For a special pre-Thanksgiving treat, Audrey and I enjoyed Billy Joel’s 96th concert in his series at the Garden. His voice was as good as ever, and the band was tight. Billy Joel puts on a good show, with plenty of greatest hits, but also some unexpected covers. He pranced like Mick Jagger to the the Stone’s “Start me up” and crooned “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” among others. Of course, the crowd sang every word of “The Piano Man” – the last song. But then he came back for three rocking encores. ...

We had a wonderful time among the Capulet and Montague families at the Kennedy Center. After the hopeful first half, Audrey wisely noted “This isn’t going to end well.” The closing scene was the best part of the opera, even if the lovers will only be together in the afterlife. The Kennedy Center is a great place to see an opera. Details Location: Kennedy Center, Washington DC Date: November 18, 2023 Attending: Jeremy, Audrey, Eddie, Beth

I came to New Mexico for a Digital Promise retreat, and stayed for an adventure with my son, Jacob. The retreat was held at the beautiful Tamaya Resort on land of the Santa Ana Pueblo. We came in November, and the Cottonwood trees were glowing in golden yellow along the peaceful paths throughout the resort. It is truly Tierra Grande. Fortunately, the retreat agenda allowed for time to stroll the grounds. One evening, I found the light welcoming me on a path through the trees. ...

Following our annual tradition, Micah and I had a fantastic father-son backpacking trip in California’s Sierra Nevada. Of course, we missed Jacob, especially when we saw the lakes full of big fat trout. Throughout the trip, we enjoyed beautiful weather. The highs were in the 70s, lows in the 50s. We looked up to brilliant blue skies. True to the idea of wilderness, we saw few people once the weekend ended (Our trip was from Sunday to Wednesday). ...

The perfect Friday ending to a busy week? Bossa nova with Bebel Gilberto at Menlo Park’s Guild Theater. She was accompanied only by an acoustic guitar and drums/percussion, which allowed every nuance of her voice to shine. Bebel has perfect phrasing and played a wide range of her songs and Bossa Nova classics. One highlight was her interpretation of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon. Details Location: Guild Theater Date: September 15, 2023 Attending: Vic, Jeremy