More Airport Adventures, or "Why I'd Rather Walk" June 17, 2012

Airport days often start before dawn. I even had to wake the poor guy up at the hotel counter to check out (well, he IS paid by the hour after all).

Double check the room, the bathroom, the drawers. All good.

Into the rental car, GPS lady talking me through my way to the airport. Good thing; it's 3 a.m. California time, so I am not firing on all pistons yet.

Drop off rental car, leave paperwork with the same man at the desk as when I arrived (has he been cloned?). Or maybe they just all look the same at this time of day.

Full flight. Printed my boarding passes for the day, and off to security. I have noticed a change in how everyone packs now that it costs to check baggage. All personal items now come through security instead of being checked, and the time involved has nearly doubled. I have plenty of time, but I tap my toes impatiently. Sorry, my shoes are off, so I am tapping my socks.

One lady has not only squoze everything she needs into a bag that will only fit "underneath the seat in front of you" in her dreams, but she has packed the overflow into her pockets. She ought to have sized up her pants a few pounds ago (I've had pants like that), so getting all these miscellaneous items out was taking quite a long time and was very painful to watch. Those of us who remember gym know the drill. Grab the waistband and jump up and down until the pants shimmy up those last few millimeters? Yep. This was that lady.

My seat was at the back of the plane. I thought I made my reservations early enough to pick the row and seat, but all the front seats were taken. At least I was on the aisle so I had a bird's eye view of the rows in front of me. It is a nice effort to board everyone by sections, hoping that entry and seating will flow nicely. But with everyone trying to fit the kitchen sink into the overhead bins, the poor person pushing on the bag has to stand in the aisle to get enough purchase on the bag hoping it will move. And they boarded front to back, so no one can get past the first row until the bags have been wedged.

Miss Pockets was struggling to get her bag overhead; no such luck. It would have taken two offensive line-men to get it in with oil and a shoe horn. She pulled it down and tried to empty all the little pockets on the sides and stuff the contents into her pants' pockets. Still no luck; bag had to be checked. But for anyone who doubts the existence of evolution or even at least adaptation: It is alive and well in the airline passenger ecosystem. The next time this lady comes back she will be a leaner and meaner pack animal - or I guess "packing animal" - and she will be ready to get her bag sized just right. At least until the rules change again.

One of the bad things about being in the back is that when you get to your seat, all the overhead bins are filled. Some people have put their bags in sideways, taking up two "parking spaces", so their stuff needs to be rearranged. Then the coats, extra purses, little waist packs, and airport shopping bags come down as well. The folks around you glare, because you are violating what they now perceive to be their space, and they don't like to see their stuff dropping down as things are rearranged.

Deplaning is the same thing. You can jump up and grab your bag, but you have to wait for the rows in front of you to peel out, disassembling the bin contents as they go. One aisle; one exit - scary to think how slowly an evacuation might go. I wonder if during an emergency everyone would really just quickly exit and leave their things? Somehow I doubt it.

Transiting Atlanta Airport was fun because although it is another large airport, it seems to be lacking in the maze of terminals that requires one to go out and back in again. That meant I did not have to go through security again, which suited me just fine. And yes, today this is my idea of "fun".

Next flight was bound for San Francisco. I could start to recognize my tribe now as I progress West. No one personally, just people with more daring colors, styles, and accessories. I'll stop with that and leave the rest to imagination.

Same thing on this flight - full to the max. What I noticed most about this Delta flight is the appearance of marketing. I could not believe after what I paid for my ticket that I am still subjected to Madison Avenue. It's just like the offensive pre-preview Pepsi ads at the movie theater after you pay double digits for a ticket. Is this anyway to run an airline?

- Seat pocket - magazines laden with ads of places to plan your next travel and what to buy for the occasion. Other magazines with on-line shopping and mail order items, none of which anyone really needs. I also noticed that my seat pocket and all the ones I checked around me had magazines with puzzles filled in already. No one changes them any more? A new way to save money!

- "Free" 15 minutes of internet in the sky - except it is only useful for shopping from the magazine or online shopping. Bait and switch!

