The Twisted Gypsy

Taken from the New York Times.

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I am not really sure what the word ‘homeless’ means.  Does it simply mean without a permanent home? Without something fixed?  Stable?  Consistent?  Well, if that is the case, then I suppose I have officially been homeless for two years and three months.  Yes, there have been times in that frame that I have stayed/rented some place for consecutive months, however, only with the understanding that it was temporary.  Temporary meaning that I knew it would have an end and that end would be sooner rather than later.  So then, that thinking brings me to an entirely different boxcar on that train of thought.  What is temporary?  Isn’t everything temporary?  Yeah, yeah, thinking like that can make your mind explode, but, I would like to argue that it also makes your mind explore.  It is not for everyone.  It is not forever.  It is not a judgement call. It is just the idea that being on your toes, being able to go with the flow, knowing that nothing lasts (including transitory time) and therefore relishing each experience really is something to try once, or for a while.  
 

And so tonight, I sign a short contract on an apartment in Stockholm, where I will stay until I return to the States in the late fall.  For a short while, it will be home. Then, there will be another…

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Does anyone know the name of this flower?  I have never seen one like it before.

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The other day, on top of a small fast food kiosk, I saw a human sized hotdog/man wrapped up in an American flag.  America= hotdogs?
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In Sweden, there is this cake called “kladdkaka”, which sort of translates as “moist/messy cake”. It is sort of a brownie and sort of a cake.  If it were on the menu of an American restaurant, and it was served hot, I believe the word ‘molten’ would be used to describe it.  The inside of this chocolate goodness sort of oozes. Well, you get the picture. Really, make this cake- you will not regret it.  Behold, the recipe:

• 100 g margarine
• 3 dl sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1½ dl flour
• 1 ml salt
• 5 ml vanilla sugar
• 60 ml cocoa

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C – that is 350°F. You will have to pay attention to how hot your particular oven is an be sure not to over cook this to a non-sticky state.  That would be a tragedy. 
2. Melt the margarine in big bowl (one big enough to hold all the other ingredients.) 
3. Add the sugar, and stir. You will probably feel like there is a lot of sugar compared to the margarine. Don’t worry – that is how it should be.
4. Next add the eggs, one at a time. Stir gently until it is all mixed well.
5. Add all the rest of the ingredients and stir until the mixture becomes smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased cake tin, favorably one with a detachable rim. 
6. Bake for 25–35 minutes. Keep checking the cake after about 17 minutes. A toothpick should NOT come out clean.  The point is to have the inside of the cake gooey. If you bake it too long then it will just be a boring, over cooked, non-sticky chocolate disappointment. 
7. Serve it warm, preferably with beaten cream (and a sprig of mint, if you want to be fancy schmancy.)

Mmm…send a report!

We arrived in Gamleby, meeting Chris Nobin (a friend who joined us in the U.S. for the LTP the year we wrote The Gloaming) at the small, deserted station.  Katy and he had never met, so it was sure to be a fun weekend with both of their funny, sassy attitudes.

Margie and Mats picked us up at the station and there is already a small dilemma: we have six humans, beer for six humans, suitcases for six humans and one car that seats five people:

After the hour long grocery shopping trip, where we proceeded to buy everything in the store to complete the ‘menu’ that Katy and I had made for the weekend, we finally made it to the cabin and started the three day party.

Umm, here you can see the beginnings of what became our ‘chili for breakfast’ as well as the cupcakes that Katy made, because it was the only thing that Nippe requested.

“Doesn’t everybody need chicken candle?”  

“What will make the chicken candle stand up?”

“Mozzarella cheese?”  

And so, Mr. Chicken rested in the cheese and all was well. 

Some sleep happened.  And then some chili for breakfast happened:

A bath (literally) in the Baltic was in order:

And then a trip into a near by town (Vastervik) for a little shopping spree and for Katy’s first fika (sort of like tea, but really just an excuse to eat sweets everyday.)

The ‘way back.”

