Back at the office in Manhattan.

Trina and I are pouring over cheap laptop/netbook reviews... and possibly going to fondle them later at B&H Photo (dangerous place...$$$$ for a broke ass like myself.)

But it just feels good to be getting back in sync with Ms. Hamlin. We have a lot of work to do on the schedule. No time like the present....

Hey...the lineup at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival may now have Antje on it, as she hinted at it yesterday! So that means Susan.Trina,Natalia,Jane and myself all there too!

OMG!! How fun!

Breakfast Club

Bunty, Trina ,Erin and Jane in Schenectady. I was just getting back from an aeropuerto run.

So it was my first time seeing Susan's ''Classics'' show. I liked it... a lot. She and Julia Biber do a great job together. I got some great footage that will go up as soon as I am at my computer.

I am hanging at the hotel waiting for Natalia to come get me and we are going back to the farm.

Not before we stop in Albany for lunch though....can you say Van's??

Sassy!

Here is my partner in crime....

Sassy. She and I shared a BLT for lunch.

I did in fact caulk the entire pool this morning. I gotta make sure Natalia gets the bank bag for her gig and then really? I kinda feel like stretching out under a tree and taking a nap or something. We don't leave till around 3:30 or 4:00 for Schenectady.

I get my tearful reunions not only with Jane and Susan but the fabulous Bunty Burgin will be coming as well as Erin McKeown!

Fun filled...and more. For sure!

And then the day was cooler and darker... denoting nightime.

Here in the wee beach house in the desert. Feeling pretty good today. Really seeing how I got into a negative place with coming home. I do have things to take care of but there is no need to be cranky about it. So now I officially declare myself done being cranky.

In fact, I must now just get my "Full Steam Ahead" gear on and make stuff happen. All of this wearing of the cranky pants has taken time. I'll give myself some leeway having only been home for about 3 weeks and a couple of days.

Thanks to my friends who reminded me of several different aspects of my situation. You know who you are. I have tours to book, t-shirts to design/energy to send to S.C. and love and community to distribute.

Trina and Natalia have a big ol' house concert tonight. I'm sending them both a whole lotta goodness. I appreciate those women and all the opportunities they have given me to get in there and do this job. And really, I have to thank Jane and Susan for having me on shows... it's upped my game so much! And I can't wait to create the best year yet for myself and all of these artists I have a chance to work with and know.

Time to work, Wendy...

Having Rosebud this weekend is good for me. I needed dog energy around me. Silly dog has done more walking in the last day than she has in probably the last month. Since I have no yard, we must get her to make pee pee and poo poo on a walk. Not sure she fully appreciates it, but she sure does love being with me.

Ok... and to all 6 of you semi-faithful readers.. would you do me a favor please?

May I please get you to leave a comment about your favorite thing about me? I can't always see the good... I am on a roll right now, and I could still use some input.

After you are done with all that enjoy this vid...

So in my inevitable quest to be nice to myself..

I was looking over video I had that was not yet available to the public. Some never will be. Some may get released over time. But I was struck with the magnitude of incredible music I got to see over the last few years. Some of the best moments have been Susan Werner shows. It's because the energy between Susan and Trina is just wonderful and they really love playing together. Watching musicians do what they do and love who they do it with is one of the greatest gifts I have ever gotten. All of the people I have gotten to meet have been a gift... some challenging but a gift nonetheless. In looking at what I want for the new year... it's a gentle confidence and an opportunity to make a difference. And it starts in my own skinbag. So I'm giving myself the gift of forgiveness.

And I don't think any footage I ever had posted before matches this version of just that.

Susan Werner at The Ark November 2008. Her last show of the year. And truly one of the best I saw in all of 2008.

And let's not forget that if it's a Susan show... we get Jane. And that is a real treat for me... one of the best.

Late night update... in thinking about the shows that I loved this last year...Trina's show in Evanston was high point... for all the right reasons. Great room, big crowd, and lots of fun! And Natalia being adored by a full house when she was opening for Ani DiFranco was a shining moment in my brain.

And being home and getting to be around music was good. I like Howe Gelb... he is a quirky/brilliant songwriter. And his music has been on my periphery for a skabillion years while I lived in Tucson. He does not disappoint.

And as the night goes by.

Here we are in Trina's apt. after a really nice dinner at the best place around...(which is pretty freakin' nice I'll say...)Janie joined us and a great meal was had and we held a chair for Susan altho she never showed... but she did call from home to say she missed us. Love that.

I do love these women... and I do love my job. It's gonna be really hard to go home and not do this for a while. We won't start back up till probably April.

I'll be fine... just going to have to kick some booking ass and get back in shape for next year. I think I'm gonna do yoga when I go home. I love yoga in Bisbee.

