between the country music hall of fame and the bluebird cafe, melissa and i had checked two things off 'the list'. she visited the ryman without me, which, since i had been before, actually worked out really well.
the last day of the conference was a short one. earlier in the day, i had taken a cab out to the airport to pick up a rental car for mine and melissa's 'bonus day'. we had both scheduled late flights home the following day so that we could do some exploring.
so after the exhibit hall closed, melissa, julie, tiffany and i headed out to antique archaeology. if you are a frequent watcher of the history channel, you won't need an explanation. if not, however, the significance will likely be lost on you. there is a show called 'american pickers' that follows two guys who travel the country rummaging through barns and sheds, the older and messier the better, in search of unique antiques that they then resell.
a couple of years ago they purchased a second warehouse location (the first is in iowa) in nashville, and i wanted to take a gander. a lot of the items they 'pick' are ones that i would be interested in, and i was genuinely hoping that i would find something that would fit with my decor.
when we arrived, there was a live band playing, and the place was packed. it was much smaller (at least the show room) then any of us could have anticipated, and unfortunately, i didn't find anything that would be a good fit. ultimately, i was glad to have checked it off, but a little disappointed in the experience.
with time still on our hands, we decided to explore the rest of the giant warehouse. there were a couple of cute boutiques, but when we discovered the distillery/micro-brewery, the girls decided that it looked like a good opportunity to sit down and have a drink. they tried a couple of different drinks, unique to the venue, and by all accounts, enjoyed the experience. i, enjoyed the ambiance, and the diet coke i brought with me. :D
we made our way back to the hotel, where we dropped julie so she cold catch a cab and her flight home, and after changing, melissa, tiffany, and myself headed out to the grand ole opry. melissa and i had purchased tickets before the trip, and tiffany had decided at the last minute that she would like to join us. there were still tickets available, so she bought a single seat and the three of us made the 20 minute drive.
we hadn't been familiar with any of the bands, but it didn't really matter. we just wanted to experience it. i didn't know (or had forgotten) that the seats are church-pew style, so from the beginning, it felt different. i also hadn't realized that every show IS a a radio program, so there is a really unusual format. there is a host for each segment who also performs, then a band who sings two songs. then the next segment has a new host and a new band.
during the first segment, the band was a male/female duo, who announced that they had just signed with their first label. in order to celebrate, they said, they had invited a friend to join them in performing one of the songs. to my great pleasure, their 'friend' turned out to be sam palladio, who plays gunnar on the nashville tv show. the three of them sang a song that aired on a recent episode, which, it turned out, had been written by the duo. i was happy to know that the show does actually use local talent, and it was fun to see real nashville and fictional nashville cross paths.
at the end of the evening, the three of us were starving, so we made a stop at cracker barrel for dinner before calling it a night.
adding to the goodness that was march, my one work trip (although it included back to back cities) would have me spending a few days in one of my all-time favorite cities - nashville. i can't even express how much i love this town. so much so, that i keep waiting for it to let me down. that sounds terrible actually. really i just mean that every time i visit, my expectations are so high, that i've become convinced that actually being there won't be able to meet them.
and i had really high expectations this time.
my friend melissa who hadn't spent a lot of time in the city had asked for a list of must see sights/activities. i do love to build an itinerary, so i began putting it together for her. the list looked like this:
-antique archaeology
-bluebird cafe
-grand ole opry
-country music hall of fame
-ryman auditorium
of these, i had only ever been to the ryman. well, technically, i had been to the opry but i'd never seen, and wanted to see, a performance there. i've checked off a number of other nashvillian activities, but some of these had managed to escape me on previous visits.
in fact, the bluebird cafe has been on my list for years. in music city, it has long been known as a place for songwriters to come test out their work. a LOT of really really well known songs (and singers) debuted here, long before the hit the country music charts. but, fortunately or unfortunately, since the tv show 'nashville' begain airing, prominently featuring the bluebird, it has become difficult to get in. tickets are sold a week in advance for both the 6pm and 9pm shows, and even though i was online at the right time, i wasn't able to get tickets for our desired show. i was bummed. so was melissa.
so, come booth set up day, i had a smooth setup and melissa and i were able to visit the country music hall of fame. interesting, but not mind-blowing.
while there, she mentioned having read that the bluebird had seats that they didn't sell in advance for the early show, she asked if i wanted to try it. i'll admit that i was on the fence. i was pretty tired from the time zone transition and i didn't want to pay a fortune for a cab, stand in line for hours, and then not be let in. ultimately though, i decided it was worth a shot.
