Lake City FL

I love Florida! Today was cold, dark, dreary and rained allllllllllllll day long. Wow! What a great state! I had no idea. I had a great roof waterfall outside my room. 

Warning: don't do this in public if you care about your reputation! This is for vampires only.

The rest of the day i spent driving in the rain and looking for perfect soup. I found one. It was so good, so home made and so hearty. It let me to enjoy every hit of the raindrop even more. However it was time FOR ME to make music. As always, i forgot something and had to come back to the hotel during my set up time. I forgot a ... hmmmmm ... a luggage with instruments. How could i forget such a big item? That's crazy! How Lily can stand me? How the world can stand me?????? My sound check was very short because of the extra trip to the hotel and also ... because i wanted hang out in the sound booth and secretly to check my audience out.

 

During my short rehearsal i didn't notice that the mic clips where to small. They created a huge disaster during the show. It made me sweat. My mind was going 1000 mph while playing how to get out of these situations. I had to create a spontaneous plan of my actions on stage. Not only that. The mic stand broke down. I threw it very dramatically to the back of the stage. It was a real rock'n'roll move ; ) It worked. People thought that it was my real act. I even messed up the order of the pieces and few routines. It was stressful and fun at the same time. Finally everybody enjoyed the show and left home happy (including me). I love my job and i am not tired FYI!

Time to pack. Its too green in here.

I want to hear those raindrops on the way home again. Go Florida! 

on the way to Florida

I had 2 days to get to Florida through Alabama and Georgia. Alabama didn't impress me although Rush Limbo provided a good entertainment for me. Never heard his radio shows before. I will never be the same. Atlanta was a half way. I stopped there for a night. First, i exchanged my green minivan into this 

Finally i am not a soccer mom anymore and it has windows ; ) I didn't expect Atlanta to be so big. It was freezing. There were no people on the streets. I was circling for 40 min around until i found the place which looked very mysterious from outside. It happened to be a persian restaurant. Great food and very classy atmosphere: interior design, music, service. I really like iranians. They are very well mannered, educated and confident people. I always like their company. 

Today i drove the rest of the road. It was b-o-r-i-n-g!!! I would rather be in Chicago or Washington where the snow storms are. I will try to catch one in N Carolina next week. Can't wait. But for now ...

Its a good sign.

Lake City,

funny ducks,

and the entrance to my hotel

were not snowed in. 

Bad sign.

Tupelo MS

Last week all family and i spent at home waiting for Sofia to come into this world. Finally she decided to stay where she is safe and comfy. She is still not ready to face the cold world. Well, she already looks wise or maybe ... stubborn. My time at home has expired and i am back on the road. Guess how i feel! Yes, that's right!  

My girls are getting ready for the birth giving in California and i ... left to play in the South and the South East. Just arrived to Mississippi. 

Next morning i was determined to do my SECOND thing what i like to do in the morning. To play piano. It looks that soviet schools did good job in training how to march. I never new that it will be so handy. 

Oh yes, the FIRST favorite thing in the morning is ... to sleep and be lazy. 

This crowd woke me up and gave me a good rush of adrenaline. 

I went for attack right away.

Some of them were happy that i didn't chose them as the victims of interaction.

At this point my harmonica is wearing out 

and still gives good time for everybody.

but it will not work in the evening show. Before the evening concert i spent 1.5 hours trying to fix the bad note on harmonica with the sound engineers who had every possible tool. No luck. I had another harmonica but i never used it in the shows. It is in a different key and doesn't let me do lots of fun things. Well, it means i will have to do something different with it. It was a forced opportunity for me to learn and to be more flexible. Actually it was even more fun to see how it will come out in front of the audience. I don't tolerate criers who cannot change quickly. 

That night we had a good and elegant crowd.

A time to harass them a little ; )

We put a good sounding band in 7 minutes. A neurologist guy did good job on the djembe drum and three ladies were rocking in their own way. 

The audience was very excited to hear their own town  "percussion orchestra" lead by some soviet guy.

 

Everyone in Tupelo were extremely nice and helpful. I loved Mississippi! Tomorrow i head to Florida. It will take 2 days. My "ride" is so not cool. A green van. Ewwwwww

Cody WY Day 3

The day of the concert. I had a big obligation to give the best entertainment to the people of Cody. I always do but this time i was very conscious about it. They were so good to me. Their hospitality provided me the best accommodations i could imagine. The piano was exceptional. Concert Grand Steinway in excellent shape. Big and rich sound. There was a little buzz inside so tuner went to look for it.  

