Linger, Home Repairs, GO RIDERS!! and Why MIDI is hard.

Well Linger had another good show last night at the Exchange. I thought we did well, and we put in 3 extra songs at the last minute out of nowhere. I think we did well on all points. A really new experience for me and ironically first tried onstage during soundcheck was to use Victors Mac to play a string arrangement in GarageBand using the computers keyboard.

Spent the entire 3 day weekend working on the house and doing laundry. Things are slow to progress around here, there's alot to be done and alot more comes everyday. But we got nearly all the fallen tree cleaned up today, just a couple more hours - maybe 3 to get the yard back to some semblance of normalcy. Eavestroughs went up really easily, but as was shown during the rain delay of the football game, they don't hold water! But that will be an easy fix. It was a good test, albeit a failed one. Bought 3 big barrels off of Used Regina for a great price to make into rain barrels. I'll have enough water to irrigate the Sahara.

5-0. I lived to see it. I said it before the season started. Let's have faith in Eric Tillman. He knows how to build a team. Even on a continuing rotation of quarterbacks and injuries that would make even the greats' knees buckle, the Riders set a record for season starting tonight. As in, it hasn't been done since they've been playing modern football. Keep up the good work boys... Calgary is going to be a major challenge on Saturday, and Henry is still mad at us.

Been spending what down time I have with my nose in my computer trying to get everything set up to use MY laptop on stage and in performance with my bass playing. I'm looking to hook in my footswitch pedal to my computer. I'll then use it to control sample software and digital synthesizers, while also using my computer keyboard to play more targeted lines. I hope to use this to add a super-low-end layer to Linger's stuff. It will need to be really rappy and deep to cut through the already pretty full Linger sound, but I think it could be cool. I already have plans for foot-controlled lines in Root of Truth, This Narrow Path and of course Melody for the Hanging. I've got some sample ideas for Brian and the Bomb and Swaying Image and steal sample cuing from Dave for Narrow Path and Precious.

This does create some difficulties. I'm considering picking up a professional package like Reason, Cubase or Cakewalk. I've been trying to make it happen with Open Source stuff and while it's highly, highly customizable, it's hard to install, hard to connect devices and Windows Vista is un-forgiving when it comes to some software installations and permissions. If anyone out there has had some good easy MIDI software that might meet my needs, let me know, I'd be anxious to hear it.

Well all, that's that for today I guess. Kinda want to do a funny post like I used to do back in year 1 and 2 of the blog. Life is too short to be so serious.

Friday is a good day to work

Got one of my wonderful new benefits of a full time position at SGI, a Day of Rest. Every second Friday. Booh - Yah!

Spent most of the day cutting up wood and branches from the windfall this week. Also tore down my ruined eaves-trough, did some laundry and swept up the yard.

Had a few folks by this evening for a little grillin'. Had burgers, hot dogs, bad potatos, good mushrooms, great asparagus and lots of good salads and sides. Needless to say, no one went home hungry and we had some good times. A couple inpromptu jams with the likes of Johnny Rockstar on Guitar and Vocals, Duck Slick on guitar, Ronda on drum, Andrew Pilon on Guitar, Scotty T on Acoustic bass and yours truly on baby holding and playing harmonica with the other hand. Had a distinct western feel tonight, I place the ownice on it being Scotts dad's bass.

So now we're just relaxing, continuing our "Bourne Movie" film festival this weekend, can't wait until the next one.

Ok then. Here it is.

Sorry it took so long.

So we did get home the next day. Baby has been a joy for the most part I suppose. She cries, she poops, she sleeps. Occasionally she looks up at you with big blue eyes and laughs. That's why I did it.

She's been feeding well and is overall a healthy happy baby.

Mom is well, now looking to heal the hardships of childbearing and return to living it up like a rockstar.

Went to Ness Creek this weekend. Among the kickass things that happened to me.
1 - Laughing So Damn much.
2 - Five Alarm Funk
3 - Strange wood pixies.
4 - Baby connecting time.

Needless to say, I will be returning to this festival as long as I have energy to walk. And I have a list of people who I need to bring with me.

Had a big storm here tonight and we lost half of our big tree out front. I'm pretty upset about this, not because of the work involved and the potential cost, but because I REALLY LIKED THAT TREE. The first place I took Kayah outside to was under that tree and now it's sitting in two piles on my lawn. We also had half our eavestrough come down and maybe some damage to an old crooked pine in the back, but they're pretty minor jobs I think/hope.

Mom and Dad moved out of town. Kinda weird, they were this sort of anchor in a familliar place. Michelle is still in town, but hey for how long. Just odd. Weyburn has been my home for more of my life than anyplace, sad to lose touch.

Tai is well, attitude of Paris Hilton and coherence of salad dressing, but she's a good kid at heart and really helps out with the baby around.

Dogs=kickass

Bought myself a laptop at long last. Been walking around with a boner for two weeks because of it. No, it's not a Mac, I have mouths to feed.

Got permanent-full time at SGI. Things are interesting there ... what can I say - it pays well.

Label is growing slowly as I need it to. Have to make some tough decisions this week, but that's business and if I can't do it now, it isn't going to get any easier.

Well, I think that's all. Last month was the first I didn't post on since the start of the blog. I'll try to keep that from happening again folks!