Ya’all know that we went to the NOLA Jazz & Heritage Festival this past Friday through Sunday. So many emotions washed over me during that three day experience. I certainly haven’t taken it all in yet, AND I hope I’ll continue to let it settle.

Like much of the South, it is all about pace. In order to be in harmony here, I believe one needs to learn to slow down and take it as it comes. Many people, me likeliest to be included, struggle and perceive this as less. I’m now learning it isn’t less. AND it isn’t more. It is just different. No JUDGEMENT.

We wrapped up our three days early Sunday evening. After two days of experimenting, taking it in and learning what we could, we created a plan for day three – Sunday. In talking with fellow festivalers, we learned that Jazz Fest builds and peaks. WOW, that was the case Sunday evening. AGAIN, the pace thing. Friday was really mellow! And try as CeeLo Green and Lionel Richie might, there just wasn’t any of my past experiences with THE festival like experiences. In the 70s and 80s I attended soooo many Days on the Green at the Oakland Coliseum. Each of those (Led Zeppelin, Eagles, The Clash, The Who, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tower of Power, and yes even Peter Frampton, to name but a few) brought their own unique “energy”. Even into Saturday, with disparate acts like The Soul Rebels and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. Side note, try as I might, I just don’t get the Country thing. It rained (a real gully washer) Sunday morning – a good sign. Our plan, leave our place at 12:30 and arrive just before the 2:00 show at Festival Stage. Well, this is a terrific time to travel and enter Jazz Fest. Accordingly we got there right at 1:15, which was just before halfway through Cowboy Mouth – a very high energy, wonderful NOLA based live act. AND the feeling was just different. I was beginning to get excited. A short intermission later led to Anders Osborne – another NOLA based, terrific musician. While not the same showman as Fred Leblanc – Cowboy Mouth, the music was hard driving and soulful. Another intermission (these are things you learn to enjoy) and on came Dumpstaphunk. I have such joy associated with the Neville Brothers in the early 80s. So soulful and THE real NOLA sound. Well, the lead man of Dumpstaphunk is Ivan Neville – son of Aaron Neville. Go ahead Wikipedia him. You’ll see his image and say, “Oh yeah, I know him.” At least you will if you listened to any of this genre in the late 70s and 80s. He’s a founding member and “voice” of the Neville Brothers – so soulful. DUMPSTAPHUNK WAS AMAZING. To me it is the best of the NOLA sound, at least of the 1990s and 2000s. Incredible musicians. Incredible funk! AND they were the “warm up” (and my how they warmed up the crowd) for Red Hot Chili Peppers. I was really curious how this would go over. Yes, at their best they are a funk band. I fell in love with them through Blood Sugar Sex Magic. Yet, they are not a NOLA band. They are quintessential LA. No, not Louisiana, Los Angeles. Not to worry.

My approach (a bit less Joyce’s) was to sit in the bougie Big Chief seats. First, they were seats. Second, they were in a covered area up a bit that exposed us to the most glorious cooling breeze. My days in the 70s and 80s of moshing it up in front of the stage are well behind me. It is unfortunate, true, sad and frankly the way I as a recently 64 year-old man am not able behave any longer. However, half way into intermission I asked Joyce if it was OK if I went exploring. She gave me a bit of a sideways glance and said sure. So, I spent the next ten minutes traversing about 100 to 150 feet and realized, at about 200 feet from the stage I was going to struggle to get much closer. Sooo, I turned around and went back to the safety of my bougie seat. Me and about 1,000 of my closest friends. I told myself to imagine being in Cabo’s (a really small 200 seat wonderful music venue in late 70s Chico) 25 feet from Tower of Power. AND, it mostly worked.

RHCP’s opening song was quite appropriate – Can’t Stop. It speaks to transformation. Like many artists of the 80s, Anthony is a recovering heroin addict. Blood Sugar Sex Magic was created as he was coming out of a relationship he destroyed with his drug use and his “final stages” of his long struggle with rehab. AND Anthony, Flea and Chad are just turning 60. That in itself is a huge transformation. They and Ivan Neville and me and Joyce are all about the same age. It is impossible not to see and thoroughly appreciate the incredible energy they bring to RHCP shows.

Part, I believe at least 50%, of a great show is the audience. RHCP had that audience in the palm of their hands. I’ve seen it maybe a half dozen times, but not since the 80s. Those shows (The Clash, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc.) left something with me that wasn’t experienced again until this show. Thank you RHCP!

