"Muse" - ings on Rock & Life

I don't know what it is lately, but I seem to be fitting in a lot more time for the listening side of things than I have in a while. At the moment, it's a record by a band called The Strumbellas that has my attention. I caught a single of theirs on the radio last week sometime, and then the bookstore just happened to have their record when I was there the other day. Maybe it's the packing that has me more focused on that side of things, I don't know. What I do know is that one way or another, I desperately need to get back to some playing tomorrow, if only for my own sake. I go in a little bit late, so maybe that will help me out.

Today was a good day that didn't quite have enough hours in it for me to get everything done that I wanted to. That said, there is now a growing pile of boxes, just from the books that I was able to get out of the studio today. I had intended to get the whole closet emptied out, but it took me a little bit longer than I had been expecting to even get as far as I did, so I guessit will take a bit more work tomorrow to finish up the closet. I got some good listening time in while I was packing, though, so that was good, and in between boxes I played a bit of acoustic. I think that another hour or so in there today would have been enough to get me, if not over the top, then significantly on my way to feeling good about where the studio sits right now. Hopefully tomorrow will bring me a lot closer to where I would like to be.

So, today began the long, slow process of packing up the studio for the move in a couple of weeks. I'm trying to be smart about the whole thing, though, and use the packing as a way to help focus on the goals I've set for the year. While that may slow the process down a little bit, being deliberate about things now is only going to help me going forward. I very much feel the need to hit the ground running when I get the new studio set up, so while I didn't get as much done today as I wanted to, I feel like what did get done today will help me more in two weeks than it does immediately. That said, tomorrow needs to be a better day than today was, both in terms of packing and playing.

I am finally starting to wrap my mind around the fact that we are going to be moving in two weeks. In thinking about the studio, and the time I have been able to spend in there in the last three years, I am struck by two things: First, that I have made good progress at times where my playing is concerned. For that I am happy. More, though, I am struck by the fact that I missed the chance to do a lot more in the last three years than I did. It's my vow to not let that happen to me in the next place.

And the three day weekend is here! I spent a bit of my Friday night doing some more listening, but really most of it was spent working on the list of things that I want to get done over the weekend. I know that I have got to spend a good bit of time getting some of the less essential things packed up and ready for the move, but I am also keenly aware that what I need the most right now is to find a good chunk of time to get into the studio and practice. Having the extra day should go a long way toward helping me out in that regard. I am really looking forward to a productive weekend.

Hands down, the best part of today was finally getting a decent chance to sit down and listen to the Christopher Paul Stelling record that I had ordered from The Exclusive Company. Not only are the songs great, but his acoustic playing on the record makes me want to pick up an acoustic guitar. It's great music all the way around, and it definitely makes me want to pick up the rest of his music. Mentally, I am already making a list of the things that I want to do a better job of once I move into the new studio. Doing more acoustic work is one of those things. I'm just glad that I have another few weeks before the move to do some advance work here, because laying the groundwork for my habits in the next place begins now. The next few weeks will be a blur, but I am bound and determined that they are going to be a productive blur.

Well, I promised pictures of the new studio in tonight's post, and so here are a few of them. The random furniture in the pictures will all be out by the time we move in, so I will have a lot more space than I do right now. Can't wait to get moved in and get everything set up.

As expected, we got to go through the house again today. And yes, I was able to get a lot of new pictures of my future studio space. Will I get them all uploaded and posted tonight? Probably not, considering that we just got back home for the first time in the last 24 hours. Tomorrow's post, however, will be an amazing one. That much I know for sure.

Tonight was another night spent driving across the state. While this didn't lend itself to getting any playing done, it was rather conducive for listening. I finally got around to listening to the new Rhett Miller album from start to finish, and brought along the new record by Christopher Paul Stelling that I just got in the mail. I didn't get to that one quite yet, but that can be a tomorrow thing on the road home. On a side note, we're having the appraisal and inspection done tomorrow on the house we are  (hopefully) buying, which means that I will get to see the room that is going to be my new studio space for only the second time. Tomorrow's post may well have a lot of pictures in it. We shall see.

Today was another long day, spent mostly in the car.  There have been an awful lot of those lately, and they don't seem to be going away for at least the next few weeks. That said, we ended up back at home tonight for the first time in a week and a half.  We're done dog-sitting for this round.  What that really means is that I got to move myself back into the studio tonight. I'm not happy with the lack of progress I made last week, but something tells me that this week will be a different story, if only because I really need it to be.

Today was not quite the day that I had hoped for when I went to bed last night, but I was finally able to pick up the guitar tonight and do at least a little bit of playing. That felt like a victory in and of itself. Things have been such a whirlwind around here lately. I'm finding that my energy ebbs and flows a lot these last few weeks. Hopefully things will even out over the summer, because I would like to get back to feeling better and more productive. Tomorrow promises to be another long day, but I am hoping that, come tomorrow night, I'll be able to spend a good bit of time holed up in the studio, working on turning things around.

