The spoils from Cafe Tartine included a fresh baked loaf of walnut bread, still warm from the oven, a box full of cookies, and a chocolate walnut brownie. There were also two Scharffen Berger chocolate puddings: one for myself, and the other for Mardi Love.

I tried to get Mardi's favorite chocolate éclairs for her, but they were out. Actually, this fine assortment of desserts is about half the usual take from the typical Cafe Tartine gigs, not to mention all the delectable treats and coffee we consume on the job.

Sure, the gig doesn't pay a lot -- fifty bucks for two hours. But it's really more like a paid rehearsal -- and we spend about a third of the time eating! And if you add up the food we consume on the job and take home, that would be another fifty bucks each, too. Often my bag of goodies to go is heavier than my drum.

Mmm. . .chocolate pudding is good.

Chile was fun and exciting and I know I said I'd post more about it. But I was really having too much fun to spend time in front of the computer. I don't know how, but the belly dancers managed to find me there, too: www.youtube.com/watch

Since I've been back it's been very busy. In February alone I played 13 shows, including a major two-weekend circus production. I played as a guest artist with Tabla Rasa tablarasa.creationation.com/about/ which was fantastic because these guys are kick ass musicians. I got to work on some of the South Indian repertoire that I had studied a year and a half ago in India and don't otherwise get a chance to play. The gig went pretty good -- our tempo got a little fast at the end, and Tim and I had to bail out for one section and let Jim take over. More exciting than just doing this one show with them is that they want to play more with me (honestly it feels like they're giving me free drum lessons).