fatrockstar

Don't bother telling me you won't be there because I need to stay positive about the show. All the apologies in the world do no good when attendance will make or break our ability to do more of them. It's better to say you'll be there and flake.

These are the "self portraits" I've been avoiding for a couple of weeks. I plan to make a mold of my favorite face once all the painstaking facial details are done (like eyebrows). With a mold, the hard part becomes super-easy, and all I really have to worry about is hair.

Ugh... hair. Polyform no longer makes Sculpey III color 083, which is a nice cool red perfect for the hair on this project, and I have exactly one brick left. I can make it stretch by mixing it with some colorless clay, but that's it. Once it's gone, it's gone. I wonder if there's a black market for discontinued Sculpey III/Premo colors.

I will add pin backs for these when done and see if they sell at my next show. If they do I'll try a winking variation or something.

Of course, I actually have to get venues to respond to my emails in order to GET shows, and that's not happening. It's frustrating, so please come to my June 26 show. Please.

( pics )

I don't wear jewelry and it doesn't interest me. A lot of people do, though, so I'm making some. There are eight pieces waiting to be listed. Four are shown below. I have a handful of ideas rolling around in my head I want to try but can't seem to remember to write them down! Very frustrating. I like the black cat theme, and hearts can be fun, too. If you wear jewelry, what do you look for? Color? Shape? Topical? Inquiring minds want to know.

The album is officially e-released, but the hard copy won't be sent out until the 15th. If you must, find me on digistation.com to download it. My favorite track is "Dots."

Undecided on whether to sell it.

Mastering the now-SIX song EP... this is what "Dots" looks like. Jake is cleaning up and adding audio color to all the tunes and balancing them out so they sound good together. He is so gracious to set aside time on this crispy Saturday.

Thank you, Jake!

I could not stay awake at work today, had an esophageal spasm that hurt like a mofo, and developed a obnoxious throat-clearing habit that occasionally becomes a cough. I do have a small fever and my sinuses are questionable. The whole "falling-asleep-at-work" thing turned into "fighting-to-stay-awake-on-the-drive-home," which was scary as fuck. Once I pulled into the garage and turned off the engine I fell asleep in my car for a good ten minutes.

Hopefully this is just "con crud," because that tends to happen when large groups of nerds/geeks/dorks congregate. I will be doing everything in my power to recover no matter what it is, though -- I really don't want to have to cancel my shows this week/weekend.

Mona's Bistro & Lounge: 9/10, 9:30pm Acoustic set w/Ron
O. O. Denny Park Annual Picnic: 9/13, around 2, full band

Seriously, I do. I had to run for the bus this morning, then I ended up walking about a mile or so this afternoon to get home. Add the rising heat of the afternoon and a band rehearsal, and I smell like a sack of onions and something else I don't really feel like going into right now.

Let's just say I can tell when I'm ovulating.

Wrote a new song tonight, finished up one we started last week called FOUR STARS ON EXPERT. Donnie's son, Parker, didn't get it. "But the best you can do is FIVE stars, so your song is wrong!" "Ah, young Parker, there's the rub. People who can actually get five stars on expert wouldn't write a song about it. One needs something to look forward to in life." "Oh." Parker is nine (I think).

I'm debating taking a shower before bed. I am that stinky. Yes I am.

I colored my hair last night with Ken's help. I've had the supplies for a couple of weeks now and was too chickenshit to follow through. It turned out pretty good. I probably could have left it on five more minutes, though. It still looks like I have roots, but at least the roots are cherry red and not soccer mom brown.

Grady is back from the vet. He was uncharacteristically quiet on the way there and on the way back. They gave him fluids and Pepcid, and will do some bloodwork. I'm out $133. That's without an x-ray. The vet was a good sport about Grady's shitty attitude, and remembered him from our last visit there. He has lost half a pound, but is still overweight.

I do not like PayPal.

I really want to make macaroni and cheese, but it will heat up the house like nobody's business. I'll have to wait until the sun goes down to do this. Damn.

The roasted garlic I made is almost gone. Here's some TMI for you: My bathroom smells like garlic. That's how much garlic was made and consumed in this house over the last 48 hours. We will be vampire-free for a month, guaranteed. I thought for sure the hair dye smell would overwhelm it, but no.

While I feel so much better now that the whateveritis is mostly out of my system, my voice is not up to par. I am having trouble staying on key and I still feel like I have fluid in my throat, making me cough randomly. I hope I'm back to normal by Sunday. As an added bonus, it looks like Ken has caught the whateveritis that knocked me out this week. I hope he doesn't suffer as much as I did. More garlic is in order.

It looks like we've booked another show this month. I can't tell you when or where without risking the crowd numbers for Sunday's Skylark show (because we really really really need people to show up there -- attendance == $$ == a completed album of Just My Stuff), but I will tell you it's soon, it's in a great little place with great food, and it will be easy to get to for all the people out there who complained about where we'd been booked for other shows. If we're lucky, this new show will come with its own draw, and we'll have plenty of audience.

Early this morning I got up to let some cool morning air into the house. This has worked for the last couple of summers, but this year it's a little challenging. To keep Grady out of his room, Ethan keeps the door closed (he's allergic), so that air flow is lost. We'll figure out something. So far I've been able to keep it below 80 inside, even though it doesn't really feel like it's 75-78 inside. Whatever the real temperature is, it's still much cooler than what's going on outside. I have my suspicions regarding this thermostat anyway. It went nuts after Garret moved out and I've been struggling with it ever since.

OMG DID YOU SEE L&O:SVU THIS WEEK? HOLY CRAP! I just caught it on TiVo, and man, I was on the edge of my seat...

That's about it.

Ethan followed up on the set we did at Laughing Ladies Cafe this past Saturday, asking if any of the photos they took of us were available for him to use. Amanda, who booked us, sent the following feedback:

You guys were so awesome! Seriously, I have never had such a pull from outside than with you guys. Your voices compliment each other so well.

I am still editing the pics that I got, and trying to salvage some of the sound on the videos. Aaron was asking me about them as well.

Rudy as managed to get a very good clip of one of your songs, and has been showing it off to our friends and family, they are all curious about your band and I have been giving them your myspace.

I actually wanted to ask if you minded if I spotlight you on my new page, as one of my artists of the month? The page isn't built up all the way yet, but it should be some extra exposure none the less. I don't want to do it without your permission though ;)

It *was* Ethan's show. Not sure if she realized we weren't a duet/band, but friends playing a show together. Either way, it was a good time. Thanks to all y'all that came out!