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theloniousbach · 5 years ago

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50 Years of Going to Shows, Pt. 9: Jazz in St. Louis

I am in the middle of my fourth year of attending shows at Jazz at the Bistro and it is a great joy to have this formative music back so centrally in my life, to make this my go to music, to think about music in jazz terms. From that first Johnny Winter blues jam, I’ve always been drawn to virtuosic playing. Certainly rock and ur-jam band guitarists were a start. But I saw Norman Blake flat pick amazingly in those early years and later Celtic fiddlers and box players amazed me. Chamber music but also Irish sessions have an intimate conversational aspect. But it’s jazz that has it all. I sensed that in the early 70s and it’s where I’ve come home to now.

I kept my eye on jazz before the Bistro, particularly through Webster University’s wonderful jazz faculty and their performances. I would return to tried and true recordings, starting with Miles, Monk, and Mingus and Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard. I knew I couldn’t miss Sonny Rollins when he played UMSL’s performing arts center in 2009 and had even better tickets for a return a few years later that he had to cancel. He was vital, transforming from a tentative, slightly stooped old man into a flurry of ideas dancing lightly around the stage delighted in the choruses he unfolded for himself and others. He had a guitarist (not a pianist), a trombone, drums and percussion, and Bob Crenshaw. Standards and Ellington. But it was a bit of a one off.

It has taken season packages at Jazz St. Louis for four years now to get the engagement and focus that I now have.It’s fitting that the first one was Bill Charlap and his trio. That configuration is where I’m glad to start, going back to Oscar Peterson when I was 8. I’m almost too vociferously anti-musical theater, except jazz musicians have done wonderful things with and burnished the Great American Song Book. Charlap is one of our key curators. But these aren’t museum pieces in his hands; they are a dynamic legacy kept alive by use. There’s taste, drive, invention in tradition. Just like that Johnny Winter concert in early fall of 1969, there was something I had to have more of.Next up was Vijay Iyer, also in a trio. A different aesthetic but he worked a jam into Epistrophy, so tradition prevails. And the piano trio’s elasticity continued to win me over. The Bad Plus begins the year in St. Louis and we were where the rebooted when Orrin Evans replaced Ethan Iverson. I saw them once with Iverson, couch toured that opening run of BP2.0, saw them last year and plan to see them next in January. I started to get them seeing them live, seeing how the compositions work and how they work them. I think they’re a little warmer and organic with Evans, just as smart and clever but grounded. I’ve seen Benny Green swing hard and Cyrus Chestnutt do so as well but then throw in a good chunk of French Impressionism. Emmet Cohen’s band was the foundation for an odd mix of horn players I wanted to see: Marquis Hill and, for a second time, Melissa Aldana. The five of them didn’t quite jell, but the Cohen trio is a working band I would see again. Kenny Barron was a monument of taste and command and Chick Corea was impish, a grand old man of the music in spite of himself. There were standards but also a glorious exposition on Paco de Luca’s Zyriab, pulling together the Arabic roots of Flamenco. So, piano trios always with the Bad Plus, Christian Sands at the Sheldon Concert Hall down the street (where I saw Eliane Elias with Marc Johnson do wonderful Brazilian stuff but also some superb jazz evoking Bill Evans), and Connie Han ahead.

Now, we’re Miles Davis’s hometown and folks know that. The SF Jazz Collective came to the Bistro in 2017 with a program of his music (wide ranging—Tutu and Bitches Brew as well as Nardis for an acoustic ensemble) as well as compositions from band members in the ensemble. It’s a grand concept—a four horn front line with vibes and rhythm section, with some general stability but it’s morphed over the years. Everyone composes and arranges and they celebrate a composer each season. Our band was Sean Jones, David Sanchez, Miguel Zenon, Robin Eubanks, Warren Wolf, Edward Simon, Matt Penniman, and Obed Calvaire. They return to the Sheldon this year for an In a Silent Way tribute with mostly the same folks—so anther chance to see Sanchez and Zenon who were particularly impressive. Russell Gunn evoked Miles’s Blackhawk set with Jimmy Cobb holding down the drum chair very capably at age 90.