$25 later, at about 4:30 the cab dropped us off at the strip mall cafe, and there was already a line. it didn't look too out of control though, so we took the risk. the early show would start at 6, and at about 5 staff members came out to tell us that there were 20 guaranteed seats, and any others that became available would only be so as a result of no-shows. we had probably about 50 people in front of us and a handful behind. it was interesting in that last hour to watch the line change configuration. the people who decided to wait it out, and the people who didn't. at this point, my stubbornness kicked in and i was pretty determined. so much so, that if we didn't get in, i was already planning on just sitting down and being the first in line for no-show seats at the 9pm show.
fortunately, it didn't come to that. after the guaranteed 20 were let in, we probably still had 15-20 people in front of us. slowly staff members would come outside and escort small groups in. eventually, melissa and i were at the front of the line. i couldn't stomach the idea of being the first people to NOT get in so i was relived when we were invited in and sent to a table at the front of the action. ironically, all of the folks both in front and behind us who had decided not to wait it out, would have made it in. their loss!
rather than a traditional stage set up, the performers were positioned in chairs on the floor in the center of the room - the three of them facing each other. though the description of the evening said 'in the round', i wasn't sure what that had meant, and i learned that each singer/songwriter would play one of their songs, and then the next person would play one of theirs. sometimes they would back each other up or pause to tell stories about the origin of the song or about each other.
it was a really unique experience. first of all, it's extremely intimate. in fact melissa and i could have wasily given one of the singers a shoulder massage, as he was basically sitting at our table (albeit, with his back to us). secondly, the bluebird is what they call a 'listening room', and it's meant for just that. though they appreciate a response to their songs, talking amongst yourselves is discouraged. the idea is that you go to listen.
we listened. and we really liked what we heard.
it was also unique because the suit-wearing "i'm walking in like i own the place" guy that had breezed by us while we were still in line outside, turned out to be the actual owner of the place, accompanied by a georgia congressman.
at the end of the performance, we waited our turn for the restroom, bought our tee shirts, and took photos with the singers. my only trepidation had been not being sure how we were going to get back to the hotel. the cafe is in kind of a strange location, and i was concerned that even if we called a cab and it came that it would take forever to get there. my fears were put to rest when we walked outside and there was a taxi waiting, hoping to pick up a fare.
it was a perfect excursion, and, after we returned, we headed out to broadway (or honky tonk row) for more live music. we met up with the other girls from my company and settled in for awhile at the stage. i was in a goofy mood - still on a bit of a high from the bluebird and just sooooo happy to be in nashville, so i had a blast listening to the band, laughing with the new girls, and making a new friend for the evening.
i never get over just how amazing it is that on a wednesday night (on any night) in nashville, every honky tonk will be packed, there will be two or three live bands, and they will be good. i had an epiphany that night, realizing that nashville, to me, is like vegas is to a lot of people. i can stay out all night, work all day, and do it over and over again. i <3 nashville="" p="">
i'm aware that the song refers to a different broadway, but for my purposes, it still applies. broadway, after all, is where you will find 'honky tonk row' in nashville, a two-three block stretch of fantastic, free, live music. mostly country, but you'll definitely find smattering a of rock if you're looking. and you can be sure whatever the genre, it's going to be good.
there is so much musical talent in nashville, that unless you've earned your stripes elsewhere, you won't be allowed on a broadway honky tonk stage. and it's why this is always one of my favorite cities to visit. but before we get to that...
the exhibit hall opened at 7am. which meant that the wake up call was for 5 am. which meant that my body thought it was 3am. and that was rough. the exhibit hall was also painfully slow, which did not help.
there was a mild flurry of excitement mid-way through the day when kix brooks, formerly of brooks & dunn, who was the keynote speaker at the conference, spent some time in the hall signing cd's and taking photos. and i, of course, couldn't pass that up. he was a normal sized nice man, partly responsible for a number of great country hits over the years, and i was pleased to have met him.
