"Muse" - ings on Rock & Life

So, yeah... the Telecaster is a real thing.  We did Christmas with my Dad, Step-Mom, and brother today, and I'm now the proud owner of a Fender Telecaster.  Pictures will follow at some point soon.

Long travel day today, but we made it up to WI. I didn't bring much along.  Felt weird not bringing a guitar (because I'm still pretty sure that the Tele is a thing).  Did bring the notebook I've been planning in along with me, though.  I'm hoping to have a bit of time to keep working on things as the week goes along, but I'm not holding my breath too much on that one.

Merry Christmas to all! Tomorrow is going to be a long day, as we head for Wisconsin to see family for a few days.

Today was okay.  Nothing spectacular, nothing below average. Essentially, I pushed ahead with continuing to figure out what's coming up next year.  I made some good progress, and I would love to actually get started on all of it, but: 1) We've had family here for the holidays and 2) We're heading up to see my side of the family in the next few days here. I haven't played much lately, and I'm starting to feel it.  As much as I'm looking forward to heading up home for a few days away, there's also a small part of me that would rather just hole up in the studio for a few days. I'm already wondering how much playing I'll be able to fit in tomorrow.

Today was another decent day.  I was actually able to steal a few minutes in the studio.  It wwasn't enough to get a ton of work in, but I was able to spend some time with a pen and a notebook working my way through and outlining some of the ideas for next year. New issue of Acoustic Guitar came in the mail today, too, so that was cool. I feel like I keep saying this, but I'm hopeful that tomorrow will be a day that has more studio time in it than today did.

Today was a good day. I did some more work on the lead in to next year.  I'm still feeling really good about where things sit, even if I haven't gotten the time in the studio yet that I was hoping for.  Still, I'm optimistic that tomorrow will actually give me a chance to get down there and put in some work. Nonetheless, the pieces are falling into place.

Today was a little bit on the quiet side, but then again, my first full day off was split up into so many different pieces that it was a wonder I got anything concrete done at all. It's been an awful lot of brain work again today, but I'm hopeful that I can get down into the studio tomorrow for a good chunk of time.  Hopefully enough time that I can start laying out all of these plans I have for the next two weeks and then next year. Definitely not a bad day, though.

So, things have been admittedly up and down lately.  I've missed some days and I've had short posts on others.  Good news, though, for the semester has reached its end.  I'm now officially off of work until the middle part of next month, and that will allow me to do a couple of different things: First, it will let me end the year with (hopefully) some sort of bang.  A lot of that energy may well be spent putting pieces in place that will be capitalized on in 2018, but that's still progress and I'll take it. And secondly, it will hopefully allow me to start of the new year on the right foot where the music is concerned, and in theory that good energy will carry me through. That said, I continue to spend my days thinking over all of the things I've said I would like to get to in the next twelve months, and the longer I sit and think, the more stuff I end up jotting down in that notebook.  I understand completely that this is a bit of a mixed blessing, and th...

Today was a good day. It's looking like tomorrow is going to be my last shift of the semester, so I spent a bit of time today thinking about what's coming up over break and into the new year. I stumbled across a few ideas to add to the list. At some point I need to lay out all of that here, but not quite yet.

Not a whole lot to speak of today, as we spent most of the day in DSM trying to finish up the rest of the Christmas shopping.  We didn't quite make it, and we got home crazy late. That being said, I scored the new issue of Guitar Techniques , and I'm hopeful that tomorrow will have some studio time in it. A good day.  A fun day.  Still, not enough time to sit down and play.

I am at a bit of a loss as to where the weeks go. It seems like it was just yesterday that I spent a bit of the down time at work plotting out the things I was hoping to get to over the weekend, and now here we are again. Thank Goodness that the Christmas break is coming. Then I am going to really try and carve out a good chunk of time in the studio to start the year off right. That said, I am hopeful that I can get a whole lot of time in the studio this weekend as well.

Today was a quiet day outside of my head, but a loud one inside it. Yes, it was a day that contained more mental work than physical work, but the week before finals will have that effect on things. The good news is that I have tomorrow off, and will have more time in the studio to put into practice all of the things I have been thinking about all week.

Today was a quiet one again. Nothing much in the way of studio time tonight after work, either. If anything, I was able to get in some good brain work for the things I have coming up.

Today was a good day.  I actually got a small fraction of time in the studio, which is more than I can really say for the rest of the weekend, and while I didn't make huge progress, I can honestly say that it was good to just get a guitar in my hands again, because it felt like it had been a long time since that had happened for a decent period of time. I was also able to give myself a small glimpse of what's coming with both the rest of December and the start of next year.  I know I had started blocking that out earlier in the week, but I'm getting pieces of the way forward, and it's feeling pretty good right now. Good day all around.

So, today was again a quiet day.  Probably the best part about it was the fact that my copies of the new Noel Gallagher record and the new U2 record came in the mail. I haven't had time to do a lot of listening yet, but we got some work done around the house today, and I'm hopeful that tomorrow will be a basement day that will involve a lot of music.

Today was mostly a quiet one.  I was able to fit in a bit of work on my 18 Days of Lead Guitar challenge today, but it was mostly done in  the few minutes I had a short breather at work.  I'm really hoping that short burst of work can lead to some good work over the weekend, but we shall see.

