Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Catching up on the Blog: Saturday, December 16th

As I said in the last blog post, I couldn't get out of Motel Hell fast enough.  I threw my bags in the car and peeled out of there.  By then I was close to the highway and it was a hop, skip and long drive down to Florida, to the Orlando area.  Before too long it got sunny and warm and beautiful and you could just feel that it was Florida even before crossing the border.

I do want to mention that on these last couple of drives I'd been listening to an audiobook called "Lily and the Octopus."  I had read a great review of this book but I didn't know what it was about.  Well, it turned out it was the story of this lonely gay man and his mini-dachsund named Lily and it was just SUCH A BEAUTIFUL STORY! I highly recommend this book for anyone who has ever loved a dog! It will make you laugh and cry...and I mean really cry, especially if (SPOILER) you've ever had to have a dog put down.  But even with that sadness it's still a beautiful little book and someone I love is getting it for Christmas.

Okay, enough about that.  My ordeal the previous night was not in vain. I made it to the Orlando area (passing though all their ridiculous tolls every five minutes) in time to get to the hotel ( a beautiful, clean, comfortable, wonderful, amazing hotel), take a shower and get gussied up to go to Celebration, the Disney planned community right across the way from the hotel. I'd been there before on another tour and remember Calvin Slater very well. Plus his Lights on Jeater Bend, which involves several houses on the block (was it 11?  I can't recall the exact number and they all have synchronized lights) was on The Great Christmas Light Fight as well.  Calvin had set up a stage and the whole street was just so beautiful and it was a really exciting atmosphere. I was pumped. The concert was terrific!  I mean, I don't know if I was terrific but it was terrific for me! My dear friend Jamie Feinberg- an original member of the Judy Crew- who is now living in an RV on an adventure with her husband, came to the show.  And so did Stephen Meadows, who up to now I have only known online but who has supported my tours and sent me a lot of very nice messages.  He discovered "The House on Christmas Street" on a compilation CD that was released in 2009 by The Sounds of Christmas internet radio station. He got it because he is a Huey Lewis & the News fan, and there is a song on there from them, but he also discovered my song and really loves it.  I was really happy to have the chance to sing it for him in person. The crowd was lovely, and Anna and Elsa and Olaf from Frozen showed up, as well as Santa Claus, and they were all in front of me dancing with the kids for "The House on Christmas Street."  It was just one of those moments that make it all worthwhile for me, to see everyone so happy and having fun! And when I asked for a volunteer to sing "Frosty the Snowman" Jamie came up and that was super fun too! She knows all the words!!!  In all it was an A+++++ event and I owe Calvin and everyone on Jeater Bend a great big THANK YOU.  Beautiful people, a beautiful town, and beautiful lights. It was a wonderful Christmas time night! And so nice that I didn't have to wear a coat!

After the show I got back to the hotel and had a nice, relaxing evening, blogged a bit to catch up and then got a good night's sleep because the next day was really going to be jam-packed!  And I'll write more about that tomorrow because my eyes are starting to close now. I'm almost caught up but I can't stay awake any longer.

Thank you for keeping up with me and I hope you have your ribbon candy ready for Ribbon Candy Day on Thursday!

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