Afternoon friends,
What a week it's been beginning with the Great And Powerful Oz at the French Consulate and coming to an end with the pickup tomorrow of our dumpster (14 cubic yards baby!) that's almost full! With gigantic amounts of assistance from our friends Paul Alcock, Tray Eppes, John Ward, Kian and Niall, and Vivian Tucker we cleared ALL of the rooms of clutter (25 years of it!) in a little over 3 days although Kian and Niall and I started last Friday.
I'm still dismantling my studio and putting everything from it that is to be shipped as "personal" stuff on Monday. What an amazing experience. The house looks bare in places now and there are boxes with handwritten notes everywhere. The cats are restless cause they know something's happening. Speaking of the cats, they were injected with their "bar" codes yesterday and an experimental dose of a sedative was given to Gracie Mae by our Vet Genevieve Neal as a test balloon and it worked perfectly. Gracie was VERY stoned for most of the evening and she's the most excitable of the 2 cats.
We're also getting some low dose relaxers for Kian and Niall who have never flown before just to take the edge off. We are after all riding Business Class on this trip which will be DELUXE for the crew and the twins for their first flight.
I'll close by saying that no sooner we'd throw something in the dumpster someone would dive in and get it out (naming nobody here as I love them all). Our friends turned the whole event into a party.
It's been easier for everyone.
God bless everyone from the Heights......*
sid
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Pay No Attention To The Woman Behind The Glass
By Cass
23 February 2010
After 6 weeks of living in Paris, it was a somewhat rocky re-entry this weekend.
Before leaving my new home, I spent a busy Saturday running errands preparing for the family's arrival March 3. A colleague took me on a car tour of my new neighborhood, where he'd lived some 25 years before. After we shared a cold biere, he dropped me off to settle in for the night. There wasn't much left to do, but schedule a cab to get to the airport on Sunday. There wasn't much to pack, just a change of clothes for the night in D.C. and two other pieces of luggage for the family's return trip next week.
I arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport in plenty of time to purchase the French-to-American electrical adapters for my laptop and PDA. It was strange to think I needed to "adapt" to the U.S. The flight to Dulles was unremarkable -- my favorite kind. I landed on schedule around 7:15, and my checked-through bag came around the carousel within about 5 minutes. That's when the adapting really began.
First, I tried to use the GPS on my French-language PDA to get to the hotel in Georgetown where Sid was waiting for me. Non. Luckily, the Toyota Sienna has Hertz's great NeverLost system. Whew.
Pulling out of the Hertz lot, the attendant asked to see my driver's license. Uh-oh. "Dude, I just returned from out of the country and my license is packed in my suitcase. Will my passport do?" He shouldn't have, but he did, and I slipped out. Good thing I'm a pretty good liar, er, marketing professional.
Then came the toll plaza. Oh merde. "Sir, I'm really sorry, but I just flew in from France and I have no American currency at all. Would you take euros?"
"You have a yodel?" Thinking he'd misheard me, I enunciated that I could give him some euros, which are actually worth more than a dollar.
"You'll give me a yodel?" Laughing, I gave him two euros, and he sent me on my way.
The same ploy did not work at the SECOND toll plaza. He wasn't interested in my euros or yodeling, and handed me a slip of paper instead with directions to go online or mail my 75 cents in. Um, yeah. I'll get right on that.
Finally, I pull into the Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center. After parking and unloading the van, Sid and I headed to dinner at a place our friends the Wards recommended, called J. Paul's. We were enjoying our drinks when our very pleasant server brought our dinner, and I realized that I'd forgotten HOW LOUD AMERICANS ARE. The table of five jumbo voices next to us was loud enough, when they raucously announced the arrival of more friends who'd just pulled up outside the window. After six weeks of French restaurants or quiet evenings in my apartment, every decibel-denting syllable was very jarring. I'd not realized how much more reserved French people are in public places -- with the notable exception of Roland Garros tennis, World Cup soccer or transportation strikes. It was a relief to head back to the hotel.
We needed a good night's sleep before heading to the French Consulate Monday morning, where we made quite a discovery. The Great Oz is alive and well and LIVING IN GEORGETOWN. Yes, we had steeled ourselves for the height of bureaucracy when we scheduled our appointment at the Visa office. Yes, the American bacon-egg-and-grits breakfast had lulled me into a kind of food nirvana, rendering me quite placid. However, I was not prepared for the pinched woman who held our lives in her pale, bony hands from 11 a.m. until 3:15 that afternoon. There were many "issues" with our application that I won't go into here, but the kicker was, when realizing we didn't have a copy of our passports -- and don't you see the signs that say we don't make photocopies in this office -- Miss Pinch conferred with the man behind the two-way glass and told us that luckily, the boss was feeling generous that day and would LET us return at 2:30 with the said photocopies to complete our application that day. (insert Stephen Bennett singing "If I Only Had a Brain") If that wasn't satisfactory, we could always reschedule for another time. Of course, we would be happy to come back that afternoon. Thank you so much, I said through clinched teeth.
