Saturday, July 5, 2008
4th of July Writing Update
I wrote 2,320 words on the 4th, bringing my four-day total to 5,544 words and the total of the whole book so far to 13,026.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Whoa!
I just finished writing for the night, I just cracked 10,000 words!!! In the last two days, I've written more than 2,500 words: 337 on July 1st; 1,111 on July 2nd, and, so far on July 3rd, 1,140!!! I've got a total of 10,070 words. This thing could actually get done by August 1!!!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
JulNoWriMo - Day One
July 1st, I only got 337 words written, thanks to thunderstorms, power outages, and miscellaneous life stuff. Arg.
Hope to get on track today, though.
Hope to get on track today, though.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
This And That
Kenny and I went out to Copper's on Friday and Saturday to support another local band. Well, when we were there on both nights, everybody in the bar was all, "How come you guys aren't playing?" and "They should let you play tonight!" or "I'm gonna ask them if you can sing with them!" That was pretty cool....
I finished the outline for Devil's Handiwork and will start writing tonight so as to finish it by the end of the month.
YouTube yanked two of our videos today. "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Wild Night." They are both Van Morrison songs. Apparently, Mr. Morrison's record comany and lawyers want to charge astronomical fees for "syncing rights'... that is, the right to display a performance of a song. You see, apparently, even though the bar we played at pays licensing fees to ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and the Harry Fox Agency for bands to be able play cover songs in their bar, and while it is legal to record yourself playing those songs, you can't publicly display those performances without buying an exhorbitantly priced "sync license" from one of these agencies. Even if you aren't making money on the videos. Even if you EXPLICITLY say it is a cover of a song. Even if you EXPLICITLY say who the song was recorded by originally, performed by originally, and/or written by. Even if you EXPLICITLY say that you don't hold any rights to the song. You either pay the fee or have the video removed. YouTube's letter also implied that they would take down ALL our videos if we re-uploaded those two. I swear to God that I am going to record a version of the song except with my "Brown NOSED Girl" lyrics. Parodies are protected, even without asking the songwriter or anybody else.
The above item got me to thinking just how FLATTERED I would be - regardless of my fame - if someone covered my song and was proud enough of their performance to make that performance public. If I ever get famous, I am going to instruct my lawyers not to do anything to people who cover my songs in videos that were taken at shows or at home with their web cams or whatever (recording them for profit is a totally different story).
My back is still out. I have a tingling/numb sensation in my left pinky and ring finger and my left palm. I can feel the vertebrae that is out, but there is nothing I can do about it.
I finished the outline for Devil's Handiwork and will start writing tonight so as to finish it by the end of the month.
YouTube yanked two of our videos today. "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Wild Night." They are both Van Morrison songs. Apparently, Mr. Morrison's record comany and lawyers want to charge astronomical fees for "syncing rights'... that is, the right to display a performance of a song. You see, apparently, even though the bar we played at pays licensing fees to ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and the Harry Fox Agency for bands to be able play cover songs in their bar, and while it is legal to record yourself playing those songs, you can't publicly display those performances without buying an exhorbitantly priced "sync license" from one of these agencies. Even if you aren't making money on the videos. Even if you EXPLICITLY say it is a cover of a song. Even if you EXPLICITLY say who the song was recorded by originally, performed by originally, and/or written by. Even if you EXPLICITLY say that you don't hold any rights to the song. You either pay the fee or have the video removed. YouTube's letter also implied that they would take down ALL our videos if we re-uploaded those two. I swear to God that I am going to record a version of the song except with my "Brown NOSED Girl" lyrics. Parodies are protected, even without asking the songwriter or anybody else.
The above item got me to thinking just how FLATTERED I would be - regardless of my fame - if someone covered my song and was proud enough of their performance to make that performance public. If I ever get famous, I am going to instruct my lawyers not to do anything to people who cover my songs in videos that were taken at shows or at home with their web cams or whatever (recording them for profit is a totally different story).
My back is still out. I have a tingling/numb sensation in my left pinky and ring finger and my left palm. I can feel the vertebrae that is out, but there is nothing I can do about it.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Writing Again!
So, tonight, I am finishing up the outline for Devil's Handiwork. I have been working on this for about three days. Thinking up stuff to happen in the middle is really hard. But this outline will really help me when I am writing. Once I have the chapter-by-chapter view I am working on now completed, I should be able to finish this thing up by the end of July. In fact, I know I will. I start in on what is called JulNoWriMo one the 1st. That jumble of letters is short for July Novel Writing Month. I need this thing done by the end of August because school starts back up then, and I'll never get it done then.
While writing the outline, I realized that the theme of honesty is running through the whole thing. This is probably because I detest lying so damned much.
While writing the outline, I realized that the theme of honesty is running through the whole thing. This is probably because I detest lying so damned much.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Our Show this Weekend
Friday, the band and bunch of my family came over to help move things to the show. We went to the show, had something to eat, set up, and soundchecked. And we were awesome. There wasn't a very big crowd, at first, but the place filled up as the night wore on, and the whole performance was great, and I had a lot of fun doing it. The crowd was really into it, too. All kinds of people came up and told me I was a really good singer; in fact, this one lady went on and on and on about it. :D
The next day, I made set lists, and then got ready for the show, which took me a surprisingly long amount of time, as I was having a "fat day," which is is a day in which absolutely NOTHING looks good on me, to my eyes. I ended up wearing the same outfit I'd worn the night before.