but the energy levels dropped significantly after that, and it was all we could do to stay awake at the booth. my co-worker, kevin, had never been to a honky tonk before and knew i wanted to go, so he suggested that we retire to our respective hotels for a pre-dinner nap.... he's a smart one, that kevin.
we reconvened a couple of hours later with our other co-worker, sonya, and headed to dinner where we were joined by bobby, a 'local' I met last year through my various trade show interactions. he works with a company that we work with and, something about that southern-ness made me instantly like him. (by the way, he's married and mid-sixties, so not THAT kind of like).
he told us lots of nashville stories, had us laughing 'til our stomachs hurt, and insisted on treating us all to dinner. I tried to explain that we were all on the company dime, but you just try talking a southern gentleman out of showing hospitality in his hometown, and see how successful you are!
needless to say, i lost that 'disagreement'.
after our meal had concluded, he drove us, in his fast, sporty, muscly type car, back to broadway, where I headed straight to the second fiddle -- my favorite joint on the strip. the crowd is always diverse, the staff always friendly, and the music always good. we spent the next three hours there, and i was delighted to discover that sonya (originally from tennessee) is also a big country fan. kevin, not so much, but he enjoyed the ambiance and the live music element.
we called it a night just after midnight with the promise of another ugly early morning to follow.
and when that ugly early morning arrived, i just couldn't bring myself to head back to the exhibit hall. I had originally planned on staying only until noon before catching my flight home, but i had some urgent emails to respond to and a suitcase problem to figure out.
both of these things having been successfully accomplished, when kevin called to see if i wanted to join he and sonya for their lunch break, i suggested we try 'arnold's', a cafeteria style southern eatery recommended by bobby the night before, highly rated on yelp, and also on the diners, drive-ins, and dives list. They came and picked me up and we made our way to the restaurant.
it was the best possible way for me to conclude the short trip to the city. I had the chicken and dumplings (made me feel like I should be sitting in y grandma's kitchen on a cold winter day), some excellent slaw, and chocolate pie. we sampled each other's selections, and kevin's hot pepper chocolate pie was a treat. likely made with chili powder, the slow creep up of the 'kick' as the brownie batter like pie and homemade crust made their way down my gullet, was amazing. i've always liked mexican hot chocolate - made with chili powder - so i was a big fan.
one thing i noticed this time around is just how successfully nashville cooks manage their spices. our dinner the might before included hot wings, different from any i'd had before. rather than being sauced, they were dry-rubbed. and again, the spiciness crept up on you, building slowly, and stopping at what i felt like was exactly the perfect level of heat. i'm going to have to remember that when I'm back in march!
after our tasty meal, they dropped me back off at my hotel where i picked up my bags and the rental car and headed to the airport, where the costa rican hertz agent told me that for sure i could get a boyfriend in costa rica, and the american agent upgraded me to first class on my direct flight home. a nice way to end a nice trip.
by popular demand, the following virtual retelling will be extremely detailed, in fact, it's probably going to read like a 15 year old's diary entry, because truthfully, that's kind of how it made me feel. i find no shame and will harbor no embarrassment about reconnecting with my inner 15 year old!
the cast: me - an event planner for a pet insurance company who frequently attends conferences
vicki - my co-worker and friend, a veterinary technician who was asked to attend one of our human resource conferences (normally only goes to veterinary conferences) and bring her dogs to entice attendees to visit our booth
mike - a colleague and friend
terry - an event planner for another company, whom i met a year and a half (ish) ago standing in a very unnecessarily long long for onsite show services.
reed - a co-worker of terry's
the setting:
the society for human resource management (shrm) annual conference
las vegas convention center, las vegas, nv, 105 degrees (if you're wondering)
the background:
-with nearly 50 events on my annual event calendar, i don't always pay attention to each conference program, so just a few days before the start of the event, i discovered that the sponsored (meaning large and recognizable companies pay for a well-known performer to entertain conference attendees in exchange for marketing opportunities) performer, was grammy award winning country superstar and all around hot aussie, keith urban.
