A Man Renewed..

2010-10-15T09:19:00.003-05:00

After riding bikes to school this morning, Neil walked up to his teacher and said "I must've rode my bike here."

Yesterday, I had lunch with Natalie at school. Neil walked by me in the hall and gave me five with his ketchup-covered hand. I told him to go find a napkin, and he ran off to class. After school, his hand was still covered in ketchup, but it was dry and confetti-encrusted, so it was all good.

more quotes from Neil

2010-09-09T15:51:00.002-05:00

Neil: "Cheese is a yummy energy."

Neil: "Isabel is my girlfriend."
Natalie: "Is she your brand new girlfriend?"
Neil: "Yes, and Kosta is my brand old girlfriend."

The Things They Say

2010-08-05T17:13:00.005-05:00

In Lubbock today. The kids went with Nonny to work at the hospital for a couple of hours, and she introduced them to the ladies working at the information desk. One of them leaned over to Neil and said "How are you young man?" Neil squints a little and says "You are reeeeeally old."

Our son has the best ideas

2010-07-24T12:43:00.003-05:00

We had a crawfish boil last night and crawfish omelettes this morning. Thanks Neil!!

2010-07-22T15:24:00.001-05:00

Can't wait to read for pleasure for a change. Please don't call between Aug. 16 and 27! :)

2010-07-21T07:41:00.003-05:00

So proud of my little girl.. We all went down to San Antonio for vacation this past weekend, and she volunteered to help me unload the car when we got there. She carried WAY more than should have been possible, and she held the doors for me every time she could if I was carrying a heavy load. She then proceeded to give me a BIG hug and said "Daddy, thank you for this vacation." That just melted my heart.. She seems so grown up these days and seems to have so much perspective. She also petted her brother and helped him get to sleep when he needed a nap (which happened a lot!).. I'm so proud of her.

2010-07-13T17:26:00.001-05:00

One downside to doing my work @ coffee shops: Having to hear the endless drone of slimy folk pitching their pyramid schemes, insurance plans/financial services, etc to people they want to "help out."

2010-07-08T14:13:00.002-05:00

One summer course down, two to go. These five-weekers are intense. Back to reading..

First of July

2010-07-01T10:09:00.002-05:00

Menacing clouds but suprisingly short storm last night.. In the aftermath, it's a nice, overcast, rainy day here in Central TX. I believe I'll put my new French press (thanks, Jackie!) to use. Speaking of coffee, the best cup (that I know of) in Austin can be found at Caffé Medici.

ol' Neil

2010-06-11T19:44:00.000-05:00

Jackie just got shushed by Neil, who's on the phone with Nonny.. Quoth the Neil: Ssshhhh!! Jackie! I'm on a business call!!!

A hot dog at the ballpark is better than a steak at the Ritz

2010-04-21T11:32:00.006-05:00

Local antelope, rabbit & pork sausage, huckleberry compote, sriracha aioli, applewood smoked cheddar..on a bun..with poutine on the side. I don't even know what all of those things are, but that hot dog and poutine were spectacular. The people at Frank know how it's done. Next, we shall have to visit for Sunday brunch:

April in Austin

2010-04-08T08:31:00.005-05:00

Bluebonnets everywhere! Yesterday was a great day. I had knee surgery in the morning, which was kind of a drag, but I was out of the hospital by 12. My lovely lady and I went and had some really good Mexican food at a taqueria down the street from our house for lunch. I was only half-awake, but it was still good. Got a nap after that, then picked up the kids from school. I was confined to the couch the rest of the day (no work), so I got to hang out with the kids and Jackie for the rest of the day. We had a blast! At one point, Neil said to me "Have you seen such a hullabaloo?" He's six years old! What a funny guy. He's progressed by leaps and bounds in school this year. He's made lots of progress with his reading, writing, and drawing thanks to his wonderful teachers. We're really happy with this school. Natalie is being challenged a lot more than she has before, and she's doing great! Jackie and I have also both gone back to college (mostly night and weekend classes), so there's never a dull moment around here. Next week is Natalie's birthday party.. She wants me to cook "steak and hamburgers" on the grill, and so it shall be. She's excited about Nonny and John coming to visit too. Well, I had better go and do some work.

