So once more, we must take our leave of you. This time, it’s All Fired Up in the Big Smoke’s annual corporate retreat up to where computers are rendered powerless and cell phones give up searching for signals. Back to a time like the summer of 1963. Before President Kennedy was shot, before the Beatles came. When we all couldn’t wait to join the Peace Corps.

We will be alone. Just us. With our thoughts. And Cheetos. And boxes and boxes of wine.

There will be some brainstorming done. Some recharging for the municipal election push that is due to kick into full force in a couple weeks hence. The Talking Stick will be passed around the campfire. (Note to self: bring lighter. Acaphlegmic only thinks he can rub sticks together to create fire.) Issues and ideas need to be tossed around, thrown into the air like pizza dough and (ad)dressed like so much tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni and anchovies.

Most importantly, over the course of 4 nights, we will once again be reenacting Dirty Dancing (the movie not musical) in its entirety. And this year, I have finally wrested the Jerry Orbach role of the good doctor, Jake Houseman, from the greedy grip of Acaphlegmic who, in recent years, has taken it to truly unwatchable histrionic heights. This is not a tragedy. A tragedy is three men trapped in a mine, or police dogs used in Birmingham loses all its bite when delivered in high Victorian, Sir Henry Irving style, IMHO. And for pure scene chewery? Acaphlegmic’s Don’t you tell me what to see! I see someone in front of me who got his partner in trouble and sent her off to some butcher, while he moved on to an innocent young girl like my daughter!! would make David Garrick blush in embarrassment if David Garrick weren’t 231 years dead and still capable of blushing.

So, we will be dark for 3 days. Don’t forget about us while we’re gone. For we shall return mid-week next in full fightin’ form, ready for the home stretch. We’ll be back with.. [a-hem, a-hem, to signify the clearing of my throat].. passion in our eyes/There’s no way we could disguise…’cause we seem to understand the urgency.

— orbachily submitted by Cityslikr