So, we get to the bar, and one of my best friends is there, and I was so happy to see him there. It isn't very often that my friends come to my shows, so it was really, really nice to see him and another of my best friends there. One of my friends took a bunch of pictures and some videos of the first two sets of the show. As far as our performance went, we were pretty good. In my opinion, not as good as the night before, but, all in all, passable.
The next day, I made set lists, and then got ready for the show, which took me a surprisingly long amount of time, as I was having a "fat day," which is is a day in which absolutely NOTHING looks good on me, to my eyes. I ended up wearing the same outfit I'd worn the night before.
So, we get to the bar, and one of my best friends is there, and I was so happy to see him there. It isn't very often that my friends come to my shows, so it was really, really nice to see him and another of my best friends there. One of my friends took a bunch of pictures and some videos of the first two sets of the show. As far as our performance went, we were pretty good. In my opinion, not as good as the night before, but, all in all, passable.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Songwriting
I saw on MySpace today that a film is looking for a song and they're running a contest to find said song. The film is called "Henry Poole is Here," and the prize is to get a video made by the movie's director for the submitted song.
So, I looked at the rules. Apparently, the song MUST be named "Henry Poole is Here" and MUST use those words in the lyrics; you grant them all rights in perpetuity for the song, and allow them to be listed as the author in the copyright. Then, they reserve the right to not let you be in the video, and the video may not be used at all... and the song may not be used at all. They won't give you royalties or any money at all for the song, either.
WTF? What a shitty deal.
The sorry part is that there will be bands and songwriters who will enter this contest simply to get a music video. They won't even read the rules and realize what they're giving up. Might be a decent promotional opportunity, but it looks like another ripoff to me.
In related news, I just entered a contest, but a real one this time, that actually has benefits for me. It cost me $35, but the grand prize is $50,000, so, yeah... worth it. Cross your fingers for me!
So, I looked at the rules. Apparently, the song MUST be named "Henry Poole is Here" and MUST use those words in the lyrics; you grant them all rights in perpetuity for the song, and allow them to be listed as the author in the copyright. Then, they reserve the right to not let you be in the video, and the video may not be used at all... and the song may not be used at all. They won't give you royalties or any money at all for the song, either.
WTF? What a shitty deal.
The sorry part is that there will be bands and songwriters who will enter this contest simply to get a music video. They won't even read the rules and realize what they're giving up. Might be a decent promotional opportunity, but it looks like another ripoff to me.
In related news, I just entered a contest, but a real one this time, that actually has benefits for me. It cost me $35, but the grand prize is $50,000, so, yeah... worth it. Cross your fingers for me!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
**YAWN**
I re-did my personal site... again. I keep getting letters from people that the light text on the dark background is hard to read. So, I changed it, almost back to where it was two years ago. It even has the same background as it did back then. Oh, well.
I also started writing a new song today. It's called "You're The Reason." I'm not finished with it yet, but I'll get it done tomorrow, probably.
I also started writing a new song today. It's called "You're The Reason." I'm not finished with it yet, but I'll get it done tomorrow, probably.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Slightly Less Depressed
We had band practice on Friday, and that went really well. The originals are starting to sound quite polished.
Saturday, I went up to Sandpoint and went grocery shopping. Bought a HDTV and a new entertainment center to put it on. I like the new HDTV set-up for football already. NFL Network had the Steelers/Browns match-up from mid-season on this morning, and, holy schmoly! You can see every blade of grass! Kick ass. Some of the other channels (even in HD) aren't as amazing, but I guess they'll all get on a standard sooner or later.
I have been writing in Devil's Handiwork the last couple of days, but it isn't going very well. I suppose I should just write and leave the editing for later this summer. **sigh** But I have so much trouble doing that. I just can't leave it alone. I will write for a while, go back and read, and simply delete more than 75% of what I've written.
I watched CSI from Thursday night the other day (I'd taped it), and the season finale was, like, WTF?!?! They killed off my favorite character!!!
Later tonight I might start recording scratch tracks for the band's upcoming second album. The plan is to get these scratch tracks to the new guy so that the songs will all be in tempo and won't waver all over the timing spectrum. For whatever reason, I absolutely HATE recording. (I'm sure you all can figure out WHY I hate recording so damned much! ::grin::)
Saturday, I went up to Sandpoint and went grocery shopping. Bought a HDTV and a new entertainment center to put it on. I like the new HDTV set-up for football already. NFL Network had the Steelers/Browns match-up from mid-season on this morning, and, holy schmoly! You can see every blade of grass! Kick ass. Some of the other channels (even in HD) aren't as amazing, but I guess they'll all get on a standard sooner or later.
I have been writing in Devil's Handiwork the last couple of days, but it isn't going very well. I suppose I should just write and leave the editing for later this summer. **sigh** But I have so much trouble doing that. I just can't leave it alone. I will write for a while, go back and read, and simply delete more than 75% of what I've written.
I watched CSI from Thursday night the other day (I'd taped it), and the season finale was, like, WTF?!?! They killed off my favorite character!!!
