Cooking and Cleaning and Scrubbing the Tub

Yesterday I went into a cleaning frenzy the likes of which hasn't been seen in our apartment in quite some time. I enlisted the help of K and dove headfirst into an all day scrub fest. Bucket of bleach and soap with yellow rubber glove in tow, I scrubbed every inch of tile and swept like a crazy person. We gave the apartment a very thorough head to toe cleaning. We took a break to make a brunch of sorts with poached eggs, steamed spinach, oatmeal and my good friend bacon.

We completely rearranged the living room which does double duty as my office/editing suite. We decided to part with two chairs that the cat has basically destroyed. They were these beautiful danish midcentury modern molded plywood chairs that someone had thrown into the trash. K and I had found them when we first started dating and he helped me carry them home. We carried both chairs out to the curb and ashes to ashes, dust to dust, the cycle was complete and they returned to the place from where they once came. There is a new zen quality to the space and everything is so much more open and flowing. It feels good to get rid of some of the clutter and get the space to a place where it can breath again.

The desk used to face a wall and now it faces a window. It seems so much more inspiring to sit looking out the window rather than staring at the cold plaster wall.

I feel like I'm going through my own personal spring. Doing the spring cleaning and preparing for my own garden to start blossoming. Lord knows it feels like spring with how much rain we've been getting. It never seems to stop. I know it will soon enough though. There are good things ahead.

70% Shot, 30% Done

I only have 2 hands, when I really need 20.
My nerves are about 70% shot. I am only one person trying to do the work of 10 people and not lose my mind. I feel lied to and cheated of my money. What little money I make goes back into my music. It is like a child that never stops crying to be fed. I am a sleepless parent, pacing with bloodshot eyes wondering when this baby will tire itself out and go to sleep. When will I tire myself out and fall asleep? Will I just suddenly collapse, the result of months without sleeping? I am restless. I am stretched thin. I am lonely and loveless. I am overwhelmed by the state of the world, the state of my room and the statements that dripple out of my mouth like inappropriate spittle.

I went into the studio this weekend and worked on two songs, Mr. Carpentier and Flapjacks.
Mr. Carpentier is very very close to being done. At this point, it is nit picking. Flapjacks still has a bit of work, but should be close to completion soon. I would say that the album is about 30% done.

In other news, my first music video will be filming in the next couple of weeks.

This album,this video, this world is bigger than me, and it may just crush me.

Connecticut and other Near Death Experiences

Saturday I did a show in Connecticut at a sweet little space called Jitters. I addictively sipped peppermint tea throughout the night and did two sets followed by a third short set. If you notice on the setlist, I played flapjacks twice, breaking a sacred rule of not repeating the same song in the same venue on the same night. However, to defend myself, Flapjacks was such a big hit with the people of Jitters...and when people start throwing their panties and screaming for flapjacks, I heat up the griddle like any good cook in the kitchen. It was also the owner of the venue, a sweet woman named Shirley who requested the song. Now how could I refuse? Thank You Shirley for having us. Thank you, Mr. Carpentier for driving me to the show and as always for being the best friend I could ever ask for.

I tip the biggest of hats To Mr McWiggens Chesteraurther III(Chris) for coming all the way down from Vermont to do the pyrotechnics(sound). Once again, to the woman in the red dress. I am really sorry for setting your poodle on fire during the Acoustic Black Sabath tribute.

After the show, we decided to drop by a local bar for a post performance drink. Though the loud hiphop and unfriendly stares initially had me on edge, I thought I would try to just blend in and relax as best I could. I am very white, by the way. I'm like one step away from being an albino.

I hadn't even taken 3 sips when a bar brawl broke out. You know it's bad news when there is a girl on her back on the floor and there are fists flying. I thought people were going to pull out guns. The fight kept shifting around the bar so that we couldn't find a clear path to the exit. I wondered if this was really it? "Oh Jesus, please please please. don't let them pop a cap in my ass."
Would I die in Connecticut? Luckily, we were able to escape.

It is rather funny that people perceive New York as being a dangerous place. The perception of Connecticut is that of someplace more wooded and quiet with chirping birds and cute little farms. Oh Connecticut, with your underbelly of violence, I applaud you for flashing my life before my eyes. Who knew I would one day breath easy arriving in the safety of Brooklyn?

Shopping for Straight Jackets & Replacing her brain

Photo by the incomparable Carrie Thomas

Friday night

I did a benefit show in Hell's kitchen and premiered a new tune called "Flapjacks," which I have already begun recording for the new album. It is a 1940's-ish song about a troubled house husband. I went through a period where I used to scrub between the tiles with a toothbrush and hosted lots of dinner parties with multiple courses featuring elaborate dishes with exotic ingredients.
My wasabi twice baked potatoes are to die for, not to mention my creme brulee.

After the benefit, I went to a birthday party and somehow ended up spending half my time talking with a musician/porn star. He was very nice, but something made me keep thinking of a porn musical. Has it been done? Would Stephen Sondheim sign off on the film "Weenie Todd," the porn adaptation of his much beloved creation, Sweeney Todd? or perhaps, Rogers and Hammerstein's Oklahomo? I see a world of possibilities. Someone, take the ball and run with it.

Saturday

I spent part of the day shopping for straight jackets. Yes, I know there's a joke there. Let me explain. I am doing my first music video for the song Open Wide. I am very excited about the whole concept, which I will keep mostly quiet for now. I will only say that there is a straight jacket in the video. Will I be wearing it? You'll have to wait to find out.

The rest of Saturday was spent hanging out with Nathan and Dan watching Nickelodeon and then one of the Best/Worst Lifetime movies with none other than Rose McGowen. She is horribly brilliant. I especially loved her in Doom Generation.

I ended my day by replacing the hard drive on my laptop, which felt sort of like brain surgery. My poor little machine's brain died suddenly a couple of weeks ago. After much careful work, I am pleased to say that my computer is up and running again with a bigger faster hard drive. Yay!

Sunday

I went into the Studio on and worked on three songs
-Unplug
-Mama Don't Like No Chocolate
-Mr. Carpentier

I'm really pleased with where the new album is going.
After the studio I ate some boiled eggs and ran to a meeting to discuss the music video.

I am chugging along with a new hard drive,soon-to-be-purchased straight jacket and a soon-to-be-filmed music video.
Life is good.