Typical Day on the Road

April 2005

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April 1

It's no joke - WE'RE IN CANADA! We crossed the border this morning and headed into Vancouver to visit an old friend. Frank is a native of Canada who recently moved back after about 30 years in San Francisco. He's a composer who wrote some of the music we used in our shows before Dennis started composing his own. He now lives on the 8th floor of an apartment building in an upscale neighborhood, with a great view of nearby English Bay and Stanley Park. Although it was rather difficult for him to leave San Francisco behind, Vancouver is really rather similar, but considerably less expensive. And overall, he's rather pleased with how different Canada is from the U.S. - the people are more courteous and less dogmatic and less angry, the news is less censored, and he saves a bundle on health insurance (although taxes are rather higher). We had a jovial visit, which included hearing him play one of his recent compositions on the piano he had brought from San Francisco, and eating one of his specialty homemade treats - applesauce with pears. Then we headed out in a vain quest to find a local Kinko's at which we could get some work done. The Kinko's stores were there, but availability of laptop stations was limited, and a fee was charged.

April 2

Headed to West Vancouver, where we caught a ferry over to Vancouver Island. The ticket was rather stiff - 53 dollars for our van (we were expecting to pay 33, but didn't realize that there would be an oversize surcharge, since our van is over 7 feet tall) plus 10 dollars per person - a whopping total of 83 bucks ONE WAY! (That's about 65 dollars US.) But it was just about worth every penny. The ride over was about 90 minutes long, and was incredibly, poetically beautiful - especially with the misty, slightly rainy weather that eventually produced a few snowflakes. This was the first time we'd ever taken a ferry for vehicles, and we were quite amazed by the number of vehicles the boats will accommodate, particularly since some of them were tractor-trailer rigs, motor homes and other monstrosities. The interior of the ferry was comfortably equipped with ample seating, a snack bar and a full-scale restaurant, a newsstand and gift shop, a play area for young children, and even a video arcade for the older children. After disembarking on the island, we fueled our tank for the first time in Canada, and it's an experience we hope we don't have to repeat very often, because even with the recent spikes in U.S. prices, Canada's prices are still higher, at least for the time being. Currently, the going rate here is 99 cents per liter (oops, that should be litre, eh?) which is roughly 4 dollars a gallon, which is roughly $3.30 in U.S. currency. We paid with some of those wonderfully colorful bills that make ours look drab in comparison, and received change entirely in coins; there are no Canadian one-spots anymore, just dollar coins and even two-dollar coins, which really take some getting used to. With our tank reasonably full, we drove about 75 miles north to Comox to visit a delightful family we met last fall in D.C.

April 3

Staying with our friends on Vancouver Island. Zephyr is having a wonderful time visiting with the other kids; among other things, they are startling friends and neighbors who drop by with the aid of Zephyr's latex masks and some appropriate mood lighting. Today our hosts took us up to Mt. Washington, the site of a major ski resort, and we donned cross-country skis for the first time ever. The ski resort is officially closed--this has been an abominably slow winter due to unusually sparse snowfall - so the lifts are not in operation, and there were no downhill skiers out, but there were still quite a few folks like us with snowshoes and cross-country skis. We got the hang of it pretty quickly, thanks to some capable guidance by Don and Kathy, and we had a great time. We feel like we're about ready to tackle the slopes now! Tonight, we watched the Juno Awards, which is the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards.

April 4

Still in Comox, B.C. Took a stroll today through a trendy area of shops and restaurants, and a stop at an excellent little coffee shop. It seems that British Columbia (and especially Vancouver, we've noticed) has better and more abundant coffee than just about anywhere in the states except for Seattle.

April 5

Still staying with friends in British Columbia. Took a morning stroll with them along a hiking trail and by the ocean, even though it was windy and rainy. We packed our things up and, after the kids were all home from school, said goodbye to our gracious hosts and started driving south. Had a rendezvous with a mother with two children with whom Kimberly had been in contact via the online group FOTR (Families on the Road). We met them at a coffee shop for afternoon tea (and coffee) then headed to the nearby playground to let the kids work off some energy - they didn't seem to object to the weather at all.

