Raggin' Piano Boogie

HIS SPIRIT LIVES ON! ... BONER, THE PIANO DOG ... November 27, 1994 ... February 20, 2010

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January 31, 2012

Boise, Idaho

It had been awhile since I had a six picture type day. It was sunny, not freezing, the truck has a garage at night so the equipment worked (warm and dry)... I almost had enough sleep, Mo doesn't know whats going on... it was all fun. Kent, the guy I'm staying with got me going before I was finished my coffee. I had slept on a couch in an office room. The customers were coming in to purchase slabs of granite. He banged on the door to wake me up but I didn't hear anything. I sleep with ear plugs and had been super tired. When I did not respond he left me alone. After I woke up we moved the Traveling Piano into the street for his friend and then into the parking lot for a few customers.

Kent as well as being successful in business and also a philanthropist, he is a crafter with wood and a photographer. It takes conscious effort for me to not project neediness onto him concerning the Traveling Piano. For the first half of my life, all I knew was to experience neediness. The second half of my life has been a practice with being appropriate, accepting realities about myself and my agendas. The priority for staying with people on this journey is fun, friendship and respect. Any other agenda that may enter the relationships... well, I've never stayed with anyone long enough for it to be appropriate to explore any other agenda.

There is a large open lawn area in Boise's city park and I found a spot in its center with the truck. I recorded music with the sun's warm heat on my back. It felt really, really good. A woman named Bab's found us and also a couple with their almost two year old boy. Kent and I went to another work building, then to dinner and lastly his son's neighborhood in the dark. The Traveling Piano visit was cold, short, dark and sweet. Kent is very savvy concerning Central and South America. He visits several times a year and said it is full of danger, chaos and government corruption especially at the boarders. He has seen people killed in front of him by drug traffickers. He said that if I take the Traveling Piano down there everything I own will be stolen or taken from me without thought somewhere along the route. People said all that last time I visited Mexico. I did not have one problem bit I had heard back then about the trouble in Central America. To fly in is easy but not to drive in. I went online to see what the internet says about the places I had visited in 2007... all of the information said... "danger." My biggest concern would be for Mo's safety but also, my computer, the journeys archive, my camera, money... everything I own travels with me. I may still do it.

January 30, 2012

Southeast Oregon, Idaho

I love to traverse the earth. It was such a beautiful drive... smooth rolling, round hills through hundreds of miles of open land today. Most of the day was through Southeast Oregon but we ended up in Boise, Idaho. As sure as I am alive this planet earth we are on is heaven. If there was an Adam who ate an apple with Eve, nobody ever said that destroyed a garden and if this is what I was banished to because of them, well... every visual description I have heard of heaven... I have and do experience here on earth. There was a sign that said "Lookout Mountain" so I drove to take a look. It seemed ok, there were a lot of stones on the road but as the truck began to climb I began to experience a lot of mud under those stones. After about a quarter mile I had barely enough room to turn the truck around. The mud was so soft and deep under the stones I was getting stuck while drive down a seventy degree decline. I was on a cliff. I probably could have continued to drive higher but I did not have the patience to let go of the anxiety I was creating about it.

A never before seen department of transportation road sign... "Fine for Littering $6250." What crazy people make up this stuff? An old model-T ford drove by on one of the side of the highway roads. It was definitely the staple mode of transportation for the old couple it was holding. In Boise, Idaho I hooked up with a new friend Kent. His family happened by so I was able to show them the Traveling Piano. Kent deals in granite and other things for his work. He is also a philanthropist and a bible based man without belonging to a religion. Kent is the fourth guy I have stayed with who lives his life through Jesus Christ and his personal understandings from the bible. Before this journey I never knew such people existed. He has started many projects in his life. One which he showed me pictures of... an orphanage he built and owns in Guatemala housing a hundred and fifty seven kids. Today while driving I was reminded of how blessed I am (not religion or bible based here) not only to experience heaven on earth but more so... to meet and spend time with so many giving, interested in life (and therefore interesting) and inclusive people.

January 29, 2012

Badger Mountain, Washington State

On again, off again, on again, off again, I had given up hope for now but whatever... I tried the piano today and it worked. It was a heavenly experience. Once again i was saved from the depths of... speaking of heaven I went to church with my new friends today. They belong to a Christian Reformed church that has a slant towards Calvinism with a strong Bible focus. The congregation has a sizable Burmese population. I've never been to a protestant church that was not made of stone bricks like back east from whence I came. :) We had some messing around with the Traveling Piano after chruch and then afterwards I was treated to a Mexican burrito and then we headed to Badger Mountain where I had planned to hike but... the piano was working so I found a perfect spot in a plateaued area above house roof tops and with the mountains hiking area behind us.

It was perfect. The music was just far enough away from people to create wonder and discovery in every direction. I could see small groups gathering in the distance trying to figure out what they were seeing and hearing. Hahaha... so much fun! After a while Mo and I began to climb for a little hike ourselves and once we reached the trail met a couple from Wisconsin. Within a minute we were all heading back down to the truck. It felt like I had gone up to fetch them. When we were done rain began to fall. It was a good time to stop. As I began to put the cover on, a van pulled up. It was a guy who was working on the trail from high above. "Hi Danny, thanks for the music!" He had met my friends Linnea and Phil on the trail. It feels super good to have had music to play with today.