Today was just about as rotten as yesterday. The only difference was that today was a day off that was awful. The only time I was able to get in the studio wasn't long or super productive, but it was also the only good thing about my day.

Today was an exceedingly long day at work, which means that I didn't get a whole lot of time in the studio tonight. It also means that I am very excited about the prospect of a day off tomorrow to get to some music stuff. Lots of little things to talk about, actually, but I am going to have to put that off until tomorrow.

Today was a quiet one. I did some more thinking about goals for next year. I also set myself up to work on lead guitar stuff for the next 18 days, signing up for another one of Jon Acuff's plans to get more done in the new year. We'll see how it goes, but I am definitely looking forward to it.

Today was a bit of a quiet one. I wasn't able to get a whole lot of time in the studio, but I was able to get a bit of time to spend with the new issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine, and that was good. Tomorrow morning I need to get the rest of the week in order and see what I can do to make some serious progress.

Today was the day that I actually sat down and started working out what the goals are for the end of this year and at least the start of next year.  I did it on paper this time, as opposed to yesterday, when most of the work was done in my head. I tried to break things down into sections, at least at first using main goals and secondary ones.  I'm pretty sure that there will be further breaks in the process as I make my way through the end of the year. All told, today was a day that felt good musically.

Well, it's December now.  With that comes the inevitable close to another year, and the subsequent addressing of successes and failures, along with the setting up of goals for next year.  I started thinking about the goal setting process today.  My intention was to sit down and write something out, but the way the day shook down, I never got that opportunity.  With that waiting for tomorrow, I'm glad to have gotten at least a little bit of the brain work out of the way today. It may not look like much in the way of a post today, but I know good work got done, even if it was mostly internal.  More to come as we get closer to the new year.

Today was an okay day. My big goal was to get everything I hope to get done this weekend squared away and set up.  I stole a bit of time at work today, taking a quiet moment to sort out my plans for the weekend.  With everything I hope to get to, it looks like it could be a really busy weekend, but I'm looking forward to it.

I've slipped up the last couple of days here, but I definitely intend on going back and filling in the goings on. Today was a quiet one, though.  I didn't manage my time as well as I would have liked, and as a result I didn't get much time n the studio.  I took a quick glance at the Beatles study, but didn't get much in the way of progress. I work tomorrow and then am really looking forward to the weekend.  Lots of studio time is hoped for.

Dad called this morning, with questions about the Telecaster.  Then I talked to a sales guy about gig bags vs. a hard case.  This is still so surreal to me.  Last year, a Martin.  This year, a Tele? Good day otherwise, too.  Great to have a chance to catch up with my brother.

Today was a good day.  We did some Black Friday shopping, and I was able to pick up a couple of things.  Included in that were the new issue of Guitar Techniques and the deluxe reissue of The Eagles' Hotel California.  That last may well be wrapped up for Christmas, we shall see. Still can't get over the Telecaster idea.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!  Nothing to report, music-wise today, but I'm definitely thankful to have spent the day with family.

Family is here for Thanksgiving tomorrow.  Tonight at dinner, my Dad asked me if there was anything "big" that I needed or wanted for Christmas... That question was an easy one for me to answer.  I showed him a picture of one of these:   So, we'll see what happens with that.

Today was a good day. My BNL orders got here, and I was able to get in some good work in the studio tonight as well. That should help me out as I head into the rest of the week.

A bit more work on the Beatles Study tonight.  That has effectively commanded most of my musical attention lately. I'm stupidly excited for a couple of things that should be arriving in the mail tomorrow.  One is the new record by Barenaked Ladies, and the other is the pressing of Gordon , their first record, on vinyl.  Can't wait to sit down in the studio and listen to that. Also, my brother is coming on Wednesday, and hopefully we'll be able to get up to some musical hijinks.

Today was better than the last few days, for sure.  I still didn't get to as much as I was hoping to, but I was able to spend a bit of time on the Beatles Study and make what felt like decent progress. I had really hoped to get to more this weekend, but the fact that this didn't happen, at least sets me up for knowing what I need to focus on for the week, so I guess that counts for something. Oh, and we lost Mel Tillis today.

The world lost another legend today.  AC/DC Co-Founder Malcolm Young has left us at age 64.  His rhythm playing and songwriting remain touchstones that will continue to inspire guitarists for years to come. I found a few minutes for the Beatles Study today, but other than that, the day didn't really go as I had hoped it would.  I'm optimistic that tomorrow will be better, though. 

Today was a busy day out of the house, which didn't leave a whole lot in the way of time for the studio.  I'm hoping that will change tomorrow, as I feel  like I haven't made good progress down there in a while now. I'm hoping that things break the right way for me tomorrow, because I really need it.

Today was quiet, thanks to a combination of work and having to help out someone at church as soon as I got home.  That being said, I had plenty of time to process what I'm wanting to get done over the weekend. I really want to fit in some practicing and some work on the Beatles Study.  If, at some point in the next few days, I end up finding some time for the EP project, that would be great.  Those first two things seem most important right now, though.

