Adventures on a San Juan Island tour with Skitnik

Hooo boy! It's been a while. Life has been cray-Z. Here is my attempt at keeping this post to one topic: TOUR!!!

That's right...I got to go on an amazing San Juan island tour with my band Skitnik. Have I mentioned how much I love Skitnik? Haha...I'll probably stop saying that one of these days, but today is not that day.

Thanks to the hard work and connections of a couple of my band mates, we were able to play three shows on three islands in three days and it was totally awesome!

Waiting for the Ferry

We had a little fun exploring during the wait..

Photo Courtesy: Michelle Bates

This trip however, did not start out totally awesome for me. I had some type of weird stomach thing going on (food poisoning?) and I threw up three times that morning before we even hit our first destination. 

Here we are playing on the ferry. That's me on accordion. Maybe you can tell by the look on my face that I'm not feeling in top shape. 

Photo Courtesy: Michelle Bates

On our way to Waldron Island, all of us plus a few more AND all of our gear, crammed onto this little boat. 

And here are my feet on the way to Waldron :)

I think this photo speaks for itself!

Photo Courtesy: Alex Larson

Our first destination was Waldron Island where we held a music workshop for the school there. There are 14 kids, grades K-8 (I think) in one school. This place is awesome! If I had to go to school all over again, this would be the place. I could go into why but I think that would be another blog post entirely. 

The first thing I saw as I walked into the school was this beauty! Upon which my band mate immediately placed our band sign.

Waldron Island is like stepping into the 1940's. Its a totally different world there. People are very much who they are. There is a totally different level of living and simplicity when there are no paved roads, everyone uses outhouses, only private boats can access it and well I could go on...these are really only the superficial differences about living on this island. There is a feeling there that I can't quite describe. Giving it my best shot: real, calm and slow. There is nowhere to get in a hurry there and there is only so much you can hide on an island of about 85 year-round inhabitants. And really, they just don't seem to fuck around while at the same time being totally welcoming and engaging. 

That evening we played a show in the school (which is the town's main gathering place) with the band Los Hermanos. It was absolutely lovely to play for 3/4 of the entire population and to be a part of giving them some entertainment that they don't often get. 

Here is the view from where I slept on Waldron. It is also very similar to the view from the outhouse. I can't think of a more lovely place to back one out!

Next up was Orcas Island. We arrived on Orcas with plenty of time to get a good soak in at the Doe Bay Resort before our performance. I was still not feeling really well and this was a splendid way to get some serious healing on. 

There are no pictures allowed at the clothing optional hot tubs and sauna but here are a couple from the cliff near by.

 Life is rough, I tell ya!

Our show that night was at the Odd Fellow's Hall. We (ahem) didn't do a very good job advertising this particular gig. We ended up playing for and a grand total of 20 (including the other band). Despite the small number, we spared no energy. We gave that tiny crowd all we had and by the end of the night, everyone was on their feet. The energy in the room was fantastic! 

Some Los Hermanos and juggling on Orcas Island.

That night we decided to round out the night with a little karaoke at the local dive bar. Skitnik is fortunate enough to have some pretty talented friends. One of those amazing people is JustinCredible! He often does a couple of acts to our music in the middle of our set. He decided that he wanted to do his sword swallowing act during karaoke. One of our friends sang "Fame" by David Bowie, and Justin did his thing!

After the crowd went wild and the song was over I quote the seemingly perma-drunk karaoke host, "That's not fair, not everyone has a fucking sword swallower with them." Haha...I love it when we steal the show!

Photo courtesy: Alex Larson

The last day of tour was on Lopez Island. We arrived on Lopez early enough to meet some great people who allowed us to essentially take over their cozy yet amazing house and rest for a bit. I don't have words to describe the absolute loveliness of not only this house and property but even more so the people that inhabit it. 

No words. But here are a few pics.

This. House!

Chillin' out and playing a few tunes.

Rj being silly out on the part of the property where they hold "Brew Fest"

Our show that night was at the grange hall. I have no idea where it was exactly but it seemed to be almost in the middle of nowhere. The middle of nowhere...amazing! 

