Classic Poorhouse Bistro Ukulele Open Mic!

So I'm off work this week, however, no road trip after all...I'm still trying to get over the most awful cold that never seems to end ever...Today I belted out the first draft of my instructional manual for Tech Writing, and now the sun is sort of peeking out from the clouds as it's been raining. I gotta bundle up and go out for a while!

Check out me and James playing and singing "Give Me Love" - a George Harrison classic!

Last night, at the last minute, I decided I'd make it to the Poorhouse Bistro Ukulele Open Mic -- wasn't sure if I'd go since I had NO voice the day before...in San Francisco. But how could I miss it? Cara Arellano did a fabulous job of running the show in Steve Martin's absence in spite of the huge crowd making loads of noise before the Pink concert at HP. I loved all of her friends and their kids who were major Beatles fans!

Leonard Kaufer opened the uke jam with a few cool songs from his famous book, with Mark Fenichel accompanying on harp...then James L. Johnson and me sang several songs from Cara's packet and songs we'd picked...All My Loving; Give Me Love; She Loves You; All You Need Is Love...ahhh, whenever I think of LOVE, I think of THE BEATLES!!!! :) oh and we sounded pretty good on Across the Universe in spite of my voice...it was fun to plug in my KALA ukulele!

One of Cara's friends joined in on singing She Loves You with us! so cool. Then the "Old Broads" (the Uke ladies) played and sang some awesome bluegrass stuff...and Jeff Smith brought his mandolin and played both mandolin and uke throughout the night. I absolutely LOVE the mandolin! James wowed us with a Green Day song, Kat, his daughter played and sang a beautiful song, Jennifer Hood and James wowed us with Cinnamon Girl...and Leonard's Grateful Dead song was awesome...!

A couple actually went up and played Irish Celtic music on ukulele as well...which goes to show you ANYTHING can be played on ukulele. LITERALLY ANYTHING!

But the funniest part of the night was when James asked me to come up and accompany him on the song, "Love Stinks" that was in our packet. I only really know the chorus...and didn't realize he didn't know the song either! so we were like, oh no, what will we do? He said we played it too happy (but how does one make a ukulele sound NOT happy?)...so we just winged it happy Hawaiian Beatles-esq style making up words between "Love Stinks Yeah, Yeah!" and ending with "She Loves You!" James said he felt like he was on a Saturday Night Live episode...it was really funny.

and here's James and me doing Across the Universe (and the end of She Loves You).

(there's lots of background noise because all these people showed up before the Pink concert at HP Pavaillion, but nonetheless, you get the drift!)

Jeff saved the day by running up with his awesome chord rendition of I Saw Her Standing There, and we rocked out, back in the comfort zone...!! it was a good night.

I think I'll go out for a while...so much for "resting" on my time off, huh?

San Francisco Uke Rebellion with No Voice!

So today I traveled to San Francisco yet again -- a trip I make practically every Sunday now, to help lead the San Francisco Ukulele Rebellion Group. Dean, who usually leads the group, had something else going on. It's the first time ever that he's not coming...he lives in the neighborhood of the coffee shop and we can always count on him to be there leading us in the latest songs from the Daily Ukulele books. Now we're using the Leap Year Edition! 

Nancy also couldn't make it, so it was up to me...but something awful happened. I lost my voice. I'm not sure where it went, but all I could do was croak. so, as I drove towards San Francisco (for once I drove, I usually take BART), I thought, what the heck am I going to do? I wasn't even sure if my friend Steve would make it to help me out on U-Bass...and well, this could be a major disaster.

I managed to find decent parking on that beautiful sunny San Francisco Day and I got to the Oakside Cafe about an hour and a half early. My voice wasn't coming back even after several cups of hot tea with lemon and honey and throat lozenges...I could barely talked. Was I EVER relieved to see Steve show up with his cool, purple fender U-Bass (I think it's called that), who also arrived early! What a relief! There was no way I'd be able to pull this one off by myself.

Steve helped me pick out some songs and we made a list so that I could call out songs from the Daily Ukulele books -- he teased me (as usual) for always choosing Beatles songs and "hippie" music! So I chose some Hawaiian songs that we knew like Sophisticated Hula and White Sandy Beach. Also, Steve had picked up one of those COOL plastic desk music holders that I'd been wanting for ages...which he found at Guitar Solo. 