-vicki would not have normally attended this conference as she is strictly veterinary, but the hr channel folks requested her presence (with her dogs) at the show. truthfully, i think her attendance was one of many pieces that fell into place in just the right way to make for a surprising night
-terry and i bonded over frustration, and have enjoyed seeing each other a few times over the last year+. during show setup we crossed paths and swapped numbers and made plans to connect later and to connect at the 'main event'.
-this type of performance is very different from a 'regular' concert. they are usually held in an exhibit hall, which is one level of concrete floor. there are no stadium seats, and the seats available are first-come-first-serve. it is also much more intimate, since a performer like keith urban regularly sells out entire stadiums, and the exhibit halls hold far fewer people. in this case, an estimated 5,000 people attended, which, for a keith urban concert, is 'intimate'
-also in attendance at the event were two co-workers and a spouse, and my sister's boss and co-worker from virginia
the story:
vicki, mike and i arranged to meet at the show at 6:45. since the show was scheduled to start at 8pm, i figured we would have decent seats and enjoy a nice evening.
since i had the wristbands required for entry, i first met mike, and we found and saved seats, before i headed back outside to meet vicki and bring her in. it had been my intention to save a few seats for terry and his co-workers, just in case, as we had tossed around the idea of meeting up.
mike, me, and vicki
when i returned with vicki, the entire row (other than our seats + 1) had been 'saved' by someone else, and shortly thereafter, terry texted me to see what/where we were. i told him we had an extra seat, but that i understood if he wanted to stay with his group. he decided to do so, but shortly after his arrival at the center, he texted again to tell me to come meet him at the stage.
our seats were in the front of the second section, and since the concert hadn't yet started, when i scanned the stage, i saw him easily. i told vicki and mike i'd be right back after saying hello, and when i got up to the stage, i asked if he planned on staying there. he said he absolutely was, but since the seating was open, i suspected he (we) might not be allowed, since it clearly obstructed the view of those sitting in the front rows -- but he said that he had confirmed with the contact at one of the main sponsors that it would be alright. so, of course, i decided to stay with him.
i just kept thinking that i wouldn't be able to afford tickets like that at a 'real' concert, and even if i could, how early would i have to be standing in a ticket line before the show sold out, and i couldn't pass up the opportunity to be that close. i texted vicki and told her to join me, and texted mike to ask him if he minded staying with the seats and the bags for a bit. this may sound lame but mike is not a big country fan, and truthfully, i just knew he wouldn't care.
while vicki was making her way to the front, we were joined by terry's co-workers, one of whom was reid. he had to ignore a few comments while making his way up to join us, as he is probably 6'3" and nobody likes a tall guy in front of them. but as it would turn out, i think his height was a huge factor in the evening's events.
and as we waited for the show to start, i told reed the story of hanging out with jason aldean and his band many years ago, and was fully confident that that would be the coolest band encounter story that i would ever have to tell. wow, was i wrong!
the show started and keith instantly had the audience rapt. his stage presence was incredible as was his ability to entertain. he performed three or four favorites from center stage (we were stage left) before moving to a microphone at stage right to perform another. at that point, we knew that he would find his way over to our side of the stage eventually, and we were all anticipating it eagerly!
an example of his engagement with the audience--he left the stage at one point, traveling around the room, before landing on a platform in the middle of the giant hall, where he proceeded to sing a couple of songs so that the people at the back of the room could actually SEE him. in that moment, i fell a little in love with him:)
there were a couple of other great moments before it got really exciting for me, including an on-stage stumble that he made light of, via song (happens at about 1:05 in the clip):
finally, it was our turn. he had started the song 'kiss a girl' and during a musical interlude in the song, he made his way to our side of the stage. we were all excited to be within a couple feet of him and i was very focused on getting some good photos. so focused, in fact, that i was completely oblivious to what was about to happen until out of the corner of my eye, i realized that terry and reed were pointing emphatically at me.
there was a brief flicker of understanding, followed by a brief flickr of panic, and i quite literally tried to melt into reed and become invisible. my long time friends and blog readers know how terrified i am of being in front of people, and while i know how crazy this sounds, in that split second, if there had been enough room for me to run, i would have done it and not looked back. but instead, reed gave me a gentle push, and suddenly, keith urban was holding my hand and walking me around the barricade to the security guard, who then escorted me onto the stage.