- Lavatory readiness - one of the 3 lavatories was out of commission. "Sorry" was the explanation. I think it is part of a greater plan to make us low-lifes in economy feel even lower and consider more seriously the value of an upgrade. No chance of getting past the curtain monitor to use the lavatory in first class and bring our kooties to the upper echelon. So I guess there is some saving in blue sanitation flush, paper ware, hand lotion, and post-deboarding clean-up. But the aisle was full of people waiting in line, which impeded the drink service. Oh, hey! More savings on unused drinks!

- Pre-drink service announcement. It used to be that we were notified that goodies were coming, and the passengers were motivated to run to their seats. Now it is "We will be serving you Coke products, Minute Maid juices, and your choice of items on our menu for which you need to use your credit card because we no longer take cash." Well, the drinks were still free, but not before you get an earful of product placement. By the time the cart got to the back of the plane, most everything was out. Business must be good!

Well, I have some new ideas that the airlines might use to squeeze their guests even more. I hear that there will be a charge to sit together, even for children. Can you imagine having someone's young child between you? I mean, I think most kids are delightful, but how do the kid and the parents feel?

Here are more creative ideas. Can you think of any?

*Charge more the closer the passenger wants to sit to the front.
*Put coin operated locks on the lavatories. Charge 4 quarters.
*Put change machines next to the lavatories that give 3 quarters per dollar.
*For the lavatories that are not working, use the overhead sign instead to scroll advertising banners, like for Depends or something.
*Partition the overhead bins and put locks on them like at the train station. Another 4 quarters.
*Charge extra for seats with flotation devices.
... and so on.

Maybe I'm being unfair, but I used to be in this business and it has made a big swing from service with a smile to ... well, a lady just can't say!

OK, back in California, and at the labyrinthine structure of SFO. Out past security, down the street to terminal 3, back in line for security; the longest line I have ever seen at SFO. A guy calls the last 40 of us in line to follow him, takes us upstairs to another part of the airport, security with "no line" (not true), then we have to walk back to the area we originally left except now we are inside security. I don't think it saved anytime, but I got to finish my daily walk.

I tried to get on standby on one of the 4 flights that left for Arcata before my scheduled flight, but they were all overbooked. The issue was weight; they weren't really filling all the seats, but the weight was maxing out. Wonder what that is all about?...

Finally - on my flight home. Looking out at the brown mountains and lakes below. Whoops, no wait. We are going to go back. There is some pressurize warning button that they couldn't figure out (really? Is this a pilot in-training?), and since there are no mechanics to speak of in Arcata, even though we were more than half-way, we had to go back to home base. Sit on the plane. No, deplane. No, wait! Let the mechanic look. OK, now get out. Yikes!

OK, new equipment coming. 6pm. No, probably 6:30pm. OK, 6:45 - reboard, reannouncements, re-fasten seat belts, re-drink service. I look out the window and it looks very familiar. Deja view. These won't be the last travel glitches, and - brace yourselves - I think this is the new ecosystem, for now.

Greyhound, anyone?

Sarasota, Florida June 16, 2012

Today was a lazy day building up to an exciting evening.

Still on California time, I slept late, but at least didn't miss breakfast. Got my stuff packed and did a couple of errands. Gave me a chance to drive around the town, and it is very pretty here. Ryan tells me that just out of town the facade changes, but as downtowns go, it is cheerful, clean, and accommodating.

I met Ryan at the Sarasota Orchestra Hall, where the festival is based. We listened to a lecture by Robert Levin, who has mentored Ryan in the past and he has enjoyed Mr. Levin immensely. It was a very lively lecture, peppered with humor, and an explanation of things musical that I found enlightening and very accessible. It was a great prelude to the performances in the evening.

I managed to get a meal with Ryan, invited out by a couple of the donors to the festival and 2 other musicians. The six of us ate great Vietnamese food and then disbanded until show time.

Ryan called me for a ride at about 7:30 p.m., and I also heard from some family friends who made the long trek to Sarasota to hear Ryan. Very touching that they would do this, and it also added some energy to the whole event.

