my "overnight" in Tampa with Mike, Mia, Nick and Julie

go Mia, go Mia, go Mia...

Mia beat me by two points (pins).  i will have to practice before my next meeting with Mike, Nick and Mia.  it was the best time i've ever had coming in 4th place.

back at Mike's house...                                                                               

Tony is more a lover than a fighter but this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play with a real Rock em Sock em Robot.

while i played with the kids, Mike cooked dinner. it was my first home-cooked meal

of this year (other than my usual soup and sandwich meals) which turned out to be the first of two for this week as my good friend Steve invited me to dinner last night with his kids, Brandon and Taylor. here is Mia counting to ten before saying "grace" at the dinner table while Julie looks on in amazement.

after a nice afternoon and evening with Mike and Family, we all piled back into the mini-van and drove back to my Tampa hotel.  but first, crocs gone wild...

The Bushman Scareth--びっくるした!-- and this week's schedule

the Bushman of San Francisco scaring and entertaining the tourists and locals in the Fisherman's Wharf area.  standing next to me was a man with his young daughter providing a humorous play-by-play of the Bushman. the man who was holding a beer can in a brown paper bag told me he had been scared by the Bushman 30 years ago.  not sure how true that was or if the beer was talking but he was fun to listen to.

it was another beautiful day in San Francisco. i was heading for Pier 39 to see Tulipmania. it wasn't quite what i thought it would be...perhaps i was remembering the Keukenhof Gardens in Holland or the big tulip fields in Japan that i have seen.  there were thousands of people walking around the pier...i would rather have had thousands of tulips, and less people but everyone seemed to be enjoying the fine weather, street performers, trolley cars, sea lions, carousel, clam chowder, sourdough bread, souvenir shops, and i am not one to complain (am i?).

sunday morning found me at the Grace Cathedral where i walked the labyrinth and listened to some of the Holy Eucharist service...to hear the beautiful pipe organ and choir. from Grace Cathedral it was up and over Nob Hill and down to Chinatown. i caught the tale end of the Year of The Rat 10k race.   there was a time when i would have joined in for the cool t-shirt but that was then and this is six years out-of-shape now.  here is a colorful shop window in Chinatown. that is the TransAmerica building in the reflections which is one of the landmarks in the San Francisco skyline.

 from Chinatown i walked up a hill or two and then down to Union Square, more people, high end shopping, charming cafes and restaurants such as this one which calls itself the "most romantic restaurant" but doesn't say most romantic where... perhaps, the world?

i will be flying to Philly tonite and then back to San Francisco again tomorrow (the 21st) but will be staying near the airport so no time for fun in the city.  and then back to Charlotte on Friday. maybe there will be some good jazz music at the bar/restaurant/concert venue next to the hotel. and if all continues to go as scheduled i will be at the Doubletree Hotel in Tampa on saturday morning.  if Mike is busy with his kids, i have already looked how to get to the farmer's market and craft fair at Ybor City in Tampa by bus.  it seems they will be having a "Flan Festival" which coincidently was the topic of conversation a week or two ago on the Tom Morton Show.  what is the differnce between flan and quiche?  i will finish up this four-day late sunday afternoon.  possibly i will catch the 615p flight back to LA or stay and work another trip on monday.  thanks to my new iPod i do not mind so much the commute but then i never really did.  however, since i have another four-day trip on thursday, i may just stay back east.  today before my flight i will look for a book/author that Tom mentioned James Lee Burke to help with the 5-6 hour commute to and from Philadelphia.

