At 22 weeks pregnant and after working 7 shifts of triage (which means it was a particularly tiring work week), Bill and I immediately jumped onto a red eye to Seattle. To say I was exhausted when we landed in Washington State on Tuesday morning would be an understatement, but the excitement of seeing friends and family kept me awake during the day.
Our first stop was in Tacoma to catch up with Lee, our friend from residency. Lee made us an amazing brunch of Caprese Salad with chicken and Bill whipped up some lattes. We soaked in beautiful views in Lee's backyard while dipping our feet in her hot tub. I snacked on some ridiculously good nectarines before we left. The fruit cravings have been intense, and those juicy nectarines really hit the spot.
Delicious!
Hot tub
Ukulele
Our original plan was to visit our friend Jenn in Olympia, but she was recovering from COVID so instead Bill and I headed north to meet up with my cousin Jess, her husband Matt, and their new 2 month old Kaia in Seattle. Meeting Kaia was a highlight of the trip, and it's actually what inspired us to go to Washington in the first place. For dinner, we ate Ethiopian food take out, which was especially exciting for me since it's one of my favorite cuisines and Hawaii no longer has any Ethiopian restaurants. Jess and Matt gifted us some really good fruit (a plum, peach, and nectarine), which I ate over the next couple days. That nectarine must have been the juiciest, most delicious one I've ever had and I managed to get nectarine juice all over my pants.
Sweet baby Kaia
Matt, Lien, baby Kaia, Jess, & Bill
Bill and I headed up to Edmonds where we stayed 3 nights with my Uncle Steve, Aunt Myla, and their adorable dog Ollie. Steve and Myla couldn't have been more loving, wonderful hosts. My Aunt Mary and Uncle Dave next door were hosting my parents from Austin, so we swung by to say hello to the family. My parents had come into town to celebrate and remember my grandpa's (Dad, Uncle Steve, and Aunt Mary's father) life, who would have been turning 100 on Sept 17th.
Ollie
Sept 13, 2023
Bill and I joined my mom, dad, and Aunt Mary on a guided tour to Mt Rainier National Park. We took a bus into a somewhat sketchy area downtown (3rd Ave and Pike Street) and grabbed coffee while waiting for our ride. The tour only had 3 other people plus a tour guide and we were in a 15-seat van, so we had plenty of space to spread out. Our first stop was hiking at Paradise, where we caught views of Mt Rainier, ate a picnic lunch, saw a bunch of wildlife, and visited Myrtle Waterfall.
Me, Mom, and Dad hiking with fall colors starting to show!
Mom with a view of Mt Rainier
Dad, me, Mom, & Bill at Mount Rainier
Mom & Dad
Me & Bill
Lots of chipmunks!
Lots of marmots!
Marmots are so darn cute and make funny whistling sounds
Deer
A mountain goat camouflaging with rocks
Dad, Lien, Bill, & Mom at Myrtle Falls
Following our hike and lunch, we stopped by five more places in the national park: Reflection Lakes, Panorama Point, Narada Falls, Christine Falls Bridge, and Twin Firs Trail. Narada Falls was especially magical because when the sun came out and made a rainbow in the waterfall, my rainbow baby became very active and both my parents were able to feel her kick for the first time! We returned home hungry and tired around 8pm, and we were all happy that Aunt Mary and Uncle Dave had a batch of homemade chili waiting for us at their house.
Reflection Lakes! One of my favorite pictures from the whole trip
Panorama Point with my big belly
Narada Falls with a rainbow - magical!
Christine Falls Bridge
Mom 1982 and me 2023, both pregnant at Mount Rainier National Park
Bill balancing between huge Douglas Firs at Twin Firs Trail
Devil's Club: scary spiky stems and leaves!