Today was quieter than I had hoped it would be, but that was mostly due to the fact that I was never able to get into much of a groove with anything. I'm fitting in a bit of listening as I sit here, though, so that's good.  I've got Ogilala by Mr. William Patrick Corgan playing on my speakers.  There were so many years in the late 90's and early 2000's that I wished for an essentially acoustic record by The Smashing Pumpkins, that this record feels like it maybe came out twenty years too late.  I know that Adore fit at least some of that mold, but still. It's looking like all of the big stuff (Beatles Study, EP, etc.) will be waiting until tomorrow night after work until they get the attention I was hoping to give them today. 

I fit in a bit of listening today, in a few of the quieter moments.  Getting myself in a musical headspace heading into my day off always feels like a good first step. As for tomorrow, I really need a few hours at least of studio time to work on a couple of things.  First, the Beatles Study is feeling neglected, secondly is a project that has been even more pushed to the side the last month or so: the EP project.  There was a while there where I thought I might make my original goal of the end of the year, but from where I sit right now, that is going to take an enormous feat of strength. Lastly, I'd really like to get in some practicing that isn't related to either of those two projects.  Wish me luck, because I might just need it.

Today was yet another day of planning, of preparation, of putting in order the things I'm hopeful will get some attention this week.  It's not a perfect plan, by any means, but it is one that, if things go mostly the way I hope they will, should work. All of the usual suspects are there: 1.  Beatles Study 2.  Practicing 3.  EP Project It's going to be a great one, if for no other reason than I really need it to be.

Today was a quiet end to what I had originally thought would be a rather loud weekend.  Aside from Friday night, there was a decided lack of volume. I need to be more focused in the week that's ahead.  Do a better job of planning out what I want to get done and then follow through on those plans.  This week felt more lost music-wise (other than the Foo Fighters gig) than any I can remember in a long time.

Okay, so Dave's voice was kinda shot last night and the show was still epic.  Here's what they played: Run All My Life Learn to Fly The Pretender The Sky Is a Neighborhood Rope ( with solo's ) Sunday Rain My Hero These Days Walk Under My Wheels / Jump / Another One Bites the Dust / Blitzkrieg Bop ( w/ band introductions ) Big Me Congregation Breakout Times Like These This Is a Call Under Pressure ( Queen  cover) Monkey Wrench Breakdown ( Tom Petty  cover) Best of You Dirty Water Let There Be Rock ( AC/DC  cover) Everlong   And here is a little bit of "Big Me," just for fun:    

Foo Fighters show tonight in Des Moines. Awesome night and an awesome show. So many thoughts, but putting them in a coherent order might have to wait until tomorrow.

Long day at work today. I got a chance to spend a few minutes tonight on the Beatles study, but most of what I was able to get done was in the planning out of the weekend.  At least some of that includes the Foo Fighters gig tomorrow night.  The rest of it includes some practicing, some work on songs, and more time with the Fab Four. I'm really looking forward to the next few days.

So, this snuck up on me a bit today: that Foo Fighters show we're going to?  It's Friday.  Now I'm both really looking forward to the weekend and also really needing to spend a lot of tomorrow with their new record, which I've barely listened to at all. I did some listening today, but not focused in that direction, and found a few minutes to play, but didn't get to enough to make me happy. I'm really hopeful that tomorrow will have in it an opportunity for actual studio time, because it feels like it has been a while on that.

Today was another one where most of the work that got done was an effort to plan for tomorrow. Yes, there are other things that I have to get to, but I am definitely going to be spending a lot of time in the studio working on the EP project and the Beatles study. Today was a quiet one. Tomorrow will not be.

Yet another quiet day. I am almost at the point where I am hoping so much for Wednesday that I am overlooking tomorrow. At least on Wednesday I will have more time in the studio. Even with that, tomorrow needs to be more focused.

Today was quiet for the most part, but my brother got here this afternoon, so we had a chance to catch up and that was good.  We talked for a little bit about both his practicing and my Beatles study.  Needless to say, with having to get the house ready for company, I didn't have as much time to play as I had hoped to.  I still managed to get in some listening, though, but the things I didn't get to this weekend are haunting me somewhat: the EP project, some serious practice time, and more work on the Beatles study. We'll see what happens with the weeks to come.

Today's focus was more on the Beatles study than anything else, and while there wasn't as much time as I had hoped there would be, I still feel like I made some good progress.  On some level, I know that, considering the time I haven't spent on it, anything could be considered "good progress," but right now I'm just happy any time I get a moment to work on it. My brother comes tomorrow.  He's stopping on his way to an audition, and if I'm lucky I'll be able to get him to take a look at some of this Beatles stuff and offer his musical genius input.  Should be a good close to the weekend.

Today was quiet, but I got to at least a small chunk of the listening I was hoping to touch on this weekend.  More of that needs to be done tomorrow, but what I think will be more important is finding a way to spend a decent chunk of time in the studio. Today was low key, but after the work week, I think I needed that.  Tomorrow is going to be better.

Today was a long day at work, and all I could really bring myself to get done tonight was a setting up of what I'm hoping to get done over the weekend.  Much like last week, it involves the following things: 1.  EP Project 2.  Beatles Study 3.  Practicing 4.  Listening Today was quiet, and I'm really hoping that the weekend will be loud.

