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Andersen Silva's Journal  I went out tonight and saw two gigs down the Lower East Side way, despite being tired and having work to do. Yep, I've still got it... want it? I'll let ya have it cheap. I'd only been to Fat Baby once before, for a Dayglow show, and while it's a comfy space, it was a little sad to be reminded that the rockin' female foursome are no more. I arrived a few minutes before Sydney Price's set was supposed to begin at 8 PM, and I got carded at the bar, even with the goatee! Turns out I'd arrived before all Sydney's friends, and pretty much anyone else, too, so I introduced myself (it's not creepy to say "Hi, I'm one of your MySpace friends," is it? Well, she remembered that we'd seen each other at Banjo Jim's) and so she and I sat and chatted for a while. Eventually, her roommate and her other friends did show, and we all enjoyed her wonderful songs and amazing voice. There was a band on after Sydney, but I figured I should mosey on over to the 169 Bar to see Ashley Mounts again, since it was such a short distance. She was already on when I got there, but I don't think I missed too much. Ashley's such a powerful singer! I got to say hi after her set, but I didn't stick around. I need some sleep... Pics of both lovely ladies in the Gallery...! Current mood:  cheerful.Current music: "Only Time" by Enya. Sleep? What's sleep? Well, I slept well last Friday night, deliberately; it was first time in a while that I'd gotten eight hours. The fact that I wasn't allowing myself to use any computers the following day (Shutdown Day!) probably helped convince my mind that there was no urgent need to awaken early... I did end up making Belgian waffles on Saturday morning, but that was late Saturday morning. I didn't do anything too interesting during the day, mostly played guitar and got through some paperwork and housecleaning I'd been neglecting. That night, Yesika and I went out for our Tercero de Mayo celebration. Instead of the Greek restaurant we'd discussed, however, or even a Mexican joint, we ended up at... Friday's. This Friday's, on Route 3, turned out to have a nicer vibe than the one on 17 we'd frequented in the past, and we had a good meal and good conversation, staying out almost 'til midnight. On Sunday, I took the train to Hoboken to pick up "Malik," the Zipcar (my second time with this particular Matrix), so I could drive out to Budd Lake for Dillon's christening. I hadn't counted on Hoboken's Spring Arts & Music Festival being scheduled on the same day, however (doesn't anyone coordinate?), and my usual route out of town wasn't available. I wended my way around and eventually made it back to Route 3, but the damage was done and I arrived at the church about ten minutes late, rather than the ten minutes early I'd expected. I was able to slip quietly inside, at least, and was quickly spotted and greeted (silently) by Joanne, who was there with her husband Mike and their son. After the christening was over, I bumped into Cyndi as well, and of course saw Dave and Dawn, before we all headed to the Knights of Columbus hall for a 'luncheon.' It was good to see some people I hadn't seen in a goodly long time, including Dawn's dad. From there, I raced back home to freshen up a bit before returning the car and taking the PATH to New York. Hoboken was still a mess by the time I got there, and I got Malik back in the deck with about ten minutes to spare. The trip into lower Manhattan went much more smoothly and quickly, at least. Arriving at the Knitting Factory, I was happy to find that Lena had in fact put my name on 'the list," and I ordered a Killian's Red from the bar downstairs. Eventually, I got to say hello to the woman herself, and we chatted for five minutes. Hopefully, I convinced her to take her iPhone back to Apple to check out, as she told me the battery was not lasting more than a few hours on a full charge, which is not normal. As odd as I felt in a bar full of Russians, I found myself at ease when the soundman's choice in music turned to... Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' "Murder Ballads." I love this album, but it's not the sort of thing you expect to hear at a bar, especially not the track "O'Malley's Bar." Heh-heh... The barkeep and I had a little discussion about Cave, and he advised me to pick up the new album, so I think I will. Lena and her band took the stage and gave a powerful and interesting performance. It had slipped my mind, but they had with them as a special guest Ian McDonald, a founding member of both King Crimson and Foreigner. He added flute and guitar to the mix, not that the band was lacking. The original tunes were great, as were the covers of "Whiskey Bar" and "China Girl." You wouldn't think this girl could sing so deep... If I hadn't had not only work the next morning but work to do that night, I would've loved to have stayed later, but... I'm glad I saw the show and met Lena. Yesterday