Tomodachi and Folklife

Rina and Naoko came Tuesday, and I took off work and played with them for the week - Seattle, Northwest Trek, a boat ride, and fulfilling Naoko's wish for Krispy Kreme donuts. Erik and I dropped them at Seatac Saturday morning and continued on to Folklife, which was an exercise in trying to find a happy medium for two people with different levels of crowd tolerance. Dad and I busked a few hours Sat and Sun to high appreciation and low cash, and Erik and Mom both bought me things before I could buy them myself, which was bizarre and highly enjoyable at the same time

They didn't buy the jangley gypsy belt, though - I bought that. I jingled when I walked!

Oh, right, all the more interesting folklife stuffs!

I ran into a whole boatload of FiddleTunes friends at Folklife! Cathy and Sally were down from Alaska and just as cheerful as ever. Steve has a large selection of home brew to cart to FT happy hour. Warren is no longer with Centrum, which I already knew and which totally fubar'd my plan for an FT work-trade, but Gordy is still working on his next album and is still planning on having me do the cover, so not all is lost on the schmozing-graphic-design-work front.

Erik was my roadie, lugging Baby around, which would have drummed up a whole lot of business if A. He played fiddle and/or B. The music played on that fiddle was primarily Scottish. As it was we just confused people. Isn't having the kilt-wearing guy who plays Indian classical music on anything but a violin carrying the violin for the gypsy-dressed girl who plays mostly irish music the kind of culture-soup folklife is all about?

We discovered the cultural dance of skinheads and heard the extra-terrestrial contribution of cheerleaders. Also, gravity is run by gremlins who hold your feet to the earth, if you're bored in Juneau the thing to do is drive to LA and compete on the Price is Right, and my mom is certain that Eskimos hear more notes because it's cold, which is kind of a musical super-conductor theory.

Now I have to go balance my checkbook, which is seriously hurting from my lack of room-mate and driving around to entertain my Japanese friends.

Also, I think I have an electrical fire in my stove. Ta!