So Why In The Heck Didn't WE Ever Do Something Like This?...

I mean, it really does beat all the junk that Jerome always had to haul backstage, especially in the beginning, or all the heavily weighted red and purple bags of Christmas cr*p that he'd receive year after year that he probably had to end up leaving for the stage hands hands to pick through anyway. And remember the Purple Roses project in Raleigh where they actually walked the aisles handing them out to everyone because there was such a frickin' boatload of them?

Makes me sad somehow.

But this really makes me happy... for some odd reason. Especially for Kris.



Ok... enough schmoopiness.

Thinking caps back ON peoples!

ETA: I'm kidding! Shoot, the creativity and love that's been extended to that man could have powered him to the moon and back... 10,ooo times. But STILL what a very, very cool idea this was!

Technorati tags:
Clay Aiken, Kris Allen

Another Obligatory Father's Day Tribute?...

I mean, when you grow up without one (for all intents and purposes) that third Sunday in June always just sort of sneaks up on you somehow, sort of like a (well, like pretty much anything else in life that sneaks up on you at the most inopportune or inconvenient of times.) I could list several of them as examples but I'll just let you use your imagination.

Disclaimer: Yay, I Finally Got One! Even if I DID have to wait until years after I'd left home. So anyway, I've pretty much always since then thought of it as "Grandpa's Day" or "Son-In-Law's" Day.

But I have this very real sneaking suspicion that Parker will always welcome this day for years and years to come... with open arms.



Ok... so that's about the best I can do for now. But please feel free to check out these links below for some far more inspiring perspectives...

Carolina On My Mind
Clay The Man
Clay Aiken News Network
Clayspots

And a beautiful essay from Ideal Idol!

Technorati tags:
Clay Aiken, Fathers Day

Wasn't That Amazing... Grace?

And no, that wasn't a comment overheard out in the lobby after the show... But it probably could have been.

Me? Well, I didn't get to see it, or at least not until now. Not that I wasn't invited or anything...

A bit of history.

The Charleston Opera House... the place my kids pretty much grew up in during their summers as kids. Kind of like little tagalongs with their director dad. Mascots of sorts I guess. Though from what I know they loved every single minute of it and have wonderful memories of those times. And seriously, what a way to spend a summer right? Especially with such beautiful beaches so close by. So I never had to feel sorry for them being tucked away in some stuffy old theatre all summer long or anything. And it always gave me a really good break from the six nights a week... carpooling to and from ballet class.... after working ALL day... and then driving up hill, BOTH WAYS. Haha. So, I think it was definitely always a win-win-win.

Anyway, this was also where they met Quiana. Some of you might remember her? Well, back when she was 15 or 16 or something like that she was already 'amazing.' And I remember them coming home after summer breaks and her name already being a household word. But that was back in the "Serenade Show" days, which has long ago since been retired (and which I never saw either) and way before she went on to "other things."

But shows with other names still LIVE ON and are kept fresh and alive with each season! And there's still a TON of talent there! A ton.

But as I said before, I'm typically don't go out there during "dad's week" *mumble mumble mumble*. However, FORTUNATELY since my kids are all SO technologically savvy they always find a way to send me the videos anyway.

And dad's "week" this last time around was really ALL the time they had to put this one together. So I'm really sort of glad I "decided" not to go anyway.



But what a thrill though to finally see her perform on that stage after all these years! And I know it was a MAJOR thrill for her. It must have been like homecoming! And for me to be able to see her on stage with her dad. Well *schmoopies!*

My kiddo!.. and then an incredible piano solo by Tommy Gill!

I never did get any actual permission to post these but I'm hoping it'll still be ok. Because shameless Mom-Ho's with good intentions can pretty much always whine their way out of anything. And isn't it always just SO much easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission... anyway?

And there's something to be said for Positive.FREE.advertising. I mean really. Seems like another win-win-win to me.

Thanks SO MUCH for the video Aaron!

Technology Baffles My Mind Usually...

I can't even tell you how many weekends I've spent in an attempt to get a relatively simple thing to play in a format I want it to. Somehow it always works out! But last weekend was way easy!

Because I found this cool tool Fair Use Wizard that allows me to take all those wonderfully special DVD's that my daughter always sends me of her dance performances and convert them into a format that I can actually play with. I know... some of you probably have no need or interest in "playing" with DVD's, but if you do, then that ^^ up there is your tool. Totally free with no gimmicks!

And now, I can fiddle to my hearts content... and then sit back and enjoy.

Here's Whit in a 2004 performance with her Contemporary Dance Team at BYU Idaho. YOU may not be able to pick her out, but me, I have no problem. Not even when I shut my eyes... And besides, I'd be pretty proud to call any one of them mine.

Technorati tags:
Contemporary Dance Team, BYU Idaho