wow. Dec. 31st. Can't believe it. I'm ready for this year to be over, even though there have been some great moments.
Today it looks like we're driving to Sweetwater, a very large music store in Indiana. My husband wants me to look for a new acoustic guitar and to bring in my Taylor to perhaps trade in. I found the original receipt-bought in August of 2000-which means virtually every song written after that date was written on this guitar. That's kind of significant for me, but I'm not really going to be sentimental about it. Truth be told, the neck is a bit large for my hands and I often get painful cramps when playing bar chords.
What kind of new songs might I write on a new guitar?
He found one he wants me to try. It definitely has a small body, but what about the neck? It's a real challenge to find the right guitar for me, since I play left-handed and there aren't as many guitars to choose from. He also started to look for a keyboard-he found a Nord he wants me try. I don't think I'm entirely ready to perform my piano-based songs live, but having a keyboard to practice on would probably speed that along.
What I wanted to write about last night was how we rarely get to experience "night" anymore, due to our houses being so lit up. When I first moved to NYC, I was a bit aghast at how so many office buildings would have the lights on at night (a terrible waste of energy IMO) and also clogged up the night sky. But the other day I plugged in some string lights in my closet because I wanted some diffused lighting and so last night I thought about candle light and how at night most people only used to have diffused lighting (if at all). And the light was pleasant and relaxing.
The holiday was nice but exhausting! High energy needed, obv. And Joey DeFrancisco is now on our radar. His "12 Days of Christmas" is a party in and of itself. A work of accessible art for sure. I wonder what his shows are like. Fun, I imagine.
Now I'm the owner of an apple watch. I just answered a call on it. A "Dick Tracy" moment. It's a bit cool and a bit weird. It has been pinging in the middle of the night instructing me to "breathe" or "stand" (I need to reconfigure that??!!) And I'm 100% certain that I will probably never use it to its full capacity, but setting a timer was kind of cool.
OH yeah. Timer/meringues. Well, I totally OD'd on meringue. I got a headache and was a bit off for a bit. Next year, possibly new menu. Though my husband kept joking that we should just order pizza. I would love to tinker with every dish and make it...tastier, better, a bit more healthy. This is his Aunt's menu and it seems that it was conceived years ago when more sugar was "mo' better"
But whatever.
I'm about to post the video for "Lost." I attached it to a PledgeMusic post the other day, now just need to get it on YouTube. Coincidentally, I got this amazing Franz Kafka quote in my Twitter feed the other day, "I am free and that is why I am lost." and I was a bit struck by the poignancy of it all.
My kids are sitting next to me on the sofa. My son has just discovered that he likes to watch Paw Patrol on the TV, and I'm glad for him. He's pretty much shunned TV except for a few things, so this is a big deal.
I probably mentioned already that I don't really make NY Resolutions, I do that on my birthday, but for a few years I've done one overall phrase. It has been "Use it Up" "Make Art" "Use it or Lose it" and truthfully, I haven't thought of one for 2019. "Make it Happen" comes to mind. "Change the Game" Hmmm. I think those quotes refer to my desire to do some sort of touring, and to have more success.
My son wants something to eat, so probably am going to end here. I hope you enjoy ending 2018 and looking forward to 2019.
xo
Leslie