Today didn't have as much music in it as I had hoped it would, thanks mostly to the opening of NaNoWriMo and the 7th game of the World Series. That said, I was still able to make a small bit of progress through the never-ending magazine pile.  I was also able to fit in a bit of listening here and there, which was awesome.  Unfortunately for me, I didn't get to the three things I had really hoped would get some attention today: actual practicing, the Beatles study, and the EP project.  Hopefully the weekend will offer a bit more of that.

Not a lot again today, after a long day of work, but at the very least I was able to crack open the magazines that came yesterday, and at least start to page through those.  Tomorrow is going to be (I hope) a fairly productive day that will allow me to get to at least some of the following: 1.  Listening 2.  Get caught up on the magazine pile 3.  Work on songs for the EP 4.  Practicing 5.  Beatles Study Of all of that, the last three things on the list are probably the most important, but I'm really hoping to get at least some work in on all of it.

Not much to report today. New issues of Guitar World and Acoustic Guitar came in the mail, but I didn't have a chance to look through them at all.  Nor did I have much of a chance to get at the Beatles study, or anything else, really. Just a long, mostly unproductive sort of day.  Better tomorrow, I hope.

Today was a quieter day than I had hoped for. I was able to fit in a little bit of work on the Beatles study, but there wasn't enough time today to really fall down the rabbit hole and lose myself, so in the end I had to be contented with another small step forward. I was really hoping for more out of this weekend.  I can't believe tomorrow is Monday already.  Maybe the next few days will offer an uptick. 

Today was a better day, not because I had a whole lot more time in the studio today than I did yesterday, but because I had a chance to be deliberate in what I was focused on. It was a Beatles study sort of day, and I was just happy to get a little bit farther into things today than I did yesterday and the day before. With any luck, tomorrow is going to be an even bigger leap forward.

Today didn't end up being the day I had been hoping for, but I was still able to make a little bit of progress on a couple of different fronts. First of all, I was able to fit in a small bit of listening in between trying to get some things done around the house. Secondly, and more important, I was able to spend another bit of time on the Beatles study, and while I didn't have the time I wanted to, I had enough time to make another small push forward.  Considering the day I got versus the day I was expecting, I'll take that as a win and look forward to tomorrow.

Today was a crazy day at work, and yet it was also the lead-in to my weekend, so as exhausted as I was getting home, I knew that I still wanted to sit down and work on something tonight.  That ended up taking the form of a bit of theory work.  I had debated breaking out the Beatles stuff, but passed on that for tonight with the hope that I can pick it up tomorrow when I'm a bit less tired and a lot more fresh. Other things I want/need to get to this weekend include: 1.  Listening 2.  The EP project 3.  Practicing I'm really looking forward to the next few days.

Today was insane, and not necessarily in a good way.  We had our roof replaced today, which was a good thing, but it was loud enough that it was tough to focus. I managed to put in a bit of work on the Beatles study, but it wasn't a whole lot in the way of progress.  With that, there was some playing involved, but again, it wasn't enough.  I'm really hoping that the weekend is going to offer more opportunities in that regard.

Today was okay.  I found a bit of time to focus on the Beatles study, but as per usual lately, it wasn't enough time to feel like things were moving truly forward.  That's part of the reason I'm looking forward to tomorrow.  I'm off, and I'm really hoping that I'll get a good chunk of time to hide out in the studio and make some progress on things. I'm also hoping to fit in a good bit of listening, but I need to be more focused on the playing/writing/studying side of things. 

Today was a good day. Mostly, it was a good day because, after getting a bit of the Beatles study in order last week, today was the day that I was able to get in some good work on the thing. It feels like it's at least a little bit off the ground now, which is a really good thing. In the process, I was able to get in some good time with the acoustic in my hands as well, which is always a good time.

Today was too quiet.  I had been hoping to have some time in the studio this morning, and that didn't materialize the way I had wanted.  I fit in a bit of listening, but that was really it. What I'd really love is to get in some time in the morning before I have to head to work.  If nothing else, maybe I can have more time to sit and absorb some new music, but I'd like to practice and write (if possible).

We had another busy day that didn't leave a whole lot of time for studio things, but even with that I was still able to get at least a few minutes down in the studio. I spent that time working on cleaning up the mess that the studio had become, which seems odd when you consider that I don't feel like I've had enough time down there to make things as much of a disaster as they felt when I got down there.  Either way, things are looking good down there now. Tomorrow looks busy, too, but I'm hoping to get at least something done studio-wise.

Today was a quiet one again, but I was able to sneak in a few minutes of listening here and there.  Tomorrow I really need to get down into the studio for an extended period of time, because we were gone today for a lot of the day, so there wasn't as much of an opportunity. I'd like to do some more listening tomorrow, get in some practicing, and hopefully work on songs for the EP.  We'll see what happens, but I'm feeling pretty good about what the day is going to hold.