Later tonight I might start recording scratch tracks for the band's upcoming second album. The plan is to get these scratch tracks to the new guy so that the songs will all be in tempo and won't waver all over the timing spectrum. For whatever reason, I absolutely HATE recording. (I'm sure you all can figure out WHY I hate recording so damned much! ::grin::)
Monday, May 12, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Been So Busy...
I tried for days to write my term paper, but couldn't get into the right frame of mind to do so. I was going to on Wednesday, but the fiasco with the studio was a major deterrent. Was going to Thursday, but I decided to watch TV instead. About 2 in the afternoon on Thursday, Kenny calls me and tells me to get ready to go to the Legion and that he'll be home at 4PM to go up to Cusick. I think this is odd because he never calls me that early in the day to tell me to do something unless it is like looking something up on the Internet. And I had thought all week that he was planning something, but I didn't think he would pick Thursday to do it because of a number of reasons. First, my Dad would have to work the next day. Second, Kenny himself would have to work the next day. So, even though I suspected that something might be up, I really didn't think that he would pull anything.
So, we went up to the Cusick Tavern and had tacos, as usual. After dinner, we got in the car to go to the Legion (as usual), and I started fixing my lipstick, which had worn off while eating. Because my head was down doing that, I did not see my Dad hiding his truck. When we pulled up to the Legion, I looked up and saw one of my best friends standing on the porch of the Legion. The jig was up!
Kenny had thrown me a surprise party, complete with balloons and cake and some of my friends and my family, so it was a really nice surprise. I only wish Dad and my friend could have stayed longer and that some of my other friends could have made it. My drummer and bassist came over a little later, and we all had a great time. It was a very nice party. :)
On Friday, after drinking pretty heavily the night before, I woke up at 6 AM after going to bed at around 1:30AM. I don't know why, but drinking messes with my sleep patterns. Anyway, so I ran to the store and bought water for coffee ('cause I was out... again) and a dozen donuts for the kids.
After that, I drank some coffee and then started writing my paper. I stayed writing my paper all day long. I finally finished the thing at 6AM Saturday. So, anyway, I finished my paper and went to bed and then got up the next day and swept and mopped the kitchen. I went to my aunt's house, and I worked on her son's computer for a while, trying to remove a virus and a trojan from the machine, to no avail. The hard drive was, eventually, reset.
On my birthday, I talked to my friend from Sandpoint for a while, and talked to Mom for a while, and finished dusting and vaccuuming and started cooking for everyone. I made rigatoni and cheese sticks and had chips and salsa set out for munchies.
I got up today intending to make my forum postings, but instead let the kids play on the computer for quite a while, and then I cooked dinner. I finally did get my forum postings made. Anyway, I have some more forum postings to do, but I will catch up on all of those later in the week, and then be done on Friday. Yay!
Tomorrow, I am working on my Sekrit Prawjikt. Wednesday, forum postings. After that, no clue.
So, we went up to the Cusick Tavern and had tacos, as usual. After dinner, we got in the car to go to the Legion (as usual), and I started fixing my lipstick, which had worn off while eating. Because my head was down doing that, I did not see my Dad hiding his truck. When we pulled up to the Legion, I looked up and saw one of my best friends standing on the porch of the Legion. The jig was up!
Kenny had thrown me a surprise party, complete with balloons and cake and some of my friends and my family, so it was a really nice surprise. I only wish Dad and my friend could have stayed longer and that some of my other friends could have made it. My drummer and bassist came over a little later, and we all had a great time. It was a very nice party. :)
On Friday, after drinking pretty heavily the night before, I woke up at 6 AM after going to bed at around 1:30AM. I don't know why, but drinking messes with my sleep patterns. Anyway, so I ran to the store and bought water for coffee ('cause I was out... again) and a dozen donuts for the kids.
After that, I drank some coffee and then started writing my paper. I stayed writing my paper all day long. I finally finished the thing at 6AM Saturday. So, anyway, I finished my paper and went to bed and then got up the next day and swept and mopped the kitchen. I went to my aunt's house, and I worked on her son's computer for a while, trying to remove a virus and a trojan from the machine, to no avail. The hard drive was, eventually, reset.
On my birthday, I talked to my friend from Sandpoint for a while, and talked to Mom for a while, and finished dusting and vaccuuming and started cooking for everyone. I made rigatoni and cheese sticks and had chips and salsa set out for munchies.
I got up today intending to make my forum postings, but instead let the kids play on the computer for quite a while, and then I cooked dinner. I finally did get my forum postings made. Anyway, I have some more forum postings to do, but I will catch up on all of those later in the week, and then be done on Friday. Yay!
Tomorrow, I am working on my Sekrit Prawjikt. Wednesday, forum postings. After that, no clue.
Monday, April 21, 2008
I'm Finally Caught Up...
...until tomorrow.
Let's see... Mom and Dad came and got the kids Thursday, and the band practiced. That went really well, actually. Then, I went out with a bunch of friends to the Legion and bought my drummer birthday drinks. Everybody but Kenny got completely hammered. (!!!) (Kenny was the designated driver, as usual, because he can no longer hold his liquor. At all.)
