August 2, 2008

I have to admit that I still didn't get much stitching done. I was out all evening, so the only work on Good Dog was done in the early morning hours before I went to sleep. I have alot more backstitching to do, but I'm pretty sure I can line the stitching up with the pre-printed mat. I feel a little better after studing the model picture and noticing that theirs doesn't line up, either. I've extended my stitching a few extra lines so it'll line up a little better than the model.

This afternoon was alot of fun. My friend Daniel and I went to Sakura Japanese Steakhouse for a wonderful meal that was cooked right before our eyes. The chefs always put on a great show and the food is perfectly cooked. We both enjoyed some Green Tea ice cream after our shrimp and scallops.

Then the skies opened up and we had hail here in Annapolis for the first time in years that I could remember. I shot this picture looking through the windshield of my truck, so there are fuzzy dots where raindrops fell. But you can see the ice on the ground in August!

We went Downtown where I took some pictures of the skies as one thunderstorm was leaving and another was approaching.

This is Spa Creek, looking over towards the Eastport section of Annapolis. The bright white of the cloud caught my attention. This is the tail-end of the storm that dropped the hail upon us.
I turned around from snapping the previous picture and this vista was a treat for the eyes. In the background you can see the dome of the State House. This building is the oldest wooden-domed building still in legislative use in the United States. It was inside that George Washington resigned his commission in front of the Contintental Congress and was also the capital of the United States from November 1783 to August 1784. Currently undergoing a major renovation, the State House is closed to all but construction workers. Even the Governor had to move to temporary offices in one of the legislative office buildings.These mallard hens were resting on the dingy of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Skipjack, Stanley Norman. You can see the waters of "Ego Alley" behind them. This stretch of City Dock became known by this moniker because of boaters' habit of trolling up and down it, just to be seen. There was a restaurant/bar by the same name but its owners came under fire from many locals after trying to trademark "Ego Alley" as their own. Walking around City Dock, there was no Ego Alley except the waterway so it looks like the locals won!
We saw All Shook Up! at the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre and thoroughly enjoyed the show. There was a rain delay that made the show start about 45 minutes late but there were no complaints. That's the way things go when you enjoy Theatre Under the Stars™! This show was hilarious and I will probably volunteer to do house so that I can see it again. The audience erupted into peals of laughter throughout the performance. We were advised before it began that some modifications had to be made in some of the dances for safety reasons (the stage was still a little wet) but it was still a wonderful show!

All Shook Up, the 2005 hit written by Joe DiPeitro, brings the fifties and its most famous rock star back to life. But it’s not a biographical review. It’s a story depicting a small town that’s in for the kind of excitement they haven’t seen in a lifetime – and more love triangles than you could possibly imagine.

Somewhere in a dreary little town in the Midwest in the 1950's, Natalie, a mechanic, dreams of passion and adventure. Sitting with friends in Sylvia's, the local honky-tonk, they’re suddenly interrupted with a roar as Chad, a roustabout, arrives on his motorcycle. And what a strange coincidence – Chad needs a mechanic to fix his bike! When Chad learns that excitement is outlawed under the Mayor's strict rules, Chad promises to breathe some life into this sad, little town.

He touches a broken-down jukebox, and it immediately comes to life. Natalie and Chad go off to work on Chad’s bike, and she tells him of her dreams. Meanwhile, Matilda the mayor, Earl the sheriff and Matilda’s son Dean arrive and scold everyone for their dancing and singing, then head off to find the town’s new menace. That’s just the beginning. The story is so full of real, secret and unrequited love among an incredible cast of townspeople that you’ll have to pay real close attention to keep up with it.

And at the same time, keep a special eye out for who’s dressed up as whom! Of course, you’ll be treated to a whole host of The King’s biggest hits throughout the story, from Heartbreak Hotel to Hound Dog, Teddy Bear to Blue Suede Shoes, and Love Me Tender to Devil in Disguise – and more than a dozen others. Will true love prevail? Will the power of music win the day? Will this small town survive getting all shook up? You’ll learn all the answers when everything comes to a head in the finale at the Fairgrounds.

The large cast includes ASGT veterans and young performers from the greater Annapolis area, a number of whom are pursuing theatre degrees in college.

Left to right: TJ Touzin (Sandra), Vince Musgrave (Chad), Ali Guidry
(Natalie)

Synopsis & picture from ASGT's website.