PHL-PHX-LAX-home-the beach-sunset

Happy Valentine's Day at the beach

now this was a nice way to finish a long day which started back in the cold of Philadelphia, passed thru the sunshine of Phoenix and ended with an easy walk at the beach not too far from my home at sunset.  for some reason it seemed to get warmer as the sun went down.  the water was refreshing and didn't seem that cold for the 14th day of february.  this year i plan to swim more.  i am pretty sure i didn't say that last year.  

i offered my photo-taking service to a couple also enjoying the Valentine's Day sunset.  they had wine and cheese and each other.  i had my camera and... Tony but i left them borrow him for a photo.  they offered their wine and cheese but i thought three/four would be a crowd. but, it was nice of them to offer.  i asked if they were tourists but they said no and that they lived a few minutes drive from the beach.  i said me too and this is why we live here in southern california.  simple pleasures.

tomorrow will be another long day ending up in Charlotte, North Carolina but then an easy day on saturday flying back to... San Francisco.  i plan to walk to Pier 39 again to see the Tulip Festival.  according to the www.pier39.com webpage there will be live music in front of the Hard Rock Cafe.  and since i won't have to get up early on sunday (last time i was in SFO, i had to leave the hotel at 430am), i am sure i can find some music somewhere.  i am thinking maybe that Irish bar on Geary St.  www.irelands32pub.com.  or closer to the hotel is The Edinburgh Castle which sounds like an interesting place to see/hear/experience live music but i don't think i am hip enough  www.castlenews.com  or shall i say it may be too loud for me.

Dave, Pico, Lombard and The Missing Sock

i was treated to a beautiful day in San Francisco this past friday.  i walked up and down the hills, streets and back alleys taking photos of... everything that caught my eye. and for me that is quite a lot.  Polk Street is a favorite for walking on with it's interesting shops, cafes and...people. (some people way more "interesting" than others).  finally i found my way to and then down Hyde Street to the Cannery Row area.   i sat and listened to a street performer playing his shiny silver guitar, a harmonica and singing the blues. he was a "licensed" street performer as he was wearing a "license" on his black shirt like it was a sheriff's badge.  he was dressed in black which included a handlebar mustache and dark sunglasses.  i think his name was Dave Earl and he played original and old favorites from the Americana genre.  i was the only one sitting on the benches in front of the performer.  there were a few other "tourists" sitting further back in the sun as the benches were still in the shade from surrounding buildings and trees.  one tourist came up and dropped a dollar into the tip jar and bought a cd to take back home. he said he was from Italy when the singer asked him where "home" was.  ciao. there is a wonderful music shop in the Cannery Row called Lark in the Morning www.larkinthemorning.com with instruments from around the world.  i will send the webpage to Toshi in Okayama.  if he and his wife Nanami have been to San Francisco, i am sure they have been to this shop as Toshi plays the didgeridoo and every kind of guitar and flute.  yes, when will i start to seriously practice my sanshin.  

when the man in black took his break, i continued on my journey towards Pier 39. as i was taking this photo of the the colorful boats, right beside me the Bushman was scaring and entertaining those who walked the sidewalk along this marina. check out "The Bushman of San Francisco" on youtube to see him in action.  i will send this boat photo or one like it to one of my favorite writers,  Pico Iyer for hopefully obvious reasons.  i need to check the internet to see if his new book has come out yet.  i think in his last email he said he was still writing his latest book on the Dalai Lama from that spring his spent with him a year or two (or three) ago.

there was so much to see and hear on this

warm, blue sky friday.  i listened to, photographed a wonderful saxophone player playing in front of the Hard Rock Cafe at Pier 39.  and then it was off to see the big carousel and the California sea lions basking and barking in the sun.  i also heard a very entertaining Chinese violinist and an old man playing the dulcimer hammer...not at the same time and same location although they might have sounded good together.  there were some steel drummers setting up and then being told to move to another location by a local policeman.  they were not too happy, mon. apparently they did not have the required "license" as did the other musicians.

i ate some delicious clam chowder and listened to a father/daugher duo.  the father was playing keyboards and the daugher played the tenor sax.  excellent clam chowder eating music...except for the pesky seagulls and pigeons.

on my way back to my hotel, i walked back up Hyde Street which is just a little slower than taking the trolley.  i wanted to get a photo of the setting sun and Golden Gate Bridge and then Lombard Street (the world's crookedist street) with Coit Tower and the Bay Bridge in the background.

 .

as i was looking for some chicken chow fun to take back to my hotel room i came across this night scene which i labeled in my mind "my big friday night in San Francisco"...

