...Tuesday arrives windy and chilly. One day I wake up before 6:30 and gaze out the window at the beach. Overnight something long and dark must have washed up on the beach, and is at the edge of the water. Then Joel stands up, and lies back down…taking pictures. Surely he was soaked.
...At breakfast, a dozen eggs are knocked to the floor. Bacon sizzles on the griddle, with no grease trap underneath. One day breakfast includes Elf’s major food groups: Sugary cereals, sweet rolls, chocolate milk…and eggs. Most partake in Mrs. Taylor’s smoothies.
...We shuttle to the state park beach and work with the state park ranger. One hundred Christmas trees are dragged down the beach and arranged in threes, to create new sand dunes in front of the first set of dunes. This will help the wind blow over the current dunes, creating a habitat to displace a certain species of mouse that was displaced by recent hurricanes. I accidentally drag two sandy trees over Joel.
...Then the girls were taught by the rangers, about sea turtles and such. Meanwhile the boys dug out sand from the boardwalk. Later the genders switch, and the girls labor with the shovels. Mr. D, Mickey, Cassie, Daniel, and I help out as well. Luckily, I needed to go help Lee grill the burgers. Unluckily, the grilling was done at a lagoon-front pavilion, being buffeted by the wind. Down right cold! The burgers cook slowly, and we finish just in time.
...More skit practice. Cindy is genius, bringing life to the script. She knows just what will work, and what doesn't. One line is too good...the kids don't need to get it in their heads and repeat it. A scene needs to be re-written, and during my spare time I have a blast writing more.
...Tuesday night dinner is turkey and potatoes, as I recall. Amber compliments me on my white Chuck Taylors. Cassie asks if I wear my red Pumas to bed.
...Before dinner we’re told we’ll be performing the Angel Skit that night. Mr. Taylor is Angel # 2, so he borrows my white turtleneck, stuffing it with towels to pull off the beefy look his part requires. Mr. Bailey won the “Best Costume” award. He bought two T-Shirts, though his wife Lynn encouraged him to not make a political statement with one of them.
...When everyone was finally ready, I walked out to open the skit, dressed as an Angel…all white, including the Chuck Taylors. The kids love it, and laugh at everything. I purposely pick up the script to read the “like ugly on a demon” line.
...Mrs. Hanson and Mrs. Smith join me on the stage, then Lee makes his appearance as the Demon. In addition to his black Tazmanian Devil shirt, he has tattooed sleeves on his arms and a red Mohawk wig. At the last minute Lee decided to also carry the creepy clown statue. The crowd goes crazy, laughing long enough for me to improvise my next line: “Well, if it isn’t the jogger from hell…and his little friend!”
...The kids love the lines Mr. Bailey delivers:
“Well, whoop de doo! Look! I’m shaking!”
“So make like a cigarette and butt out!”
“Top that, twinkletoes!” (with that I look down at my white Chucks).
“You don’t believe in all that devil stuff, do you? There’s no such thing!”
...When God forces the Demon to slap himself on the head and fall down, the students laugh louder. It’s even more hilarious when he forgets a line. Lee ad-libs “The devil forgot his lines!” and puts on his reading glasses. Mrs. Smith shows him the script.
...The crowd cheers when Mr. Taylor announces the bus has been delayed, giving Mrs. Smith more time to accept Christ. When she finally does, they cheer more. When she hugs Mrs. Hanson, they all go “aawww!”
...When Mr. Taylor appears, with his “muscles”, they laughs continue. Christine points at how they droop too low. As he escorts the Demon away, I grab the clown, hand it to Mr. Bailey, and add “Take your little friend with you!”
...In all the laughter, the last two lines are forgotten, but it doesn’t matter. Mr. D thanks us for the fun time. I feel for Mrs. Smith. Over a month ago she had selected the script, for it’s accurate and spiritual message…detailing the very real spiritual warfare going on around us, with help from angels from heaven, and demons opponents from hell.
...We are forced to take bows. The cheers are too loud for my speech, so I’ll share it now: It was Mrs. Hanson’s first ever organized, practiced, scripted acting performance. How did she do?
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