Well, instead of righting the ship tonight, the odd week that it has been found a way to continue.  About the only really good thing that happened tonight was a trip to the record store, where I picked up a few things: I Still Do - Eric Clapton BNL Red Rocks - Barenaked Ladies Heartbreaker (Deluxe Reissue) - Ryan Adams Also, my copy of Labor Against Waste by Christopher Paul Stelling arrived today.  Shipped to me from The Exclusive Company in my hometown.  As I sit here tonight, I honestly can't say what I'm most excited to listen to. Tomorrow is a day that has no plans, no formal structure. It is this that I'm most excited about, because that means that, if I'm smart, I can fill a good portion of it with music of one kind or another.  Lord knows that, at this point, I need it.

It's been a bit of a strange week. Tonight was another night where I didn't feel like I got all that much accomplished, but with tomorrow being Friday, I'm still feeling really good about what I can get done as I head into the weekend. If I know anything about tomorrow, it's that what I need the most is just the chance to pull the guitar out of the case and just have it in my hands for a while. I'm fully prepared to let the practicing take care of itself after that. It has just been such an odd week.

Today was a day that ended up being split between our place and the house we are dog sitting at. There were parts of that which were beneficial for me, and parts when it felt like a struggle. I worked on a bit of theory this morning, and did a bit of work out of the magazinesthat I picked up yesterday, but just as I was getting started, we had to go back to the other house, and I wasn't smart enough to bring what I needed to work on along with me. That meant a break in what I was doing, and I didn't get back to it until later tonight, when I was able to get a bit more time in before needing to get some sleep. All in all, today was okay, but had some missed opportunities in it. I need to do better tomorrow than I did today. I managed to finish off the book I was reading about The Beatles, though. Now I can get back to the one on The Replacements.

Tonight was a little bit on the quiet side, but it was by no means a bad night. I had stopped by the bookstore on the way home to pick up something else, but discovered once I got there that there were new issues of Guitar Techniques and Acoustic Guitar out, so I picked those both up. I got in a little bit of work tonight, but not as much as I wanted to. I'm still really looking forward to my day off tomorrow. Lots to get done.

Considering what did or did not get done this past weekend, tonight was an okay start to the week. I  started diving into a few of the things that I brought along with me, and got a bit of reading done while I was at it, too. On that same front, I'mnow halfway through a book on The Beatles and the recording of Let It Be.  Considering how little time I've spent reading it, I feel like that's progressing rather quickly. In all honesty, it's the combination of tomorrow night and Wednesday that I am looking forward to the most this week. I'm scheduled to be off on Wednesday, and as of right now, it looks like I might actually have the day free to use for my own devices. Things can always change, of course, but the idea that I'm coming up on a free day is the best thing I can hope for right now, if only because I feel like I really need it.  There's just so much to get done.

So, having been occupied with graduation fun all weekend, theonly real time I spent in the studio today was focused less on playing and more on packing for a week of dog sitting. The cool part about that is the fact that it lets me focus on the things that my brother and I got to spend some time talking about while he was here. I'm really hoping for a big week this week, and I see no reason why I shouldn't have one.

So, a good portion of today'smusic time was spent in discussions with my brother. It's been good to have him around to bounce things off of the last few days. We didn't spend much time in the studio, but the conversation, as always, was helpful. I'm just really looking forward to seeing things get back to normal, and hopefully that will happen this week.

All week it has been a struggle to find time to get into the studio, so why would today be any different? My brother is here, though, and so while the time may be a struggle, the chance for discussion has not been. I'm looking forward to tomorrow afternoon and evening, when perhaps I won't be so exhausted, and we might be able to steal a few hours of time to talk shop. We've already gotten a bit of that in, after all.

Well, I got a little bit more done tonight than I have for the rest of the week. It wasn't much, and it definitely wasn't the night I had hoped for, but it was something. I got some listening in tonight after work, and was also able to get into the studio for at least a few minutes. There was a bit of playing in that time, but I am still going to need to spend a good bit of time getting things cleaned up in there tomorrow afternoon. Then tonight, I sat down and started to watch a music documentary on Netflix, only to fall asleep shortly after I got started on it. All things considered, it was a pretty good day. Not exactly the day I had expected, but a good day nonetheless.

Today was another day that was filled with obligations outside of work, and therefore, another day that I wasn't able to spend the time in the studio that I would have liked to.  That leaves me, at least somewhat, staring down the barrel of tomorrow being my last, best hope for the week.  I guess I just figure that, between the Mrs. graduating, and all of the family that is going to be in town, there won't be much of a chance to get a lot done.  So, yeah, tonight wasn't what I was hoping for, and tomorrow needs to be even more than I am hoping it will be.

I really don't know what it is about this week, but tonight was another night where I had great intentions, and there just wasn't a whole lot of time or progress. I have gotten to the end of the night and still feel like I didn't get around to much of anything when it comes to either the practicing side of things or the organizational side of things. I know that I spent at least a little bit of time with both of those things tonight, but I am not sure what I have to show for that time. If nothing else, I was able to get in a bit of listening today, so that was good. Strange week this week.