People trickled in with ukuleles, around 15 people -- not as many as we've had in there, but a good number of people including some regulars like Vickie and Rebecca and Don and Carol. A new guy with a banjo ukulele joined us and a couple of other newbies. and was I ever happy to see Jill who can sing...

So, I "croaked" out song names and page numbers the best I could and attempted to say, "SING LOUD!" because no way was I going to sing anything and it still worked out well! We then played from the Rebellious songbook -- the one Nancy put together with a whole bunch of songs chosen by her and others...we did several songs out of that and Steve counted us in and kept us relatively together by his steady U-bass playing... and it all worked out even though I had no voice!

And I still managed to have an adventure on Haight Street after the Ukulele Rebellion in spite of the lack of my voice! Since I brought my car, Steve put his amp for the bass and all of his stuff in the car, and we trekked down to Haight Street, first to Haight Asbhbury Music where you get to play instruments you cannot possibly afford!

Steve trying out guitars at Haight-Ashbury Music, San Francisco

I JUST LOVE THIS "GODAN" Nylon-stringed guitar!!! it just felt right...it's so beautiful!

We jammed over there at the music store for at least an hour and a half before taking off to check out some other stores...Steve is always looking for "steampunk" related stuff...

I got super excited when I saw this "stingray" bike! this was my DREAM bike as a kid! complete with Banana seat and those handlebars!! can you believe this now goes for $800??! NO WAY!!! there were many skid marks on the sidewalk and street on the street where I grew up...2nd Ave.

and of course I at least had to check out the "Sock Store." It's a store on Haight Street with NOTHING but socks! LOVE IT!

The Sock Store

We then went to the "Loved to Death" store, yep that same store that's featured in that TV Show called "Oddities" which I have to admit I have not seen yet. The dude on the second level was sooo interesting and cool and I talked to him for a long time about all the stuff they carried in the store -- the various skeletons and even kits used for exorcisms and stuff like that...

(I did get permission to take some pics...I asked because of the signs about Photos)
This is a real skeleton...doctors in college utilized these back in the day...

Trippy! skeleton of a cat on the left and a rabbit on the right (I think?)

and of course no trip to Haight Street is complete without going to the book store or the store with all the buttons!

oh hey, YEAH YEAH YEAH! :)

It was a good day...! :) in spite of no voice -- but as long as I have my ukulele, all is well with the world...!

Happy 80th Birthday Dad!

Me and Dad June 2012 (the day after I saw the Beach Boys Reunion Tour and the day I won a Nalu Ukulele at the Strum Shop in Roseville!  The day ended perfectly with an awesome visit with my Dad who truly gave me that sense of adventure...and a ukulele seems to be involved in all my latest adventures no matter where I go or what I do!)

Happy 80th Birthday Dad!!! 

Today you turn 80 years old...! and we'll all be up there to celebrate with you tomorrow...I managed to get ALL the kids together, which is not easy, as you well know, and Baby Jeremiah as well. 

Dad, thanks for all the wonderful adventures and experiences you gave us throughout our lives...from numerous trips to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the old Frontier Village, Muir Beach and beyond...even hanging out at your office by the zoo and beach in SF rolling around on chairs, pushing buttons and playing many board games...we always played games, even while in the car...and thanks for all the theater shows, the movies, the music concerts...even that one time when you got an emergency call for your job and we ended up at the Oakland Greyhound Bus terminal in the middle of the night...We got to experience shows all over the place, from the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos (which no longer exists) to see Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry and many, many others...to movie theaters and theaters all over and around San Francisco...

Thanks for the big hikes up at Mt. Tamalpias and for the adventures, even driving through that part of golden Gate Park with no street lights in the middle of the night and how we'd always freak out when you'd turn off your car lights for a moment even though we knew what would happen next.

And how thrilling it was to watch you in so many plays and musicals throughout the years. Then, remember how I'd drive down from Oregon each year with my kids and we'd camp out in your apartment in Sunnyvale and go on many adventures, like to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Tommy's Joint and Pasquale's Pizza on Irving Street...showing my kids all the places I went to while growing up...The kids got to see you in some plays an musicals as well.