We packed the house and made them dance until the walls were sweating! 

When we were packed and cleaned up several of us ended up on the front steps of the grange hall. As we were out there chatting and admiring the unpredicted clear skies and almost full moon, every time someone would step out of the building onto the steps, they would stop mid-sentence and comment on the moon. So much so that at some point, we all started howling at it. 

After the Lopez show we were blessed to get to hang out with Los Hermanos at one of the member's home. What started out (for me) as an excuse to get in a little more hot tub action (still not feeling too well), turned into an amazing evening of getting to know and connect with some pretty remarkable people. It was 2 am before I even dipped a toe into the hot tub. Again, words cannot describe how absolutely lovely these people are. No. Words. 

We went to their place for breakfast the following morning and I was able to take a few pics. 

Here is the backside of the house designed and built by it's inhabitants. 

Tour dog! She'll fetch all night...literally!

You cannot resist the rope swing...

The trip was wrapped up by a fitting 6 hour wait for the ferry home. It didn't matter because I was tired and in great company. 

Other than performing and traveling the highlight of this tour for me was meeting so many wonderful new people. Seeing how they live, using their outhouses and connecting with them over the food they prepared with love for their guests, most of whom they'd just met.

Being in the band is awesome...there are a lot of perks. Especially being a part of a large, close-knit one. People are so willing to help out the band. But what I love more is being a part of what the band has to offer in return. We bring our best to the table, to entertain you for an evening, to make you dance, to help you experience your life with a little more creativity, energy and joy you may not have had otherwise. 

I was sick all weekend and was forced to forgo experiencing some of the wondrous things the San Juan Islands have to offer in exchange to have the energy to give the audience what they came for, and then some. A lot of the time I felt like a nauseous lump, hardly able to stand for more than 5 minutes, let alone carry all of my gear from one place to the next. But when it came close to time to go on, the energy would come. I can honestly say that I don't know exactly from where. Somewhere beyond me,  because when we were performing no one (not even me) was able to tell that I had been feeling terrible for the entire day before the show. The music gods, the muse, the universe, whatever it was clearly wanted me to be "on"!

I love playing music and I love playing music with Skitnik. But this tour was so much more than that. We all got to know each other better as a band and as people. It was a great way to see how well we actually all work together. And yet again....no words to describe how amazing it is to create with these six incredible people. We have something that I can only best describe as magic and I absolutely cannot be in the presence of Skitnik and not feel like the luckiest girl on the planet! ...Seriously!

Trash the old script and make your own rules..Maybe your biggest adventure yet!

Today is the day and this is the moment. There is no other moment, not right now anyway.

What if from here on out you could replace all that bullshit in your head with whatever you wanted?
--What new script would you write for yourself?

What if at this exact moment you could truly own yourself, your whole self, your entire being?
--Not the media, your family or friends, not your boss, not your god?

What if right this very second there were no prior rules already set to apply to your life?
--What would you do different?

What if while sitting here reading this you realized that you never had to apologize for being authentically you ever again?
--What dreams would you live out?

What if the only thing you ever had to do ever again was bring all the love and light that is uniquely you to whatever it is that you're doing at this moment, nothing more and nothing less?
--Could you relax? Could you let go?

What if you could look yourself in the mirror right now seeing every exposed nook and cranny, every hair, mole, muscle, stretch mark, skin flap, patch of cellulite, wrinkle, your gut, muffin top or six pack, every little uneven bit of beautiful human imperfection and love every inch and pound of it, I mean really love it?
--Would you stop comparing yourself to others?

What if you could look yourself in the eye and proclaim your devoted and undying love for yourself not matter what?
--Who would you become?

What if you knew that you had what it takes to make all of your dreams come true already inside of you?
--What would you search for now?

What if you knew that nothing could stop you from achieving your goals, not even yourself?
*What would you do?
*How would you feel?
*Where would you go?
*Who would you love?

What does freedom feel like?
Does freedom scare you?
Do these questions make you want to run and hide, switch back to your social network, the tv, that cookie, the clothes rack, the drink, your homework, your job?
Do they invoke a stirring in your guts? Somewhere deep within? Deeper than your physical self?