After going back to the hotel for copies, Sid wisely took me someplace for lunch that served alcohol. A house cab does wonders for easing bureaucratic tension. We returned to the little visa office at 2:15 and, after a few more questions about our marriage, our sons, my job, the meaning of life, etc., we were finally presented with an impressive sticker in each of our passports. We're now set for three months when, with a medical exam and legal support, we will get our French residency permits. As we walked in the rain back down the driveway to our parking place on Reservoir Road, it occurred to me how moving to another country is more like adoption than adapting. Anyone can be born in a country; but an adopted country is special because one chooses to do whatever it takes to make it happen. And, as for anything worth having, il faut avoir de la patience -- one must have patience.
23 February 2010
After 6 weeks of living in Paris, it was a somewhat rocky re-entry this weekend.
Before leaving my new home, I spent a busy Saturday running errands preparing for the family's arrival March 3. A colleague took me on a car tour of my new neighborhood, where he'd lived some 25 years before. After we shared a cold biere, he dropped me off to settle in for the night. There wasn't much left to do, but schedule a cab to get to the airport on Sunday. There wasn't much to pack, just a change of clothes for the night in D.C. and two other pieces of luggage for the family's return trip next week.
I arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport in plenty of time to purchase the French-to-American electrical adapters for my laptop and PDA. It was strange to think I needed to "adapt" to the U.S. The flight to Dulles was unremarkable -- my favorite kind. I landed on schedule around 7:15, and my checked-through bag came around the carousel within about 5 minutes. That's when the adapting really began.
First, I tried to use the GPS on my French-language PDA to get to the hotel in Georgetown where Sid was waiting for me. Non. Luckily, the Toyota Sienna has Hertz's great NeverLost system. Whew.
Pulling out of the Hertz lot, the attendant asked to see my driver's license. Uh-oh. "Dude, I just returned from out of the country and my license is packed in my suitcase. Will my passport do?" He shouldn't have, but he did, and I slipped out. Good thing I'm a pretty good liar, er, marketing professional.
Then came the toll plaza. Oh merde. "Sir, I'm really sorry, but I just flew in from France and I have no American currency at all. Would you take euros?"
"You have a yodel?" Thinking he'd misheard me, I enunciated that I could give him some euros, which are actually worth more than a dollar.
"You'll give me a yodel?" Laughing, I gave him two euros, and he sent me on my way.
The same ploy did not work at the SECOND toll plaza. He wasn't interested in my euros or yodeling, and handed me a slip of paper instead with directions to go online or mail my 75 cents in. Um, yeah. I'll get right on that.
Finally, I pull into the Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center. After parking and unloading the van, Sid and I headed to dinner at a place our friends the Wards recommended, called J. Paul's. We were enjoying our drinks when our very pleasant server brought our dinner, and I realized that I'd forgotten HOW LOUD AMERICANS ARE. The table of five jumbo voices next to us was loud enough, when they raucously announced the arrival of more friends who'd just pulled up outside the window. After six weeks of French restaurants or quiet evenings in my apartment, every decibel-denting syllable was very jarring. I'd not realized how much more reserved French people are in public places -- with the notable exception of Roland Garros tennis, World Cup soccer or transportation strikes. It was a relief to head back to the hotel.
We needed a good night's sleep before heading to the French Consulate Monday morning, where we made quite a discovery. The Great Oz is alive and well and LIVING IN GEORGETOWN. Yes, we had steeled ourselves for the height of bureaucracy when we scheduled our appointment at the Visa office. Yes, the American bacon-egg-and-grits breakfast had lulled me into a kind of food nirvana, rendering me quite placid. However, I was not prepared for the pinched woman who held our lives in her pale, bony hands from 11 a.m. until 3:15 that afternoon. There were many "issues" with our application that I won't go into here, but the kicker was, when realizing we didn't have a copy of our passports -- and don't you see the signs that say we don't make photocopies in this office -- Miss Pinch conferred with the man behind the two-way glass and told us that luckily, the boss was feeling generous that day and would LET us return at 2:30 with the said photocopies to complete our application that day. (insert Stephen Bennett singing "If I Only Had a Brain") If that wasn't satisfactory, we could always reschedule for another time. Of course, we would be happy to come back that afternoon. Thank you so much, I said through clinched teeth.
