Today marks the birthday of one of the greatest people I have been blessed to know: Bruce Bradbury. Two years ago, I wisely enrolled in a Beatles history course at the University of Maine at Machias, and that's where I met Bruce. The habitual seating arrangement into which the class fell had Bruce usually sitting right behind me, and we first struck up conversation when he had noticed some of my sketches that encroached on my notes; he asked if I was a "professional artist". Funny Bruce. Later, he impressed me with his songwriting abilities when he performed, accompanied by his ukulele, his original rendition of "The Arctic Riviera", a comical and endearing ode to Downeast Maine, during a final recital held in the Performing Arts Center for all of the students taking music performance classes that semester (I was there playing with the UMM Jazz Combo). Shortly before Christmas break, I knew I was going to have to forge a friendship with this kindly, bearded man with the wide and sparkling blue eyes, so I got resourceful and looked up his e-mail address in the online Beatles class directory. He responded, and soon we'd scheduled the first of many, many lunches that happened over the next year before he went back to Napa, California to continue his music education. Bruce is easily one of the dearest friends I have; certainly (besides Rob) my closest companion during my sojourn in the Pine Tree State, always brightening my day (and still continues to do so with weekly phone calls and e-mailed pictures of the gorgeous scenery that he sees in Napa). I miss you, Bruce, and am eagerly awaiting the day that we're on the same coast again! I hope you have a terrific birthday, and enjoy great music, amazing food, and your friends! From all of us Cramers, we love you...and I think I'll be humming Pasadena all day, laughing as I always do.
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