Winter To Spring

I made several New Year's resolutions this year, but unfortunately, those resolutions did not include keeping my blog up to date. To that end, we've got a little catching up to do. I'll do so with the help of a few photographs.

I'll start with the most recent and fun event event in my life: last week I was in Hawai'i. Yes, again. I go twice a year, and I'm not ashamed to admit it (why should I be?). I was joined on this trip by my friends Tom, Katya and Dave. Tom planned to spend a week with me on O'ahu, and we had the pleasure of Katya and Dave's company for three days by happy coincidence. Of course, it was a blast, as always. I must figure out a way I can spend all my days jogging (or power walking, as is often the case in tropical heat), luxuriating on the beach, sipping cocktails and singing songs. That's pretty much all I did during my eight days in paradise, and I loved every minute of it. This photo was taken during one of my afternoons parked before the Pacific. I snapped it myself with my cell phone. Yes, my days were very busy.

Easter was two weeks before my sojourn, and I celebrated with the annual brunch at the Rex Cafe in Russian Hill. Fellow Easter brunchers this year included Paul, Denise, Bill, Kim, Steve, Mary Beth, Nina, Onkar, Joel and Carla. We came, we ate, we drank mimosas and bloody Marys. Earlier that morning I watched Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in Easter Parade (another tradition), and later that afternoon I had a rehearsal with Sober Nixon. We played our bassist Ho's birthday party the following Saturday, so holiday or no holiday, rehearsal was in order.

Finally, about three weeks before Easter, my friend Marjorie drove up from the Peninsula to sing songs with me at the Mint. I always love getting my cocktail and karaoke on, but this time was particularly fun. Perhaps you can gather that from how happy we look in this photo snapped after all the songs had been sung. Anyway, Marjorie and I went to high school together. And junior high. And elementary school. So we've known each other since... oh, I'd guess about 1977 or so (correct me if I'm wrong, Marj). We also happen to share the same rock star birthday. We were never really friends during our youth, although we went to a small enough school that we definitely were acquainted. Thanks to the occasional run in here in San Francisco (she lived in the City before getting married and having children) and the magic of Facebook, we have reconnected.

While we were enjoying the singing, Marjorie told me that she'd been wondering recently why we never before were friends. All I could offer is I was much less interesting than I am now, not to mention exceedingly insecure. So we just decided to be friends moving forward. The irony (for lack of a better word) here is that Marjorie always reminds me of junior high school and the day a friend of hers walked into one of the classrooms singing "Marj, Marj, Marj, ye-ah!" to the tune of "Lies" by The Thompson Twins. But musical reminder or no, junior high school doesn't last forever. And thank goodness for that.