What if you could not only be loved but be love?

What would the world look like then?

There is no instruction manual for the living.
Past experience does not ever dictate how this current moment will go.

This is it.
This moment.
No rules.
No apologies.
Bring it!

Thanks for reading!

Do you have a friend that could benefit from my "words of wisdom"? Share this with them! You never know how one tiny thought or action could completely change someone's life.


Adventure Tip:
Living a life of freedom is rewarding but can also be difficult and tiring. I suggest an awesome soundtrack. I call mine the "Going Pro Soundtrack". It's full of songs that stir my guts, that make me cry tears of self-slavery ending joy, that make me want to take action, that make me want to bust my ego, that make me want to spread the love. It's full of songs that are impossible for me to hear and not follow my heart. Sometimes I listen to all the songs but more often one strikes me on a certain day and I listen to it all day. Today that song is Fall by M83 Vs. Big Black Delta (wait for it...2:30). Today, all day, while writing this blog and at this very moment, listening to this song, I know that I create my own fucking destiny!  What's on your gut stirring play list? Share with us!

adventures in life and skipping the blog for a week (kind of)

   This week's adventure isn't going to be much. I'm skipping the blog and attending to my holiday duties. I suppose by writing a blog about how I'm not writing a blog this week is in fact, writing a blog. The point is that not too much thought or energy is going into this one. At this point the blog is just for fun and generating little attention so I'm all right with doing this. I write this blog because I like to. I am at least writing this little bit because I am committed to writing something to put out into the world at least once a week. So here it is.

   As far as the holiday is concerned, I have family coming in from out of town and it should be a lovely time. But there is much preparation to be done and certain self-imposed, creative deadlines that I must meet. I think that I have allowed myself enough time to finish my tasks without losing my mind...we'll see.

   This week I had my last day of school, continued work on my project, got to hear one of my songs and then see my name on the big screen, helped my friends begin decorating their 7 plus foot tall holiday tree that has roughly 1700 lights and over 10 U-Haul sized moving boxes worth of ornaments that go onto it. I also got to perform at a craft fair and at a local cafe with one of my band mates, both of which payed off more per hour than my day job (gotta love that!), caught up with a friend over coffee. Annnd really this list could go on and on and not include the day to day regular boring life stuff so I'll stop here. The point is, my life is full! It's busy and fulfilling and for the most part, I'm pretty happy with it (except for that pesky day job).

   Pretty much I'm tired and rambling to fill up space. So I'm going to wrap it up. I promise I will be back next week with photos and delicious and adventurous stories to tell! Keeping up a blog is a lot of work and I only do this once a week! What happens when it takes off and I have to do this every day?!! For far less hours and far more pay?!! Believe it and achieve it my friends! The adventure awaits...just watch me!

   Over and out until next week


 Adventure Tip:
If you're a musician in Bellingham, WA and you like good food, head on down to The Old Town Cafe They will give you a meal on the house if you perform for an hour, plus you can accept tips. Not too shabby. The atmosphere is homey, bright and showcases local art, the food is locally sourced as much as possible and if you're a vegetarian, the menu is pretty amazing! Rarely has my cup gone without hot coffee, even on the busiest of mornings. It's a great place for any adventure to begin! 

Birthday Adventure Awesomeness: sushi and live music

   Welp it's that time of year again...the time for my birthday adventures! This year I kicked off my day of birth with a phone call to both of my parents at 6:45 am, thanking them for my life. Then I made my video commitment for the next phase of Project: Action Heart!

    I typically start celebrating my birthday at the beginning of the month by treating myself to one small indulgence after another and by the end of the month I go out big with a table full of friends and obscene amounts of raw fish! This year was no different however, I decided to go less formal and go conveyor belt. There is a quality sacrifice that goes with the convenience of the belt but it was totally worth it!

    It is a dangerous thing to be sitting within inches of a constant rolling, flow of delicious and interesting looking food throughout your entire dining experience. I was a little overwhelmed at first but got the hang of it pretty quickly. Shoveling food into my mouth, while maintaining one eye on the belt for the next plate that couldn't be passed up, I consequently ate myself into a sushi-induced food coma.