he told me to go to center stage and wait for a minute, and when i got there, i made the mistake of looking up and seeing the, literally, thousands of people looking at me! i also had NO IDEA what i was going to be doing up there, and truthfully, if i had known, i probably would have taken a stage dive then to get out of it, but it all happened so fast, i was saved from myself.
the next thing i knew, keith had chosen a guy from the center section and a girl from the right, and the microphone was in front of my mouth and he was asking me what my name was and where i was from.
i do not know what happened in that moment. i was possessed or something because i YELLED "im tara from huntington beach, california!' and the crowd went wild.
you know how people say that? 'the crowd went wild'? and it's usually tongue in cheek? well, the crowd literally went wild. i don't know if they all just really like california or what, but they were clapping and cheering and hooting and i understood why rock stars like being rock stars!
keith then asked the same questions of the guy and other girl, and the crowd was... supportive. i still don't know why they reacted to me the way i did, but even in that moment, i knew i was the crowd favorite. of course, what i didn't know is that that would dictate the rest of my onstage experience.
i still didn't know what we were going to be asked to do, but i suspected there would be some sort of keith urban trivia game going on, and i knew without a shadow of a doubt that i would completely blow it. the pressure was just too high.
and while i began to dread what was to come, all of the sudden, there was a microphone in my hand and keith said 'it's really easy, just sing the chorus.' and the music to 'kiss a girl' started back up and i didn't even take a breath before belting out:
I wanna kiss a girl I wanna hold her tight And maybe make a little magic in the moonlight
(so far so good)
Don't wanna go to far Just to take it slow
(oops, a memory lapse, but fortunately keith was on the ground next to me mouthing the lyrics)
But I shouldn't be lonely in this big ol' world I wanna kiss a girl!
and the crowd went ballISTIC! now keep in mind, i was not focusing on vocal quality or vibrato or anything, really. something just clicked in my mind when i started singing and a little voice said 'go big or go home - if you're gonna fail, fail spectacularly.'
so i was truly, legitimately surprised, when the audience reacted the way they did.
keith moved on to the guy and the other girl, and again, i could tell that the response was not as strong. but i didn't see what was coming, which was that he asked the audience to pick the best performance.
now despite the fact that the audience SEEMED to have thought i did the best job, just about every insecurity i have (and some i don't have) ran through my head. the guy was cute, the girl cuter, and i was pretty sure i didn't have a shot at 'winning'. i was preparing myself for the ego blow, when he put his hand over my head and the audience erupted. he did the same with the other two, and again the response was supportive but not as frenzied. i knew i had taken it, and couldn't believe that the girl who was taller than and weighs more than the country superstar had somehow won over the audience.
he came back over to me, put his arm around me and announced that there was a clear winner. the crowd cheered and clapped. at some point in this quickly passing moment, (maybe he also gave me a hug??) i whispered 'nothing like stage fright, right?' and he responded, saying 'you did awesome (how do you spell that with an australian accent?), you can SING!' and i basked. had the experience stopped there, it would still be the coolest experience of my life. but it didn't.
i know it's blurry, but it's also proof :)
of course, it took me a second to realize it...in fact i actually started walking off the stage, and he grabbed my shirt and said 'stay here'. so i stayed while he took the girl over to the guitar player and the guy over to the bass player and grabbed me and took me up to the center stage mic, and the two of us began singing the rest of the song.
even in the retelling, i can't help but wonder if it was all a dream. i kept trying not to crowd him since we were sharing the same mic, so he kept moving it closer to me until i finally just accepted the insane fact that i was going to be four inches from his face for the rest of the song.
the audience was so supportive and so into it, and i found my friends who, really, i owe the whole experience to, and gave them a 'can you believe this???' look, which turned out to be photo documented.
i also thought about the couple of co-workers i knew were in the audience (who i later found out had gotten their whole section chanting my name), as well as my sister's boss and co-worker from virginia, and just how cool it was that there were people there who would tell the story. as excited as i am to tell it, it is also pretty cool knowing that other people are telling it. does that make sense? does it seem vain? trust me, it's not vanity, but pure gratitude.