morning, while most of you people were still sleeping, I downloaded my copy of Nine Inch Nail's "The Slip" (legally - thanks, Trent!). I'd already lost control over "Discipline," the first single, but I have to say that I enjoy the rest of the album, too. It's in heavy rotation on both the iPhone and the iPod right now... Current mood:  curious.Current music: "Death Is Not The End" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. :::gulp::: The people behind Make Music New York decided, in their infinite wisdom, to increase the 15-minute time slot I'd requested to... one hour. Maybe I should tell 'em I don't want to do a whole hour, but dammit, I'm gonna go for it. So, yes, my first live gig in front of Joe Q. Public is going to be at the Wollman Rink Terrace at Central Park from 3:30 to 4:30 PM on Saturday, June 21st! I'm going to try to finish working out "Loster" so I can debut a new song at the park, in addition to my older stuff, and some covers. I plan to test my nerves at the open mic at Banjo Jim's at least once or twice before then, but I know it won't be the same. And yes, technically I've 'played live' (though that might not be the best phrase to describe it) as a member of the Hellevators, twice, back in '87, but again, not the same as being in the park in front of strangers. Yes, if you're in the immediate vicinity of New York City, I do expect you to go. It is free... The best way to get to the rink is to enter the park at Sixth Avenue at Central Park South (W. 59th Street), it's a very short walk. Hey, even if you're not in the immediate vicinity of New York, it's worth a trip! ;) Anyone interested in being a roadie for a day? I haven't figured out exactly what I'm bringing and exactly what my setup is going to be (I'm still adjusting to the idea of playing four times longer than I'd intended!), but most likely it'll be a little too much for me to carry in and out by myself; an extra pair of hands would be great. You'd have to be available from, say, 1 PM 'til 6:30 PM or so. Let me know...! Just a little more shameless self-promotion before I let you go... my MySpace music page my iLike artist page my SellaBand artist page (buy, buy!) and, of course, my own Web site Current mood: indescribable. Current music: "What God Wants, Part III" by Roger Waters. Damn you, Black Squirrel! He's tormenting me by making all these appearances now, and taking off as I'm getting the camera ready. I caught him terrorizing a poor grey squirrel the other morning, too, angrily running him off. Who knew there could be so much drama in the squirrel world? I've been dealing with extra doses of work drama. I think I have to pull an all-nighter tonight, if I want to get two or three major issues behind me and start breathing again. It becomes exceedingly difficult to tackle complex problems while at the office, because they just won't LEAVE ME ALONE. Then I find myself saddled with the remnants of three or four issues from colleagues in addition to the several I'd already had. Grrr. If I'm going to get caught up, I'm going to have to do it on my own time. I don't sleep much normally, but I like to get a little sleep. :::sigh::: That's not going to stop me from having a little bit of fun. Tomorrow night, I'm heading back to the 169 Bar to see Ashley Mounts again (and on her birthday, no less!), as well as Jennifer Logue, another MySpace singer/songwriter. Saturday is Shutdown Day, and in lieu of spending a few hours on the computer, I plan to spend a few hours on the guitar. If the weather's nice, I'll get outdoors, too. Yesika and I are probably going to do some kind of early Cinco de Mayo celebration on Saturday night, though I don't think it'll be Mexican. I've got a managers' meeting the evening of the actual Cinco, so partying that night is pretty much out... On Sunday afternoon, I'm attending Dillon's christening, so I'll get to see Dawn and Dave again. And my name is on the list (woo-hoo!) for a free entrance (WOO-HOO!) to Lena's "music release & clothing line launch party" at the Knitting Factory on Sunday night. Lena's yet another MySpace musician friend; she lives in Chicago, and since this thing is happening in New York and she needed someone local to help her promote on Facebook and elsewhere, I volunteered, and was rewarded with the $20 savings. Conveniently enough, Margarita is going to perform as well! The music will be cool, but I've never been to a clothing line launch party before... 
