I promise I'll try to do better

Well.

What took me so long? Wish I knew, exactly! This is what the last couple of months have been like for me:

Get ready to leave for the next show (laundry, mail, email, phone)
Ride to show in the Chief, trying to not be too bored*
Get to the show/festival and check in, figure stuff out, etc.
Play the show/festival and try to get some rest for the next day's sets
Ride home in the Chief, trying to rest and not be too bored*
Rest up for a day. Teach some fiddle lessons.
Get ready to leave for the next show (laundry, mail, email, phone)**

* if I had my own computer and a way to upload journals, I might have done better... well now I do! I am in fact writing this now on my cute little iBook which I got thanks to a clearance at Phil's dept. at the Art Institute (thanks brophil) and even better, I am sitting on my couch and am on a wireless network! Apparently someone in my apt. building has one, and that means I do too. Whoopee! Thanks to my mystery neighbor, I was able to do some updating on the web site that I just couldn't stand to do on the old dial-up. I hope they stay online long enough for me to finish this entry, because I am bound and determined to actually post something.

** thanks to brotherphil for the inspiration on the circular format listing...

I did start a heartfelt post about MBOTMA, while staying at friend's place while we were at the MN state fair... Brotherphil has admirably taken care of that fest, and all I want to say about that was I missed my dear friend, Art Stamper, who was to be there. Art is fighting a second bout of cancer and if you want to think a kind thought or say a prayer, it can only help. You can visit http://www.artstamper.com to learn more about this incredible fiddler and super man.

Since so much time has passed, I must move on from those past performance notes and look ahead. I think in general this is a good way to live; it seems to be on my mind lately. With that in mind, I am looking forward to next week in Louisville. It's IBMA time and last year, we went to the conference with the goal of finding an agent. I had my doubts, having had some interaction with some of the big-time in the acoustic world agents. They didn't seem to think too much of us. However, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Mary Brabec on the first day. What followed was a week of getting to know this great gal and after she'd seen us play several times, by the end of the week we were asked to join her roster.

This was probably THE best thing that has ever happened to the band. After us getting together to begin with, that is.

So after our first summer's worth of touring thanks to Mary, I'm especially looking forward to IBMA this year. Though it's tinged with sadness, because it's the last year to be held in L'ville. Louisville is a beautiful place, by the way. Just a neat old town on the Ohio River. So, guess where it's going....? Of course it's moving to Nashville. Goodbye, Bluegrass State. Hello, Music City. Guess it makes sense, but still, Nash has everything already!

oh, heck. We're not a bluegrass band, anyway, so what does it matter? (we do claim the tag but only because it's so much easier when talking to folks who've stopped on the highway to help us, or at RV parks, or at gas stations, etc.) After all, which is easier for an introduction in those circumstances: "We're a country band that plays crazy old time fiddle tunes and honky tonk songs" or "We're a bluegrass band"?

So, dear Reader, if you haven't given up, let me try to give some hope as now I have my own machine I can create posts on and then post from home (hopefully on the AirPort). And, it will help fight boredom (mine, and well, hopefully yours too). Expect some word from yours truly from that good ol' town, Louisville, next week.

I promise I'll try to do better.

This stands for many things in my life.

It's a work in progress.