I had two gigs for the same type booked eerily near each other! Well, not in distance, but both were themed "Hollywood Night" and both were Meet & Greets for senior centers.
The one on Tuesday was booked for a senior community in Surprise, which was about an hour away. The email from the entertainment company said I should bring my "portable sound machine," which to me sounds like the little jukebox I always bring which is A) portable and B) a sound machine. Apparently they were expecting me to bring my heavy-ass speaker and microphone but if that were the case, I would have asked for more money because that speaker isn't one I can just walk up nonchalantly like with the jukebox in my suitcase. That's one that I need to get to the party early to set up when no one sees me. So there were a bunch of seniors complaining that I needed a mic and that they couldn't hear me. And I was singing my little heart out! I sang both songs, and then the lady who set it up told me about the complaints and asked if I had any other songs. Luckily I brought my iPod so I could sing "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" and afterward, she asked if I wanted to finish my act! I was like... uh... that is the act. Three songs, lady! That's a mini-concert! Anyway, I got a ton of great feedback from the seniors about my resemblance to Marilyn and most of them absolutely loved it. Look how great my hair and makeup looked! This was a selfie I took before I left:
Fast forward to Friday, and I thought that the entertainment company had told me that the gig was for the evening. I was expecting 7pm, so I had scheduled other things I needed to do during the day. When I realized I had never gotten a confirmation on the start time for that gig, I checked with the entertainment company who checked with the client, and they were expecting me at 4pm! Gah! I only had two and a half hours to drive home, get ready, and drive 45 minutes away to Fountain Hills! It was true panic and I learned why it's best to put your dress on before your shoes when I stabbed myself in the thigh with my stiletto.
Luckily I had just enough time to make it happen, but going forward, I'm going to make certain I know well ahead of time exactly what time the gig starts. This gig was great too, and it didn't require any singing. I walked around the senior center and took photos with the residents. The most rewarding moments were when I was in the memory care section, because some of those seniors are completely unresponsive most of the time, but the staff who were with me remarked about how much my presence brightened their days and got smiles and interaction out of the seniors! It was touching! One of the old guys looked at my face and said, "WOW, you are a knock-out!" like ten times. One of the sweet old ladies looked at me and said quite seriously that it was kinda scary how much I look like Marilyn. She looked like she had seen a ghost!
On the way home, I stopped a gas station and a friendly cashier asked to take a photo with me. She shared me on her Facebook page!
That's it for now. My convention is coming up in just 9 weeks, so starting (ahem) tomorrow, my intention is to stay on plan so I can wow everybody when I get there and fit into my new dresses! The next time I blog, I'm expecting to say that I've been on plan and I feel great and I'm well on my way to achieving my goals. It's as easy as I make it! If you're into vibes, please send me some good ones. I know I can do this! <3