Sept 14, 2023
I turned 23 weeks pregnant, meaning my baby had grown to the size of a large mango or a grapefruit. Bill and I were surprised to wake up to a huge amazing breakfast that Uncle Steve had made which included coffee, smoothies, homemade blueberry pancakes, eggs, and sausages. I felt like I was eating the "real breakfast" from Lilies of the Field. Bill and I ate our fill and then picked up my parents and Aunt Mary to drive east for a guided Pedego e-bike tour around Lake Wanatchee. Our group was again small and intimate, with just one other couple and a very enthusiastic tour guide. The tour covered more off-roading terrains and we biked faster than I had expected, but it was still doable enough for all of us first time e-bikers. The whole experience was so unique and beautiful that it ended up being my, Bill's, and my dad's favorite activity of the week (hiking at Mt Rainier was Mom's).
Dad (red shirt), Aunt Mary (blue shirt), Mom (red helmet), & me (turquoise helmet)
How cute is this mysterious little cabinet on a tree?
Bill exploring the Curiosity Cabinet
Big smiles from Mom (Bill & I are in the background)
Dad & Mom
Rest stop at Lake Wanatchee
Mom & Me
Bill skipping rocks with Dad. The view was a little hazy due to wildfires that morning
The tour ended with ice cream bars, which was a nice little surprise. We were still hungry for lunch and the five of us headed onward to Leavenworth, a cute Bavarian-styled village in the mountains that I hadn't been to in 19 years. Aunt Mary decided to explore Leavenworth on her own, and the rest of us stuck together. I was feeling nostalgic so we ate white chili in the Soup Cellar, a meal I remembered eating with my grandparents as a child. Then we stopped by my favorite store in Leavenworth: The Taffy Shop, which sells over 50 flavors of saltwater taffy.
The taffy flavors I couldn't resist
Cute little Leavenworth, with bags of taffy in hand!
We returned to Edmonds where Uncle Steve made some pre-dinner cocktails for Bill and Dad. Then we went next door to Aunt Mary and Uncle Dave's for homemade stew and apple cake. My cousins Erik and Karl (Aunt Mary and Uncle Dave's two sons) joined us for dinner. After dinner, my cousin Maddie (Uncle Steve and Aunt Myla's daughter) and her dog Mango also came by for a visit. It's always fun to catch up with cousins.
Sept 15, 2023
Bill and I split off from the family and headed to Port Ludlow to stay with my high school friend Jenna and her 3 cats Spike, Archie, and Nero for a couple of nights. Our commute included a stop by Top Pot donuts for breakfast and a pretty ferry ride from Edmonds to Kingston. Jenna took us into Port Townsend for brunch. We walked around the cute historic city and over to Chetzemoka Park while eating cones from Elevated Ice Cream. Cardamom ice cream is insanely good and it's now one of my favorite ice cream flavors ever.
Bill on the ferry ride
Jenna and Bill with a 42 foot grey whale skeleton in Port Townsend
Bill and Jenna at Chetzemoka Park
Giant trees at Chetzemoka Park
We returned to Port Ludlow for a quick walk around Ludlow Creek & Falls and then went kayaking where we saw a bunch of seals! I was crazy about the blackberries in the parking lot, so Jenna took us on a trail near her house to a gazebo where we could pick blackberries all along the way. For dinner, we went to Finnriver Cidery to enjoy tasty food, outdoor live music, and a gorgeous sunset.
Bill at Ludlow Falls
Jenna kayaking with seals
Sunset complete with a red rubber ball sun at Finnriver Cidery
Sept 16, 2023
Bill and I enjoyed another trip to a national park, this time to Olympic National Park with Jenna. We packed various snacks that we ate throughout the day: the hand-picked blackberries from the evening before, blueberries, tiny green grapes, cheese, crackers, and the type of really sweet cherry tomatoes that remind you tomatoes are a fruit. Our first stop was at Hurricane Ridge, where we walked High Ridge Trail to Sunrise Point. The views were smoked out by a recent wildfire and it made it a bit harder to breathe, so we couldn't see much or stay super long.
