For the first time since 1968, I
live
outside of the Kansas City/Lawrence area.
Here's Andy under our magnolia tree in April 2010:
Here's Andy under our magnolia tree in April 2010:
In 2007, after being unemployed ... again ... I
took a contract position in Nashville, Tennessee, working for the State
on its Medicaid system, TennCare. I worked there during the week
and flew home to Overland Park on weekends.
In Nashville, I had a room in the home of Mike O'Neill, who is a friend of my brother-in-law, Rick Yord, and was the drummer for Colt 45 and the Kansas City Blues Band back in the 1970s. Another guy who was almost famous. Mike has a pretty nice home, as well as a recording studio onsite, and some talented people in his circle. It was a great situation, but being away from my family was too much.
Out of the blue, a recruiter called me to pitch a "permanent" job in Olivette, Missouri, a close-in suburb in St. Louis county. At my age, after being underemployed since 2004, the phrase "permanent job" sounded pretty good. To make a long story short, I got the job; this was May of 2007.
In June of 2009, I was laid off from that job due to poor business conditions. Sigh. A few months later, I landed a contract position with BJC Healthcare - one of the largest nonprofit health-care companies in the country, and St. Louis's biggest employer - rewriting some old server code. It's been a challenge, a lot of fun, and a success. As I write (June 2010), I'm preparing to wrap up that gig and start next week on a right-to-hire contract with Wells Fargo Advisors, formerly known as Wachovia, formerly known as A.G. Edwards.
BelleAnne started last Fall at a new Costco, decorating cakes about 32 hours per week. She doesn't make a lot of money, and it's hard work, but Costco's health insurance can't be beat!
For a regionally-known performer, moving to a new place means having to establish oneself all over. The obvious place for me to do that is in the Jewish community; popular-music performers my age aren't in demand unless they're already famous. (Loved the movie "Crazy Heart".)
We belong to Congregation B'nai Amoona, a fairly-large Conservative synagogue. BelleAnne and I play and sing in the "shul band," known as Harif. (harif is the spice used in felafels). B'nai Amoona's cantor, Sharon Nathanson, and one of its rabbis, Josef Davidson, are in the band, playing violin and trumpet respectively. Also, we have Dan Friedman on first violin and Steve Elfanbaum playing bass.
Here are pictures from Purim 2008 at Traditional Congregation, where we belonged until last year...
Here's a photo from the St Louis Jewish Light, where BelleAnne and I performed some vintage material:
Copyright 2010 by Andy Curry
In Nashville, I had a room in the home of Mike O'Neill, who is a friend of my brother-in-law, Rick Yord, and was the drummer for Colt 45 and the Kansas City Blues Band back in the 1970s. Another guy who was almost famous. Mike has a pretty nice home, as well as a recording studio onsite, and some talented people in his circle. It was a great situation, but being away from my family was too much.
Out of the blue, a recruiter called me to pitch a "permanent" job in Olivette, Missouri, a close-in suburb in St. Louis county. At my age, after being underemployed since 2004, the phrase "permanent job" sounded pretty good. To make a long story short, I got the job; this was May of 2007.
In June of 2009, I was laid off from that job due to poor business conditions. Sigh. A few months later, I landed a contract position with BJC Healthcare - one of the largest nonprofit health-care companies in the country, and St. Louis's biggest employer - rewriting some old server code. It's been a challenge, a lot of fun, and a success. As I write (June 2010), I'm preparing to wrap up that gig and start next week on a right-to-hire contract with Wells Fargo Advisors, formerly known as Wachovia, formerly known as A.G. Edwards.
BelleAnne started last Fall at a new Costco, decorating cakes about 32 hours per week. She doesn't make a lot of money, and it's hard work, but Costco's health insurance can't be beat!
For a regionally-known performer, moving to a new place means having to establish oneself all over. The obvious place for me to do that is in the Jewish community; popular-music performers my age aren't in demand unless they're already famous. (Loved the movie "Crazy Heart".)
We belong to Congregation B'nai Amoona, a fairly-large Conservative synagogue. BelleAnne and I play and sing in the "shul band," known as Harif. (harif is the spice used in felafels). B'nai Amoona's cantor, Sharon Nathanson, and one of its rabbis, Josef Davidson, are in the band, playing violin and trumpet respectively. Also, we have Dan Friedman on first violin and Steve Elfanbaum playing bass.
Here are pictures from Purim 2008 at Traditional Congregation, where we belonged until last year...
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Here's a photo from the St Louis Jewish Light, where BelleAnne and I performed some vintage material:
Copyright 2010 by Andy Curry