TV Season

I’m so delighted that so many of you:

a) Have found my new blog
b) Are checking my blog regularly
c) Enjoyed my harrowing tale with Ginger and the raccoon.

If you’re just finding me, KOSY fired me. Well…. They “let me go,” (if you want to be PC about it). I SO appreciate your support, e-mails to me and e-mails to KOSY. I’d LOVE to hear from you! Unemployment is so lonely! Showtune.erica@hotmail.com


Okay, moving on…

Unemployment is a total downer. Everyone tells me to “enjoy it.” And I get what they’re saying. I mean, it sounds nice, doesn’t it? Sleep in, shower if you feel like it, make a leisurely breakfast, walk the dog, watch Ellen, make some sort of a dinner for Mark, watch some TV and hit the hay. Not bad. I’d like to enjoy it, really I would. But how do you do that when you have a baby on the way, haven’t bought most of what you’ll need and aren’t sure what your financial future holds? It’s hard to really enjoy dancing with Ellen (though I still do).

And in the meantime, I focus on the upcoming TV season!! That’s what the unemployed do, right?... Something about TV, the couch and bon bons?


First of all, Grey’s Anatomy kicks off on the week of the 24th, I believe, and I can’t wait! I got completely hooked on the show back when I was set to interview Patrick Dempsey and felt a little foolish that I knew NOTHING about his hit show. So, I thought… ‘well, I’ll rent season 1 and just see what it’s all about.’ Needless to say, I became obsessed with getting my hands on the next disc and the next. I’d often drive all over town trying to find a video store that had them in stock. I’m now happy to say that I have them all watched, I’m all caught up and I’m ready to settle down every Thursday night (listen up baby in my belly… Thursday nights are mine!)

Speaking of Thursday nights… The Office!!! Mark and I have been absorbed all weekend with Season 3 DVDs. It’s one I’d heard was funny but had never watched. Then Mark got Season 1 through NetFlix. I happened to catch an episode or two and fell in love with it. It’s hilarious!! For anyone who has ever worked with a dysfunctional boss and random co-workers, you’ll love it! I’m waiting for Mark to get home now so we can watch Disc 4 of Season 3 and be ready for the season premiere.

Those are the biggies. I’m still watching Desperate Housewives, though there are fewer and fewer of us. I’m home alone on Sunday night so I enjoy settling in with Ginger and some dinner. I also really like Ugly Betty. I’m trying to figure out how to watch that and The Office, and Grey’s all on the same night. I’ll start by taking the phone off the hook… Perhaps it is time for TiVo.

But, I’m nervous. As I’ve typed this the baby has moved constantly. I hope that doesn’t mean she’ll be as big of a distraction when the shows are actually on. That could mean a long winter for the both of us!

My Harrowing Experience

First of all, THANK YOU FOR YOUR E-MAILS!!! I LOVE it! Please keep ‘em coming: showtune.erica@hotmail.com

I used to deal with the difficult, trying, or scary moments in my life by thinking “Well, at least it’ll make a great story on the air tomorrow!” Then KOSY fired me. Now I have no outlet to tell of my harrowing moments. Luckily, I still have my blog and some of you are still checking it.

There’s not a whole lot going on in the life of an unemployed, pregnant gal. I get up, eat breakfast and sit with Ginger. Mark and I take her out for a walk. We sit and eat lunch. Mark goes to work (luckily HE’S still employed). I putz around the house for a bit. Today I walked through WalMart…. (Yes, sadly, that was my entertainment). I check my e-mails, walk Ginger again and wait for Mark to get home. That’s pretty much my day. Sometimes it’s altered by an occasional doctor appointment or an oil change. See?... not a whole lot going on.

But there was a day last week that had me at my wit’s end!