Ok, it's after 11pm... Jane is texting me and driving...BAD JANE!!!! Love ya pal... great to get a nice Last Supper for the year withchoo!

Ok... I am off to think about slumber now. I drove all day and my brain is a little fried at this point. Either that or I'm completely overwhelmed (which is somewhat likely)

I can't believe I am done. More please... please?

Wonk-O-Vision

This is from Dec. 1st 2008. We made our escape from Traverse City just before another front went through. I'm just gonna make mention that not only does Trina love following the weather, but she's pretty good at getting us through it. Not that she should give up music or anything, but she has a very good knack for it.

And she lurves the snow!

There used to be a day that a tour was (jokingly) called off at the first sign of a flake of snow. I was working for someone else then. That rule was based on my fear of snow. I don't know if the fear has been conquered,I do have a healthy respect for it and now I have a wee bit of experience with it. Trina and Jane and Susan were fabulously patient with my dumb questions about it and gave me great tips for driving in it.

Chicago morning...

This morning Trina and I part company with Susan and Jane. Sadness. It's light snow...almost rain. We take Jane to the aeropuerto then we head off to Three Oaks. I will be getting an oil change at my fave Ford dealership there. We are having a bit of caffeine, but will most likely toddle off to Fox and Obel for brekkie. And I of course will be on the lookout for Oprah and her Gayelle.

Report on dinner last night was that everyone loved the meal.. we all immediately went into food comas and to bed. It was a good plan as I was pretty beat and not wanting give in to feeling under the weather. I'm pig headed like that.

I will be uploading bunches of video in the next couple of days... Natalia in Indy and Trina in Evanston and Susan and Trina at The Ark.

The girls have just dubbed Jane a coffee pussy... as she just made a weak pot. Poor Jane. I am gonna miss these gals.

And....

Our portion of the move is done in Brooklyn. I am in a cab on my way to Grand Central Station to get the train to CT. Tonight is my dear Babs' birthday so we gotta celebrate!

Hard to say g'bye to The Wee One...she's been really good to me this year and has become a good friend. I work for the best women! Oh My Gawd! I am so fortunate...I haven't seen Trina in a whole month! Looking forward to this last run with her...and the supreme bonus of Susan and Jane just makes my heart squeal with joy! This day feels like one of those ''burn youself up leaving no trace of yourself'' days. It's been packed to the gills and I'll sleep well.

In fact...the ''burn yourself up' mentality is how I think I'll choose to end this year's touring. I do that.

El-Frida gets a checkup!

Here we (me and Frida) are bright eyed and stuff. Getting the trusty (crusty?) chariot into the spa for a lil' sump'in sump'in. I figured no better way to finish up the season than with a happy healthy ride.

I have some work to do this morning, then off to my AA meeting to say once again how much I have enjoyed being a part their recovery community. The strange part of all of that is that with any luck, I'll get to see this community again...but the inevitable change in who is still attending is a reality that is well....sobering. There is no iron-clad guarantee that any of us gets to keep our seat in those rooms. But I have today...am grateful for today...and with my head screwed on relatively straight I hopefully move in the right directions.

I am offering up a sacrifice of a free range chicken to the great co-op board gods that they will see fit to grant Natalia her parking space assignment today. That will make our transit quite easy although it means maneuvering into Brooklyn. I feel confident that it'll all be just fine no matter how we meet back up. Really, if I take the train in then that means I get to say bye to my wonderful friends here in CT then instead of tomorrow.

And just a sidenote.. Trina, Susan and Jane are all basking in the sun in St Maarten. Let's all wish them well..and let's hope the gig went well!

Did I get bored?

Dancing with herself??
Twinge of Delight?
Double Trouble?
Am I just having an LSD flashback??

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Here's the sad part... I tried a bunch of different people's heads... but Susan's just plain old looked better on both bodies! Why is that??? I tried Bunty... I tried Jane... tried Trina... I even tried Susan's dad! And she looks particularly good on the boy body!! WTF??

In the end.. Susan dancing with herself was the bestest.. the laughs have not stopped for me... hopefully... somewhere...Susan and Jane are laughing too!

***Susan Werner's heed not used with permission...***

Off she goes!

Trina has been safely deposited at the aeropuerto where is will fly off to N.C. To meet up with Susan and Jane. I will trek back to NYC a wee bit later this morning and hang there in the city for the weekend.

Geez Gail, I guess I could have called you at 4:30 a.m.after all!

Where did the day go?

Oh... that's right... I delved into video and now I'm shocked it's almost 4pm?

So I did a little maintenance on the ol' camcorders... just a wee bit of head cleaning tape run thru the little babies and they do seem to feel better. Not to mention the video being uploaded is fun.. it's stuff from the Boston Folk Fest and others..