1.4.10

2010-01-04T14:27:00.006-06:00

Things have been busy 'round here. The kids started back to school today. Jackie and I start in about two weeks. I'm pretty excited to get back. I've spent the last week re-learning algebra and such as I had to take an assessment test today before registering. That really took me back. I hadn't done any of this stuff in 10 years or so, but I still remembered a good bit after refreshing myself on it. Anyway, I started to register but was barred from doing so as one of my transcripts from another school is still missing. It's always something. So I'm headed to LBK tonight to get it so I can get it on file tomorrow. Can't wait to get this thing going.

Turkey

2009-11-23T12:05:00.002-06:00

We're getting packed and ready for our trip home to GA to spend Thanksgiving (and Halloween and Christmas so I'm told) with the fam. We're very excited and can't wait to spend some time with you all! If anyone in A-town reads this and you're looking for something to do tonight, come out to Genuine Joe Coffee tonight as my friends Heather Gilmer and Jeff Moore will be playing from 8 to 10, and I'll be playing a few sets with them. Back to work..

halloween

2009-11-13T14:07:00.001-06:00

Neil (to kid in Batman costume): What the heck are you?!

Another one from Neil

2009-11-06T08:57:00.000-06:00

Daddy, my Juicy Juice has my human spit in it.

weekend

2009-11-06T08:48:00.003-06:00

The Austin Celtic Festival is this weekend; Buille, Teada, and Pride of New York (among others) will be here. It should be a grand time. I've finally gotten out a little on the weekends and starting playing tunes with some folks (i.e. made some friends here).. I'll be helping out by playing melody at Jeff's guitar workshop at the festival. Come say hi if you are there!

another Neil-ism

2009-09-04T09:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we went to the park and when we crossed the street, Jackie said "Neil, before you cross the street, always look left and then look right." Neil's reply: "Why can't I look wrong?"

idyllic

2009-07-22T11:09:00.003-05:00

It's a nice rainy day here in LBK, a welcome change. I'm working, watching the rain, enjoying a cup of coffee...pure bliss.

hot

2009-07-10T12:10:00.003-05:00

I went out and ran about three miles this morning..It was 90 degrees by the time I got back, and it's supposed to get up to 104. It's a good thing I got started early. The high yesterday was 107. Sheesh. Nice and dry though.

Top news on the Milton front

2009-06-30T14:01:00.004-05:00

After much contemplation and deliberation, we've decided that we're going to move down to Austin and go to school. Jackie is going full time (first at ACC, then at U. of Texas) and working towards a degree in computer information systems. She's also working part time. I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing (working for the hospital at home) while I chip away at my degree. This is a huge step for us and will be a challenge, but we're very excited about it. We've found an awesome community (Cedar Park) to live in that has top-notch schools for the kids. I did a ton of research on it and feel good about it. Looking forward to the trees, hills, trails, water, trout, beach (3 hrs away), bbq, community centers, parks, and just "stuff" there is to do when we have spare time. Anyway, there it is! Come stay at our place every chance you get! Back to the grind..

2009-06-30T13:15:00.003-05:00

two more from Neil

2009-06-19T15:19:00.003-05:00

"I am a bee, and I have an abdomen on my butt," says Neil as he pretends that he is a bee and chases me around so he can "sting" me. He came up with this after learning about bee anatomy at school.

"Daddy! The Friday in my mouth will turn into a sun!" Oookkaaaayy. I have no idea..

Check my facebook page; I just uploaded a ton of new pics of the kids. Back to work!

another Neil-ism

2009-04-15T09:39:00.001-05:00

Before I forget:

"That raisin bread raisined my teeth."

Neil-isms

2009-04-12T12:06:00.003-05:00

Neil is always cracking us up with his wording and logic. Here are a couple from this weekend:

"Look at that big 'ol hill over there. That hill is big ol'."

"Aaawww Cecil, you're such a cute." (Said to our dog after getting back from the doggy haircut place)

WIND!!

2009-04-02T09:34:00.003-05:00

Windy days are to be expected in West Texas, especially in early Spring.. But this is wild! We hardly slept last night; it sounded like the house was about to blow down. Driving in this stuff ain't so easy either, especially on the highway. Well, I'm off to clean the dirt out of my teeth and eyes. Sheesh

got a date!

2009-03-27T20:21:00.003-05:00

So, I'm getting married to this super wonderful honey named Jackie and we finally have a date set: August 8th! She is truly the girl of my dreams. We can't wait!

party/ceili/wedding

2009-03-15T23:29:00.011-05:00

Well we've had a busy week (or two). Natalie, being the imaginative and resourceful six-year-old, decided that she wanted to throw a party to celebrate the beginning of spring/the month of March. It turned out really well! I'm so proud of her. Several of her friends came over, and they had a blast. Here's a picture of some of them playing in Neil's room:

Natalie and Neil both came down with the flu a few days later, and they both missed a week of school. They're doing better now though.

