Fringey with anticip ... ation

That's mixing a metaphor or something, but it's pretty much how I feel.

My term as Acting Head is over (thank &deity;), but technically I'm still Grad Chair, Undergrad Advisor, Curriculum Development Central, Clinical and Developmental Linguistics Advisor, Department Webmonster, and on a hiring committee for an instructor in another department. And of course, I'm supposed to be doing research, preparing a grant applications, preparing ethics board stuff, and coming up with a good reason to go on leave next year.

But emotionally, spiritually, and mostly mentally, and soon to be physically, I'm in Fringe Time.

Fringe Time is state of unsuspended animation spent concerned primarily with things Fringe, i.e. the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival, at which I volunteer as a Venue Team Leader, which means that I liaise bewteen the ticket sellers and ushers, the technicians, the site and festival supers, and the Fringe Staff. And occasionally security and so on. I'll be working six shifts at Venues 8/9, which are two spaces at the back of the Conservatory Building on Bannatyne. We're not supposed to call it the Crocus building anymore, for reasons having to do with the collapse of the Crocus Fund, but there's still a huge sign on the corner that says "Crocus". Enter the parking lot just north of the building and my two venues are back there.

Anyway, the Fringe is really the only outside, vaguely social, and vaguely charitable (well, non-profit and sort of community-based) thing I do outside of school stuff. I love being part of the Fringe (arguably) the largest unjuried theatre festival in North America (it depends on how you count--total box office, number of performers, number of performances, or number of patrons, and how well Edmonton does every year). More than seeing shows, I love interacting with technicians, performers, directors, and other Fringe Lovers, on both sides of the Venue Table.

I also love counting money and bossing people around, but that's a separate issue. (I always say, "I'm kind of a control freak, but I'm going to try not to micromanage you," at the beginning of a shift, and then when I see someone doing something I can't stand, I step in and say, "Okay, I'm going to micromanage you now, just for a second, but could you/we ..." and I make my plea. Usually that works. The 'could you' gives the other person the illusion of a choice, and therefore of power, which pays respect to their negative (or autonomy) face. See, all that time teaching "Language and Gender" has taught me something.

Anyway, I've been checking in less and less, and may be otherwise occupied for the next couple of weeks. WIll try to keep y'all informed of Fringe-related doings, etc., but not going to spend a lot of energy doing so, since energy is in short supply during Fringe Time.

Randumb thots:

Had another massage on Thursday, same guy, and today, except for a little soreness around my occipital bone (that's the back/bottom of the skull), I'm not really in any pain at all. Progress is being made.

Had an appointment with the GI guy today, and I'm now scheduled for a colonoscopy and gastroscopy for the end of October. "Just in case." Oh joy.

Bought a replacement for my dead duffel bag/suitcase thingy, so I have something to cart stuff to Seattle for nephew David's wedding, which by the way I leave for on Wednesday after the Fringe for a week. But I expect to have time to check in while I'm there, even if I don't during the Fringe.

I actually said this in front of someone, completely accidentally: "I was going to go out and find somewhere to play tonight, but instead it looks like I've going to stay home and play with myself."