What you need to know

I quit my job! I'm so excited it's like breathing helium all the time. I also have a new job that I'm very excited about. I'm in the middle of serious legal negotiations and all that crap but it's all worth it when I go home to play soccer with my pooch in the cold and dark and he's hoppity boppity happy and beer tastes like goodness again. The cloud has been lifted! The shroud removed! My gravy pours lumpy and clear.

Musical Madness

This weekend was musically phenomenal. First I spent Friday evening jamming at the local Irish pub. Always a treat, and this time the tune-makers were out in force.

I spent Saturday recording (in between hitchhiking to Winchester for some minor automobile repairs). I'm so pleased with my new recordings of "Rainbird" and "Ashley Dear." The latter wrote itself, but "Rainbird" has been in the works for months. I just haven't been able to take this mediocre song, that I can't play very well, and turn it into something worth listening to. What a surprise. Normally I wouldn't put so much work into mediocrity, but I need the song for the title track because I have to match the artwork on the cover. Priorities. Anyway, I got there. It won't be long, now that the title track is laid, before the new CD is out and up.

Saturday night I went to a mini-jam with some friends, but all this pales in comparison to Sunday. My mandolin-wielding friend and I played for 3 hours at Christina's cafe. For one, it was a blast, but we made a boat load in tips. Well, a small boat worth. More than I expected anyway.

Then Sunday evening the open mic night at the cafe was jam-packed. I played a few songs of my own on guitar, but when the fiddle and the mandolin-man came out, the roof came down. Ben and I had the best bluegrass set yet, and the crowd loved it.

Still reeling from the musical madness in Virginia. Literally: new reels every night.

How to pick up

After a month or so of non-posting due to holiday "stress" I somehow have to get back in the swing of things. Let's see:

I drove to Florida with my dog for the holidays. Nessa opted out of the voyage, hid in the house, an had to stay in frigid Virginia for two weeks alone. She was regretting this decision upon our return, but she's doing okay now.


My family couldn't get their act together to buy a Christmas tree but they were able to make one entirely out of household items and Christmas lights. I don't think this lands in the lazy pile.


The cuckoo family also elected for a non-tradition Christmas (again). No, we didn't invite over the homeless - we celebrated Quacky Quistmas.


My brother and father spent days building water works for duck racing. They were literally building ponds, banked turns, drag strips and laying underground pipe to insure that the duck racing was top notch. It was. My father finished "Duck Downs" on Christmas Eve while my brother was still digging in the dirt to develop "Talladucka Super Slo-way" well into the night.


Everyone brought a duck. The picture here is of Katie and Pinray in "the winner's circle" (a bucket). Notice Katie's "crown"; Pinray obviously came in second.
I misinterpreted my mother's instructions that each duck would need duckorations and thought we were responsible for writing a duck "oration." I wrote a duck song about my devil ducky and his cheetah speed spots. It was quite the hit at Open Mic last week. The last verse composed entirely of words beginning with "d" convinced the MC and host that I "had done a lot of acid."

I also wrote a song for my cousin, and Christmas went off as they do: with music and stories, a little booze, and a duckoration from my uncle that had us all in stitches. Lots of wrapping, then unwrapping, eating, then pooping, then eating some more.

New Year's Eve was surprisingly uneventful for us, but I think it suited everyone just fine. We watched Looney Tunes and passed around humus on the couch.

We made up for it on New Year's Day however when my entire family went skydiving. You can watch a video of dad's leap here: http://www.skydivefl.com/01012011tandempages/marty.html

Mom says: "Take note! Dana and Rory are wearing no shoes and Daddy has no teeth." What a bunch of hicks. We followed up our sky-falling (no sky-dying or sky-pain!) and my holiday with lunch and pie at Flora and Ella's in Labelle.

It snows!

Yesterday I had an eventful trip around the country. I left the house at 4am to fly to Chicago, then to Louisville, then to Cincinnati, and back to DC. I got home about 1am. And all the while it was snowing, storming, icing in KY, and generally being gross. I did some slipping and sliding, and a little bit of colding, but no freezing.





But look at the results! What a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Jake is certainly enjoying the playing in the snow.

Christmas Party

Today is the company Christmas party. Usually I wouldn't be so excited but I just ate a lot of chocolate. That and I'm playing the music with a mandolinning friend of mine. We worked up a few fiddle tunes and a few Christmas songs and we're gonna jam in Santa land.

And ... everyone I know from work is planning to get smashed beforehand so they're comfortable talking to their coworkers. Strange ... American ... way. But sounds like fun.

Merry early Christmas to all!

Anaheim, CA

Last week I was in Anaheim, California. I got to stay at the Disneyland Resort where they have an awesome gym and a really nice pool and spa. The weather was dreary, but way better than freezing in Virginia. I found a self-proclaimed pie store nearby that served breakfast lunch and dinner. Ahem, can't go wrong there. It was kind of a slow week though cause the show was lame, and working from a hotel is nothing like hanging out with a Jake at home.


I did "get to" go to a build-a-bear store in downtown Disney. Verdict: weird. I also saw many many many many many many many fat people eating products made entirely of sugar and corn syrup. I believe they were also spending a lot of dollars they don't actually possess on things they don't need for children that should never have been born, but I can't guarantee that.

The most exciting part? Meeting Pluto. He was great - he didn't say a word and he made me think dreamy thoughts about Rion Rose. Definitely my highlight.

I also skipped work one day and went surfing on Huntington Beach. Despite the very cold water, there were quite a few surfers out, zero people on the beach, and a pretty nice day to ride the waves. No complaints there.


I got to spend a couple days with my rad friend Bianca too. We drank the worst Manhattan ever at a bar that surprisingly was not stationed miles underground. It just seemed like it. I remember a subway, and a bus, some Korean food, a little patpingsu (best dessert ever) and then getting up at a ridiculous hour to travel more. Oh the life.

But all is well now - I'm home again with my big black boyfriend and I've been musicking every day. The fiddling flows, and lots of engagements for music to be played this holiday season.

Saturday I read in bed for a while and it snowed! Big billowy flakes of ice falling from the sky. It's not just beautiful, it's cold, says the guy hiding under the blanket.

Who loves Fridays?

I do!

I've been a Thursday's child for nigh on 30 years now, but I'm starting to come around to Fridays. Why?

It's true. They're dreary and cold. Fridays are sad because you are looking at a long weekend with nothing to do until you get to go back to work on a bright Monday morning so far away. Barf.

But I love Fridays for one simple reason: playing at the pub. Yay! I'm off to fiddle at the pub. Who could ask for more?

Well there is my Christmas pup with his wet, wintry nose...