Picnic in the Theater Lobby ~ Perfect!

                             

For several years, my friend Audrey has included me in tickets for a couple of shows at the Seattle Rep.

Here's the drill: I'd pick her up at the ferry terminal and then we'd decide what to do for a small dinner. Some times it was a wonderful wine bar near the theater. Or, other times, we'd cruise the deli aisle at Metropolitan Market up the street and eat in the small cafe near the deli.

The last few times, we packed a picnic and brought it to the theater lobby. I'm sure this breaks at least half a dozen laws, but . . .

It's a classic picnic. A baguette, a bottle of wine, some cheese and fruit. We bring a couple of linen napkins, two wine glasses, a cork screw and some spreaders.

Sure the lobby picnic has it's pitfalls. When we went to see I am my own wife, we ended up misplacing one of Audrey's napkins and my corkscrew. When she went to the next production, she stopped by the "Lost and Found" to retrieve the errant items. They barely even gave her "the eyebrow" when she picked them up.

Last night, we went to see Clybourne Park. And, our little (probably totally illegal) picnic went off without a hitch! I brought the baguette, the brie, the fresh strawberries, the oblong celadon plate, the spreaders, a bread knife and the linen napkins in a festive tote from my friend, Sally. Audrey brought the wine, the glasses, the cork screw and of course, the tickets and parking voucher.

Everything was just what you'd want in a picnic ~ perhaps, most astonishingly the strawberries. I'm always leery of store-bought strawberries ~ always in the winter, but especially at the beginning of the season. These were completely beautiful but . . . experience has shown that the more beautiful the strawberry, the more likely it is to be flavourless. Really beautiful but tasteless strawberries always remind me of a room full of 18 year old beauty queens. Beautiful but not much going on otherwise. Depressing, in a way.

But, these were not 18 year old beauty queens. They were not only beautiful but toothsome and delicious.

And, what a picnic. One woman stopped by to give us homemade oatmeal cookies. Another couple joined us at our little table. Very convivial. Very casual. Very perfect in every way. The production was stunning. A wonderful evening.

Day 30 Everyday Grateful ~

Talked with Audrey while walking 

to the REP about what

wonderful lives  we have and

how much we have to be grateful for.

True, all true . . .

Sunny

Happy