April 6

Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. An elegant little city with British architecture and a very artsy atmosphere. A rather high density of street performers, including a bagpiper and a fiddling Darth Vader. We visited the Underwater Garden, an aquarium built into the ocean, complete with a diver who interacts with the fish, eels and octopi. Also went to Butchart Gardens, an arboretum on land with a staggering variety of flowers and other horticulture. It includes a sunken garden, exquisitely fashioned from an abandoned limestone pit, and complete with a gurgling waterfall and abundant fragrances adding olfactory and auditory dimensions so that only a gustatory element remained to complete the palette. But that could be obtained by attending afternoon tea in one of the old buildings (originally the home of the garden's founder) which looked absolutely heavenly. On the other side of the grounds was a Japanese garden, one of the largest we'd seen, and Dennis, who'd been wandering around with his sketchbook and pencils and pondering which item to settle on sketching, found the ideal candidate in the Japanese sector: what appeared to be a birdcage, fashioned out of stone in a design that simulated a rustic configuration of unrefined tree limbs.

After we left the gardens and had our dinner, we head up to the town of Sidney, where we spent a couple of hours browsing through an independent bookstore. And then, looking for a place to spend the night so as to provide easy access to the first ferry off the island in the morning, we experienced another first: our first international traffic stop. A policeman (an RCMP, no less - why was he in a car?) pulled us over for a driving maneuver we executed that apparently wasn't quite kosher, although we're still not quite sure about what was wrong. Anyway, we didn't get our first international citation, and the officer was quite congenial, like everyone else we've encountered in this fabulous country.

April 7

Up very early and took the ferry back across the bay, then drove back into the States. As we'd heard, we encountered a more thorough examination by the border agents upon returning than we did on exiting. They were friendly enough, but they did ask us quite a few questions, and asked for proof of citizenship, which made us happy that we didn't waste our time and money in obtaining those copies of our birth certificates before we left. We were happy that we hadn't taken our trailer with us, because we've heard horror stories about having trailers and vehicles ransacked, with things thrown out into the street and not put back into place.

After retrieving our trailer, which we'd left near Seattle, we drove on to Portland for a rendezvous at a bookstore with some people with whom we'd been in contact online.

April 8

Back in Eugene, to Kimberly's grandmother's house. Kimberly's parents and other grandmother also arrived, having driven up from Nevada. But we didn't stay long, since we had to get to Coos Bay for a performance tomorrow.

April 9

Coos Bay, Oregon. Our umpteenth performance for the library, and it was great to see the delightful librarian again. Then we drove to Ashland, and visited some friends Considered trying to attend another performance at the Shakespeare festival, as we did last time, but finally decided not to.

April 10

Ashland, Oregon. Having a good time visiting our friends, who established Science Works, an impressive new museum in Ashland. Zephyr, the haunted house maniac, is discussing with them the possibility of designing a haunted house to install in the museum this Halloween, and they're actually receptive to the idea!

April 11

Ashland, Oregon. There is a "killer squirrel" in the neighborhood that keeps following Dennis around rather aggressively - it goes after him every time he goes out to the van, sometimes even running from another yard to pursue him. And it doesn't seem to be after food. Sometimes it even climbs up onto the front porch and comes to the front door! Well, he won't have us to chase for long - we've finally packed up and said goodbye to our generous hosts in Ashland, and before leaving town, we stopped by the science museum, so Zephyr can tour it, meet the staff, and visualize how his big project will fit into the space. Then we drove on to Sacramento, stopping at a rest stop to rehearse our new show.