After piano tours and Milesiana, there are tenors. So I couch toured a conversation and partial set with Benny Golson—not quite in the room with a legend but a vivid experience. I am intrigued and enthralled at the playing of Melissa Aldana who crafts vivid lines that fill space quite fully (she has some great trio work) with ideas rather than tone. Her own quartet had over active drumming from Tommy Crane whereas the Emmet Cohen show pulled her in multiple directions (blusier, mostly) than she quite fit. She is a star in Artemis, but shares the front line with Anat Cohen and Ingrid Jensen, but she is one star among many. So I haven’t quite heard the ideal Aldana show. But I am glad to keep trying.

I’ve been able to see Joshua Redmond twice. As great as his tenor invention is, his band (with Aaron Goldberg) was what impressed me most. The way longstanding bands like this (and Branford Marsalis’s with Joey Caldazzaro) think together is very special. Marsalis and Caldazzaro would magically complete one another’s thoughts and both tenors took great delight in what their bands could do, soloing all the better because of it. In these bands, but most of them, including the trios, I an struck with just how good drummers have become, really playing music beyond rhythm. Allison Miller has a Jazz Night in America video on “melodic drumming,” so it was a treat to see her with Artemis, listening so hard but happily to inflect the music so well. She was almost the one to keep one’s eyes on, except that Anat Cohen exudes such unbridled joy at all times. Her quartet show was a real highlight of 2018-2019. I am so glad she and Ben Goldberg are making the clarinet a modern jazz instrument.

Joe Lovano came through with the brilliant and adventurous John Scofield who plays with Phil Lesh and Warren Haynes. I find myself shying away from jazz guitar preferring the piano. But that was quite a show as was Scofield again with Jack DeJohnette’s Hudson project which jammed out originals and The Band/Hendrix/Joni Mitchell very well. DeJohnette has quite a palette of drums and especially cymbals. We were 4 rows back on his side so we had a literally ringside seat for that magic at the Sheldon.

I have made a point to hear the likes of Marquis Hill, Robert Glasper, Stefon Harris, and, most recently, Terence Blanchard to hear how hip hop is being incorporated into jazz as funk was in my youth and rhythm and blues was in the ‘50s. My younger generation didn’t bring that music home, so I don’t have that sensibility. But I would be an old fart in extremis if I didn’t welcome those influences. That said, I am more intrigued with how SFJAZZ takes the essence of electric Miles into acoustic music than vocoders and loops and reverb. But, every time these newer shows have lots to delight in, including drummers who move the beat around and are not confined by any strictures.

The music is supposed to grow. And I get to watch it.

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This entry is the last one of this 10 part series this Fall celebrating the 50th Anniversary of concert going, marked by my second one from 11/4/69 with Led Zeppelin. Yes, this is part 9, but, rather like the Beatles releasing Abbey Road before Let It Be (actually, not like those monuments at all), I have already posted a part 10 about the shows I didn’t see. But, wrapping up with jazz makes a certain amount of sense.

#jazz #2019

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dear--charlie · 6 years ago

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Dear Charlie,

i heard from S. again. i didn’t expect too, i just assumed we would go back to this endless slient spell. on Friday i was absolutely elated when i found a postcard amongst the junk mail.

post card number two comes to me from Oregon. on the front is a picture of the coastline in Sprouting Horn, Depoe Bay - Oregon Coast Highway U.S. 101. there’s water splashing up on the rocks and onto tiny people standing on the cliffs edge.

on the back in small print at the very top of the card there’s a little fact about Depoe Bay. it reads: Depoe Bay is a favorite coast point from which daily deep sea fishing trips start throughout the summer. it is on the Oregon Coast Highway 101. underneath is S.’s tiny messy writing. he tells me that i would’ve loved the Peterson Rock Gardens in Redmond because it looked like something out of Alice In Wonderland. next to that is a little doodle of the Cheshire cats grin. in the next sentence he says he hopes im not having to much fun without him back home and i could almost hear him teasing me in the back of my mind. he tells me Oregon is great. that they have good weed and beautiful sights too see. his P.S. reads: Skype? (12/10) with his username scribbled next to it.

our Skype date is supposed to be sometime between 9 and 10. since we’re two hours ahead im expecting a call around 11 or midnight maybe even 1 am if he’s late, which he almost always is.

i don’t care about the time, all i care about is getting to that stupid face again for the first time in months. i’m egar to see if his hair has grown much in almost 9 months. hearing his voice again will send chills down my spine and goosebumps will liter my arms. the thing i’m most impatient for though - his smile. my stomach is in knots and saying my nerves are through the roof is an understatement. we will only see each other through a screen but that will make seeing him again in person all the better. if that day ever comes of course.