Ryan sat in the audience with me up in the balcony for the first half. We heard two lovely pieces that showcased Joseph Silverstein: Edward Elgar’s “String Serenade” and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major. These both showed him to be a very experienced player of course, at the young age of 80, but also to have a level of sensitivity and tenderness when he plays that I have not heard before. It was not overdone, just very moving.

Ryan disappeared backstage during intermission, so I moved down a few rows to sit in front balcony with Bert and Myra Fischel and their grandson Ryan. It was great to have moral support - I think I get more nervous than Ryan.

The second half opened with a piece I had not heard before that was not only beautiful to listen to, but had varying solos throughout that featured players from many sections of the orchestra. It is titled “Variaciones concertantes” op. 23 by Alberto Ginastera. If you can find a copy and give a listen, it will be worth the effort. There is a two part video of it on You Tube for example.

Then finally it was Ryan's turn to chug with the orchestra. Everyone looked very summery and Big Band-ish with their white coats, and of course the requisite 9 foot piano. There was a microphone on the stage near the piano too, which added amplification from this opera stage, and there was no doubt it could be heard.

It felt like an hour, but also like 5 minutes and it was over. I thought Ryan and the orchestra did a phenomenal job, and having had the honor to hear Mr. Larry Rachleff work with Ryan and the orchestra earlier in the week, I could appreciate how much time they had all put into it and what a magician he is. Kudos to everyone!

So it ended, and the place erupted. Everyone loves Gershwin's jazzy piece, it is so well-known and familiar, and to hear it live really adds dimension to all the nuances, dynamics, mode and tempo changes. There was a long standing ovation, giving everyone time to bow and bask in the appreciation of their hard work and talent. I am always awed at the collaboration and synergy of these performances.

Backstage Ryan was glowing, and enjoyed many congratulations. He earned it, as did they all.







I took Ryan back to his hotel and had a soda in the lobby bar with several of his colleagues. Everyone quickly peeled off and went to rest and relax, and then I had to say my goodbyes again. I am to leave early Sunday, and Ryan in the evening. It was a great visit. Upcoming is a visit with Ross, equally entertaining and much anticipated!

Next stop - Airport Adventures!

Sarasota Friday, June 15, 2012

Woke up a bit earlier today, but lay back down and suddenly - 11 a.m.! I knew Ryan was going to call around noon, so I dashed about getting ready. I notice while brushing my teeth or showering here that the water smells like sulfur. It is really unpleasant. A few articles have mentioned sulfur smell at the beach, so I guess it is a local problem. We are spoiled by our water in Humboldt, so I'm just whining here.

Ryan called right on time - his practice time was over and he had a window of time before his chance to use the actual performance piano at the Opera House. So I drove up to get him and we went for a great walk in the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

First thing I noticed was Ryan's T-shirt. He has taken up brewing beer as a hobby, even though he doesn't drink much of it. Inspired by his new hobby, my parents sent him a T-shirt that says "My Indian name is Runs With Beer". He had it on and was proud to show everyone.



One of the first plants we saw was a very bright something palmy near the bird of paradise plants. In honor of Michigan Representative Brown - silenced today for using the offensive word "vagina" - I have decided to name it the Vagina Plant. Ryan was kind enough to provide contrast for the photo; he is used to my rants.



So many incredibly bright tropical plants. Gardens full of little lizards who stop and try to look tough, doing push-ups if you get close to them.



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One exotic pitcher bush had actual cups hanging from long tendrils at the ends of the leaves. The plant traps bugs in these and then digests them as a source of protein. One of the orchids had long arms that went behind it like a butterfly swimmer.





The requisite buddha statue, and so many intense colors!



There were some young boys who had food for the koi and were enjoying the attention from the water. These fish were huge, and came up with their mouths open wide. I would never have thought of fish as cute, but they certainly were!



Ryan was trying to get his phone to take a picture of a spider, but I got a pic of Ryan. There were banyan trees all around. Interesting root systems, and I caught Ryan under one contemplating the sign and the roots. The mangroves were also fascinating to see, with the whole ecosystems at work right there at their roots.





A faux leopard, a bridge through a canopy of trees, trees on trees, and general lushness that only happens in the tropics.