Friday, needless to say, I was a little slow getting around. I was majorly hungover, and did not get to much school work at all before I had to pack up the band gear and get ready to go. We had a great show Friday. There was another birthday party there, and the bar was pretty full all night. I was pleased.
Saturday, I got myself together and finished my school work for the week (except for the forum postings and reading other people's stuff). The show Saturday was even better than the Friday show, for once. We were really good, and the vocals were really, really good, in my opinion. I know that some of the songs seem a little low for me now, but, when we actually get to practice them in the lower tuning instead of just hopping up and playing them without practicing them, they'll get better. I think. Anyway, the bar owner told Kenny that they made $4,000 over the weekend, which isn't bad at all. Definitely worth what they paid us. :)
I went up to Sandpoint and did the shopping for the month with the gig money. I bought the kids each a pair of pants and got Cait a pair of shoes (that were on clearance for $3!!!) and got my sister a birthday present and Hunter a birthday present.
Let's see... Mom and Dad came and got the kids Thursday, and the band practiced. That went really well, actually. Then, I went out with a bunch of friends to the Legion and bought my drummer birthday drinks. Everybody but Kenny got completely hammered. (!!!) (Kenny was the designated driver, as usual, because he can no longer hold his liquor. At all.)
Friday, needless to say, I was a little slow getting around. I was majorly hungover, and did not get to much school work at all before I had to pack up the band gear and get ready to go. We had a great show Friday. There was another birthday party there, and the bar was pretty full all night. I was pleased.
Saturday, I got myself together and finished my school work for the week (except for the forum postings and reading other people's stuff). The show Saturday was even better than the Friday show, for once. We were really good, and the vocals were really, really good, in my opinion. I know that some of the songs seem a little low for me now, but, when we actually get to practice them in the lower tuning instead of just hopping up and playing them without practicing them, they'll get better. I think. Anyway, the bar owner told Kenny that they made $4,000 over the weekend, which isn't bad at all. Definitely worth what they paid us. :)
I went up to Sandpoint and did the shopping for the month with the gig money. I bought the kids each a pair of pants and got Cait a pair of shoes (that were on clearance for $3!!!) and got my sister a birthday present and Hunter a birthday present.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The Band
We had band practice Saturday. It was actually quite a lot of fun, and cutting it down to one day a week has given me more time to deal with school and other stuff, but it has cut down our productivity A LOT. We aren't getting NEARLY as much done in the one practice as we were with two, in my opinion. but it did go really well. We have added six new songs to our covers list.
I guess other than that, nothing's really going on.
I guess other than that, nothing's really going on.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
First "New Computer" Post
Well, I got my new computer set up! It's going to take a bit of getting used to. The screen is HUGE!!! The keyboard is a little light and delicate for my tastes and the mouse is a little bit big.... I haven't installed all my programs yet.
I moved my mail over from the old computer with nary a burp in the delivery of said mail; the only thing that pisses me off about the whole thing is that, since I downloaded IncrediMail on my old computer in 2005, they've changed their junk mail system, so, now, you have to pay $60 a year to get your junk mail delivered to a different folder. I am about THISCLOSE to switching to another mail program, but I am going to check into having junk mail re-routed before it ever reaches IncrediMail from my server.
The weather is seriously weird. Fifteen minutes ago, it was overcast and slightly warm. In the last ten minutes, it's rained, hailed, snowed, and sleeted (is that even a word? I think not...). Strange.
I have to make a shopping list, take a shower, and write a one-page paper proposal, so I guess I better stop farting around and get stuff done. More later.
I moved my mail over from the old computer with nary a burp in the delivery of said mail; the only thing that pisses me off about the whole thing is that, since I downloaded IncrediMail on my old computer in 2005, they've changed their junk mail system, so, now, you have to pay $60 a year to get your junk mail delivered to a different folder. I am about THISCLOSE to switching to another mail program, but I am going to check into having junk mail re-routed before it ever reaches IncrediMail from my server.
The weather is seriously weird. Fifteen minutes ago, it was overcast and slightly warm. In the last ten minutes, it's rained, hailed, snowed, and sleeted (is that even a word? I think not...). Strange.
I have to make a shopping list, take a shower, and write a one-page paper proposal, so I guess I better stop farting around and get stuff done. More later.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Long Week
Okay, so: my week. I stayed up all night Tuesday night and did not go to bed until 9PM Wednesday. I got nothing accomplished (except I did write a really cool new tune, but I have no lyrics and none seem to be forthcoming, which really makes me sort of pissed). I got up Thursday at about 9AM and watched TV with the kids and got through their school work for the day and got ready to go to Spokane and got the kids packed to stay at my Mom's. Mom and Dad came and got the kids at 2:30PM, and me and Kenny left the house minutes later.
We drove into Spokane and went to the Verizon store where I got a new battery for my cell phone and car charger for it, as well. Then we went to Gonzaga and Kenny dropped me off there. I met my classmates and instructors.
The first session of the residency was pretty cool. The teacher had us draw stuff upside down and draw without looking at the paper and work with clay with our eyes closed. It was mindless and kinda fun. I made a cat. :)
After the class ended at 9PM, Kenny took me to Dairy Queen where I got a chili dog and a Moo Latte. We went home, watched the new CSI that I had taped while I was gone, and then went to bed. I got up at 6:30AM, got ready, and was in Spokane at 9:00 AM. The first class was at the library, where they showed us how to request books and articles for free if we lived more than 35 miles from the campus (SCORE!), and how to use a program that I will never ever use. After that, we all went over to the admin building and got our student ID cards, and I took a majorly crappy picture that makes me look slightly insane. After that, I ended up going to lunch with some of my classmates.