                                   How could I not when the food looks like this?

   The best part of my birthday dinner is the amazing people that show up. I invite who I would like to eat with but never know exactly who will come until dinner time. It is always an absolute honor to dine with whomever shows up and I am always touched that these people would come celebrate my birthday with me!

This year's crowd! I love each and everyone of them! (my son is making that face again) I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life!

   I anticipated possible house guests so I made goodies only to not have anyone remain long enough to get them to eat them. Alas, the treats were left in my possession and I lived off them on all day Saturday. Riding the sugar wave is not the norm for me but....they were oh, so delicious! (Here comes the food porn!)

                                        Paleo pumpkin cheesecake anyone?

   How about some chocolate coffee caramel bars? (My Saturday's demise!)

   For my birthday weekend not only did I get to perform twice but I also managed to get in a trip to Seattle! Saturday night at the dive bar was probably my worst solo set in a while but still had a blast doing it and got to catch up a bit with some old friends.

                                                      Singing my heart out!

   Sunday night I got to play with my band Skitnik! Did I mention how much I love Skitnik? Cos I do!! It was a private party, in a lovely intimate setting where we were well received. And by well received I mean they danced and then they danced some more!!

                      We have so much fun with our ever evolving stage antics!

                                 

                                                    Heart!! (yes two Skitnik pics)

    A word about how grateful I am to be alive and to live my life today. There were several years of my life that I did not feel this way (I've been through quite a bit). I literally dreaded the very thought of waking in the morning. But that is no longer the case! I can honestly say that everyday (even when life sucks) I am so happy to be ALIVE, to get to experience all that the universe and the beings in it have to offer. I love that I have a path of love that I get to walk today and that I get to spread that around to those who are able to receive it! Life is an adventure my friends, take it on and own it!

Adventure Tip: Want to experience belt sushi in Bellingham? Head on down to KuruKuru Sushi. We had a large group that they were certainly willing to accommodate. I have no other conveyor belt sushi experience to compare this place to but I think just the fun of the the food rolling by is enough adventure in itself to check it out!

Thanksgiving: family, a tacky shirt and why I don't clean my kitchen

   This week's adventure is about Thanksgiving. I know, I know...not really exciting but still an adventure. This year I got to host Thanksgiving dinner for part of my beloved family and between all the prep, cleaning, cooking, entertaining and everything else, it can be quite an ordeal. Thankfully, I love doing it and I love my family!

   In preparation for the day my son and I cleaned the house. He did everything else while I scrubbed the kitchen top to bottom. It had been a while and after it was done I went to cook in it and realized why I don't clean it often. I love to cook and I do it all the time. When the kitchen is spotless, I don't want to mess it up and cooking is messy. Cooking is a form of art and as an artist, I need to feel free to drop food on the floor, spill spices and splatter grease. But when the kitchen is clean, I tend to be more restricted in my cooking endeavors. And that just doesn't work for me. So I am okay with having a organized and tidy yet, dirty kitchen.

   Something very important to me is food, real food, happy food, living food. I eat almost nothing that comes with a label. I also don't eat any animals or products that came from a factory farm (concentrated animal feeding operation). That being said, my food options are often limited, especially when I don't cook for myself. So this year's Thanksgiving adventure started at Farmer Ben's. At Farmer Ben's they sell what I refer to as, "happy animal" meat.

   Going to the farm was an awesome experience! Not only could I see the animals, the conditions in which they are raised but I also got to talk to Jessica, farmer and co-owner. She doesn't normally run the store but she was there when I showed up and was an extremely personable wealth of valuable information about all of the meat they sell and ways to prepare it. Turns out she also went to school with my older brother (small county). Its a pretty great thing in my book to be able to have a good rapport with the people I get my food from.

      Here is what I picked up for the dinner (I'm not a huge fan of turkey).

  Threw this together with organic veggies (some from my garden!), herbs, spices and bone broth...

In all honesty I didn't know exactly how I was going to cook it all until the night before but the consensus was that it was delicious!