This past Thursday, we had a little shindig at the house for my good buddy Laura and her fiance (now husband) Gary. Jackie prepared all kinds of cool appetizers and such. We had a great time hanging out with old friends and making new ones. The wedding was today, and a grand time was had by all. I was honored to play the timber flute for the processional and recessional; I suppose I did the best I could considering my limited lung capacity and throbbing head caused by the flu! Such is life I suppose. Patrick gave us some excellent piping, and Stacy gave us a great song. Here are a few pictures (thanks Jackie!):

The happy couple!

Latisha and Calista

Me and my bud Patrick, who entertained us with some great piping (as usual).

Aaaand my personal favorites: The bride playing the fiddle!

I'm looking for some pics of Jackie and myself; please send them my way if you have any!

coffee pt. 2

2009-02-14T15:52:00.002-06:00

Jackie recently bought me the best coffee I've ever had. It's made by Kicking Horse Coffee. I've had two kinds from them now: the Kick Ass and the 454 Horse Power. Both are outstanding. Thought I should share!
later

'50s Day at school!

2008-11-11T06:01:00.001-06:00

2008-11-04T06:28:00.001-06:00

Today's the day! Get out and vote if you haven't already! Our future is at stake!

update

2008-10-21T10:46:00.012-05:00

So, it's been a while! I've been incredibly busy with work, kids' school, road trips, and STILL unpacking! It's okay though; I don't mind being so busy except for the fact that I haven't had time to read any of these great books I've got stacking up here.

Update on the kids: Neil was student of the month at his school! Natalie has been doing great in first grade...She is a top reader and excelling in math, and she was chosen to represent her school in a harvest festival parade. Here are some pictures:

Natalie got to ride on the float for her school, and Neil got to "ride" on a horse.

Weekend before last, Jackie and I went to Dallas to eat at Medieval Times. If you've ever seen Cable Guy, then you know what I'm talking about.. It was exactly the same, right down to the Pepsi.

I had some other update-type stuff to mention but can't think of it now, and I've gotta get back to the grind. More later!

Neil's b-day party (and new scooter!)

2008-09-19T22:59:00.016-05:00

First day of school!

2008-09-19T22:53:00.006-05:00

Well, we're already almost a month into it, but I just got these pictures on the computer:

daft

2008-09-17T10:43:00.001-05:00

Bob Barr = desperate.

Are you kidding me?

2008-09-16T11:54:00.004-05:00

Video of DeSean Jackson's boneheaded play last night:

This illustrates much of what is wrong with major professional sports today. You know, the whole "look at me" attitude. This week, it cost Jackson a TD because apparently getting ready for his dance was more important to him than actually scoring. The worst part is that the example set forth by the "professionals" has caused this attitude to filter down into college, high school, even pee wee sports. To the showboating/selfish players, it seems that being great and making big plays just doesn't say enough. They have to perform stupid dances and such hoping that you'll keep looking at them. Me, me, me. The NFL seems to encourage it as they have become more lenient on this point over the years. It appears that they are more concerned with their ratings than preserving the integrity of the game. The players that impress me the most, the true men of the game, are the ones who quietly and professionally go about the business of kicking butt every time they step on the field. They are more concerned about their team getting a "W" than they are about themselves.

Sarah Palin

2008-09-15T12:33:00.009-05:00

Is the least credentialed, least experienced person ever to be selected as a running mate for a major party candidate. She is one-and-a-half years into her term as governor of Alaska. Despite its massive physical size, it's considered a small state because of its tiny population. This means MUCH less experience dealing with a wide range of issues, especially ones that are relevant to our country as a whole. Before that, Palin was a city council member and later the mayor of a podunk town with a population of 500 or so. She has a communications-journalism major from U of Idaho. Oh, and let's not forget that she was a star basketball player in high school as well as a beauty pageant winner. Those things are quite relevant, you know. Beyond that, there's not much else to tell, and some serious scraping had to be done to throw together this résumé. This maneuver is almost as laughable as the election of Ilona Staller to the Italian Parliament back in 1987, but the possible outcome is much more scary. You have to ask why this happened. I'll submit two reasons: 1) votes from the fence-riders that were only going to vote for Hillary because of the fact that she's a woman, and 2) the pretense of change. The John McCain camp perceives that they are in a major dilemma, and they have made the most desperate and reckless move possible to get themselves out of it. If, by chance, 72-year-old and not-so-healthy McCain became our next president and then subsequently (God forbid) died, guess what would happen? We'd then have this person who has the least credentials and experience EVER on a major party ticket as our PRESIDENT. There's nothing good about that. This was an altogether ridiculous move by the Republican party.

