The Busiest Day of My Life (with photos!)

Dear Weblog,

I want to write about the busiest day of my life.

No, no it's entertaining, I swear. I swear it! Lots of photos and with a grand finale too!

Here it goes:

The busiest day of my life so far was July 2nd 2010. May I never, never, never live another day like July 2nd 2010 because although it was full of tricks and treats it nearly killed me one week later--as already recorded on this very same weblog, see: near death experience.

(But anyway, hooray for life!)

9:00am

Meeting at Sarah Wiley's house with Mindy Gledhill to discuss an upcoming concert series this blog (yes, this very blog cjanerun.com) is sponsoring to benefit the cultural arts in downtown Provo. We think the concert series shall be called the "Rooftop Series" because two of them will take place on a rooftop in downtown Provo this September and October. Brooke White anyone? Crushing on Benton Paul (as are the Jonas Bros)? They will be there on the rooftop on September 10th. Booked, ready to put on a show!

You are invited . . . it's free!

And I can't be more thrilled about it. I really can't. I tried. Let me try again. Nope. I am so excited to be apart of this experience and to give back to the community that gave and gave to me and my family when we were in need. It's so lovely.

But perhaps the best part of all is that our first show will be Mindy Gledhill's album release concert at the Covey on August 2nd. All of her ticket sales will also go to fund the arts downtown--plus concert goers can buy the album before the rest of the good world.

Weblog, look at this concert poster, isn't enchanting?
(Jed Wells)
+
(Blue Lily)

See? cjanerun.com in the balloon? That is why I was at the meeting. Because putting on all of these concerts requires meetings and talking about stages and lighting and publicity and before I knew it, The Chief had pulled every high-end, Wiley-owned transportable toy out of the toy closet and on the floor where he sat in a voluminous traffic jam in the middle of it all.

It was ten o'clock before I made this discovery.

"I have another meeting right now," I said to Sarah picking up my young conductor, but I will back this afternoon to pick all of those up."

"No you won't," said Sarah. As in "don't be ridiculous."

But I swore in my determination that I would.

10:00am

Meeting with Sweet Jim and his sidekick Jose. He's my business guy. His business is my business, my business is his business. He's the one who gets all my dearcjane@gmail emails about advertising and rates and occasionally emails from women passionate about their bras (you know who you are, and we loved that email!)

But really, this is what meetings with Sweet Jim and Jose are really like:

One entertains us, while the other entertains our child--my kind of meeting.

That's why we pay them BIG BUCKS$$$

12:00pm

Lunch for Chup.

Lunch for The Chief.

Lunch for Ever.

Lunch for me? I ain't got the time.

1:00pm

Time to put the small monkey pets to bed for a nap. As I successfully put the smallest monkey pet down I closed the door and turned around to see Chup exiting the older monkey pet's bedroom looking whiter than a bag of cotton balls.

"He's out. I am going down. I don't feel so good," he said wobbling down the hall to our bedroom.

Oh no! My wingman down? Not on a day like today! Not on the busiest day I have ever lived!

It always happens like this! Wingman down on the day of flight!

2:00pm

My brother Steve, wife Suze and children who are to be our house guests for the next few days show up. Suze and I sit down and go over accommodations, babysitting, schedules and how hot my house felt at that moment.

"Chup is not so good," I warned her. "He is in bed and says he'll probably be there for most of the day. He can't move."

"We'll help you," offered Suze like she always does. Oh Weblog, what would I do without Suze?

Picture of me and Suze:

3:00pm

I left to get my hair did by Ashlee. With my Wingman out and The Chief being tended to by our house guests, I bravely took my daughter to the salon with me knowing full well what was at stake.

She cried the entire time, mostly.

Poetically though, Ashlee was able to give me Victory Rolls and created nothing short but a masterpiece in the back of my head.

Looky, see?



And she was able to whip it all together in one short hour.

That's why I pay her the BIG BUCKS $

(Only, I forgot my wallet in all of the chaos, so she donated this do. Isn't she charitable too?)

4:30pm

My best friend Wendy's birthday pool party.

(Chin down c jane--oh well, nevermind.)

I had a suspicion that this would be Wendy's last birthday part as a single woman. In commemoration I wanted to do something extra! extra! so I asked Azucar arguably my most talented friend to make her a birthday cake to end all birthday cakes. A mermaid theme, I thought.