Today was a quiet day.  Work took a lot out of me, and I went in tired, so that didn't help. My CDs came today, so I'll get a chance to sit and do some listening this weekend.  I'm looking forward to both the St. Vincent and the Deer Tick. What I really need to do over the weekend is find a way to sit down and work on both songs and practicing.  Things have gotten away from me a bit the last week or two, and I need to get things back on track.

I got to a few things today, but not as much as I had intended to.  It was kind of a blur, really, and I'm honestly not sure how the day went so quickly.  Oh well, the weekend will be better. The other thing that I keep forgetting to add in here is that I've got the new Deer Tick records, and the new St. Vincent album on the way.  Those are supposed to arrive tomorrow, so that should set up some good listening for the weekend.

Today was a better day. I didn't get a whole lot more time in the studio today than I did yesterday, but for some reason I am feeling better about where I sit tonight than I felt yesterday. It probably has something to do with the fact that I have a better sense of what I am hoping to get done tomorrow. Today really was a day of setting things up that I can get done tomorrow.

Today was another one where there just wasn't the time I had been hoping for. I spent a bit of time working with the Beatles study, but I wasn't able to get in some good work on the songs for the EP project or do much in the way of practicing. Tomorrow is going to be a better day.

Today was a quiet one. I was able to get everything from yesterday moved down into the studio, and then after that I spent a bit of time with the Beatles study. I had higher hopes than that for the day, but will have to be happy with what I was able to get done.

Today was a day spent mostly in the car.  During our stops, however, I managed to find a book on songwriting, a record by St. Vincent, a few old guitar magazines, and a bit of Stephen Kellogg. All told, it was a pretty decent haul.

It's Anniversary adventure weekend, and in spite of that, I managed to bring a guitar along with me. Not sure how much time I am going to have to play, but it's here in case the opportunity presents itself.

Today was a good day, but a bit of a quiet one. Most of what got done was a follow-up to the stuff I was working on the last few days, Beatles set up, essentially. I am still feeling like I am making good progress, but I would like to have a really great day tomorrow to keep on track.

I was able to get in some good work on the Beatles study today, figuring out a little bit more of how things are going to go, while also getting a bit of a start on the project itself. I had high hopes for getting back to it tonight, but that didn't materialize, so tomorrow is going to have to be the day to pick up the pace on that. Today was a good day, though.

Sometimes the days you are expecting to get a certain set of things done are the days that throw you for a loop in the best sort of way. When I left for work today, I wasn't focused on the music side of things at all. I had stories in my head, already thinking about NaNoWriMo in November. While that's where things started, I soon found myself driving down the road, pondering the Beatles and Zeppelin studies that I have been threatening to get going on all Year. Long story short, I came to some good conclusions about the fab four side of things, and am hoping to get in some good work on the second step in getting that up and running tomorrow on my day off.

Today was a busy one. I wasn't able to get in a lot of time in the studio, so it ended up being more of a mental day, which was okay, I guess. Either way, tomorrow needs to be more focused on the playing side of things.

I was finally able to get in a bit of good studio time tonight. It wasn't as much as I wanted  (or needed), but it was better than nothing. I would like to get in some listening tomorrow, as well as some practicing and some good work on the songs for the EP.

Today was a quiet one again. The whole weekend has been that way. On some level, that isn't a bad thing, but it means that I have to get some work done tomorrow. The Tom Petty box set that I had ordered after his passing came in the mail today, so that was a good thing. Aside from that, the day was a calm one.

So, I was all set to get down to the studio tonight and get to work on the songs for the EP project as well as some practicing, when we lost power in town. I am just glad that I wasn't on my way down the stairs when it happened. Guess all of the fun stuff is going to be put off until tomorrow morning.

Today was a quiet one, but I was able to get in some good time to sit down and plan out my musical pursuits for the weekend. Also, my brother is here again today, so all manner of good has come from that.

My brother was here today. We talked about a lot of music stuff, and just got to hang out for a while. I needed that way more than I needed some of the other stuff we could have gotten to. I spent a bit of time picking his brain about my Beatles and Zeppelin studies, and am feeling better about where those might be heading. All told, today was a most excellent day.

Today was another day where I ended up not having a chance to get a whole lot of work done in the studio, but I was able to get in some good brain work done on the EP project. What I'm really looking forward to is having my brother here for a day, tomorrow. I am hoping to pick his brain and get some help (maybe) on the EP.

Today was a rough day.  Today we lost a legend, both as a musician and a songwriter.  Tom Petty is gone, at age 66. This one hurts.  For the last 40 years, Tom and his band, The Heartbreakers, have been at the forefront of American rock and roll.  Both his voice and their sound were uniquely "them." He's a writer that has stood brilliantly, both on his own and with others, he's a writer whose work has continually inspired me and brought me great joy, and the fact that his voice has been cut short fills me with sadness. Needless to say, there will be an awful lot of Heartbreakers (and solo) music cranked up in my house for the foreseeable future. "You belong among the wildflowers, you belong in a boat out at sea.  Sail away, kill off the hours.  You belong somewhere you feel free."                             ...