Current mood: determined. Current music: "Die Young Stay Pretty" by Blondie. I rented "Mcmonigle," another Mazda 3, from Zipcar on Friday, and headed to Hoboken bright and early to pick it up. Whoever had rented it last hadn't refilled it a quarter of a tank, as suggested, so I had to deal with that, as well as the cigarette smoke smell, on my way to work. After work, I swung home to change and to grab the two six-packs from my refrigerator, then I drove out to Landing to meet Adrian and Julio at the latter's house. Adrian was there already; Julio was not. Heh... When he did show up, fifteen minutes later, with his wife and daughter, he gave us the tour of the house, then the three of us settled down to burgers, dogs, and beers. And catching up with each other's lives. It was good to see the other two Amigos again, even if we didn't get around to playing a round of Monopoly Friday night. Hopefully, we'll see each other again soon... I'd planned on seeing elizabeth! Saturday night, but I think the lack of sleep lately played fast and loose with my systems, as I woke up feeling poorly early Saturday morning. After dropping the Zipcar off in Hoboken, I returned home and napped for a few hours, but awoke still feeling out of sorts. I wasn't nearly as productive as I'd intended to be, and I opted to stay home last night and rest. Gave me a chance to catch up on my TiVoed "Doctor Who" and "Battlestar Galactica" episodes from the night before, at least. This morning, however, I was feeling better (and hungry!), so I took the train to Princeton Junction, where Barbara picked me up, and we headed to Lambertville and had big breakfasts at Sneddon's with Roger and Porter. And then on to the Shad Fest! I hadn't been to one in a few years, so it was good to be back. I bought a stainless-steel tankard from Wild Bill's and sampled some of their olde fashion soda pop in it; mmm, sarsaparilla... The steak sandwich (and a half) I consumed for lunch was good, too. And you can't go wrong with River Horse beer. Unfortunately, the train schedules for my trip home didn't work out so well, and I've been killin' time on a bench at Secaucus Junction for well over an hour now. Fortunately, a cute blonde's been sharing the bench with me for the past fifteen minutes or so. ;-) Current mood:  tired.Current music: "Only" by Nine Inch Nails. I downloaded "Discipline," the new Nine Inch Nails single, yesterday morning, and I'm already hooked. It's quite good; I think I've played it six or seven times already. :) "Once I start, I cannot stop myself..." On Earth Day, this past Tuesday, I got together with Sally for drinks and appetizers. We went to the City Lounge, which, despite living half a block away from it, I'd never visited before. The sun hadn't finished setting yet, so we sat outside, where a chivalrous Andy let the young woman wear his jacket when it started cooling off. They had Newcastle on tap, which was a plus for me, and the menu was rather more extensive than either of us had expected. The waitress was cute, too! It was good to catch up with Sally. I'm going to be doing a lot of catching up tomorrow night, as I'm going to see my old friends Adrian and Julio! The three of us used to call ourselves 'the Three Amigos' back in high school. We haven't all gotten together in about eleven years, so I'm looking forward to hangin' wit' my crew again. Going to be another busy weekend, since I plan to see elizabeth! Saturday night, and I think I'm meeting Barbara at the Shad Fest in Lambertville on Sunday. Probably not going to make the Campfire at the Red Lion Sunday evening, then, but perhaps I'll visit Slane on Tuesday... Yesterday was 'Administrative Professionals Day' (who comes up with this stuff?), and we have two people who pretty much fall into this category, Jennifer and Jessica (also known as Jessifer and Jennica). Even though neither reports directly to me, they're both incredibly helpful to me, and it's safe to say that my job would be even harder and more stressful without their assistance, so I figured I'd show my appreciation with a pair of Edible Arrangements. Which were totally unexpected and greatly appreciated. So that was cool. I helped a pretty young woman in designer jeans locate the Ticket Vending Machine code for New York's Penn Station (it's 000, if you're interested) this morning while she was frantically trying purchase a ticket at the Ridgewood train station, so that's my good deed for the day. Even with everything else going on, I'm finding the time (forcing the time?) to play a little guitar every night again. It occurred to me last night to play some of my recorded songs and then play guitar along with them, so I sat in the living room, fired up the Apple TV, and ran through a few tunes. Updated system software in the Apple TV and the PlayStation 3 as well... Man, I haven't played any games on that thing in a while. Current mood: busy. Current music: "Discipline" by Nine Inch Nails. Seriously, what is up with the big-ass sunglasses? Yesterday in New York, I think I saw two good-looking women wearing good-looking shades. The rest reminded me of Jackie Onassis with big, '70s-era sunglasses, or fat Elvis with aviators. I just don't understand wearing shades that cover half your face; maybe the point is to avoid having to put on sunscreen. As the weather was so gorgeous, at least for the first half of the day, I went into the City early yesterday and wended my way to Astor Place for my traditional short 'n spiky haircut. Satisfied with the Cuban's job, I