Reality TV Blog Style

A few days ago, a friend made a comment that I should have my own reality TV show after reading a Facebook post describing an unfortunate event in my life. I heartily agree. Not only do random odd things happen to me, but for some reason I tend to encounter strange people. This last week, I unfortunately wasn't wearing my head cam so I will blog the reality for you to enjoy what was missed!

The first is a story that actually won't be shared. Incredibly embarrassing was the event, but left me and a dear friend in tears as I told her what happened. And the only reason she found out is because she called me right after the event happened. Lets just say it involved a bag of carrots and digestion.

Two days later, in preparation for a current show I'm performing in, I sat poolside working on my guitar skills. I had two chairs with me functioning in two different roles: one to support me, and one to support my music. The chair that was supporting my music was also attracting a wasp who didn't seem to have anything else to do. At first the wasp did his thing, and I kept strumming. Then for some reason, a change of events began to happen: when the wasp was ready to take a lap to the other side of the pool, he felt the need for a fly by of my face. It started to annoy me, so I took my script and took a strong swipe at the wasp. The CD that was inside frisbeed out and flew a good distance away. After retrieving my CD, I came back to my seat where the wasp after just a few short minutes once again started his fly-bys. Lets call the wasp Maverick. Maverick was on my last nerve, so I picked up my script again, and with a hearty home run swing, the script found its way out of my hands, into the air and landing with a flop into the pool. (Enter expletive here) My lifeguard instinct travelled me quickly over to the victim, and luckily after triaging the situation realized I didn't have to jump in. I pulled the soaking wet victim from the pool and rushed it into the house where I had to pull apart page by page the almost drowned lines and music, sitting it out over the entirety of my house to dry.

Two days later I was with a friend at the Costco concessions stand, waiting patiently to order my food, when suddenly I find an older woman in my personal face space. With no introductions or everyday pleasantries, she cuts to the chase.

"What kind of bike do you have" she asks.

With a perplexed face I replied, "Excuse me?"

"Bike" she said, "What kind of bike do you have."

"A bike? Like a motorcycle? I don't own one sorry" Then looking down I realized I had a faint graphic of a bike on my t-shirt which naturally made this woman think that I actually own one. I mean--usually when I see people with horses on their shirts, my immediate thought is, oh, they must have a Clydesdale at home.

"Oh, you are talking about my shirt" I said with understanding.

"My son is a champion" she said adorning a smile.

"That's great" I said supporting her joy.

"Next please" the concessions attendant pipes up with great volume. So I stepped up to order my food in internal thanks that this awkward conversation was forced to stop. Thinking I was in the clear, I then hear my elderly friend spout out some foreign motorbike name.

On auto repeat I said, "Excuse me?"

She repeated the name and followed with "If anyone ask you want kind of bike you have you just tell them (fill in the bike brand here)"

I didn't know what to do with that. I collected my food and drink and quietly slipped away. I'm glad she didn't see the rainbow on my flip flops.

Nashville With a Big Red Bow

Through my life, I see how much I'm blessed. It's daily. But sometimes the gifts come in a little bit bigger of a package than normal. Some would call the gifts luck or random: but I would disagree. I would call the Giver who gives the gift--wise. One who knows just when to give a little something extra.

On October 4th I made my journey to Nashville, TN. My first stop was my living quarters: the house of my host family. The door opened and I was greeted by two amazing people: Jeff and Cindy Loring, not to mention a homemade soup accompanied with fruit, cheese and crackers. From the moment I stepped in their door I was instant family and was going to be taken care of for three weeks except that "taken care of" is such an understatement of how they really treated me. I felt like royalty. We ate many meals together, had many conversations, hit the town, watched Antique Roadshow and Dancing With the Stars on regular occasion, laughed, and just got to rest in one another's presence. I spent many hours swinging on their porchswing, playing the guitar, basking in the sun, watching the little puppies have there outdoor activity time and just being.

The next door I stepped through was to the home of my Hello Dolly cast. We can call them my second Nashville family. How precious they all turned out to be. From the start I was received with such warmth and kindness. As I think on each cast family member such fond memories surface: Ashley doing her lazy eye Minnie Fay: Michael talking about prostitutes in the aisle during the middle of a show; Carrie making me belly laugh on many occasions; Graham taking my First Call lyric quizzes; Bonnie just sitting down and having good conversation; Nan giving the best hugs ever; Kirk being my downtown Nashville pal; Katie proving her true title of the karaoke queen; Maggie tying my apron before each show; and the list could go on and on. I find myself smiling now after making that list. But it was so good. It was a show I was so proud of, a character I really felt true in portraying, and a performance I wanted the world to see.

The city of Nashville was such an amazing place: the food, the people--it is a city that is warm and homey. Everyday before the show I would either visit Frothy Monkey or Bongo Java for a pumpkin muffin and a coffee of sorts. I looked forward to it. I looked forward to every day and would hate when my current day would have to end. I feel like I had so much to do, so much to see, so much to share with other people. Three weeks was not enough.

Tokyo, Japan is a place I never dreamed I would have lived. To be honest Asia is a destination that would have never been on my "to visit" list. But I was blindsided by a wise gift. I remember my very last day at Tokyo Disney, I walked behind my outdoor theatre and I looked up in the sky and told the Lord, "You just gave me a gift with a really big red bow on it." My last performance of Hello Dolly, before the show started, I returned to that same outdoor alter, looked up at the sky and repeated the prayer that came out of my heart just years before, "You just gave me gift with a really big bow on it." The Giver did. And I'm so grateful.