Hearing a couple of my colleagues (Hi Kathy! Hi Susan!) talk about touring with “WOT” (Western Opera Theater) makes me just a tad envious.

Yes, I know touring can be incredibly tiring, but I never did it. Not even once. And I wish I had.

Well, okay, I did a “tour” to Tahoe with San Jose Symphony (RIP). But that wasn’t a real tour; we took a bus up to Tahoe, stayed in the most plush resort ever (it had just opened and it was in the summer, so I guess that’s why we got in). All tenured members of the SJS had private rooms (gee, and why did we fold again?). I was young and thin enough to don a bathing suit and enjoy the water slides. Yes, I had three children by then, but I had managed to lose the baby weight. These days I don’t even own a suit and there’s no way you’d get me in one—And how funny is it that every time I type “suit” I first type “suite”?—

Anyway, I guess I’ll always wonder what it would have been like to do a real tour. I was asked to tour with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (which actually has a good oboe/EH book, btw), but I felt it was important to be home with my kiddos.

And how do touring oboists handle the reed situation anyway? Different climates, different altitudes. Yikes! (Playing up at Tahoe was sure a challenge, I can tell you that.)

But I ramble … surprise, surprise!

Speaking of tours … anyone watching THE tour? The Tour de France, that is? I’ve been recording it for Jameson (he’s been in Disneyland and yes I’m terribly terribly jealous of THAT tour.). The Tour de France is broadcast live (a good reason for us to have cable TV these days — that and the Giants games) which means the broadcast begins at 5:30 AM here in California.

… but OUCH! Just a short bit before the finish line a ton of riders crashed. Now when we oboe players say we “crashed and burned” at least we don’t go away with bleeding, with the possibility of broken limbs. (Although a broken reed sure can hurt.) Ouch, ouch, ouch!