April 12

Did our first performance this year for the Sacramento library system. We were at North Natomas Library - actually, we performed in the grand theatre next to it (the library is situated in a high school building). Zephyr had a discussion afterward about his book with the librarian, and she indicated an interest in having him make an author appearance there. In the midst of frantically sewing sets and costumes for the new show, Kimberly's sewing machine decided to break down. She located a repair facility, and was able to get it in to them; initially, they told her they'd take a week to get to it, but when she explained our situation and begged for special treatment, they said they'd see what they could do.

April 13

Continued our Sacramento run with a show at the Arden-Dimick Library, where we had a very nice turnout. Afterward, rushed to the sewing machine shop, which had called to say that the belt had been replaced. We arrived about two minutes before 6:00, the closing time, and the steel doors had been lowered into place. But Kimberly desperately banged on one of them, and someone actually came out and admitted her. She shelled out 50 bucks, and was happily reunited with her precious machine for an evening of stitching.

April 14

Another one of our repeat clients in Sacramento, the North Highlands Library. Back to our hotel, where we resumed our double-time pace of working on the set, costumes, props and music for the new show. In the midst of composing music for an all-musical story, Dennis' portable recording studio decided to break down. He's been on the phone to the warranty company trying to get something done, and has been choked with red tape.

April 15

We celebrated tax day by returning to perform for the umpteenth time at the Rancho Cordova Library, where we were greeted cordially as usual by Mr. Tim, one of the world's great librarians. In attendance were Kimberly's brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece, who all live nearby. Afterward, we all went out to dinner. And then we drove to the Bay Area.

April 16

Morning performance at Springstowne Library in Vallejo, our third appearance at this facility. Good to see librarian Jim again, and Zephyr had a great time with his two sons. Then we zoomed over to Tiburon, for a repeat engagement at the library there. (Two of the audience members from Vallejo also came to Tiburon.) On our way to Tiburon, Kimberly was issued a citation by a state trooper near Albany, because she was driving a vehicle that was not registered in California - where she has a driver's license. We tried to explain our situation, but he seemed never to have encountered it before (although he did seem to have misgivings, after the fact, about the appropriateness of writing a ticket). Just another sobering reminder of how unorthodox our lifestyle is, and how difficult it is for many people to relate to. Then we drove over the Golden Gate for the first time in ages, and drove through San Francisco on our way to the South Bay.

April 17

Performed at the Sunnyvale Library (another repeater) and after the performance we were hit with a very pleasant surprise: Zephyr's former babysitter, along with her boyfriend, popped in unexpectedly. We met Karina at a playground in San Francisco where we took Zephyr, who was about a year old at the time. She was about twelve, a pleasant girl with a Russian accent hanging out with another girl, and she started playing with Zephyr. We noticed that she related to him quite well, and suggested the possibility of babysitting, which she was very eager to do. We engaged her services until we went on the road about a year later, and again during the following summer when we returned to the Bay Area, and before we went out again. Over the years, we've almost lost contact with her, although she did show up at a performance we gave in San Francisco several years ago. What a blast to see her again.

After catching up a bit, we headed across the bay to check into our hotel in Milpitas, where we'll be staying for four nights while doing Bay Area performances.

April 18

This is the 99th anniversary of the great San Francisco earthquake. We remember when survivors used to gather on this date at a location in The City at the precise time the disaster struck. But we doubt if there are enough survivors left now to carry on the tradition.

We spent most of the day holed up in our hotel, getting ready for the new show. Dennis finally shipped his studio off to Los Angeles to be repaired under warranty. In the afternoon, we had a performance at the Atherton Library, another of our old clients from way back when.

April 19

Left our hotel in mid-afternoon and drove all the way to Santa Rosa, a distance of more than 90 miles, to present an evening program at a middle school. After arriving, we had to wait for a girls' basketball game to end before the gym could be cleared out for our performance. And then we had to wait for a fifth "quarter" - a period in which only the substitutes play. (A commendable idea, we say.) Our show was quite well attended, particularly since it was the first time they'd held such an event, and many parents had just left a ball game. Then we took the long drive back to our hotel in Milpitas.