Another day, another drive back and forth across half the state.  What does that mean for my time to focus on music tonight?  Not a whole lot that's really good.  It means: 1. That the music project I was working on for a friend last night (and hoping to have finished) remains unfinished for at least another day. 2.  It means that the studio is still a mess.  I really wanted to get in there for a decent amount of time tonight, and with getting back around 10, that just wasn't meant to be this evening.  Tomorrow, I desperately need to find myself a good chunk of time to hide away in there and get some work done, both playing-wise, and also focused on some general organization. Today was a long day, but a good one.  The Mrs. got final approval for her new job, which means that other exciting news is hovering on the edge of being announced.  As always, more tomorrow, and better, but this time with the added caveat of more interesting news to come.

I spent almost all of my energy for music today working on a project for a friend of mine that they had tasked me with a little while back.  It has taken a lot of effort on my part to get it organized to the point where it is right now (not quite done yet).  Being gone 5 weekends in a row hasn't entirely helped.  I'm really hopeful that I can finish it tomorrow night. As for my own stuff, a lot of it was reading today.  Slowly but surely working my way through the Replacements bio.  That has been a really fun read. Tomorrow night I very much need to get myself back into the studio.  I thought this weekend was going to have more in it than it ended up having.

Today was a surprisingly low key day. I got out of the house at one point, and made my way to the bookstore, where I picked up the new Paul McCartney biography by Philip Norman. At home, today, it was quiet. I got some reading done in something other than the new McCartney book, and I found a bit of time to play, but the studio is still bordering on a disaster. After church tomorrow, I desperately need to get in there for a good amount of time. There was more that I should have gotten done today, but I think that I really needed a low key sort of day at home.

After yet another long Friday, most of what I had the energy to get done tonight was my list of all the things that I hope to get done this weekend. And considering that this will be the first weekend out of the last 6 that we aren't going to be on the road, the list is of a fairly decent length. I got a chance to pick up the guitar for a few minutes in there, too, but didn't manage to get a whole lot of stuff done. Tonight really was more about setting the stage for the next few days.

We had a dinner to go to tonight after work, so I knew from the get go this morning that it was going to be a tough day for me to get a lot of work done in the studio. I was right. We got back from dinner around 9, and the combination of that plus a long day of work had me pretty much knocked out. Still, I managed to find a few minutes to play, but it was nothing compared to what I had been hoping to have for time today. I can't believe that tomorrow is Friday. I'm pretty sure that this will be the first weekend in more than a month that we aren't going to be on the road, so I am really hoping that the time at home will give me a chance to get some quality time in the studio.

Today was okay, for the most part. I got into the studio on the early side of things for a change.  In doing so, I actually managed to fit in some playing, which was a positive development considering how the week has gone for me music wise.  It wasn't the great leap forward I had been hoping for, but it worked out well all the same. I also was able to take a bit of time and do some listening, get a few things imported into the iTunes, and make a bit of headway in the Replacements bio that I've been working on. Not the greatest update today, I know, but it will have to do for now.  Hopefully tomorrow will be an improvement.

For a night heading into a day off, I feel pretty good about what I was able to get done. I got into the studio on the early side for me, and set to work looking at one of the recent GT lessons that has had my interest piqued of late.  For once I got into the studio with enough time and energy to get my fingers warmed up, and then keep working.  That's what really left me feeling good tonight.  I'm loosened up enough heading into tomorrow that, if I can get into the studio on the early side, I feel like I could make some big progress. After my playing, I sat and read a few pages of my Replacements bio.  Didn't get as far as I would have liked to in that, but there's always tomorrow for some of that. All things considered, it was a pretty decent day. 

Today was a day for a lot of listening, and only a small amount of playing, and while I felt like I lost the thread somewhat at the end of the day, it was still a decent day. I know that I should have been a little bit more focused tonight. That if I had been, I could have gotten a lot more done in the studio. Still, I got a chance to pick up the Strat for at least a few minutes, and I also got to dive into at least a few pages of the new issue of Guitar World. I'll take that on a Monday, and hope for better than that for the rest of the week.

So, after being gone all day yesterday, and having a get together to attend this afternoon, I finally got a bit of studio time late tonight.  While I wasn't at my peak where energy and efficiency were concerned, I got a few things done: 1.  I picked up the Strat for a few minutes to just play.  I wasn't intensely focused tonight, so the thought was that I just needed a bit of time to decompress and enjoy my time with the instrument.  It was both necessary and good. 2.  I fit in another chapter and a half of the book on The Replacements.  That feels like it has been slow to start for me, but it's mostly because I haven't spent a ton of time with it yet.  Come Wednesday (my day off this week) that should change. So, all things considered, it wasn't a hugely productive day, but given the time that I had, I feel okay about how it went.