January 28, 2012

Kennewick, Washington State

Once again I pushed through my impulses to give up. My day turned to the good even without the Traveling Piano working. A girl named Sharon invited me into her home with brother Brian and her parents Linnea and Phil. There is a piano in the house and it felt really good to share some music even without being on the truck. We are in a dessert here in a tri-city area of southeast Washington state. I can feel the change from wet to dry bigtime, a dry dessert area with sagebrush and snow. The sun shines three hundred days a year. A chinook just happened here. That is an unusal weather system of warm air. The area is conservative to say the least. I always enjoy talking about conservative people who will invite a man and his dog who they have never met into their homes. This is because I was raised conservatively the opposite. I knew their had to be conservative people in life who were also inclusive and I have been finding them! Ha. Mo discovered tack weed while running in the fields. They are like tacks that get stuck in his paws. Ouch! I am also on the lookout for needle sharp cheat grass.

January 27, 2012

Pasco, Washington State

The music is over for now. The equipment and piano, the cold and wet weather has done them in. I trouble shooted with Josh who I am staying with. He came home from work for lunch to check out the Traveling Piano. Nothing works and I am fairly certain the piano will never work again. It is time for piano number lucky seven? The truck is using more and more oil, the stick shift is getting stuck all the time, carburetor is going once again on and on I am so sick and tired of writing about this stuff. The best thing is to head into warmer weather namely Tucson, Arizona. Hopefully I will reach it without trouble especially through snow and the mountains. Originally, I had wanted to start from Washington state and do the west coast drive through Oregon, see the redwoods, stop in San Francisco and LA. Las Vegas has been on my agenda since the beginning. Even though I may never pass this way again, I gave in to the fact the it is now the coastal rainy season. That route was not practical in the least

When I came out of Mexico a few years ago I had wanted to treat myself to a few recording sessions of music in Bryce and Zion canyons Utah. The Virginia Tech massacre took me into a different direction. The student government asked me to be with them. So now instead of the west coast I was going to check that desire off from the bucket list as I head south. Forget it because I don't want to get a new piano when I don't even know if the truck will make it.

Once I get to Tucson it will necessary to regroup and ready to leave for Central America and then South America. The constant breaking down, falling apart, fixing, draining of funds decision making is draining me of energy. These days everything in my life is slowing down, it takes me longer to do everything so I wonder if I'll ever get all of my bucket list done. China and the Superbowl is still on that list. Mo and I went for a long walk by a river today. The sun felt great. The cost of living here in Pasco is noticeably lower than any place I have ever visited and the quality of life is decent with about a quarter million people in a tri city area.

January 26, 2012

Pasco, Washington State

Wow, traveling through Washington state is not what I expected. I thought it would be all mountains and trees. First off, we left Everett on the warmest day I have felt since early fall in Alaska. The sun was shining, the roads were dry, the sky was clear it was heaven. An hour later I was driving over a mountain summit in a blizzard thankful that it was daytime because if I was to slide off the hill at least I could see where I was sliding to. The drive was also through canyons of snow over twenty feet high. I was wondering how they plowed snow that high and then saw the road plows has snow blowers. Who knew? After that I was in a land of sage brush and drifting snow. It looked like Montana with wide open country so beautiful. And then all the greenery disappeared and everything was dirt and rock. Next came reservoirs of water with wine vineyards and all of this in five hours time. We ended up in Pasco, Washington where a twenty eight year old guy named Josh has his own house in a clean and trim cookie cutter neighborhood that has a feeling of being down in Texas except for the cold. The whole experience is refreshing. We sat and talked for a good couple of hours and I was reminded how much I enjoy people and am thankful for strangers who would invite us into their homes and who are not afraid to share openly about their lives.

While driving today more thought about what I am doing and why ruminated through my head. This journey is to give people a personal one-on-one connection with another person, mainly me and... the connection is an experience of fun, friendship and respect because that is what I enjoy most in life and what is most important for me. First and foremost that is how I life and what I have to give through spirit with music, the truck and Mo helps too. Verses a priority of working to make money in order to live and be comfortably happy I want the world to see that people can and do live life happily through faith and trust in sharing and being inclusive with goodwill. (not that there is anything wrong with money and having lots of it) Money is without question necessary for this journey as is continually going to the bathroom everyday. I don't think, "I'd better go to the bathroom today or I won't be able to live and be happy or I had better make my plans around going to the bathroom or how going to the bathroom limits or adds to my activities." Ha, was that a good analogy? For the first time today while driving Mo came over next to me and laid across my leg as I drove. This is what piano dog Boner used to do. I was hoping eventually it would happen with Mo. It was very satisfying.

January 25, 2012

Washington State

I am having high anxiety. You'd think I'd be used to life by now? We are heading out tomorrow. Along with fear, there is a lot of excitement. I have three places lined up. The first in Pasco, Washington, then nearby in Kennewick, Washington and then south to Boise Idaho. With all the unknowingness to deal with, here is where my flow lays. We are heading south to Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil and then Argentina if the Traveling Piano will take us there. The first guy I "found" to stay with in Pasco Washington the only thing I know about him is that he went to Costa Rica and wants to go to Brazil. The guy in Boise has traveled all of South America by bike on a journey sometime ago. What are the chances? I connected with these guys for totally different reasons. Last night online I discovered two fellow musicians and friends will coincidentally be in Costa Rica in March. What are the chances? I stopped at a tire store today because the wheel is looking flat and I have a lot of driving in rural areas to do. The guy took care of it in less than ten minutes. There had been a screw imbedded in the tire. He removed it and plugged the hole, fifteen bucks. A computer file went corrupt and I could not access my server. I kept my cool for hours yesterday and today. By chance I found The Mac Store in Seattle which was not the usual "attitude" type Apple computer store, they were an independent dealer. No waiting, the guy found the problem and fixed it in less than ten minutes, no charge. Nothing new here, a journey full of validation and reassurance. Still, my God the anxiety!

January 24, 2012

Washington State

Been laying low which is easy to do when its raining.

