Wednesday, April 25, 2007

A Day Off

Last Friday started off as a much-needed recreational day but it quickly began playing out like something right out of The Out-of-Towners as Sandy and I tried, against numerous obstacles, to get into New York City to see a concert. (Of course, I'm referring to the original 1970 film with Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis; the 1999 remake with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn sucked canal water.)

In the film, Lemmon and Dennis play George and Gwen Kellerman, a hapless Midwest couple trying to get to a job interview in Manhattan but one thing after another - plane delays, transit strikes, even a mugging - stands in their way. Likewise, Sandy and I had tickets to see Loreena McKennitt at Radio City Music Hall but prior to settling into our seats, I had some emergency dental work, we were delayed in getting to the train station by an accident and then a three-mile backup and, once we finally got into the city, there were no cabs so we were forced to cancel a dinner engagement with an uptown friend before the concert.

We did finally make it to the show, however, and even with all of the trouble, it was well worth the trip. If you've never heard Loreena McKennitt's music, stop reading this right now and purchase either The Mask and Mirror (my favorite), The Visit, The Book of Secrets, or her newest recording, An Ancient Muse. You can thank me later.

On the business side of things, Sandy and I are looking forward to opening day at Quassy Amusement Park on Saturday. We have a brand-new stage, which we just checked out today, and the park did a great job. Weather permitting, we'll be doing four shows on Saturday and four on Sunday.