RHCP closed the show with Give It Away – again an appropriate theme for the festival. A huge part of Jazz Fest was the environment of gratitude AND giving. Each and every performer spoke to the moment. Their approaches were individual and unique, AND each spoke to how great it was to be back after two years of cancellations due to COVID-19. Anders Osborne said “I have been invited for 32 straight years.” Amen!

AND . . . the encore was Under The Bridge. I believe it to be the best song ever about LA. Its’ “anthem”. It purportedly is Antony’s love song to los Angeles. Remember, love is complicated. (RHCP also wrote and perform Californication.) I have my own complicated relationship with the Southern California basin. I got married there and it birthed my wife. I spent 5 years living there and learning to “hate it”. My son was born there. Just complicated! So, while I was incredibly inspired by Flea (as he came out for the encore he did a handstand, “walked” across the stage and held it for a good 30 seconds.), Ivan and Anthony, I was also moved by Jazz Fest in that life is precious and to be grateful for all of our blessings.

And, to Give it Away (NOW!)

I was going to make that title end with a question mark, but decided that it was an exclamation!

Ended my day in the Nelly mosh pit! That was fun and yes, …”must be the money” was a sing along even by me!

And while never too old…also never too young!

Day 3 tomorrow! Bring on The Red Hot Chili Peppers!

One and done! Success!

We knew that it could be overwhelming. We knew it would be hot. We knew that our patience with each other isn’t always stellar. We knew that we have differing music interests. We knew that we have different tolerances for crowds, standing, sitting, walking, heat, etc. etc. Guess how we did it?

To start, careful planning by Glen. Meaning that he bought the “bougie” tickets that offered some perks. (I’m going to let Glen share the details.) And shuttle tickets so we didn’t have to figure out transportation. And he perused the schedule pretty thoroughly. (I think there are 8 stages with music on each stage from 11:00-7:00.) We got the hot tip from my cousin, Randy that we could search Spotify by “Jazz Fest Weekend 1” to listen to the artists so we could choose new music to check out.

While at the festival, I did some wandering alone. Glen did some extra Blues Tent time (win-win – shade and music he loves). We ended our day in shaded seats with performances by people that Glen was probably not so interested in seeing, but the draw of shade made it worth it. The artists were CeeLo Green followed by Lionel Ritchie. Neither of them have been on our “must see” list though I have a soft spot for Lionel because I’m still a die hard American Idol fan. (Don’t judge me. I LOVE that show!) I probably gained a little more respect for CeeLo and let’s just say that we missed Lionel by 40 years, but he can still entertain and he clearly loves what he does. There is a reason that the Jazz Fest is sponsored by AARP!

Finally, the really the big ticket to our success? We gave ourselves permission to go for the marathon, not the sprint.

Day 2 tomorrow!

PS Bonus win! At the end of our day, our bus driver was kind enough to drop is off at the end of our street – saving us a final 1/4 mile of a walk at the end of a long day.

PPS I didn’t edit the photos. Too tired. More to come…

Just a quick note to say that we are on a school bus (oh the memories) on our way to the Jazz Fest. This has been something that Glen has wanted to do for years. Here we go!

I think I get it?!?

Back shortly after I turned 60 I was “introduced” to European Soccer, what I’ve come to call footie. By introduced, I mean a dear friend (Todd) encouraged me to explore “the beautiful game”. Mind you, from some, perhaps many perspectives I am an over saturated sports fan. I’ve posted previously about my love for baseball. AND one of the things I have always loved about baseball is the pace. (I’m sure I am likely to post about that in some future musing.) I had attempted soccer many times before (World Cup, Olympics, CONCACAF, etc.). But it just never “clicked” for me. It was always too boring, too slow, too ?

Then in 2018 it clicked. Why? Well, I have thought about that a lot. Was it my entry point – UK (PL) and Europe? Was it America’s and Americans’ growing influence (FSG and LFC, etc.)? Was it a new client in Liverpool that I was able to share an amazing experience at Anfield? Was it the grand stadiums of Europe (Anfield, Wembley, Old Trafford)? Was it an away experience sitting (hardly!) in the LFC supporter section at Selhurst Park? Was it the complexity / intricacies of the business models (FFP, etc.) of PL footie? Sure, each of these provided significant connecting points. But not quite “it”.

Over the course of yesterday through next Wednesday occurs the two-legged (home and away) ties that are the Champions League semi-finals. (If you are not familiar with CL footie, I HIGHLY recommend.) Yesterday was the first leg of the Man City – Real Madrid tie. WHAT A MATCH!! Amazing, open, “hair on fire” footie. I woke up early and watched the replay. AND after I was on my phone and came across an article in F365 – Football’s Greatest Fear and Greatest Strength is Chaos. The article went into depth about footie and chaos and our desire, or even need, to have control. Hmmmmm?

