Play! A Video Game Symphony is a touring concert series that combines live orchestra music with footage from videogames. In essence you listen to videogame “soundtracks” while watching corresponding clips on three large screens.

Play! came to SLC last week for one night, with the cooperation of the Utah Symphony. Jason and I, along with a few of our gamer friends, decided to attend this event. Since I don’t really play videogames I was only familiar with a few of the pieces on the program but the boys in my group, and most of the crowd, seemed to recognize the bulk of them. The audience was very enthusiastic about their favorites.

It was a fun and strange night, a night in which the refined and the not-so-cultural became almost indistinguishable. The social confusion was uncanny enough to make me feel a bit like I had entered a parallel universe, one in which nerdy customs were considered the height of sophistication. Dang it! I just used the term “parallel universe”. Now I have revealed my geeky underbelly and ruined my credibility as a gamer defamer. Oh well, as the old adage goes, if you can’t beat them you better play nonstop until you can!

Last week I had to go to Park City on business. Jason decided to tag along and we made an overnight outing of it. A snowstorm hit Park City about the same time we did and the landscape was quickly transformed into a powdery wonderland. It may be my boarder’s biasness, but I think that’s the way Park City is meant to be experienced, under a violet sky filled with softly descending flakes.

We stayed at the Hotel Park City. It was beautiful and the staff was very accommodating. I would recommend it to anyone looking to getaway. Our room had a balcony and fireplace. Ahhh…relaxing. It probably would have been more relaxing if we hadn’t spent so much time shopping but I couldn’t resist a little “Christmas” shopping. Okay, okay…I bought more stuff for myself than I did for anyone else but I did purchase a few things for some of the people on my list. So there!

It was a nice mini-break from our daily routines. A bit more powder, enough to make some sweet boarding possible, is the only thing that could have brought the excursion closer to perfection.

Jason and I went to a David Gray concert yesterday with my friend Robyn and her husband Shon. We had a delightful time! Robyn is definitely a “kindred spirit”. She and I have a lot of the same interests and viewpoints so we get along splendidly and never run out of things to discuss. Our men seem to jive well together too. (Man-date possibilities?)