14 FEB 26
Awake a large part of the night with Puck's cat who feels the need to repeatedly tap dance up and down my legs for no reason whatsoever and when I finally do fall asleep he rams his snout into my ear for also apparently no reason and by this time I'm so tired that I barely register his claw swipe at my face though it feels like an unintended rudeness... he's just depressed and aggressive over his recent upside-down life changes... he be more dog than cat though... what cat cares about the disappearance of his owner provided food is still provided?...
So it's a five-thirty alarm to pin a fading wig of darkest chocolate curls on Patience's head... they're looking a little more like matted poodle than the crispness we unpackaged a year ago...
Oxbear busses us downtown under quiet silver skies for Patience's next big feis weekend... and this time Yali has inexplicably insisted on joining us... “It's going to numb your mind with boredom” he's been warned... but he tacks on anyway...
After Patience's first performance in a cold ballroom near the would-be shadow of the St. Louis Arch... I set up a short camp in a nearby atrium planted with big shiny green-leafed jungle trees... spreading out our gear over brushed caramel and scarlet carpet across from a deck of white cement benches looking like pressed oatmeal...
While I write and type and crochet... Yali and Patience run off to garnish the hotel with tiny plastic ducks in fifteen different colors which Patience purchased with her own babysitting funds... for fun...
About an hour and forty-five later... Patience takes third with an emerald sash... followed by packed lunches and more ducks and waiting another four and a half hours which is becoming just a little too insane for Yali... he begs a pick-up...
While we wait for Oxbear to scoot back east... girls everywhere are looking for and talking about tiny ducks... from young ones to old ones... “Can I play with your duckies?” one girl asks her sister... “NO!” she scolds her away from the collected treasure...
Hustle Yali out in a steady rainfall to Oxbear... fire flashing in the hotel lobby hearth... Mardi Gras parade concluded in the streets...
Back upstairs for Patience's second set of competition... and about an hour later... another third place and another emerald sash... as Mama sits nearby on the floor with her spine about split from sitting in too many uncomfortable seats or non-seats through the past ten hours as Oxbear and Yali return in the same rain with homemade seasoned pork wraps for the road back home into the night...