It's About Time
Despite my very real desire to write more, and consistently, the gaps keep coming. If you're reading this, let's play catch-up.
May ended with a bang, or several. The season ended with a fun live recording with Pink Martini, I had several consecutive nights of partying in honor of this (and my birthday), and the musicians began negotiating what cuts we're willing to take so that our organization may survive. So the first two were good. I'm still not entirely clear on how I ended up on the negotiating team, but I'm glad I'm doing it.
In the first week of June, I left for the Ojai Music Festival in California. The overall experience was a good one, although I had moments (several) where I felt either entirely out of place, or a little listless. I started to like Ventura though, which is where my hotel was located. And not just because the hotel was overrun by a regional bridge tournament. It was a pretty relaxed and unpretentious city, with some excellent restaurants and nice people. Anyway, the performances went well and I made new friends/acquaintances/contacts/whatever.
Back in Portland, began preparing for the Astoria Music Festival. Another great year there - speaking of "relaxed and unpretentious cities with some excellent restaurants and nice people;" Astoria, OR. Nice place. Stayed with the same wonderful host mom, and got to hang out with J, a good friend from college that I now see only a couple times a year at best.
Following Astoria, flew to Las Vegas to embark on a road/hiking trip in honor of my Mom's 60th birthday. We hit Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the Grand Canyon (North and South Rim!) Some really wonderful hiking, mostly good weather, but I slept poorly the whole time. Honestly, I expected a lot more family arguing/fighting/disaster blowups than actually occurred. So all in all, I think it was a success. And really, it was nothing I didn't see coming from a mile away. The point is, beautiful scenery and a good time.
In Portland again now, but this time for a little while longer. Need to visit Seattle (haven't been in a few months) and catch up there. One of my Dad's brothers and his wife were just here, so we caught a couple meals. I guess because I just got back from the SW and they were the first people I really saw, I might have had one of my trademark logorrhea freak-outs - perhaps just mildly. But enough. Anyway, I had a second chance, and it went better than the first. I was happy enough with it. Actually, really happy.
It's too fucking hot here. What is it, 95 degrees? And people are being loud as fuck, lighting off all sorts of illegal crap in the park across the street from my apartment. A street kid just yelled "wakka wakka wakka!" (sp?) a la Fozzy Bear. Oh, it bears repeating, does it? Very clever. Anyway, if they shut up, I'll try and get a good nights sleep. I haven't had one in over a month. Even exhausted from all the hiking, I haven't been able to get more than 6 hours in a night.
So much shit to do...
Anyway, pictures and much else on facebook, as per usual.
More pictures (SW hiking) to come. Some beautiful stuff there.
Nice to catch-up on all your entries as well, hope you're doing great.
Boy, my writing (or just mental state?) has really suffered from all this distance.
LJ to-do: MJ, therapy, update info/icons?, etc.
May ended with a bang, or several. The season ended with a fun live recording with Pink Martini, I had several consecutive nights of partying in honor of this (and my birthday), and the musicians began negotiating what cuts we're willing to take so that our organization may survive. So the first two were good. I'm still not entirely clear on how I ended up on the negotiating team, but I'm glad I'm doing it.
In the first week of June, I left for the Ojai Music Festival in California. The overall experience was a good one, although I had moments (several) where I felt either entirely out of place, or a little listless. I started to like Ventura though, which is where my hotel was located. And not just because the hotel was overrun by a regional bridge tournament. It was a pretty relaxed and unpretentious city, with some excellent restaurants and nice people. Anyway, the performances went well and I made new friends/acquaintances/contacts/whatever.
Back in Portland, began preparing for the Astoria Music Festival. Another great year there - speaking of "relaxed and unpretentious cities with some excellent restaurants and nice people;" Astoria, OR. Nice place. Stayed with the same wonderful host mom, and got to hang out with J, a good friend from college that I now see only a couple times a year at best.
Following Astoria, flew to Las Vegas to embark on a road/hiking trip in honor of my Mom's 60th birthday. We hit Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the Grand Canyon (North and South Rim!) Some really wonderful hiking, mostly good weather, but I slept poorly the whole time. Honestly, I expected a lot more family arguing/fighting/disaster blowups than actually occurred. So all in all, I think it was a success. And really, it was nothing I didn't see coming from a mile away. The point is, beautiful scenery and a good time.
In Portland again now, but this time for a little while longer. Need to visit Seattle (haven't been in a few months) and catch up there. One of my Dad's brothers and his wife were just here, so we caught a couple meals. I guess because I just got back from the SW and they were the first people I really saw, I might have had one of my trademark logorrhea freak-outs - perhaps just mildly. But enough. Anyway, I had a second chance, and it went better than the first. I was happy enough with it. Actually, really happy.
It's too fucking hot here. What is it, 95 degrees? And people are being loud as fuck, lighting off all sorts of illegal crap in the park across the street from my apartment. A street kid just yelled "wakka wakka wakka!" (sp?) a la Fozzy Bear. Oh, it bears repeating, does it? Very clever. Anyway, if they shut up, I'll try and get a good nights sleep. I haven't had one in over a month. Even exhausted from all the hiking, I haven't been able to get more than 6 hours in a night.
So much shit to do...
Anyway, pictures and much else on facebook, as per usual.
More pictures (SW hiking) to come. Some beautiful stuff there.
Nice to catch-up on all your entries as well, hope you're doing great.
Boy, my writing (or just mental state?) has really suffered from all this distance.
LJ to-do: MJ, therapy, update info/icons?, etc.