Hurricane Ridge
Bill, me, & Jenna
Fortunately, the rest of the trip in Olympic wasn't as affected by smoke. We enjoyed a series of short hikes: Sol Duc Waterfall, Ancient Groves Trail, Salmon Cascades, and the Spruce Railroad Trail to Devil's Punchbowl at Lake Crescent. We ended the day with dinner at Lake Crescent Lodge, which overlooks the lake.
Bill & Jenna at Sol Duc
Me at Sol Duc
Autumn colors showing up at Sol Duc
Giant trees at Sol Duc
Sol Duc Waterfall
Me & Jenna at Ancient Groves
A nurse log (fallen tree that feeds new trees) at Ancient Groves
Salmon Cascades - such clear green water!
Jenna & me on the Spruce Railroad Trail
Bill, Jenna, & me at Devil's Punchbowl
Devil's Punchbowl at Lake Crescent - a popular swimming spot if you don't mind freezing!
Sept 17, 2023
On our last day, Bill and I took an early ferry back to Edmonds so we could catch some of my family members we hadn't yet seen. First we met up with and said goodbye to Uncle Steve and Aunt Myla's clan: Maddie (their daughter) and her fiance Mason, Nick (their son) and his girlfriend Kenya, and the two pups Ollie and Mango. Then we headed to Aunt Mary and Uncle Dave's where we saw my parents along with my Uncle Peter (another one of Dad's siblings) who had flown in from Colorado. Jess, Matt, and baby Kaia came up from Seattle to join us, and we grabbed some take out at PCC Community Markets for breakfast.
Me on an early morning ferry ride. We saw seals in the water!
We drove my parents and Uncle Peter into Seattle where they were meeting up with six of our other family members for a Mariner's baseball game. Bill and I stopped by Big John's PFI to buy some pasta we're crazy about, and then snuck in one last visit with Jess, Matt, and baby Kaia at their home in Seattle. At the airport, we met up with our friends Cynthia and Mayur, who were flying home with us from their own Washington trip. Back in Hawaii, our four dogs lost their minds when they saw us again, for they thought surely we must have been gone forever.
Woohoo, our favorite pasta! We can't get this shipped to Hawaii.
I insisted my whole family watch my favorite show Schmigadoon. Everyone loved Season 1, which is based on the 1940s-1950s Golden Era of musicals. Season 2, AKA Schmicago, delves into the next era of 1960s-1970s musicals. Unfortunately, this left my parents feeling quite lost since they aren't as familiar with this era of musicals. I made these videos as a quick primer for what inspired each episode of Schmicago. Of note: the years I listed in the videos are the year each musical was made, not the year each performance/movie is from.
Musicals most prevalently used for inspiration in Schmicago:
- Cabaret (1966)
- Sweet Charity (1966)
- Hair (1967)
- Promises, Promises (1968)
- Company (1970)
- Godspell (1970)
- Jesus Christ Superstar (1971)
- Pippin (1972)
- A Chorus Line (1975)
- Chicago (1975)
- Annie (1977)
- Sweeney Todd (1979)
- The Muppets Movie (1979)
- Dreamgirls (1981)
EPISODE 1: WELCOME TO SCHMICAGO
Episode 1: Original Influences
- Pippin (1972): "Magic to Do" heavily influenced the song "Welcome to Schmicago," and Schmicago's narrator is very similar to Pippin's narrator
- Company (1970): The character Joanne who sang "Ladies Who Lunch" in Company shows up as a recurrent figure in each episode of Schmicago with her tag line "I'll drink to that!"
