email to our adult children

Hubby and I are on the 15th anniversary version of the Smooth Jazz Cruise.  This is our 8th one.  We were on the first year, back in 2004, on the first ever cruise of this kind, conceived of by Warren Hill.  Above is a photo I took that year of Kirk Whalum and Jeff Golub, and which I then had each of them autograph the following year in 2005.  It is part of what my adult children refer to as my “jazz shrine” in our living room.  They are not wrong.  Sadly, Jeff passed away in 2015.  I will tell you a bit more about that in my next post. Since it is late and I must get at least a little sleep, here is the email I just sent to our kids:

Almost done with our 24 hours of internet time we bought.  We will be back in the U.S. on regular phone connectivity first thing Saturday morning, even though we won’t be home until Sunday midday.

Attached is a picture of me and Ruby Whalum (Kirk’s wife).  Tonight Rick Braun played a song in a late-night venue (two songs actually) with other musicians that we love in tribute to Jeff Golub.  The song I mention in particular is one called Philadelphia, which Rick recorded with Jeff.  Randy Jacobs, who has been on these cruises all 15 years as a side-band musician and whom we admire very much played the Jeff part.  I had tears running down my face, which is kind of amazing as dehydrated as we are on day six of the cruise…