then shuffled around the Village a bit, eventually making my way eastward down St. Mark's Place, leaving a few stickers around to show I'd been there. Banjo Jim's was pretty deserted when I arrived, even though the open mic was scheduled to begin in twenty minutes. There were a lot of names on the list already, however, and so I added Margarita's. The bar had been restocked with my Original Sin cider, so I ordered one and chatted with Wayne, the bartender and official host of the open mic. Soon thereafter, Rick, the unofficial host, showed up, and enough people came in for the whole shebang to start. Had a nice time there again, and Susan Hwang, another piano-playing singer/songwriter who'd played last week, returned and performed two different songs. I liked her quirky sense of humor and so I'd added her as a friend on MySpace. And of course I enjoyed Margarita's performance very much, too. I took a few pictures of the both of them before leaving early (though not as early as I'd planned) to have some appetizers with Yesika at Baumgart's Cafe and then catch "Prom Night" with some discount coupons she'd scored. The movie wasn't bad at all, though the idiot teenagers in the theater were. Ah, well... I'm planning on seeing elizabeth! late Saturday night at Dizzy's in Columbus Circle. Haven't seen the lovely jazz singer in a while... anyone want to join me? I think I'm finally going to unwind at a Sunday night campfire with Martin Rivas and his compatriot Craig Meyer on Sunday evening at the Red Lion in the Village. Man, I sure have been seeing a lot of live music. Now, as far as making live music... Margarita chided me again on Saturday for not bringing my own guitar and taking a turn at the open mic. Well, I think I've found a way to force myself to do it at least once or twice between now and Saturday, June 21st. That's the date of Make Music New York, a city-wide event during which New York's sidewalks and park spaces are going to be opened up for musicians to perform for the public, free to both. I heard about it this weekend, and checked out the Web site, and before I could dither too much about whether or not I really wanted to play for New York City on the first day of summer, I signed myself up for a fifteen-minute slot, from 3:30 to 3:45 PM, at Wollman Rink in Central Park. Yes, seriously. So obviously I'm going to need to start practicing again, and hard, but I'd also really like to play at Banjo Jim's once or twice before then, because playing in the safety and solitude of my 'studio' is rather different from playing in front of live people. Fifteen minutes is long enough for me to say that I've played Central Park and mean it, but short enough that I can't make a complete fool of myself. I think. Another fun day is coming up, too: Shutdown Day, which is on Saturday, May 3. Last year, I managed to keep all my computers off for the whole 24 hours (as did my friend awakenewsleep), and while I did carry my Treo on my journey to New York, I used it only in its telephony capacity. It'll be harder to avoid using the iPhone's computing power, but I am determined to partake in Shutdown Day again, and I urge everyone who can to join as well. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with the day yet, but I won't be indoors (unless the weather's that bad) and I won't be touching any keyboards!
Current mood: amused.Current music: "Wendy" by Jesse Malin. I think perhaps I'm being stalked by the Black Squirrel again... Yes, he made two appearances (visitations?) last week, the second time seeming to taunt me, as if he knew I couldn't stop to take a picture because I was rushing to make a bus. I took three trips to New York on three consecutive days, which I'm pretty sure is a first for me. I've been needing a live music fix, and getting it from three pretty young women (all MySpace friends of mine) definitely hit the spot. I saw Ashley Mounts at the 169 Bar Thursday night, despite being drained and exhausted from some crazy days at work. I think the Yuengling helped my mood a bit. Recognizing me from the icon, Ashley came over to where I was standing after her wonderful set to shake hands and say hello, and we chatted for a bit before she started mingling. I'd have liked to have stayed longer, but I don't think I would've stayed awake for more than another hour or two, so I split. As it turns out, I overslept on Friday morning anyway. :-O I was still pretty tired that night (Friday proved to be another hellacious day at work), but I hopped on the train and headed back into Manhattan and saw Laura Cheadle at the Baggot Inn Friday night, and got a chance to say hi before her set, and had her shimmy against me briefly. Hey, it was packed tight in there! This time, I had a Magners, and contemplated a second one, but once again I couldn't stay too late, as I was taking the train to New Brunswick to catsit for the weekend for my friend Barbara. Dozed off on the train a few times, but I didn't miss my stop... The fact that