I truly believe that I get my sense of adventure and fun from you, Dad and I'm so grateful to you for that. Always following our passions and dreams no matter what and living life to its fullest. 

You rock, Dad!!! I love you...Happy Birthday!! 

Melissa and me visiting Dad for his B-Day (2011 I think)...Melissa and Alex drove up and we all went out to lunch at Dad's FAVORITE Mexican restaurant!

Me, Dad & Baby Jeremiah (he was just tiny baby then!

Christmas Eve 2012!

FOUR GENERATIONS!!! 

Christmas 2012

FOUR GENERATIONS! Dad, Me, Jeremiah and BABY JEREMIAH

for some reason Jeremy and his Grandpa always end up in these intense conversations when they get together!

THE GRANDDAUGHTERS!!! 2006, San Francisco right by Children's Playground! (hehe!) someone gave them a whole bunch of balloons (Rangitau, Megan, Melissa, Merehuka and TeRuiHui)

me with my Dad in the 1980s

1980s!!! in Sunnyvale, CA at my Dad's apartment

with my brother's family in 1999!!!!

1962 San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers! there's my Dad on the very left...pointing at the camera! The tiny one is my sister Jennifer, my brother Michael on the right and I'm that blonde girl with the doll! (we are 5, 3 and 2 here I believe)

Dad with us at the beach!!! 1962 San Francisco. He's holding my little sister Jennifer...I'm the blonde girl with the Raggedy Ann doll (which I actually remember) and there's my bro Michael

1999 with my brother's family!

1962 San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
Mary, Michael & Jennifer

this is where I was right before I visited Dad last June! At the grand opening of the Strum Shop in Roseville!
and I'm with Stu (owner and good friend ukulele extraordinarie whom I also bought 8-string uke from!), Don (store manager) and Rick, Nalu Dealer!!! I was the big winner that day in all aspects! yay!

FAMILY REUNION IN SEBASTAPOL around 2006?

At my sister Jennifer's house in Sebastapol around 2006...family gathering!

around 2006...family gathering at my sister's house in Sebastapol

Michael and his family, with me, my sister, Jeremy and Megan (in front of the famous Pasquale's Pizza, San Francisco! we often had pictures taken here.
around 2007?

2004 gathering in San Francisco, Pasquale's Pizza, good old Pasquale's!!!!!

Being On Time!! It Just Never Happens!

This morning as I made the mad dash to get out the door so that I could make it to work on time, I had to stop. Baby Jeremiah stood on the other side of the gate and waved. "Byeee!" he said in his cute little boy voice. He wore jammies with the feet and his blondish hair stood on end as he looked intently at me. 

"Byeee!" I said. "Byeee!" baby Jeremiah repeated. And then he blew me a kiss. I knew that if I didn't leave right then and there, I had a chance of being late for work. I stood on the steps holding all of my stuff and almost dashed out the door, but for some reason I had to stop. I ran back up to give him a kiss and hug and let him wear my flower bracelets for a moment -- he always wants to wear them and then give them back...then I let him point to my ukuleles and say something in his own language about "Ulleles!"

As I finally closed the door, knowing Baby Jeremiah was watching me and hearing his little voice say, "Byee!"...I remembered another time...a long time ago when his Dad was young.

Being on Time (1991, Salem, Oregon)
I woke up this morning to the sounds of screaming kids and a blaring television set.  I groaned and looked at my alarm clock which said five minutes to seven.  I wondered why the kids hadn’t gotten me up.  We had exactly 50 minutes to get out the door so I could be at work on time and get the kids to school.  As I dashed into the bathroom to get ready, I wondered if the daily hassles of life were really worthwhile.  I had three kids to raise alone and a career and education to juggle all at the same time.

At the breakfast table, the boys fought over who would get the last of the frosted flakes.  Stevie spilled milk all over the kitchen floor, and Jeremy yelled that he couldn’t find his tennis shoe.  Melissa, my seven year old, spent half an hour trying to figure out what to wear and cried because she missed out on the frosted flakes.

