Galen | Dangerous Common Sense

“Cambodian Rock Band” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

By Galen|2019-12-29T11:03:39-08:00March 22, 2019|osf, plays|

Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yeedirected by Chay Yew Photo by Jenny Graham. Understanding your parents and their motivations is a difficult and uncomfortable act for most of us humans. In Cambodian Rock Band it's an impossible task for first-generation American Neary (played by Brooke Ishibashi) whose Cambodian-born parents don't talk much about the pre-USA times. Neary, a thoroughly American young adult, has decided to go to Phnom Penh and work with NGOs to bring to justice people who helped the Khmer Rouge. She's gathering evidence against the superintendent of S21, a notorious killing prison, when her father (Chum, played [...]

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“The Underpants Godot”

By Galen|2019-03-21T08:08:28-07:00March 19, 2019|plays, Theatre Rhino|

The Underpants Godot By Duncan PflasterDirected by Alan Quismorio Jordan Ong (as Mark, an actor playing Estragon) and Francisco Rodriguez (as Tim, and actor playing Vladamir) Photo by Joseph Tally. What fun! Especially for a theater fan who still cringes when he remembers going to a production of Waiting for Godot when he was precocious senior in high school. I was too young, too tired, or too something for the non-action on stage. I don't remember the details of the play, but I remember the agonizing pacing, and I remember wondering if the plaudits for Beckett's writing weren't a giant [...]

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“As You Like It” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

By Galen|2019-03-28T20:41:42-07:00March 16, 2019|plays|

As You Like It by William Shakespearedirected by Rosa Joshi As You Like It (2019): Román Zaragoza (Orlando), Jessica Ko (Rosalind). Photo by Jenny Graham. At the very least yet another romp through Arden Forest should be enjoyable fun. Done with artistry, a director can use this comedy to make Shakespeare seem like a feminist. After all, the freedom to love will win out and the women's decisions share the shaping of action in Arden Forest. At least I think they do. On the other hand, the current Oregon Shakespeare Festival's offering didn't even amuse me. The show is both [...]

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Day 134 – The Final Puppy Shots!

By Galen|2019-03-08T17:09:31-08:00February 4, 2019|dachshunds, Uncategorized|

Finally! Ever since Auroara (aka then as MUNI) started venturing out of the whelping box on to the floor where people stepped, we have been taking off our street shoes at the door. And, washing our hands before petting her. Puppies are not immune to many serious viruses that are Out There. They need a series of shots and booster shots against common illnesses. Parvo is the disease the vets are most worried about, but there is distemper, canine influenza, kennel cough, leptospirosis, and other nasty bugs out there. So, we've kept our shoes off and asked visitors to de-shoe [...]

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Day 127 – Auroara Goes Down

By Galen|2019-01-28T14:31:40-08:00January 27, 2019|dachshunds|

Geoffrey did it! He got Auroara to go down all five steps to the back yard! Up until about noon today, Auroara would willingly only jump down one step to the back door landing. Then she'd fuss and bark to get lifted up, held, and moved down to the ground. This past week, I started lifting her down one more step from the top. She'd be scared and completely stiff. I'd do it again, and she would loosen a little, look at the final stair and the waiting ground. She'd often take that two-step adventure on her own, although a [...]

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Day 121 – Playing Around

By Galen|2019-01-22T20:21:41-08:00January 22, 2019|dachshunds|

There was lots of morning play. In fact the older dogs were exhausted early on. Only Apex stayed outside to monitor the puppy... and occasionally join in some random ball play or twig gnawing. AuRoara has been expert going up the stairs for a while. She still doesn't go DOWN all the way, though. She'll take the first step down to the landing, but then stops. She's also started going up one stair, going along it, and then she's able to jump down to the ground again. Today she practiced the bottom stair maneuver a few times. Incremental progress is [...]

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Day 120 — First Bath

By Galen|2019-01-21T18:37:23-08:00January 21, 2019|dachshunds|

Our vet thinks we should have done this earlier, but she reminded us of some good techniques for puppy bathing. Today, after breakfast, AuRoara took the plunge! AuRoara starts her first bath nonplussed. One tip was to put a washcloth in the sink underneath AuRoara so she wouldn't slip in the tub. There were lots of new sensations, but she tolerated the experience pretty well! AuRoara ready for Drying

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A New Year’s Resolution, 3 Years Later

By Galen|2019-01-01T16:48:59-08:00January 1, 2019|Personal Life|

I was inspired on New Year's Eve 2015 to start exercising regularly. Doug Wilcoxen, a fellow Pomona College student and resident of Wig Hall 30+ years ago, wrote on Facebook that day that he had been to the gym 315 times during the year. I remember Doug in college as being sane and not a freakish jock, so I thought that if Doug could exercise regularly, then maybe I could, too. I decided to go to the gym or do something physical daily as long as I could. I also decided that if I missed a day or two, I [...]

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Day 94 — Christmas is Over. No Need to Hide Our Naughtiness!

By Galen|2019-01-21T14:44:35-08:00December 26, 2018|dachshunds|

AuRoara (note the updated spelling) says that now that Christmas is over, there is no need to feign angelic behavior. Like any child, she saves the worse (and cutest) temper tantrums for Mom. Mother Zenith does look like she can handle the pressure, though! Christmas is over. It's okay to talk back to Mom now.Remember to click on this and any other picture for a larger version. Do it twice! Even the human dads find it hard to ignore the snapping of teeth! Geoffrey and a Snappy AuRoara on the Bed

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Day 93 — Merry Christmas, Auroara! “Auroara”??

By Galen|2019-01-01T17:04:47-08:00December 25, 2018|dachshunds|

It was a big, busy day for the pack, both human and canine. There was breakfast to enjoy, presents to open, dinner to prepare, friends to enjoy, and occasionally a moment to play with a puppy. For her part, Aurora did a good job exhausting herself with the early morning play session. By the time serious cooking or serious present opening started, she was into a deep nap! Aurora on the Hide-a-Pet The development in the puppy world today was reading her signature on the Christmas cards. Apparently, she is spelling her name Auroara. We don't know if the non-standard spelling will stick. [...]

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