Iowan Drama Society

I'm writing a play that takes place in Clear Lake, Iowa. I've been listening to Buddy Holly non-stop because his ghost makes an appearance in the play (or does it?)

I'm also doing some research on crazy tourist attractions in the midwest. I've always been fascinated by things like this. Probably because when I was a kid, we actually went out of our way to see things like this. Road trips with me are a nightmare, especially if you don't care about giant fiberglass animals or the a parcel of land once owned by Wyatt Earp.

In any case, this feeling of Americana/nostalgia/innocence play a role in the story I am trying to tell. A couple of kids (20-something) from California are forced to spend a night in Iowa. Sounds boring, right? We'll see what happens.

On another note, I'm going to see the Brewers play the Padres today, tomorrow, and Thursday. I'll get to see Jeff Suppan, CC Sabathia, and Ben Sheets pitch. They are 68-51, and they haven't had a record that good since I was in between being zero and one year-old. And speaking of babies, I was tricked into holding one last night. It was cute, but it was crying. It went like this:

Baby (wrapped up in a cute afghan): waaaaaaah
Dad: Oh, everything is ok little guy.
Baby: waaaaaaaaaaaah
Dad (to Ashley): He doesn't like Shakespeare.
Ashley scowls at me.
Baby: WaaaaaaAAAAaaaahhhh
Dad: I really need to get his mom.
Ashley: I'm sorry, sir, you can't take that... baby... back inside. (transl: Shut that thing up. You're stupid for bringing him to the theatre.)
Baby: WaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaa
Dad: Well... could you hold him for a second?
Ashley: No, sorry. (Do I look like a babysitter?)
Ashley scowls at me again. She goes inside.
Baby: WWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
Dad (to me): Would you hold him for a second? He really needs his mom.
Me: Ummmm... do you really want me to?
Baby: WAAA WAAAA WAAAA
Me: Well, if its ok with you-
Dad: Here.
The babe goes into my arms. I don't really know where to grab it. I mean, its a little bigger than a football, so I just hold on tight and remember not to drop it on its head. For a split second I worry that mom and dad might run away to Mexico and leave little baby with me. Ashley comes out of the house. Scowls at me and the baby. She has a soft spot, but its not for babies. I only held the kid for maybe a minute when mom and dad came out of the house. I kinda felt like I was just getting to know him. And I actually felt like I had accomplished something. I had, for about a minute, successfully kept the little guy alive. He was crying the whole time, but I returned him to mom in no worse condition than when I received him.

A note: I smelled funny the rest of the night. And he spit up a little on my tie. But I now have no doubt that I can someday successfully fulfill the duties of parenthood.