Shakespeare in the Park = Yes, I'm crazy

So, you remember that bit about my struggling to accept limitations right? I think that was just earlier this week.... Clearly, I am not a quick learner. Brent is running a summer research program funded generously by the Kerr Family Foundation. He has 14 students placed in various research settings around time full time for three weeks. In the evenings, he provides programing that usually includes dinner and a speaker of interest. This has made for may very long days for complicated logistical reasons, but thankfully we're 2/3 of the way through. All this is included to explain the context for yesterday's adventure.

For Thursday, he didn't have a speaker lined up so he planned a bit of an outing instead. He was taking the students out to dinner in Bricktown (rather than eating at the dorms) and then to Shakespeare in the Park on the grounds of the Myriad Gardens in downtown OKC. The local troupe was performing "As You Like It." He asked if I wanted to come and I immediately agreed. I set things up with my Mom so that she could come down and watch B while Brent, the students and one other professor enjoyed dinner and the show.

Sounds good so far, right? The thing I neglected to consider carefully was the "Park" aspect. You see it is late June here in Oklahoma and miserably hot. At 34+ weeks pregnant the emphasis is on miserable. The restaurant was a little warm and then we walked 3-4 blocks to the park. The time is now 8pm and still awhile until sundown. There is very little breeze and delightful stage lighting to this little theatre in the round just to keep things warm. With me? By intermission I thought I might seriously die. I had a tank top under my shirt so I stripped down to that, Brent had gotten me some water and we fanned ourselves like crazy. Someone actually did pass out about 45 minutes into the play right near the water stand. It was just ridiculous. I'd say at the start it was probably nearly 100 degrees.... By the time we left it was fully dark 2.5 hours later. My feet were so swollen that my flip flops were actually tight as we walked back to the vans.

In good news, the play is a happy fun romantic comedy and was well done. The garden stage is lovely and there were real chairs with backs. Had this been say, April it would have been lovely and romantic (maybe more so without 12 teenagers). As it was, I really have to think about these things more carefully. At home, after talking with my mom and Brent a bit. I got in our big whirlpool tub with very cool water and enjoyed the jets while my body cooled and my back relaxed. I may spend the rest of the summer in the tub. I hope I've learned a lesson, but it was just too much fun (in concept) to pass up. Hope you all are enjoying summer in cool, rational, happy ways.