Wait Wait Don't Tell Me @ the Wang Theatre

"That's why we edit. And that's why you're at the live show." —Faith Salie

We've been longtime fans of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! (I might even double press the talking crosswalk request buttons just to hear "wait wait"). So when Ian discovered the show was coming to Boston (so Peter Sagal could once again run the Boston Marathon as a sighted guide for a visually impaired athlete), we jumped on tickets.

Just like most Wait Wait fans, we crossed our fingers for Paula Poundstone but were still thrilled to see nameplates listing Tom (Bodett), Faith (Salie), and Maz (Jobrani) alongside Peter and Bill.

Here's the thing: you can listen online. So it seems pretty pointless to write about the actual show. What's interesting about catching a radio show live is seeing how it works, and hearing the bits that don't make the cut in that hour-long time slot.

Before the recording started, Peter explained a little bit about what to expect and warmed up the crowd (requesting the audience express "enthusiasm up to but not including flipping police cars over" and sharing his love for Boston). Bill made some jokes about the venue name, and then the benevolent overlords wearing headphones hit record.

The Not My Job guest of the week was Dick Flavin, Red Sox poet laureate. He was hilarious, but some of the panelist's questions for him resulted in less entertaining stories. Not boring, just not laugh out loud funny. But thanks to the magic of pre-recording , everything that Dick Flavin said on the radio was comedic gold. (They also cut out all of Peter's attempts to get Dick to say Peter Sagal the way he announces MLB players.)

There was a hilarious extra back and forth with one of the panel questions before they zeroed in on the answer of grilled cheese, but by the time the show aired on Saturday, we had already forgotten it. Womp womp. If we ever remember, we'll update this post!

By the time they closed out the show (with predictions about the next gyrocopter news event), the producers had a list of lines that needed re-recorded. Anything that Peter, Bill, Tom, Faith, or Maz flubbed or stumbled on the first time around was repeated so that by Saturday they would all be well spoken and witty (guests and callers don't get the same opportunity, but the edits were generally to their advantage). This was followed by a Q&A, to reward all of the fans who stuck around through the re-recording.

It was an evening well spent, and the next time they're recording in Boston, we'll be there!

thankful list | April 2015

01. trivia night, even though our team didn't come close to winning.
02. doctor friends to help me figure out if I should freak out about a bump on my arm or not (not).
03. Easter brunch with Ian's parents and a couple awesome old friends.
04. our DR team meeting (technically the second, but first really, because snow cancelled February).
05. a handwritten flyer advertising the new "ConVeneice" store (because, hilarious!)
06. Chicken Provençal in our new Le Creuset (that I've been dreaming about forever).
07. the Claude Cormier lecture at the Gardner Museum.
08. two awesome years working with Ingrid (I'll miss you!).
09. making the best of missing the update that Color Me Rad Boston was rescheduled to August.
10. using the rental car, meant for Color Me Rad, to go to some open houses.
11. also using the rental car to go to Russo's.
12. transferring our Color Me Rad registration to Providence (the Boston reschedule is during the DR trip).
13. Super Cluckin' Sunday, always.
14. Gregory Alan Isakov at the Sinclair.
15. beautiful crocuses popping up everywhere.
16. Nolan and Ingrid joining us for dinner (I cooked, and it was actually good!).
17. grabbing a photo of the finish line, since we'd be away for the weekend.
18. Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! live at the Wang Theater.
19. a weekend on the Cape.
20. Amie pastries on the beach for breakfast.
21. a visit to the Sandwich trout hatchery (so many fish! feeding them is so fun!).
22. a nice long walk on our modified Marathon Monday commute.
23. tracking progress of the runners we know, thanks to the BAA website.
24. pretty flowers for Administrative Professionals' Day.
25. eating Ben & Jerry's (pistachio) ice cream out of the container.
26. magnolias in bloom (see photo above).
27. flowers from Ian.
28. when a Kansas news channel again used my photo sans permission, my friends and family had my back.
29. a final farewell party for Nolan and Ingrid.
30. Ian's safe travels to Florida for EXPO.
31. breakfast at Tatte (I grumpily concede they pronounce it Tah-tay, although French should be Tat).
32. an operations off-site meeting, involving a team competition to make dumplings.
33. lunch with two of my favorite little friends (and Erin!).
34. a work of art made especially for me by G.
35. Forsythia in bloom.
36. an evening with Micki and Grandma Judy.
37. picking Ian up at the airport after five days apart.

