Good Things #6: Big Bottom, Phish at the Gorge

Boy oh boy I have been a busy summer lover this month.

Three weeks ago I went to Big Bottom Festival up near Packwood. I forgot my camera but spent 3 and a half days with a great group of about 250 people gathered on private property to camp, eat, play and watch Olympic Sound Collective funk our brains out with their amazing horn section on a really cool stage that overlooked the Cowlitz River. It was hot, and beautiful and I'm glad I ran into my Big Bottom Festival Friends.

Two weeks ago I went to see Phish at the Gorge. Not only was the weather amazing so was Phish. I had never seen them before and was actually really skeptical. Fortunately they were unbelievably good. I can see why people follow them around for years and years, they are that good! Friday night was good and many veteran Phish fans liked it better than Saturday night. I however thought Saturday was amazing and funky. I am all about the funk these days. I just want dirty, filthy funky base lines and funky guitar riffs, and the more horns the better.

Another cool thing about the Phish show was that I got to see my very first "Shakedown Street." This is where a bunch of illegal vendors create a sort of mainstreet for selling their products, wares, and bootleg merchandise. You can get food, stickers, music, clothes, art, and even see the second "Further" Bus driven by Ken Kesey and the Mary Pranksters. I got to meet and shake hands with Zane Kesey his son and that was pretty damn cool.

I spent the whole weekend with my brother and never left his side, we had a total blast. I got to meet up with my best friend from Australia (from NY living in San Fran) Jeff and his buddies Chauncy and Ames, as well as hang out with a bunch of revolving festival friends from summers past. I felt so at home! We went with Sam and Sharon, Met Mark and Kelsey, and saw Stephie and Liam. It was a great weekend.

Except for the new owners of the Gorge "Live Nation" they absolutely have turned the place into a corporate disasters and they staff were kind of jerks. Oh well their crappy management can deny the beauty of the venue.

Up Next: Good Things #7: Flowmotion Summer Meltdown, Weddings, Lake Cabins, Dave Matthews/YMSB/G. Love

I did make some progress on jobs, they HR Department from Tacoma School District called to check on references and found who they were looking for. My former principals gave me good recomendations and the HR guy said to make sure I check for new jobs implying that maybe they were interested in me.

I am definitely ready for work to start back up. All this summer fun has been great but I'm starting to feel a little restless about it all. I got my last paycheck from LKSD this weekend. I'm doing fine in the money department I just wish I had something to do. At least a substitute postition would be something.

Today I'm at a coffee shop all alone, writing blogs, checking emails, paying bills, job searching and later I'm going to buy some wedding/interview clothes. I'm feeling a little melancholy and a little lonely after 5 weeks in a row surrounded by so many friends and family and love. I guess you could call it a Lonely-Hangover.

Anyone still out there reading this? Enjoy the end of your summer!