April 20

Checked out of our pleasant hotel in Milpitas, and did two performances - the libraries in Palo Alto and Sunnyvale, both of which we have appeared at many times before. Then we headed to Lodi, site of tomorrow's show.

April 21

Returned to perform at the Lodi Library for the many-th time. Then headed way down south to Coalinga for tomorrow's engagement.

April 22

Two performances and a workshop at a school in Coalinga, where there is a convenient arrangement that has apparently all the local schools - elementary, middle, high school and even a college - located next to each other in the space of a couple of blocks. And then all the way back up to Modesto, where we have booked a few nights at the Red Lion Inn, a quite comfortable and spacious place where we'll have plenty of room to rehearse and work on sets and costumes.

April 23

Performed at the Modesto Library, another perennial repeater. And then back to work at our room at the Red Lion.

April 24

Still holed up in Modesto. We have managed, after considerable effort and a great deal of time online, to order tickets for "A Prairie Home Companion" next month. we've been fans of the show for years (Dennis has been listening almost from the beginning, and saw Garrison Keillor do a solo show many years ago in San Francisco), and have been hoping for some time that our paths would cross. And they finally have. Huzzah!

April 25

Our last full day at the Red Lion in Modesto. Kimberly quite ill and spent the entire day in bed, putting her that much farther behind in her sewing.

April 26

Checked out of our hotel in Modesto and drove to Quincy, site of 3 performances tomorrow. Quincy is a picturesque town in the mountains, only 75 miles from Reno. A beautiful drive, except much of it was after dark. (We had stopped in Marysville to catch up on our badly needed laundering, and also to rehearse in the parking lot of the laundromat.) We arrived about 9:00 at the home of a local family that had invited us to come by. (We made their acquaintance online through the group Homeschoolers For Kerry.) A delightful family, but we were too exhausted to stay up talking to them for very long.

April 27

Off to the schools for our performances, and we made a stunning discovery: the base for our giant set was missing. Apparently it had been left behind, somehow, in Modesto. So, with the frantic finagling of NASA engineers during the Apollo 13 flight, we came up with a quick makeshift solution: we attached the "book" in the front to a table on the stage (we were performing in front of the stage rather than on it) and made our entrances from an alcove on the side, rather than, as usual, the cubicle behind the "book". Between shows, we ran to a hardware store and bought materials to reconstruct the base; also stopped by a thrift store and picked up a tennis racket to replace the one that was left inside the bag with the base. (What would our shows be without having Kimberly squeeze through a tennis racket?) To top it off, Kimberly, who is feeling better, nonetheless has been trying hard to come down with laryngitis, and barely made it through three performances with any voice left. But she had enough to say goodbye to our new friends, and we headed off on another late drive, this time toward Reno.

April 28

Took a drive along the incomparable Lake Tahoe, until we came to Incline Village. A chilly, rainy day with even a few hints of snowflakes in the air. An afternoon performance at the Incline Village Library, where we've performed several times before. And then off to Carson City, for our debut at the Library there. A pretty good audience for our first appearance.

April 29

In the Reno area, staying with Kimberly's parents, in whose garage we set up our sewing machine to work on the set, as well as the keyboard to work on the music. Then in the afternoon, we began our 15th series of performances at the Washoe County Libraries, beginning today with Duncan-Traner, where we have appeared on at least half of those tours.

April 30

Two more performances for Washoe County. In the morning, we were at the South Valleys Library, which is a relatively new facility replacing the Galena Library, at which we performed many times. In the afternoon, we were at Verdi, which is also a new building and our first time there, but we've performed in the old location next door at least three times. Kimberly still having vocal struggles, so Dennis and Zephyr have been taking some of her lines until her throat is healed. The new Verdi Library is a multi-use building that also serves, for example, as an interpretive center for wildlife found in the area - it's next to a hiking trail. (We got a kick out of a sign on the wall that said "Wildlife Restoration Project Funded by Sales of Hunting Equipment".) So we shared the stage with some stuffed critters.

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