- Sweet Charity (1966): "Do We Shock You" in Schmicago is a parody of "Hey Big Spender" from Sweet Charity
- Cabaret (1966): The emcee of the Kratt Club is based on the emcee from Cabaret, and Jenny Banks is based on Sally Bowles from Cabaret. "Kaput" has similarities in its choreography / intro / message as "Mein Heir," with a musical progression similar to the title song "Cabaret." At one point, Jenny even sings "please get out of mein hair" as a direct pun/reference to "Mein Heir." As an aside, the roommate Elsie who dies in the song "Cabaret" is the name of the dancer (& Jenny's roommate) who dies in the first episode of Schmicago. All the other Kratt Club girls are named after orphans from the musical Annie (Annie, Kate, Molly, Tessie, Pepper, and Duffy).
- Chicago (1975): the start of the Overture to Chicago is similar to the background music of the Leprechaun's song.
Episode 1: Leitmotifs
Also, I can't get enough of all the leitmotifs used in Season 2! If you're not familiar with this concept, a leitmotif is a musical theme associated with a character, idea, or place. Leitmotifs are used all the time in musicals and movies and can often trigger an emotional response even if you're not fully aware of why it's happening (think of the doo-doo doo-doo that symbolizes the shark in Jaws, or Darth Vader's theme in Star Wars). The fact that this is the second season of Schmigadoon gives it the advantage of being able to cleverly reference songs from Season 1 in the background. Here are some leitmotifs you can listen out for in the background of Episode 1:
- Opening (takes place 10 seconds after Schmigadoon): a more unsure version of “This is How We Change” from Season 1
- Josh and Melissa's wedding: "A Happy Beginning" from the finale song of Season 2
- Josh looks at his kazoo: “With All of Your Heart” from Season 1
- Josh and Melissa are in the woods looking for Schmigadoon: “Schmigadoon” from Season 1 and Sondheim's “Into the Woods”
- Josh and Melissa in the car: “You Make Me Want to Sing” from Season 1
- Ann Harada's (mayor's wife in Season 1, Madam Frau in Season 2) entrance: “He’s a Queer One” from Season 1
EPISODE 2: DOORWAY TO WHERE
Episode 2: Original Influences
- Pippin (1972): "Doorway to Where" in Schmicago is a parody of "Corner of the Sky" from Pippin. Topher's character is also based on Jesus from Godspell (1970) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1971) as well as Berger from Hair (1967), but more on that later. As a side note, the guy in the metallic jumpsuit in prison is lead character Conrad, from the 1963 musical Bye Bye Birdie.
- Chicago (1975): Bobby's intro monologue has a similar feel to Roxie's monologue before her song "Roxie."
- A Chorus Line (1975): "I Need to Eat" is basically like a condensed version of the musical A Chorus Line, most closely mimicking the music, choreography, and famous end shot of the opening song "I Hope I Get It." Mel's character sings a similar plea as the character Cassie in "Music in the Mirror," complete with the same ending dance moves. Also, there's a fun little easter egg during this sequence: one of the dancers during the audition gives a monologue that implies she’s a grown up Liesl from The Sound of Music. “I’d like… to stay… and taste my first champagne…?”
- Chicago (1975): "Bobby's Vamp" is based on the intro (We Want Billy) from Chicago's "All I Care About it Love."
- Company (1970) & Chicago (1975): "Bustin' Out" has the musical stylings of "You Could Drive a Person Crazy," and then they sneak in a dance break that's reminiscent of Chicago's overture.
Episode 2: Leitmotifs
- At the press conference, a reporter says "send him to the chair:" "Dias Irae," a Requiem mass frequently used to indicate death. The "Dias Irae" is used a lot in Sweeney Todd.
- Josh and Melissa say they love each other while in prison: "You Make Me Want to Sing" from Season 1.
- Jenny turns on the record: "With All of Your Heart" from Season 1. This goes along with her describing herself as "an old soul."
- Sergeant Rivera and Mel are talking: "Suddenly" from Season 1.