Ginger and I often do our afternoon walk a touch earlier… perhaps 4ish. That way, most people are still at work (what’s it like to work?). That means I can let Ging off her leash to explore and I know we won’t really see anyone. She runs in and out of the brush, sniffing happily, exploring, and usually finds something rank on which to roll. That’s our routine. I’ll also stop and throw rocks in the river while she leaps about trying to catch them.

But this day, I got to our rock-throwing/Ginger-swimming hole and she was nowhere to be found. I figured something caught her attention so I just started heading back. Suddenly I hear some movement in the brush to my right and as I bend down a bit, I can see her white tail just going NUTS!

If you’ve never been to the Jordan River Parkway, it’s a great place to walk. But there are parts where the trees and brush are SO thick, there is no way someone like me: A chick afraid of critters, almost 8 months pregnant and not as light on her feet as she used to be – can push through.

Ginger was in there – DEEP. She was constantly moving, clearly in hot pursuit of something. I called her name, she didn’t come. I called her name in a mean mom-voice, she didn’t come. I clapped, sang, begged, cajoled, yelled, threatened, and anything else I could think of, she still didn’t come. In fact, there were times she’d poke her head out, look me in the eye (from afar, of course) and blatantly turn around and go right back in there.

Finally I saw it. She’d cornered a raccoon! Now I knew there was no way I was leaving any time soon. Once Ginger gets focused, there’s no breaking it.

So, I sat. Ging stayed deeply entrenched in the brush, barking continuously at her capture. I watched the sun get a little lower in the sky, folks were coming out to jog and bike, people were wrapping up their dog walks – with their well-behaved dogs – and there I sat. I called Mark in tears. “I don’t know what to do!!!” He had no solution. He was at work and, at the time, was at least an hour away.

2 hours of this went by!!! Did you hear me? 2 hours! I sat there for 2 hours listening to my dog bark at a raccoon, and me going hoarse screaming her name. 2 hours!! I sat there for 2 hours basically in tears. I was stuck.

Down the trail I saw a group of young boys and two older men walking towards me. The one man said “Sounds like she’s got something.” Holding back my tears as best I could “I don’t know what to do. She has a raccoon cornered – she’s been in there for 2 hours and I can’t go in there!... I don’t know what to do.” Turns out they were the Boy Scouts!!!! Yes, this little Scout Troop or 8-10 yols were out on a nature walk and were trying to spot wild animals. Boy did I have a treat for them. A wild raccoon AND Ginger!

The super-nice troop leader put down his camouflage fanny pack and started pushing his way through the thick brush and over to Ginger. The Scouts, who were told to stay on the trail – went nuts! They were trying to spot either the raccoon or Ginger and they’d jump up and down whenever they caught a glimpse of either through the thick foliage. Finally, about 10 minutes later, the Scout leader came working his way out of the brush with Ginger (my 50 pound dog) balanced on his shoulder. He looked triumphant and she looked tense and also innocent at the same time.

I thanked them, again near tears. I was saved by The Boy Scouts!!!!!

Thank you to that troop and to their fabulous troop leader for helping this pregnant, tired (and had to pee!) damsel in distress. My knights in khaki armor!

YAY - And Thank You!

Every now and then, in a world that just isn't always fair, something happens to renew your spirit.

I was fired from KOSY. It came as a blow. I loved the job, loved sharing mornings with people but mostly, I LOVED Showtune Saturday Night! Every week it was a wonderful escape for me to thumb through my CDs, cater the show to what was going on here on SLC and on Broadway and to share that great music with listeners. What a treat! You have no idea how rewarding it was to read e-mails about helping people plan their trips to NYC, or the fact that they bought music they'd heard on the show, or became brand new Showtune lovers. That's every DJs dream... to have any kind of impact. Imagine the joy!

The past few weeks have been heartbreaking for me. Not only am I NOT doing what I so loved every Saturday for the past 7 years, somebody else is!! It just hasn't seemed fair. I can't listen anymore and now Saturday nights feel REALLY empty.