I have learned during my health journeys that control is fleeting. What I like to say is, control is an illusion. I believe this to be one of the great struggles between our ego (conscious mind) and our subconscious. While ego wants nothing more than control, or status quo, I believe our subconscious is more accepting of the randomness of the universe. And, mind you, I am a planner. AND planning at its highest level is nothing more than the ultimate in attaining control. OR so I used to think.

My side is Liverpool. One of the biggest reasons I support the side is Jurgen Klopp. In all my 64 years as a sports fan (yes, I think I was born this way), I believe him to be the best man manager I have ever witnessed. The teams I’ve supported have had brilliant man managers (John Madden, Al Attles, Steve Kerr, Bob Melvin, Nick Saban – to name a few of my favorites). At its highest level, footie is organized chaos. I would love to sit down with JK and ask him about chaos and control. I am 100% certain he would expand my perspective. And not just about footie, but about life.

So, I think I finally get my passion for footie. It reassures me that yes, life is chaos. AND at its highest levels it is organized chaos.

Go Reds!!

I can’t help it. It’s kind of like saying that you don’t love one child any more than the other child. You just love them differently…for their differences. They are both loveable. And loved.

As I wander the streets of New Orleans, I find myself thinking about Brooklyn. (Weirdly, I don’t find myself thinking about Walnut Creek.) I’m constantly comparing and contrasting. One of my first thoughts was that there seems to be fewer rats here, though more cockroaches. I know. But that’s where my first observations went.

Both locations (Bed Stuy and the French Quarter) are incredibly walkable. They are conducive to stepping out the door, picking a direction and going. Our friend Scott calls it a “green man” walk. You never stop. If you come upon a red light (man/hand), you just turn in the direction of the green light. I find myself doing that here though there aren’t many lights. Mostly stop signs. And as our Uber driver and I agreed today, they are only suggestions. He thinks that all stop signs should be replaced with a sign that says “Suggested Stop”.

So how do BedStuy and the French Quarter compare and contrast? I need a venn diagram here. They both have lots of street art which I love. Sometimes the message is obvious; sometimes I don’t understand it, but that’s art, right?

They both have friendly passers by. They both have areas that you want to walk through quickly (read not-so-safe feeling). They both sadly have lots of unhoused. They both have plenty of parks and cafes. The sidewalks are all uneven, cracked, root-filled and “improved” in various ways that really aren’t an improvement. They are both VERY dog-friendly and dog-filled. Both places have a park at the end of our block though in BedStuy it was mostly for basketball and sitting around and here it is for dogs and sitting around.

How are they different? The French Quarter is smaller. I can walk in any direction (well there are only 3 directions unless I want to swim across the river) and quickly be out of it. We are surrounded by The Warehouse District, Treme and the Marigny. At least that is my understanding of the nearby neighborhoods. The boundaries are pretty smushy. When you get out of NOLA, you are in the country and it doesn’t take too long to do that whereas in BedStuy it was a train ride to hit the rural areas.

Here we have abundant high end and low end restaurants all around us whereas in BedStuy we had a couple favorite closeby places, but often hit the subway to another neighborhood. (Now that I think about it, here we leave the neighborhood to eat too, it just feels different for some reason.) We could eat somewhere new every day for our entire stay here and never get in a car or on a bus. Speaking of…no subway here. The public transit is not as user-friendly or accessible. But that’s another post. I walk farther to a market and the corner stores (bodegas) are mostly about liquor and sandwiches in the French Quarter. Our neighbors are mostly like us – temporary – either just hanging out for awhile, working on a movie, or being a “traveling nurse” whereas in BedStuy, we were surrounded by generational Brooklynites.

So which do I like better? Here or there? Neither. They’re just different and the same and both loved.

Oh. I haven’t found the perfect croissant here. I guess I’ll just have to make do with a beignet.

While we were in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, NY in 2021 we resided (lived?, stayed?) in a neighborhood of locals. Many of the locals had been there for well over 30 years. And, while it took a couple weeks to fully integrate, we were incredibly successful. JDT has stayed in contact with a few, and likely will.

New Orleans is different. First, there is little doubt that community is incredibly important to NOLA. They are very intentional in discussing the commitment AND make huge effort to be inclusive. It is a community that will let you in easily, I believe to a point. And yet, the area we are in is different. Don’t get me wrong, it is wonderfully situated on the edge of the Quarter and right next to the neighborhoods Treme and Marigny (pronounced MAR-eh-nee). Clearly this neighborhood is home to a very different group of people.

