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summer adventures ’12 part 1: to the everglades

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What a beautiful day for a flight! We flew down the eastern seaboard, and with the excellent weather I could see everything: long island, Manhattan, dt Brooklyn, Coney Island, Atlantic City. I’ll see what else is past these clouds…

So I got on the plane with a great seat up front, row 5. Literally the second person on the plane. A couple sits down next to me as the captain is announcing that there are only going to be 67 people on the plane…I think capacity is like 120?! So much for plenty of leg room. It doesn’t really matter since I am going to try and sleep as soon as I finish my complimentary water.20120606-081710.jpg
Now the waiting begins. I landed in Ft. Lauderdale and I have some time until I can pick up my rental car. For the moment I’m sitting by baggage claim and people watching. It’s a long story, but if I wait now it means I can sleep later on my final day here next week. It’s pretty neat watching each group deplane, grab their bags, and head out. Other than this activity the airport seems pretty low key. It is a Wednesday, so I’m sure that has something to do with it. I do have the coolest collection of luggage so far…20120606-112135.jpg
Well, I made it! Despite the waits and the driving I am finally lying down in my tent. Though I was hoping to do more today, I am completely exhausted. I am lying in my tent, blogging, and planning the next couple days. I am completely alone out here. I have a great picture on my real camera that will make Flickr, so y’all will have to wait for it! There is an older gentleman over in the rv lot, and I do have a bathroom buddy…

It is hot and intolerably buggy! Despite my thorough bug repellent application and long sleeves I am getting destroyed. Since my face and hands are exposed, guess what is getting chewed up the most?! At least I can get a little cross-breeze in the tent by opening up the rain fly.

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summer adventures: prelude 2012

I am getting ready to kick off another exciting summer! The highlights:

Tomorrow, I am finally seeing Radiohead in concert. It’s about time…they are local-ish and not all the tickets were bought by unscrupulous scalpers stub-hub.

Then, exam week and student move-out.

Then, faculty meetings.

Then, travel to the Everglades for 4 days of beach camping. Then Key West for 4 days at the Marquesa.

Then Brooklyn, NY for a bit.

Then, CT for a bit to witness the crazy Pomfret summer construction project. The school is converting from oil burners and steam heat to natural gas burners and forced hot water. For the entire campus. While summer camps are happening. To be completed before students return and the winter cold sets in. Consequently, I spent the last week and a half packing up the music room and my office.The music room looks very sad all cleared out for the summer.

Then, camping in Acadia National Park for a few days before my family arrives in Bar Harbor for family vacation. I’ll hang with them for a day or two before getting back to Pomfret for faculty meetings.

THEN, I am off to Saratoga, NY to take a sabbatical replacement teaching gig for the fall semester at Skidmore College.

Eventually, things will settle down a little so I can actually finish my master’s degree. Let the comment writing commence!

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right place, right time

I returned to ct from NYC at the beginning of the week after a great weekend building and tracking at the Bunker Studio in Williamsburg, ready to get back to work without the stress of grad school (which doesn’t start up for a couple more weeks).

Then Tuesday around 10:30, I received a call from my friend John, co-owner of the Bunker: “what is your B3 doing this weekend, and can John Medeski rent it for a gig and session at the Bunker?”

Me: “what?!? Of course!”

I spent Wednesday rearranging my schedule, and Thursday morning I was off! I stopped in to see Dave at Goff Professional to fix an issue with my Leslie. Not only did he fix a rattling driver, he tweaked the percussion, repaired a busted tone wheel, and cranked it up to about 13! He is the best!

I was back on the road by 11:30. I had to stop at the Bunker to grab some gear I had forgotten, and then it was off to the club for sound check. Medeski is a great guy and seemed to dig the organ and my collection of effects. It’s really great to get to sit back and hear someone of his caliber play my gear. We actually made the organ sound dirtier! Now I get a second to relax, enjoy some coffee from Grumpy, and head to BKLN for dinner with Evan before I need to head back for the gig. It isn’t until 12am, so I have some time.

If anyone reads this and is around, you should head down to Le Poisson Rouge tonight!

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