Today, I had a wide gap between departures, so there was time to come home and take a nap on the clock. Bonus!
Beki: Honey, do you realize I'm making money right now?
Randy: Good
Beki: I'm getting paid to sleep with you.
Randy: Uh huh
Beki: Do you still respect me?
Randy: I'd respect you a lot more if you'd stop talking.
Last night, I got to sing with Danny Byram, a fantastic musician who has been part of my life and my family's life for over 25 years now. It was really fun to be a backup chick again and learn some challenging oooh's and aah's with a bunch of very talented musicians. In addition to opening the concert with Randy, my favorite part of the night was the big carol singalong. I am a nerd for a big carol singalong (especially if I get a microphone). It must have something to do with my parents' Christmas parties in the 1970's.
My mom's family is very musical and while my dad's guitar skills left something to be desired, he was better than he ever claimed to be, and he always surrounded himself with good musicians. In fact, Danny was one of those. He came to stay and work at the camp my dad ran when I was about 15 and gave me some of my first voice lessons.
Growing up in Buena Vista was pretty boring, but Danny would entertain us by coming over and playing cool pop songs on the piano and letting us all sing along. My best friend Roni always made sure she was spending the night if my parents were out late and Danny was in charge so we could sing Huey Lewis and Billy Joel songs with him. ;)
Speaking of the 1970s, another highlight of last night’s concert for me was singing “Two Hands” with Danny as an encore. I have a very distinct memory as a three year old of being held up by the hips by my mother at a concert listening to this song (originally recorded by Love Song) performed live by a group at our church, one hand up in the air and the other reaching forward and thinking that it would be cool to be in a band. I may have been singing along. It was my first live show.
My mother today informed me that the band I saw that night was "Mr. Jeff's band." Mr. Jeff was a musician who moved in with my family when he was about 30 and I was 6. The deal my father made with him was that he could live with us rent free following his divorce as long as it was okay with my mom, but he had to write down one of his songs a day. He had written and performed hundreds of original songs but never written them down!
I had to move out of my bedroom and share with my sister so that he could have a room, so I made a deal with him that he had to sing me any new material first. He taught me James Taylor songs and was the first person ever to tell me that I was off key and show me how to work out a harmony. He was very frustrated with that process and so was I because everyone tells a 6 year old that everything they sing is beautiful but I will forever be grateful for the moment he looked at my little 6 year old face and said, "You're off key! Stop going sharp!"
He put of a few of the poems I had written at age 5 to music, and wrote me a bluesy song about my stubbed toe which became a hit with the neighborhood kids, then went on to write some kids' songs and a musical called "Doodlebugs" after he left our home a year later. I like to think we helped him learn to work with the kids' market.
At rehearsal the other night, Danny told me I was going sharp as I completely botched his arrangement of "O Little Town of Bethlehem." Dangit! It still happens all the time. I am fortunate to have friends with perfect pitch and lots of patience.
For the first 12 years or so, four different dentists told me nothing was wrong. Finally a few years back, the x rays at Endodontics of Cherry Creek found it!
"It" was a broken dental file lodged in the tip of my root canal since a procedure in the early 90s.
Not only did it mean I had a foreign object in my mouth, but it also meant the original infection was blocked from being completely cleared. Every 4-6 weeks for the past 17 years or so, my body loses the fight and I experience the symptoms of an abcess tooth for a few days til I can fight it off again. A second root canal proved unsuccessful.
Yesterday Dr. Ellen Sachs removed IT.
If you want to gross yourself out, look up apical surgery on youtube; otherwise just take my word for it.
At the moment, I'm recovering well but a little frustrated that the only way to rig an ice pack involves a gag order. Randy must think this is hilarious!
Red Rocks has been a frequent hangout for me between tours and volunteering for Love Hope Strength and corporate events. The only show I actually bought tickets to was Peter Gabriel, but I wound up there for several rainy evenings anyhow. Here's a brightly colored crowd in their rain gear waiting for the storm to pass. 
and a shot of the first-ever dinner seating for thousands IN the amphitheater itself. So bright it could be seen from the highway.
Kathy finished her ep "Little Seasons" and we had the release party at Solid Grounds. CDs arrived last minute as they always do, and this UPS guy had no clue what to think when he was greeting with cheers and a camera by three women--one with a mandolin and one with an accordion! 
It was tons of fun and Kris flew in for it, which meant we had to rent an accordion from Alice who teaches accordion and you can bet her students have a good time.
My brother Matt & his family came to visit and we had a good time catching up with Matt, Kate, & Asha. Uncle Randy and Asha acting all mature at a happy hour...the owner gave Asha some dough to play with.
Asha in the dustpan downtown. We went to the art museum but it was closed, so we played checkers at the Children's Library and went to the top floor of the Hyatt Regency where we met some German tourists and took the stairs down.
In other work-related news, the big construction box was finally removed from the airport! No more fountain, no more construction mess. No more people rolling their eyes at me when I have to push past them because they have blocked the only narrow entrance to the TOE. I'll miss my righteous indignation a bit.
