Welcome Back, Kotter

Ready to return from a two-week break. Well rested? Not really. A week's vacation in San Diego was just nearly perfect, including three days of rain which made for relaxation, lots of reading time and opportunities for the cousins to play for hours on end. Was actually able to read my birthday present in its entirety, New York, the novel, at a whopping 860 pages. Wonderful book; a review is deserved. An amazing performance by the Truth & Salvage Co. on Friday, October 1st which will surely be reviewed in the next couple of days and lots of listening. Am I ready to go back? Yes. Is my mental health better? I guess it's up to me. Was the break worth it? Yes; even better than summer vacation. While the A's faltered, the Giants stepped up and are now one game away from the NCLS. If they make it, they'll get nuked by the Phillies but it's the best they've done since 2003. Here's to a great month of baseball, the start of my favorite show, Parenthood and thirty-eight class days until finals and Christmas vacation!

Just to record it all, here's what I spent a lot of time listening to (in no order whatsoever):

Arlo Guthrie - Hobo's Lullaby
The Band - Rock of Ages
The Allman Brothers Band - Idlewild South
T&S - record release party concert, 5/25/10, epon album for my brother, who was knocked out by their show
Bruce - Darkness, Lost Masters Vol. II and II (Darkness outtakes), The Rising (after completing my N.Y. novel)
Mellencamp - No Better Than This (took this to S.D. and it made its mark when it comes to music memories)
Dylan - Live at the Gaslight, 1962, Planet Waves
John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band, rare acoustic- and outtake cuts, Legend. Happy 70th, John.
Judy Collins - Who Knows Where the Time Goes
Willie Nile - Streets of New York
Richie Havens - Mixed Bag, Something Else Again, Stonehenge, Alarm Clock. It seems that he's cancelled the remainder of his gigs this year. I'm really worried for the man and his health.
Joan Baez - Any Day Now
Woody Allen - Music From His Movies compilation
Red Garland - Red Garland's Piano - finally snagged it! Listened to it like I would never have it again in S.D. and it's a wonderful, albeit mellow, record. Great cover.
Much vinyl symphonic music, including Beethoven and Mozart concertos. Perfect for early autumn mornings reading the paper and splitting up your kids who are trying to kill each other with breakfast cereal and eating tools.
Lots of Miles, Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Sonny. Stumbled across a '60s band out of Philly called the Kit Kats, which also deserve a post though I'm not sure I'll ever get around to writing one. Saw A Serious Man, A Single Man and Seraphine. Finally able to view movies! Prince of Persia is simply a grunt or two away from a bad bowel movement.

Next up: The Sound Wave in San Diego, where I was graced with a song dedication by the band...