After that, I walked about a mile to get to where the next class was being held. After that, I went to the next class, where we dissected a Woody Allen film called Crimes and Misdemeanors. This process took from 1:30PM to 6:30PM.
I got up Saturday morning at 6AM, got ready and went to Spokane for the last day of the residency. The first class was all about the Benedictine monks. After that, we had a short break and then back to the second session of the day, in which we meditated for an hour. After that, we went to lunch.
I ended up chatting with a gal from Tucson and a lady from Jacksonville, FL for the meal. Then, they left another of our classmates (who was from back east somewhere) at the restaurant, so somebody (not me) had to go back and get him. The last session of the residency was about Shakespeare and Richard III and leadership, and we watched three different film versions of the opening scene of Richard III: one which featured Lawrence Olivier (or however you spell his name) in the 1950s (which featured Olivier as the main character with a Little Lord Fauntleroy haircut so that he looked like the evil prince from Shrek); another film in which the dude who played the wizard Gandalf in Lord of the Rings (you know, Ian McKellen) was the main character, but who was styled to look like Hitler; and a third film featuring Al Pacino as Richard III.
Anyway, Kenny did not want to go to the final dinner, so we skipped it and came home. I had to get some papers for Mom off my e-mail. While I was printing the first one, the power to my computer went off, and, at first, I thought this old computer had finally bit it as I couldn't turn it back on. So, I called Mom and told her to send the files to my Yahoo account so that I could print them from another computer. Just after I hung up with her, I checked the surge protector, and, indeed, the switch was flipped to off, as the heater Kenny had plugged into it had surged or something.
Anyway, so we went out to Mom's to get the kids. I got up Sunday at about 8AM and watched TV until band practice, I also cooked soup. Band practice went well, and tuning to "D" made all the difference in the world in the vocals. There are some things that will have to be worked out, but that will come in a few practices.I got up today at 9AM, loaded the dishwasher, and have been doing school work for most of the day. I only have one other thing I have to get done tonight and then I can relax. I am going to take a shower tonight and maybe do some reading for school. I have more reading to do tomorrow, and there are a couple of papers that I have to work on. Tomorrow, I am going to Wal*Mart to do grocery shopping. Tonight, I think I am going to move all the files and settings off this computer and ready for the migration to the new computer and set the new on up. I've had it for almost a week and it is still sitting there in boxes. I had intended on putting my office in the porch, but, for various reasons - not the least of which is the power situation - I am not doing that. Which makes me EXTREMELY unhappy
We drove into Spokane and went to the Verizon store where I got a new battery for my cell phone and car charger for it, as well. Then we went to Gonzaga and Kenny dropped me off there. I met my classmates and instructors.
The first session of the residency was pretty cool. The teacher had us draw stuff upside down and draw without looking at the paper and work with clay with our eyes closed. It was mindless and kinda fun. I made a cat. :)
After the class ended at 9PM, Kenny took me to Dairy Queen where I got a chili dog and a Moo Latte. We went home, watched the new CSI that I had taped while I was gone, and then went to bed. I got up at 6:30AM, got ready, and was in Spokane at 9:00 AM. The first class was at the library, where they showed us how to request books and articles for free if we lived more than 35 miles from the campus (SCORE!), and how to use a program that I will never ever use. After that, we all went over to the admin building and got our student ID cards, and I took a majorly crappy picture that makes me look slightly insane. After that, I ended up going to lunch with some of my classmates.
After that, I walked about a mile to get to where the next class was being held. After that, I went to the next class, where we dissected a Woody Allen film called Crimes and Misdemeanors. This process took from 1:30PM to 6:30PM.
I got up Saturday morning at 6AM, got ready and went to Spokane for the last day of the residency. The first class was all about the Benedictine monks. After that, we had a short break and then back to the second session of the day, in which we meditated for an hour. After that, we went to lunch.
I ended up chatting with a gal from Tucson and a lady from Jacksonville, FL for the meal. Then, they left another of our classmates (who was from back east somewhere) at the restaurant, so somebody (not me) had to go back and get him. The last session of the residency was about Shakespeare and Richard III and leadership, and we watched three different film versions of the opening scene of Richard III: one which featured Lawrence Olivier (or however you spell his name) in the 1950s (which featured Olivier as the main character with a Little Lord Fauntleroy haircut so that he looked like the evil prince from Shrek); another film in which the dude who played the wizard Gandalf in Lord of the Rings (you know, Ian McKellen) was the main character, but who was styled to look like Hitler; and a third film featuring Al Pacino as Richard III.
Anyway, Kenny did not want to go to the final dinner, so we skipped it and came home. I had to get some papers for Mom off my e-mail. While I was printing the first one, the power to my computer went off, and, at first, I thought this old computer had finally bit it as I couldn't turn it back on. So, I called Mom and told her to send the files to my Yahoo account so that I could print them from another computer. Just after I hung up with her, I checked the surge protector, and, indeed, the switch was flipped to off, as the heater Kenny had plugged into it had surged or something.
