I Forgot!

How can one who has admired a particular famous person for almost 20 years of their life forget about an event that this "person" will be performing in? Especially, when one's own spouse ALSO admires this same famous person? I mean, if Richard and I could pick one person on this earth that we could meet face to face, it would be THIS PERSON. And, he came to SUN VALLEY to perform! And it was FREE. And he doesn't really tour much anymore. And, this was seriously a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And, I forgot! I blame it on music camp. My brain hadn't yet recovered from the stress, the stimulation, and the frying....


Then someone on facebook reminded me. The DAY OF! 


So, what did I do? I panicked. I stewed. If we left within the hour, we could make it. I would need to get a babysitter for James and Sarah. Someone who could watch them until about midnight when we would finally arrive home. We would have to change any and all plans we had for the day, and break news to the three oldest that instead, they would be spending seven or so hours driving with a concert in between. 


We talked ourselves into it, my sweet sister-in-law saved me by taking the younger kids, and we were on the road about one hour later. 


I didn't even do my hair.  


Here I am in my Wal-Mart sunglasses, and Richard in his Target sunglasses. 

He is only slightly cooler than me. And, that's only because he lost the sunglasses he bought from the gas station.


I was feeling pretty good because I actually remembered my camera in all the rush. There was only one problem that I discovered upon our arrival. The battery was totally dead. fried. Just like my brain. So these pictures were taken on Richard's awesome cell phone.

So...any guesses as to who this famous person is? I'll give you a hint: I did an oral report on him in 6th grade. I had to pretend I was this person. Besides the fact that he is male and I am female, I think I did quite well. Oh, and I had a little laugh attack in the middle, which may or may not have caused the teacher to dock my grade...

You mean that hint didn't help?

How about this: Crutches would have been helpful in my 6th-grade portrayal of this person. 

Okay, we do have ONE thing in common: We both play the violin. One of us plays a little better than the other, however. I'm the other. 

Alright, here is a picture:

Still clueless? His name is Itzhak Perlman and he is probably the most well-known violinist of his time. His recordings of the Brahms, Beethoven, and Bruch violin concertos inspired me in high school. In college, I won the concerto competition and was able to perform the last movement of the Bruch Violin Concerto with the orchestra. And, that's what he played for us this beautiful, hot August evening.  

When he came on-stage, Richard actually said these words, "Wow. He looks older than I've ever seen him."

Richard makes me laugh.

Anyway, had we planned better, we may have tried to get there a few hours earlier to stand in line with the hope of getting a seat in the actual pavilion, but maybe this was better. We saw him on the screen and we could hear him through the speakers. And, we didn't have to stand in line. Or comb our hair. It was perfect.

We were surrounded by people eating their grapes and hummus, fancy wines and cheeses, wearing their brand-name sunglasses, and enjoying their occasional classical-music listening experience. But we... We were eating our Ritz crackers and bananas and soaking it in. Loving every second. 

I still plan on meeting him...someday.