2008-08-21T08:26:00.004-05:00

My dear coffee. I can never stay away from you for long. I sometimes cheat on you with green or black tea, but it's to you my thoughts return at the end of the day. Why do you pull at my heart strings and entice me to drink you even at night, when you're the last thing I should be thinking of? Ah well, I suppose it was meant to be. Coffee, thank you for all the joy you've brought me; I cherish all the good times we've had over the years, and I look forward to the memories we'll make together in the years to come.

why won't they just let me read?

2008-08-04T15:14:00.008-05:00

Why can't a person just read a news story online these days? It seems that about half the time when I click on a headline, a stupid video pops up. I don't want to watch a video, and I especially don't want to watch the commercials that come with them. I'd much prefer reading it myself over looking at pictures and having some reporter/narrator read it to me like it's story time in kindergarten. Before televisions and internet and iWHATEVER, people used their imaginations and actually had time to think things through. Everything is sound bites and video clips these days. Guess what? Reading is just as entertaining and informative (if not more so) as the junk they force-feed us on tv/internet/whatever. Granted, I do use the internet (obviously), and I think that it's great for a million reasons, but I also think that there's plenty bad that comes with it. It seems that humankind is getting progressively dumber. We are being conditioned to have the attention span of a ferret on crack.

2008-08-02T23:32:00.002-05:00

Back from a week in GA, and straight into moving. Don't know how I always end up doing it this way. It's gonna be good to get into this new place. We're super stoked. Thought I'd check in, do a little bloggage. Be back in a couple o' days.

mpg

2008-07-24T09:37:00.007-05:00

So, I've gone through two (full) tanks of gas since I last posted my mileage. Both were mostly city driving. I got 33.4 and 33.0 mpg, respectively, on those two tanks of gas. I think that I had gotten about 28 on the tank before those. The difference?

Air pressure. I didn't check my tires when I bought this car. I got an oil change at the local favorite garage a few weeks ago, and they "checked" my tires but didn't add any air. I checked them a week or so later and they were at about 25 psi. The maximum rating for my tires is 42 psi. Okay. So I increase the pressure to 41-42, and what do I get? An extra 5 mpg. Not too shabby. I didn't change my driving at all during this period. I check the tires every time I fill up now. Keeping your tires at or near their maximum psi (assuming you weren't doing this before) is one of the easiest ways to improve your gas mileage. See
cleanmpg.com.

random pics

2008-07-21T11:51:00.017-05:00

We had a little Thai-curry-making adventure yesterday. It was de-lish.

Yes, we cheated and used the boil-in-a-bag jasmine rice.

Apparently, we have a budding box player (thanks Nonny!):

And a miniature pipe band:

Such dedication...

Yowzah!

blog

2008-07-19T17:47:00.001-05:00

blog

i should be asleep

2008-07-15T00:13:00.004-05:00

I had a really productive day today. Got lots of work done, got caught up on some e-mails, paid some bills. It felt good. We sat outside and watched an awesome electrical storm tonight. We had an awesome pasta dinner tonight. I was refused a cup of water at the coffee shop in Barnes and Noble today. Strange. Got lots of cool trips and suchlike coming up. This has been a great summer. Can't wait to get out of this apartment. Less than three weeks to go! Ok I'm done rambling. Goodnight.

weekend ramblings

2008-07-12T15:17:00.009-05:00

This is the kind of Saturday that I wish I had every week. Slept til 10:30 or so, had an awesome breakfast (courtesy of Jackie..thanks dahlin'), watched cartoons and drank coffee, went swimming, and now am just chilling with absolutely no work or other obligations to worry about. We had to leave the pool early though because it suddenly got cloudy and started raining. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

A couple of days ago Neil was walking around in Natalie's skates and kept saying he wanted some "blue skates." So we went and got some for him. They even have flames on them, so they're perfect for him.

Cool, huh? We had a good time. The kids are all excited about moving. I guess it's time to start packing since we'll be outta here in three weeks.