I was reading a local publication yesterday. A few articles on the upcoming JazzFest. By the way, the first since the onset of the pandemic. AND the community is so excited and anticipatory for its return. The free magazine has an article which is an interview with Ivan Neville – he of the iconic NOLA family, the Nevilles. Ivan is Aarons son; Art, Cyril and Charles’s nephew and Ian’s cousin (Art’s son), to only name the famous among them. I have been a fan of the Neville Brothers since the late 70s, early 80s. A regret is I never saw them perform live. Ivan and Ian are part of Dumpstaphunk. While I am less familiar with their work, I am incredibly excited to see them perform at JazzFest 2022. Another interview in the magazine was with Alex Wasily, the “bone” player for Dumpstaphunk. He resides most of the year in LA. In the interviews they are asked some common questions. Among them, where do they like to eat in NOLA. You see, food and eating is an incredibly important component of the NOLA culture. And Wasily kind of chuckled and said a Mexican food place in a part of town we had not ventured. JDT and I, being third generation Californians strive for variety in our dining. NOLA can be a bit “single note” for food if you let it. Doesn’t have to be, but it can be. So, I suggested we go to El Pavo Real. AND you know what, we just found our very first Mexican food place in the South that we REALLY enjoyed.

The Thomas family (JDT, Blair and Niels) has a thing about busses. They really do not like to use them. Let’s just say it is complicated. For me, it brings up wonderful remembrances around my Grandma. You know I have posted about Grandma extensively. She never had a drivers license. AND, while living in Oakland, she worked at Hunters Point Naval Yards during WWII. This was during the pre-BART, pre-phone app days that make it relatively easy to navigate public transit journeys. Grandma was very smart and very determined. While I never ventured out past Oakland on busses with Grandma, we did use AC Transit whenever we ventured together outside of the Diamond District. Grandma always made me feel safe, comfortable and confident on the busses.

So we jumped on the bus system to get to El Pavo Real. What took us 15 minutes to navigate back via Uber, took us 90ish minutes on the busses. Yes busses. We took the 88 to the 28. There were a number of great things about the journey, among them the fact that we had to walk less than 1/4 mile in total. One of the less great things is there can be, and was, some time between busses (about 30 minutes). The place that we transferred, Duncan Plaza, is a hub where many bus lines come together. What you get there is a peek into the bus riding community. Yes, it is low on the socio-economic ladder (read Rick Bragg for a wonderful southern author and his take on the connection between transportation. and socio-economic classes). After all, given choice, who would take 90 minutes to do what you could do in 15? Certainly not a sane person. With a little effort, people will connect. For ease of pain purposes, I seek out benches. I’m not the only one. Make a little eye contact. A self deprecating bit of humor. These are my tools I use to try to open a communication door. I do realize I am the fish out of water.

So, what is my point? What ever is my point? More than anything I want to say how full life can be when a bit of effort is made (more than anything this likely is a reminder and nudge to ME!). And that community can be found in the most unforeseen locations.

Patience is such a fascinating thing. We so desperately want it in this crazy world we live, yet we so strongly resist it in ourselves. At least I do!

I’ve posted of my desire to live a life built around adventure with evolution and learning as fundamental building blocks to achieve the height of adventure we seek. I’m now going to posit another – patience. Counter intuitive, yet so fundamental.

Those that know me well would hardly associate patience as one of my arrows in my quiver. Certainly not my best. JDT has written (she writes, I post) beautifully about our differences. In this, patience, evolution has brought us closer, yet continues to divide. Being the mother of our children, crafting a wonderful career . . well you get the point.

This past Saturday we went out for a mid morning coffee and snack. We went over to the heart of the Marigny and Peter & Paul Hotel. Interesting – this whole area feels incredibly similar to Williamsburg Brooklyn when we went there some 13-ish years ago. We are so attracted. This little outing, a bit over a mile round trip, was to be one of my first walks of over a mile. And well. it didn’t go great. Big neck and back pain that forced me to stop on a series of porches on the out and back. Plus, I made a couple of wrong turns and it turned out to be a bit less than 1.5 miles. I got back to 913 and applied heat to my back. Sunday I took it easy, mostly making sure all was well with the April 18th deadline approaching. On Monday we went to Antoine’s for lunch in the Quarter (St. Louis between Bourbon and Royal). AND my back felt really good going and coming. One mile down – PAIN FREE.

