6 days 'til NYC!

Am catching up on some domestic work I've been neglecting. I'm all about recycling and being kind to mother Earth but I draw the line at recycling underwear! Time to do the laundry! I don't have a wash room per se so I fold clothes on my kitchen table. I tell people who come into my house that, if there's underwear on the kitchen table, there's a 98 percent chance it's clean (there is always that minute possibility that the guest has walked into something kinky but that's only a remote, outside chance. Still, there are never any guarantees in this life are there...?)

Speaking of kinky stuff and things that go bump in the night, if you didn't make it to the UUCS Espresso Yourself Coffeehouse last night, you missed another good one. I could just watch and listen to Joel Anderson play violin all night and the banter between him and Don Rollins is fun to watch, both of them natural hams.

My own hubby and son, Nigel, did a wicked rendition of George Thorogood's Bad to the Bone with lead singer Jeff on guitar, Nigel with his sultry baritone saxophone, and a supporting drum line played through Nigel's ipod. Both are so electronically adept and George would be proud!

Another "Partridge Family" act was Nana & Two Grandchildren, Abby Fowler (I wish she were my grandmother!) on keyboard, granddaughter Paige playing flute and big brother Tristen on trombone. The trio was simply charming and they played so well together as did Teresa and Chuck Hall, who found their groove playing a Steve Miller tune.

The patient, good-natured audience suffered through yet another of my scripted monologues, my lame attempt at humor, this one about my upcoming trip, and Jeni Allred shared some of her verse, this time calling on her sunny muse. And of course there were many other talented performers, too many to name here, and we rocked and rolled our way along for two and half hours. The good news is these coffeehouses will run through the summer, the next one set for June 25.

8 days 'til NYC!

Never did find any shoes. What can I say -- I have awkward feet! But I'll manage... I had a little fashion show of sorts and got the family's opinion on my wardrobe, not that I'll listen to them anyway. After much stressing and some alterations, I likely won't be taking the cool little black party dress as I'm told folks don't dress up anymore to go to shows in New York. I had it hemmed really, really short, going for a Tina Turner look. (It looks great but you learn very quickly that bending over is not a good idea in a dress like that!)

No worries, though. I put together a sheer black spaghetti-strap top with some classic jeans and wedge heals, going casual-chic, going to a show! Didn't tell you: we're going to see Tony n' Tina's Wedding, an off-Broadway musical which premiered in 1988. It is the second longest running play in off-Broadway history and has ran longer than 99% of all Broadway Musicals in New York. Pilley Bianchi, the generous hosting musician extraordinaire in this saga, was the musical director for that show for seven years. OMG. OMG. This is just way too cool!

11 days 'til NYC

Off to shoe shop this a.m. Asking Universe for sole satisfaction today. :)

Coffeehouse this Friday

Hello Nice People! The UUCS Espresso Yourself Coffeehouse is this Friday, May 28, at 7. I'll be doing a bit about my upcoming trip to NYC. Do ya think NYC is ready for me?! And Jeff will be doing some licks on his guitar, although he is quite "shy" and so has devised some special techniques to combat his "stage fright."

Admission is only two dolla, plus a non-perishable item for the Total Ministries food barrel. See y'all there!

12 days 'til NYC

I am, of course, very excited and pleased about the buzz this little blog is causing around the UUCS. Everyone wants to know when my trip is: June 4-6 -- twelve days 'til liftoff! The amount of energy I'm pouring into preparing is more in line with a two-month sojourn to Paris or Madrid or some other exotic overseas local. No worries though, the Universe has taken care of my urge to over pack with baggage fees! Universe is crafty that way sometimes...

I have been shopping for clothes, which, contrary to the feminine stereotype, I generally deplore. One of the first things I'd check off my wish list were I to win the lottery is 'personal shopper.' Just bring me stuff that looks good and is comfortable and spare me ever having to go to that *@#! mall again. I have been in and out of so many stores lately, mostly coming home empty- handed because I just couldn't find what I wanted; usually I don't really know what I want but figure I'll recognize it when I find it. Maybe that's an effective strategy. Maybe not.

