September 11th, 2007

     I've had quite a summer; a weekend with my homies at Pinewoods 4th of July Weekend, A two-week trip to Scotland, a week at Family Week in Ogontz, New Hampshire, a week at Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp, and week at American Week back at Pinewoods. Tomorrow, I leave for Greece for 2 weeks, playing with Mary Lea on a small boat visiting the islands.

     I used to dread traveling - I'd get extremely anxious about connections, logistics - basically, I was worried about being lost, abandoned and alone in some foreign country. After so many trips I can't remember where I've been anymore, I realize two important things. I have friends and family who wouldn't let this happen, and, of  course, I carry credit cards! I have faced flying alone down to Lima, Peru, sprinting for connections, landing where no-one spoke my language and not knowing who, if anyone, would be meeting me, finding after a considerable wait a local who took me to a private car, driving me God knows where, meanwhile asking in broken English "Are you married? Yes? Even so, I can find you beautiful women." The trip got radically better soon after but now I figure if I can handle that, I can handle anything. 

(He brought me here, where I inquired about my trip mates. "Oh, that party left three days ago", the lady at the front desk told me. There was no-one else I could think of registered there. I went to my room, feeling pretty bleak, but an hour later a knock on the door and there was Ruthie Dornfeld! And no, the rest of the party *hadn't* left already)

May 2nd, 2007

     From the Washington Post: "President Bush vetoed a $124 billion measure yesterday that would have funded overseas military operations but required him to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq as early as July...Bush carried through on his veto threat just after the legislation arrived at the White House, calling the timetable a "prescription for chaos and confusion" that would undercut generals."

     Chaos and confusion in Iraq; oh yeah, that'll be different. As for undercutting the generals - isn't civilian control of the military what this country is all about?    

March 9th, 2007

       Flying stinks, the most redolent part being the TSA strip-search line. Off go the shoes, the belt, the bracelets, the cell phone, the jacket, the hat, the glasses. I dutifully remove everything and walk bow-legged up to the metal detector trying to keep my pants up while clutching my ticket, laptop and ID. My carry-on gets sent through the machine on its own fateful path.
      I was flying to a Bare Necessities gig in Dodgeville, Wisconsin last Friday and something in my carry-on set the machine off. They searched the bag and found the offender - it was this:

     "What is this?" the guard demanded.
     "Water for soaking oboe reeds", I said, presenting a smorgasbord of alien concepts in five words. "We're going to have to empty your bag", replied the guard. I had indeed forgotten the prohibition against carrying liquids. It is true that double-reedists are a crazy bunch capable (though not yet culpable) of almost any evil including lobbing an incendiary into the first class section, and perhaps that water (when did I change it last?) is almost flammable by now. I drifted down to the end of the line while he unpacked, examined and repacked my stuff.
      That night, setting up to play, I went to find my water bottle to start some reeds soaking. It looked like this:

   America, you are now safe.