Further along the walk we saw an interesting bird in the mangrove trees, and noticed some of the high-end real estate. There is a lot of waterfront in this town, and mansions built on it. Add all the yachts and cabin cruisers, and one can only conclude this is a very wealthy community.





After our walk, I took Ryan to the opera house so he could have some time on the piano he will be using tomorrow night. It was back stage, which made for interesting acoustics, but this was something he needed to do. I left him there and headed off to the Mote Marine Aquarium and Laboratory.









The aquarium reminded me of HSU's Trinidad aquarium, only on a bigger scale. Most of the displays were informational with several touch tanks and area where scientific research and study were ongoing. The first tank that caught my eye contained the purse jellyfish. They have no tendrils, but rows of waving tissue that serve to propel the animal. In the right angle with the light, these thickened areas look like iridescent strings and give the creature surreal coloring that almost looked like rows of electric lights.



A giant squid cadaver was on display, a creature that had been 37 feet long and 500 pounds. The sign claimed that no one has seen these squid alive in the ocean because they live and feed so deep and so secretive in the ocean. I would not want to meet up with one personally...



Stingrays and sharks.





The seahorse nursery - they are called "fry" when they are babies like this. About 1-2 cm long here at about 2 weeks of age.



A bit older at almost 3 months, these baby seahorses are learning to use their prehensile tails. They were in clumps, some even wrapped around their siblings. Very cute to watch.



Then the manatees, Hugh and Buffett. "Huge" and "Buffet" would be more like it - they eat 72 heads of lettuce a day! Talk about yer roughage! They were massive, almost walrus-like, but graceful and serene in their own way. I couldn't come to Gulf Florida and not see a manatee!



This endangered species of sea turtle was very sweet. His shell had been damaged by a motor boat, which also injured his spinal cord so that he is unable to use his back fins. His shell was "superglued" back together, and the result left him with an air bubble under that part of this shell. So he motors along, pulled by his front fins, with his "rudder" bobbing along behind him. The docent said the turtle manages to get down under a little bridge they built him and it helps hold him under water where he likes to be until he needs a breath, but he is not able to get down deep enough or frequently enough to feed in the wild. Poor little guy is only 3 years old, so he will be the rest of his life in captivity. But he has his own space and all the food he needs. His job now is to educate the public about the dangers that boats bring to the local wildlife.



Cute kid with a large turtle. She moved away to let me get a photo, but I said "no, no, I want you in it!" She was very sweet to pose for this shot.



Poor Mr. Frumpy has to live with the manatees.



There was a dolphin in a large pool rehabilitating for release back to the ocean. He was wild and had never been trained, but every time the trainer blew the whistle while feeding and working with the manatees in an adjacent tank, the dolphin would rattle his head and create a percussive sound as his mouth rattled like castanets. He was very tuned in to the whistle.



On my way back from the marine facility, I stopped at Lido Beach to compare the sand to Siesta Keys. It was warm underfoot, probably because it had some darker grains and shells mixed in. But it was still a beautiful spot. It was clear that a storm was brewing, so I made my way back to the car and to my hotel.











I picked Ryan up at 6 p.m. We got some food, parked, and went to the Opera House for the evening's music from the Sarasota Music Festival. We got our tickets, but the doors to the venue were not open yet, so we walked around the town square and got some air. I noticed some beautiful blue strands of lights on the trees. Ryan got some tea, and then we began to walk back. But wait ... the lights on the trees were purple now, then red ... a whole rainbow if you watched long enough.



Suddenly the lights began to flash and spasm through all the available colors. A thought occured to me - we looked at the time and it was 7:30. The venue doors must be open!



"This place is like Disneyland," I said to Ryan. "Yeah, like a town within Disneyland, like Toon Town," he answered. Just then a trolley full of people pulled up behind him and offloaded. Yup, just like we said!



It was a delightful program, and well-played. Some of the pieces included faculty, which was an added treat. The first was a piano quartet by Faure, a Janacek piece for winds (including Richard Stolzman on clarinet), and a Schubert piano quartet (Adagio and Rondo F Major D487) that brought the house down. Well done!



