Hey, Man. It's Thursday!

Last night I spent a little more time at the office getting ready for our 3 day retreat and then went to Octavia Lounge to absorb the jazz jam. My friend Huy has recently taken on the upright bass and is getting really good. Really, really good.

I realize I left the office a little pessimistic and I was looking forward to getting some live music reverberating in my bones before taking the late bus home.

9:30 I walked in and that comfortable feeling of home came over me.

Octavia and Market has changed since they put in the direct onramp to the freeway.

The Lounge is a comfortable club with little tea lights at each table, an accent wall of that velvety red that I often associate with jazz and large art pieces on the walls.

On Wednesday nights local artists who want to jam spend their time taking turns on stage. A fishbowl is on a little table up front to tip the artists and there are fabulous drinks and fare to be enjoyed by the audience.

I love their bathroom.

It's just personal and well kept and the lemon verbena soap is complimented by a fabulously citrus scented lotion from the Body Shop. I feel like I've stepped into a human restroom experience and not a clinical, coded restroom as so many public venues seem to have.

The crowd is multi-generational, multi-cultural (somewhat), and I have to say that I love being among these jazz folks.

Jazz is as complex as some Euro-classical music has been touted to be. It is an American creation that is so unique and has so many voices. And I love that such a complex sound comes from smaller ensembles than a symphony.

There are chocolate and caramel overtones. There are always new nuances and spices being stirred into the jazz diaspora. It is constantly evolving and I am constantly learning from it.

Yet I feel very newbie about it. Jazz is not my first language. I am not ashamed of this.

When I sit and listen to a live performance I let the music enter me. I love the feeling in my chest when the horns or the bass starts soloing. It enters my chest and vibrates outward from there. It's pretty awesome.

So I left at 11:30 toward the bus and just had this buzz going on all over. I got on the phone with Megan and made some progress on examining my ego and just feeling good.

Mood colors all things. And I can see mood. And if I can see that, then I can get perspective.

Ashe.