Anyway, so we went out to Mom's to get the kids. I got up Sunday at about 8AM and watched TV until band practice, I also cooked soup. Band practice went well, and tuning to "D" made all the difference in the world in the vocals. There are some things that will have to be worked out, but that will come in a few practices.I got up today at 9AM, loaded the dishwasher, and have been doing school work for most of the day. I only have one other thing I have to get done tonight and then I can relax. I am going to take a shower tonight and maybe do some reading for school. I have more reading to do tomorrow, and there are a couple of papers that I have to work on. Tomorrow, I am going to Wal*Mart to do grocery shopping. Tonight, I think I am going to move all the files and settings off this computer and ready for the migration to the new computer and set the new on up. I've had it for almost a week and it is still sitting there in boxes. I had intended on putting my office in the porch, but, for various reasons - not the least of which is the power situation - I am not doing that. Which makes me EXTREMELY unhappy
Monday, March 31, 2008
Some Good News
I did a search at the Copyright Office website and found out that "Rumors" has been officially registered with the Copyright Office. Only four more songs to go.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Miscellaneous Stuff
I forgot to mention this, but, the other day, Kenny ran into a certain former drummer of ours at Safeway. Apparently, he saw Kenny and asked him if we hated him. When Kenny told me this, I was like, "No, I really just don't care." According to this guy, he is now living in Oldtown (oh, joy!) because he got tired of his band in Spokane doing drugs, so he left.
I got a call today from the gal from Mom's church who wanted me to do a web site. She, apparently, has been on the road for 6 days a week, so has not had the opportunity to contact me. However, she called to ask about recording studios as she was looking for one to tour as she is apparently taking some recording studio/audio engineering course online and a tour of a recording studio is part of the program. So, I recommended the new studio owned by the guy who called me yesterday, as one of her prequisites was that the studio be both analog and digital, and this guy's does both.
The drainage situation is finally cleared up. (No pun intended.) Apparently, it was not the drain field, nor was the septic tank full. There were actually TWO problems: 1) there was a blockage between the tub output and the cleanout; and 2) there was a hair blockage in the tub itself. The plumber came over today (at no charge) and fixed the problem and even cleaned the tub for me. How nice!
The electrician is to come over on Tuesday and he will be completely re-wiring the breaker box, so I may be all day without power. In the meantime (probably later this evening) I will clean out the closet under the stairs so that I can put all the crap in the porch in the closet under the stairs. Once the porch is cleaned out, the electrician will be able to get to the breaker box easier, and, after that's done, I will be able to put my office in there. In other news, my neck is out, which is giving me a massive headache; I need to work out still today; I tried to call the drummer to find out if we were practicing Saturday or Sunday, but he was "out"; my new computer monitor will not be shipped until the 31st, so I can't set up my new computer until then (I could set up the computer with this computer monitor, but I'd rather not have to install drivers for it, so, I wait); I have to make plans for someone to watch the kids while Kenny is at work and I am in Spokane on April 3rd and 4th; and, lastly, I am making a list of songs to add to our setlist. Fun.
I got a call today from the gal from Mom's church who wanted me to do a web site. She, apparently, has been on the road for 6 days a week, so has not had the opportunity to contact me. However, she called to ask about recording studios as she was looking for one to tour as she is apparently taking some recording studio/audio engineering course online and a tour of a recording studio is part of the program. So, I recommended the new studio owned by the guy who called me yesterday, as one of her prequisites was that the studio be both analog and digital, and this guy's does both.
The drainage situation is finally cleared up. (No pun intended.) Apparently, it was not the drain field, nor was the septic tank full. There were actually TWO problems: 1) there was a blockage between the tub output and the cleanout; and 2) there was a hair blockage in the tub itself. The plumber came over today (at no charge) and fixed the problem and even cleaned the tub for me. How nice!
The electrician is to come over on Tuesday and he will be completely re-wiring the breaker box, so I may be all day without power. In the meantime (probably later this evening) I will clean out the closet under the stairs so that I can put all the crap in the porch in the closet under the stairs. Once the porch is cleaned out, the electrician will be able to get to the breaker box easier, and, after that's done, I will be able to put my office in there. In other news, my neck is out, which is giving me a massive headache; I need to work out still today; I tried to call the drummer to find out if we were practicing Saturday or Sunday, but he was "out"; my new computer monitor will not be shipped until the 31st, so I can't set up my new computer until then (I could set up the computer with this computer monitor, but I'd rather not have to install drivers for it, so, I wait); I have to make plans for someone to watch the kids while Kenny is at work and I am in Spokane on April 3rd and 4th; and, lastly, I am making a list of songs to add to our setlist. Fun.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Kinda Depressed
I don't know what's wrong with me. It's almost as if EVERYTHING is wrong, and I don't know how to fix it.
Yesterday, I got a phone call from a recording studio in Spokane. I'd written to the guy on MySpace to find out, from his perspective, just how long it would take to produce and record five songs. He wrote back a few days ago basically saying, "A hell of a lot less time than a year." So, yesterday, he calls me, and we talked for quite a while about what has gone on with the studio who's been "working" on my songs. Anyway, he told me that he could get a full album's worth of recordings done for us in about two weeks. The only thing: he charges $3,000 per week. However, he said he was interested in a new web site for his recording studio and would consider a partial trade, so I might get it for half.