- Jane Ives.

p.s. i am utterly terrified.

#dear charlie #jane ives

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peterkayscarshare · 7 years ago

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Foreshadowing a Happy Ending: season 2

Okay so finally here's part 2 - and just a reminder, I'm not covering the songs here, they will get a post all to themselves because there is SO MUCH foreshadowing and Easter Egging going on in the songs.

But, anyhoo, on to season 2.

2x01

1) The main bit of foreshadowing in this episode isn't s throwaway line or some symbolism, it's the entire frickin' plot of the episode. It is HUGELY significant that John and Kayleigh CANNOT let go of the idea of not travelling to work together. They are apart 2 days, and haven't even had to suffer an entire journey without each other before they "give in" and Kayleigh starts phoning John, and John - for his part - starts fantasising about whisking Kayleigh away from her public transport drudgery. It says so much, that John is so desperate to have her back in his car he's willing to pick her up even if it's just for 2 minutes. And then of course, he engineers an excuse to take her home again. It's equal billing on who misses who the most, and shows really how much they can't stand to be apart - essentially telling us that Kayleigh getting out of the car, getting in a taxi and declaring she's out of his life while John declares he's done, is a status that won't stay quo-ed for long.

2) On Yer Bike - This isn't strictly speaking foreshadowing but really shows us the effect Kayleigh has on John. After his run in with the cyclist, Kayleigh is the one to distract him, calm him down, tell him to forget about it and move on. It's also she who won't allow him to get poe-faced over his viral success, giggling and letting him see it's not that big of a deal. THAT is what Kayleigh does for him, and that's why he needs her.

3) The communication problems John and Kayleigh have while apart is a wonderful symbolism for both the unhappy ending AND the inevitability of a happy ending. When their phone calls keep cutting out, and they miss each other in returning calls (both calling each other at the same time) it's highly symbolic of their conversation in the car in ep 4. It's all about the lines of communication not being fully open and bad timing. Yet, when they finally DO connect, both are so happy ("Finally!") to be talking again - once again showing us HOW MUCH they want to be in each others lives, and how badly their fair without each other. Also, interestingly, as happy as they are to reconnect on the phone, it's not until Kayleigh is BACK in the car that they are both TRULY happy. Again, showing us the future that has to happen.

4) "Kayleigh Kitson I'll remember you until the day I die." This line shows us John isn't going to just get over this. He can't just declare "I'm done" and move on. It's not going to happen. He will remember Kayleigh forever. She'll be in his heart forever. There is no forgetting Kayleigh Kitson.

2x02

*clutches heart* *dies slowly* This episode is huge... HEEEEEEEEEEEEUGE in the foreshadowing.

1) Or rather, 1.21. This is MASSIVE. This is the partner to John and Kayleigh's conversation about seeing Cannon and Ball from 1x06. This is what shows us John and Kayleigh are more than just a thing, they are meant to be, dictated by the fates. Kayleigh's pondering makes it clear, the spirits are trying to tell John something. And at 1.21 he leaves Kayleigh's side after NEARLY going all the way (emotionally I mean... it's a small car heehee). It is glaringly obvious they are telling us that the fates are telling JOHN to sort himself out and get together with Kayleigh. You don't include a premonition like that as a writer, and then have it not be significant long term or come back. The fates are involved in John and Kayleigh's relationship, and you don't argue with them. ;)

2) “Rick and Donna, getting engaged.” Now to many this could be a totally pointless conversation, just a random way to introduce Elsie talking about them being the talk of the store. However, there are MANY ways they could have done that. That entire part of the conversation with Elsie feels like VERY heavy foreshadowing of future events we have yet to see - Elsie commenting it should be the MAN who proposes, Kayleigh's commenting it would be embarrassing in front of all of those people. Could be setting up a proposal we will see in the future that fits that description. Also, Elsie's specific phrase when she broaches the topic of John and Kayleigh is key - "you'll be next!". She could have simply said what's going on with you two, what are you up to etc, but nope they wrote THAT line - that John and Kayleigh would be the next couple to get engaged. Coming in the same episode as the fates showing they are involved in the relationship, it very strongly suggests that Elsie is right. After all, you can't con a conner, you can't kid a kidder.

