VACATION!

I am on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N !!!!! Yesterday my dad started at 5:00 AM in Costa Mesa, CA. I watched Olympic qualifying heats in swimming while I got ready to head to the Airport. The shuttle left at 5:45 and I got to John Wayne International Airport in Orange County by 6 am to find a LONG line of passengers that I was told by at least 6 people never existed. My flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 7:19 so I decided not to panic. I watched one man argue with the counter agent because he had been late for his flight (by 3 hours from what I could discern) and because he didn't call and say anything the airline canceled his ticket(s). All I know is the man was mad and holding up the line. It took almost an hour to get through check-in/security and I was passed by 3 people whose "gates are boarding RIGHT NOW-I need to get through the line . . .". Apparently those people had also heard that the O.C. airport is a breeze to get through. Lucky for me when I got to my gate our flight was delayed because we were waiting for our aircraft go navigate construction on the run way to get to the gate from its overnight parking spot. I guess it doesn't matter where you are - construction is always a pain. My flight was also delayed because of fog in San Francisco. I learned that this is usually the case so if you plan to fly through San Francisco try to avoid the morning when it is most likely to be foggy. It was a short flight up to the bay city and when we got there, there was definitely a wall of fog that appeared to be surrounding the airport. I took the shuttle bus to the terminal my gate was in and waited. I was shocked by the rudeness exhibited by the gate attendant towards some passengers. One man couldn't find his gate and got snapped at and another woman was apparently being to needy. A man in line for a sandwich at the deli next to my gate was mad because they were out of a certain kind of cheese. I was eager to get out of the negative atmosphere and on to the plane. The plane for the last leg of my trip was TINY! The rows of seats were arranged like this:
(seat) aisle (seat) (seat)
I was in the seat by itself and glad to have my own little corner. A little bit of a bumpy plane ride but I survived enough to successfully rent my first car on my own and navigate I5 to get to Ashland. My hotel - though not the fanciest has everything I need. I checked into my Super8, took a quick nap and headed into the heart of Ashland. I spent 20 minutes sitting in the park basking in the sun and was told "you look like a local, could you recommend a place to eat?" I am not sure what "local" in Ashland actually looks like but I am happy I fit that bill and "yes I could recommend a place to eat what do you feel like eating?"  I ate dinner at one of my favorite restaurants - Martollie's Pizza where it is $6.95 for a LARGE slice of pizza, half a plate full of salad and a refillable drink. I always sit at the bar that faces the street and "people watch". Ashland is one of my favorite places to people watch. There are artists, tourists, hitchhikers, packs of children, people with dogs. It is a kaleidoscope of people.
I saw Henry V last night in the outdoor Elizabethan Theatre and it was pretty amayzing. The weather was perfect. I was comfortable the whole night in a skirt and tank top. The starts were pretty brilliant and I even had descent patrons watching the show on either side of me. Having seen Henry IV parts one and two here at the festival the last two years it was really fun to see the triad completed. I was particularly struck by the word play in this script. Shakespeare, whom I have always thought to be a great writer, was particularly clever with this script. The acting was superb and there were a few choices made with the script that particularly intrigued me. Nothing like starting out my first day in Ashland with an amazing show.
Today I will see two shows - Medea/Macbeth/Cinderella and The Merry Wives of Windsor Iowa. Both new plays or new ideas of a plays. Happy Sunday! Hopefully I'll have a picture or two to post soon :)