day 9 – at sea

i usually get off the gig around midnight, go upstairs to get some soup and hang out with my colleagues (most of the musicians, photographers and guest entertainers who are done late go up there) and we talk shop, commiserate and stay tuned in to each other.  sometimes we make plans to go into port together or share a cab or do an excursion… on this ship, i have to say, i am lucky to be working with a lot of very talented and very good people!  they always stack the deck for a grand voyage with high caliber types, and you’d think that would come with a lot of egos, but it is a wonderful group of consummate pros who are all, mostly, pretty humble and regular folks.  i was impressed that a few guys have been with this company between 15 and 20 years and have played with all kinds of entertainers… a lot of good stories from these fellas, and that’s one of the reasons i always try to make the late night hang after the gig… the other late night hang is in the officer’s bar on the crew deck where i live – i always stop by to get a diet coke and a large pellegrino on the way home to my room– they have cheap drinks there, but i usually only celebrate with a cocktail or two at the halfway point in my contract and again before i come home… even then, i take it pretty easy - if a guest or a colleague wants to buy me a drink, i don’t usually say no, but you have to be careful, as this is a 24-hour community where we could be called to perform a safety function at any time – they are also allowed to give you a breathalyzer test at any time, and if you are over a certain limit, even on your off-the-clock time, you can be sent home at your own expense…. so, i generally don’t party out here… (i’ll save it for new years eve with erin and deana and the fellas – hee hee… that was FUN!)

today the writing group that meets on sea days had a session… i have been going to every one so far, and the group has now shrunk to a good size for discussions (about 20-25 regulars)… the author who facilitates is very nice and is writing a mystery book during this trip which is due at her publisher march 1^st… that would be a lot of pressure!  she and her husband still come regularly to the piano bar every nite… nice folks… i asked her if we could learn how to do proper query letters and book proposals, and she said we could, so i will look forward to that... it would be fun to get published...

tonight’s piano bar theme was “terms of endearment,” songs with sweetie, honey, baby, etc. in the title; my keeping-my-feet-to-the-fire friend brought his list, and i actually had more than he did!  he had a couple i didn’t know, tho… earlier in the evening, i got to play a private party for the captain and some suite holders in my lounge, so i started a little early last night – it was formal night, for the captain’s black and silver ball, so everyone was pretty glitzed up – you can always tell it’s formal night by all the glitter, sequins, etc. on the floor at the end of the night… anyway, it was a nice party, then i played my busy set from 7-8… they scheduled a break for me at my dead time, 8-9, since i started early, then i had a good crowd til at least 11:15, and it tapered from there… we played the “american pie” game, which is where i sing the song "american pie" and part of the way through, keep going “down to the sacred store where i heard the music years before, but the man there said…WHAT KIND of music wouldn’t play?” and the guests keep yelling out genres until i am stumped, then we can end the song – it takes, like, an hour usually (which is, i think, about how long the original version of the song goes with all 117 verses, hee hee…); anyway, i got stumped on viennese operetta… i didn’t even know that was a genre… i’ll have to look something up for next time… today’s victory?  i won over one of the most challenging piano man fans, after the american pie game, she stayed to the end and told me she didn’t think he could have flipped thru so many genres of stuff and as quickly – she also didn’t believe i had learned all that music growing up in alaska… i told her a lot has come since i moved south, but she was very complimentary – i have known she was one of the most disappointed ones that he wasn’t here, and have made a real effort to say hi to her and remember her name, ask her for requests, etc… anyway, we are officially pals now, and i only have one more hardcore piano man fan i want to get to come in who has avoided the piano bar altogether because i’m not him – it so happens she’s good friends with the gal i converted last nite, so i may get her in yet…  we’ll see!  ttfn, df