January 23, 2012

Edmonds, Washington State

After writing today what is below... something was wrong, why was I so messed up in my head taking the piano out... where was the gratitude, the fun then I started to feel depressed. It took about two hours to realize that I had talked with my friend Larry back east by phone on the way to Edmonds. He recently turned eighty years old and his health is failing fast. I've known him since I was ten, he is a hero of mine, a mentor a most significant friend. I had repressed what I was feeling totally... lots of sadness along with my issues, the journeys, the truck. So with that here is what I wrote...

I'm feeling less and less like I care about what I write so here goes. How much longer can I take dealing with everything. Physically, I'm sick and tired of my lack of stamina. Hell I'll say it.... I can't "just do it" get into better shape, healthier... I have too much weight. I've been doing the best that I can, thats all I can say. The sun was out "rare" so I began to pack the truck and ready it for leaving Washington. Mail that I have been waiting for did not arrive so we drove out for some music before the sun set. The travel bag I use ripped, the slow leak in the tire still there, clutch going bad for sure, break fluid leak in the cylinder still there, tough going up any hills. We ended up in Edmonds, Washington near a ferry right on the beach and next to a fenced in dog park with the sun setting. Great, right? First thing, Mo was so excited he jumped over the steering wheel and out the passenger window. Very, very bad... it was cold and chaotic. Of course he needed to be disciplined, right? He can't do stuff like this. I left him in the cab with the windows rolled up. That lasted for about ten minutes. So much for lesson not learned. It was more important for me to enjoy his playing in the park with the other dogs and being on the piano with me for people. Bad Danny, I need to be disciplined. Next, I turn on the piano and the electronics keep switching from strings, to organ, to piano to something strange in-between. The keyboard is just about shot. I'm fed up dealing with everything falling apart... me and the truck et al... So much for growing old and withering away gracefully.

The first group on the piano, a mother with her daughters wanted their picture taken with their camera but did not want me to have one or allow me to take one with my camera.. Ugh, bad start. At least my priorities are straight with who the Traveling Piano was for at that moment... it was not about me, I had invited them up into the truck bed and so I let them be. Would it have been better to be just left alone? No, not today when there is so little time left to enjoy the people of Washington state. The friends they were with took over and wanted their picture taken and then the piano steadied in sound and then more interested, very appreciative friendly people began to approach us and then the best thing to happen today... a haze lifted in the distance to show beautiful snowcapped mountain ridges over the water far away. Then my mind goes to how can I leave this place, the water, the people? I cannot stand being conflicted. I'm sick of being in crappy weather knowing how fantastic it will be here in a few months when I won't be here. Part of me says stay and just start asking everyone I meet to help me get on a plane to take the truck overseas, this falling apart truck with a falling apart man with a disobedient dog. When leaving Alaska I went through this dilemma of settle down or keep going. Should I stay where I am appreciated? Oh, yea... once again, it is not about me. It is about me finding a way in the world to contribute that works and for the most part brings me joy so I can put that back out there for others. How much longer? I'm not going to kid myself and say once I get into sunnier, warmer weather... if I can find better environments to stay in, all will get better. It is all "a from the inside out job" and I know that.

January 22, 2012

Washington State

The galleries are being revamped on this site... about a hundred and fifty thousand links are in the process of being reorganized. Everything will now be in a time line because I can't find pictures when I look for them. There are so many, somewhere between thirty and forty thousand. The job is tedious, time consuming and I've been motivated. Waiting...a new bank card is a week late in the mail and when it arrives I'll be leaving Washington. Not knowing in what direction (except south) or where I will stay, how much farther the truck will go, etc... verses thinking what a fun adventure, all my present needs are being fulfilled, no outside pressure, there is purpose if I need to look in that direction, love... I can do whatever I want, I have a great companion with Mo... verses positive or negatinve I can be just neutral about it all. I'll be leaving right in the middle of getting the pictures reorganized and there is concern if I leave what I am doing I will forget where I am in the process and land up in nowhere land. Balance... balance... balance, going with the flow, accpeting everything... that is a safe place for my head.

January 21, 2012

Washington State

When I began this journey I had no idea how important pictures would become. I enjoy working with them. They help keep me on track with validation, are a way to connect with people, a distraction from evil thoughts. :) I can immerse myself in totally in my work with them. Some people play computer games, drink, have sex, facebook, shop, think of ways to commit murder... I create, organize, file and post Traveling Piano pictures whenever I can. There is no way I can see getting caught up as I once was but for the last two days while its been snowing and raining life has been all about pictures. Also, before bed I watched a movie called the Motorcycle Diaries. Great movie, the time was ripe for me to watch it.

January 20, 2012

Washington State

Immersed in the Traveling Piano picture galleries. I have not been creating music, that is not a good thing for my mental state of mind.

January 19, 2012

Washington State

We are having a rare experience here in Washington State. I would not call it a storm because there has been no wind but it has been snowing. How can you have a storm with no wind? For several days there has been a steady snowfall, a constant drizzle of snow. A big chunk of the willow tree on the front lawn fell. I suggested we call the local television news. (sarcasm) There is about a foot and a half of snow. I love it except for the fact that we are in a suburban type neighborhood full of houses and streets and very little nature. It feels like this may be my last experience in snow ever... so I'm enjoying the hell out of it... sort of like it is my last day here on earth which of course it will not be. How can anyone not enjoy snow? To say that would be like, "I don't enjoy flowers because they are distracting, or mountains because you need to climb them to get where you want to go, or because it makes trees fall down and kill people or even worse... you need to clean up the mess snow creates." I met some neighbors at the local ball field with Mo. The guy told me last week he was sitting watching a football game on television and thought, "I'm hearing beautiful music, how strange they would be playing that kind of music in a football arena." Then after a while he turned down the volume and realized it was not coming from the television but from outside where we were having musical fun curbside with the other neighbors. Joy, dwelling with snow... so full of play, clean fun, only here for short periods of time and if desired, a person can use it as a great distraction from everything unpleasant.

