Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life

For Dan's birthday, I took him to see Steve Martin and Martin Short perform their variety show: An Evening You Will Forget the for The Rest of Your Life, at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage. 

This was a popular, sold-out show and unfortunately, I didn't buy the tickets when they went on sale. Luckily, the venue is fairly small. Every seat provides a great view. I managed to score seats that were in the middle, which also helped. Here is a panorama shot that shows our actual view. 

With the exception of a ten-year-old boy sitting in our row, we were the youngest people in the audience. I think this is more reflective of the glut of retirees living in the Palm Desert area, than it is of the nature of the show. The show actually started nearly twenty minutes late and I believe it was due to the large number of people requiring extra help to their seats- lots of walkers, canes, and wheel chairs! It wasn't a big deal for us, but perhaps if you plan to see a show in Palm Desert, have patience. 

The show started with a montage of their greatest film and television moments. I had a momentary worry that the show was going to be like when we saw John Cleese in Portland, which was nearly all film clips and a huge disappointment. I'm happy to report that Martin and Short were NOTHING like Cleese. 

I'm a huge fan of Steve Martin, primarily his fiction writing. I wasn't a huge fan of Martin Short, but seeing him on stage has changed my mind. He's hilarious. Short and Martin both have quick wit and excellent timing, which shines when they are improving with audience members. They roast each other throughout the show, but it is clear that they are close, long-time friends who enjoy sharing the stage. I'm guessing that neither of these men need the money, so they tour for the love of performing. 

A majority of the show had both Short and Martin performing together, but there was a small segment where they each show-cased their own talent. Short spent this time talking about his early career and singing. Martin played the banjo, sharing the stage with the Grammy winning bluegrass band, Steep Canyon Rangers. Martin left the stage, to allow the Steep Canyon Rangers to play a song from their latest album. Acclaimed musical, Jeff Babko played the piano throughout the show, even getting in on the comedy act with Martin and Short.

We throughly enjoyed the entire show and left the theatre with sore stomachs from laughing. I would not hesitate to buy tickets the next time Martin and Short are in town. They are both class acts and well-worth the ticket prices.

Book Review- Lauren Weisberger's When Life Gives You Lululemons

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of Lauren Weisberger's novel, When Life Gives You Lululemons, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- Emily Charlton has left her job as Miranda Priestly's assistant and is making a name for herself in Hollywood, working as an image consultant. When she loses a few high-profile clients  to a much younger ( and trendier) competitor, Emily heads to the suburbs of Connecticut to take refuge in the home of her dearest friend, Miriam. Miriam's life as a suburban mom is completely different from Emily's fast-paced lifestyle. While in Connecticut, Emily gets a career lead, when Miriam's friend Karolina, a former super-model and wife to a Senator, becomes involved in a front-page scandal. Emily soon realizes that Karolina's situation may have a sinister side. Can Emily survive living in the suburbs, while she works to repair Karolina's tarnished reputation? 

LIKE- Emily Charlton is one of the most entertaining characters in Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada, and I was thrilled to see her as a main character in When Life Gives You Lululemons. This isn't a sequel, but a stand-alone book that you can definitely read without having read Prada, but fans will be excited for the return of both Charlton and the devil herself, Miranda Priestly. 

When Life Gives You Lululemons has a solid cast of three strong female leads. I felt the most sympathy for Karolina, who faces severe judgement in the public eye for a crime that she didn't commit. The fact that she is both rich and beautiful, seems to give others the freedom to be hyper-critical and over look other aspects of her personality, like her intelligence and warm heart. Weisberger's novels often deal with themes of celebrity, serving to push-back against the way society both obsesses and criticizes those in the public eye. Karolina's situation is a sad one, made more so by the fact that her step-son, whom she adores and has raised for many years, is taken from her during the scandal. 

Weisberger has a knack for clever titles. I enjoyed the fish-out-of-water scenario with Emily having to spend time in Greenwich, CT.. She may know how to handle Miranda Priestly, but suburban housewives are a new breed of high-maintenance women for her to master.

DISLIKE-  When Life Gives You Lululemons was an enjoyable read, it is not one that is very memorable. I finished it a few weeks ago and even as I am writing this review, I'm struggling to recall key plot points or even how it ended. 

RECOMMEND- Yes. I recommend When Life Gives You Lululemons to fans of The Devil Wears Prada. It's also a solid pick for a beach read. 

Book Review- Rory Feek's Once Upon a Farm

Thank you to Thomas Nelson- W Publishing for providing me with a copy of Rory Feek's memoir, Once Upon a Farm, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- Rory Feek reflects on his life after losing his wife and singing partner, Joey.

LIKE- Nearly a decade ago, I had the most amazing concert experience and actually met Rory and Joey Feek. They opened for the Zak Brown Band during a sold-out concert at the Universal Amphitheatre in California. The show was amazing and at the end of the concert, with a crowd of over six thousand, it was announced that the performers would head to the lobby to sign autographs for anyone who wanted to stick around. I've never seen something like that happen at a concert, especially one with so many people. Prior to that night, I had not heard of Rory and Joey, but I did recognize their songs. I waited about an hour in line to meet the performers and when I got to Rory and Joey, I was given the warmest handshake and smiles. They both were kind and humble, just happy to meet with fans. I was immediately smitten.

A few years ago, just weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Indiana, Joey was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cervical cancer. Rory shared their journey through her illness and eventually death, on social media. I followed Rory's posts and was heartbroken. Truly, I was surprised by how the life of these strangers impacted me. I feel that it is a testament to the way that they opened up their lives through their art.

I was thrilled to come across Once Upon a Farm on Netgalley. Feek's memoir is a constant affirmation of his love towards Joey and his three daughters. He does not shy away from discussing his grief or speaking about difficult times that he has had in his past. 

A chapter that hit home was one in which Feek discusses love languages. Joey experienced difficulties as a stepmom and when they gave it more thought, they realized that it certainly wasn't for lack of love, but that Joey and Feek's daughters spoke different love languages. They had a communication problem. I read this book as we were in the middle of our summer visit with my step-kids, a visit where I was feeling very overwhelmed. Reading Feek's words made me consider that perhaps I needed to figure out a better way to communicate. It gave me perspective.

Once Upon a Farm is a Christian memoir. I did not know this prior to reading it and although many of my family members are Christian, I am not religious. Although I did not always agree with Feek's perspective, I did appreciate hearing a different view point. He is certainly a man with strong convictions and even had a local church move into the barn on his property. Feek's entire lifestyle is polar opposite to mine, which is part of the charm of his memoir. I love hearing about different lifestyles and views. The Feek farm does sound like an idyllic slice of heaven. 

DISLIKE- A majority of the book is a polished memoir, but a few chapters rambled and were repetitive with regard to content already mentioned in previous chapters. 

RECOMMEND- Yes! If you're a fan of Rory and Joey this is a must-read. I can imagine that some readers may find the Christian aspect to be off-putting ( and some will find it right up their alley!), either way, I encourage you to give Once Upon a Farm a read.