Double Date Night

January 24, 2026

Jim and Christy were in town this weekend, so we planned a whole evening. We met up for dinner at Kocky's Bar and Grill in downtown Fresno. A little loud, but they had good food and good service. Then we headed to The Grand 1401 (a beautiful venue in the 10th floor ballroom of an old downtown building) to see a Candlelight Concert. The theme was Queen vs. Abba, presented by a string quartet. The music was of course familiar, but the setting made it magical. Once it was over, we took Jim and Christy to the new speakeasy in downtown Clovis-the place we spent our New Year's Eve. Such a cool vibe! It was a relaxing, effortless evening, and already we can't wait for them to come back to town so that we can plan another outing.

The Beach Boys

February 18, 2022

When Danielle was younger, her very favorite music was the songs of the Beach Boys.  She was all about them.  Now as a young adult, her tastes are quite varied: rap, Christian, alternative, pop, and show tunes among them.  Regardless, I think there will always be a little nostalgia associated with the Beach Boys.  This past Christmas I stumbled upon a tour date for them that had them playing about an hour away from where she lives, so I decided that would make a good Christmas gift for her.

They were playing in Rancho Mirage, and although I left home with way more than enough time to get down to Riverside to pick her up and head out to the concert, traffic was so bad that I was really afraid we weren't going to make it in time for the start of the concert.  Fortunately, we did, even though the journey down south took me at least two more hours than it should have.  

One of my favorite things about hanging out with Danielle is that that kid is just funny.  She cracks me up all the time.  The concert was good (but man, are those dudes old!), but even better was our running comedic commentary.  There was just so much to comment on!  Danielle also discovered that, oddly, almost any song will work to do the Macarena.  So naturally, we sang, danced, laughed, and created a running dialogue that only improved the performance on stage.  I'm pretty sure all the other people in the venue that saw us (average age: approximately 80) thought we were a little off-kilter, but that only heightened the amusement for us.  I'm so happy that all of my kids like to spend this kind of time hanging out with their mom.  We always find the best ways to have fun!

Glenn Frey

January 18, 2016

Another? So close? Glenn Frey died today.  And again, this one seems hard not to take personally.  It has been a very tough week for the entertainment industry.  I am sure our parents and their parents before them hit a certain age and then suddenly they realized that the entertainers they had grown up with were beginning to lose the undeniable battle with age and mortality.  We have clearly now hit that age in our generation.

Several years ago, after Doug and I had become reconnected, I invited him to attend an Eagles concert with me at the Savemart Center.  Doug wasn't a fan of The Eagles, but I had been for many years.  Lisa was originally going to come up and go to the concert with me, but those plans fell through and she wasn't able to make the trip up to Fresno.  The kids were with their dad for the weekend, and Doug was going to have the weekend off from his truck driving travels, so even though he was reluctant, he agreed to accompany me.

They weren't great seats--directly on the side of the stage, and pretty high up.  By the time we got there, the crowd was beginning to fill up the arena, so when we looked up to find our rows, we spotted two very large women sitting with one seat between them and one more empty seat on the aisle.  We began to surmise--correctly so, it turned out, that because of their size, the women had spread out and were hoping no one had purchased the seats next to them.  They couldn't possibly have sat comfortably next to each other.  We made our way up to the row, and sure enough, we had the aisle seat and the one next to it, which one of the women was occupying.  She apologized for being in our seat and moved to the seat adjacent, but she simply didn't fit all the way in the seat, and she couldn't help encroaching into my space.  (We laughed about the circumstances later.  Perhaps is was fate trying to literally push us into each others' proximity directly.) Determined to make the best of it, I spend a good deal of time sitting on Doug's lap.

The concert was fantastic despite the minor discomfort.  Getting to hear the musicianship and the vocal talents (the harmonies!) live was exactly the kind of concert I had hoped for--The Eagles didn't need doctoring and effects in the studio to sound good.  The just WERE good.  Somewhere in that night, sitting on Doug's lap, Doug began the slow turn that made him really appreciate The Eagles as a talented group.  Somewhere also in that night, I suddenly realized that this man, whom I had known for years and had become even better friends with as adults than we ever had as young sweethearts briefly in high school, was not going to be just a friend to me.  Somewhere in that night, soaring among The Eagles soundtrack, I let myself begin to hope that real love and life was in our future.

The Eagles, and Glenn Frey, are a piece of the fabric of the us we are today.

Some Glenn Frey greats:  "Take it Easy", "One of These Nights", "Tequila Sunrise", "New Kid in Town", "Heartache Tonight", and "Hotel California". 

Huey Lewis and the News Concert

August 30, 2012

Doug and I went on a mid-week date night last night.  Huey Lewis was playing at Table Mountain Casino, and we have been looking forward to his concert for about a month now.  Honestly, although the concert was too short, it's been a very, very long time since I've had this much fun at a concert.  Huey Lewis is, as Doug says, "effortlessly charismatic".  He's charming, funny, and he geniunely seems to still love doing what he does.  His voice is as powerful now as it was when I first started listening to him on the radio.  And the horns?  And the guitar?  Just fantastic! 