Last night I went to the session and enjoyed lots of good tunes with some good people. After that, Jackie and I went to try out the new BWW. The food and service were pretty bad. Maybe it's because they just opened. I dunno.

Anyway, here's a really BAD picture of the really, really, ridiculously GOOD breakfast that Jackie cooked for me:

Huevos rancheros! Probably my favorite breakfast since first discovering it at the Lincoln County Grill in Ruidoso five or so years ago.

(pic from trip last December)

Peace!

july 8-9

2008-07-09T00:23:00.004-05:00

Today was my favorite kind of day: Cool and overcast with occasional light showers, but mostly just overcast. This weather makes me happy. I went to Shallowater today to catch up with an old friend I hadn't seen in a couple of years. Good times. It's been a good day. We finally found a house! We move around the first of August. I can't wait. We were really getting tired of this dinky old apartment. We'll have a lot more room, both inside and out, and the location is pretty much what we were looking for. I guess it's already time to start packing again. It seems like I just moved. Oh well, it's definitely worth it. We're going to GA soon to spend a week with the fam, so we're getting all excited about that too. It's gonna be an action-packed month. Neil's doing really well in his summer program. He's been talking my ear off all day. He's such a funny guy. I love dem babies. Well I guess I'd better get to sleep so I can do this thing again tomorrow. Adios!

thai soup..

2008-06-29T14:16:00.015-05:00

So on Saturday Jackie and I set out to make a Thai soup called "chicken galanga coconut soup." Laura made this once and let me try it. I was hooked. I talked her into letting me borrow the cookbook. Here's what happened:

Off we go looking for ingredients. We found most of them at Market Street. Then we went to Oriental Market to get the rest. Found it all except for the "galanga," which is also called "galangal." It's a root like ginger (same family), and it has a piney/floral flavor. Strange. Anyway, we found that at Asian Mart I think it was...??

Right! We found these interesting little...things. Nice fishy aftertaste. Thanks for the psychotic looking pose Jackie.

Here's all the stuff. We've got coconut milk, chicken, lime leaves, lime juice, peppers, cilantro, sugar, galangal, fish sauce, mushrooms, and lemongrass. Ready to rock!!

Coconut milk! Smells like cat food!!

Cutting the chicken. Exciting huh?

This is where the magic happens.

The finished product. It was off the hook. I'm pretty sure I ate way too much of it.

Um..Yeah I don't know.

So there you have it. It was an adventure, and it was definitely worth the effort. We're gonna make some more next weekend. This time with more mushrooms, more peppers, and a little water. That's all for now!

favorite day of the week

2008-06-27T11:48:00.019-05:00

Friday's here finally. I stayed up late working last night, but didn't really sleep in at all this morning. Back to the grind now, but we did squeeze in a quick swim this morning. Here are the kiddos in action:

And here's Neil, givin us a tune last night:

Tomorrow should be fun. Jackie and I are gonna cook up an exotic dish of some sort that neither of us knows how to make. You know, for the excitement and adventure. And stuff. I shall have to post a blog with photos to document how it turned out. Good times.

Totally unrelated, but I've been pondering (again) lately why I have this unhealthy fascination with concertinas. This fascination extends not only to the playing of/with the instrument, but also to the idea of the thing itself. I know that's not very articulate at all, but I don't know how else to describe it. I just love that little instrument. Especially the anglo variety.

This obsession began in approximately 2004 (?) when I attended the St. Louis Tionol. I'm a timber flute/pipes kinda guy, and I live in a vacuum, so I hadn't really been exposed to much concertina playing. I was strolling around the school after a class with timber flute/bombarde/gaita maestro John Skelton, and I walked by a classroom where there were two guys sitting there playing the pipes and concertina. They were both great players, playing some fiery music (as I recall), and I was totally captivated by the sound of this little free-reed beastie.

Fast forward a few months..I find out (don't remember where from) that Alabama concertina maker Bob Tedrow is sending one of his instruments on "tour." I got on the list and received this stunning piece of work in the mail a couple of weeks later. I was blown away by this thing. The workmanship was impeccable, and the tone was gorgeous. After squeezing (no pun intended) tunes out of this thing for a week, I sadly sent it on its way to the next person on the list. My obsession became that much more intense.