I was very excited. The theme of the concert was Tux and Tennies. A perfect occasion for me to fool around. That was Howard's idea. 

I couldn't believe how international audience was there. International? In Cody WY? An audience from Poland.

from deep Russia

from Korea

(picture didn't come out)

I loved my sound engineer Sharon

 

Afterwards a group of us went to the very nice BBQ restaurant were we met a lot of my audience. Small town has lots of perks. But where are they when you need  them? Sh...!

Next morning was the children concert but before that i wanted to say good bye to Howard and Joane by inviting them for breakfast. I chose Irma hotel which was a real cowboy hang out place in eighteen hundreds. Buffalo Bill built it for his daughter Irma. This hotel is very historic with great coat/hat hangers  

and the famous redwood bar.  Can you see me there?

I actually was invited to have breakfast there by the owners Kim and Mike (see Cody day 1 cowboy bar)  whom i met at the cowboy dancing bar 2 days ago. It was funny because Howard knew them and had some business together.

He was so surprised to see when Kim came downstairs. They don't look like strangers to me.

Kim and i plotted to surprise Howard that morning. We three + Joane (came later) had a great time. The breakfast was on the hotel. It was so nice of Kim. That's what happens when you go to the bar in small town and make friends ; ) 

On the way out there were 2 customers.  

One of them was having a cigarette and the other one ... 

 

I played my last concert for the children of Cody and left. I had 3 hours of lay over at the Salt Lake airport which had great views.

At home the table was ready. Lily's family cooked a great dinner for my coming.

Next day was for chilling out. My managers Elisabeth and Mark came over. 

Girls were chatting outside  

guys talking about their toys

my niece Caterina was choosing her outfit for the day 

somebody had lots of business that morning

Well, we all are waiting for more participant to come to this world. When? I have only 5 days at home  before i leave on the road again. Sofia, stop playing games with us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cody WY Day 2

Safari. I nervous about seeing buffalo in the wild. The road was gorgeous. 

Suddenly Howard pointed at something. It was wild rocky mountain sheep.

J walking is common there. 

I tried to join their brunch but i didn't like their menu.

Amazing climbing skills. 

A beauty.

They were wondering if i could climb too. I couldn't because i have smashed thumb. 

Howard was searching for buffalo everywhere. 

He was a little concerned about not finding them because his reputation was at stake. 

Meanwhile i was practicing for the world figure skating championship.

Oops! 

Austria - 2.5 

England - 2.0 

Mountain Sheep - 9.8 

Fish - go back to the piano, loser!

That wasn't a good sign. I guess no buffalo and ... no gold medal for skating either.

Back to Cody. 

Since i had my own ride 

i went to the world famous Cody museum by myself and found fake buffalo there. Not the same, man! 

This particular exposition turned my stomach upside down. Couldn't help it. No ofence to anybody. Its just me. My mind was going 1000 mph about life, beauty, power, ego etc. 

All i could see it was death. 

The next expo was more cheerful

Who is next in the middle?

maybe this one?

I drove to the old western town. Needed some time to chill. 

and to walk.

Unfortunately saloon was closed so i went to the hotel to rest and ...

to get ready for the japanese dinner with Howard and Joane. It was very nice dinner. Lots of sashimi and sake. Then we went to concert to the neighboring town to hear their local pianist who is a piano teacher at their college. I always need more fire. Its my curse. 

The evening was almost done until i had this desire to have a beer. Well that was a great desire because it lead me to the most authentic cowboy bar in Cody. There was a live band

dancing,

hot situations, and ...

steamy moments.

By the way i was dragged by force on the dance floor by a cowgirl and danced one dance. I told her that i don't dance 2 step country stuff. She replied "just stand there and i will do the dancing". Since i used to dance salsa and swing i transfered my skills into 2 step and faked the rest in order no to be a complete stump on the dance floor. Everybody starred at me and i tried to look natural.  Since i made some connections i was safe (even with my pink shirt).

Among my new friends there was a guy and his girlfriend 

who is (later i found out) an owner of the main hotel in town. Everyone in the bar had big respect for them and i was just hanging out with them without knowing that. It was cool to mingle with elite of Cody. By the way i got a free breakfast invitation to the restaurant of their hotel. I'm going! Will be fun!