Rick's Journal

Monique and I went to NH this weekend.  We visited her parents and stayed up way too late Friday night talking.  As is typical, if I go to bed late, I wake up early to make up for it.  I hate my body clock.  We spent the entire morning chatting with them some more before heading to Nashua to see my mom.  The visit there was ok.  My mom only managed to piss Monique off once and she kept her temper and her tongue.

We checked into the hotel after that visit and took a 20 minute nap.  Unfortunately, it lasted an hour.  I looked at the time, kind of freaked about being late to the Bardic and fell back down for a few minutes.  I looked at the time again, freaked again and poked Monique, who sort of groaned and then I fell back asleep for a few minutes.  I woke up again a few minutes later, looked at the time, freaked out again and woke Monique again, who decided she needed the sleep more than she needed Randy's Bardic.  I could sort of agree with this sentiment, but knew that I'd be upset with myself later if I didn't go, so I forced myself to get up.

Fortunately I found a Dunkin Donuts on the way and met the bardic well caffeinated.  While everyone else was drinking beer and mead and other such alchololic beverages, I was toasting with coffee.

I snuck off with my favorite duet partner, jjmarika, and we worked up a couple of flute duets and even snuck in a bit of practice on Mystery of Shadowfane for good measure.  We probably won't perform it until the fall, but it's good to keep chipping away at it.    We performed the two pieces we prepared and The Three Captains as well upon request.  No matter how many times we play it, that piece never gets old and it's so full of fond memories too.

There was the usual crowd with many of the usual songs and a few interesting new ones (people *AND* songs) as well.  Ayesha was in funny music mode and her lolcats song had the room in stitches.

I ended up there until almost 1:30.  I was just enjoying it far too much to leave at a reasonable hour.

Sunday we went to visit my dad and Monique had the idea to take him out for a ride instead of just sitting in the nursing home visiting.  This worked out really great.  We took him around Nashua and Hudson and visited a lot of the places he had lived.  It was a wonderful trip down memory lane.  I can't believe the house where I grew up.  It's so tiny compared to my memories of it.  It must have shrunk.  ;-)  My dad was really lively and he looked so happy to be out and about.  We stopped and got him a small coffee as a treat.  He really liked that.

Monique and I listened to more of "The Time Traveler's Wife" on the way home.  I bought this audiobook a few months ago and had listened to it when I went to DC.  Monique has been listening to it and I didn't mind hearing some of it again.  It's a really good book and I highly recommend it.

Last night she took another nap and I started work on a song for NERO, a commissioned work to save some unicorns.  I'm actually pretty pleased with the progress I made on it.  With any luck it will be ready for opener.

This just recently in from my dear brother, so mark your calendars all you musical sorts out there.  I want to see some of you there that I know would be fabulous and would have a fantastic time.  And if a certain elrikard is thinking of having a Valiant plot meeting at this time, drag him along to the Bardic and protest the meeting. :-)