this will be my 8th OCF. i’m leaving on tuesday, getting a ride with myron and marylin, and arriving on wednesday, after staying with their kids in portland, and returning monday, which is more or less exactly what i wanted… if it had been exactly what i wanted, i would have arrived on tuesday, but when relying on the good graces of others to provide my transportation, i can’t be as picky as i would be otherwise. i’m also going to send a couple of boxes of “heavy gear” with sasha, who is going to be stopping by on monday, so that the car-top carrier won’t get overloaded.

this year’s production is Peter Pan. as it is now a tradition, we are going to have the first – and final – “complete” run-through of the panto at the fair, on thursday, and we’ll be doing two shows a day, at 12:00 noon, and 3:00 pm, in the “purpose built” Morningwood Odditorium, friday through sunday for (presumably) paying audiences. at the rehearsal i attended yesterday, we didn’t have all of the music, and the lyrics hadn’t yet been written for most of the songs… i wonder if those (presumably) paying audiences are aware of what is waiting in store for them… actually, my impression is that most of them have either seen our performances before, or don’t care, because they’ve ingested some combination of drugs and/or alcohol and are oblivious… and the ones who are neither of the aforementioned groups are usually the ones who actually pay us the most.

and, in spite of everything: in spite of the long lines for the porta-potties, and long lines for breakfast and lunch, and the long lines for the showers, and the overpriced food, and the “hippie ineptitude factor” — in spite of the fact that it is a “hippie mall” with all the trimmings and a “footd court”, i’m actually looking forward to going again this year, in spite of the fact that i was full of trepidation when i first went to the fair.

by the way, in order to circumvent the aforementioned “hippie ineptitude factor”, simon has arranged for my pass to be under the name “Harry Smith”, because they don’t seem to understand anything else… 😉