The television continued to blare looney tunes.  After telling the kids to turn off the television three times, Jeremy informed me that he still couldn’t find his tennis shoe.  We had five minutes to get out the door.  By looking in the most unlikely places, we found Jeremy’s tennis shoe on top of the bookcase in the bedroom. 

As we dashed out to the car to make our getaway, Melissa informed me she had forgotten her brownie sash and book for her meeting that day and Stevie had to find his baseball hat and glove for Little League and the valentine cards he had carefully written out for his class the night before.  We ran back into the house for the mad search of last minute items.  Five minutes later, we all piled into the car after an argument of who would sit in the front seat.

As I drove to work, I felt like a grand prix race car driver trying to make it to the finish line as fast as possible.  Stevie informed me that he forgot his homework and whimpered when I told him it was too late.  He would have to face the consequences.

I dodged in and out of traffic down Capitol Street.  Now, the kids argued about whether to listen to the radio or a tape.  I pulled into the state parking lot and came to a screeching halt in the first parking space I could find.  We all piled out of the car, and I coaxed to kids to hurry up and get their things together.

As I rushed the kids down the street, I glanced at my watch.  I had three and a half minutes to get to work.  If we hurried, I would get to work right on time and still be able to watch the kids cross the street to school.  I considered myself fortunate to work so close to the kids’ school.  It saved time, and I needed to catch every bit of extra time I could.

Stevie mentioned that it was a nice, sunny day and that they would be having a Valentine’s Day party at school.  I was in too much of a hurry to notice the weather or the squirrels my kids always stopped to look at.  And, who could remember to do anything about Valentine’s Day?  We got to the corner, and I told the kids to go to school.  I had one minute to be at work.  I watched the kids cross the street as I started to go into the building.  I waved good bye to them, and then I heard Jeremy yell at me.

I turned around for a moment to wave again.  “Mommy!” said Jeremy, “you forgot something!”

“What’s that?” I answered as I held the door to the building open so I could make my getaway.

“You forgot our hugs and kisses!”

I started to say I didn’t have time today.  I had 30 seconds to get to work, and that would make me late.  I saw my three kids standing on the other side of the street looking at me and waiting patiently.

I let the door fly shut and ran across the street.  “I love you guys,” I said as I gave each of my kids a big hug and kiss and watched them go into the school building.  I slowly walked back across the street to work and noticed the flowers in bloom in front of the building and smiled.

Jeremy, Melissa & Stevie (around 1989 or 1990) in Salem, Oregon

You Can't Save Them All...but Maybe One

(Initially written via my iPhone at 1am this morning!)

The most trippy random thing just happened! And who says it’s boring up here at seven hills in union city? Heard a knock at the door. The dogs went crazy of course. I opened the door a tiny crack with Jerry the Dog right there to protect me just in case. Saw a chick with bright red dyed hair lotsa tattoos and piercings looking scared and lost. At first I was sure she had to be one of my kids’ friends right? Of course...she frantically told me she was lost and her phone died and her guy friend had told her he lived on Appian way!"There are a million little streets called Appian way!" She yelled. I believed her and felt her pain remembering how I got lost finding my own house.There are dozens of Appian ways here that'd drive anyone nuts!

But here was this frantic chick at my door with a dead phone. Jen had awakened and told the chick to be quiet because the baby was sleeping. She said she’d charge her phone for her while I stood outside on a cool clear night noticing hundreds of stars because there are no lights on our street and we are in the hills. Jen and I had both giggled incessantly when we noticed this chick with the smeared makeup had a hello kitty zombie tattoo on her arm and hello kitty furry boots. We both looked at each other and said Megan!

So this chick went on and on loudly in the night. She wasvisiting this guy friend she’d known her whole life. Oh but she's married andhas kids so she escaped from her house because there were problems and he wasmean to her. And even though Adam was kind of a stoner he was always kind toher. She said stuff about him I can't repeat here.

So apparently this guy was short and wore makeup at schooland kids picked on him but he was always her best friend and grew up to be thisgorgeous guy but now she was list because he didn't give the street address andthere are so many Appian ways. There's a sucker born every minute because eventhough I could smell the alcohol in her breath I felt bad for her chanting thatall too familiar mantra in my head you can't save them all.