I was in New Brunswick and not Lyndhurst didn't stop me from heading back to the City on Saturday afternoon to catch the open mic at Banjo Jim's again and see the lovely and talented Margarita Shamrakov again. She had another friend, Debbie, there with her this time, and the three of us sat together checking out musicians until Margarita's turn came 'round. There were more pianists this time around than usual, which made it interesting; Margarita insists she wasn't jealous... ;) The three of us (and some of the other musicians) were drawn by Isaac Paris, who performed two songs himself; I'll have to scan mine and put it up when I get home. I'd wanted an Original Sin, the cider I usually get at Jim's, but they were out (I'm probably the only person who drinks 'em anyway), so I downed a Guinness instead. Margarita and I split before the open mic was over, though Debbie opted to stay; we walked to Sixth, chatting the whole time, before parting company with a hug. As lovely as the weather was (I'd opted to leave my jacket at Barbara's, which was a good decision), I figured I should head back, and it turns out that I had some work to tend to once I got back to New Brunswick, so it was well that I did. Nothin' like phone calls from the boss on Saturday night... And that's my last three nights. More work to take care of tonight, once I get back home; probably going to leave here in an hour or so. Yes, the cats did get fed, and they did get some attention, so my work here is done. Heh... I have new pics of Ashley, Laura, and Margarita, and the Black Squirrel, up in the good ol' Gallery... of Death! Current mood: optimistic.Current music: "B Squad" by the Soviettes. I got to see Dawn and Dave, and their bouncing baby boy Dillon, on Sunday the 30th! The four of us had a nice time hanging out at the house and dining at Chili's. Well, OK, Dillon didn't actually partake of the menu there... I rented another Zipcar, "Renee" the Volkswagen Rabbit, for the trip; the car handled well, but I had to figure out where the lights were, and a few other controls were a bit different than I've gotten used to. While I was driving the car home from Hoboken on Saturday night, one of my all-time favorite driving songs, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Runnin' Down A Dream," came on the radio, and I had to turn that mother up. On the way up on Sunday, I heard the new Death Cab for Cutie song, "I Will Possess Your Heart," and though it had a slightly different sound (to my ears, anyway), I recognized it as the band immediately. Made me think of my friend ![[info]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} awakenewsleep, who got me into DCFC. :) The new rock station in town, WRXP, is pretty frakkin' good! Nice mix of classic rock, modern rock, and 'alternative.' I hope they stick with the format.Speaking of frakkin', I went over Mark's condo last Friday night to watch the "Battlestar Galactica" season premiere with him and one of his buddies. Damn, but that was intense. I'm sure some fans will not be satisfied by the way this season, and the series, concludes later this year (it's the beginning of the end), but I have a feeling that the show is back on track. It was a little surreal to see Baltar taking advantage of a supplicant in front of an altar to himself, however. After the show, and some alcohol, the three of us partook of some "Rock Band," which turned out to be a much more fun game than I'd expected. The guitar controller is a little odd for someone who plays an actual guitar (I remember having to restrain myself while playing the riffs to Black Sabbath's "Paranoid," 'cos I know how to really play them), but the whole experience pulls you in. I don't claim to be an exceptional singer, but I still threw my vocal cords at: "Suffragette City" "Enter Sandman" "The Collector" "The Hand That Feeds" "The Perfect Drug" "Roxanne" "Next To You" "Cherub Rock" "Foreplay/Long Time" "Train Kept A-Rollin'" "I Fought the Law" "Blitzkrieg Bop" "Orange Crush" "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "War Pigs" Mmm, two Police songs and three from Nine Inch Nails... My throat wasn't too ravaged, even if "Roxanne" was a stretch (I hope I didn't sound like Eddie Murphy!), but by the end of the night, I'd developed a sizable blood blister on my left thumb, from 'strumming.' Who knew pretending to be in a rock band could be so intense? To satisfy my science fiction cravings during the dry patch without "Terminator," "Galactica," "Doctor Who," or "Stargate Atlantis," I've been watching the occasional "Firefly" episode from my DVDs, and I saw another two over the past ten days or so. Down to the last disc now, so I've got to savor them... Honestly, I can't understand how this show didn't do better. Oh, that's right, Americans have no taste. ;) Well, you can keep your reality TV and "Desperate Housewives" and "Prison Break." Thanks, but no thanks! I finally tested out the rental feature on my Apple TV recently, too, opting to