Today was a whole lot quieter than I had been hoping.  I didn't get much in the way of studio time at all, and as I reach the end of my day, it has me feeling frustrated and unprepared for the week ahead. Sometime in the morning, I need to spend some time in the basement, doing some practicing and working on songs. I had really hoped to get to more of "Classical Gas" today, but it looks like that is going to have to wait until at least tomorrow as well. Overall, I had a good weekend, but it wasn't nearly as musically productive as I hoped it would be.

I started taking a look at "Classical Gas" today, because there is a transcription of it in the latest issue of Acoustic Guitar .  It has been a long time since I've stopped to take a look at that particular piece of music, and it's going to be a continuing effort to finally nail that down. Aside from that, today was a bit of a quiet day.  Hopefully tomorrow will be more steady and consistent.

Today was a day filled with running, which didn't leave me a lot of time in the studio, but it was able to get me the newest issue of Acoustic Guitar, which has a transcription of Mason Williams' "Classical Gas," so I know how the rest of the weekend will be spent.

Today was a quiet one, but I am definitely glad that the weekend is here. I have big plans for the next few days, most of which involve the studio and the EP project. I am hoping to get to a lot of practicing as well. We shall see how it goes.

Today was a good day. I spent a bit of time messaging back and forth with M. about what we were going to play tonight. We settled on "Hey Jude" at the last minute, and considering that we hadn't rehearsed it since May, I think that we did pretty well. In the end, I spent some time puttering in the studio, but didn't make appreciable progress on anything while I was down there. Not a bad day, but I am still feeling like I could have gotten more done.

I got home from work on the late side tonight, but had enough energy to get everything moved back into the studio. I am going to be getting to work early in the morning, in part to get a whole lot of work done on the EP project,and in part because of the likelihood that I will be doing some playing tomorrow night for church. I am hoping to have a really great day of work and build a bit of momentum heading into the weekend.

Today was a quiet one. Crazy busy at work, which left me the time and energy to get everything in place for the move back into the studio, but not quite the time to get it done. That might make tomorrow morning a busy one, with everything else that I need to get done, but I know I can get it done.

Today had some, but not enough, of the settling back in at home things associated with it. I didn't get myself fully moved back into the studio, that will have to happen tomorrow, but I was able to take a few minutes and sort through my ideas and thoughts concerning the EP that cropped up during our mini trip to Wisconsin. I'm feeling good, if slightly under-prepared as I head into the week.  I didn't have a chance today to sit down and block out what I'm hoping to get done.  Hopefully I can get to that in the morning before work.

Home from WI. Long day of travel today gave me a chance to think about things, but no real chance to sit down and play. That will happen tomorrow. Exhausted and ready to go to sleep.

Today was a good day. I was able to get in some good work on the EP project, and was also able to get in some good discussion about the project with my brother. Can't complain at all.

Today was a good day. I spent a good bit of time tonight with a guitar in my hands, trying to get some work done on the EP project. I am still missing a song that will tie the whole project together, but I am definitely getting closer. All told, today was a pretty good day.

Today was supposed to be a great day, full of listening and practicing and recording.  Essentially, it was supposed to be a day full of progress.  Instead, not much went the way that I had expected it to, and today ended up being more about figuring out what I'd like to bring along for my day in the eastern part of the state and my day up in Wisconsin. Not what I expected at all, and frustrating for that reason, but not a horrible day.

So, today got away from me very quickly. After getting home late from work tonight and talking through the day with the Mrs., I looked at the clock and discovered how late it was. Everything I was hoping to get to tonight will be of a better quality if I work on it tomorrow. Just a long day, that's all.

Today was a quiet one, in part thanks to work, and in part thanks to not having the morning I expected to. Tomorrow is going to be a better day, because I can be up crazy late working on the EP project, thanks to not having to work on Wednesday.

Nothing really to speak of today. Partly because of a sinus infection that had me feeling not myself, and partly because we had a lot of family here. Tomorrow is going to be a better day.

Picked up Concrete and Gold , the new Foo Fighters record today.  I'm especially anxious to sit down and take a spin through this one, as we are seeing them live in November. Had a bit of a chance to chat with my brother tonight, too.  Good conversation, some of it musical.  He asked how the record was going, and I answered honestly, telling him that I felt like things were going well, in spite of the relative lack of progress in the last few days. I really hope that tomorrow will offer a better chance to get some work in.

Today was a lost cause. We had to make the heartbreaking decision to put down our beloved orange cat. The emotional toll it has taken on my wife and I is immense. Perhaps things will inch back in the direction of normal tomorrow. Either way, I am going to try and find a bit of studio time.

Today was a quiet one, but it's my weekend now, and I am hoping to get a whole lot of time in the studio in the next few days. My hope for either tomorrow or Saturday is to spend time recording and also doing a good bit of practicing.

Today was a good day that got in gear a few different times, but never really seemed to catch. I spent a bit of time in the studio getting things cleaned up a bit, and did some listening while I did so, but none of the music was new. I even got the new music brought downstairs, and it just wasn't in the cards. I played for a few minutes when I was done getting re-organized, but didn't get around to working on the EP project. Too many stops and starts today.

New Tori and National records showed up today... just in time for me to have tomorrow off and be free to sit in the studio and do some listening. All I had time for today was a lot of mental work where the EP was concerned.  No time to actually get downstairs and get my hands dirty.  I'm really hoping to do some recording tomorrow, though.  I'm not thinking I'll get final takes out of it or anything, but it would be nice to get a little bit closer to the finished product.