We sat next to some very nice people who started up a conversation with Ryan. After a few questions they figured out that he was the guest performer for the next night. It is fun to listen to him try not to give himself away; so humble.



The second half started with a Schubert string quartet, followed by Schumann's piano quintet in Eb Major (op.44). This was beautifully played by the faculty, with Robert Levin on the piano. The balance and dynamics were so lovely, their ensemble skills excellent. I had never heard this piece live in its entirety, and I was thrilled. The last piece was another wind piece with 11 musicians, (Dvorak). A great event.



At this point I made my way home and hit the hay after a full day. More tomorrow!

Sarasota Thursday, June 14, 2012

At home I feel a bit like a farmer. On a non-work day, when I do not have to get up in the dark anyway, the animals wake me up when the sun begins to lighten the sky. I think they are solar powered. Even with Daylight Savings changes, they stay on the sun. Same at night - when dusk is over and the sun has dropped behind the Pacific, silence and lumps of immobile fur prevail.

As annoying as this can be at home, I miss it when I am gone. It's part of my routine. Today I slept until 10 a.m., which even by Pacific Time was an unusually late sleep. I briefly wondered where my animalarms were, and then realized I was on the road again. Luckily I have no worries about them - my 15 year old kitty Ollie is with my parents. These are people who once enclosed an entire patio to accommodate a cat, and I know Ollie will have his way with them. He does get on the bed for cover diving at night, and I'm sure he will be welcome to do so.

Pepper is at doggie day care with a herd of like-sized and like-minded fur balls, so he is fine. Occasionally I check online to watch the webcams and see how he is doing. Now and then I see him with his nose in the air, yodeling for his mommy, but I know he is safe and I try to talk myself out of worrying. Pets!

Having missed my time slot for morning plans, I leisurely took my time to shower and get ready for the day. Peppered throughout the morning were calls and texts from Merry, my friend from high school and Long Beach. We have been trying to coordinate a visit since I decided to visit her home state, and it seemed that today would be the day. I finally got a text that she was in Belle Glade, about two hours drive away. It was going to happen!

I went to the Maria Selby Botanical Gardens this morning. One of my favorite things to do in a new location is to get to know the plants and animals that go with a local ecosystem. And here were the plants all served up in one place! It was a lovely spot with bromeliads, orchids, birds of paradise, and mangroves; all in a park-like setting at the bay's edge with paths and labels at each plant. I will go back before I leave and spend more time.



While I was at the gardens, I got a call from Ryan that he was finished with his meeting with the conductor, Larry Rachleff. One interesting aspect of visiting Ryan during his concerts is that I get a close look at all the time and energy that goes into these performances. The collaboration and efforts are amazing. The conductor and the soloist go over the score together before the rehearsal with the orchestra and get "on the same page" regarding tempo, pauses, and soloist style. Ryan spent his morning with the conductor, whom he really enjoys. That helps him look forward to the performance, which makes it better for everyone.

Ryan and I had agreed to take some time to find a white coat for him to wear for the performance, and we stopped at a tuxedo shop to find one. The sales person was very cute and he was also very helpful, so even old mom had a good time. We found something perfect, and Ryan got back in time to use his practice room and continue his day.

I went back to pick up the coat and the salesman was out at Fed Ex. While waiting for him Merry showed up! All the way from Miami. I hadn't seen Merry for over 25 years, but it could have been a day. She looked great, and I was so touched that she would make such an effort to visit.

We finished off the jacket errand, then drove to hand it off to Ryan. Also gave Merry a chance to hear him play, as she would be leaving in a few hours and not able to attend the rehearsal or performance. We said hello, listened to a bit of music, and then took a long walk to the beach to catch up on all these years in about 3 hours. We tried, but many holes remain. It was a good start though, and hopefully we can fill in the gaps over time.

Merry left with a wave as quickly as she had appeared, and I was left wondering if it had ever happened. Friends are a great part of life, and wonderful - while it would be better to be able to see them all on a regular basis - that they can reappear and pick up where we left off.



