We did it! We're live!

Wow! What a tense suspense-filled last 24 hours leading up to the launch of Sing With Our Kids yesterday!You know how the story ends, but since you've been here with me for the last 30 days of counting down, I'll fill you in on the gory details!

Friday night, 8:30 pm. 

I finally had a chance to make it to my computer to work on the Indiegogo campaign, which I full intended to have finished days ago (life making other plans again!).

Here's how it went...

Really tired from too many late nights, and having trouble writing the campaign text.

Decided to take a break and upload the video which has been on my desk for the last 3 months.

Oops! Where is that CD? No, really, where it it? It's been here for THREE MONTHS!!!

Uh-oh, it really doesn't seem to be around... next hour spent turning my office upside-down. 

Okay, found a DVD with the master video... need to convert it to mp4... How do you do that?

I haven't a clue! (and as it turned out from a quick Google search, I needed a program).

Okay, an hour later I have bought and downloaded a program, converted the movie, and it looks fine.

Whew! crisis avoided!

Upload to YouTube. .................. What??? Why is my mouth out of sync with the video? 

Try a few more things then realize I am REALLY brain dead now... Go to bed....

Next day, call my brother-in-law who is a computer tech.... 

He takes the DVD to his office to try converting using another program....

Meanwhile, I'm back to trying to finish writing the text but I'm having some kind of writer's block.  I feel panic creeping in... our official launch is about 3 hours away, and the Indiegogo site isn't ready to go live, and the website can't go live until it does......... 

Call my brother(webmaster) and discuss moving the countdown clock on my artist website and missing the deadline. . No! This can't be happening! (Where in the world could that CD have gone..) Did I mention it had been sitting innocently on my desk for the last 3 months?.......

Called my daughter who is a middle school language arts teacher, for help editing the text. Boy is she good! Great edits. Then my brother-in-law came by with new version of video. It looks like it might work when we upload it to YouTube... an hour and a half  'til launch. Maybe we can do it after all!

My sister stops by to see if I'm still alive! She is among other things,  a researcher and academic writer. She edits. Has wonderful suggestions! (so sorry I took your things without asking when we were growing up!) 

An hour 'til launch.

I finish the text and upload all the parts to Indiegogo. It presents me with a checklist that needs to be complete before the site goes live. What? Checklist? Don't panic, I tell myself... there is still an hour! 

Oh good, it just wants me to complete my profile. Easy! I do it and press enter... It says I need to complete my profile.. But I did, I tell my computer... the clock is ticking loudly now, and that's funny because it's digital..I calmly enter my info again; e-mail, photo, bio...and click enter... Again it says, enter your profile! I do this a few more times.

That's it, I think, I'm doomed! So close and yet so far! So I did that thing we do when we run into walls on the computer and start behaving irrationally. I started pushing buttons, exiting the site, re-entering, pushing more buttons mindlessly (that digital clock is really ticking now, I'm sure of it!), and right there....before my very eyes....it said "complete!" I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. There before me was the "live" button, just waiting for me to click on it. This was it.... I.....clicked on it! 

Ta da!!! WE'RE LIVE!!!!!!

I call my brother and tell him to throw the switch on the website and connect the Indiegogo links.

Still time to walk my poor dog who's been sitting patiently (okay, not really patiently) waiting, waiting for his walk. So I figure ten minutes, I can do it. Ran into a neighbor walking his dogs. Making conversation, he asked what I was doing with my music these days.. I spilled it all! And said I had to be at Island Books in half an hour. He said, (and I kid you not), "HALF an hour? You better go put some makeup on and those hippie clothes or something. You better do something!" 

So the happy ending, is, we got the Indiegogo site up, we got the website up, and I had the loveliest group of families with young children and grandparents, and Nancy and Roger Page the owners, and yes, my neighbor Warren who came down to support me! We sang songs and read and sang books, and everyone had a great time. I soaked up every minute of the twirling and dancing and singing! It was a true celebration, and everyone there knew how hard I have been working, and they have been my cheerleaders. 

I don't mean to be political, but right now I am acutely aware (as I have always been, but for some reason it's become controversial to say) that none of us does anything alone. I could not have done this, the Mt Everest of my career without the love and support of my family, friends, and fans. We are the village!

So now onto the actual project! Walking my dog Jack today, I already have more ideas for the website and project! 

So thank you for being here for me, for allowing me to create and flesh out the plan through this blog. It's been its own little journey!

And oh yes, please donate or share, or leave comments, or all three at http://www.indiegogo.com/SingWithOurKidsWebsite?a=1164209

And one more thing... be sure and watch the video!

Stay tuned for regular posts and updates! As we say in our family, "We're really on our way now!"