Prince George

 I'm playing principal bass with the Prince George Symphony this week for a production of "Hansel and Gretel", and enjoying some much-needed downtime. I am eating (!) and sleeping (!) and practicing (Walt Weiskopf stuff on the 6-string electric bass I brought with me, if you must know) at the hotel, as I have daytimes free. The rehearsals are going well, but not completely without consternation. We're getting there though, and things are sounding better every night. I have really missed playing classical music, as my career has ventured away from it in the past few years.

 It is cold here, and I am deeply grateful for that. My DNA requires a good dosage of deep freeze every winter, as though something in me needs a

 reminder of where I was born, and of the cold countries that my family came from. Locals up here have been hoping for a month or two of  -40º weather, to kill off the pine beetle that is wrecking their forest industry. Perhaps our bones need to freeze every so often too, as an act of cleansing and renewal.

 People don't walk much up here, at least not more than a block or two, so I look strange amid the many big trucks driving around. This morning's journey will take me to the fabled "Books and Company" cafe/bookstore. I read about it on coffeegeek.com, and I hope it lives up to the hype. Living in Vancouver has made me a certifiable latte snob!

 Welcome to my blog!

*later*

  Well the cold was all I had hoped for, though the coffee was not. Getting there was great. Mean it. Right cheek very very cold, now, yes, cold cold wind -walk faster! In a feat utterly uncharacteristic of me, I asked for directions to the bookstore, and even accepted a partial ride. I hopped into the huge pickup not so much to get out of the cold, but more to acknowledge the generosity I was so freely offered. Not something us hardened city folks are used to at all. Having something "out there" that threatens us, big weather in this case, brings out our human goodness, I guess. I will try to remember this when I go home.

 The Pavoni 2-head machine made an acceptable latte, but, well, (I just have to do this!) nothing to blog home about!   :  )  The bookstore, on the other hand, was delightful, with lots of interesting reading to be found. I kept my wallet tucked away and didn't splurge, but succumbed to the latest edition of Mac|Life  (try finding that bar |  on your keyboard!) for light hotel reading this afternoon. I have also promised myself to begin Bruce Feiler's "Abraham" on this trip, and will do so soon.