Mom's B-day present

The last couple weeks have been really busy. But I had heard an advertisement on the radio that Christopher O'Riley was going to be playing somewhere in LA. My parents really enjoy watching "From the Top", an NPR radio show that O'Riley hosts and is also aired on PBS. It features young musicians from around the country and he usually accompanies them on the show. So I thought Mom would like going to see him perform live. By the time I sat down at the computer to find the information, it was Tuesday....his concert was Thursday evening. But it worked out that Mom was available, so we made our plans.

We met at the Grove in LA for dinner around 5. Jim helped me out by working from home so I could leave early enough. We ended up at Wood Ranch for dinner and loved our tri-tip salads. Then we went to the American Girl store to browse the cuteness and buy a present for someone's upcoming birthday.
Then we wandered down to Cheesecake Factory and picked up some dessert. We just had way too much fun talking and eating and talking a lot more. Finally, we went down to the LACMA for the concert.

Christopher O'Riley is probably most well-known for two things: hosting "From the Top" and his transcriptions and performances of songs by Radiohead, Elliot Smith and Nick Drake. He was an amazing pianist. His dexterity was unbelievable and it was fun to watch the heads bob throughout the audience as he played the more modern pieces. The night flew by and we both enjoyed ourselves immensely!!!