Around this same time, I discovered the music of Niall Vallely, son of John B. Vallely (founder of the Armagh Piper's Club and absolutely stunning painter) and nephew of Fintan Vallely (great flute player and scholar/writer). Brothers Cillian Vallely (piper, a member of Lunasa, played for Riverdance among other things) and Caiomhin Vallely (piano player, member of Buille along with Niall) are also staggering musicians. Niall has been an inspiration to me since. The lift in his music is deeply moving, and his use of ornamentation is technically brilliant and at times breathtaking. He's also a prolific composer, and his tunes are absolute masterpieces. I first discovered him when I picked up the album that he and Cillian recorded, Callan Bridge. I really can't say enough about how much this man has inspired me. Here's a solo performance from his Mad for Trad instructional cd-rom:

On a (this time) related note, Clare concertina player and great exponent of the tradition Kitty Hayes passed on a couple of months ago. May she rest in peace. She was truly an inspiration to us all, both in her playing of the music and in the way she lived her life. Her story is really quite remarkable.

That's all I've got for now. Back to work!

almost there!

2008-06-26T23:37:00.002-05:00

Hola
It's almost Friday. Can't wait for the weekend. Today was a pretty awesome day. Got to sleep kinda late. Took Neil to school and then took him and Nat swimming. I think we've gone swimming like four times this week. They can't seem to get enough of it. We met up with Rachel and had lunch at Thai Thai..it was glorious as usual. Worked a little. Mom cooked up a fantabulous meal for supper. Jackie and I went and looked at some houses- found a couple that looked pretty alright. I'm getting tired of writing these choppy sentences, so I think I'll just get back to work now. See you around!

Currently listening to:

Phil Lynott rules.

Back in LBK

2008-06-23T10:26:00.003-05:00

Jackie and I drove to Muenster (TX) yesterday for some lunch. Yeah I know, it's a long way to drive just to eat lunch, but we were craving some German food. We got there about 2:00 and had a feast. Here was our destination:

We headed back pretty quick after we ate. As for gas mileage (you knew this was coming right?), we got a whopping 41.4 mpg on the highway. Not bad eh? The EPA rating for this car is 35 highway and 26 city. We got 28.4 in the city last week. I think I can get that number up to 30. See cleanmpg.com.

Saw some cool wildlife on the road (one of my favorite parts of traveling on non-interstate roads)...egrets, red-tailed hawks, vultures, a tarantula, some wild turkeys, swallows, meadowlarks, and several (unfortunately) dead things including a coyote, a hog, and a deer.

More pics from our journey:

Things I have learned in the last year..

2008-06-21T17:04:00.000-05:00

A lot. This includes things I already knew but had lost sight of. I started this list a few months ago, and I think I've finally got most of it in there.

1. The only people in this world that I can completely trust are my family and the five or so people that are my closest of close friends. Most of these are people that have been there for me (and vice versa) time and time again, for many many years, through good times and bad times. To trust anyone else - even pretty good friends, even (certain) bandmates, even people you've sacrificed a lot of time and effort for - with any damn thing is just downright foolish. The things that have happened in the last year have been extremely hard for me, but the fact that I learned this lesson is one of the best things that has come of it.

2. Worrying does nothing for me. I knew this one already, but it has been reiterated to me. It's generally a complete waste of time.

3. There are some things in my life that I can't control, and that's just a fact. I'm not sure I completely understood this one before. For instance, I never thought that the time I have with my kids would be cut in half. It never even occurred to me that this was a possibility. When it happened, I thought I could do something to change it. That wasn't the case, and I've had to accept it. That was a real eye-opener for me. It has been one of the hardest lessons for me. The good news is that I cherish every moment I have with them, and I take advantage of it even more than I did before. As a matter of fact, it might be just as good as it ever was because when they're here, they're my complete focus. And they have a loving, stable family unit. We're so lucky to have Jackie. She has really made this transition so easy and comfortable for them. I can't believe I found her. She is truly an amazing person, and I love her with all my heart. The kids do to. What a blessing.

4. If I'm not bettering myself in some way every day or at least being creative, I feel like I've wasted a whole day. I knew this one already, but it occurred to me again during that sort of "dark time" when I wasn't doing much but working and getting by. I feel alive again.

5. Things aren't always gonna be great all the time. Things are gonna suck sometimes, no matter how hard you try.

6. Unhealthy food tastes like shit if you're used to eating healthy food. Seriously. I never thought this possible. But it's true. Your body knows what's good for you and what's not.

7. I try to do too much. I'm already being pulled in 50 directions at once, and I always seem to find a way to add 20 or so to the list. I need to simplify my life because it's a little stressful trying to keep up with so much.