And then, just what I wanted to have happen, happened.  After going through the first gate back the cabin, there they were:

The cows were loose!
 

Animals became the theme of the day.  Shortly after returning to the cabin while preparing dinner out on the patio, we were slowly  invaded:

Here is a tip:  Swans like potato chips, they do not like a chewed up carrot buffet (baby bird style) and they will hiss at you!

So glad you came, Kates.  Sweden will never be the same.

Things I have learned to like that I never liked before (in no particular order):

1. Shellfish- Most kids don’t like shellfish, right?  Well, I don’t think it is very uncommon to not like them as a child and then start liking them as an adult.  Not too impressive.

2. The Complete Unknown- Yeah, I like it.  I really do.  It used to terrify me and now it just brings amusement.

3. Black Licorice (not the salty kind, but the soft, chewy delicious kind.)

4. Silence

5. Raw Tomatoes- I used to pop them off of the plant into my mouth when I was a kid and then I went through a period of hating them so much that I once had a stand off with my mother that involved me gagging uncontrollably after consuming one tiny tomato.

6. Having No Plans- I guess this sort of goes along with number two, but is more of an extension.  It used to feel good to fill my schedule up, as if when my dance card was full I would then, and only then, achieve complete contentment and happiness.  Yes, I like to be busy and to move and shake and get things done.  But, now I also like to sit and breathe and spend days, sometimes weeks without any clear-cut plans other than ‘wait and see’ -what a relief.  

7. Long Car Rides- Road trips?  Yes.  Long car rides?  Ahh!  They used to almost kill me.  Honestly, I used to just sleep through them to get them over with.  They were just transitory time.  Useless.  A means to get somewhere else where something would actually happen rather than sitting in a moving vehicle. So, now, I admit, I like them.  Something shifted and made me enjoy the journey.  Deep.  The time in a car with a great conversation, delicious road snacks and an actual atlas (yes, GPS lovers, an atlas that you can hold in your hands) is heavenly. 

8.  Business- Is that general?  Yes, it is.  However, that is the way I felt about it.  I really did hate business in general.  It felt so cold, heartless, ruthless and really had no appeal to me what-so-ever.  That too, just like the disliking of the shellfish, is a childish notion.  Business has become a fun game to me now.  I get excited by budgets and balancing them and celebrate negotiating a contract that seemed impossible to negotiate.  Still, I don’t like the cold side of the business world (not that I have been so deep into it) but I so appreciate what is has to offer.

 9. Sweet Pickles- I have always had an insane affection for dill pickles and have now expanded my pickle love to all pickles, thus ending the 30 year boycott of the sweet variety. 

10.  A Big, Fat Spectacle- Making something out of nothing has always held such a dear place in my heart.  When doing so, it usually becomes about using what you have in order to make something beautiful, in order to create art.  Finally, I have embraced the idea of the giant spectacle- of going out of the way to blow up one little moment into a giant scene not to be forgotten.  Maybe that scrape together attitude came from art school, who knows?  It is important and I will keep it, but now I will light things on fire, send things flying and cook up ways to move mountains. 

After closing the show, cleaning, moving, running around like wild chickens wrapping things up, we mounted a bus from Oskarshamn to Stockholm.  It was the four hour bus ride that never ended.  After many detours and snafus, the bus then had to stop so the driver could have a 30 minute ‘rest’ We decided to make the best of it and  introduced Katy to the Swedish fast food chain, Max.

I think she gave it a thumb to the side.  Katy?  Report?

We finally arrived, 3 hours late, to Stockholm and took the students to their awesome hostel.

Where Cassie proceeded to try to fit into the “sheet hole.” Go ahead.  Laugh.

No rubbish? 

When finally alone, we considered getting one of these:

Or doing this:

(That sign reads “Take a walk with a Swedish Viking.”)

