Emceeing

So Friday I got to emcee the 7th Street's Young Artist Showcase. I was kind of nervous, which was not assuaged much by Ray's introducing me as a "local media celebrity." Okay, it totally cracked me up. The guy is hilarious and completely unappreciated by the masses who need Jim Carrey mugging to understand a funny line. I was considered successful in spite of a few slips because I did not curse (yay me!) and I kept the show moving along at breakneck clip. I also ad libbed some stuff when the piano bench appeared to break in the middle of the concert. Not break so bad it fell apart but got wobbly in one of the legs. Luckily Ray had told me how expensive the bench was the night before (when it was just wobbly in the seat, not the legs) and I told the audience to save that particular seat would be $500.

The show was as good as it gets. I mean, I've only seen one other one (last year) and apparently the first year's attempt was marred by excessive length. The kids just poured their little hearts out. There were numerous singers in rehearsals that bonked on their lines, but that did not happen. I even got a hug from little Jordan Bridges, who seemed preciously theater-y, if that makes any sense. You know, lots of extroverted, positive but somewhat untamed enthusiasm. The one act I did not see in rehearsals was the one that stood out for me. It was a little blonde 10-year-old in a dress with a red pleather vesty top connected by black mesh across the midriff to a flouncy skirt, getting tap dance insane to Crazy Frog's rendition of "Axel F." If you do not know this song, you are really missing out. She apparently dances during Seattle Storm games twice a week, which is a real haul. I don't think there's another 10-y-o out there who can body pump like this kid; it's called attitude, and she should give classes in it.

After the show Ray and I had some raspberry wine from the Westport winery with friends John and Carrie. I am not a dessert wine person, but this was so totally awesome that Sunday Ray and I hit the winery and tried a bunch of their wines and ended up getting some for guest situations, which are sure to occur once his floors are finished.

On Saturday we met up with my friend Lindley and her husband Phill for dinner before going to the Tacoma Concert Band's Sousa Extravaganza. The band was dressed up in these black smocks with gold piping that made them look like Haley Bopp Comet cultists, and the director, who was Ray's band director at the University of Puget Sound, had on a military-esque uniform with medals and cap and even a fake moustache and glasses to perfect the impersonation of Sousa for the stage. Or, as Ray pointed out, the thing wasn't so much an impersonation as it was an experiential tribute to the man (there are some tribute artists who do not like being called impersonators, lest it make a caricature of the impersonated). The music was totally entertaining (except for the "Songs of Grace, Songs of Glory" Sunday snorer, which Lindley totally warned me about), and the band was really good. They also have a huge American flag that covered the back wall of the stage completely. I figured it cost, minimum, as a special deal to a non-profit, $5,000. Phill said $15,000 to $20,000. But no, the director said it wasn't even $1,000.

We did all this after another pre-epic bike ride prep. We went down to the national wildlife refuge to check out the local shorebirds festival on our bikes and then did the 2 mile or so trot around the plank walkway then biked back, which was so much easier on account of the wind being behind us and we stopped in at LaVogue's bike shop and I got my tires pumped. It turns out we could not figure out how to set the pump for schrader tires, only presston tires. Or however you spell those. We got it squared away and the LaV guy used the air compressor on my tires anyhow. It was also nice that the weather went from kind of gray and a bit misty to sunny on the ride out there. By the ride back it was beautiful, sunny skies all the way.

I was hoping that next weekend I'd get a rest. Not so much: I'm working. And I've got to take part in a Young Author's conference as a presenter with two bosses. I think they think I can connect with kids.

Sunday was gorgeous and so was today. Perhaps things are starting to take a turn for the better.