Luau

Saturday: Slept in. Much needed. Out of bed sometime around 11. Had a brief sitting as MB showered. Downstairs, I did some typing as MB and my mom worked on getting breakfast together. We ate (waffles, soy sausage, yogurt, berries, etc). We made up the term 'fawaffles' (waffels made from falafel) at fatwahfell (a death edict brought on the head of breakfast foods).

After cleaning up from breakfast, my mom went down to the swimming pool. I typed up my recollections from yesterday, then did my morning practice. When this was ending, it was amazingly time for lunch (around 2:30). We had a very good meal of leftovers. Then we began packing the car for our trip to Martin's luau. MB had forgotten her stool, but we took one of my mom's that would probably fill in well. We set out just before 4. Stopped at a grocery store, and I bought two packs of veggie burgers. A store discount, plus a coupon brought the cost of 8 veggie burgers down to $3.75. Quite a bargain.

We made good time heading up to Martin's. Conversation about real estate on the drive. We arrived just after 6 PM. I introduced my mom to some of the guitar circle folks. A blues/Southern rock band cranked away. She seemed at ease, sitting at the side of the lake in a folding camping chair. MB and I took a paddle out on the lake, enjoying the breeze and the view. We decided that our best stroke, was turning the boat in a circle, and not really going anywhere. I joked that this was a good metaphor for our marriage, but that it was not a problem, because "getting somewhere" is an illusion best not fostered. Terry and Ln took the boat out for a 'spin' after us. I cooked some veggie burgers for MB, mom and me. The guy tending the grill seemed anxious to put his animal grease laden tongs all over my veggie bugers. Victor showed up around 7:45.

After a bit, we congregated in the attic. We stood in a circle and played in the heat. The JSB invention was deemed performable. My work of this week paid off. The base-line folks did some section work. A dragonfly humped the florescent bulb above my head. We ran Israel. And, I gave birth to a new aphorism: "There are no bad notes, only bad musicians."

Stage set-up. Victor had a crazy leopard drum-throne for MB to borrow. We ran the cables, and started getting sounds. Did a circulation to check levels, and then we regrouped in the living room. Reviewed "star circulation" pattern and JSB bass. Then we headed on stage.

We played a good set, running though most of our current material (Bartok, Invention, Israel, Third Relation, Calliope, Moving Force, Lark's Thrak, Hope, Growing Circle, star circulation, embroidery, etc...) The Bartok piece was a bit of a mess as was Bicycling. In Bicycling, the mid-lead was in and out, and the two bass players (of which I'm one) managed to step on each other's toes at the end. Other numbers were more successful. My mom really enjoyed it. It seemed some other folks did also. I had a couple of distinct moments of 'wrist release.'

We struck our gear from the stage. I tried to cook a couple veggie burgers for Victor on what remained of the embers, but he wound up microwaving them in the end. Packed the car, said goodbyes, and headed home. A quiet drive, not hitting much traffic, arriving back in Norwalk at a little after 1 AM. Stayed up a bit longer completing the day, then bed.