Just this, today... the video's not mine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTY8sCzHTNc and also this.  Again, not my video... http://www.cc.com/video-clips/1q93jy/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-september-11--2001

I didn't get as much time as I had hoped to today, but I was still able to sit down for a few minutes and work on the chord progressions for the EP project.  I pushed forward just enough to feel like I got somewhere today, which really wasn't enough for me, but I'll take it. The thing I wanted to get to that I didn't was laying down a better recording of the track I cut yesterday.  That will probably have to wait for Wednesday at this point, as I'm not sure how much recording time I'll have tomorrow and Tuesday. Still a good day, just not quite what I was hoping for.

I didn't get as much time in the studio today as I was hoping for, but I still had a chance to sit down and record a very loose idea of a melody line that outlines one of the chord progressions for the EP project. It's a start. Not a great one, but a start. Tomorrow I need to spend time with the progression that the track is based on, ironing out the rest of it, and get a better recording laid down.

Today was a good day around the house, but a bit of a slow day on the music side of things.  I'm really hoping that tomorrow offers me a bit more time in the studio, and thus a bit more in the way of progress. One of the cool things I did do today was sit down and order a couple of the new releases that are just out.  Arriving Tuesday will be: Native Invader - Tori Amos Sleep Well Beast - The National Good new music means I really need to get my CD player in the car fixed, as most of my listening time during the school year tends to happen while driving. Still feeling good, but I'll feel a whole lot better with a good day of progress tomorrow.

Today was a combination of a long day of work and a relatively small window of time in the studio. Things from the last few days are in a good place, and heading into the weekend I feel like I can get a whole lot of work done on the EP project. In short, today may have been quiet, but the weekend is going to be loud.

Another quiet one today, unfortunately. I did manage to follow up on a little bit of what had gotten done yesterday, and that was good.  If nothing else, it pushed me a little bit farther down the road to where I want to be by the end of the year. The rest of my day?  It was a series of false starts.  I know full well that I should have made more progress today, and I'm going to carry that feeling with me into the weekend as a way to motivate myself to keep moving forward.

Today was a quiet one where the music was concerned. I was able to get a few things sorted out before I went to work this morning, but they are things that will help me out tomorrow during the day, when I will have more time. Today was a good day, in spite of the relative lack of time in the studio.

Today was a great day.  It was, really, the day I've been hoping for all summer long. I got in enough time in the studio to make really good progress on the music for the EP project.  Things aren't done yet by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm a whole lot closer than I was at the start of the day.  All of the little things I've been tinkering with and hoping for in the last few weeks/months are finally starting to drop into place. I'm feeling really good as I head back into work tomorrow for my first day of the semester.  Music-wise, things are definitely looking up right now.  The goal: finished EP by the end of the year.

I got a new issue of Acoustic Guitar in the mail the other day, and finally had a chance to sit down and start paging through it.  Some good things that will help out my playing. I didn't spend enough time with the EP today, but with tomorrow being my last day off before heading back to work for the start of the semester, I'm planning on spending a good portion of the day tomorrow down in the studio. I'm still feeling good, but I will be feeling a whole lot better if I can get a lot of good work in tomorrow.

The best thing about today was that we got ourselves a bass drum for $6.  It had been the property of the school here in town, up until the school merged with another town and closed.  From there it went to a friend of ours, who then sold it to us at a garage sale. Also, there was a bit of time to sit and work on the EP, although I am definitely hoping that tomorrow will offer more time than today did.  Still progress.  Still good.  More tomorrow.

Today was a day where I was gone for a lot of it, which didn't leave me a lot of time in the studio. I pushed forward in the time that I had, though, and am hoping to get a whole lot of work done on things tomorrow. I also picked up the latest issue of Guitar Techniques, and the new record by The War On Drugs. Looking forward to having a chance to get to those things tomorrow, too.

I made some progress today where the EP project is concerned.  It's nowhere near perfect.  There's still one or two ideas that I'd like to include, but haven't ironed out all of the rough spots yet.  What's really nagging at me is that there was something I played off the cuff last night at church that was perfect, and I wasn't able to recreate it today when I sat down to work. Nonetheless, I was happy with the push forward today, and am hopeful that, by the end of the weekend, some of these nagging issues can be sorted out.

I was finally able to get in some playing tonight. Granted, most of it was thanks to Worship Wednesday at the church, but in the process I stole some time to sit down and work on songs. Slowly but surely the pieces are falling into place. The summer hasn't been exactly what I was expecting, but it's getting better right at the end. Today was a good day. I am hopeful that tomorrow is going to be a better one.

Today the best thing that happened to me (and my chance to get a whole lot of work done on the EP project) was finding out my work schedule for the semester. I got done what I needed to get done, and don't have to be back until Tuesday. The goal for the rest of tonight and the early part of the morning is to get myself started with laying down a few ideas to get things moving again. Tomorrow is going to be a lot of fun.