Gregory Alan Isakov and his "Suitcase Full of Sparks"

Apparently some of our favorite musicians favor the Sinclair: Pomplamoose, Brooke Fraser, and now Gregory Alan Isakov.

We first saw him play at Newport Folk Festival, and it was just the kind of music you want while sitting under a giant tent, rain tapping along and thunder rumbling with the base line. Although the Sinclair is a much different space, they didn't disappoint. Old suitcases, a glowing globe, and a cozy rug set the vibe. He introduced his band as his best friends, and you could feel their easy camaraderie. Imagine sitting around a campfire in the Rocky Mountains, cuddled under a blanket, with your favorite people in the circle around you, and you're almost at the show.



Our favorite is "Suitcase Full of Sparks," which Ian sang at Fox and Sara's wedding (Ian tweaked the lyrics slightly so the details reflected their relationship and the wedding). And it gets me. every. single. time.



(Also, "Stable Song" and "Amsterdam," because.)

I'd say more, but the Boston Globe says it better. Meanwhile, I'll be listening to "Suitcase Full of Sparks" on repeat...

Grandma Marilyn: queen for a day

Back in February, on flights that were thankfully between snowstorms, we headed back to Kansas for Grandma Marilyn's big 85th birthday celebration. Our early morning flight landed in Wichita just before lunch. We stopped briefly for tacos before driving our rental car halfway across the state to the land of Gunsmoke. The next two days were a flurry of food, family time, decorating (like her last big birthday bash, it involved a lot of purple), and celebration.

We had so much fun hearing more stories about Grandma Marilyn. Her younger sister Paula let everyone know that Marilyn still owed her a Fudgcicle, promised as a reward for not telling their parents that Marilyn left Paula alone at home to hang out with friends (the original Fudgcicle was eaten by one of said friends). One of Grandma's school friends told a story about a prank Marilyn pulled on another classmate, her identity betrayed by the fact that the package (which contained "flopper stoppers") was sealed with tape, an item only Marilyn's newspaper-printing dad could procure during WWII shortages. To this day, you can pick out Grandma Marilyn's cards in the mail just by the amount of Scotch tape used to seal the envelope.

Too soon, the festivities were over, but the adventure of getting everyone home was just beginning. Ren and Emily had flown in from Denver, but their puddle-jumper flight was cancelled due to impending weather. Instead, we drove them halfway home, where they were picked up by Emily's dad. I got a quick visit with my parents thanks to the drive (hi, Mom!), but the ride back that evening would have been terrifying if it wasn't for four-wheel drive and Dane's expert driving skills.

The storm was better by the next morning, so we ventured out to drive back to Wichita for our flight. Kansas snowstorms are much different than Boston ones. There's less snow, but that snow blows for miles so it doesn't take much to make travel difficult.

Ian got us safely all the way back to Wichita, only for us to get (barely) rear-ended by a high schooler just a mile from the airport. The snow packed on the bumper came in handy as damage protection.



Grandma Marilyn, thanks for letting us help you celebrate. We're already looking forward to seeing you again! #loveya

See (a few) more photos from the weekend on Flickr.

Brooke Fraser, Brutal Romantic

For Valentine's Day, Ian nabbed us tickets to see Brooke Fraser at the Sinclair. We've always been captivated by her incredible voice and songwriting, and love her latest album, Brutal Romantic. The week's snowstorm threatened to cancel our plans, but thankfully held off until the wee hours of the morning. (Giant flakes began to fall as we walked up to our front door around midnight.)



She was funny and down to earth. Her voice was pitch perfect. And we love the new techno vibe to her music, as she continues to evolve and explore her craft. In addition to songs from Brutal Romantic, she also played some of her old favorites, like "C. S. Lewis Song," remixed to her current style. She said, since the songs were now over a decade old, it was rather like teenagers getting tattoos and piercings. I like her similes.

The show was amazing, and the perfect Valentine's Day respite from the crazy snow. And the next time Brooke Fraser comes to Boston, we'll be there.