During our sit, I got quite a bit of sun. It was a lovely spot - complete with cormorants, blue herons, pigeons, and gulls - next to the water that makes this such a popular spot to live. For a squinting-at-the-light Humboldt mole like me, it didn't take much to give me a bit of a sunburn and also make me feel like taking a nap. Back to the hotel for some hydration and about an hour supine, have a snooze, until I realized I had slept over the beginning of Ryan's rehearsal with the orchestra.

I dashed out and drove the 3/4 mile to the Sarasota Orchestra building. The musicians in the lobby let me in and I snuck into the back of the rehearsal room to listen.

The piece Ryan is playing is Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, a lovely piece for orchestra and piano that United Air Lines has used for years for marketing attention. It is gorgeous to hear in person, even though broken by fits and starts at rehearsal as they stopped to make corrections and do-overs. It is so wonderful to hear this practice as it gives a lay-person like me a sense of all the many things the musicians have to think about together to create the final product as envisioned by the conductor. It is like a secret email sent from long ago, and any group of musicians can play it together, whatever language they speak or background they may have. Brings tears to my eyes to see it all happen.

When Ryan finished, I brought him to my hotel to try his most recent batch of beer he left in Arcata. I had transported it in a cleaned mouthwash bottle, but unfortunately some of the mint flavor leached into his beer. But he enjoyed it, and got an idea of how his first from-scratch brew was going to turn out.

Got Ryan back to the orchestra building to rehearse, then came back to my room to get more sleep. Isn't that what vacations are about?!!!

Sarasota, Florida June 13, 2012

OK, I promise today will be more upbeat.

We hit Atlanta, Georgia right before dawn. My first ever stop in Georgia. Yeah? Everyone seemed cheery enough, and since I never stepped outside, I guess that is my impression of Georgia. Watched the news for a bit and they kept showing an SUV that flipped over in a high speed chase, and an 18 month old spilled out the window. He was OK, but what are people thinking? The car had righted itself, so someone jumped out to grab him, but the car drove away and left them both. Can we have an entrance exam or something before people have kids?

Short nice flight to Sarasota. Couldn't see out the window as I was on the aisle, but it was sunny and clear. My first impression of the airport was that lots of money was put into it - plantings, sculptures, art, fountains, tile, WOW. This fountain had a manatee at the top, and made it look like the lower floor was flooding.



Got a rental car - a no-key version with talking GPS. Fun toy; so far she has been right. My room wasn't ready, so I went to Whole Foods to stock up. Waiting in the hotel lobby and fell asleep; they woke me when the room was ready. Unpacked and napped again. Flying has a way of taking the wind out of my sails.

Saw Ryan briefly for dinner, then he went off to practice. He will be playing Rhapsody in Blue with the Sarasota Orchestra on Saturday night at the Opera House. He will be very busy with all of that, but I am excited to be here.

I made a short side-trip to Siesta Keys Beach, voted the #1 beach in the U.S. It was gorgeous with its white sand, clear warm water, and endless blue skies, but too many people and I am not used to seeing beaches without trees and craggy rocks like we have in Humboldt. Looked very flat and plain.










The sand was very interesting though. Very white; the texture of flour but whiter; almost blue, like calcium carbonate. The sign said it is quartz, washed into the Gulf from the Appalachian mountains. Something about it makes it repel heat - it was cool underfoot, and silky. Very nice.
























Met Ryan at his rehearsal room and watched a bit of the orchestra practice. I am often moved to tears just to hear what human collaboration can create as opposed to the destruction it can bring. They were practicing a Mozart violin concerto no. 4 with Joseph Silverstein on violin and Larry Rachleff conducting. It is going to be phenomenal.

http://www.sarasotaorchestra.org/sarasotamusicfestival/virtuosicwonder.cfm?calendar

Ryan and I went to historic old town to sample the local micro brew. One of Ryan's hobbies is to make beer, and it was fun to hear his take on their creations. We stopped in a place called Darwin's and both agreed Humboldt's beers are better. They did bring us some plantain chips with green parsley Chimichurri originating from Argentina that were worth the trip. Now on to a full-night's sleep to catch up and get ready for tomorrow. Ryan needs a jacket, I want to visit the botanical gardens, and Merry Carol arrives!