2013 A Year Of First

So it has been quite a long time since I have posted anything to my blog.

I have been busy with work and now most recently I have joined an Hawaiian Contemporary music band.

I play bass guitar and never in my wildest dreams had I ever thought that I would be in anyone's band but here I am.

I stopped religiously playing WOW and I went on to other passions of mine like music and writing.
And while my fiction writing has taken a back seat to the music those ideas still germinate in my head.
In March of this year My wife Terri gifted me with two gorgeous Ibanez basses and a Hartkle Amp head and cabinet, and my uncle Chuck made major contributions to my plans as well. He is also responsible for the catalyst concert show that set my mind on fire again.

My Xbox Avatar Jammin' Away (pic by Terri)

 This was because of (I am sure) my excitement at watching Victor Wooten play at Yoshi's in Oakland earlier this year. I told her I had to get back into playing again. It was this renewed passion for the instrument that led me to a chance, serendipitous meeting with the band Kua'Aina who were at the time searching for a bass player. After an audition I was recruited.

This has me thinking to also earlier in the year when I took a semester at American River College for a Commercial Studio Recording class. I have always been painfully shy about playing bass in front of anyone other than my family, and this class permitted me during one of the class recording days to bring in my Kala Uke bass and actually play while 5 or 6 other people listened in an went through the recording process., other students walked in from the hallways to listen in also. It was this very act of playing in front of others that got my confidence up to even be able to talk to the band about my ability to play in the first place.

I was able to e-mail my class Professor to thank him and let him know how the class had given me more confidence and he was excited for me.

Yup, this year was definitely a year for first time events. This was Terri and My first Boat cruise also. In June we cruised to Alaska on the Disney Cruise Ship Wonder for a seven day trip that I will never forget. The views and vistas were absolutely breathtaking. The food and service made us feel like kings and queens. I recommend it highly if you have never been on a cruise and especially if you have little ones to check them out. We cruised by ourselves wanting to just be big kids and we were not alone,We dined with several other couples in our age range at numerous times and we all had hell of a good time. We can't wait til we can get on the water again. http://wondercruising.blogspot.com/ a link of our travel blog with more pictures to come.

Speaking of water and boats my brother Wade has bought a 19 foot Sea Ray that we went out a couple of times on this year, and that was too much fun we didn't catch fish, but it was a learning experience for the both of us. Wade is knee deep in restoring his boats floor, and in typical Wade Horton style I know this renovation will make his boat the pride of the river. He is even keeping a video blog of his endeavor here's the link for that.



All in all 2013 has been good to us. We have lost loved ones and gained new loved ones, and life goes on. Just have to remind myself to take each day as if is the last. Definitely have to be present in the moment and immerse ourselves in the great wondrous thing that is life here and now.

Peace

Ant