EPISODE 3: BELLS AND WHISTLES
Episode 3: Original Influences
- Hair (1967): The hippies greet Josh with "good morning, Josh-shine," which is a reference to the song "Good Morning Starshine" from the musical Hair. The intro to "Everyone's Gotta Get Naked" further resembles "Good Morning Starshine" with its playful nonsensical words. As an aside, a handful of the nonsense words used in "Everyone's Gotta Get Naked" are actually names of the characters from the 1971 musical Grease (Rizzo, Cha Cha, Doody, Zuko, Kenickie). "Everyone's Gotta Get Naked" has choreography similar to "Aquarius" which is also from Hair. The song refers to the infamous nude scene from Hair, which was so controversial that at one point it made it to the Supreme Court.
- Godspell (1970): Topher's hippy clan resembles Jesus's followers from Godspell, with their campy personalities, eclectic bright costumes, face paint, and junk yard gathering place. The names of the hippies are the first names of the actors who play them. This is a tradition of Godspell; the characters are always named after the actors (except for Jesus and Judas)
- Annie (1977) & Sweeney Todd (1979): Mrs Caldwell's character is based on Miss Hannigan from Annie mixed with Mrs Lovett from Sweeney Todd.
- Sweeney Todd (1979): Dooley Blight is inspired by Sweeney Todd. "The Worst Brats in Town" (and its reprise) are based on Sweeney Todd's "Worst Pies in London, and the next song "There Was a Butcher" is based on Sweeney Todd's "The Barber and His Wife" and "Epiphany."
- Godspell (1970): The parable scene pokes fun at Godspell. All the parables in that musical feel exactly like that.
- Chicago (1975) & A Chorus Line (1975) & Company (1970): Schmicago's "Bells and Whistles" echos the meaning behind Chicago's "Razzle Dazzle," with a fun nod to "We Both Reached for the Gun." The musical style resembles A Chorus Line's "Dance 10 Looks 3." The patter toward the end of the song is reminiscent of the patter from Company's “Not Getting Married Today”
- Jesus Christ Superstar (1971) & Sweeney Todd (1979): "Two Birds with One Stone" has musical influences from Jesus Christ Superstar's “Hosanna” and “This Jesus Must Die.” The self-flagellation references Judge Turpin's song "Mea Culpa" from Sweeney Todd.
Episode 3: Leitmotifs
- Melissa tells Alan Cumming (the mayor in Season 1, Dooley Blight in Season 2) that he reminds her of an old friend: “Somewhere Love is Waiting for You”
EPISODE 4: SOMETHING REAL
Episode 4: Original Influences
- Jesus Christ Superstar (1971): When Topher breaks into his angry song "Why Are You Hassling Me?" it resembles Jesus's part during "The Last Supper" from Jesus Christ Superstar
- Sweet Charity (1966): "Talk to Daddy" is influenced by "Rhythm of Life" and "Rich Man's Frug," both are which from Sweet Charity
- Pippin (1972): "Something Real" doesn't directly parody any song, but perhaps has closest similarities to "Love Song" from Pippin.
- Sweeney Todd (1979), Annie (1977), Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Chicago (1975), Follies (1971), Promises, Promises (1968), & Oliver (1960): "Good Enough to Eat" is thematically a blend of Sweeney Todd and Annie. The intro draws from the tune, meaning, and puns of "A Little Priest" from Sweeney Todd. The song then breaks into a catchy melody with the same vibe as "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" from Annie. During the dance sequence, you get little nods to Bye Bye Birdie's "Put on a Happy Face," Annie's "It's a Hard Knock Life," Chicago's "All I Care About Is Love" fan dance, the intro to Sondheim's Follies, and the "Turkey Lurkey Time" dance from Promises, Promises. The image of orphans lined up in front of a large cauldron or at the dinner table also bring the musical Oliver to mind.
Episode 4: Leitmotifs
- When Melissa and Josh look at their drawings of different characters: Dooley is represented by "Butcher and His Wife," Jenny is represented by "Kaput," and Kratt gets a deep boom sound.
- Jenny meets the hippies "Everyone's Gotta Get Naked" from Season 2, which has now become the leitmotif of the junk yard location.
