Sorry to sound like a broken record, but meeting people and reconnecting with people I haven’t seen in decades is such a joy. I am also deepening my comfort with solitude, but it’s just so much more fun to be with people! Sandra had suggested I stay with her and Thinh for a week, to which I readily agreed. They hosted a Halloween block party and we rolled out a piano from their garage. I played spooky music as long as I could then switched to jazz standards. Another night I joined them at a 60th birthday party for a friend of Sandra’s, and I played background music on the grand piano. I really miss playing acoustic piano, so it was a treat. I treated it like a gig, and provided the atmosphere I’ve honed over the years; engaging but not obtrusive, classy but not stuffy, fun but not obnoxious. Everyone at the party had known each other forever, and as I dined with them I felt honored to have been included in their company.
Sandra and Thinh have a house on Tomales Bay, and we went up for a couple days of beauty and kayaking, but a big storm was coming in, so we only got out on the water for about 20 minutes before the whitecaps indicated it was time to pack it in. We explored Point Reyes and saw the lighthouse instead.
That evening we joined their friends Lael and Tim for dinner. They are renovating their house and renting one next door in the meanwhile. We toured the project, and I of course kept my mouth shut, but the house is situated on a precipice, as is the rental. I obviously don’t know anything when it comes to engineering, but it sure looked sketchy to me. I dared myself to go out on the deck of the rental. The boards were weathered and cracked, and I looked through them to the ground 50 feet below. But we had a delightful evening, and we drove home that night to avoid the storm.
I’m virtually absent on FB now, but before I began the trip I had posted it was happening, and lots of friends had said, “If you’re anywhere near … come for a visit!” One of these was Mary. We were in a little ballet company called “Pas de Six” my second year of college at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. We performed at schools and village festivals. Mary lives in the town next to Sandra! We did the “44 year catch-up” and we were back to being friends as if we’d seen each other yesterday. Normally I’d be on my way in a couple days, but Sandra had suggested I connect back with them five days later when they were visiting friends in Yosemite. I couldn’t say no to that! Thankfully, Mary and her partner Mary were OK with me staying a little longer.
After Sharon died I did my absolute best to let everyone she knew know of her passing, but her network was so vast there were bound to be people I missed. David Dower was one. I remembered he lived in San Francisco, so I looked him up. I waited till we met to tell him. Sharon knew David long before she met me. They met when Sharon was photographer and stage manager for the Living Stage Company in Washington, DC. The company would go into maximum security prisons and do dramatic improv. David became a theater producer, and now has a circus arts show called “Dear San Francisco”. He offered tickets for the following Sunday. Review forthcoming…
I left David and figured out mass transit to meet Mary, Mary and the other bandmates for their gig at a trendy pizza spot in Berkeley. They have a terrific bluegrass band called Mostly Marys. I sat in for the whole second set. I might have just played a couple tunes but they never asked me to leave. I grew up with bluegrass music and having the chance to play in a band was fantastic. Piano is not a traditional bluegrass instrument, but adding it gives it a Dixieland feel.
Mary was happy to have a tourist in town and took me to places they hardly ever go. We saw a great exhibit at the Legion of Honor Museum about Édouard Manet and Berthe Marisot. We walked on the Golden Gate Bridge, which was socked in with fog. We strolled in the garden of the Salesforce building. We also visited her mom at her senior residence, and I did a little concert on the new Steinway.
Sunday we saw “Dear San Francisco”, and all I can say is OMG. David sat us on the stage in the first row, and we were right with the performers. The show is an ode to the city, and the performers are all world class dancer/acrobat/actor/athletes. I found it incredibly moving.
Finally I said goodbye to Mary and Mary, and drove up to Yosemite. I was here last with Sharon during my sabbatical. We climbed Half Dome in one day. Not recommended. But it was beautiful to see again, also to gaze on El Capitan and find climbers, little dots on the cliff wall. I got to know their friends Alex and Kathleen. We had pizza night, and the next morning I made bagels. I miss baking; it’s just not easy in the van.
I had planned to stay in the mountains and see King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Parks on my way to LA, but the weather has finally caught up with me. A big winter storm is coming in over the mountains so I came back to the coast. I’m actually right where Eva lived when she was in college! I took some pics (discreetly) of her old house and the beach.
For those who had the stamina to read this far, here is some info. My trip will not be ending in March. I’m flying back to see all my New York friends for the month of March, then flying back to wherever I parked the van and continuing van life. I plan to drive up through Glacier National Park into Banff and Jasper and on to Alaska, spend the summer there, come back down in the fall to the southwest, and only come east in the spring of 2027. If anyone would like to vacation with me, I am very happy to coordinate an AirBnB at a beautiful destination!