Jen managed to get the phone charged and said shed callthis Adam guy to get an address. She went back inside.

The chick went on to say that no one would help her except an 18 -year-old gas station attendant who got her to Appian way and how her momwas a hippie chick sort of like me and had that said that in her day if peopleknocked on the door and needed help people really helped but nowadays peopleare scared not that she blames them though.

I remembered how people used to come to our flat in San Francisco at times in the middle of the night. Like Betty from up the street who ran away from a mean boyfriend or random people I didn't know. They always ended up in the kitchen or the living room. And my mom talked to them forhours. You can't let them in anymore. But sometimes you can.

Finally we figured out where Adam was. Jen wrotedirections down and he was only point one mile away! Do you really think Ishould see him now? Jen and I nodded yes. After all that? He's waiting for youout in the street and wearing orange. There was no way this chick could driveback to Castro valley. No way.

She gave me a huge hug and said thanks. Said her name wasJenny but that she went my raven as well and we found out she knew someone Jenknew! Go figure. I watched her shuffle off to her car in her furry hello kittyboots. So old yet so young...sigh. I like to think that maybe just maybe Jen and I saved a life tonight.

Here's the note Jenny showed me last night...no specific address and there really are dozens of Appian Ways! I hope she found the person she was looking for.

Life is trippy, filled with irony...and typos (most of which I've gotten rid of here, but probably still a few snafus... remembering all of my kids' friends who'd end up at our place...

The San Francisco and Niles Musical Adventure!

I said good-bye to Baby Jeremiah as I headed out to San Francisco this morning. He's eating oatmeal in his FAVORITE spot, John Lennon presiding and ukulele always close by. Had to stop him from strumming ukulele with oatmeal crusted hands though. :) 

 I'm heading to San Francisco to meet fellow San Francisco uke rebels in golden gate park for more uke playing! After five hours yesterday? Our Fremont uke jam yesterday was over the top cool! My fingers still hurt from playing the 8 string uke the whole time! Will definitely bring the Kala today. Here comes yet another adventure!

I just got home and apparently I missed a whole bunch of stuff! Today I went to my old stomping grounds in golden gate park to play ukulele at the band shell! At least that's still the same. The path from where I got off the good old newer version of the N Judah streetcar at ninth and Irving hasn't changed...same park I know and love...the old green benches and some fountains and the old band shell still intact and I could see a bit if the Japanese tea garden. But I tried not to look at that new De Young museum or the academy of sciences or to imagine the expensive underground parking that I just found out about today. 

The Band Shell in golden Gate Park still just as I'd remembered it my whole life!!! some things don't change and some things do...
that is just the way it is.

Instead we played ukes and sang at the band shell on a beautiful cool sunny day...people sat on benches and listened. And when my G string snapped on my uke! I broke my G-string! Now what will I do? I can’t play my ukulele with only three strings.

Then Emeline, my good friend from the uke rebellion, pulled up on her bike and saved the day! She had ukulele strings for me and she’s a super hero! And Nancy showed me how to replace the string! Now I have one purple titanium G string on my ukulele and three Aquila nylgut white strings (C, E and A!)...I was back in business and able to play San Francisco Bay Blues with the gang in no time! YAAAY FOR EMELINE AND NANCY! 

Me, Dean, Nancy, Vicki, a random new guy I don't know and Mark...and a few others not pictured here...playin' ukes at the band shell!

For those wonderful moments of time I felt transported back to the beautiful San Francisco I know and love so much. We even had an audience -- people who sat on the old green benches...the same ones I remembered as a kid and felt the warm sun beat down for a while before it cooled down...listening to us play and sing our songs. I loved Everybody's Talking At Me which we played from the Daily Ukulele Songbook. We played a bunch of our familiar songs from the "Rebellious" songbook which is still a work in progress...songs like Five Hundred Miles by the Proclaimers, Friday I'm in Love (the Cure)...Secret Agent Man (one of my faves) and many others! 

More people jamming on ukes including Dave (DRW) who drove to the City from Sacramento! He's part of the  Sacramento Strum Shop gang I also love so much!