i have had a life FULL of amazing experiences. and every single time, i wonder why. why i am so lucky. i'm no more special than in the ways that we are all special and unique, and i have no idea why a guy (reed) who i had literally met a couple hours before would make such an effort to put ME in a spotlight, or why keith urban decided to take him up on his suggestion, or why an audience of 5,000 people decided that they liked me...and while i still find myself pretty mindblown by the why's, i am immensely grateful and unbelievably humbled.
towards the end of the song, keith interrupted himself to say/sing "maybe you wanna kiss a man, but i don't want to kiss a man', and during the last chorus, he changed the last line to 'i wanna kiss a man' for my benefit:) as we finished, he gave me a warm and surprisingly genuine hug and whispered ' you were so great.' and i told him how amazing an experience it had been and thanked him before making my way off stage.
and what was probably a 6 or 7 minute experience? came to an end. or, almost, anyway. i was surprised at the reaction i got when i returned to the crowd and my friends. people were touching my arms and grabbing my hands, and telling me how awesome i was. and when i got back to my group, reed gave me a big hug and said 'i didn't know you could actually sing.' yeah? me neither. at least, not like that.
yes, i've sung in choirs and small groups and i know that i have a decent voice, but you cannot prepare for something like that--it is so completely different from anything any normal person like me would ever experience in my life. and i was sooo not trying to sing WELL, i was just trying to 'fail spectacularly'.
keith ended up playing for just over two hours, and even that endeared me to him. as i understand it, that's about the length of his regular concert, and i felt certain since it was a relatively small group for him and a different kind of group, and because sheryl crow (a couple years before) had performed a short set, that he might be on stage for an hour-ish. but boy did he give us a show. and me in particular!
when the show ended, it took us about an hour to get out because people kept stopping me. my co-workers found me and were as stunned and excited as i was, and every few feet someone would recognize me and tell me how good i was and how lucky, and the look on some of their faces was pure awe. again i thought i could understand the appeal of superstardom, just a little:)
the experience was such a whirlwind, i didn't have much time to think, just react. i know there are things i've forgotten because they were so quick (ie were there two hugs or just one?) so i'm grateful that there were so many people taking photos (since i had none of my own), and that my colleague mike, ended up taking video of the entire thing (which i'm still waiting on). i've talked to my contact at the show, who emailed me to tell me that it 'couldnt have happened to a better person.', about getting a copy of whatever footage they have as well, and my only complaint is that they were all from the wrong angle, so of course, my chin and arms are terrible in all of them;) oh, and by the way, you know how they say you should always wear clean underwear in case you're in an accident? my new motto is 'always wear black in case keith urban pulls you on stage.' after all, black is far more forgiving and flattering...and SLIMMING!
as you might imagine, i'm still 'high' from the experience and i expect to be for awhile. if you're in the car with me anytime in the near future, you'll be listening to keith urban. and if you call me, your ringtone will be 'kiss a girl'.
there are many many many photos of the experience, some of them mine, some of them from friends and strangers, but all the ones in my possession are located HERE. when i have the video(s) i'll try and post, but i understand at least one of them is a huge file:)
lastly, i'll say one more time how grateful i am. every once in a while i get discouraged because my life is so far from what i thought it would be and wanted it to be at this stage in my life, but i also know and recognize often, just how blessed i am, that while i'm waiting for those dreams to come true, i get to have unbelievable experiences like this.
i. sang. with a grammy winner. on stage. in front of thousands of people.
most of you will know that i read a lot. sometimes 'actual' reading, and sometimes audio books. in fact, i've developed an audio book addiction, as it significantly helps pass the one-hour-each-way commute to work.
my latest audio book was 'the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society', and i absolutely loved it. i'm not sure that i would have taken to it as quickly in traditional book form, but the audio book format, and the different readers, entranced me from the first words.
i know (based on your goodreads shelves) that many of you have already read the book, but for those of you who haven't, let me see if i can convince you that you should.
the book consists solely of correspondence between the characters in post- wwII britain. every character description and plot narrative unfolded within the context of these letters, and you spend the entire book feeling like an eavesdropper or voyeur, and loving every minute of it.