January 18, 2012

Washington State

It has been snowing. I've been hiding in the bedroom while getting work done and also tv... once I start watching a television series I like with no commercials... can't stop. When I leave here I'm going to need to have to acclimate myself back into the world of no television.

January 17, 2012

Washington State

So where am I presently? Even though I have not been posting to the blog everyday I still have been writing. I posted it all below. I'm still in Washington state about an hour north of Seattle. A heavy snow is falling nicely and there is about six inches so far which is rare for this area. Of course the news media is calling it a super blizzard! Luckily, the Traveling Piano is in a garage with a small heater, I am still in my friends home. The piano works sometimes. There is almost certainly a small leak in two of the tires definitely a leak from a break fluid seal somewhere. Mo, he just be. He is wonderful and always wanting to run and play. Every night we super cuddle in bed before falling asleep. I am getting over being sick and have a back ache probably from laying around and sleeping too much. Yesterday for the second time this week I spent the entire day watching episodes of 30 Rock. I think I really needed that and enjoyed it very much. I'm getting ready to move forward into a new leg of the journey down the coast to San Francisco and then LA or to China or to South America... Costa Rica, Brazil and then onto Argentina or some other country. The destination will reveal itself as soon as I am totally ready to leave. It always does. I can't imagine the truck living past another thousand miles because to imagination that translates into dealing with constant upkeep and repairs never knowing when, where or how trouble will occur and then letting go of the money that remains to accomplish whatever it needs... finding places to stay, choosing crapy one night stays in motels, etc... blah, blah, blah. The blog entry from January 12th where I was asking contribution for a new piano from the tens of thousands of people who have been part of this journey and those who read this blog? One friend sent a hundred bucks. I'll work to imagine and focus on fun. It is the only answer. Die, die, die!!! Its fun! Ha. Actually, love is the only answer. In this present moment... I am loving it all.Thank God and the universe that I can do that, really it is how I feel.

January 16, 2012

Washington State

I've been thinking for a while now with thoughts of being fed up, tired of dealing with all the... "It Is What It Is" of this journey. Really, it feels like I have been slipping more and more, on and off track.... tired and fed up with relating to people and the environments that have been shared with me. It is not an issue of gratitude as much as an issue of what I want for my life and what I am willing to put up with in order to get what I want. Therein lays the problem. Put up with what? Thoughts of "putting up with" do not belong in this journey. That translates into tolerating... not fun. Words I realize are important so maybe "dealing" might better then to say "putting up." And then I can turn the word dealing into play. Would that make it easier? Probably I'm talking about boundaries and limits for myself. In reality, it is ridiculous to try and perceive life as perfect all the time. The goal is fun.

Over the last two or three months maybe four, I've been thinking about how it has been more difficult to write respectful blog entries concerning any difficulties in relationship with the people I encounter or stay with. I have found myself trying to find ways to dodge any harshness with my disappointments and I've been honest about everything but have been very sensitive on how I communicate my truths because... 1. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. 2. I don't want this journey to seem like a downer. (all the time) 3. I don't want to scare people away from being interested. (ha, too late to worry about that) Everything is not always Peachy Kean. Have you ever heard that phrase before? There is one last reason... part of me does not trust myself, I don't want to create unnatural drama in order to generate interest... basically, I want to keep to the truth.

I haven't really talked in ways that communicate (at least I've tried not to) the people I have not enjoyed, or who have treated me like shit. There has actually been very few shiters but they do exist. There have been people who are amazingly hospitable but they lose the ability to sustain any hospitality before the visit ends. They become impatient with no tolerance because of dysfunction in their own lives and when the dysfunctional behavior begins to surface they basically turn into jerks and then I begin to feel like an intruder because they don't want me to see their dysfunctions. I want to be honest and say that I've had only a few bad experiences in over a hundred people. Then there are those who have no idea of what they are getting into with a stranger coming into their house and do not have the coping skills to deal with the newness so I must cope for them, myself and the dog. Very work! And then there have been a few psychos who at first are amazingly fun. It takes about three days for their craziness to surface and then, wowa boy... I've had to become a constant watchdog side stepping the land mines so to speak.

Some people have tried to insert self serving agenda's into the visit like wanting me to clean their house or have sex or just sleep with them... yes, at my age and with what I look like!!! I was stuck in a rural area once with people who thought I was Gods answer to their prayers and they were going to make a movie of the journey where I would hand over all the rights to them. It was a setup where I had to deal with their rejection and embarrassment for two days. I've stayed with alcoholics and drug addicts, husbands and wives who cheat on each other in amazingly insidious ways and with same sex partners and people with hardcore sexual problems, I mean "really" hardcore. Oh my god the variety of fundamentally religious people, atheist, agnostic, secular humanists and lala land people... sometimes there is a need to constantly switch my language, the words I use in order to convey a common level of communication. That can be exhausting. I've learned about transgendered and polyamorous communities and even though it felt uncomfortable at first I have very much appreciated the opportunity to understand better. One couple I stayed with hated the next town I was to visit and so began to hate me as a result. I visited one place where the person who was going to host us began to manipulate our visit to gain who knows what? I suppose they thought I would be someone of influence for the community. They began to play with my head so bad I decided not to stay with them and as a result once I got into the town... to explain why we were not staying with them... I found out they had spread an unture story that we had visited and Mo peed on their couch and... as a result we were thrown out of the house!

continued...