Imagine my delight to stumble across the comment board on The Deseret News website:
http://deseretnews.com/user/comments/1,5150,695203677,00.html

Great listeners have gone to this website to show their support for me!! THANK YOU! You have really cheered me up. It's been really hard to be kicked out so abruptly. If you've ever been "let go," you know what a kick it is to your ego and hard it is to feel worth much. It really means the world to me to hear folks out there who enjoyed my shows and what I did. Thank you for taking the time to make a post.

Keep checking back and I'll be posting here regularly. By the way, you can always e-mail me directly by going to:

Showtune.erica@hotmail.com

Long Live Musical Theatre!

It’s so wonderful to hear from so many of you – thank you! Please contact me: showtune.erica@hotmail.com

If you haven’t heard, KOSY “let me go”. As many of you have mentioned, it came as a shock – to me too! I’m mostly incredibly heartbroken about losing Showtune Saturday Night. I LOVED that show. I’ve poured my heart and soul into SSN for the past 7 years, bringing it to #1, buying the music myself to add to the program, spending countless hours watching shows (from Broadway to high school), and loving every minute of it. Thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me share my love of musical theatre with you each Saturday night. Hopefully, we’ll meet again.

In the meantime, this little snafu doesn’t stop me from getting out and enjoying some fabulous theatre!!

The week I was fired, my friend and I had booked a trip to Seattle to see the world premiere of the new Mel Brooks musical, “Young Frankenstein!” Since I’d bought all these non-refundable tickets, I figured… ‘Why not!’












WOW!!!

The worst part, I CAN’T ABOUT IT ON THE SHOW!!!! Grrrr…..

But I can share it with you. It’s an amazing show! I sat there watching these amazing performers dance, sing, do accents, masterfully handle comedic timing… just amazing. What a gift! And what a thrill to be able to see it!

The show has lots of the original movie in – favorite lines, neighing horses etc. But enough of the new to make it feel fresh all over again and still delight and surprise.

Sutton Foster…. Aahhh…. My fave. I LOVE that girl (she’s in France with her hub right now). She is incredible. I’ve seen her in Millie, Little Women, Drowsy Chaperone and now this and she has been fabulous in every one of them!! I’m such a fan, and… I got her autograph!!! Not to mention I got to shake her hand and she said “Hi, I’m Sutton” – umm…. DUH!! Of COURSE you’re Sutton!!!! Tremendous, quite tremendous for this theatre geek.

The rest of the cast was equally talented. Roger Bart – wonderful Dr. Frankenstein. Megan Mullalley is quite funny as well and she can really sing. She had quite a few belty notes and they didn’t faze her a bit. The whole cast was great.

They get a two week break now and then head to Broadway – can you imagine how exciting that would be?

It opens on Broadway Nov 8th at the Hilton Theatre. If you’re planning a trip to NYC, put this show toward the top of your list of shows to see!!

http://www.youngfrankensteinthemusical.com/teaser.html

A Kick In The Teeth

I’m so glad you found my blog!!

What a difference a day makes.

Aug 16th my sis was in town, I’d bought a crib and we had my baby shower with my fabulous Aunts. Aug 17th I was being “let go” from KOSY.

That’s certainly not what I expected when I got to work that Friday.

I suppose it’s never great timing - to lose ones job. I’ve heard all the horror stories about how it happens right before the holidays, right before a family vacation or just after buying a new house.

Ours is lousy timing too.

I was going to come home that Friday morning and Mark and I were going to put the finishing touches on our house in order to put it up for sale Monday morning. We were going to make an offer on a house we’d really fallen in love with – a great house with room for an actual nursery!! We were making that next big step. Well, needless to say, we called our realtor but not to tell him we were ready to move forward.

So, here we are. 1/3 of our house is in storage, 1/3 of our house is in the bedroom closet in my mom’s basement. And a few things are still boxed up – filling our garage – awaiting their trips to their waiting place. I’m not sure what to do about it all. We don’t have room for it.

