Monday, September 25, 2006

A Good Cast Is Worth Repeating

It recently occurred to me that I never really give the supporting cast in my life enough recognition or credit for their never failing roles in providing inspiration to my asylum. Too often, I attribute my perceptions to things that happen in my life (change of job, illness, fortuitous circumstances, voodoo, etc.) without considering the influences that people have on my journey through this existence. So without further ado, I’d like to have everyone take a bow and introduce yourselves. Well, since they appear to be too shy, I’ll introduce them for you.

Estranged Wife (as played by Cheryl B.) – An intellectual with an amazing history spanning street corner evangelizing in the 70’s (while yours truly served in the Army) to an illustrious academic career leading to over a quarter century in the nursing profession. Now, once again, embarking on a business adventure (a successful one, at that), her ultimate goal is … Disney World! That – and a clean house.

Older Step- Daughter (as portrayed by Angela Y.) – One time pizza parlor\restaurant employee with a penchant for computer technology and possessor of various mechanical skills. She now assists her mother with the new Nurse Staffing Agency and is considering a liaison with her boyfriend (an amiable programmer and former potential candy company heir). Gravitating towards music with an unusual avant-garde\downbeat approach to life (see “Belle and Sebastian” or Morrissey), I’m reminded to “fold my hands” lest I be accused of walking like a peasant.

Younger Step-Daughter (as assessed by Rhiannon T.) – 12-year old daughter that looks to be about 14 (depending on your point of view). I’ve known her since she was four years old, therefore she ranks as the only “real” daughter that I have ever known. Very pretty, yet sensible – having inherited a small sense of cynicism from yours truly. This should assist her in understanding the many pitfalls awaiting, in the form of teenage males, as she encounters them in the years to come. Likes country music, hip-hop and rap – yet is learning to play the clarinet. Not much I can say about that. She will be the subject of my next novel for NaNoWriMo. She will either be a young vampire or a vampire slayer (her weapon of choice will most likely be the clarinet).

Granddaughter (portrayed by Kirsten W.) – eight-year old daughter of Angela. Calls me “Granddaddy” or “Grandfather”. I try not to show how disconcerting that is. I’ve known her since she was less than 4 weeks old and to her, I’m a constant in her universe. She has a strong sense of family and is currently studying Tae Kwon Do (which she solemnly states “must not be misused”). I’m assuming she means that she must refrain from killing any family members. One of her favorite DVDs: “Star Wars – The Holiday Special”. How could you not find that just adorable?

The Menagerie (background characters as played by…)
“Kitty” – Ancient cat kept alive with Little Caesars dog food and tanna leaves.

“McGhee” – The little poodle man. Will insanely guard a ball of lint for hours on end. That pretty much sums him up.

“Cocoa” – The Shih Tzu. Star of stage and screen. Must have all of the attention. Period.

“Dinah” – Apathetic calico nurse cat. (a non-speaking role)

“Sonya” – The Halloween Cat (black with orange highlights). Loving to the point of embarrassment. Along with McGhee, Cocoa, Kitty and Pup-Pup comprise my “posse”.

“Pup-Pup” (aka “Lady” aka “What? Another dog?!”) – Jet black miniature Schnauzer. Quite cute. Serves as a foil for Cocoa.

“Zandor” (as portrayed by Peter Lorre) – Insane shut-in cat. Beautiful Persian male who suffers from acute paranoid delusions. Briefly made it down the stairs after years of house arrest in Angela’s bedroom. Has since retired to the upstairs bathroom with occasional forays into the upstairs bedroom hallway for a random poop or two. His food needs to be brought to the upstairs bathroom lest he suffer a complete breakdown.

“The Rabbit” (as portrayed by the rabbit) – Makes up for any lack of cuteness by being unreasonably aggressive.

There you have it. The supporting actors of “Henry’s Asylum”. Please hold your applause till the end of our play.

2 Comments:

At 8:54 AM, Blogger BeckoningChasm said...

Damn, that's a lot of animals. And a lot of pets, too....

 
At 2:25 PM, Blogger hbrennan said...

The funny part is that I doubt if I should show it to the "family".

 

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