But, eventually, we decided against both and opted for this:

Then, of course, we met up with the others on a summer terrace and did more of that:

We met this weird French dude who would not stop serenading us:

The next day, we put the students on a train to the airport with Nick and Wendy.  They were wonderful, but it was for sure time for quiet… 

And then for exploration around Stockholm…

That night, we went to Maria and David’s for  some traditional Swedish food, including, but not limited to: pickled herring, meatballs, cheese pie, schnapps (and more schnapps), crayfish, beer, wine, lingonberries, potatoes, and so on and so on.  

“What cho lookin’ at, crayfish?”

David and Maria, our lovely host and hostess.

You can sort of see six lids of the schnapps bottles in the picture above.  We took the left over bottles and headed up to the roof to enjoy the beautiful view.  In hindsight, this is where we should have stopped, but a party is a party and everyone was determined to show Katy what true vikings are made of.

After that party, the next day, we were officially spent.  We did manage to make it out of bed to go have a great lunch at a vegetarian buffet on the water:

Birds became a strange theme over the next several days.  They were strangely interested in us.
 
Why are all these pictures hazy, you ask?  I don’t know.  Perhaps because we were in a schnapps induced daze? After a 3 hour nap, we did manage to walk around the city for a while and we even went on a sight seeing boat tour.  This was a major feat for the state we were in:

Behold the candied apple that almost sent me to the dentist. 

The guide on the tour made sure to point out the building above.  Is it a castle?  Is it some historical building?  No.  It is a Swedish old folks home. For real.

Well, after all that, the next day we were off on a train to meet more friends in Gamleby, where Nippe’s family has a summer cabin.   From the city to no running water…the adventures continued…

Part two (which involves more bird attacks, problems with the outhouse, an accidental fire, bathing in the Baltic and chili for breakfast) is coming soon.

Opening and closing Forget-Me-Not:

Just beautiful. 

Below are 3 chicks from different parts of the world, who have not been in the same room together since 1994.  Emelie came to Salina from Sweden to participate in Lovewell when we were just kids.  Em and Kates haven’t seen each other since.  So cool. (Please excuse the fact that this shot was taken at the end of a very long day/week/summer.)

Then for a cast party in a barn…

Nippe and Wendy- Lovewell Sweden Pres/Lovewell U.S. Pres.  I wanted to have a battle of the presidents that involved a series of difficult challenges, but unfortunately, they both declined.

Mats singing “Everybody Loves Tomas…” it is true.

Omri changed the meaning of leaving a ‘kind thought’ behind for everyone by leaving this for Margie.

This was a sight to see- suitcases and silence.  Ugh.

And then it was off to Stockholm on a bus with 7 students, 5 adults and one Katy Hawley…

…more about that adventure to come.

The theatre where we are working is peculiar.  It is a great space run by super laid back people, but, it is used often for orchestral concerts. What does this mean?  It means that they do not have ANY of the curtains hung as they are always using the shell for the concerts.  No. Curtains.  This means, when we arrive, the whole stage is naked.  Every little curtain must be hung- the giant back curtain, eight wing curtains, five masking curtains, etc.  You get the picture.  It takes some time.

So, this year, we decided to pack every technical feat we could possible pack into the show.  Let’s face it, when you are writing a show in three weeks and then have to create the tech, tech the show and stage the show in three days, the technical aspects are usually not the most impressive.  Umm, we are trying to change that.  Behold, Lovewell’s first flame thrower:

And our first swing- simple, hung 10 meters high:

A giant Multi-media screen that looks like a cool picture frame coming to life:

Bubbles:

And then of course two smoke machines, a nine piece band and enormous, rock concert sized speakers.  Oh…and did I mention that this dude came to broadcast live from a radio station?  That is not so weird, but is IS weird that he looked like this:

“Who you gonna call?”  Yep.  Ghostbusters…or radio dude.

14 people, one piano and a computer crammed into a writing room.  That is my leg and foot above the notebook. Funny.

And I leave you with this ’shoe tree.’

The show opens tonight.  

Katy Hawley arrives tonight.

All is happy…