Summer Highlights in 2008…

This is my contribution to the Rice Bowl Journals August 2008 Collaboration. The topic to write about? Your personal highlights for the Summer of 2008.

Well, if you’ve been reading my blog pretty consistently, you are more than aware that 2008 hasn’t been the best of years for me. But life goes on and I still try to keep a positive attitude and go with the flow…

So, the main highlight was obviously my family’s trip to the Philippines for roughly 3 weeks in June. We basically had to go there to do the funeral arrangements for my father-in-law who passed away on June 3rd, had him cremated per his request, and his ashes were placed in the family mausoleum in Lubao, Pampanga.

The remainder of the trip to the Philippines was an almost two-week journey through various vacation spots on the island of Luzon. We traveled south from Manila to the tip of the Batangas Peninsula, and to the north of Manila in Illocos Norte and Baguio. And spent a lot of time in Pampanga (the province my wife is from), and then in Metro Manila, and Quezon City.

Of course, the trip to the Philippines was a major expense for us, and so the rest of the Summer has been spent mostly at home, trying to recoup from our extravagant spending abroad. But, all-in-all the Philippines was the biggest highlight of our Summer so far.

As far as music is concerned, the big band had been very slow and this can be easily blamed on the economy I guess. But, I’d been very busy with other smaller musical projects… like performing at Bistro 221 with Donnie Finnell and Gary Wilson… always a joy to play light Jazz and Pop standards. And, performing with Flamenco Nova (minus the group’s founding member).

With Flamenco Nova, we are working several times a month at a few local establishments. We are a mainstay at Le Papagayo but because of licensing restrictions they can only have a solo musician performing, no groups. So, we have been thinking of creative ways to handle this situation, and I’m hoping this will all be resolved very soon.

And we are performing about twice a month at Friar’s Folly which is a great restaurant to perform for. Actually, we perform outdoors in the patio area so this has been a wonderful experience during the Summer months.

So, since coming back from the Philippines my main highlights have been the gigs I’ve performed at some fine establishments, with some very talented musicians. And hoping that this continues even though the times are a little bit rough. But it’s really good that people are still coming out to dine and be entertained, regardless of the sluggish economy, the high gas prices, and floundering real estate market… I think that people have a desire to go out and have fun anyways, and forget about their worries…

Oh, I shouldn’t forget that my wife and I took a brief getaway trip to Santa Barbara, which was mainly for business. And it was cool to hang out there, and browse the shops around State Street, and hang out with my sister-in-law.

Summer is still on and there’s several weeks to go before it’s all over… so, still planning on doing a few things. Haven’t really gone to the beach to do some serious ocean swimming. Although I did a LOT of ocean and pool swimming in the Philippines. But I do mean to head over to La Jolla Cove to do some snorkeling before the Summer is over….