3) “Living alone, it's hard isn't it?�� This is a gorgeous moment of truth from Elsie that really strikes John. And it shows us that John does feel that which he keeps denying - the need for someone, to have someone, to love and be loved. It goes back to the end of 1x03 - John secretly wants love, but he just keeps denying it - including in the final scenes of 2x04. Note: BOTH of these moments happen when Kayleigh is asleep.

4) All I Want For Christmas Is You. The song that killed the moment, LOL, BUT here's the interesting part - why that song? Why did they chose Kayleigh's ringtone for Elsie's call to be THAT Christmas song? It's not essential to the joke. John could have as easily said "Who's that, Beyonce?" in his flustered state when the phone rings. They could have chosen absolutely any song for that moment, but they chose a Christmas song, and one that John and Kayleigh discuss in the Christmas extra. Interestingly in that Christmas scene Kayleigh's first words about the song are "I love this... LOVE IT!" - familiar? And of course, then they discuss Love Actually, with Kayleigh bringing up that it's in the Hugh Grant kissing scene. And when John poo-poos the romance, Kayleigh assures him "it's love, actually". It's a sum up of their relationship, but also associating it in our minds again with kissing and love and romantic resolution.

Essentially also, this song choice reminds us of the Christmas team again (notice the Christmas Team is the thing that ruins their moments every time, from this moment, to the seaside moment, to the fateful last conversation), and that John and Kayleigh will be working together on it. It literally makes us think of the future, and what will happen at Christmas. It’s a Christmas shaped Easter Egg.

2x03

There really isn’t a whole lot of foreshadowing in this ep. There is a bit in the music, which will be in another post but aside from that, there’s not much.

1) Like 2x01, really the main foreshadowing of a happy ending we have in 2x03 is the main plot, and that is of Kayleigh managing to convince John to bunk off work. Again this shows the influence Kayleigh has on John, and specifically in the manner of being more spontaneous and rebellious. She tells John he should squeeze the juice out of life, and although reluctant he does eventually agree. It doesn’t make him stop worrying about the consequences, BUT he does it and is incredibly happy he has (in terms of hanging out with Kayleigh at the very least). And in fact, he so wants Kayleigh to think this IS him, that he’s not afraid of life, he declares himself Reckless Redmond, who lives a life of sex drugs and rock and roll. He WANTS to be the person who grabs life, that Kayleigh is encouraging.

2) Again something more vague, but in this episode we have 2 separate scenes backing up Elsie’s words that people already think John and Kayleigh are a couple. We have Litchy at Wigan proving that the talk in work has gone way beyond their own store, and we have Jim, which shows Kayleigh is someone John is talking about in his own life. This shows that while the show is in its own little bubble of the car, their relationship is not and has sent ripples out, ripples that mean neither John nor Kayleigh could just ignore their situation. It’s not a resolution that thy can simply decide on and never think about again, they are going to be repeatedly asked “what happened?” between them.

2x04

Gird your loins folks, we’ll make it through this episode. (I actually have watched this ep dozens of times, because as heartbreaking as the final scenes are I still love them for their raw emotion). And as much as this is the end, it’s also showing us that the end is FAR from what this is…

1)Kayleigh’s predicament at Mandy’s house is, on the face of it, some classic slapstick that is likely there to balance out the angst and depth of the second half of the episode. However, it also can be seen as a metaphor for John and Kayleigh’s relationship as it unfolds in this episode: Kayleigh is trapped, wanting to get closer to John. He feels helpless, tries to help but it doesn’t work, and they have miscommunication while on separate sides of the door. However, John promises he won’t leave Kayleigh, and in the end he puts himself out there (financially) and sorts it and they are reunited. It was practically a fairytale (does Kayleigh live her life in a fairytale after all?) - the princess trapped in the castle, and the prince battles his way through the forest, up the tower to save her. And we all know fairytales always have happy endings.