fiction about this time period often feels dismal and sad, and while i'm not averse to serious subjects, i prefer to finish a book not wanting to kill myself. this book tackled subjects of sacrifice and loss, and circumstances i hope i never find myself in, in powerful and moving ways, without leaving me depressed and disheartened. instead, as i neared the conclusion, i found myself wanting to find out how it all ended while simultaneously never wanting it to end! and, of course, i found myself wanting to book the next flight to guernsey.
i won't go into the details of the plot, as you can read it for yourself, but suffice it to say that in my opinion, it has everything a good book should have...including british accents.
in addition to my 'reading', it's been a busy movie week! while in dallas, i absconded to a local theater in my off time to see 'secretariat', and i think it's fairly obvious that the movie appealed greatly to the horse-loving cow-girl in me.
my only fear had been that the 70's setting (and wardrobes) would be a distraction (not a fan), but it turned out to be a non-issue. i was reminded just how much i enjoy diane lane, john malkovich's portrayal of secretariat's trainer was laugh-out-loud funny, and yeah, i cried like a baby. just something about the power, intelligence, and sheer magnificence of an animal like that, tickles my weepy bone.
on friday a few of us from the ward got together to see 'the social network.' the reviews were good and the movie was as well. my roommate and i were surprised that we were the only girls in the group, but also not complaining. and, since our original show time preference was sold out, we had some time to kill before the next showing. since i'm on the road so much, there are so many people in my ward that i don't know very well, and the wait time gave me a chance remedy that.
i was a little embarrassed when i asked one of the guys in the group how he knew one of the other guys. his response was 'from the ward,' and i followed up with 'oh, how long have you been in the ward?' turns out, he's been in the ward for a year, and yes, i am a shmuck. ah well, just another reason i'm glad to be home for awhile!
i wrapped up movie week on saturday afternoon when my roommate and i took advantage of the drizzly day to lose ourselves in a little josh duhamel. i've actually been looking forward to 'life as we know it' for some time, and i'm glad to say that i wasn't disappointed.
i mean, it's a chick flick, so you pretty much know what you're going to get. and while it was fairly stereotypical, i also appreciated that there were some deeper layers and truly tender moments relating to unexpected parenthood. it, unlike most chick flicks, is on my 'to buy' list.
last but not least, i'll just mention that at both movies this weekend, in a trailer for a new reese witherspoon/owen wilson movie, there was a song i adored and had to look up later. turns out, i loved almost every itunes clip from the album and immediately downloaded it. if i ever get around to posting a new playlist (i'm sorry about that. really!) brendan james will definitely be on it. in the meantime, check him out for yourself. my favorites are 'the lucky ones' and 'the fall' (video below). it will take more time to be sure, but (dare i say it?) there may be a joshua radin dethroning in the future.
as i'm sure none of you remember, this conference, in 2009, was a bit rough. the booth setup was a challenge, the weather (hot and humid) was a challenge, and i remember being exhausted for most of the show.
this year could not have been more different. the setup was a breeze, and because of the knee, i could not actually work the booth during the show. the combination of these factors meant that i could really enjoy the trip, and while i don't mean to imply that i wasn't working as hard, things just seemed to fall into place more smoothly.
highlights from my 'play' time for the rest of the trip included breakfast at 39th street mama's, another diners, drive-ins, and dives restaurant, and a wacky bowling game at lucky strike (i watched and laughed and videod).
i was also super-excited that the concert being hosted by the conference was sara evans, a country singer i particularly enjoy. and thanks to melissa's early arrival, we had great seats.
a little blurry, but an event still worth being captured.
i finally met melissa's husband nick!
sara sang most of her well-known singles, but my favorite may have been when she covered 'i want you to want me,' and 'suspicious minds.'
and, while we're talking about highlights, let us not forget the scooter. the old lady scooter that my company allowed me to rent in order to avoid too much wear and tear on the knee, pre-surgery. the scooter was an absolute lifesaver. but more than that, it was a lot of fun. not only did i enjoy (possibly a little too much) wizzing by co-workers on our way to and from the convention center, but melissa challenged me to a scooter race.
i will confirm her version of the race, but ultimately we were both winners!
my trip was cut a bit short by having to return home for surgery, but all in all, it was absolutely fantastic. i can honestly say it would rank in the top 3 work trips i've had in the last two years, and i've had some great experiences. maybe the restlessness of having been grounded for the last couple of months was a factor but i was definitely ancy for a good time, and i got one!