Then someone requested us to sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World" Iz style and everyone groaned, hehehe! Not that we don't love that, but it seems that every time someone requests it, sort of like when people think of you playing ukulele, they think you're going to play "Tiny Bubbles" or "Tiptoe Through the Tulips!" We played it and sang it and sounded nice though...

Then Emeline and me played and sang "Dream A Little Dream of Me" together...it was cool that she also knows it in the same key I do. and it sounded good when we played it together! I hope we can get together and jam soon...Emeline is so awesome.

And I felt space ageish with that clipper card you swipe on the street car. When I attempted to show the driver my card and explain I paid for a round trip she said don't tell me! Tell that! And pointed to a scanner! Trippy! Then there's another card for BART. I was sad to leave the city for some reason like I belong there. 

When I got back to Union City, I headed straight for Niles...it was a beautiful clear night and the mountains surrounding Niles looked golden as I drove through what felt like a time warp in space and time into Niles...and called my friend Brian who told me I MUST remain outdoors until 6:12 pm because a SPACE STATION was flying overhead! At first, I thought perhaps he was joking. "For real?" I asked.

I was already running late for the 6pm show at the Mud Puddle, Michael McNevin's tiny place that's fabulous for acoustic shows as well as jams -- always jams after the acoustic show with the group he refers to as the "Horribles" I absolutely love being a part of the Horribles, but you'd think I would have had enough ukulele playing for ONE weekend right? Apparently wrong.

Anyway, I'm walking down the street talking to Brian about this alleged space station. I even mentioned it to a random couple who walked out of a store right in front of me and they laughed. they probably thought I was nuts.But when I got right in front of the Mud Puddle, listening to Michael McNevin play and sing my all-time favorite song he wrote, "Things Are Going to Change Around Here," I looked into the horizon and saw the yellow dot heading our way. It just had to be the space station!

As I watched the Space Shuttle squinting to make it out...flying in from the west where the sun was setting and the sky was all shades of orange...that's the way it looks in the hills....and listened to Michael McNevin sing, for just a moment, I thought -- yes, maybe things really are about to change in my life...! But no time for thinking.

After Michael McNevin finished the song, I announced to all that a space shuttle was heading our way! some people got up and ran outside to look. Michael McNevin wasn't thrilled about people leaving after the show started, and I can't say I blame him at all. I was just so excited about the space station or the space shuttle...oh now I'm confused.

"That's just a plane in the distance," one guy said.

"No, it's not!" someone else said...as we watched it fly towards us...just a mere yellow dot in the sky flying in right at the time Brian said it would. I had to let Brian go and get off the phone because of all the drama and hoopla...and shuffling around -- and Michael McNevin attempting to gather us all back in again...which he did. Ira Marlowe who was the headliner on Sunday night, thought the whole space station thing was cool and even referred to the space station and me in one of the songs he performed that night! I was thrilled and honored...but I have Brian to thank because I had no idea a space station would be flying overhead to be honest. Nancy Cassidy opened the show with her rich voice and Ira Marlowe sang and played the most beautiful songs -- I loved the one about the guy who thought the world was going to end and what he did...dress up in a suit, quit his job and give the waiter a huge tip because he figured it was the end of the world, so why not? And the spooky song about the kid whose weird neighbor transforms into a beast, or so he perceives...

And afterwards, I was a part of the HORRIBLES...and I loved it. 

It was a good day.

Driving into Niles on Sunday night...golden hills in the distance.

Ira Marlow

Michael McNevin starts the show...

Nancy Cassidy

Ira Marlowe

Fremont Ukulele Jam RULES!!!

Diane and Me at our FIRST Fremont Ukulele Jam at Bronco Billy's!
October 27, 2012! Even Baby J was scared! I wore devil ears all day! we had so much fun!
Diane and I are like "soul sister friends!" I love her so much! we rock!

It all started last October in San Jose when I attended this ukulele gathering in San Jose down in Japan Town with my friend Steve and others from Silicon Valley. We sat outside a coffee shop and listened to some beautiful ukulele playing -- even classical stuff. My friend Steve WOW'd everyone with an amazing solo that started with Zeppelin and morphed into other stuff. That dude NEEDS to be FAMOUS, I'm telling you.

