so.  All the BUSYness of the last week or so caught up with me, and I actually submitted to taking a nap. 

Since I'm not often a napper, that submission was a big deal.

I must have really needed that nap because, within seconds of lying down, I fell into a deep, deep sleep, lasting about half an hour.  

Twas such a deep sleep, in fact, that it took me longer than half an hour to wake up.

Finally, after downing a cup of coffee and still feeling a bit drowsy, I set off for a walk down the road in the rain AND woke up. 

With the warmth, the rain didn't seem so bad, so I walked and walked---enough to observe upon my return that my pant legs could almost stand up by themselves. 

Must have been quite a sight for the cars passing by. 

I haven't seen pant legs like that since a few decades ago when the pigs at the old place, when learning they were bound for Wood's Meats, escaped their pen before Bill and Willie could get them into the trailer. 

While Bill and Willie chased pigs all over the place on a really rainy and muddy day, the horses found the pigpen and thought it might be a nice place to hang out.

I was gone because I didn't want to say bye bye to the pigs, so Bill and Willie had quite a job catching those pigs and getting the horses out of the pigpen.

When I figured it was safe to come home without having to see our pigs, I pulled in the driveway, walked into the house and found two pairs of jeans in the laundry room, which could stand alone. 

I'm sure we had to run two washes to get rid of all that mud. 

So, I was impressed with my own jeans yesterday but wasted no time removing them and throwing them into the washer. 

Messy times ahead, and it's only February. 

We are, however, seeing less and less dirty snow every day, and it looks like a fairly dry and pleasant week ahead. 

Then, February will be almost over, but I still vividly recall the March 13 blizzard and worst day of 2019 when one of the pipes out over the snowbanks at the end of the lane burst. 

Maybe Mother Nature will give us a break this year.  

In the "there's always a Sandpoint connection" department this morning, I want to encourage you to watch CBS "60 Minutes" tonight. 

One segment with Bill Whitaker from CBS will provide a look at the remake of the classic Broadway hit West Side Story, which opens this week in New York. 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Scott-Rudin-To-Be-Interviewed-on-60-MINUTES-About-the-WEST-SIDE-STORY-Revival-20200213

A little summary on the musical:  West Side Story, the most exciting musical theater masterpiece of the 20th century.

When four theatrical giants — Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim — created West Side Story, it was immediately hailed as an “indisputable, boundary-busting masterpiece” (The New York Times) that “explodes every imaginable idea of what a musical can be” (New York Magazine). 

Now, three of the most daring theater-makers of our time — director Ivo van Hove (A View From the Bridge and The Crucible), choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, and designer and frequent Van Hove collaborator Jan Versweyveld — offer a radical, thrilling new interpretation of this iconic work, with extraordinary dancing, breathtaking vision, and 33 young, brilliantly gifted performers all making their Broadway debuts. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to see a landmark in musical theater history as if for the very first time. 

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The Sandpoint connection????

Quinn Matthews, the production's video director, has a grandmother, an aunt and a couple of uncles living in Sandpoint. 

His mother Mari graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1979.  And, yes, she was one of my students and a longtime family friend. 

Quinn is a member of the Chambers family, known by many, many locals.  

Grandma Marilyn, Uncles Chris and Rob and Aunt Darcy are most likely brimming over with pride this week. 

Meanwhile, Quinn's mom Mari wrote me a brief note yesterday: 

Yes Quinn was hired as video director for the remake of Westside Story which opens on February 20th.

 It has been in previews and is breaking all kinds of box office records. 

 The play is at the Broadway Theatre, which is biggest one on Broadway, and the video plays right along with the actors on the stage. 

 The video wall is 70’long and 4 stories tall really something to see and experience. 

 I went with all the boys last week to NY to see the show it was amazing. 

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/west-side-story-523117

Be sure to watch "60 Minutes" tonight to learn more. And, congratulations to Quinn. 

You can see some of his dramatic photography at Quinn Matthews Photography on Facebook. 

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There is definitely a "WE'RE FROM SANDPOINT, COULDN'T BE ANY PROUDER" connection in Boise and Nampa this week.  

When West Side Story opens in New York, a variety of prep basketball stories will be unfolding at Timberline High School in Boise and leading up to State Championship contests at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.  

Sandpoint girls varsity, winners of their district championship tourney, will face tough and new competition in the state match-ups, starting with Burley on Thursday night at 5:15 MST. 

Good luck, Bulldogs!

Happy Sunday.