I did find this really cool little black party dress at a consignment shop but later realized it is very hot, not in the good way but in the I'm-sweating-like-a-pig way. (And no, I'm not in menopause -- I've been a sweater all my life. Ughh!) I was going to return the dress but then decided to take it to my alterations lady just to see what she thought about possibly removing the skirt's inner lining. Before I knew what hit me, she had the scissors at it so it is mine now come what may. In the meantime, my mother-in-law, who "does" NYC every year, says people no longer dress up to go to the theater, wear jeans and such these days. Drats!

I've been shoe shopping because everyone tells me you walk a lot in New York. So I need something comfortable and cute too. In one shop, the friendly salesman said, "That's you!" with every shoe I put on and I got the feeling he'd have said the same no matter if I'd tried stilettos or waders. (BTW, an inexpensive way to aerate your lawn is to invite all your girlfriends over for line dancing on the lawn, in stilettos! But you have to limit the booze -- they have to stay upright for the trick to work!) I'm still looking for some good walking shoes. One shop had really nice shoes but I came out empty-handed with a bad case of sticker shock: $140 is NOT a sale people!

And so the saga continues...

Gaaah Lay, David!

David Monn, who is considered by many to be "The" NYC event planner, creates atmospheres dripping with elegance and style to the umpteenth degree. He dressed the New York Plaza in spectacular lights for the 100th year celebration; orchestrated the Guggenheim International Gala; helped Tiffany & Company find just the right look for the Blue Book (jewel) Collection debut and the list of fabulous parties and ritzy events he's given the magic touch goes on and on. He's entertained celebrities, royalty, presidents and CEOs; is a contributing editor to Departures (travel) Magazine and is the expert event planner Martha Stewart called when she wanted to put together a wedding special, which also featured famous dress designer Vera Wang, among others.

What David has to do with anything is this: Bianchi Musica -- Pilley Bianchi and her team -- is among the entertainment creme de la creme that David calls upon to lend musical elegance to these fabulous parties. Now I never thought I was affected by celebrity but as it turns out, I am.

The closest I've ever come to meeting a real life celebrity was when then UUA President Bill Sinkford graced us with his presence upon UUCS's 50th anniversary. All the pillars of the church, the movers and shakers, were scurrying around getting things ready. Seeing these folks -- people for whom I have great respect and am awed to work alongside -- so affected by the anticipated visit threw me. I had no frame of reference with which to process this. So when the big day came and Sinkford spoke at our little church, I was clueless as to what to say to this man who loomed so large. I shook his hand and heard myself say, "I just love you," in my pronounced southern drawl, which always gets more pronounced when I'm nervous. But then this highly educated, very well-spoken, urbane man could not think what to say either! What does one say when a swooning southern girl professes her love to you on first meeting, nary a mule nor milkcow nor shotgun in sight!? "Well," he said, his voice faltering before he bailed out, turning his attention to the next person in line.

I'm not sure NYC is ready for me... Gaaah lay, wud jew look at thaaat?! And so the saga continues...

Red Alert: Don't touch that button!

I did it again, held the door open for a computer virus to come in. I foolishly ignored the Norton box that kept popping up, something about needing to shut down the computer or did it say it needed to run a scan? I can not for the life of me hold the computer mechanics lingo in my head and so can't tell husband what the hell happened when he sits down at the computer and can't access the internet. I was finished with what I needed to do and so was sunbathing, thinking nothing more of the little "episode" in which the impostor firewall windows thingy kept popping up saying I needed to run this program as it has detected a virus or a Trojan horse or a demented cow or something. I don't know. Of course, that little thing WAS the virus! What a dirty rotten trick. Who dreams up these things? Imagine what they might accomplish if they set their creative talents to constructive schemes!

Husband is a patient man, God help him, and didn't give me the tongue lashing I know I likely would have given him had the situation been reversed. He ran diagnostic checks, defragmented, cleaned some cookies, got on his hands and knees and pulled wires out of the back of the computer and finally got on the horn with tech support, who ultimately did not solve the problem either. This is how he spent his Saturday night. He called for back-up and the remedy was found, by my father-in-law. I have no idea what it was. All I know is that it worked and I am grateful and my research may resume, with this mantra playing in the back of my head: Norton good, anything else, bad. Trust only Norton. Norton is my friend. Got it!

It's a date!