This morning is the 19th. The day after the 18th. Duh you say? Well this is essentially my 39th such 19th after 18th. They are to to celebrated!! So, we decided to go to breakfast at one of our favorite NOLA breakfast spots – Elizabeths. It is in the Bywater, two neighborhoods over. Feeling good I said to JDT, let’s walk. AND we walked, in our way (subject for another post). We had breakfast, and still feeling good, I suggested walking back. I’m now crafting this post while I’m applying heat to my neck and back.

The 9th day of our adventure in NOLA and a successful full 3 mile walk completed!!

So, I think this post is going to be about friends, or at least that is my intent.

JDT has posted over the course of the last 3 1/2 months some incredible posts. Some incredibly thoughtful posts. Some incredibly thought provoking posts. So, as always, she inspires me to my better self. I rarely, if ever, in my mind, do I achieve those lofty standards. Yet I try. AND as my beloved life coach Jim Kelley always said, there is no try, there is only do or do not. Yes, a quote from Yoda.

Here is my do.

I love each and every one of my friends. What I love most about them is each of their unique contributions to my perspective. I rarely, if ever, see it coming. But, come it does.

Aspects of this blog post began all the way back in June of 2007. JDT and I were in Albion staying in one of the most beautiful spots in the world. Dave and Deanna Bing’s home on the Navarro Ridge above the Albion River with a view to the last mile as it meandered its way toward the Pacific. Incredible. For some reason that weekend while we were there I read a book – Chasing Daylight. I only know this date because I wrote it on the inside cover. My memory has me reading this book as I was entering treatment for cancer. Wrong, but it is my memory. This book is the true story of one man’s final year in his journey with terminal cancer. I highly recommend it. It is his memoir told of his graceful way of dealing with death. It is wonderful.

I was having lunch a few months back with another friend, Larry. We have lunch and go to A’s games two or three times per year. There was a special occasion for this lunch, Larry’s 80th. I met Larry nearly 20 years ago, he actually was and is a client. Client first, friend first now! I helped Larry and Meryl, his wife, design and create a successful transition into retirement. Larry has been an incredibly important role model for me for living a full life in retirement. Our conversation over lunch was, as always, all over the place, in the best of ways. Larry is a voracious reader and has always referred me to books that “fill me up”. This day, he shared that he had just been turned on to Jane Didion. She had recently passed and certain of his friends were discussing her works. I asked him what I should read, and he suggested Slouching Toward Bethlehem. I went home and ordered on Amazon. So began my journey with Jane Didion.

I mentioned to JDT that I had just read Slouching Toward Bethlehem and that, while it took a bit, I was really enjoying Didion’s “voice”. JDT went in the other room and came back with The Year of Magical Thinking. So, I dove in. OMG! What a book. It is Didion’s story of her journey with grief. Her husband had died suddenly, yet not unexpectedly. She writes with such vulnerability.

Prior to leaving for NOLA I mentioned to JDT I was thinking of a post about my experiences with Year and Chasing Daylight. Both lovely books. JDT gave me a bit of a stink eye roll. I took that sign that not everyone appreciated my perspective on this topic.

We were surfing Netflix late one evening here in NOLA and bang, a show on Jane Didion appeared. It was filmed in 2015 or 2016. Jane was in her early 80s and clearly struggling with aging. A part of this documentary talks about another of Didion’s books, Blue Nights. You see, Year was released in 2010 or 2011, which happened to be a month or two after her adopted daughter, Quintana Roo passed. Quintana was actually in the ICU of a NYC hospital when Jane’s husband John passed. Year includes much about Quintana, but nothing on her death. Blue Nights discusses very deeply Quintana Roo’s death.

All three of these books, Chasing Daylight, Year and Blue Nights are fabulous. AND all different. Here is what they are about, TO ME. Chasing Daylight is about a graceful way to deal with your own death. Year is about grief. Blue Nights is about loss. And while Chasing Daylight is a wonderful tale, Year and Blue Nights are beautifully written.

As shared above, I’ve discussed all of this with JDT. She tells me my next book must be “lighter”. AND SHE IS PROBABLY RIGHT! AND why I am I drawn to these books? Why do they keep “showing up” for me? They are not just, or even primarily, about death for me. They are about being fully emotive. Being ALIVE! Real emotions when the world only wants us to either be “angry” or “happy”. The world rarely is accepting of being scared, only wants to scare us. Of feeling grief, only wants us to “sue for relief”. Of experiencing such deep loss that your body aches. It is my humblest of opinions that to live fully, one should embrace each and all emotions. Be fully emotive.

And my friends help me be fully emotive. For that I am eternally grateful!!