8. Playing music solely for the sake of making money is a crappy way to make money. From now on, I'm only gonna play what I wanna play. I don't care if I make money at it or not. That's not the reason I started playing in the first place. A couple of times in my life, I've steadily made a decent amount of money playing (music I wasn't too fond of), but I wasn't enjoying it. So what's the point? I only want to play to let go of everyday worries and have some fun. Money distorts reality (or perception thereof) and causes a person to lose sight of purpose.

tunes

2008-06-20T10:29:00.000-05:00

Last night was pretty good. We filled in for Johnny Faa at Sugar Brown's and had a good time playing some old tunes. It was initially Laura, Patrick, and myself.. Bodhran whiz John dropped in unexpectedly and kicked the whole thing up a notch. It was really good playing with him again. Drove through several near-lakes on the way home after a storm dropped about 2 feet of rain in like one minute. We play again tonight starbucks on 82nd..
Peace

Honda's zero-emission car

2008-06-16T11:54:00.000-05:00

We're getting there (I hope): New Honda.

new car

2008-06-15T13:16:00.001-05:00

So after driving a p.o.s. (13-year-old) car with no a.c. for the last 10 months, I finally broke down and got a new (to me) car. I'm kind of pumped about it.

I was gonna get a Jetta and convert it to a greasecar, but I've had a hell of a time finding a diesel one that isn't really old, and I needed a car quick as I had this feeling that my old one was about to die completely. So, the greasecar will have to wait. In the meantime, I'm working on employing some hypermiling techniques to get the most mpg I possibly can. Also see cleanmpg.com. Over and out.

zouk

2008-06-12T11:49:00.003-05:00

Back in town after a two-day excursion to Santa Fe.. Got to drop in at Zoukfest for a couple of days. This world music camp, founded by Irish bouzouki maestro Roger Landes, is said to be quite the life-changing experience for all who attend. Jackie and I were only there for (bits and pieces of) two days. Even in that short time, I finally got to experience some of that magic. For me, it was mostly the excitement in the air and being in the presence of so many masterful players. I didn't attend any classes, and I can't wait to do that next year. See Dr. Coyote's blog for a poignant, day-by-day account of the camp. Also see Susan's blog for her day-by-day. Good stuff. I only wish I could've been there to see Andy Irvine.

Otherwise, Jackie and I bummed around Santa Fe and basically just had a nice four-day weekend. Wow I love that girl. There I go thinking out loud again. Back on topic: We visited a couple of locally-owned restaurants, the most interesting probably being Maria's. A good friend recommended the place. I love New Mexico food.. Maria's cooks up some of the best. The most interesting thing about this place is the 100+ margaritas that they make. These go all the way from six to 60 dollars. Pretty impressive eh? I got the six dollar one, and it was really good. Don't know that I'd even be worthy of the top-of-the-line margaritas if I thought the cheapest was so great.

Anyway, I started this post like four days ago but never finished it.. It's already Saturday again..back to work!
Peace

free

2008-06-02T11:19:00.001-05:00

This past weekend I played my last rock show. I didn't realize what a burden it had been for me until it was over. It feels good to be done. Next item on the agenda: brush up on my acoustic/trad chops and continue to find ways to live life more simply every day..

Currently listening to: Jacky Molard Acoustic Quartet

late

2008-05-19T01:12:00.000-05:00

I don't really have much to say except that things are going well. Really, really well. I feel myself heading more in the direction I want to be going each day. I still feel like I'm learning a lot every day. I have a list going of things I've learned in the last year. Anyway, today was a good day. We had no agenda whatsoever, and that's almost never the case, so it was pretty refreshing. We cooked some breakfast, hung out with the kids, went for a bike ride, worked, played tunes, watched movies, drank coffee... I felt like I'd been sitting too much this evening at 11:00, so I went for a run. I got all wired after that, so now I'm sitting here at the computer at 1:20 a.m. Need to go to bed. I need a new book to read. Any suggestions? Peace..

?

2008-04-23T10:54:00.000-05:00

I'm so tired. Need more time, more energy, more hands, more sleep, more everything.
Gotta keep truckin.

April eleven

2008-04-11T09:26:00.000-05:00

I've learned so much this week.

I've learned volumes in the last year.

I only wanna be the best I can be.

Only want to unceasingly grow and improve.

Never lose my sense of awe and wonderment of the world.

Always see the bright side of things.