The ticket has been bought. I'm going to NYC June 4-6, arriving Friday afternoon and returning home on Sunday. So now I gotta go shopping and find something to wear! And I have to get to the tanning bed to get the white shine off these legs -- don't wanna blind all those New Yorkers with these alabaster, cabbage Patch kid appendages!

Pilley and I have exchanged a few e-mails and have already had some giggles. This is going to be sooo much fun!

Pilley Bianchi

Okay so who is Pilley Bianchi, other than this fabulous pianist and the one who unwittingly precipitated this whole adventure? She is the owner of Bianchi Musica, which specializes in providing just the right music for high-end weddings and other posh events. She often works with Jung Lee of Fete, from the TLC show "Wedded to Perfection." A quick view of the Fete website and OMG, this is some high class, gorgeous stuff. The designs Fete creates couldn't be any more beautiful or glamorous if Claude Monet and Sophia Loren had crafted them, with Martha Stewart and Ethan Allen assisting! So you know Pilley's artistry is off the hook for her to be getting gigs like these.

According to her website, which is equally impressive, Pilley has appeared as a keyboardist/featured talent on MTV, vh 1, BET, Oxygen, and HBO and is a 2010 judge for the Independent Music Awards and much more. But before all this, she took piano lessons right here in Spartanburg with Converse College's Carol Starnes, who is something of a legend in local music/piano circles and highly respected among her colleagues. A fitting follow-up, Pilley went on to study at the prestigious Eastman School Of Music, which only admits a small percentage of applicants each year, and then to the University of Miami for her masters.

You could say I'm bowled over by all this glamorous success and you'd be right. Wow, oh, wow! Don't you just love meeting people whose light is fully on and watching them shine in all their glory?! More will be revealed...

Wheee!

I reeled for days over this prospect, me going to NYC to meet this pianist, Pilley Bianchi, and write a story about her. There was a painful few days of lag time when I didn't hear from Keith. The more time passed, the more remote and ridiculous the whole idea seemed. I had about decided that I would be relieved if she told Keith it wouldn't work. I don't need to go to New York to write this story I assured Keith. "Yes, but it is so much more glamorous," he said. Yes, Keith, it is.

Then he e-mailed and said he'd talked to her and she was enthusiastic about the idea. Oh.

"I am excited, terrified, giddy, guffawing, elated and did I mention, TERRIFIED," I wrote back. "I had just about convinced myself that this was a completely insane idea, like something I had dreamt, that would never happen and shouldn't, calming myself with this pseudo Zen thinking, and then I get this e-mail and there goes my serenity! My insides feel like that lottery gadget with all the little balls jumping....Trying to remember to breath...Where's that paper poke? Has to be one around here somewhere...Whew, whew, whew, innnhale, exxxxhale..."

This was on April 29. The next day I had my first contact with Pilley, via e-mail. More heavy breathing and lottery balls jumping. Then this morning Keith e-mails me the flight confirmation. This is really going to happen!!!! More heavy breathing. Wheeeee!

Me in NYC!?!

This whole NYC business started just over two weeks ago when UUCS Music Director Keith Plumley, who I had been putting off a bit regarding "an idea" he had for me, said he wanted to send me to New York to meet and write a story about this fabulous pianist from Spartanburg who will be playing at UUCS this summer. I immediately told him I couldn't do it, couldn't afford it. "No, no. I would pay for you to go," Keith said. "But I just don't know if it will work with your busy schedule."

"I, I, I could probably find some room," I heard myself say, my throat tightening, my stomach doing somersaults. This was before the service. I have no idea what the minister's sermon was about that day. I was reeling, reeling, reeling, alternately ecstatic and terrified, smiling and tearing up. OMG, OMG, OMG this can't be real. Is he serious? I knew the answer to that. Yes, Keith was serious. But I've never even been on a plane before. And NYC! Me in NYC? Breath, breath... Wheeeeeeeee. I wanted to shake my head vigorously while blowing my breath out audibly, letting my jowls flap in the breeze. I had a hard time being quiet during silent meditation!

This is only a test

This is a test of the emergency broadcast system. This is only a test. Had this been an acutal emergency, we all would have ran naked into the streets screaming "Mama Mia, Mama Mia, Please don't let me go."