What I didn't know (but should've expected) was hand-crafted AND hand-painted starfish, shells and other delightful gifts of the sea. And to top it all off (literally) were two mermaid tails making for a W at the top of the cake. Does all of this sound like a good dream? Or at least dreamy?

It was.



And it tasted like good cake. Not like pretty cake. Like GOOD CAKE.

By-the-way, Wendy appeared at that birthday party with a vintage engagement ring on her left hand.

(SQUEAL!)

6:00pm

I had to hurry and change into my party frock (the first of two eShakti dresses for the evening) so I could decently attend Mr. Justin Hackworth's 30 Stranger's exhibit reception. Chup was supposed to be my date, of course. But did you hear? He was sick? But he slid out of bed and took me in the car and drove around downtown so Ever would stay asleep so I could run in and marvel at the art and kiss a few cheeks. Plus downtown was bonkers and I knew a parking spot was going to be impossible or next to it.

Kissing cheeks with Ashlee (who checked to make sure my hair was in place ) and her sister Stacey.

Kissing cheeks with Mindy--who hadn't had enough of me for one day (I mean, I hope).

Kissing cheeks with Mr. Hackworth--ok not really because Chup would be jealous, instead, nostril shot:

True to Hackworth style, the exhibit was moving. I became a lover of humanity all over again.

7:00pm

Next up, and last of all, was my family's Gala. We do this every year. This year was a little different because our parents weren't in attendance. Sad face.

But we did our best to eat really tasty food, make really funny jokes and look exceptionally good. For them. We did it for them. Even Chup, who pulled it together and attended with a smile.

Why, even Ever Jane showed up in her fanciest hat:

So fancy, even (Jed Wells) couldn't help but take her photo:

9:00pm

The Gala's entertainment hour began. This time we were absolutely spoiled to be serenaded by The Lower Lights--a hymn revival. Oh Weblog, where do I begin about The Lower Lights? Maybe like this: if we put together some of the best musicians of our culture and gave them the opportunity to take sacred music from all of Christianity and interpret it in away that was moving and full of spirit and they came together live to deliver that music to our souls, that might (MIGHT) be a good start.

Ryan Tanner, I am your biggest fan.

My family was floored by this experience. We cried, we clapped, we sang along. Even my brother Stevie, perhaps our toughest music critic sat impressed. This was a gift.

9: 30pm

The Lower Lights let me come on stage to sing This Little Light of Mine with them, because as it turns out, I was in the studio when they recorded it, and Chup and I sang back up. Not kidding Weblog, that is me between Cherie Call and Sarah Sample.

9:32pm

Dance while singing.



When it was over, we rushed the musicians and asked if/when they'd play for our ward/stake/youth conference.

p.s. Remember the Rooftop Series? Yes, we've booked The Lower Lights for October! Happy face.



10:15pm

We took a goofy family photo. Don't ask me what Jesse is wearing. He said he had a busy night and ran out of time to dress up. I'm sorry. Did he say a BUSY NIGHT? And yet, I managed. I always adhere to dress codes, Weblog.

Topher is one button undone away from Simon Cowell, and I think it works. By gravy golly.

10:30pm

Thanked our gracious hosts, Topher and Lisa, packed up a sleepy Ever and headed home.

Midnight:

You'd think I would be sawing logs at this point. But I couldn't sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about how one day could contain so much goodness. So much love and joy and talent and brilliance.

Music on rooftops, entertaining business managers, visiting family, hair design, friends, friends getting engaged, cake art, dresses, baby hats, photography, food, fireworks, singing, celebrations, music in backyards and even after all that, going to bed with a handsome man.

What do you do, I wondered awake in bed, with a day so busy full of the best of life ?

And I thought about that for awhile.

Until I remembered, I never went back to pick up The Chief's traffic jam at the Wiley's.

So I said a prayer of thanks and hoped for forgiveness.

1:02am

Honk shoo.

Here are some links:

1. More about Mindy Gledhill's concert (please come, we'd love to have you!) see here.

2. More about that cake (THAT CAKE!) see here.

3. More about my eShakti dresses see here.

4. More about the Lower Lights and how you can get them to come to you, plus a video inwhich Chup and I have a small cameo, which explains the project in an artistic, (Jed Well-ish) video light. Just go there already--here.

I am c jane and I made it through the busiest day of my life. And almost didn't live to tell about it.

contact me:
cjanemail@gmail.com