A very happy Mother's Day

This is the Mother's Day card that Rachel sent and the envelope it came in.

Working

I went to Sacramento City College to see Working, the musical based on the book by Studs Terkel. I've played some of the songs from the show, and have been interested in hearing the rest. Also, Orlana Klip (left, above), who I know from the Sacramento City College choir and the trip to Australia, was in it. I ran into people I knew in the audience and band as well. Peter, the fellow above, was in the audience — he also was in the choir for the Australia trip.

Tuning at the Delta King

Peace Corps Dinner

Tonight was the monthly Peace Corps dinner and we went one of my favorite places: Vientiane. Last year we went to their old location in the seedy part of town where they rent motel rooms by the hour. Now they're in a bland new strip mall right by the freeway off-ramp. It should have taken me five minutes to get there, but because of a horrendous traffic jam (River Cats game?) it took me forty-five.

Oh well. By the time I started sipping my BeerLaos, I had forgotten all about it.

Every two months I give blood. Usually I go to the Bloodsource branch in Elk Grove, where they have a brilliant phlebotomist named Lisa who can even find the vein in my left arm (most people can't). This time I decided to go to the downtown branch which is closer and as it turns out bigger and in a lovely neighborhood. I went in feeling that I was never going back to Elk Grove (and feeling a tiny pang of guilt). But I got punished for my infidelity: the young lady assigned to me couldn't get any blood at first and had to ask her supervisor to adjust the needle inside my vein. Ouch. Then at the end my blood stopped flowing fast enough and the supervisor had to adjust it again. More ouch. Finally she pulled the needle out, and so I never gave my full unit.
Lisa, I am so sorry. I will never betray you again.

In these folders are the arrangements for this year's Best of Broadway — over two hours of music for a five-piece band and singers. I have about an inch more to go... should be done by the end of the month.

I got a check for a cartoon from a textbook publisher in England. They paid me in pounds!

You owe me half a cent

Today's Chronicle had a half-size page in the classifieds.

Better health through science

The instruction book for this mystery appliance is called Health and How to Get It.

I don't know nuthin' 'bout throwin' magnetic darts

Sambo images have become extremely collectible. I saw quite a few at the antique fair.

Mere chance or... pointless coincidence?

This piano is made by the Jaymar company...
Years ago, Jennifer and I used to joke about a shopping mall we would build called the Jen-Mar Buy-O-Sphere.

Storing up for the winter

This piano had mice living in it and one of them brought a pistachio inside.

Mancala, sungka

This game board is in a customer's house. I played this game during the year I lived in the Philippines and called it sungka. In most of the world it is known as mancala.

Pat comes to see the band

Pat happened to be staying at the same hotel where the Ron Davis Big Band is playing! What a coincidence. He may never see me play the piano again.

A sit-down lawn mower for Dad...

...and a Barbie Wrangler Jeep for the daughter. This guy works three jobs so he can buy all this stuff.

Pat comes to visit

Pat Murphy is in town to interview for a job at CSUS (assistant director of the marching band). He probably will take a different job offer (in Portland, closer to his hometown of Seattle), but we're really happy to see him!
In an astonishing coincidence, he is staying at the Red Lion, where the Ron Davis big band (with me on piano) will be playing tomorrow night.

Shrine near the rest rooms at Espresso Metro

¡Watch a Mexican!

We went to see a talk and booksigning by Gustavo Arellano, creator of the column ¡Ask a Mexican! Here is he is posing with two of his fans. The bookstore was Time Tested Books. Twenty years ago, I worked on pianos in a room in the back.

Reefer Madness poster

Note Rachel's drawings: the face in the green cloud, and the green silhouette at right.

A rather nice piece...

...by a student in the Sacramento City College art department.

Walking from the music building to Espresso Metro

Last night I played at the Sheraton for the California Federation of Labor event honoring state legislators with a 100% pro-labor voting record. They loved us especially because we are all union members! (Except for Jeff, who at least used to be one.) They are going to give my card to other labor groups for their event. Go Local 12!

Davis ArtMap

There is a neighborhood in Davis where all of the streets are named after famous artists. I made a web page where you can click on the street names and see an article about the artist. See it here.

Two cats chasing a laser pointer

Outdoor piano

The previous owners of this piano left it out on the curb and it still has leaves inside.

I love this drawing. It took me a while to notice that the piano has no bottom half. Very exciting.

Car collection

My customer has a collection of model classic cars. Not that unusual... except every one of them matches an actual car he has owned and restored.

Goat Roast video

Goat Roast

I went to the Goat Roast, which was actually a pig roast. About 50 former Peace Corps volunteers and their friends showed up. Here we see the guys opening up the pig after pulling it out of the hot pit.

Car club at Espresso Metro

There were an amazing number of old cars parked near Espresso Metro this morning. They were from a car club which would soon be driving to Tahoe. The people had that pleasant, self-possessed manner of eccentric people who are among their own.