This guy was so nice on the phone, and already loves my band. He has our CD! So, I think we're going to hammer out the details in the coming weeks and probably start recording in June or July and I will pay it off in August so we can release the CD in September-ish.
However, despite that good news, I am still depressed. I don't really know what's wrong. I do know that several problems have sprung up around the house due to the melting snow. Because the melting snow has saturated the ground out back, there is a lake of standing water. Because of the standing water and the saturated ground, the drainfield is not working properly. As a result, there is sewage (poop and all) backing up into the bathtub. It smells like rotten eggs in the whole house and the drains are unusable. I had planned to work out and take a shower today, but that isn't going to happen because the drains aren't working.
Additionally, the power keeps blinking off for no reason whatsoever. So far, I have found only two plug-ins that are not wired to the same 20-amp breaker. When that breaker blows (at least twice a day), only the stuff plugged into the outlet by the kitchen table (my desktop computer and the desk lamp) and the stuff plugged into the outlets above the kitchen counter backsplash stay running; everything else (including ALL the lights throughout the house) go off. To fix it, you have to go reset the breaker. Kenny has no clue when the electrician is going to be there.
The plumber just finished clearing out the drains, but the sulfuric smell is not yet gone.
Yesterday, I got a phone call from a recording studio in Spokane. I'd written to the guy on MySpace to find out, from his perspective, just how long it would take to produce and record five songs. He wrote back a few days ago basically saying, "A hell of a lot less time than a year." So, yesterday, he calls me, and we talked for quite a while about what has gone on with the studio who's been "working" on my songs. Anyway, he told me that he could get a full album's worth of recordings done for us in about two weeks. The only thing: he charges $3,000 per week. However, he said he was interested in a new web site for his recording studio and would consider a partial trade, so I might get it for half.
This guy was so nice on the phone, and already loves my band. He has our CD! So, I think we're going to hammer out the details in the coming weeks and probably start recording in June or July and I will pay it off in August so we can release the CD in September-ish.
However, despite that good news, I am still depressed. I don't really know what's wrong. I do know that several problems have sprung up around the house due to the melting snow. Because the melting snow has saturated the ground out back, there is a lake of standing water. Because of the standing water and the saturated ground, the drainfield is not working properly. As a result, there is sewage (poop and all) backing up into the bathtub. It smells like rotten eggs in the whole house and the drains are unusable. I had planned to work out and take a shower today, but that isn't going to happen because the drains aren't working.
Additionally, the power keeps blinking off for no reason whatsoever. So far, I have found only two plug-ins that are not wired to the same 20-amp breaker. When that breaker blows (at least twice a day), only the stuff plugged into the outlet by the kitchen table (my desktop computer and the desk lamp) and the stuff plugged into the outlets above the kitchen counter backsplash stay running; everything else (including ALL the lights throughout the house) go off. To fix it, you have to go reset the breaker. Kenny has no clue when the electrician is going to be there.
The plumber just finished clearing out the drains, but the sulfuric smell is not yet gone.
Monday, March 10, 2008
I Have Insomnia
Which is odd, because I am VERY tired.
Like I mentioned, I came down with a cold Monday night, had laryngitis by Tuesday, was plugged up Wednesday and Thursday... was so plugged up Thursday night that I didn't go to bed for fear of bugging Kenny, who, by then, had also contracted this stupid thing. I tried to sleep on the couch, but I could not breathe unless I was standing up. I can't sleep standing up, so I decided to give it up and started dinking around on my laptop.
I started playing with a recording program I have, and found an auto tune thingie, which will come in handy for recording later. Anyway, so while I was doing that, about 1PM Friday afternoon, I got a call from the bar we played at last weekend. They had called 6 or 7 other bands because their scheduled band called in sick, and all the other bands they called were also sick. He wanted to know if we would play. I said that, normally, I would jump at the chance, but we had all come down with something, too.
Anyway, so, after the call, I called Kenny to let him know. He was, at first, fine with me saying "no" to the guy 'cause we were sick, but, the more we discussed it, the more we talked ourselves into it. So, I called the bassist and asked him. He, though sick himself, said that he would do whatever we decided. I called the drummer and asked him. He wanted to play, and was disappointed when I said that I didn't know if we could do it 'cause we were sick. I told him that I would talk to Kenny and call him back in an hour or so and let him know.
So, Kenny and I talked it over some more, and decided that it was worth it, so Kenny called the bar back and told them that we would be there. So, I started warming up my voice. It wasn't terrible, but I had no stamina, no power, and I went into coughing fits every little bit. Not good. But, the more I worked it (and the more tea I drank), the better it got. Kenny brought me some cold pills, and that alleviated the stuffy head. I called everyone back and told them that we would be playing and to meet us at the house at about 6:30 or so. I called Dad and asked to borrow his truck.
So, we went to the show, and I felt like crap. I had a fever, sore throat.... I was MISERABLE. And my singing... was tentative, to say the least. We managed to get through it, though. We went home at about 2AM and I crashed. Sick, no sleep, and then a show? DRAINING.