                                                      It's all cooked!! (that's me)

   I made some paleo stuffing and a grain free pumpkin cake that tuned out awesome. My fam brought some potatoes au gratin and my mom's spectacular home-made biscuits and we feasted! Simple and lovely!

   I enjoy providing delicious, healthy food for my loved ones but these gatherings are just as much (if not more so) about the people that are seated around the table! Love my family! (my son likes to make faces...I have no idea where he gets it)

   A tradition in my family at holiday gatherings is music...actually any time the family gets together in a room with a piano, it gets played...a lot! I was so excited when it occurred to me that when everyone came over, there would be other people playing music in my home. I love that! There has always been so much love surrounding the piano while growing up. And I love that we still do this today. In fact, even more now than ever.

                                        This picture warms my heart to no end!

   Lastly: the turkey shirt. You may have noticed that bedazzled beauty I was wearing in the photo above...I made that bad boy just for this day. In all honesty, I'm not exactly sure why. I don't dress like that normally but for some reason I needed to make this shirt. My son will confirm that every half hour or so while working on this shirt, I would stop to pace around the house and wonder out loud, "why the hell am I making this shirt?!" I was up well past midnight affixing jewels onto a brown, puffy-paint lined turkey with googlie eyes. The turkey print fabric, turned into a collar with eyelet lace sewed to the underside is the crowning glory! I put a lot of thought into the details of this shirt, because when you make something such as this, it is all about those details. Those details will literally make or break the design!
                                 
                              And as you can see...it turned out pretty amazing!

   I'm actually pretty proud of it. Not proud enough to wear it any other day of the year, but proud none the less. I even considered making a custom tacky shirts business. Want one made to order for any holiday? Contact me...seriously!

 
   Over and out until my next adventure! Thanks for reading and feel free to leave me a comment...tell me about your Thanksgiving, messy kitchen or to order your tacky holiday shirt!




Adventure tip:
Holidays can be tough and quite stressful. I know many people who don't have the loving and supportive family dynamic that I am blessed with. It is important to take care of yourself as best as you can any day but especially in higher stress situations. Check out The Daily Love for quotes, inspiration and more to help keep your spirits up and to keep love in heart when dealing with difficult situations.

my son's 15th birthday part 2: an all-ages metal show and awesome mom award

                                                            continued from part 1

 
   My son has been telling me that he wanted to attend a metal show for a while now. This town has a really great under-aged venue called Make.Shift, but you have to wait a while for the type of show you want to see. It just so happened that there was one happening the evening after our shooting escapades, so we went. Four bands played and my son and I both agreed our favorite was Phalgeron.

Not the best picture but you get the idea. The bassist on the left was a long-haired, bearded blond in patched up denim who swung his hair around as he played...I dated a guy like that once...a Rock God!

    I don't really listen to metal too much. I don't mind it but it just isn't my preferred listening choice. Many of my friends and exes do and so I have been to my fair share of metal shows but it has been a while. I forget how much I like it more live. 

   

   For me live music isn't just about the music though, its also about the scene. Every genre of music has their own following. It's quite interesting to see the differences between them all, how they tend to dress, behave and more importantly, move to the music. Despite the differences by genre there seem to be two things that are the same throughout all music: 

1) the musicians: they (usually) give it their all no matter how large or small the crowd. They do this thing because they love it, it is their art, their means of expression. It is how they deal with the world that surrounds them. I love seeing that in all the different ways it happens. and...

2) the fans: they are all there watching the bands for the same reasons, because they love the music, they need the music. They need their music accompanied with all the other things to stimulate their senses. The crowd, the smells, the feeling in the air, the ringing in the ears, the common musical bond, all of it and more. 

   Love me some live music!! And I love the fact that I got to share some of that with my son on his birthday! My friend told me I got the "awesome mom award" for facilitating these activities for my son's birthday. I think it's pretty cool too! There is no way my folks would have done this for me on my 15th birthday. I love my folks but trying to picture either of them do anything remotely close to this when I turned 15 or that I would have even wanted to do this with them, is just about impossible!

