Shakespeare! And the outdoors!

So my city has a pretty awesome community theater group and every year they do a production of Shakespeare in an amphitheater in one of the city's prettiest parks. Last year's Hamlet was incredible, and I have high hopes for Othello, which I'm going to see tonight.

I don't think it will be a huge surprise for me to reveal here that I love Shakespeare. He's clever and accessible and I'm one of the few people who actually enjoy reading his plays. My favorite is Twelfth Night, which I wrote my final paper on in my undergrad years and which I will use for my thesis if/when I finish my Master's degree (which, for various reasons, is half-finished and stalled. I haven't talked about that on this joint, have I?). I love seeing his work performed even more than reading it. Seriously, every year when RCP announce their new line-up, I hope really hard it'll be Twelfth Night. (Their history page says they have performed it thrice: in the 1935-1936 season, in the 1994-1995 season, and most recently in the 1999-2000 season. I really hope they don't have another sixty-year break from it.)

Now. For me, as you might imagine, watching a play outdoors is a challenge. It's late enough in the evening that it isn't too hot, but it's perfect time for mosquitoes, and as the dew starts to settle it gets chilly. So this year, I'm planning ahead. I'm bringing a tote bag with bugspray, a sweatshirt, wine in a water bottle, and some mindless knitting that's easy enough to be able to do in low light.

I have fully accepted that I will be indistinguishable from the old ladies who go to these things, except that I'll be wearing high-top Converse sneakers instead of orthopedic sandals with pantyhose.

Which play is your favorite, Shakespeare or otherwise? What am I forgetting to pack?

Hooray for weekends!

Gorgeous oil painting by Johanna Logan

Reasons I'm in a great mood:
 1. I'm feeling much better about work than I was yesterday, probably because I don't have to go there for two days!
2. I'm very close to crossing off Numbers 2 and 3 on my list of things to do this year! Our good friends are getting rid of their sleigh bed and matching nightstands. We're going over to see if they'll work for our room on Sunday, I hope.
3. We're going out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants with good friends, then seeing a movie - either The Fighter (finally!) or renting a movie with my brother and his wife.
4. I've been staring at these recipes for cupcakes for hours, trying to decide which one to make first. (I found them through Design Mom, who you know I love, and who found them through Stephmodo.) (Oh, and as a post-script to my love for Gabrielle, she has written sweet email responses to three of my comments since then. What a nice lady.)
5. I'm really leaning towards the Coffee Chocolate Cupcakes with Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting (No. 24) or the Mango Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting and Coconut (No. 9). My mouth is watering about this.
6. Andy's working tomorrow (boo!) but I'm going to spend the day cleaning (a little), watching Bones, and knitting in short bursts so as to not strain my elbows. And maybe making cupcakes.

What about you? Good moods as well? Share!