Back to Life (work, travel, fun, no making up my bed)

i can tell you exactly when i became pro-trombone. the year was 1996.  the venue was the Greek Theatre.  the concert was Sting.  i can't remember which song it was but his trombone player walked out from the horn section to do a little solo that i will never forget.  i don't know what his name was but it was so cool. Sting was in the center of the stage with the spotlight on him.  and then you could see the trombone player walking toward him in the darkness of the stage.  suddenly the trombone player began to play for what seemed like 10 minutes. he was wearing a dark suit and dark sunglasses. think Blues Brothers with a trombone.  i should try to find out his name on the internet (no internet for me until late 1997).  i do have one cd by a trombone player whose name i have also forgotten but i have way too many cds to look thru now.  i do know he plays...shells as well as the trombone on the cd.  and i can also tell you when i became pro-bass but that will have to wait.  back to the above video. the band is the Nervis Brothers.  they were at the Mardi Gras party i thoroughly enjoyed this past saturday. oh, and they had a guest washboard player...Edie McClurg who has been in quite a few movies including a favorite from the 80's...Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  she sat/stood in on a couple of songs...and the crowd began to shout Go Edie, Go Edie, Go Edie.  they played tonite also for Fat Tuesday but i've decided to take the 630am flight back to Philly tomorrow as there are many seats open.  i will begin a 4-day trip on thursday so i won't be home again until sunday (always subject to change).  i am looking forward to San Francisco on friday.  i am sure i can find some fun live music somewhere. possibly something for Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rat.  and i may get to see my friend Mike and his family when i am in Tampa unless he is on a trip.  his town's name is the best...Holiday, Florida. i still have a little 20 year anniversary gift to give him as we began our 21st year last november.  we met 20 years ago in Sewickly, Pennsylvania while we were in training for our job or as i still like to call

it, my vacation.  wow, over 20 years have past since we played that first and last

touch/tackle football game.  the next day i could barely walk but it was fun.

the photo below is in honor of the sunday's Superbowl.  and what a great game it was.  i am not sure if the lifeguard was for the Patriots or Giants.   this is my attempt at a walk-on-the-beach-at-sunset self-portrait before i actually walked on the beach.  it was so clear after sunday's rain that you could see across the ocean (bay) to Malibu but so cold because of the very strong wind.

sadly i saw a dead seal washed up on the south end of the beach.  it became part of the circle

of life.

and finally here is a few minutes of the Dancing Waters at The Grove on saturday.

www.thegrovela.com this was while the jazz band was on a break or it is why the jazz band was on a break.

Mardi Gras, Smooth Jazz and as always...more

here's a little taste of the Mardi Gras party at the Farmer's Market www.farmersmarketla.com this past saturday.  this band is T-Lou and the Super Hot Zydeco Band.   this was my second time to see T-Lou and his band

and it was more fun than the first time because this time, there was a party atmosphere surrounding me as you can see in one of the photos below.

T-Lou is playing the accordion.  that is his nephew on the washboard.

                                                                                          

i arrived too late to see the Dog Parade but here is one of the contestants i saw later

in the evening at The Grove (upscale shopping/dining/people watching/entertainment area located right beside the Farmer's Market) where i happen to be at the right place, right time for

some smooooth jazz.  i just wished i had worn pants as it became quite cool

as the night wore on.   well let me clear that up about not wearing pants as it has nothing to do with the Mardi Gras party.  i was wearing my usual black shorts and black CANADA sweatshirt and hiking shoes...at least not my usual flip flops.  and for some reason that CANADA sweatshirt still gets more attention than any t-shirt i have ever worn adverising such things as my bunjee jump in New Zealand, my LA marathons, my canopy tour in Costa Rica, the Machu Pichu trail or even the Hard Rock t-shirts from several cities in Japan.

meanwhile back at my blog about saturday,  

i had intended only to stay for the first band at 1pm so i could get back

to my area to see the pop singer Lisa Loeb who was giving a free concert

at the Border's bookstore near my home.  but, i stayed until almost 10pm

and remember thinking "this is the one of the most enjoyable days i have

had since...my last most enjoyable day".  and that day may have been the day before...