Steve playing one of his five new piano pieces. Although they are difficult to play (and listen to), the titles are easy to love: "The Universe Fixes Itself," "Eep Beep," "Notes Must Be Free," "Trompe l'Oreille," and one other.

In Sacramento, we can't agree on what makes a good bagel. Sometimes we can't even agree on how to spell it. 

Unleashed :: In Theaters May 13

Unleashed :: In Theaters May 13 The last time a piano tuner appeared as a main character in a major movie, it was Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) in The Talented Mr. Ripley --- an at-first sympathetic underdog who later turns out to be a sociopath. This year, it's Sam (Morgan Freeman), a blind piano tuner in Unleashed. Sam is a kindly mentor to Danny(Jet Li), a troubled young man who has been raised as a human pit bill.

My first stop today was at the CSUS Student Union and they were advertising this wonderful double feature. 

Viscaya. People come all the way from the Bay Area to have their weddings at this gorgeous house. But Stan hates it because the guests park in front of his house and dump garbage on the street. Ironically, there will be a Photoshop users seminar there this year (and Stan is a Photoshop maniac!) He will not only boycott it, he fantasizes about picketing it. 

This was my lunch today --- S. Pellegrino mineral water (reminds me of my semester in Rome) and an Italian hero sandwich from Taylor's Market. They make the best deli sandwiches around here. I ate it in the practice room at Sacramento City College where I was tuning. 

This is in the front yard of a customer of mine in the picturesque delta town of Clarksburg. Her father-in-law made it. It looks like a bed, and you put flowers in it. Get it? 

Another perfect asterix-topped latte from Espresso Metro. I tried telling the barista about Asterix, the French comic book, but he didn't know what I was talking about. 

The fountain in front of the courthouse where I did jury duty today. 

In the window of a bail bondsman's office. 

While on jury duty, I had lunch at Juliana's Kitchen, across the street from Music Circus. Hardly anyone was there; I don't know how they stay in business. I got the same falafel and lentil plate I've gotten there for twenty years. They are showing paintings on wood inside; I don't know the artist. They remind me of the paintings on the sides of Haitian buses. 

I reported for jury duty today. I sat in the jury room for 7 and a half hours without getting called, so I'm done. While I was there, I watched more TV than I have in years, including such fine shows as The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, Hunter, and Bonanza (shown; the actors are Michael Landon and Bonnie Bedilia).

I was tuning practice rooms at City College today. The only parking spot I could find was clear across the campus, but it gave me the chance to walk across their lovely quad. 

I found actual street parking in San Francisco! (But only for 2 hours.) 

Whenever I talk to Steve Coolidge, the first thing I ask him is, "How's the [violin] concerto coming?" Today he showed me how it's coming. 

In the affluent Sacramento suburb of Fair Oaks, chickens are as plentiful as songbirds. They congregate around the park next to the Fair Oaks Amphitheatre. 

In case you were wondering just what they want. 

As always when I visit Jerry and Laurel, I stay in their basement. Books line the walls. Between the two shelves is Jerry's tiny office, where he does his geology consulting and also edits and prints his award-winning photographs. 

The French horn section during a break.

The engineer's desk in the chapel. I sat to his left reading along in the score and trying to turn pages silently. If you happen to turn a page during a quiet measure you can ruin the take.

Beyond the desk you can see the podium where Wendell conducted the session. He let me conduct the very end of the session, where the orchestra recorded some "risers" --- orchestral sound effects.

Me sitting in the chapel. Wendell is on the right instructing his son on how to be quiet during a session. 

The control room for the 1stCom session.  

In the Bastyr cafeteria is this long piece of butcher paper that students can draw on. 

Tom, a piano tuner I met in the hallway just before the session. We have tuner friends in common in Seattle. 

Setting up for recording in the chapel. I had my laptop and printer set up in the chapel but later moved it back to the control room. 

Bastyr University used to be a seminary and now is a school of natural medicine. It looks like the kind of place rich liberals send their kids.