At that festival Susan and the band played just after it had gotten done pouring rain. The stage was wet... it was cold out... everyone in the audience was drenched...and yet they stayed. And just like what happened in Lyons Clorado... Susan came on and the rain stopped. I'm not lying!

The really sweet part of some of this video is a snippet of Jane and Natalia dancing just off stage... and a few moments later I look over and John Gorka is there just watching Susan and smiling... (and you can catch a glimpse of Eliza Gilkyson too she's standing by Gorka just don't blink! )I forgot I had that on tape. Good times. Did I screw up the date on the vid? yes... did I pull it down and re-do it?... in the process...

Ok... fixed it...




So I'm just uploading stuff...and editing a vid from our time on the farm.. and doing a little laundry... supposed to head into NYC tonight to meet up with Trina and Natalia at a club to hear some muzak. I'll most likely make it.. although I must confess.. I have a wee headache and am not moving too fast at this moment.

This danger thingy on a huge piece of farm equiptment had us puzzled...




I love old rusted stuff... farms are loaded with that!




Sweet pic of Jane and Susan.

At the end of this day...

We find ourselves still in Boston. The day was filled with great music and a sweet tearful reunion with The Gorka and a very fun time with Cliff Eberhart. They were both playing with Eliza Gilkison more or less in a round. Really sweet set that they did.

This was a miraculous day for the weather because when Susan hit the stage, the weather cleared...no shit!

Love it!

We are camped in the hotel with Jane and Susan and I am feeling very quiet this evening. No real reason. Just am. Still not 100% but I have no symptoms for the most part.I think maybe I'm just tired.

Last full day in Seattle

So here it is the day before we head to Portland. I managed to reach some of my pals there and while I don't believe either can make the show, it was fantastic to touch base. One just had a baby and the other is working in Salem that day.

I am really looking forward to seeing Jane,Susan and Natalia. It feels like a lifetime ago when we were all together. In fact, I can't remember when that was...eh...I'm old.

Crisp morning here. Sunny and the fantastic Freckles (the house dog) has been keeping me company down here this morning. She gets to go to doggy daycare today! Lucky dog!

WDIY

Here we are in beautiful downtown Bethlehen PA and the radio interview is beginning right now. Susan and Jane have a nice touch of sun on their faces from being ''down-a- shore'' where I will be starting tomorrow.

Sending goodness out to my pal KK in Juneau. I love ya pal...

Ok!

We are back at Trina's in NYC. I made the coffee looked at Trina and asked her if she wanted "The happy brown breakfast drink this morning.." she smiled and said yes! Believe it or not, I have not totally screwed up her need for caffeine! When we are off in separate places, she drinks tea. WTF??? Anyhow...It's been a rowdy morning except I forgot to post for "some friends" last night... so I will get that handled.

The parking game starts at around 10am...(oh how I missed it!) and El-Frida is only about 2 blocks away now. Ideally we like to have her on the same block. Hell, I like her in front of the building! But that is rare.

Today brings the tsunami of calls and follow-up emails to get the PNW stuff flattened out and make sure we have flights and a few more gigs. Then hoping to start on tickets for Germany. So much to do.

Mark your calendars!!

Musikfest in Bethlehem PA is this Wednesday! Trina will be playing with Susan at 5 pm on the Martin Guitar Liederplatz Stage.

And on top of all of the work.. we have laundry and packing to do... Trina heads off to Michigan with Natalia at ass-crack:30 on Thursday... I go "Down The Shore" with Jane and Crew... and then we are all at Nashua River Valley Folk Fest in MA. then I fly off to Michigan to hook up with Ms. Zukerman to "wonk" for her there and in Canada!

Did I mention I'm not having ANY fun???

Really it IS a bit overwhelming at times. But the true challenge is the organization part. The opportunity is flying at me.. I just need to have the printed schedule in front of me at all times. And apparently in larger print! This morning I held up a vat of granola and caught myself holding it at arms length to be able to see the wee writing on the label!!! It's happening!!! It's official!!! I'm old!!!!

This is the post I promised "some friends.." sorry it's late! X's and O's!!!!

Mornin'!

Off to Midway aeropuerto with Susan and Jane who are singing a cornucopia of Natalia's songs all mishmashed together. Words about dead deer and widow's walks being the most prevalent. Funny.

I love these ladies! And as far as last night went... Holy crap! It really was good. Natalia was missed, but Ingrid Graudins stepped up! She sang Susan' ''May I Suggest'' and really did it justice. Sweet. And we welcomed her into the clan. She's a good one.

More later

Stunning day!

Beautiful day here in Chicago! Not too schvitzie either! Susan and Trina are running through songs, Jane is running around in a towel and I am trying to make myself useful. So far so good!