Jesse's Girl

 June 28, 2012

My friend Francine and I bonded early on in our friendship over our guilty-pleasure love of 80s, and more specifically, Rick Springfield. Last year we took a road trip to the state fair to see him in concert, so when we found out he was going to be playing in Sacramento this summer, we knew another girls' night out was in the cards.  We got there early enough to get great seats, and of course we had our roses to give him (a signature part of his show--'playing' his guitar with the bouquets, showering the stage with the petals).  The picture below is him actually using the bouquet I handed him!  As always, he put on a fantastic show, and I just love that Francine is such a fearless super-fan that she makes sure she gets recognized in the audience at each of his concerts she goes to.  This was only the second one I've gone to with her (she's been to several), but I'm pretty sure there will be more in our future. 

Alta Sierra Spring Show

 May 22, 2012

Danielle's choir concert this year was a lot of fun.  I remember the same feeling after Bree's 7th grade spring show; the difference between the elementary school and the junior high is really amazing.  There is such growth that happens in that year!  And although she really enjoyed her time in choir, and especially Mrs. Barbour, she's putting aside choir next year to focus on art and drama.  In all likelihood, this was the last choir concert I'll attend for my kids...until grandkids come along. 

Play It, Joe

April 19, 2012

At Christmas, I was so excited that I managed to get Doug tickets to see Joe Bonamassa in concert before he even found out that he was coming to Fresno. After months of waiting, tonight was finally the night. I love getting to have a special date night mid-week--it's kind of like we get two weekends that way. Bonamassa is unbelievably talented, and his show was a solid two hours of amazing guitar playing and powerful vocals. Unfortunately, the sound was so loud that at times the music was too distorted, but it was still a great concert, and I'm excited that we got the opportunity to see him live.

Danielle's Fall Choir Concert

October 31, 2011

It's that time of the year again--Fall Choir Concert time! Alta Sierra and Buchanan put on a joint concert to show off the festival songs they've all been working on. I love that Danielle gets so much joy out of singing and performing on stage. Also, this year Danielle went looking for sponsors, and Auntie Cheryl and Uncle Gary sponsored her for all of the choir shows this year, so their names and the restaurant's name are listed in the program in support of Miss D. It made her so proud to see that--gotta love family and extended family!

Bowling for Soup Concert With Nicholas

July 31, 2011

When we heard that Bowling For Soup was doing a free concert at the park by the mall, Nicholas and I were very excited. We both love their CDs and we knew we didn't want to miss it. It just so happened that that Friday night was my night to pick the restaurant for Family Dinner Night, so I decided we'd have a Kentucky Fried Chicken picnic at the park while listening to the band. Danielle was gone at a birthday party, and Bree was doing a show (Hello Dolly). Doug had to work and was going to join us when he got home, but he was wiped out from his day and ultimately ended up opting out. That was okay, though, because it gave Nicholas and me our own night out together, just the two of us. When you've got more than one kid, those special one-on-one times together can be pretty special.

Miggy in the Morning, local Radio PersonalityValley Cats--A Mostly 80s Cover Band. They were a lot of fun to listen to.
My boy and me

Evan Zee--cool, mellow acoustical singer/musician

The main event, Bowling For Soup. These guys not only rocked it, but they were hilarious as well, and were really gracious about being personal and interactive with the audience. I was already a fan, but I'm an even bigger fan after seeing them perform live.
July 31, 2011

I Get Delirious in the Purple Rain

May 24, 2011

A week and a half ago, Prince announced a surprise, impromptu addition to his concert line up. On a Friday he announced he'd be coming to Fresno the following Wednesday night. Doug and I, both long-time fans of Prince, both knew it would be amazing to get to go--the kind of opportunity not likely to come along again soon--but we also knew that we simply didn't have the cash to foot the bill on such short notice. We let the idea of us attending the concert come, and then go. Practically speaking, it wasn't in the cards.

Then Wednesday came. Prince songs were all over the radio all day, gearing up Fresnans for the Prince spectacular that evening. Late in the afternoon, we got a text from Doug's sister, asking us if we wanted to attend the concert. Um....duh! Yes! But no, we weren't able to go. She said her boyfriend Larry had a friend who had three extra tickets he was trying to sell, and Lisa was going to get one. Not wanting to go alone, she thought of us for the other two tickets. Tempting, yes, but still, we didn't have the cash. Lisa texted back after we declined, regretfully. What if Larry was willing to pay up front and let us pay him back? Oh man--we couldn't pass it up! And suddenly, thanks to Larry, we had pretty awesome plans for the evening.

Prince was spectacular--definitely worth seeing (and hearing). The man can rock a stadium! And at fifty-some-odd-years, he's still got better moves than a lot of twenty-two year olds running around. He played the hits and the people-pleasers, and was amazing, as always, on both the guitar and the piano. Unbelievable opportunity, and unbelievable night. Thanks, Larry!