Made it home tonight.  Late.  Not much to do in the way of moving back in to the studio.  At this point in the evening, I'm just glad to be home. The semester starts tomorrow, and I'm still not sure what my hours are going to be.  That means I'm either going to have another week of time to get some recording started, or I'm going to drop in tomorrow and be full go from there.  I'm not sure what I'm hoping for, other than a bit of time tomorrow (at some point) to get down into the studio and get some work in. 

Might have had a breakthrough today thinking about the EP project. We shall see how it goes tomorrow night when we get home. Still no concrete time to sit down and write. Maybe tomorrow, definitely soon.

Another quiet day. More time thinking about the EP project. I am looking forward to having a chance to settle in when we get home in a few days, and hopefully put some of these thoughts into practice.

I was really hoping to be able to get in some writing tonight. It didn't happen. I am still feeling like I'm surrounded by a great storm of ideas, now I just need to find the time to sit down and work on songs/lyrics, etc. Today was a good day otherwise, though.

Today was a day where all of my time was spent on the road. I didn't get a whole lot of writing done, but I have a ton of thoughts floating around in my head that I am going to try and work on in the next few days.

Small journey begins today. After much deliberation, I have brought my iPod and my lyric notebook along with me. Should be a fun time. I am going to hope for a shot of inspiration along the way.

Today was another quiet day. I spent a bit of time in the studio, and got a chance to get a few things done. I am hoping to get a chance to sit down and work on songs tomorrow morning as well.

Not a whole lot to report today.  I spent the whole day in the car with my Dad, going to and coming from the total solar eclipse.  It was a great day, just lacking in music. Back on the wagon tomorrow.

Today was a quiet one, spent mostly on the road. I brought a notebook along with me on the journey, but didn't get a whole lot of time to sit down and work on lyrics. Perhaps tomorrow. Still a good day of adventure with my Dad.

So, I got down into the studio today, but not for anything approaching as long as I had wanted to.  It was long enough to putter with song ideas, but not long enough to make any appreciable progress.  In truth, what I need to do is get some things put away, get the space back to something approaching a working environment.  There's a (very) slight chance that could happen in the morning, before my Dad and I take off on our crazy eclipse adventure, we shall see. Otherwise, I've got a notebook and a pen packed and ready to go for our 36 hour jaunt, so maybe during the car trip part I can find some lyrical inspiration. A good day overall, but one that could have used more music in it.

Today was even quieter than yesterday.  Granted, there was a funeral to attend, and then we spent the rest of the day hanging out with family, so there wasn't necessarily a whole lot in the way of time , but still. What I had was a lot of good brain time in the car, which was helpful for thinking through things as they sit right now. I'm really hoping that tomorrow will offer a bit more studio time, but I'm not sure how realistic that is, as my Dad is going to be getting here tomorrow afternoon.  We shall see.

I was actually able to get in some good studio time today, and in so doing, I finally got myself started working on the EP. I made some good progress, but as always, I didn't get a whole lot of work done on any of the musical ideas I was already working on. Lyrically, I was able to pull from the things I have as a way to get started. Today was a good start.

Today was a day where we were mostly on the run.  Out of the house, celebrating The Mrs.'s birthday a day early.  That said, I was able to pick up a couple of new magazines and a book of Guitar World's 100 best guitar solos.  All 100 are transcribed, so that should make for a fun iTunes playlist and some good learning. The only bummer of the day was that I didn't have much in the way of time to work on the EP, but I'm really hoping to get to that for a good chunk of tomorrow. Today was definitely a lot of fun.  We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Today was a great day. I had thought last night that I had all of the lyrical pieces organized, but today I decided to take a glance at the notebooks that have piled up in the studio, and I ended up hitting the jackpot. I found a few pages of really good lines that will really help me to get this project off the ground. For the first time in a long time, I am feeling really good about both the musical and lyrical sides of the EP.

Made a bit of progress today. I spent a bit of time working with the lyrical side of things. It took a little while, but I got all of the pieces and parts assembled in the same place. I also tinkered with the music side of things for a few minutes. Tomorrow is going to be the day I start putting it all together.

I finally feel as though I've started in on the process that will likely occupy most of my waking energy in the next week. Today's musical efforts were mostly filled with listening in preparation for tomorrow, when the actual work is going to start on the EP.  For better or worse, things this weekend have not offered me the chance to get anything concrete done on the EP. Tomorrow, the big work starts.

Today was another day like yesterday, unfortunately, where my energies were divided between too many things to feel like I actually accomplished anything concrete.  About the only good thing at this point is that, with the things I've gotten out of the way in the last few days, I should be able to spend a lot of next week just focused on working on songs, which is a good thing. I'm feeling badly that I wasn't able to do more today.  Hopefully, that will have me motivated for tomorrow.

Today was... odd. I got a lot of little things done today (CDs and magazines hauled downstairs, some listening, a bit of playing, and tonight, a bit of looking ahead to what I'm hoping for tomorrow), but it was little stuff that, at the end of the day, didn't feel like it added up to anything bigger. I need to be more singularly focused tomorrow.  Today I split my energies between all of those little things, but tomorrow needs to be a singular musical focus, and it needs to be the EP.  I've got big goals for the rest of the summer, and it's time to hunker down and really make it happen.