Month: December 2008

I was waiting for the bus in Sebastopol, trying to get back home to Graton, when I noticed a lot of people in various forms of costume– most pertaining to Christmas themes– were walking past me at the bus stop. I asked what it was, and they mentioned there was an impending Chistmas Tree liughting ceremony in the square across the street. I decided to blow off that but & catch a later one, so I could experience a community event.

I went from feeling somewhat scrooge-like to feeling a lot better after.

For more photos, click HERE. For larger versions of the photos (below) click on photos.

 

I received word that I was going to be moving to Graton when I was up in Cameron Park visiting my mother. Here are some shots from the move.

Click the photo for the photo gallery

 …

My roommate was not feeling well, so she drove me back to town, so I could eat & take a few pictures around town. They were having a gallery closing reception when I showed up there.

 

After my weekend in Port Costa, I went through nearly a week of abject depression, which was interrupted by a trip to spend Thanksgiving with the family up in the Sierra Foothills. My brother picked up my nephew in Hayward, and then came up to Cotati to pick me up. Then we drove up to my Mother’s place in Cameron Park, before going to dinner at the historic Bennett House in Placerville.

Nothing really eventful happened, except that I saw my Mother’s apartment for the first time since she moved to Cameron Park (we met a couple of times nearby for her 85th and 90th birthdays, but I also saw her a few times when she came down to the Bay Area or Sonoma County).

I did receive a call from my (now) current roommate in Graton, letting me know I could move in on the first of December– so that was good news.

We had breakfast together at a strip mall diner in Cameron Park (which wasn’t bad), then we headed back toward home in the greater SF Bay Area.

The day after returning from my adventure in Port Costa, I went to check on a potential living place in a rural area just North of Graton, CA. Which is itself just North of Sebastopol (off the Highway 101 corridor, thank God). Needless to say, I get the place, and moved in over the weekend. I’ve fallen way behind in my blogging, due to about a week of depression, then the Thanksgiving Holiday, then the actual process of moving to Graton (sans assistance).

This is a view up the driveway from the road:

 …

After checking out the place, interviewing, and taking a few pictures (my current wallpaper was taken of the ground next to the driveway above my house), my (now) roommate drove me back into Graton to get a bite to eat, take a look around, and catch the bus back to Cotati (the whole trip was 3 1/2 hours each way on Sonoma Transit).

I didn’t find out that I was accepted there until I went up to Cameron Park to visit my Mother for Thanksgiving, so I’ll do the follow up to this story after writing about my Thanksgiving trip.

Sorry for the delay– to many excuses even to count…

After dinner at the Bull Valley Inn (mentioned in the previous post) we went across the street to catch “some band from Ireland”– Seneca– and as we arrived they were still setting up.

The entrance to the Warehouse (more pictures here):

The band had arranged a national tour of the US before they had difficulty obtaining their visas in a timely manner, concert dates were cancelled, and the gig at The Warehouse was pulled together somewhat quickly. Their band set up (with a borrowed PA system, which had some problems) beneath a stuffed Polar Bear in a glass case:

 

(sorry about the picture quality. I’m still having difficulties shooting indoors under less-than-adequate lighting)

They played really well together: bassist Yvonne Conaty and lead guitarist Brendan O’Gorman contributed mightily to shaping the overall sound of the band. Unfortunately. this was not necessarily reflected in their debut record, Sweeter than Bourbon which, while compelling in its own right (and which landed the group two spots on the UK’s Top 25 charts), focussed primarily on the singing and songwriting of singer/rhythm guitarist Robert Hope (whose vocal efforts this night were ironically thwarted by the hastily arranged sound system), but the production on the CD didn’t fully covey what the band was capable of in their live performance. Rounding out the combo was drummer Daragh O’Loughlin, who also added to the overall sound and texture of the music, rather than being contented to merely stomp out a beat.

All in all, an enjoyable evening. I look forward to listening to them when they come around the area again. I tried to pick a song from the album (below) which I felt best represented what the band was able to accomplish musically onstage.