Busy weekend - I couldn't figure out why I was so tired this evening, but looking back - I got a lot accomplished! No wonder I'm tuckered!
Friday night I performed at the Moveable Music School Coffeehouse with my friends Gil and Sarah Jaysmith. Gil and Sarah compose beautiful songs and recently asked me if I'd like to sing with them - silly Jaysmiths. When do I ever turn down an opportunity to sing? We did a four song set - Gil performed two solos, I did one, a great torch song called "Your Victim," and then Gil and I finished with a duet called "Walk with You" which went over really well - someone audibly said "wow" as the applause started. Hooray for us!
There were a number of other greats acts playing at the Moveable Music School:
"Hint of Lime" (named for the Tostitos). They play gypsy jazz and boss-nova type stuff.
Gary Cyr and Ron Usher - there was a lot of ukelele happening that night. At the intermission Gary strapped his uke onto me (no that's not a euphemism) and convinced me I needed to learn how to play. I think he's right. Ron invited me to the monthly ukelele circle that is happening this Tuesday - apparently it's like, 80 ukeleles in one place. MADNESS! I am so going.
The headliners, "Brighter Lights, Thicker Glasses." These dudes were AMAZING. Here they are playing a gypsy jazz version of a Bach tune - hence the wigs. They were very diverse. They played a bluegrass waltz that made me teary, a classical guitar piece inspired by a Spanish painting, and a gypsy jazz version of "Pump the Jam." Their encore? "The Sultans of Swing."
Yesterday I had a Zumba date with my friend Caitlin. Zumba is one of my new fitness loves - it's basically Latin dancing combined with interval training, and good God, is it a workout. It's also a hoot. Lots of smiling, sweating, shimmying, and shakin' your booty.
After Zumba, I headed out to my cousin Bob's house for some family time. Sal (sister to Bob, cousin to me) was in town and makin' dinner and I don't say no to free cousin dinners. Bob's kids are 5, 4 and almost 2 and they are absolutely precious to me. I played hockey with Owen, did puzzles with Sidney, and danced with Leah - pretty much all at the same time. Owen gave me the very precious gift of a sticker from his hockey sticker book, which is now proudly displayed on the front page of my Daytimer. Before Sid went to bed, she asked me when I could come back for a tea party. I told her I would work it out with her Mom, and Sidney told me she was free on the weekend - and that my "inviting letter" would be in the mail today. They just crack me up so much, these kids.
Today I managed to drag my butt out of bed by noon (!) to do a workout outside, as I didn't want to waste the sun, and then I headed to J Lounge in my old neighbourhood, the West End, where my friend Sabrina was hosting a Tony Awards cabaret. My friends Kate and Cathy were also performing at the cabaret and I got up to sing my favourite Barbra Streisand moment in an attempt to win beer - in Funny Girl, when Fanny's racing to meet Nicky and misses the boat, and heads out on tugboat through New York Harbour, and she's standing at the the bow, and she belts out "Hey Mr. Aaaaaarnsteeeeeein - heeeere IIIIIII aaaaaaaaaaaaam!" And she's wearing a fur hat and an orange dress and it's just fabulous. Sigh.
My friend Kate and her blow-up doll - performing at J Lounge. No, don't ask.
A nice leisurely stroll home to Gastown from the West End with my friend Damon, and now I'm really ready for bed. A busy week ahead, full of professional networking and social events, including the ukelele circle, a big-screen showing of Company (Sondheim!), a reunion with some Pearsonites, and a seawall walk-n-talk with Kate (minus the blow-up doll, I think). I don't know how I ever played the 9-to-5 game...