EPISODE 5: SOMETHING REAL
Episode 4: Original Influences
- Sweeney Todd (1979): There are a lot of "Welcome to Schmicago" reprises that are all slightly different from each other, but the one at the beginning of this episode opens with a scene inspired by Sweeney Todd, with musical cues from "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd."
- Cabaret (1966): "It's My Turn Now" has similarities to Cabaret's "Maybe This Time"
- Jesus Christ Superstar (1971) & Company (1970): "Famous as Hell" draws inspiration from multiple songs from Jesus Christ Superstar: the title song, "Heaven on My Mind," and "Simon Zealotes." It also features a great cameo from our recurrent character who's based off of the character Joanne in Company.
- Jesus Christ Superstar (1971): "You Betrayed Me" is similar to Topher's earlier song "Why Are You Hassling Me?" and again mimics parts of "the Last Supper" from Jesus Christ Superstar. The insult "sour macaron" refers to Judas calling Jesus a "jaded mandarin," while also making a callback to Season 1's theme song "and the air's as sweet as a macaron."
- Promises, Promises (1968): "There's Always a Twist" is a nod to the more bebop song styles of this era, such as those used in the musical Promises, Promises.
Episode 5: Leitmotifs
- No actual leitmotifs spotted this episode, but the weird child-like duo at the Kratt Club is performing to a jazzy version of "Good Enough to Eat" which makes for a cute (or creepy?) callback.
EPISODE 6: OVER AND DONE
Episode 6: Original Influences
- Dreamgirls (1981): "Over and Done" emulates the style of the musical Dreamgirls. Musically, it reminds me most of "One Night Only" with its ballad style and theme of rejecting a lover. Visually, it appears closest to the musical's Finale, when the main character Effie is reunited with the three other Dreams. To really tip you off, the choreography includes a pose that's straight out of the poster to Dreamgirls. There are moments toward the end, particularly in the ending pose, which refer to Effie's big song "And I Am Telling You."
- Flower Power: There's a moment where Jenny mirrors the famous photograph taken in 1967 of a protestor placing a carnation into the barrel of a soldier's rifle.
- The Phantom of the Opera (1986): The chandelier scene refers to the famous scene from Phantom of the Opera, symbolizing that the next era of musicals is starting to crash in.
- The Rocky Horror Show (1973): Sergeant Rivera's breakout number is a reference to Frank-N-Furter's opening song "Sweet Transvestite" from The Rocky Horror Show.
- Pippin (1972) & Company (1970): The scene toward the end where the narrator tries to tempt Melissa and Josh to stay in Schmicago is similar to the scene at the end of Pippin where the narrator tries to tempt Pippin to set himself on fire. Bobby gets the line "add em up, kiddos, add em up" which is similar to a line in "Being Alive" from Company. The narrator being replaced by a woman refers to actress Patina Miller taking over the role of narrator for the Pippin revival in 2013, 41 years after Ben Vereen originated the role. Each of them won a Tony Award for their portrayals.
- My favorite easter egg of the series: the leprechaun brothers are named Oscar and Stephen, after Oscar Hammerstein II (lyricist of Rogers & Hammerstein, well known for the golden era that Schmigadoon is based on) and Stephen Sondheim (composer/lyricist who wrote many musicals including Company and Sweeney Todd which influenced Schmicago). Hammerstein was a father figure to Sondheim, so the two of them bridge the gap between the two musical worlds.
- The Muppet Movie (1979) & Godspell (1970): The final song "A Happy Beginning" was inspired by "Rainbow Connection" from the Muppet Movie. The very last shot in Schmicago is a replication of the last shot of the film Godspell, with a special little cameo by Cinco Paul, the show's creator and songwriter.
Episode 6: Leitmotifs
- Dooley is reunited with Jenny: "Somewhere Someone's Waiting for You"
- Josh and Melissa embrace: "You Make Me Want to Sing"
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