SURPRISE! I'm back

So I know it's been a while, and there's so much to talk about, but let's begin where I left off last time. First off, I went home for the first weekend of March to surprise Gabe during his going-away party, which was awesome. I knew I couldn't tell Dad, because he's a terrible liar, but Ben helped me pull the whole thing off, and it was perfect. I told them that I had a lot of work and some concerts so I couldn't make it, and they totally bought it. That Friday night I got to see a college friend of mine in Davis Square, which involved Red Bones so I don't have to tell you just how awesome it was. Then we had a brunch over at Ben and Jamie's on Saturday morning, but I was hiding in the bathroom until Gabe showed up, and then I casually walked into the kitchen as he was making coffee. It was brilliant, he was completely stunned, as were Dad and Vicki, so all in all, mission: accomplished.
That night we had a big party for Gabe, which involved great food, great friends, and a pseudo-roast in which people shared stories about Gabe and how much he means to everyone, and of course his adventurous personality. As the night progressed, the elders retreated to their beds, and the youngins stayed up playing Wii until the sun came up. It was priceless.

Of course Ben had some classic stories in the vault that he was just dying to share.

That Sunday Ben and I bought some new ingredients for my home-brewing kit, so I could make a new batch of my own beer. I seriously thought it would overflow, but it just barely fit. Look at that beautiful color. It's a Red Ale, by the way.
So after making the concoction in a pot that was clearly too small, you let it sit in a barrel for a week before bottling. Just look at it's gorgeous color:
I wanted to drink it so bad, but after bottling you have to wait about a month before it's ready. Apparently patience is a virtue, so I've got that going for me, too.
Here's the concert hall in Champagne-Urbana, where Betsy performed with a large ensemble in a number of great Vivaldi pieces, including the Four Seasons of course, which was amazing live.
Then Ensemble 48 held its first annual Purim Party, which involved everyone giving their own rendition of the traditional story, and each retelling had some wonderful unique characteristics that made the night fantastic. That and the generous wine that never stopped flowing. As usual, the night devolved into us gathering around a table and playing dice.
Then last week Zach Galifianakis came to town, he's a great comedian, doesn't get much respect or fame or money, but he's really awesome. Here's Betsy as we waited anxiously for his arrival.
So that's a pretty solid update. I still have no idea what I'll be doing this summer or where I'll be doing said whatever, but I'm not too worried. My composing is going really well, as a fellow composer and I performed my guitar duet last Sunday, and it went really well. We've got a bunch more concerts coming up, so I'll try to keep the posts and pictures coming. I recently found Gabe's blog, too, which is awesome, sounds like he's having a phenomenal time. And of course, go Sox and/or Celtics!