Our little baby will be sharing a room with my piano – which actually my sis said could come in quite handy when the baby is having a melt-down. I have her nursery décor sitting my kitchen table. I’ve been putting off moving it upstairs since I’m significantly less excited about this nursery. But I keep telling myself the baby won’t notice, right? People have raised whole packs of kids in a lot less space. So, I’ll put my stuff up and make it as homey as possible.

Above all, we’re okay. We all have our health – which is the most important. The baby is getting bigger everyday (consequently, so am I!) and is kicking all the time. And we hadn’t actually sold our house – whew! – so we still have a warm place to call home.

I am sad because I loved my job. It was great fun – even getting up at 3:30a – to sit and chat with you everyday. So many of you have made contact with me and I’ve come to consider you friends. That’s been the biggest surprise to me: How lonely it’s been not working. Being let go means losing the e-mail address so many of you used to contact me… and it feels really lonely.

Please feel free to drop me a line! Showtune.erica@hotmail.com I’d love to hear from you!

House Hunt

The house search has kicked into high gear.

Mark and I have been looking off and on… here and there… for about 3 years. Every time we see a house for sale, we jump out and pull the info sheet. Usually we’re dismayed at the cost.

Apparently, we’re making this move about 3 years too late. We should’ve done it back when we first thought we needed the extra space. We’ve seen houses go on sale again that were on the market 3-4 years ago and we’re shocked at how the price has jumped and we’re kicking ourselves that we didn’t just do it then.

Grrrrr…… How were we supposed to know that the market would climb to scary proportions and we’d start to wonder if it would ever come down?

Alas….

We have a baby due Nov 2 and I’d really like a place to put the little thing. Ginger has 4 pet beds so perhaps they could share? … Doubtful. As of right now, our little girl will either room with my piano in the ‘music room’ or room with Mark’s ‘stuff’ in what I believe he calls his ‘office’ – though that’s up for debate.

But now we have a realtor. Yes, we’re very serious now. He’s supposed to help us find the home of our dreams AND sell our place. How about that?! Yes, yes I know… realtors have been around a long time doing that very thing but hearing him talk about what he could do for us was fabulous! Finally, we’re not on our own!

So, here goes. Here goes the big search. We drove passed about 30 homes over the weekend and we’re set to walk through a few of them today. So we’ll see. Please, please, please send positive vibes out into the universe for us!

Please?…

Shakes Fest

Every summer I look forward to it.

I love the Festival. I love the Adams outdoor theatre. I love the gold plating inside the Randall L Jones Theatre. I love the colorful banners that hang throughout the city. I love the fresh tarts (I recommend raspberry and blackberry!) I love the little gift shops. I love my dinners at The Garden House and breakfasts at City Creek Restaurant.

And, above all, I love the plays.

How lucky we are to have such professional quality, world-class, TONY award winning theatre right in our own backyard!

Is it rude of me to say that if you haven’t been down, you’re foolish? Is that too harsh?

Trust me, it’s worth your time. It’s just over 3 hours away and less than a tank of gas and you’ll feel like you’ve left the state. It’s such a treat!

This year my husband took his camera down. He did a story on the Festival’s Green Show. You’ll be able to watch it here soon – I’ll post it as soon as it’s finished. Here he is interviewing Festival Founder (and a VERY nice man), Fred Adams.

GO SEE LEND ME A TENOR!!!!

This musical has me itching for the CD like crazy – but they’re not able to do one just yet. It’s miserable having to wait. The music is so catchy and so sing-able and SO great! I find myself just singing the same lines over and over (since that’s all I know).

They have 6 shows to choose from so there is something for everyone.

So, go to http://www.bard.org/, order your tix, book a room. Then settle in with a fresh tart for the Green Show, off with your theatre compatriots to your show then head for a dessert afterwards to talk about it. You won’t be sorry!