Everything in Car Share is about reuniting them over and over again, after disagreements, miscommunications, forks in the road, and obstacles - they ALWAYS work it out and come back together.

2) I’ve Had The Time of My Life. The whole Dirty Dancing exchange reeks of foreshadowing, and we know it actually was (due to John’s text to Forever FM) BUT some lines in it feel as though they are YET to come back, and are significant to John and Kayleigh’s future (much like the Rick & Donna engagement talk from 2x02). Obviously the talk of Johnny declaring his love for Baby via metaphor is in reference to John’s ability to do the same thing .“Why doesn’t he just tell her instead of talking in bloody riddles?” - but it’s a question that isn’t answered. We don’t know the answer for Johnny or John, but it tells us that John thinks it’s a ridiculous way to behave. He can see it in Johnny, likely eventually he would see it in himself. Then we have Kayleigh saying “It’s when he uses her name in full”, which really stands out. Could it be that in a similar situation one day we’re going to hear John using Kayliegh’s name “in full” in order to let her know he DOES love her? As his dedication failed to find its mark.

3) Red Light Spells Danger.

I’m not going to get into the actual song here (save that for the music post) but it should be noted of course that John gave Kayleigh a “red light” and specifically asked if the colour was right, in a scene that was basically showing John had fallen for Kayleigh and was giving her his heart. And here we have the denouement of that, as the red light DOES spell danger. The traffic being stopped allows Kayleigh to leave, the song itself causes the conversation that leads to Kayleigh leaving… it seems the red light is danger. BUt if red light means danger, what does “Green Flag” mean? Throughout the entire gut-wrenching conversation in the car, a Green Flag van (and it’s decal) is very visibly kept in shot the whole time over John’s shoulder. Is it letting us know that although this red light is dangerous and thus the relationship is at stop, at some point we will see a time when the relationship is green flagged and is go go go?

4) “You can’t just cut a song like that off mid-song, that’s just bad programming Forever FM shower of shit!” Do I need to explain this? :D This is a HUUUUUGE self-referential joke, much like the “it’s like something from a shit comedy” line in 2x03. There is no need for the song to be cut off so suddenly, it wouldn’t change the scene to have them simply enjoy the song and for John still to declare “I love this! Love it”. Why have the song cut off and then reference it so strongly? You can’t just cut off something in the middle of everyone enjoying it, that’s bad programming - John knows that, so Peter knows that too. ;)

5) “I just want to be happy.”

Oh god, poor Kayleigh… as we get to the most devastating part of the conversation, we are taken ALL the way back to 1x02 and the conversation about Old Ted’s death. He seemed happy, he had a good job and a great wife… and that’s all Kayleigh wants to be happy. All she needs is John. This is more back referencing than foreshadow BUT what it shows is that the show had a theme, from day one to 2x04’s end - the theme was about these two people finding happiness. And they found it in each other. It was what the show was about. You don’t create a show about explorers setting out to find the lost city of gold, then suddenly have them going “nah, let’s not bother, let’s just go home.” EVERYTHING in the show relating to John and Kayleigh was about what they need in life, what they are looking for, and the irony that suddenly it was plonked down next to them in this car.

6) “Does that mean anything to anyone out there?” I posted about this a few weeks ago because I didn’t notice this line AT ALL in my first million viewings of the scene. When we hear the DJ reading out John’s dedication, he says “And he’s also cryptically added `Nobody puts Kayleigh in the corner… does that mean anything to anyone out there?” That line takes the scene outside of John and Kayleigh and once again reminds us of their place in the wider world, and is inviting us to think of who might recognise the names John and Kayleigh. Something that was firmly put in place for us with Elsie, Litchy and Jim - that many people WOULD know who this refers to. It is, in essence, a mini cliff hanger in the larger one. Proof again that this isn’t something that they can keep between themselves, someone somewhere will have heard that and talk to them about it. It’s not “done” by any manner of means.