January 15, 2012

Washington State

I have almost lost friendships over the words I use in my blog when writing about experiences with friends for example my friend Cory commanded I not use the word "dog" when speaking about his relating to women... it was more offensive than the word fuck or cunt. Problems like this have happened more than once. For some reason that just reminded me of a couple who invited the neighbors over and the five of us sat in a circle in the living room. For the hour and a half we sat, only two sentences were spoken. The rest of the time we sat silent and we were not mediating and I am not exaggerating. Living situations... I could talk for weeks...I'll just mention a few that come to mind first... the outhouse I had to go back to after taking a dump and go down into it using the grapper to get the dirty toilet paper out because the rule was, "no dirty toilet paper in the pooper." The paper was to be used for the morning stove. The house(s) full of cats... (mr. allergic here) people get used to the smell of dirty cat litter and have no idea... no idea... I've had to keep my coat and clothes in the truck on more than one occasion because there is no getting dirty cat smell out of clothes once it seeps in. There have been homes so full of clutter (for years) there was nowhere to sit except on the bed or at the kitchen table because the living room chairs had to be stacked and the sofa turned onto its side to accommodate the junk. I had originally refused to purchase a sleeping bag for this journey but was sure glad I did when I used one bed which was a couch that two single guys and their dogs had been using. The couch was covered in splooge. (look it up) I now have several friends who I am afraid to eat with... not because they cook bad but because their food is old... rotting fruit and vegetables and canned goods outdated up to six years! The reason, its cheap, they like getting a deal. This is not a complaining rant. I have food issues, ha. Lastly, do you have any idea how many variations of moldy smells can be found in a home? Of course I have also stayed in obsessively clean households and everything in between but... ahhhhhhhhhhh, I needed to purge those six years of "no,no" sharing memories into this blog!

Which brings me up to a reality check. Owning nothing but the Traveling Piano and what is in it and with no savings I am realizing more and more that if I look to make money I need to "sell" something as in a concept, brand myself, my talents, the journey or... work for someone or... get money from God and the Universe. When I woke up this morning the first thought that entered my mind was... "the world does not run on money." Hmm... This blogs intent originally was to have a way for my son to stay connected to me as he drifted off into his own world separate from mine. And then it became also to share my wonderful experiences with the world. After that I decided it might be best to share it all, the wonderful... and not as in "It is what it is." The mission is about fun, friendship and respect with musical empowerment and inspiration at no cost and without commercial, organizational or political affiliation using spontaneity and synchronicity to create music for people to discover. The journey is about relationship... "It is what it is." I do not want the responsibility of money but I want what money can bring, illusional as it may be... the influence, support, life experiences, security, worldly comforts. Money is not the end all of my life. Asking for contribution financially for this journey to date has been one big flop. I have no interest in selling, working for, and I am afraid to ask God or the universe for (responsibility) anything related to this journey to make money. The journey is not about money it is about living in the moment and living life successfully as a result of fun! It cannot be denied that this journey and life have been a total success for six years now... as a result of creating fun which has been the foundation, not money . Of course the majority of people will say yea but what happens if... when... after, etc... and that most everything has happened to date as a result of money from the sale of my home. As the money from the sale of my home becomes less and less the illusion that I must have money to continue living seeps in more and more to my consciousness. It really fucks everything up so I work to not think about money period. That is not easy and I am not always successful with that.

People... I want to talk about people a little more. My experience is that people in general stay connected with me here and there, sporadically and without commitment. It is important to realize I choose that result for my life, that of being a free spirit without close and tight relationships having obligation or expectation. What I am is what I get. When I am feeling needy, the free spirit choice really sucks because I must do the work and reach out for connections. Still, it is better than any alternative so far in my life which for me translates into dysfunctional relationships, usually toxic. I am very aware that any relationship takes two. Where is the balance, the middle ground... will I ever have any long term (at fifty six or seven years of age now, how long is long) consistency in respect to a "special, end all, the one relationship for ever and ever" before I die? I'm not so sure that is meant to be for anyone although I have met people who say they have or had it. I have close friends of a sort... since high school, but there is no one I can call up on the phone and who will be there for me unconditionally unless I really need it. There is commitment and then there is free spiritism. It is six of one, half dozen of another and that is my experience. It is allot like money. I can create easily the perception that without money life cannot exist as in... with no "special" relationships as in commitment, obligation there will be no support or help in time of need... but wait a minute, that is just not true. Someone will always step up to the plate, especially strangers if it is seen that anyone is needy enough. It is all about what people perceive as a need. As a child I was taught not to talk to strangers. What a bummer. What the hell am I talking about here? Sorry, I digress lost in too much thought.

continued...

January 14, 2012

Washington State

Anyway, another big part of this journey actually the first part to become attached... was to work with someone. For my entire working career I have been totally on my own. All the marketing, booking, management, performing, promo, everything... and I became too tired and burnt out to continue alone so the healthy solution I felt was to connect with someone and jump into a process of trust in relationship through my work. That is where I wanted Oprah's company Harpo Productions to come into my life. I decided that I would trust through her production company to work with. To date I'm still waiting... although not on bended knee. As time moves on I am getting burnt out once again as I was with Raggin' Piano Boogie but now it is with the journey. I am discovering that I have been doing life just like I always did. Now it is just more apparent with clarification by calling myself a free spirit... and the feeling that I will not be able to continue much longer has been growing and sticking around. To continue as I have been doing translates into knowing realities that are just a down right pain in the ass.. living in uncomfortable environments that I have not been able to acclimate myself to, every once in a while having a short teasing luxurious earthly experience. I'm also tired of making sure I do not overstep my boundaries with people, making sure I do not take advantage, being considerate in every way imaginable, making sure I have toilet paper with me, enough water to the next destination, cleanliness in general, making decisions and choices, the truck falling apart, the equipment needing replacement, supplies, my health, balancing my energy, the rough travel roads... I'm tired of the insecurity and fear, the non-clarity, I can hardly keep my where-with-all... you know I want to be honest here. I need to stop the tirade. Reality just entered my brain with what is important. When I am totally involved in the the work of the journey... creating music, interacting with people on the Traveling Piano, experiencing nature... there is nothing but bliss... worldly and otherwise.