After going back to the hotel for copies, Sid wisely took me someplace for lunch that served alcohol. A house cab does wonders for easing bureaucratic tension. We returned to the little visa office at 2:15 and, after a few more questions about our marriage, our sons, my job, the meaning of life, etc., we were finally presented with an impressive sticker in each of our passports. We're now set for three months when, with a medical exam and legal support, we will get our French residency permits. As we walked in the rain back down the driveway to our parking place on Reservoir Road, it occurred to me how moving to another country is more like adoption than adapting. Anyone can be born in a country; but an adopted country is special because one chooses to do whatever it takes to make it happen. And, as for anything worth having, il faut avoir de la patience -- one must have patience.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Georgetown On Sunday
Hi guys,
I'm in Georgetown to meet Cassie after she flies in to Dulles this evening and we'll hang out until tomorrow when we go to the French Consulate to get our visas. I still need to fill my forms out and will do so with Cassie's help this evening perhaps over dinner somewhere nice.
Then we drive back to Lynchburg tomorrow and begin the final madness that's throwing things out, making piles of things to ship immediately and try to do everything all at once in a very short time. Should be fun but things are really speeding up now and we'll just have to remain CALM......*
Perhaps Cassie will post something this evening but I suspect she'll be tired. I'm just damned glad to be seeing her again.
More later.
Love to all,
sid
I'm in Georgetown to meet Cassie after she flies in to Dulles this evening and we'll hang out until tomorrow when we go to the French Consulate to get our visas. I still need to fill my forms out and will do so with Cassie's help this evening perhaps over dinner somewhere nice.
Then we drive back to Lynchburg tomorrow and begin the final madness that's throwing things out, making piles of things to ship immediately and try to do everything all at once in a very short time. Should be fun but things are really speeding up now and we'll just have to remain CALM......*
Perhaps Cassie will post something this evening but I suspect she'll be tired. I'm just damned glad to be seeing her again.
More later.
Love to all,
sid
Friday, February 19, 2010
There's A Dumpster In The Driveway
Evenin folks,
Sorry I've been away. The runaway train is picking up speed and we don't even have bullet trains here yet but I certainly feel like I'm on one.
The dumpster arrived today and we're already throwing things away. I think it's a 15 cubic yard model that's designated to accommodate up to 2 tons of whatever. I suspect we don't have 2 tons of whatever but I erred on the side of caution just in case. We'll have said dumpster for exactly a week which is perfect for our timetable. I think Tray Eppes is unloading his truck so when he comes next Tuesday some of what we might throw away will end up in his truck. Know any other pack-rats?
All of these things trumpet our days here are finite and becoming more so. I'm having a beer tonight and am basking in what used to be a dark brown bathroom that is now white and seemingly as big as all outdoors now.
Our pal and neighbor and resident "Eldon" Paul Alcock has been at work in the house for the past week or so beginning his mission to make our house more "sellable" for our other pal Betty Burch who's entrusted with selling it.
It was a warm day here today and I can actually see parts of my driveway I haven't been able to see since before Christmas last year. I think Cassie will still be astonished when she see's how much snow is still on the ground here when we come back from DC Monday. Cassie WILL BE HOME!!!!!!!!!! Awesome! We've all missed her so, even the cats.
Next week is going to be BUSY BUSY BUSY but it will be good work with help from Vivian and the Hortons and Tray and other friends, everything that can be done will get done.
Everyone keeps asking if I'm excited yet............I'll keep that close until we walk in the door at 44 Rue Nic and then I'll be excited. Cassie will post next week.
Love to all of you out there.
sid
Sorry I've been away. The runaway train is picking up speed and we don't even have bullet trains here yet but I certainly feel like I'm on one.
The dumpster arrived today and we're already throwing things away. I think it's a 15 cubic yard model that's designated to accommodate up to 2 tons of whatever. I suspect we don't have 2 tons of whatever but I erred on the side of caution just in case. We'll have said dumpster for exactly a week which is perfect for our timetable. I think Tray Eppes is unloading his truck so when he comes next Tuesday some of what we might throw away will end up in his truck. Know any other pack-rats?
All of these things trumpet our days here are finite and becoming more so. I'm having a beer tonight and am basking in what used to be a dark brown bathroom that is now white and seemingly as big as all outdoors now.
Our pal and neighbor and resident "Eldon" Paul Alcock has been at work in the house for the past week or so beginning his mission to make our house more "sellable" for our other pal Betty Burch who's entrusted with selling it.
It was a warm day here today and I can actually see parts of my driveway I haven't been able to see since before Christmas last year. I think Cassie will still be astonished when she see's how much snow is still on the ground here when we come back from DC Monday. Cassie WILL BE HOME!!!!!!!!!! Awesome! We've all missed her so, even the cats.