watch the HD version of "Kingdom of Heaven." I'd caught a little of the movie a few months back but hadn't watched the whole thing, so a few minutes after the download had begun, I sat down to a crystal-clear viewing, with no glitches or pauses or other issues. The movie itself was very good, too, though as usual with this sort of film, there were some liberties taken with the historical facts. It still made for a very entertaining two hours, and for only $3.99. Good deal. Well, I've been way overworked again lately, and I missed out on Mart Rivas' set at the Bitter End last Monday thanks to a managers' meeting that ran later than expected. I did see Margarita last Wednesday evening at Gizzi's, which turned out to be quite a small venue; she and Michael and Nathaniel and I hung out for a bit before and after the show, but I had to head back early to do more work. Hopefully, I will be able to catch Ashley Mounts tonight, and Laura Cheadle tomorrow night. Having live music withdrawals... I'm catsitting down at Barbara's house this weekend, which makes things hectic again, but with any luck I can get back to Banjo Jim's on Saturday afternoon and see Margarita there again. Of course, that would make three trips to New York on three consecutive days to see three different singer/songwriter babes... Current mood: amused.Current music: "We Looked Like Giants" by Death Cab for Cutie. Ah, I do miss Hawaii, even if my 'liberation' of a small piece of lava rock seems to have angered its mother, Pele, the Fire Goddess. Kilauea's Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, which has been belching a lot of gas lately but nothing else, spit out some rocks the day after we departed for New Jersey last week, and Sunday night/Monday morning lava erupted from the crater for the first time in over fifteen years (though the volcano itself has been erupting since then, in a different location). Sorry, Pele, but you're not getting the lava back...! Bright and early on Thursday the 13th, Rhonda and I departed for the airport. (Fred, Rosmary, and Sonia were traveling together on a different flight; Robert, who was supposed to fly with us, had to cancel last-minute due to a sudden death in the family.) We had almost a four-hour stop in San Francisco, and though we were advised against going into town by the guys at the information desk, we decided to take a BART train in anyway. We had just enough time to get to the Civic Center stop, walk around a little bit, grab lunch at an Asian seafood/BBQ buffet (we were almost exclusively surrounded by Asians there, a good sign), and hop on the train back to the airport; we got through security and had less than half an hour 'til boarding. Whew! At least Rhonda and I can say we've set foot in San Fran... Even better, of course, was setting foot in Kona, Hawaii. It was drizzling and cloudy, on and off, when we arrived, and our luggages took an eternity to come down the carousel, but we were given leis by the people McKesson had hired to meet and greet us and bring us back to the hotel, and the airport itself is outdoors, and hey, we were in Hawaii! We rode to the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort with Lynette and Jim, and our driver gave us some history and insight along the way, pointing out the "Hawaiian graffiti" visible along Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway (Highway 19). The hotel was gorgeous. After we'd checked into (and checked out) our rooms, we got together with Fred and the girls, who'd arrived ahead of us, and eventually headed to the King's Shops, a small outdoor mall across the road from the Marriott, where we had dinner at the Big Island Steak House and checked out some of the shops. We were all pretty exhausted from the long hours of travel and the six-hour time difference from home, so we eased ourselves into a hot tub back at the hotel and relaxed for a bit, then turned in. On Friday morning, Rhonda and I walked the beach after a delicious and leisurely breakfast, then took a shuttle van to the Hilton not so far away. It was even more lovely than the Marriott, and we said hello to Butterscotch, an avian jewelry thief who loved attention, then walked the hotel grounds for a bit. We rode the monorail (yes, the Hilton has its own monorail), which afforded some spectacular views, and stopped for drinks (Lavaman Red Ale is some good stuff), then got on a boat for some more touring of the hotel. Yep, they've got their own little river... Heh. We walked back, as Hilton and Marriott weren't all that far apart, but we'd spent enough time in the sun already to both get a little burned. We joined our companions on the beach, and went in the water for a bit. I managed to get in the pool and go down the waterslide at some point, too. The five of us had an early and extravagant sushi dinner at Sansei in the Queen's Shops, ordering almost too much food (though not quite!). I had an amazing 'Purple Haze' sake flavored with Chambord raspberry