   It's interesting how life turns out sometimes. You can essentially make it look like whatever you want. I love the fact that my son is growing up in an entirely different way that either his father or I did. And I love that even though the way we have chosen to raise our son can be considered a bit unorthodox, we all still get total love and support from both sides of our families. Some people aren't this lucky. We have love and diversity all around! All that love transfers over to that little baby pictured at the top of this post. What more could I ever want for my son?

   Thanks for reading! And I welcome your comments and feedback!

Adventure tip:  
Want a musical or art adventure? Check out Make.Shift whenever you happen to be in Bellingham! They are an awesome nonprofit whose goals are to "provide low-cost, environmentally sustainable support for artists and musicians". That really puts these folks in quite the nutshell. All the things that they offer the local music community is pretty amazing! I highly recommend supporting them!

my son's 15th birthday part 1: firing guns and a metal show = awesome mom award

            This weekend it was my son's 15th birthday. Here he is at day one, sweet little guy!

   This year for his birthday he wanted to take me shooting for his birthday. He has done a bit of it with his father in Colorado and since I had never shot a gun before in my life, he wanted to take me. He wanted to spend HIS birthday money to do this with me! How cool is that? The other cool part...I mentioned to him that my mother had also really wanted to try it out and so we took her along too! How many 15 year-olds do you know that would spend their own money to take their mother and grandmother shooting? My kid rocks!

   When we got to the Norpoint Shooting Range I told the guy at the counter that my mom and I didn't know what we were doing but my son did. He asked, "So you've played Call of Duty?" I quickly interrupted with, "No, he's actually shot real guns before." And my son chimed in, "A lot!" We got our eye and ear protection and rented the first firearm. My son's choice...a 357 Magnum. He would've gone bigger but they didn't have any...my kid! He let me try it out...pretty awesome for my first shooting experience I say. And because I like taking pictures so much, here's some ammunition for you.

  Next up, my mother. You can read her view of the experience here. Her choice was a 9mm hand gun. I also got try this one out. Pretty cool, but certainly no Magnum! I really wanted to try out a rifle so I went for the 10-22. If I wanted to try an AK-47, I would have had wait to shoot it, plus I've been told the 10-22 is a good little gun, with cheap ammo so I went for it and got 100 rounds.

   Shooting a gun is way more involved that they make it look on tv. You really have to be present and aware. You really have to think about what you're doing, you have to focus, at least to be any good at it. There are so many tiny adjustments to make and each one makes a world of difference in how your shot will turn out. Not to mention, the condition of the gun itself...we didn't even get into that part of it. Not only do you fire the gun but it also needs to be reloaded and cleaned. It is a precision instrument that must be handled carefully and not because it could break but because it could cause serious damage. Yet another perfect metaphor for life!

   The entire experience was kind of surreal for me. I was there, taking in the new environment, the people there, the excitement of the experience but while I was shooting at the target, it never really occurred to me that I was using a weapon meant for destruction. That the thing in my hands could kill, even if only a small animal.

   For years I prided myself in never having even handled a gun. I wasn't against others using guns, I just never wanted to be in a place where it would be necessary. It also just didn't appeal to me. But within the last few years it started to make sense to me that being able to shoot a gun might just be a good skill to have. Not because I'm worried for my safety, that I want to hunt or that I have some blood lust to fulfill. It just makes sense in my brain that in the very least, having had this one experience would put me at way more of an advantage, should the situation occur, to be able to adequately use one. Why would I deny that for myself?

   One of the best parts of this family birthday outing was how great my son was at teaching my mother and I how to correctly use the firearms. Each one loaded and handled differently and he showed us all the ins and outs of them. He was very patient, started from square one and explained step by step exactly what and how we needed to do to load and fire the gun properly. And although, my son would have liked more time to actually shoot, my mom and I both showered him with immense gratitude and compliments on his actions for the afternoon. What a great kid I have!!

                                                                Continued in Part 2

Port Townsend, Chautauqua and Skitnik

   This weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Port Townsend. The original reason for the trip was for my band Skitnik to perform at the New Old Time Chautauqua Vaudeville Circus on Sunday. I've been in dire need of an escape to look forward to. So when my band mates brought this up as a possible gig on a three day weekend, I decided to make a little vacation out of it. Well, played Carrie. I had a blast! My spirit, my body needs to roam, my eyes and brain need to take in new surroundings even if only for a couple days.
 

