My Dad on TV!

Hi Friends!!

I'm so excited to tell you that my dad was on TV this morning, singing with the Phoenix Symphony Chorus. Dad has been a part of a number of choruses. He was part of the Seattle Symphony Chorus when we lived in Seattle and then in Phoenix was a part of 4 or 5 different choruses, including the Phoenix Symphony Chorus, which sometimes performs with the Phoenix Symphony but frequently performs together without the symphony.

The Symphony Chorus has been featured on a number of local morning shows the last few weeks, in promotion of their upcoming series of concerts performing Handel's Messiah. However, today was the first day that my dad was free from school (its finals) and able to be there. Check out the interview below with the director of the Symphony, Michael Christie, and an excerpt from the Messiah performed by the Chorus. My dad is in the back row on the left!

Just in case you aren't sure what my dad looks like, here is a photo of me and dad from Ben's recent wedding.

"My name is ____ and I'm a ninth generation circus performer"

I struggled with even how to title this post. I didn't it to be just about clowns or my long-held desire to be a clown. But I didn't know a circus-y phrase that would capture the spirit of what I'm about to tell you about.

People - listen to this: There is a miniseries on PBS (6-1hr episodes) called "Circus"  - which documents the life in one year of the Big Apple Circus.

If you are like me, that sentence alone should be enough to make you want to check your local PBS listings and figure out how to carve 6 hours in order to watch this really fascinating show.

Just in case it isn't... here's a more elaborate review after having watched 2 gripping hours of this journey.

The Big Apple Circus is a "traditional one-ring European-style circus." This series is the story of all the people it takes to make a circus - from the talent who are the most obvious members of the circus troupe (trapeze artists, equestrian, clowns, jugglers, etc) to the producers and directors to the "ring crew" the people who really make the magic happen as the circus moves from town to town. You learn about their history, their lives, their performances, and how it all comes together. And its magical.

I'm not kidding - MAGICAL and fascinating. I wondered if watching this documentary would sort of ruin it for me. You know, that if I saw the "man behind the curtain" I would no longer believe in the Wizard. But if anything, it actually makes me love the circus MORE by seeing how it all comes together. The series gives you a glimpse into how the "circus people" live: the ring crew and staff live in basically "walk-in closets" (bunks and shelves, with no internal bathrooms) - food is provided for them by the circus; the producers/directors/performers live in RV's. The children attend school in a one-room schoolhouse (which is also a trailer). And people have real lives throughout the year, as you watch (one gets arrested, another becomes ill, etc). It gives you a glimpse into how the acts come together, how new people are trained, and how the show itself is shaped.

You can buy the series on PBS, if you know someone who would like it. Since PBS is in jeopardy around the country, it would be worth it to do so. But you can also watch full episodes online (as well as some exclusive web clips).

I give "Circus" five big tops out of five - for compelling drama, exciting athletics, and entertaining people. Check it out.

First - respond in the comments about what performer you'd like to be in a circus (if any) - or what your favorite part about the circus is!

Next - check out this clip, which is about clowns (because I've always wanted to be a clown and go to children's wards and cheer up kids):

Watch the full episode. See more Circus.

Finally, you can go to this website for more clips and full episodes.
http://www.pbs.org/opb/circus/video/

Week in Review

Some of my blogging friends post review of their weeks or months and since my life has been so crazy lately that I haven't even been able to write the posts that I've started, I thought it might be fun to do a some week in review postings over the next few weeks just so that I can keep the blog updated.

So, here we go!

Last week was crrrrrazy!

Sunday: I had my last Sunday with the Growing Kids Sunday school class for a few weeks - it was INSANITY - 30+ kids and for a while, no parent helpers. Needless to say, I almost fell asleep during church I was so exhausted. Later, my friend Jessica and I watched Amazing Race together.
Monday: I worked a long day to make up for going out of town. I was asked to talk on the phone and to my coworkers less, which left a bad taste in my mouth as I headed home to pack for a trip to Phoenix.
Tuesday: 7 hours in the car with my dog, followed by a shopping trip with my mom where we found a great wedding outfit for her, jewelry and makeup. After grama went to sleep we got blizzards and it was like the best blizzard EVER! (It had truffles in it - enough said)

Wednesday: We celebrated my mom's 40th service anniversary with her company. We had a great time at her work, meeting her coworkers and hearing anecdotes about her awesomeness.

Thursday: Shopping with Grama at Goodwill stores around town. We had a good time and got her a pair of winter boots for $8 - score! Later that night, all three of us got dressed up and went downtown to hear my dad sing with the Phoenix Symphony Chorus. The concert was really good and we had really terrific seats on the main floor!

Friday: Grama, mom and I packed up the dogs and the car and headed to El Centro to get ready for Ben's wedding. (Dad joined us in the afternoon) We had a fun lunch with Ben, Isabel and Angel (my new nephew) and later, mom, dad and I took Angel out to dinner and a movie.

Saturday: My brother got married!!! Before that we had a fun lunch with some of my aunts and uncles, and we helped get all the details set up for the event. It was really awesome to see Ben so happy and in love and to know that he and Isabel are a good fit for each other.

Sunday: I had driven with my aunts back to San Diego after the wedding and so we spent a relaxing day exploring La Jolla and Coronado Island - the weather was great and we had some great laughs! Later, we watched the Amazing Race together.

It was a kind of exhausting week, but also really fun. This next week promises to also be exhausting but fun. I'll be posting about it next week.