The L. Muses, Mr. and Mrs. have moved! To San Francisco! For 3 weeks in the dead of winter.

Mr. Muse is reported to be “inexpressibly sad” at the prospect of leaving this backyard scene:

For this:

Mr. M. loves a sense of drama, and will miss the heart in mouth anticipation, hearing snow crash off the slate roof each night, wondering if this load will finally crash through the lid of his hot tub. He is also heartbroken that he will no longer be able to skate on his very own skating rink each time he goes to the car. “I need the exercise.” At present he doesn’t own ice skates, but makes do with his shoes. He has no plans to purchase any, as, “By the time we get home the ice may be gone!” The pity.

Mrs. Muse, made of tougher stuff, promises she will “bear up,” especially upon hearing that it is 70 in SF rather than -11, as it was last night at the Muse establishment in Western (Siberia) Mass., which also serves as worldwide headquarters for the Manchester Music Library (MML.)

The Muses are not going to San Francisco (LINK) on some lark, but for a working vacation. Mr. M. complained to Mrs. M. that he’d be so busy that he might miss the opportunity to fulfill a lifetime dream and take the Grayline Hippie Hop bus tour of the Haight, until Mrs. M. pointed out that it probably stopped running around 1970.

Still not deterred by the passage of time, Mr. M. was excited at the prospect of signing some of the famous San Francisco bands to do some library music, until Mrs. M. pointed out that “I think they’re all long gone. Janis Joplin is dead, and so is Jerry Garcia. Besides, if they were around I don’t think they’d be interested in doing library music.”

Never mind, others are.

The Muses will meet MML Composer Eric Bolvin, which will involve a drive south of town. Mr. M. was excited at the prospect of this opportunity to sing one of his favorite old songs, “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” until Mrs. Muse pointed out that Mr. Bolvin lives in Santa Cruz, NOT San Jose, and besides if he’s going to sing it should be to the iPad with its GPS function (provided he can figure out how it works and doesn’t cheap out on the 3G) and NOT to her. She has heard him and is sure he’s not putting Dionne Warwick out of work any time soon.

Mr. Muse is also meeting with his cousin-once-removed, the talented guitarist/producer Tim Green, whose Indie band is world renowned, though its name is distinctly NSFW. Mr. Muse had the opportunity last year to visit Mr. Green’s Louder Studios. Its website brags that it “has no pro tools!” Climbing down into this basement lair with its clusters of ancient organs and vintage mics is liking stepping back in time to the age of fat analog recording, and Mr. Green’s wonderful sounding recordings attest that this is not merely fantasy. Mr. Muse has recorded in studios across the country for 40 years but has never anywhere felt a vibe so conducive to creating music.

Mr. Muse is joining forces with composer Amir Kahn from Dallas to attend the Game Developer Convention at the Moscone Center. They will explore possibilities of exploiting the exploding game market for MML. Mr. Khan has written some fine music for MML and has scored video games.

Mr. Muse is not (entirely) embarrassed to admit that his interest in video games dates to when his sons were young and he played these games with them. Long after they outgrew games Mr. Muse kept playing. Mrs. Muse bought him an iPad for his recent birthday. He enjoys (he says, “don’t laugh”) Angry Birds and, even more, Plants vs Zombies (He says, “I told you not to laugh! This is an AWESOME game!”) The thought suddenly occurred that much of the existing music in the MML would work well in such games. He could combine business with pleasure (an essential motivation in establishing MML 17 years ago.)

Mr. Muse’s old bandmate Dan Gleich has invited him to sit in with his new band the “Rumble Strips,” possible candidates for inclusion in MML. Since his first job doing sound for Apocalypse Now Dan has been one of SF’s top sound mixers for film. The last time Mr. Muse saw him in SF he was off to work with the Muppets. He has also invited the Muses to a screening of a new project “Will it Play in Peoria” a documentary about Wavy Gravy, famous in the Woodstock movie for his “Breakfast for ½ a million people” speech. Mr. Gravy founded “Camp Winnarainbow,” for whose video brochure MML provided music.

The Muses promise they will break from all the work to have some fun. They will eat Sushi, Dim Sum and Italian. And, they have been invited to lunch by none other than Open Salon colleague Linda Seccaspina. Now THAT is exciting news! To honor old times they are eating at Magnolia Pub and Brewery, right on Haight St.

Mr. Muse, who has lived in the Northeast for most of his life, has been trying to find a use for all the flowers that unaccountably grow in SF in the dead of winter. (He also wonders when those birds will stop all that chirping, interrupting his dark thoughts.)

But the flowers can be put to use. Though he doesn’t love it, actually wishes it had never been written, he does remember the old song: “If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.” He will do just that so Linda will recognize him.

Mrs. Muse has been reading over his shoulder. She says, “If you wear flowers in your hair, I’m divorcing you.”

Ah, well. Though the Muses bear no resemblance to the Luminous Muse avatar on Open Salon, Mr. Muse is sure he will recognize Linda from her pictures.