As you can see, Peter, Paul and Sian left a ton of threads hanging, threads that if you pull at them only lead one place - to a happy ending. They based the ENTIRE premise of the show, and most of the key scenes on the fact that these two lovely people were made for each other, were making each other happy, and should and would continue to do; that fate put them side by side in this car and fate told them it was meant to be. To quote Mr John Redmond, “If it’s meant to be, it’ll be”.

#peter kay's car share #carshare #John x Kayleigh #banjogate #foreshadowing

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lbremote · 6 years ago

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Kruger Safari: Day 3 Drives

Ended our last full day at Kruger with a braai under the stars.

1/20

Sunday started with a long morning drive by our guide Jeremiah (whose name prompted us to sing ‘Joy to the World’ by Three Dog Night all day). Early on we saw two lionesses chilling on a termite hill (above photo again by Arpi with the nice camera—I could barely see them without binoculars). So exciting!! We stared at them for as long as we could keep Jeremiah’s patience with us, passing the binoculars around and gushing at every move they made.

Our fabulous “safari mom” Debbie (first person I met in the group- she’s from my hometown Redmond so we met up in Seattle pre-departure!) organized a braai under the stars for our last dinner in Kruger, including a sunset drive. We relaxed in between drives, checked out the pool (which was quite far from camp and baboon-infested, not ideal laying out conditions), and prepared for our big night out in the bush.

The sunset drives were my favorite. It seemed like prime time in the pridelands—when all the animals are heading home to settle in for the night; golden hour. The unforgiving sun softens at last over the bush, pastel pinks and purples following it down the skyline, the horizon illuminating for a few bold moments as it settles into darkness. We were having a grand ol’ time on this drive, drinking beers and wine, taking funny videos of each other, having photo shoots in our corny safari outfits (at one point I was getting my picture taken and said “I don’t care about the zebras in the background just get my outfit!” and Debbie died laughing. We were so used to seeing these majestic animals at this point that we were becoming indifferent to them—had to check myself and remember to stay in awe!!) At one point a few of us got out of the truck to pee (nature called.. literally) and I think that was the riskiest bathroom break I’ve ever had. Even with rhinos and lions in the midst I still only worried about seeing a snake. LOL

As night fell upon us we arrived at our dinner location. It was beyond my wildest expectations (still working on going into experiences with no expectations—the best way to travel without disappointment). I had pictured a casual barbecue. What stood before us was a dining table on a massive smooth rock that juts out above the treeline. It was candlelit, fully set, and attended by welcoming Pretoriuskop staff. We were blown away!

This was one of the most scenic and memorable dinners of my life. We laughed, told stories, wined and dined under the African night sky. Our favorite guide Micah stood guard with a rifle (of course prompting the perfect photo shoot prop). I met one of the staff members, Sebenzile, and we became instant friends (that is our ebony & ivory pic). She told me about her journey to become a Kruger Park ranger—students study for 1-2 years after undergraduate to pass the necessary tests, which she said are difficult because of the extensive knowledge park rangers must have. Not only do you need to know everything about every animal, but also the geology, plant life, history, geography, current events surrounding the park, routes and land masses, everything there is to know about the area. I am rooting for her to pass the test and become one of the few female park rangers at Kruger—you go girl!!

After a delicious dinner, dessert, stargazing and being absolutely silly, we drove back to camp in a starry daze. A dreamy night I will never forget.

#safari #krugersafari #southafrica #travel #lbremote #remoteyear #krugernationalpark #africa #braai #stargazing

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sheri-s-incredible-journey-blog · 7 years ago

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November '17

November 4th, then November 10th and now I am finally finishing this post on December 2nd!

The last 4 day sailing trip was the most challenging of all my cooking/sailing experience and if I hadn't already decided not to do it anymore, well... good thing.

Our last trip we had Captain Dave (who is the owner of Manitou) and it was the wine trip. A 4night/3 day full boat and we immediately headed out to the lake. We were sailing with incredible wind and made the destination of Charlevoix in one day, whew! Last trip we made it on the second day.

We left early the next day and headed right back out into it... and we proceeded to have 2 full days of 15-20Knot winds which for those on deck it was amazing! For those of us down below (and in this case only Harriet and me) it was 8 solid hours of trying hard not to fall over or throw up. Actually H got sick both days and I never did but thought I was going to pretty much the whole time. H is a real trooper and rallied to do her part. Remember we still needed to make food for 31 folks, no matter what!