I got up at 11AM and took a shower, cooked food for Kenny, did a load of dishes, and drank copious amounts of tea in preparation for the show Saturday night. I put on my make-up and did my hair in an adorable high ponytail and I trimmed my bangs so I looked very 1960s glam-ish. Or something. Anyway, I thought the hair and makeup combo was cute, and I picked out the most AWESOME outfit EVER to wear that night: it was just a simple pair of jeans, but for a shirt, I wore a CHAINMAIL TANK TOP. That's right: little silver rings all hooked together with tiny crystals dangling all over it. I only had a bra on underneath, so, over it, I put on this long, tight, black blazer with only one button, and the button was right under the boobs. The front of the blazer separated in the middle to reveal a little bit of the sparkly chainmail and my skin. It was AWESOME, and a HUGE hit all around.
Saturday night, Kenny was feeling worse than me, but we were both miserable, and the bassist looked like he was on death's door. The drummer was the only one who wasn't visibly sick, but even he said that he had felt like he'd been sick all winter, and wasn't 100% either night. In any case, for being sick and on last minute notice, we were AMAZING. I can't think of another band that would do what we did. We even pulled off "Radar Love" (a song that has troubled us for a while at practice) both nights, as well as both nights the weekend before.
So, Sunday, even though I went to bed at about 3AM, I didn't get up until 2PM. I did a load of dishes, watched a little TV, and just generally did nothing. I dinked around on the computer for quite a while. Which is where I still am. The Daylight Savings Time thing has really screwed with me. I want to be back on a day schedule, anyway, so I'll just stay up today and hope that no bars call this afternoon wanting us to play tonight. HA!
Like I mentioned, I came down with a cold Monday night, had laryngitis by Tuesday, was plugged up Wednesday and Thursday... was so plugged up Thursday night that I didn't go to bed for fear of bugging Kenny, who, by then, had also contracted this stupid thing. I tried to sleep on the couch, but I could not breathe unless I was standing up. I can't sleep standing up, so I decided to give it up and started dinking around on my laptop.
I started playing with a recording program I have, and found an auto tune thingie, which will come in handy for recording later. Anyway, so while I was doing that, about 1PM Friday afternoon, I got a call from the bar we played at last weekend. They had called 6 or 7 other bands because their scheduled band called in sick, and all the other bands they called were also sick. He wanted to know if we would play. I said that, normally, I would jump at the chance, but we had all come down with something, too.
Anyway, so, after the call, I called Kenny to let him know. He was, at first, fine with me saying "no" to the guy 'cause we were sick, but, the more we discussed it, the more we talked ourselves into it. So, I called the bassist and asked him. He, though sick himself, said that he would do whatever we decided. I called the drummer and asked him. He wanted to play, and was disappointed when I said that I didn't know if we could do it 'cause we were sick. I told him that I would talk to Kenny and call him back in an hour or so and let him know.
So, Kenny and I talked it over some more, and decided that it was worth it, so Kenny called the bar back and told them that we would be there. So, I started warming up my voice. It wasn't terrible, but I had no stamina, no power, and I went into coughing fits every little bit. Not good. But, the more I worked it (and the more tea I drank), the better it got. Kenny brought me some cold pills, and that alleviated the stuffy head. I called everyone back and told them that we would be playing and to meet us at the house at about 6:30 or so. I called Dad and asked to borrow his truck.
So, we went to the show, and I felt like crap. I had a fever, sore throat.... I was MISERABLE. And my singing... was tentative, to say the least. We managed to get through it, though. We went home at about 2AM and I crashed. Sick, no sleep, and then a show? DRAINING.
I got up at 11AM and took a shower, cooked food for Kenny, did a load of dishes, and drank copious amounts of tea in preparation for the show Saturday night. I put on my make-up and did my hair in an adorable high ponytail and I trimmed my bangs so I looked very 1960s glam-ish. Or something. Anyway, I thought the hair and makeup combo was cute, and I picked out the most AWESOME outfit EVER to wear that night: it was just a simple pair of jeans, but for a shirt, I wore a CHAINMAIL TANK TOP. That's right: little silver rings all hooked together with tiny crystals dangling all over it. I only had a bra on underneath, so, over it, I put on this long, tight, black blazer with only one button, and the button was right under the boobs. The front of the blazer separated in the middle to reveal a little bit of the sparkly chainmail and my skin. It was AWESOME, and a HUGE hit all around.
Saturday night, Kenny was feeling worse than me, but we were both miserable, and the bassist looked like he was on death's door. The drummer was the only one who wasn't visibly sick, but even he said that he had felt like he'd been sick all winter, and wasn't 100% either night. In any case, for being sick and on last minute notice, we were AMAZING. I can't think of another band that would do what we did. We even pulled off "Radar Love" (a song that has troubled us for a while at practice) both nights, as well as both nights the weekend before.
So, Sunday, even though I went to bed at about 3AM, I didn't get up until 2PM. I did a load of dishes, watched a little TV, and just generally did nothing. I dinked around on the computer for quite a while. Which is where I still am. The Daylight Savings Time thing has really screwed with me. I want to be back on a day schedule, anyway, so I'll just stay up today and hope that no bars call this afternoon wanting us to play tonight. HA!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)