The Drowsy Chaperone at the Toledo Rep

The Drowsy Chaperone

Playing June 7-23, 2013 at:

The Toledo Repertoire Theatre

16 10th St.; Toledo, OH 43604

419-243-9277

My brother California Dave is in town for an extended visit (he'll be here until his attorney straightens out a few things in L.A.), and being in need of amusement I decided to take Mom and Dave to the latest Toledo Rep production, The Drowsy Chaperone.  This is possibly the best decision I'll make this month, and it's still early.

Right from the time you can hear the hinges creak and the deus ex machina drops in right up until the fat lady closes out the show and the aulaeum drops, you'll be entertained by a Broadway quality production.  Keep reading to get the particulars, without spoilers.

Crass Commercial Message: Take The Star Road

Standard Disclaimer: I'm not getting paid for this, unless Peter decides to pay me to take the post down.  Likewise with the review; I don't make a dime.

I enjoy reading the Bayou Renaissance Man, who is actually Peter Grant, a fifty something ex-military, ex-IT Office Slave and ex-sky pilot. A few years back he ditched Africa for the good old U.S. of A., got hitched and planted himself in Tennessee. Just why anyone would want to live in Tennessee, I couldn't tell you, but Peter and Shotgun Bob seem to enjoy it.

Peter writes well and has published his first novel on Amazon - Take The Star Road - which is, in the author's very own words, a story about how...

Nineteen-year-old Steve Maxwell just wants to get his feet on the star road to find a better homeworld. By facing down Lotus Tong thugs, he earns an opportunity to become a spacer apprentice on a merchant spaceship, leaving the corruption and crime of Earth behind. Sure, he needs to prove himself to an older, tight-knit crew, but how bad can it be if he keeps his head down and the decks clean? 

How bad? Bad. Because if it weren't there wouldn't be a story to tell.  See?

I don't know Peter, but judging from his blog I'd have something in common with him, and he's far enough to the right to appeal to me.  His writing is free from glaring grammatical errors and common word misusage, and although he lacks my own talent for the sardonic turning of a phrase, I guess you can't have everything.

I'm going to buy his book as soon as I publish this tiny contribution to the overall quality of the Internet, and when I've finished reading it I'll write a review.  Meantime, I'm encouraging everyone else to go buy a copy.  You won't be disappointed, but if you are then please, please write your comments on the back of a $20 bill and slip it into an envelope along with an SASE and send it along to Peter.  He'll move it right to the top of his things to do list.

Impossible Marriage at The Village Players Theater

I took Mom to see Impossible Marriage, a play written by Beth Henley.  This is a dramatic comedy set in the post civil war South, or more precisely set in the formal gardens of a Southern mansion that escaped General Sherman's efforts on urban renewal.  A family of Southern screwballs objects to the marriage of one relative, a true Georgia Peach to an unsuitable man from somewhere else - South of the Mason-Dixon line, of course.

I'd yawn and give this one two stars out of five if not for two items that stand out like a pair of timber wolves at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.  Keep reading to get the low down on just why you might want to give this one a try, without spoilers.

Spring Flowers

I enjoy flowers.  I think my attraction has something to do with primitives and bright colors, but perhaps not. My Grandma Bourbon maintained several large flower gardens and had a penchant for roses, especially climbing rose vines.  The other day I was over at Main Lady's house and noted that last year's efforts, courtesy of Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, are making the yard look very nice.

Good job, ladies.  Here's a tip of my fedora and a hoist of the morning bourbon glass to you for all your hard work.

Continue reading for photos of the flowers in the yard.  Click the photo to enlarge it.

Book Review: Confessions of an Erotic Masseuse

Confessions of an Erotic Masseuse

File Size: 271 KB
Publisher: Moonlight Press (April 18, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00CFA8P1O

Ever wonder what goes on in a massage parlor?  No?  Well let me tell you, you don't know what you're missing.  Keep reading to find out why a man with my discriminating taste would recommend this to any adult who either has a relationship or is contemplating getting involved.

Question for an Outdoorsman

Anyone who is either an Boy Scout with the Wilderness Survival merit badge or anyone who has practical experience in at least one of the following areas: woodcraft, botany, arboriculture, floristics or dendrology, please take a look at the following pictures and tell me if this is poison ivy or not.

The rest of you have another drink and stop thinking about practical jokes.

Restaurant Review: Bar 145°

Bar 145°

5305 Monroe Street; Toledo, OH 43623

(419) 593-0073

Bar 145°

Regular Hours: 11:30am - 2:00am

Kitchen Hours: Mon - Thurs 11:30 - 10:00; Fri - Sat 11:30-11:00

Sun 10:00 - 9:00

Happy Hour: Mon - Fri 1:45 - 6:00

Having a preference for bourbon and wanting lunch in the very worst way, I stopped in at Bar 145° the other day in the hope of satisfying my appetites.  I've eaten there several times, and so decided to review the place.  Here's what to expect and why you might want to reconsider your options.

Gang War Heats Up

The gang war is heating up and The Blade is making the most of it.  Here's a quick look at the latest news from the Toledo Blade: Mayor calls Blade series ‘irresponsible’

Toledo Mayor Bell: Toledo does not have a gang problem...

Toledo Police Chief Diggs: Most of our problems are gangs...

Real good, guys.  Are these two actually on speaking terms?

Gang Map of Toledo

Toledo, OH.  When the current mayor of Toledo tossed the previous baby kisser into the gutter and remodeled the penthouse at One Government Center he promised to run a transparent government.  Given that I live next door in Sylvania Township I don't have a dog in this fight, but a recent tempest in this abandoned monument to greed, corruption and incompetence have distracted me from my regular duties of personal lawn growth quality care manager.

Bluntly, the local bird cage liner demanded that Toledo Chief of Police Derrick Diggs turn over a map of gang territories.  Chief Diggs declined to do so, and the flag dropped.  Keep reading to find out why both sides of this debate are behaving like idiots.

Weekend Road Trip - 4/6/2013

I've been writing about my weekend in Columbus and will finish up by writing about our dinner out and several other oddities.

Saturday night we went out to Barley's Ale House, which I've written about before in Barley's Ale House No. 2 and here, in Robert Burns Dinner in Review.  Keep reading as it amuses you to do so.

Columbus Gun Show 4/6/2013

I spent last weekend at Big Mike's place in Columbus.  While enjoying the excellent hospitality, we decided to attend the local gun show and see what might be for sale and needing a new home.  Moreover, Big Mike was on a mission.  Here's what we found.