On a schooner, things in the galley are always on sticky mats, so that they won't fall while we are heeling (rocking side. Because this was a wine trip all hors d'oeuvres and dinners were paired with wines, our apps were a bit more "sophisticated" than normal. I had made lovely pear chutney to go with brie cheese for an app when I was overcome with major nausea and went up above for a bit of air and horizon. (For those that may not know, seasickness is always lessened by being on deck and looking at the horizon.

In the three minutes that I was on deck, we hit an enormous wave just right and crashed down and with that crash ALL things in the galley that were not literally tied down ended up on the sole in a pile with the chutney at the very bottom... wtf!!

The only "good" thing about all of this is guests are so accepting and happy for whatever can be done because they are so impressed that we could come up with anything let alone something that tasted good too!

So that was the end of that... had dinner with all the crew before I left and then headed into the rest of this adventure.

I took 6 days to drive to Port Townsend, WA... staying at Airbnb’s along the way. It is always interesting staying in people's homes and always a unique experience. Almost always really nice, I have been fortunate (although I do have a story for later).

Traveling through the west I was again reminded how incredible this country is. If you have never ventured on a road trip cross country I highly suggest it! I think because I am in such a different place than the last time I traveled (1998) my perspective has changed quite a bit. The flatness that is the Midwest was beautiful and much more interesting than before. The badlands of the Dakotas still takes my breath away, the Rocky Mountains as you approach from the east just stand up right out of the earth, so big and bold. And as I came into Washington, the eastern part of the state is a plateau with grassy land and mountains in the distance. Coming up the peninsula heading to Port Townsend, the landscape changed drastically to huge evergreens, rocky shore and the ocean! I missed the ocean, especially the smell~

In Port Townsend I had a wonderful visit with my friends Susanna and Michael. They rent a very cool small cottage and I got to sleep in their landlord's granddaughter's playhouse. A bit of a hobbit house in the backyard and it was fun! We did a bit of the tourist thing along with a visit to the farmer's market and a hard apple cider festival. Ate some yummy food, played some games and had some great conversations. What more can you ask for?

I left S&M and drove to my friend Bev's house in Redmond Oregon. The trip there was just amazing, I left PT and went down Rt. 104 along the coast, rocky, damp and so very green and then I left the peninsula, drove into Oregon and… just like that I was in high desert with creosote bushes, rocks, sand and pretty much nothing else! Wow all in the space of three hours~

I ended up spending a week there and really enjoyed myself. Bev is an old friend and a fairly recent widow and still having a difficult time adjusting. We didn't do too much, went out to breakfast and lunch, I cooked dinner a couple of nights, spent an afternoon at her son's house playing a game with the family and basically just hanging out. Something I needed to do. Traveling is exhausting!

From there I drove to Oakland, Ca. where my friends Jess and Shannon live. I have known Jess since she was 4 and I catered their wedding three years ago. They own a lovely little house with an awesome backyard in the heart of the city. We ate some great food, went to the farmer’s market, ate more great food, went to a Day of the Dead festival that was pretty awesome, drank many whiskey drinks with this incredible mixer that was sweet and spicy and the drink was the best! Unfortunately the store that sold the mixer was closed when I left the area! L Maybe that was a good thing? L

After 4 days in Oakland I headed to central California… with no real plan and no more folks to visit. I was planning on camping for a few days hopefully in a free area (lots of free camping on National Forest land). That did not work out so well… mostly because the sites were so remote and vague that I didn’t feel comfortable staying so I ended up at an Airbnb or hotel. The one place I was sure I could camp in So Cal is a place called Ocotillo Wells, a state recreation area that has awesome free campsites in the desert with picnic tables, ramadas (a shade canopy) and fire ring. I stayed there for a week when I traveled the country 20 years ago. So off I went to OW, arrived on a Thursday (needed to be there early as it is a very popular weekend destination for off roaders) to find many open campsites and I was psyched! And then I got out of my truck and the wind was blowing about 15 mph, in the desert, out in the open with sand going everywhere. And I said to myself… self, do you really want to try setting up your tent in this? I talked to the campers next to me and they told me the wind was supposed to keep up until the next day, sooo… off I went to find another place to stay. I was bummed!