That was the afternoon that I met Diane who sang and played one of her original songs, her beautiful voice crooning...she was a down-to-earth chick and she got super excited when I told her I lived close to her in Union City! She said she really wanted to start a ukulele group there, and I agreed that would be cool and I'd be happy to help out in any way I could. Of course I had NO idea that I'd hear from her practically the next day after this gathering in San Jose because she had 'booked' a room at Bronco Billy's Pizza Parlor for October 27th and would I help her PUUULLLEEAAASSE...! At first, I didn't even know which Bronco Billy's this was much less where it was located. I'm not that familiar with East Bay or the Fremont area. Just moved over there a year ago.

October 27th is a day I always remember because it's my mother's birthday and she would have turned 80 this year (or was it last year? Gosh I can't remember) if she was still around. I remember that I went to Santa Cruz to play ukuleles on the beach that morning and people were dressed in costumes for Halloween. In the spirit, I was wearing my Rocky Horror Picture Show t-shirt -- and my friend Bill put these devil ears on my head...and I never took them off. In fact, I even forgot I had them on throughout the entire ukulele jam! We had so much fun. We started at 4pm and stayed until the pizza place shut down at 10pm, serious jamming going on!

Our first jam in Fremont! October 27, 2012. 

Steve Lussie ALWAYS "wows" everyone with his amazing talent!! We were jammin'...I loved those people wearing matching ukulele shirts too!!! and there's Margaret, my good friend, ukein' it behind me while I'm taking a break to hold the babe...and Linda on U-bass.

Then we met again in December, but it was more hectic because the owner put us out in the main part of the pizza place...around 25 people showed up to sing and play Christmas and holiday songs on ukulele though...!

It's all trial and error, trying to get it right.

Today we are going to rock out in Fremont ukulele style! Big fun at bronco Billy's pizza parlor today! And we will most likely close the place down with ukulele craziness! Eclectic fun! Lotsa people coming! Uke players kicking it old school style! Warning this may be way too much fun! Wonder who can handle it!

Today we had our BEST ukulele jam yet, and more is still to come...I told Diane we had to do it every month to keep the momentum going. At least 40 people showed up this time including people from South Bay -- San Jose and beyond...

And I am still on this trippy uke jam high! I really didn't think I'd have it in me and I would say today's rocking Fremont uke jam at bronco Billy's was a roaring success! 

My friend James showed up so we could practice Across the Universe and Give Me Love for the next Poorhouse Bistro Uke jam in San Jose -- it had been James' idea to do the Abbey Rd. medley in early December, an experience I will never forget as long as I live. 

Steve played U-bass...there's James on the right, and Jeff...Bob and Laurie, yay!

Ukein' it up!

We jammed for five and a half hours! We went through my whole jam packet that had at least 30 songs including several Beatles songs, of course. We played and played, people came and went. After we got done playing songs from my packet, Dave F. from the Silicon Valley Uke Club pulled out his, people got out their Santa Cruz Ukulele songbooks and jamming continued. 

Baby Jeremiah and Jen showed up and had dinner...and Baby J was rockin' to the ukes and wanted to be a part of it...

SERIOUS Jamming towards the end when the guitars, etc., come out! Steve's playing his brand new U-Bass...! he has a serious case of UAS (Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome). 

Baby J wants to be part of the action

Sue came all the way from San Francisco...people travel far and wide for good ukulele jams! Linda and Jeff drove in from Sonoma! They've been at all of our jams so far. My friend Albert was there too! Me, Albert and Steve have jammed together many times...they both came to the new year's eve bash at the Mud Puddle and we celebrated the new year playing music with the "Horribles!"

It was a perfect day...Diane even cut my hair for me before the jam and we managed to eat something...because once the jamming starts, there really isn't much time for anything else. That's just the way it is. I kept calling out songs, and people had their jam packets (which I will perfect for the next meeting)...

By the time we left at close to 11pm Saturday night, that was the end of an incredibly fun day. And our next Fremont Uke Jam is March 16th! We have a date, yayy!!!!

Diane now has a U-BASS yay!!!!!!