One Door Closes, A Familiar One Opens

I have detailed my departure from AMR in a previous blog. However, before I had even ceased to be employed there, I was in talks to go to work for an offshoot of the company for which I worked almost two decades.

In December, my former employer, SGS Tool Company, sold their bur manufacturing division to an Irish company, ATA/Procut. My former boss, Ed, contacted me and asked if we could meet to discuss a possible opportunity. We met at Starbucks and discussed the changes with the new ownership and good/bad times at SGS.

To make a long story less boring, Ed wanted me to come in for an interview with the transitional manager appointed by the new owners. I went, taking a copy of the article on burs I had published in Cutting Tool Engineering, just to show off a bit. The manager was a bit of a dour Irishman and I came away from the interview feeling uncertain.

Three days later, on a Sunday, Ed called me with a job offer! The salary was much more than I was making at AMR, the vacation was better, the benefits were better and the possibility of international travel existed. Take that, AMR!

I start Friday. Today is actually my last "goof off" day as I have plans to meet people for lunch every other day this week. To say I am excited is an understatement! I will be working with some of my favorite people, in a field I know intimately and might even get to see Ireland! There is no downside!!!

Wish me well :-)

Priscilla Dazzle Helps Ease Sting of Bricco News

Yesterday, Missie and I caught the next show in our Broadway Series, Priscilla Queen of the Desert. I am a huge fan of the original Australian movie, so I have been looking forward to this show. A few weeks before the performance, we were notified that the venue had been changed from the Palace Theater to the State Theater. "The demands of PRISCILLA’s larger-than-life costumes have proven too much for our historic Palace staircase and the newer stage house in the State can easily accommodate these spectacular designs," the message stated.

So, we filed into the less-familiar State, trying to find unfamiliar seats and being completely not helped by the usually-helpful ushers. Once seated, we noticed most patrons were wearing a string of pink beads. We had not been offered such trinkets. Not a great start.

However, once the show got started, and we "tuned into" the Australian accents being used by the actors, we were swept along by the music and the show. The set design, including a full-sized bus, was amazing. The actors were phenomenal in their roles and soon made me stop comparing them to their film originators. The music was familiar and catchy. And, of course, the costumes. Oh, the costumes! All the outlandish designs from the movie were there and more. The costumes were worth the price of admission alone.

I had almost as much fun watching the audience as I did the musical. Playhouse Square audiences (perhaps Northeast Ohio audiences in general) tend to skew slightly older and definitely more conservative. Listening to the reactions of some patrons during intermission made me suppress a giggle.

During intermission, Missie needed to go to the restroom, and dreaded the idea of standing in line at the theater. Instead, we ran across the street to Bricco, where she relieved herself while I ordered shots. Shots consumed, we scurried back to the theater with time to spare. I looked for bead opportunities during our trek, but found none. Feh.

Overall, Priscilla was a delightful experience. I missed the ABBA music and found the film's plot and dialogue somewhat watered-down and homogenized. (I can see how the graffiti from the movie, "AIDS FUCKERS GO HOME" might not play well in middle America.) Once I gave up my attachment for the movie and accepted the musical as its own entity, I had a blast.

This was our first show since learning that our favorite pre-show/post-show restaurant, Bricco, is closing in April. Since starting our forays to Playhouse Square, Bricco has been part of our routine. We arrive just after they open at 11:00, order lunch and cocktails, go to the show, then return to Bricco for cocktails while the parking deck clears out. More often than not, we stay long enough to have dinner and still more cocktails. The staff knows us by name and some of the bartenders and servers I consider actual friends. The food is always delicious, the prices moderate and the service outstanding. Make no mistake, Bricco's closure is a loss to Playhouse Square. The problem Bricco encountered, the abundance of business when there is a show but an almost complete lack of traffic when there is no show, will continue to be a problem for any eatery in the area.

So, we will just have to enjoy "our" Bricco for the remaining shows that it will afford us. And then, we need to find a new routine when Bricco closes. Sad face.