Greetings, earthlings! I come in peace. Or is it "I come in pieces?" (Some assembly required. Batteries not included.) I'm a week behind getting this newsletter out because I've been having too much fun. Hopefully you've been having too much fun too and didn't notice my tardiness.
Had a fab time playing for the Gluten Intolerance Group in Connecticut, where for the first time in three years since going gluten free, I could eat everything on the buffet table. Since there were other people there, I did not literally eat everything on the table. But I made a good dent.
Scooted down to Florida where I played a House Concert for my very wonderful hosts, the Mermers. He is a talented luthier and makes a wide variety of very interesting guitars, including a combination lap steel/ harp guitar. And it that's not strange enough, they have 6 cats, one of which is a exotic African cat so tall that standing on 4 legs, it's past your knees. It looks like a leopard.
I hung around the pool for a few days in Florida biding my time until my next engagement in Florida. Meanwhile, after an extended New Jersey winter, I reintroduced my skin to that thing known as the sun. Speaking of engagement... The Oasis Convention, a friendly relaxing convention, is focused on music and authors, with panels, concerts, book signings, and late night open song circles. But best of all, it is the convention at which, 5 years ago, Joe dressed up in a penguin suit and proposed to me in the middle of my concert. I couldn't possibly top that on my return visit, but it was nice to return to the scene of the crime. Everyone wanted to know if I married the penguin. How could I not?
If I were on the Big Bang Theory, I'd definitely be cast as Penny, because I was pretty bad at math and science, but no one has kicked me out of a convention for my lack of geek cred ... yet. It seems to be allowable to make up for lack of left brain skills with enthusiasm for comic books, movies, costumes, and general silliness. I like being surrounded by smart people who like to have fun, and SF conventions are swimming in them. ConCarolinas (concarolinas.org) has music and lots of writers (as in books). And Klingon karaoke. Now there's something, at least in my neighborhood, you don't see every day.
The song circles were small but fantastic. Some really good (and funny) songwriters hanging around that convention. Joe and I brought along one of our nieces, and she sang at the karaoke and the open song circle, ate too much chocolate, and stayed up too late. As aunt an uncle, we take seriously our roles as corrupting influences. And in a little over a week, I'll be teaching guitar at Hummingbird Music Camp in New Mexico. Same thing but somehow completely different. It's been 7 or 8 years since I've taught at Hummingbird and I have really missed it. Looking forward to a great week.