This is me and the very talented Eric Johnston, Music Circus rehearsal pianist. Most pianists last one or two seasons; this is his fourth straight.

When I see a clock with a cage around it I get a tremendous urge to throw a basketball at it.

Star Trek Rachel

My Body Machine

This is from performances at two elementary schools yesterday.

Cartwheels

These are the kids in a show called My Body Machine, about good nutrition. The villain is King Sugar, who delivers the line: "Our wonderful foods are so enticing, people forget we're there, and then they eat us."

More pictures of our kitchen remodel...

This shows Chip Tingle's trombone and empty seat in the pit last night. He was almost an hour late for the show. He had left his cell phone in the pit, too, so we couldn't call him. It turned out that it had taken him 4 hours and 20 minutes to drive from Marin County — "a new record," he said.

Cast of Jekyll & Hyde

Closing night, people are always posing for pictures, so I took some.

I always play shows in bare feet or (in winter) socks. That way I can feel the pedals better. Stan Lunetta took this picture.

In the Jekyll pit I sit right next to the conductor, Michael Rice. Sometimes that could be intimidating but he is an incredibly nice man. He gets a good result without beating people up.
You can see Stan Lunetta's pictures of the pit orchestra here. There is a really good picture of me!

This is my Simpsons portrait of Rachel. Once again, you can make a picture like this at the site Simpsonize Me!

Stan got this bill in change.

Dan and Steve at dinner between shows of Jekyll and Hyde. Dan carries his violin with him (rather than leaving it in the pit) because it's worth as much as most people's houses.

I was waiting to tune a piano for Studio Instrument Rentals. It was for an outdoor concert by James Blunt. Duffy was setting up the piano, trying to flip it from sideways to upright, when it slipped off the dolly and hit the concrete. The lid popped off its hinges, but there didn't seem to be any other damage. While I was tuning in the hot sun, Duffy went to the hardware store and got bigger screws. He got the lid back on and no one will ever know what happened.

Michael Rice is the conductor for Jekyll and Hyde. He was also: 1) the original pianist on Nunsense; 2) assistant conductor on a tour of Peter Pan under Craig Barna, where he got to know Bruce Barnes, who was assistant conductor when I played the show. They are best friends.

The Barbie catalog came through the mail slot and tore in just this way. For real!

Here I am as a Simpsons character. You can turn yourself into a Simpsons charactor at SimpsonizeMe which is sponsored by Burger King. If you are trying to download your final product, remember to add the suffix .png to the name or you won't be able to see it.

The City Manager must have come across a sale on "Welcome to Downtown" signs.

From the bulletin board at the production office at Music Circus.

This piano store in West Covina is at the end of an off-ramp from the San Bernadino (10) freeway. In the past ten years, seven cars have crashed into the store coming off the freeway — twice in the past year alone.

PostSecret video

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Our monthly Returned Peace Corps Volunteer dinner was at a pupusa place. We watched CNN En Español on the flat screen.

This was on the sidewalk among the outdoor seating at Jack's Urban Eats. If you are any kind of sports fan, you recognize this as a parody of the Oakland Raiders logo.

This is the commode that we picked up in Los Angeles from Jennifer's mom and drove back here in the Prius. The marble top is still in bubble wrap.

Taco Bell is copping my licks! They have a series documenting the inner life of salsa packets. Another one says, "Ooh! Ooh! I call the glove compartment."

This amazing piece is carved out of cork (!!)

Is this your key? If so, please come to Espresso Metro and claim it.

My customer has this unique piece of furniture... a fireplace bench.

Me standing in front of my favorite place in L.A. : Soap Plant/Wacko/Luz de Jesus Gallery. You can look at comic books, art books, collectible figurines, fine art, and even religious items.

These little ducks are hanging from power lines all over L.A.

On our way back from Los Angeles, we stopped at our favorite burger joint, In-N-Out Burger. Judging by this line going out into the parking lot, a lot of other people like it too.

This is an actual ad in an L.A. alternative paper.

My old high school friend David joined us for the Simpsons movie at the Vista Theater. The Vista is an old picture palace that has not been plexed. It used to be Ed Wood's favorite theater.

Next door to Russ' condo is the original studio of Mack Sennett. This plaque (from 1964) commemorates the fact. Russ was ranting that developers are going to knock it down and build 65 condos.

When we were staying with Russ I had to finish the patches for Hello, Dolly! at Music Circus so I brought the synthesizer with me. I got up early three mornings and set it up in Russ's game room/garage.

Our favorite breakfast place in Silver Lake has gotten expensive. This large orange juice cost $6. I could have gotten three bottle of Charles Shaw!

Something flew into the corner of this building and left a huge dent. It's about ten feet off the ground.

Doreen Irwin, the director of the Sacramento City College choir, is also a great horsewoman. She holds a saddle that she recently won in a competition; spread at her feet are the blue ribbons that went with it. She is also a fine painter; cut off at the left is her painting of the horse that won all the ribbons for her.

When I am done reading my copies of the New Yorker and Economist, I give them to a friend at the gym. In return, he gives me fresh produce (above) and books. The last book he gave me was Manhunt, about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth after he shot Lincoln. Jennifer loves it.

I was playing racquetball with Scott Olling and he gave me a present from his wife. It was four juggling bags filled with lavender from their garden. They smell amazing. In fact, I'm using them to make my car smell good.

I tuned for these people who own a farm outside Woodland. The guy is the fourth generation to farm this land; the road bears his family name. The main house (above) was built in 1852.

Tuning for Dave Koz

I tuned for Dave Koz and David Benoit at the outdoor stage at the Radisson. Very hot especially the shiny black surfaces.

Stunning survey of women in art

On the rear window of a car in a parking lot.