liqueur... yum. We'd planned to head back to Sansei for karaoke later that night, but everyone but me seemed unable to stay up late enough, so after they'd all retired, I took a little stroll along the beach. It was gorgeous, because there were no lights on the beach itself, but it was illuminated by moonlight, and the sky is so clear there that there are so many more stars visible. After twenty minutes or so of gazing, I decided to head back myself. Breakfast was provided by McKesson for the next four days, and we partook of it heartily. I always love being able to have pineapple, melons, and other fruit along with breakfast. After eating on Saturday morning, we had a little bit of break time, then we and the other VARs and McKesson staff were ferried out to a catamaran for some whale watching and snorkeling. I did see some whales, but passed on the snorkeling for the moment. It was a nice time, as was the 'Aloha Dinner' luau they'd prepared for us that night, featuring a gorgeous sunset, hula and fire dancing, and some gusty winds. I got to meet Jim, an Advisory Board member with whom I've corresponded a lot over the past two years or so, and his wife Sharon, as well as several other VARs... We did finally make our way back to Sansei for some karaoke, but before I sang David Bowie's "Suffragette City" there (the first time that karaoke DJ had ever had anyone do Bowie at Sansei), I attempted a verse or two of "Folsom Prison Blues" to the accompaniment of Bob (a McKesson vice-president) and Todd (another VAR) on acoustic guitars. lol They were just jamming in the hospitality suite, and they invited me to join in but I had to decline the offer of Bob's guitar, as it was strung right-handed and I'm not, so then Bob asked if I could sing Johnny Cash. My voice just isn't that deep, but I gave it a shot. Sunday saw us trundled onto a bus and out to Volcanoes National Park, with stops along the way at Rainbow Falls, Thurston Lava Tube, and Punalu'u Black Sand Beach Park. Saw a lot of vog, too... It was pouring when we stopped for lunch, but the rain had subsided by the time we continued to the Jaggar Museum and Halemaʻumaʻu. Kilauea was letting off a lot of smoke, and the sodium dioxide could easily be smelled in the air. Just before we got into the lave tube, we heard and saw Lynette's camera fall from the bridge and hit the rocks below! One of the other VARs was using it to take a shot, and, well... oops. =-O The rest of the excursion was mostly uneventful, though Sal, our driver, did tend to talk and snicker a lot. Oh, and Rhonda managed to delete all the pictures from her digital camera. D'oh!!! We had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, and got to see another terrific sunset. Bob, Todd, and I joked about me looking for a left-handed guitar on the Hard Rock walls and borrowing it for the night; although I didn't do it, Rhonda and I did stop in at the hospitality suite again after we'd been taken back to the Marriott and we, along with Bob's wife Joni and Todd's wife Heather and a few others, listened to the guys playing and singing again 'til it was time for bed. On Monday, I broke away from the rest of my gang. While they went for an ATV excursion along the cliffs, I opted for high-speed rafting out to Kealakekua Bay and Captain Cook's Monument, where I went snorkeling with Bob, Joni, David (another McKesson vice-president), and his wife Rhonda, and several other enterprising souls not from our McKesson Achievement Club group. We had a blast! David took off like a madman, first into the water, once we were at the bay, but Rhonda and I were a little less certain of ourselves and sat on the edge of the boat before jumping in together. I was the only one of the five of us with a disposable underwater camera, so I snapped all the pics and promised to get them copies. On the way back, we got to see some spinner dolphins, at first from a distance, then alongside and in the wake of the boat. The water was so clear, I got a decent picture of a dolphin in the water next to us. Back at the Captain Zodiac office, I was glad to see that my accidentally discarded sunglasses had been saved at the desk by the cute Asian woman. ;) I met Rhonda, Rosmary, and Sonia at the pool, and Fred joined us for lunch. Dinner that night was at the Parker House, a bit of Hawaiian history as it belonged to the family that started the Parker cattle ranch there, currently the fifth largest in the nation. The meal was incredible, as was the house and its gardens. Rhonda and I had time for breakfast, a last walk on the beach and visit to the King's Shops, and lunch with our gang before getting shuttled back to the airport for our flight to Chicago, and then on to Newark. It was sad to leave, but I had a wonderful time and am definitely glad to have been invited along... Pictures, of course, are up in my Gallery... of Death!  Current mood: good.Current music: "My Pain Exposure" by Ashley Mounts. |
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