Connections

It’s been awhile since I’ve updated you. Life as a traveling minstrel continues to treat me well. Last weekend I had off and enjoyed a relaxed schedule knowing I didn’t have to deal with airports and carry-ons. I spent lots of time with the people important to me, and always seemed to make time to travel uptown and visit my piano every day. I finished up two critical and arduous projects: the memorization of both Bohemian Rhapsody and Paradise by the Dashboard Lights. This weekend I traveled out to the Chi-town area where I played for 2 nights. As I type this, I am flying over Lake Michigan, headed back to New York.

GOOD: I was inexplicably upgraded to business class, which I was pleasantly surprised and happy about, until...

BAD: the young woman who was to be my seat-mate arrived with her little 2 year-old bundle of joy. The baby is a very active child and expresses himself very loudly. But as the plane took off,

GOOD: the child feel asleep. It seems that the Lord givith and the Lord taketh away, and givith yet again. I’ll update if anything changes during the time it takes me to finish this entry.

The last time I worked in this city, I went onto the community section of Craigslist and posted an ad to see if I could find anyone that wanted to show me the city, or just hang out and socialize. It worked out famously. I met a 44 year old married guy whose wife was working out of town, and he had nothing to do for the weekend. He called me as he pulled up to my hotel and I came down and hopped into his BMW convertible and he drove me to this street festival where we walked and talked and sat and drank and ate the afternoon away in comfortable conversation. So this weekend when I arrived, I texted him to see if he was around, and sure enough his wife was out of town, and he had the entire weekend free. We met for a seafood dinner a couple hours before I started my show next door. The following day (yesterday) he picked me up at 2, and we drove out to the Wisconson state fair. What a great time that was. We watched pigs being judged; we saw every kind of prize sheep, rabbit, pig and heifer in the state; we ate cheese, creampuffs, pork chops on a stick, ice-cream smothered with fresh local cherries; we listened to some great bands and just had a great day. I love the fact that I am able to make such a great connection with a total stranger in a strange city.

Well, the little bundle of still sleeping. VERY GOOD!