If you have never stayed at an Airbnb it works like this: you look at all the offerings in the area that you want to stay within your price range (mine is always under $50) and needed dates, you then send a request to the homeowner that you would like to stay there and they get back to you fairly quick. If they accept your request Airbnb then charges your credit card and you are all set. Like yelp there are reviews for the place below the listing so you have a pretty good idea of what you are getting into… most of the time. This time, not so much… I followed directions and headed to the Salton Sea (in So Cal), took a left where I was supposed to and continued driving into the desert. So far so good and then I saw some graffiti on some rocks that said “The Slabs” and knew that was what I was looking for, so I continued to drive for another mile or so and realized that as I was wandering further into the desert there were more and more trailers, huts, hovels, RVs and general encampments and suddenly understood these folks were all squatters! I arrived at my camp and the first thing I asked was are you a squatter and he said yes he had lived there for 15 years. Oh boy. He showed me to my “room” which was a 12x12 wooden box, insulated and covered on the inside with blue plastic and no windows… in the desert! The man was very nice and was so proud that he had a generator and Wi-Fi along with a trailer facility that was the ladies room (he rented out three different spaces). It had a toilet with water in it and to flush you poured in a bucket of water and when I asked where it went he said into a hole in the desert floor. Let me be very clear the man was extremely nice and I got great vibes from him but I was pretty clear that I could not stay here… what to do, what to do? While the owner went to town, I set up my laptop to check messages and while online I heard scratching and finally a mouse came from the ceiling and into my “room”. And that was it for me, the way to get out. Mind you I am not afraid of mice, rats or any rodents really but I knew that this was my way to leave and get my money back. So I am waiting by my truck when he arrived back and I just sort of flipped out, said how I had seen mice (wtf?), was petrified and could not stay in a place that had rodents, he was very nice (I can only imagine what he was thinking in his head), I asked if I could get my money back, he said yes and I left… whew! Drove 40 miles or so and got a hotel.

After that experience I decided that I needed to head towards Arizona a bit earlier than planned but my friends MeiMei & Bruce were very gracious and told me to come on over. So this is where I have been since November 4th.

I flew to Vermont on Thanksgiving night for a retreat and meetings for Dinners with Love and arrived back this past Thursday. My plan is to leave early next week and head to Texas where my niece Michele lives and will spend the holidays with her and her husband. Mike (my nickname for her) is a Christmas freak and it will be a lot of fun spending time with her.

As soon as I reached MeiMei & Bruce’s house I started earnestly looking for work. I applied to 20 jobs or so with only one call back. I have been pretty bummed and am thinking my age is starting to work against me. The one call back I got was the only job I actually wanted and after a second phone interview yesterday I got the job, yay! So I start in January at Texas A&M University for a company called Campus Cooks. I will be the cook for a sorority of 48 young women making lunch and dinner M-F. It pays very well, the hours are no more than 43 a week, if school is closed, and I don’t work but do get paid. It is a national company and all they do is provide cooks for frats and sororities, so if I like it and they like me then hopefully I can stay with them for a few years and try out different campuses. If I don’t like it then the gig ends in May and I will seek another new opportunity.

My plan is still to head to Europe in May and depending on whether I want to go back or not to A&M in the fall will determine how long I stay!

Wow, this is a long post, hope it is not too boring and I will again try to not wait so long and have to write a novel!

Happy Holidays to all of you, may the season be filled with love and light! xo

November 4th, then November 10th and now I am finally finishing this post on December 2nd!

The last 4 day sailing trip was the most challenging of all my cooking/sailing experience and if I hadn't already decided not to do it anymore, well... good thing.

On a schooner, things in the galley are always on sticky mats, so that they won't fall while we are heeling. Because this was a wine trip all hors d'oeuvres and dinners were paired with wines, our apps were a bit more "sophisticated" than normal. I had made lovely pear chutney to go with brie cheese for an app when I was overcome with major nausea and went up above for a bit of air and horizon. (For those that may not know, seasickness is always lessened by being on deck and looking at the horizon!)