many of you may remember me talking about a good friend i have here in california, who i have quite literally known for 13 years. when i moved here, he and his wife were the only two people i knew (aside from the cousins, of course), and they extended their friendship and love to me, most notably during the period after which i lost cyra.
brandon, at age 31, and within a month of my arrival, was diagnosed with germ cell cancer, and during the following months i was awed by his humility and his gratitude as he received treatment for the disease. he is now, thankfully, cancer free, and in recognition of the support he received during that difficult time, has shouldered the daunting task of creating, hosting, and performing at a concert to benefit the make-a-wish foundation.
the concert will be held on sunday, september 14th. for you non-mormon readers in the area, i highly encourage you to attend. for you mormon readers in the area, i'll leave it to your conscience as it is a sunday event. for my part, i will be on-hand to support someone who i am blessed to have in my life again, and who has provided a great deal of service to me.
if you are out of the area and can't attend, but are interested in supporting in a financial way (no pressure, but i'd be remiss if i didn't at least extend the opportunity), please contact brandon directly and tell him i sent you. tickets for the event are only $10, so obviously, large donations not expected:)
scene - mccarran international airport, on the floor by the lockers and vending machines, 6:23pm
probably since i was about 19, i have loved cirque du soleil. i saw them do a short performance on one of the late night shows and it was simply magic. ever since then, i have wanted to see them. i bought cd’s, saw the imax, but in all my visits to vegas (because seeing them somewhere else just wouldn’t have felt right!) i have never seen a performance. usually it was because of money, but if look deeper, maybe it was because i was afraid that it couldn’t live up to my expectations. in my mind it was this perfect theatrical event, and nothing is perfect, is it?
when i checked in to my room at treasure island, i immediately saw that i faced the mirage, which happens to have ‘love’ signage splashed all over it. calling my name. taunting me even. i was completely torn. ‘love’ is nontraditional for cirque, but it’s beatles music. i mean, it had to be good! but i knew cheap tickets were hard if not impossible to come by—it’s still too new.
being an event planner has it's perks
i mentioned to shauna that i had never seen them perform and she told me that it was an absolute must. she suggested i stop by the desk at treasure island to see if i couldn’t find any great single ticket prices. she must have known from my hesitation that i wouldn’t. and so it wasn’t long before we were both at the desk inquiring about various shows. in the end, she bought both our tickets to see love. i’m still not sure how that happened, but it was a very nice gift. even though i know it’s probably not a big financial deal for her to do that, what was most meaningful to me, was that she did it because she somehow understood how happy it would make me. she had no particular interest in seeing the show, but she knew it would be an extraordinary experience for me. and it was.
i'm in love
it was unlike anything i’ve ever seen. it can’t help but bring out an awe and wonder rarely present in adults. because, let’s face it. we’re kind of jaded . and as much as i loved the show, equally as powerful to me was the gesture.
the trade show itself was also a huge success. in this case, i measure that by the feedback from our agents. this show is different than any other show i’ve been involved with. our booth was to serve primarily as a place where our people could setup meetings with clients and prospects.
we had 140 in attendance, and monday and tuesday, our tables were packed. the advisors had nothing but rave reviews for the booth itself, which i understand has never before been true. the booth was buzzing with activity all day monday and for most of yesterday, which is exactly how it should be. there were no angry attendees, everyone had a table when they needed one, and as i understand it, there were some very productive meetings held.
the booth reception was also a great success . a first time for the company, we weren’t sure exactly what to expect, but it was near perfection. there were one or two minor complaints, and knowing that it is impossible to please everyone to perfection, i was actually quite proud of that fact. very rarely do i walk away from a show with less than 10 ‘do differently next time’ items, but i was struggling to come up with five.
the boss and i
we had a good advance team, and the execution was near flawless. it takes skill, but also a fair amount of luck to pull that off, but it seems that despite the rough beginnings of this trip, all was to work out well in the end.
i’ve moved now to mccarran airport where i’m finishing this post (i love airports with free wifi), and looking forward to arriving home. two more work days (both of which have been announced as ‘jean day’s – yay!!) before the long weekend, and then it’s only a couple more before my man arrives. i am ecstatic!
