My Fair Lady

It's opening night! I can still see Kailin come on stage singing this song, in The Producers. The excitement builds, it's finally here! 

Tonight my little fair lady, Jessica, will be Eliza Doolittle. It's her first true leading role. Sure, she was Eponine in Les Miz and Johanna in Sweeney Todd, but....

She idolizes Julie Andrews. She has been watching My Fair Lady, the movie with Audrey Hepburn since she could talk. Along with other classic musicals from that era...Sound of Music, Music Man, etc. This is really a dream role for her. Plus, the costumes, oh my! Two extremely talented ladies have made custom gowns fit perfectly, just for her. Studio photography sessions, features in the local paper no less than THREE times. I'm gonna have to tie a string to her toe, to keep her on earth. 

Months of rehearsals, agonizing over forgotten lines and missed notes, she has worked quite hard for this. My absolute proudest moment was not when she flawlessly delivered that note at the end of "I Could've Danced All Night". No, it was actually a week or two ago, at the first dress rehearsal. 

The stage manager came to me and said how proud I must be. I said yes, of course I am. She then proceeded to tell me that Jessi was the most down to earth, humble leading lady she had worked with. She behaved as just another part of the team. When the director told me that her behavior and attitude were impeccable, well....that was the proudest moment. 

I have the job of making sure she gets zipped up into each gown as she goes from scene to lovely scene. Here are some shots from opening night, via her tiny dressing room. 

She received so many flowers she couldn't carry them all. 

LOVERLY. 

Every episode!

In EVERY home makeover episode, whether it be Propety Brothers, Love it or List it, Fixer Upper...every one, I tell you, has the set back. You know, "I'm gonna have to call the homeowner and they will have to spend more money on this." There is some unexpected expense and it's going to cut into the budget. It's the formula for the "reality TV" because in actual (I feel funny saying that) reality, this is what happens. 

When Dad and I pulled the wood siding off where the garage will go, we found winged creatures and this! OH NO! And some more rotten wood and more winged creatures. The rest of my day was a see-saw. 

No worries- the seller provided a termite bond, I'll call them. 

Oh no! Those aren't termites, they're carpenter ants, we don't cover those. 

No worries-the manager will come over and take a look. 

Oh no! We won't cover damage.

Back and forth all day long....

Final answer, house is treated for termites and carpenter ants. I have to pull damaged areas and repair (I was gonna do that anyway), and you don't have a wooden house without pest control. It's just not smart. 

On to the next set back....

OH NO, it's the set back! Now, AFTER we called planning and zoning, after the contractor said yes, we can do that, after the bank loaned us money to do that, the surveyor says the set back (easement) on our particular property is further because we are on a corner lot. Our proposed garage will not fit! 

Well, that is a set back indeed. 

We are in the process of pleading our case with the planning and zoning committee. We have staked out the garage and took photos from the street to show that the garage would not impede vision of the intersection from a car. What does impede the vision is the giant, magnificent oak tree that is technically their property.

I wonder what they are going to do. 

Find out in the next episode of..."LOCO RENO" !