The reason I continue onward now twenty six years on the truck is because everything has always pointed forward. I've never felt a true "its over... stop" except for "working" the career part as in performing for fees etc... living life the way I was doing before the journey began over six years ago. My writings during the last six years are full of amazing syncronisities, validation and reassurances telling me, showing me that what I am doing is true, good, correct, etc... These experiences continue to happen every day. Just another reason I write this blog. I want people to believe along with me. This blog is the proof of my worthiness even though it is through the journey. Ha, what a tell! Where is the worthiness in myself through just "being?" I want to feel worthy with or without the journey or any other worldly accomplishment. My spirit in being is everything, at least thats what I tell other people about themselves, why should it not be for myself. "I often say, there are witnesses! Yea, thats what I need." There is still room to grow in not needing other peoples ok, nods and financial contributions for proof in order to live my life as I want to see it. I work on that every day let me tell you.

I would like to partner with ... whatever I'm not sure, in order to continue. There is more wind needed beneath my wings to fly further. God, don't make me create more of my own wind! This long writing shows I am winded enough on my own. I'll just keep doing the best that I can for as long as I can and continue to deal with life (as in this journey) until I can no longer deal. When I heard Oprah say, "God, use me until I'm all used up" I felt a great... big... Ugh! I wrote all this to help me let go of the "ugh"... the negative projecting, assumptions, all the illusional realities, lack of patience, tolerance and acceptance I feel I need for myself. This journey is like everything else in life, it is like a marriage. The only way to continue and stay involved is to be interested. The game, the playing as in fun comes from constantly finding ways to stay interested. That is my personal life experience, I accomplish nothing with "same old same old." That translates into black or white, the same old good or the same old good or bad. My life is a practice of staying staying grounded which translates into the middle part of my ever changing world because it will continue to change wether I like it to or not, wether I perceive it as good or bad, enough or not. "Danny, remember to just enjoy the shit out of every moment." With all of my fucked up qualities, questionable character, mistrust, neediness and learned, ingrained, taught dysfunctional behaviors as a result... in spite of a strong and great part of me that has a constant desire to disconnect and run away from life all the time, I have created for my life through grace, a way to stay connected and enjoy. It is called living in the moment and for now I would be an idiot not to continue manifesting that in the way... it has been working. My challenge is to keep working it in different ways or whatever ways are created for me... acknowledge that everything that happens is simply part of the journey, remember that it is all good because it is and to... Hold on Danny, Hold On!!!

January 13, 2012

Everett, Washington State

The day was spent in bed sick. I watched the entire first season of 30 Rock and did nothing else and that was good.

January 12, 2012

Everett, Washington State

A lot of thought went into todays post because I dislike asking for anything. I was taught never to ask for anything ever. I was taught NOT to ask for anything. To ask for anything would be to act needy which wrong, bad, not good. To ask for anything I was taught is selfish and stupid. Also, I learned in the beginning of this journey that asking for money is a job like any other job and I already have a job that I like... the journey itself. It takes all of my energy. So to wrap my brain around my financial situations I work to keep perspective and sometimes ask for support and sometimes it is in the form of money but even with that perspective... not easy, not fun. Maybe that is why I receive so little. Because looking for support has no fun in it? Maybe if I did it with someone else it would be more fun. Onward... Contribute Here

I'll use this poor me moment to ask... Who would like to buy us a new piano so we can keep going? Help!!! Ha, I don't really need it... I would like to have it. I want the friendship and support exemplified through money for a new piano. Financial support is one way to show friendship. There is nothing wrong with showing friendship through support financially. People give to organizations all the time. I've always thought it better to create support one-on-one with individuals... verses business or non-profits which are really business too. An idiot statement (also very telling) was made recently in the press that "Corporations are People Too." Corporations as well as organizations are not people. Ha! You can quote me on that. You can also go to Contribute Here to help out the Traveling Piano because please, there is a necessity going on! The new piano... most probably will be a Yamaha P-155 controller keyboard to replace the Yamaha P-140 that presently fits inside the Traveling Piano keyboard facade. It will cost a thousand dollars.

So here I am in bed sick. I did not even wake up until four in the afternoon. The first thing I did was take Mo out for a run. I did that yesterday also along with giving myself a bath, brushed my teeth, ate, groomed myself a little... then back to bed. (Ha, yes I did just place the fact that I am sick in todays blog strategically to help garner sympathy for support, but also because it is what has been really going on) The Traveling Piano's.... piano, is about ninety percent dead. The outside environment and weather have taken their toll. It happens every few years of course. The time space between each new piano continually gets shorter because keyboard product quality on the whole, continually declines. The suppliers do that on purpose they make better quality pianos with shorter longevity and then limit the supply. I'd rather just have a damm good product that lasts a long time and pay top dollar. Keep it simple.Contribute Here

January 11, 2012

Everett, Washington State

Fuck. Why do I sometimes have a problem writing that word? Its a problem when I don't want to offend people. When and how would it offend people? Or, when is it appropriate not to offend people and... who gets to determine all that? Fuck... fuck... fuck! Its a word I use as an expression associated with the feeling being hurt and don't use it to hurt anyone except myself. I never say fuck you to people at least not to their face or out loud and when I say it silently... yes, it is to hurt them, ha. Ok, sometimes I am weak and just "mirror" other fuckers! Not usually.