Why I get hits

The last couple of days I've had hundreds of hits on this blog. Perhaps because I mentioned Mamma Mia? Maybe I should also mention that this summer I'll be playing Evita and Hairspray.

Not my dad

Today we ate at a hip new eatery called Dad's Sandwiches. Ironically, my own dad couldn't even boil rice, let alone make a sandwich.

Whoville

This is part of the set from the Franklin High production of Seussical.

Since the mama bird has disappeared we decided to take the wreath and nest off the door.

Nom party

Tonight was the annual Nom (for those nominated for a Peace Corps post) party. We had a tremendous turnout — almost bursting out of the little room we had rented. One woman who was about to go to Kenya told me that she had first applied to the Peace Corps in 1972. She made it past all the tests but then was asked if she had a boyfriend. When she said "yes," she was selected out. That may seem unfair, but I actually agree with the concept... you shouldn't have any strong attachments to home when you go, or else the temptation to quit (always strong in the beginning) will be too great.

I have inner beauty

I hope you appreciate these pictures, because I fasted for two days to get them.

Key 4 of Mamma Mia! I had such a good time playing that show. It is the happiest show around.
They have new units where the light, music desk and monitor (showing the conductor) are all clamped to a mike stand. Very cool.

Sandra Dee's restaurant has trompe l'oeil broken plaster on the wall. Because real broken plaster was out of their budget.

Re-electing the same person is progress?

Cartoon of the week

This cartoon was Cartoon of the Week on the Funny Times website on January 30, 2008.

My client got this composite photo in Waco, Texas, but it sure looks like Southern California in the early 20th century.

Emily and Bill from the Mamma Mia tour

Emily, a native of Des Moines, has been on this tour for four and a half years. That is roughly 1,800 performances of Mamma Mia!

I am somewhat addicted to online Scrabble...

...but these people have a Scrabble rug.

The way things ought to be

This lucky painter has two patrons in Sacramento who give him a stipend to live in New York and paint. Then they show the paintings at their house here. My customer bought this painting at one of the house shows.

Hundreds of dice

I had a nice talk with the guy running this booth. He grew up in Philadelphia and I enjoyed sharing memories of different places in the city and listening to his accent.

I saw this at the monthly Sacramento Antiques Fair. Apparently if you're really serious about darts, you purchase the head and tail ("flight") separately.

This antique store is nothing special except for its name. And the stairway and balcony feel like they're about to collapse.

Want a very small omelet?

Our mama bird has abandoned the next on our door. We think she 1) joined an ashram; 2) is in a bar trying to pick up guys; or 3) was eaten by a crow.

Two Jesuses (Jesi?)

...on the register at Espresso Metro.

This band is huge

We went to Jack's Urban Eats for lunch and saw this great mural on the side — advertising a CD of a band whose name escapes me now.

Can he separate lights and darks?

This dog can turn on lights, open doors, and put laundry in a washer.

Jane Goodall

Last night I went to see Jane Goodall lecture at the Mondavi Center. She is a secular saint. She radiates so much gentle power.

The Pelican Inn on Muir Beach...

...is an authentic English-style pub, with authentic London prices.

There is a $63 fine...

...for looking to the left.

Muir Beach

Muir Beach 4-6-08

Today we visited the Crawfords at their teahouse-like place at Muir Beach. Click on the picture above to see the whole album.

Southside Art Center show

This week Paul Basye put up the show of his students from Southside Art Center, where developmentally challenged adults get to make art all day. It's quite good, too. This painting was creatively priced at $86.20.

Food first

Heidi hosted the Peace Corps board meeting this month. She always has the best treats. Did anyone ever eat pickled okra with brie before? It's yummy.

Do it yourself badass

Steve Riggs lives in a very trendy neighborhood only two blocks from Memorial Auditorium, the Clarion, the Governor's Mansion, and Music Circus. Back in the eighties there was a lot of crime so the owner decorated the fence in the backyard with sheetrock screws. When the grapevine grows out they are even hidden. Nasty.

Stuff White People Like

When I describe a guy listening to NPR on his iPod while driving his Prius with the Apple and Obama stickers to IKEA, are you nodding in recognition? Then you need to look at
Stuff White People Like

Mike Gundy on cell phones

I got this email from my Welsh friend Mike Gundy:

My Cellphone probably has an interesting tale to tell, unfortunately
it remains mute on what happened between loosing it at the scene of
the bike accident and its return. Actually it remains solidly broken,
but its the SIM card which we use here and that is the personable bit
that is good to have back.

"Without my SIM card I am just a person, with it I am a number "

[Number Six would be proud, the Prisoner was made in Wales by the way]

At the funeral of my favourite Aunty (alas), which is unfortunately
the only get together of family we seem to have in the UK. I was
struggling to enter numbers and addreses of kin into my new
replacement phone, when one of the younger generation commented - Ah
old people playing with phones again...  making what appeared to be
thumb wrestling gestures.