A Little Sword Play in the Square... A Nice YEG Summer Evening...

Last night we finally made it to the Wednesday Night Light Saber class at Sir Winston Churchill Square.  My good friend Janine has been teaching these classes all summer long on Wednesday nights from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. I have been meaning to take the boys but various conflicts in my schedule meant that last night was the first time we could make it out.  It was so much fun.  Gibson was really the push for it as I mentioned it to him earlier in the summer and he has been saying "Can we go this week?" and "Is it Wednesday? The Light Saber Day?" a lot over the past few weeks. I was so glad we went.  The class is nicely structured.  They split off the younger kids to do simpler activities (the little ones last about 45 minutes) and then split the people who have been coming a lot over the summer and the 'newbies' so that it's easy to meet the levels. I liked that everyone had to stretch first, then a basic pattern of 'positions' was taught and reviewed. You got the sense that this was not just playing around with Star Wars stuff, but that they were actually learning real sword play moves. I was also pleased with how serious my boys took it.  I know they both have a ways to go in terms of form and structure, but they both approached it like a class and they seemed to work harder.  The force does seem a little stronger in Gibson, however, but Oliver is so close to teenager that the attitude inherent seeped in a bit. After the basic patterns, there was a little routine that they paired up to practice and make better. I loved it when they added the force.  While the newbie practiced, the more experienced group was taught some more challenging moves to add to their routine.  I thought that was a great way to address the multiple needs of the group. We plan to go back, this time with lots of water as I didn't even think about it.  It was a great workout - not just swinging a toy around - they were jumping and lunging and the moves are very precise so both boys were very sweaty at the end.

Nice. Oh, and did I mention, FREE? Another great way to spend a summer evening in YEG!

Fantastic Sounds - CD Release Party for Lesley Pelletier

Last night I took a little break from theatre to attend the CD Release Party for Lesley Pelletier's new CD Turn Down the Lights at Fiddler's Roost.  It was a great night of music and visiting with my good friend Julie who took me as her guest, and I was doubly pleased to leave with one of the new CDs to listen to.  I have known Lesley ever since I did the show Baby with her a few years ago.  I have known her mother Judy Stelck even longer and I had a great time visiting with her as well.

The music - well, you can hear some of it here on her website.  The album is fully produced with a band, while the website is mostly just Lesley with guitar, but it still gives you a great idea of what her sound is.  It is music that requires a strong singer, which Lesley certainly is.  She has one of those full bodied voices that can belt as well as soar and which can express a variety of emotions.  Lesley also wrote all the songs on the CD and what impressed me most is that they are all so unique.  Some writers have very little variety of sound, but not Lesley - some are whimsical, some rocking, some bluesy, some sad - and all have distinctness that make them worth the listen. In a world of auto tune it was truly refreshing to hear this fabulous talent performing live.

If you check out the songs and want to get a copy you can buy them at Tix on the Square (in Winston Churchill Square). The website linked above probably also has information on where you can get them, too. I recommend!

The Road is Scary Sometimes...

I spend more time than I would like driving in the city.  With our store being in the McKernan area and us living in the North end and with the kids going to French Immersion school and with me rehearsing all over the place, I am in the car a lot.  I don't love it.  I have never loved driving.  It is one of those necessary things in my life. I am also an obsessive rule follower.  In certain areas I think the rules help keep us all safe.  Certainly on the roads of Edmonton this is true.  So, it is particularly frustrating and scary for me when I find I am sharing the road with all sorts of rule-breakers.  Yesterday, I might have killed someone because they weren't following the rules of the road.  They were in the outside-right hand lane in the traffic circle North of Westmount.  I was in the inside-left hand lane.  The only option for them was to go straight - it's very clearly posted.  I had the option of going straight or pulling into one of three different left hand turn lanes. I was intending to turn into the furthest one forward, however, out of the corner of my eye I sense the car to my right shifting into the same lane.  The rules do not give this car that option.  She also did not put on the signal light indicating she was turning.  If I had not sensed the movement of her vehicle I would have hit her.  If I had intended to go straight, I would have t-boned her.  Luckily I was slowing down for the turn.  Luckily I saw the shift in her path.  I honked and waved in frustration.  She gave me the finger. We rolled down our windows and yelled at each other.  I yelled "You just about got yourself killed! What you did was illegal!" - my child in the back seat prevented me from yelling worse things.  She was not so restrained as she yelled something to the effect of "You should be watching where you're @#%@ing going!".  She's lucky I was. I have been so angry about this. About the what-ifs.  What if I had killed her? I'd have to live with that - even though it would have been her fault. It's like the pedestrians around the University who dash into the road during the countdown.  I am not going to be surprised if one of them gets killed - I am more surprised no one has been already.  Too many people, be they drivers or pedestrians or cyclists, rely on other people to keep them safe while they do not follow the rules of the road.  I am exhausted keeping watch out for them...

Oh, and to that woman in the Citadel Parkade who cut into the line of people who had been waiting to get out for over ten minutes after being in her car for less than a minute - Karma will get you... I'm hoping for some sort of disease that cuts you down in your prime...

Man, I hate driving....