Buchanan Area Concert

January 23, 2011

Danielle decided to join band this year for the first time. When she told the band director she'd be interested in playing the flute, he gave her two options. She could join beginning band and learn with the incoming fifth graders, or she could try out the advanced band with her sixth grade classmates and see if she could catch up to the kids who had already been playing for a year. She opted to join the advanced band, and her teacher said she's been doing a wonderful job keeping up with her band mates.

As part of the articulated program in our district, each high school hosts a concert comprised of the bands of the high school, the junior high, and each of the elementary feeder schools. The older kids get a chance to show the elementary kids what is possible with continued practice and dedication. The younger kids even get an opportunity to play a song together with the junior high band. Each of the bands, as well as the combined bands, sounded great!

Danielle's Choir and Band Concert

December 11, 2010

Last Monday night I attended what might very well be the longest Winter Concert I have ever attended. Mind you, all of my kids have been in either choir, band, or both, so I've been to a few concerts. I was in band and choir myself as a kid, so add all of those to my total number of concerts as well. And yes, I do believe this one took the cake.

Oh, I can hear you all designing and forging my Bad Mom medal as I'm writing this. I feel terrible mom guilt for not yelling, "That was the best concert ever, and my baby was the star of the show!" from the rooftops. However, as my husband said, the parents don't even have enough of an attention span for the length of concert we went to, let alone the children. We listened to choir, then beginning strings, a couple of solos, and then advanced strings. After that the beginning band was on, and the advanced band closed. There was lots of banter introducing each number as well, stretching out the numbers of minutes those kids fidgeted in their chairs up on that stage.

Don't get me wrong; I love to go see my kids demonstrate their skills, whatever skills those may be. I've been to choir and band and soccer and robotics and Destination Imagination and drama performances. I've cheered at softball and at dance recitals, and been first in line at the History Day and Science Fair presentations. I'm semi-pro when it comes to being a cheerleader, really I am. I wouldn't miss my kids' events for the world. I'm also not a fan of people coming to see their own kid and sneaking out (sometimes not so stealthily) when their portion of the show is over. (Besides, it wouldn't have been an option in this case, since Danielle was in the very first performance group and the very last. How'd they manage to orchestrate that?) But please, can't we all agree that if a show goes on, at the elementary level at least, for more than an hour we should cut it into two shows? Say, all the beginning groups on one night and all the advanced groups on another? Or band and orchestra on one night an choir on another? Yes, that means some of us, including me, would be signing on for an extra evening of being at the school, but I think it would be worth the trade-off.

The upside, of course, is that Danielle had a great time, looked adorable, and was thrilled to see Doug, me, and her dad all in attendance. Her big smile and hug at the end of the concert made up for the painfully uncomfortable and too tightly close together chairs we had to sit in for the duration of the concert. In the end, although I'm venting here, it's all worth it to see her feeling so proud of herself. But I'm still gonna lobby for that one hour rule, anyway.

Don't Talk To Strangers (Unless It's Rick Springfield!)

July 25, 2010
About a week and a half ago, I got a text from my good friend Francine. Fran and I met several years ago when we worked together at the high school. Although our love of high school English brought us together, it was our mutual love of 80s teen pop icon Rick Springfield that helped seal the deal. I can still remember when I offered her a ride somewhere after school one day. She jumped in and I started up the car. The stereo started blasting my Rick Springfield CD, much to my chagrin. It was one thing to rock out to Rick in my car by myself on the way to work, but it was a clandestine love affair, meant to be hidden from my friends with more sophisticated and worldly musical inclinations. And yet, Francine immediately brightened and screamed, "You like Rick, too!?" A true moment of bonding.
So, when Francine texted me and said her friend had a couple of free tickets to the Rick Springfield concert in Sacramento and wanted to know if I could join them, I was ecstatic. It's summer, I've got free time on my hands, and Fran was even willing to be our driver. The kids were staying with their dad since their aunt cousin were visiting, so the road trip was on!
We drove three hours chatting up a storm and listening to Rick in the background. I got to know a little bit about Kelly (Fran's friend and my new friend), and I realized what an amateur fan I am in comparison to those two, who have each seen him several times in concert and who have each met him in person. They were both pros at rushing the stage and getting up close and personal with him and had great stories to share.
At the concert, we had fantastic seats about eleven rows back, dead center. Although the security guards were quite serious about keeping the crowd of 40-something women away from the stage, Rick had other ideas. He must have been a nightmare for the security team when he came out into the audience not once but three different times, walking through the crowd, reaching out, shaking hands, talking to people here and there, and generally being a very engaging and interactive showman. Kelly, Francine, and I all got personal contact with him twice. It was very cool! We even followed the VIP ticket buyers to see the Meet and Greet that was taking place after the concert. We didn't have VIP passes, but that didn't stop us from getting to see him mingling with the VIPs and seeing him emerge from the dressing room trailer. I have never felt so much like a paparazzi-stalker, but it was really a lot of fun. I am already looking forward to the next concert I get to see with these girls!