   One of the fun parts of visiting the Olympic Peninsula from where I live, is that you get to take a ferry. It's not a huge deal for many folks but pretty much any chance I get to be on or near the water, I thoroughly enjoy. It was the first time my 15 year old son could remember being on a ferry that large so we did a little exploring during our 30 minute ride across the sound. On our way back, I got to listen to his imagination run wild with all the things he would use the ferry for if he owned and lived on it...he is his mother's son for sure!

    Since my band was already going to be in Port Townsend for one show we decided to try to book another one. We landed at The Undertown Coffee and Wine bar with a last minute, afternoon set that ended up being more successful than any of us had anticipated. We played for tips until almost totally drenched in sweat and packed the back room!

   Here is where I talk about how much I love my band. Did I mention that I love Skitnik? Cos I do! I absolutely love the music that we play. Describe it? well...um...? One might say that it is eclectic Balkan inspired music from around the world and elsewhere (that's what the website says anyway) however, it is really so much more than that and I don't quite have an adequate description for it. I'm not sure that any of us does. What I can (attempt to) describe is the way I feel about these six other individuals and something about the magic that happens between us when all of our creative energies collide...and that description would be total love, admiration and absolute awesomeness! Each one of us has something special and amazing to offer the group and whenever one (or more) of us is missing from practice, we all agree that it feels like we're missing a limb. These people are my musical family! I can honestly say that every time we are together practicing or performing, my heart is overflowing with joy...pure, absolute joy! In fact, I have this tendancy on stage to turn and face them instead of the audience. Sure I love playing for the crowd and talking with them afterwards, shaking hands and exchanging gratitude but it is the band, it is Skitnik and the beautiful web of amazing energy that we weave that gets me going. I could do it every day...seriously! There is no drama in Skitnik, we communicate, we collaborate, we bring our best to the table and we consider each other. Need I say more? Maybe to come watch us perform sometime soon cos we're awesome!

   Now, this thing that is Chautauqua. A few of my band mates have participated in several of their events and got us hooked up with this event in Port Townsend. Their goal is to build community through laughter, education and entertainment. Apparently they've been at it for quite some time now and I've got to say I was pretty impressed. Backstage was friendly and chaotic. I don't know much about these folks at all but I think its safe to say that that is generally how they operate...with friendly chaos. As a performer, I love to watch other performers do what they do, especially when they love it. It is an amazing and inspiring thing, no matter what they do...to watch someone come alive with their art, giving it to the crowd with every ounce of their spirit is love and magic! I feel fortunate to have been introduced to such a great group of people and to have had the opportunity to watch the show. That's a whole other thing! I literally felt like a young child totally enveloped by the moment with my eyes wide open and giant grin, completely captivated with wonder and amazement at every single move made on stage. If you ever have a chance to see a New Old Time Chautauqua performance DO IT!

   Next, the gratitude I have for old friends and a warm, inviting place to visit and rest when I'm away from home. I think this picture of my son sleeping speaks for itself.

The home is spacious and open yet cozy, warm and bright. It is as lovely and inviting as the people that dwell within its walls and I enjoy every minute I get to be there. I only hope that when people visit me they get something remotely close to what I get when I'm there. Yes, I'm quite grateful for my old friend and the new ones I make whenever I visit.

   Signing off until my next adventure!



Adventure tip: 
I like to find places that serve my favorite coffee beverage just the way I like it, with their own spin of course. I discovered Better Living Thought Coffee this weekend and they are awesome! Everything I could ask for in a coffee shop and probably more!
Three main points:
1) They make their own Chai!
2) As much local, organic, pasture raised, etc, etc (in other words REAL FOOD) as possible! 
3) The view!! it's right on the water! 
I am willing to bet that there are many other amazing things about this place that I am totally unaware of but you can rest assured that I will be investigating it more thoroughly every time I visit PT.