This is what gets me through.

Thank you, Kevin Crehan

2008-04-04T09:07:00.003-05:00

I've been listening to Kevin Crehan's solo fiddle album A LOT lately..like nonstop. It's all I've been listening to. I'm floored. Don't even know how to describe it. I've gotten a whole new perspective on the music. Don't think I'll ever hear it or play it the same way again. If you've never heard this album, pick it up and give it a spin. You'll see what I'm talking about. Thanks Kevin. And Junior. And Bobby. You guys have truly inspired me.

March 15

2008-03-19T11:28:00.001-05:00

What a weekend. It isn't every day you get to stay in a ranch house and see buffalo and zebras walking past your car in the driveway. This amazing lady, Sandy (owner of the ranch), was one of the coolest people I've meet in a while. We got to eat at the restaurant voted "best breakfast in Texas." The Bluebonnet Cafe I think it was. Purdy good. Got to play at the Hill Country Community Theater on invitation from friend Jim who is director there. The next day, we walked aimlessly around Austin for a few hours. Saw a smoking western/swing/country/juke joint kinda band. Wish we had caught their name. All in all, it was a pretty cool getaway.

Things I have learned in the last year

2008-03-13T10:05:00.000-05:00

A lot. This includes things I already knew but had lost sight of. I started this list a few months ago, and I think I've finally got most of it in there.

1. The only people in this world that I can completely trust are my family and the five or so people that are my closest of close friends. Most of these are people that have been there for me (and vice versa) time and time again, for many many years, through good times and bad times. To trust anyone else - even pretty good friends, even bandmates, even people you've sacrificed a lot of time and effort for - with any damn thing is just downright foolish. The things that have happened in the last year have been extremely hard for me, but the fact that I learned this lesson is one of the best things that has come of it.

2. Worrying does nothing for me. I knew this one already, but it has been reiterated to me. It's generally a complete waste of time.

3. There are a lot of things in my life that I can't control, and that's just a fact. I'm not sure I completely understood this one before. For instance, I never thought that the time I have with my kids would be cut in half. It never even occurred to me that this was a possibility. When it happened, I thought I could do something to change it. That wasn't the case, and I've had to accept it. That was a real eye-opener for me. It has been one of the hardest lessons for me. The good news is that I cherish every moment I have with them, and I take advantage of it even more than I did before. As a matter of fact, it might be just as good as it ever was because when they're here, they're my complete focus. And they have a loving, stable family unit. We're so lucky to have Jackie. She has really made this transition so easy and comfortable for them. I can't believe I found her. She is truly an amazing person, and I love her with all my heart. The kids do to. What a blessing.

4. If I'm not bettering myself in some way every day or at least being creative, I feel like I've wasted a whole day. I knew this one already, but it occurred to me again during that "dark time" when I wasn't doing much but working and getting by. I feel alive again.

5. Things aren't always gonna be great all the time. Things are gonna suck sometimes, no matter how hard you try.

6. Unhealthy food tastes like shit if you're used to eating healthy food. Seriously. I never thought this possible. But it's true. Your body knows what's good for you and what's not.

7. I try to do too much. I'm already being pulled in 50 directions at once, and I always seem to find a way to add 20 or so to the list. I need to simplify my life because it's a little stressful trying to keep up with so much.

8. Playing music solely for the sake of making money is a crappy way to make money. From now on, I'm only gonna play what I wanna play. I don't care if I make money at it or not. That's not the reason I started playing in the first place. A couple of times in my life, I've steadily made a decent amount of money playing (music I wasn't too fond of), but I wasn't enjoying it. So what's the point? I only want to play to let go of everyday worries and have some fun. Money distorts reality (or perception thereof) and causes you to lose sight of purpose.

snow march 3

2008-03-03T10:17:00.000-06:00

This past weekend almost felt like summertime.

I thought of riding my bicycle across town, but the fact that my appendix was removed a week ago prevented me from doing so.

Nonetheless, I starting thinking about spring and summertime. Long days, bike rides, swimming, barbecues, hanging with friends, playing at the park, the whole nine.

Today it's 30 degrees and snowing. Funny how things work. I'm still excited though. Can't wait for the warm weather. adios

First Post

2008-02-26T12:18:00.000-06:00

Hello

I'm feeling very refreshed today, and I feel like "blogging" once again.

A lot of things have happened, and I've been out of the loop for a while. It's a beautiful day. I think I'll go fire up the grill.

Til next time..