Anyway, I am just distracted. I'm sick with a cold I brought on from stress... pushing myself physically, mentally and emotionally. It is never fun to be sick while constantly traveling. When will I learn to not take chances and over push to become healthy? Never, because everything is always changing... not only my my decisions but with age, environment, needs, etc... wether I want it to or not. I just do the best that I can and work on embracing it all. Gratefully, I am staying with friends I can be sick with. Life is a constant practice concerning not pushing myself too much, keeping a balance, going with the flow! Mo, he knows when I am sick. He is a miracle the way he communicates his knowledge in simply "being" with me... through everything. Its a miracle that I can see, feel and benefit from that. To experience miracle type wonders, that takes practice, like I've been practicing my whole lifetime... and the practice continues. The need for ongoing practice is obvious.

January 10, 2012

Everett, Washington State

Spent the day in the sun having musical fun taking pictures of people playing the piano without a friggin' camera card in the camera! I really dislike when that happens. Mo and I started out at the printer shop again getting more flyers made up. This time they were printed in Spanish which will be helpful once I cross the boarder into Mexico. I learned that from experience last time I was down there. While waiting for the copies a fun lady came running across the street from the store she was working in and that started the piano day. Afterwards I stopped at a little mexican bakery named Panaderia. After having struck up a conversation with Georgina the owner I found out that she used to drive back and forth from Everett to Guadalupe Mexico in just three days. She is going to help me with a route and has family to help out once I get into the area. No solicitation here... she gave me a big fat burrito and Mo got a taco full of beef, pork and chicken. How could I say no to her giving that treat to him especially since she gave me twenty five bucks cash on top of the burrito? People like this who contribute just because... totally energize me inside and out.

I randomly stopped in a shopping center parking lot to eat my burrito and that led to other interactions. A little hesitant to mention this but what the hell... I stopped at Value Village which is a used clothing store for the first time in my life. I actually found a few things, then I went to a more expensive new clothing store and got a few things to create some balance. There is little storage space in the truck so I have been wearing the same clothes for years. Ha! All day long I met people... and have none of their pictures for them or to share or for me!!! No more hot yoga classes for a while. I stressed my body out so much last time I have a big cold. That made me settle down to rest which lead to internet exploring for a route to Brazil which lead to all the hassles and trouble that could possibly exist in the world to even attempt it. But I also found people who have accomplished the feat and a gazillion websites of "like" travelers, all individuals living out their dreams.

January 09, 2012

Snohomish County, Washington State

Christian, the husband part of Sharon, the couple I have been staying with, he came home today after spending almost a month in California with family. He says they have had no rain and it has been sunny everyday. (northern california) I don't know what depresses me more the fact that I missed almost a month of sun or that it has been what it is here... and with Alaska behind me it has been several months of dark, wet and cold. Next topic... I no longer think that online or big retail chain stores will have less expensive products. It is just not always true. Shopping around if possible is the solution. While looking to get cheapy black and white photo copy flyers made today I found online can be very scammy and time consuming, then I checked out a few places like Office Depot who wanted to charge additional for cutting the flyers in half and then I found a small local business two blocks away, ten bucks cheaper then the chain stores, no extra charges and the guy made my flyers while I waited. As this journey continues I am becoming a bigger supporter of small business. I'll even spend a little more if neccessary to support individuals verses big business... even if they have more in life than I do. People myself included, have a tendency to be conditioned with how money is spent.

January 08, 2012

Snohomish County, Washington State

Sometimes I wonder... and wonder and wonder and wonder what I am to do... if I can continue and what I am going to continuing doing. My friend Sharon's friend Julie came over to help clean Sharon's car so I drove the Traveling Piano curbside to give her some music while she worked which started the neighborhood "thing" I have come to love and that is the Traveling Piano being a vehicle to bring people out of there homes and together. Next door neighbor Tim (who is a terrific artist) decided to drive me around as I created music with Mo on top of the piano which was really a treat. We drove down Broadway, a main city strip. The police stopped to get a picture but there was no way the guy was going to get onto the piano seat to play.

We drove through neighborhood streets, around the parking lot of the local supermarket and then I stopped before going back to where I am staying to get some pizza. We interacted with the employees and a few customers. There are no more flyers to give out. I've used up all my contact papers and promo from the old days since Boner died. Having something for people to take with them and find us on the web once they get home is important. I created a new flyer tonight. Now I must go find a copy place. I'd like to ask them to contribute and am sure someone would but I just don't have the type of energy needed these days to ask people for support. Thats not a good thing! It is what it is.

January 07, 2012

Everett, Washington State

The day was spent creating almost four hundred pictures for the Danny and Mo website link. There is more to do. I am sooo... sick of looking at myself! The Traveling Piano pictures help me to keep a perspective and remember the fun and also what happened because there is no way I would remember even from the beginning to the end of the same day. It is also a reality check of what I look like. I almost never look at myself without my clothes on any more. Why would I want to gross myself out? Reminds me of while in a yoga class a few days ago.I couldn't get through it... too exhausted. I laid on the floor for about ninety percent of the class constantly telling myself to keep my eyes open to stay present. Wether it be an orgasm, the creating of music, looking at my body or experiencing any sensation good or bad there are times I close my eyes wanting to subconsciously think something else or just escape for whatever reason. Its been that way for as long as I can remember. Just a miscellaneous thought I had the other day that is still with me... I wonder if complaining (not habitually) is simple a way of trying to understand something?

January 06, 2012

Snohomish County, Washington State

There was a little impulse of impending doom this morning. Negative impulses come into ma' brain all the time. I catch them immediately and either shrug them off or go through them. I took Mo to the vet to get a stool sample exam. I need to make sure he doesn't have worms again. I took the truck to a local mechanic because well, it always has a problem... it leaks break fluid, needs oil, the idle keeps dropping, the alignment is off again etc... then I took myself to a clothing store to try and allow myself to purchase some new clothes. That task failed. As I began to drive I thought, "I'm not playing music in this cold and then as I realized I needed a fix of music or my mood would sink so... I headed over to a local restaurant where I told the waitress I would give a visit several days ago.

Curiously enough the first person to walk by was one of the last people to experience the Traveling Piano which was back on New Years Eve at the city port a few miles away. He was bringing in his boat in from the water. His work office happen to be across the street. In a city of 100,000 people and about 65 miles in size what are the chances of my running into this guy again in a completely different place and immediately as I pull into the spot. So after I was done at the restaurant I pulled across the street over into his neck of the woods for a short while. As I finished it began to drizzle It was all so short and sweet. More than the Traveling Piano story, me or Mo or getting onto the truck to have a go at it for himself... the guy was most interested in hearing more of my music which was for me, significant. He has a piano in his home so I told him how I began to improvise six years ago.

January 05, 2012

Everett, Washington State

The only reason why I am able to continue is that I receive validation and reassurance that the world appreciates what I have to offer and wants it. This feels unfortunate to say but I must reach out for that validation and reassurance. It feels like the validation and reassurance should come naturally but most usually only comes when I ask for it... it is what it is. Validation and reassurance for anything other than the fact that I was loved by my mother and father which had an enormous amount of fear attached while growing up, ...what it feels like concerning any earthly, good or fun accomplishment, I had to learn on my own. To "do" does not feel or come to me naturally and when "doing" unless I am completely immersed, fear is usually attached. I don't want to confuse here so I must also say that I do what I do... because I want to... and it is fun. Anything someone truely wants to do can be accomplushed. I'm grateful to have found something that I want to do, is fun and worthwhile... and is worth the effort to reach out to get validation and reassurance for. I am going to put my living in the moment disclaimer with that... (for today).

January 04, 2012

Everett, Washington State

Being conscious for me takes effort. By nature effort for me takes the form of control. I am a believer in stretching and breathing. Today while doing yoga I was reminded to breath naturally. That means don't think about it because then I take control and that takes effort and... I'm sooo tired of putting forth effort, so my job is to just listen and simply stay aware of my breathing. Can we talk big time practice? Danny, stay simple? Another thing today I was thinking about how important it is that I keep Piano Dog Mo happy, healthy, playful and inspired because that is what he feeds me for my life. This is the way life works best, we help support each other. Seeing that he is under my stewardship the responsibility is foremost mine. I'm thankful the Traveling Piano truck has a garage to protect it because everyday lately has been dark, cold and wet.

January 03, 2012

Everett, Washington State

I want to stay clear about who this journey is for, what the reason for it is. Reason? Ha, the purpose... everything comes down to me but other stuff constantly seeps in like, inspiring the world, individuals, proving my worthiness, fame, fortune, fornication, truths, integrity, good character, hahaha... It seems like I want to do something, anything, everything or something else and I sometimes I forget that I am doing exactly what I want to do wether I like it or not.

January 02, 2012

Everett, Washington State

Sometimes life feels so ridiculous. Why do I have to "do." I very much dislike the idea that I must plan, prepare, earn, seek, keep, forge, participate, necessitate the needs to live. And then on the other hand I've been taught the only alternative is to live in complete fear about the unknowing on whatever level in whatever form and live a life that is full of taking chances in total chaos. Reality check... Neither one of those sentences are true. What is true is that I am not alone and along with gratitude... faith in joy... and all of my fantastic experiences... along with the tools I have learned to use in order to live in the present moment... the only thing necessary is to remember that I am responsible for how I perceive life. When it comes to my deepest personal self... what other people perceive is worthless. All of my experiences, I bring to life. Comfort with no fear is the goal and if there is one thing I have learned on this journey... "comfort" is a relative matter, term, concept, thing, meaning, state, experience, etc... and if I don't feel comfort then fear enters to breed chaos and the feeling of being lost in the unknown. Today I have been in a quandary concerning comfort. Someone might consider these thoughts psychobabble and to them I say... thats what happens when there is no television for a distraction! Ha, really but the bottom line for me to remember is that I am not alone physically, mentally or spiritually.

January 01, 2012

Everett, Washington State

So... big Traveling Piano news for this first day of 2012. While creating music in rural China is always on my mind along with the other dreams like creating music on an Alaskan iceberg, a musical Traveling Piano streak (clothed) across the Superbowl field for fun entertainment, hitching a ride on a super yacht to different continents with the Traveling Piano, a television show or movie... all that is still there but for now Mo and I are driving to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil... and then to Argentina!!! Can't think about it... just need to do it. As soon as I'm clear headed (hahaha) packed, clean, ready and set... we will leave the Seattle area and GO!

No other thoughts except go...go...go. Needs will happen when they happen and I'll deal with them as they happen. We can do this. After all, in six years time (after the first twenty) the Traveling Piano has already made it to the middle west coast of Mexico... the most eastern tip of Newfoundland... the most north highway tip of Canada in Dawson, Yukon... the western tip of Alaska, up to Fairbanks and off the coast of Alaska to Sitka... as well as back and forth, up and down, all around the lower forty eight United States... this next leg of the journey will be a piece of cake! None of it would have happened without Piano Dog Boner to keep me company in the beginning (my dream of the world meeting him did happen) and now the super dog spirit continues with Piano Dog Mo.

Amazingly enough I updated the website for this present year. When I first began this website along with my friend Wes it would take me weeks to figure out a simple task. Now six years later, I'm doing it all by myself and in a couple of hours. For anyone visiting the first time... if you want to see what happened yesterday or last month or daily for the last six years go to the left of this page and look under the "Past Years" link. For yesterday click on the year and then a page of twelve months will appear. Click on the December link and you will find yesterday, December 31st down to December 1st. The use your backspace or click on the "Read the Daily Log" banner to get back here.