Next week is going to be BUSY BUSY BUSY but it will be good work with help from Vivian and the Hortons and Tray and other friends, everything that can be done will get done.
Everyone keeps asking if I'm excited yet............I'll keep that close until we walk in the door at 44 Rue Nic and then I'll be excited. Cassie will post next week.
Love to all of you out there.
sid
Monday, February 15, 2010
A Lamborghini On The Sidewalk: I'm Not In Rivermont Any More
On this, my first Sunday in my new home, I went strolling around the 16th arrondissement to get my bearings, and to find another RER station from which to make my daily commutes. RER is like an express Metro. I discovered many things.
Remember the pre-ATM days of making sure you had what you needed on Saturday because everything was closed on Sundays? Well, the Casino grocery store where I shop – as well as almost everything else in this neighborhood – is closed on Sundays. That half-bottle (demi-bouteille) of Sancerre in the fridge will just have to do for this evening.
I also discovered why my colleagues here all shook their heads and exclaimed what a bourgeois neighborhood I’d chosen. Apparently the 16th is a traditionally upper-crust area, with many embassies and affluent residents. Of course that’s not why I picked it. My home-finding strategy from the beginning was to find the right apartment; location was secondary. However, as I took my first spin around the ‘hood, here is what I saw: A ghost gray Lamborghini was parked on a corner sidewalk – on the sidewalk, not the street. It looked like a sleek, wild animal curled up and waiting for its owner to come out and play. A few minutes down the street, I watched the woman ahead of me at the flower shop pay for a $60 bouquet of flowers with a 1000-euro note (about $1400). They asked if she had anything smaller. The shrug of her shoulders said no. Side note: the guy ahead of me at the Conforama (an IKEA-type home store) yesterday paid for his 6800-euro purchase with CASH. Finally, I passed by several buildings with service entrances clearly marked with shiny brass plaques. Rivermont used to be the affluent neighborhood in Lynchburg, but I’ve never seen signs for service entrances – not that there weren’t any; maybe they just weren’t so…explicit.
Sid and I have always said that the property values in the “oh-three” district – the Rivermont zip code – went down when we moved in. While we likely won’t have the same impact in such a big city, clearly someone didn’t check our credentials!
Oh yes, I did discover the Henri Martin RER station. It turns out that sometimes, more walking means less commuting. From La Muette, the closest Metro station to my apartment, the travel time is about 45 minutes. If I continue walking through Muette to the Boulainvilliers RER station (an underground connection between stations is called a correspondence), it’s more like 35 minutes. I’m going to take this new path to the Avenue Henri Martin RER station in the morning, and it might cut me down to 30 minutes, which would be great – enough time to get the game face on in the morning, and to down-shift at night but without feeling like I’m losing so much of my life going to and from work.
While I’ve been writing, the small, bunch of tulips I bought has opened up right beside me on my dining table, bright yellow bursts of spring on a quiet Paris afternoon. And for only 8 euros. That’s a bargain at twice the price – in any neighborhood!
By Cass
February 14th in the Rue Nic Hood*
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Way Back Close And Personal
Just a short note to let you know that I'm very close to finishing my very first solo CD with Billy Worley co-producing as well as playing many many parts and instruments plus being a huge help keeping the project on track through several major snow storms and being available to me, Pat Lawrence and Robbie Wells to help bring this project home before we leave.
I recut almost all of the vocals in 3 or so hours this afternoon which is amazing in anyone's experience but particularly regarding how well they all turned out. Robbie adds mandolins to 2 more tracks tomorrow and then we mix it Tuesday night and I master it Wednesday and Thursday it goes to Bright Images to be duplicated where the sleeves await the CDs and I'll have it ready to take to France before we leave!
Mere words are not adequate to express the respect and awe I hold Billy Worley, Pat Lawrence, and Robbie Wells in and gratitude and love I have for them caring for my music like they did on this project. I'm belaboring the point here I guess as they have ALWAYS taken such great care with our band and brought so much into our lives by just being who they are and playing the way they play.
Truly some of the absolute finest musicians and people we've ever known.
I'm so happy now I don't know if I'll be able to sleep much tonight. What a day it was in the studio with Billy today! I haven't felt this way since working with my friend and mentor Scott Martin in El Paso, TX, many many years ago. True musical magic is so fleeting and experiencing it has always been a soul stirring revelation for me.
Needless to say, I'll be basking in the warmth of these guys through this project for a long long time....*
How I love them all so............* And how I'll miss them so............*
Love to you all wherever you are.....*
sid
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Goodbyes
Evenin pilgrims,
Just got back from Wardstock III and seeing some very good friends from the Hampton Roads area for what could be a long long time. Even the drive from Lynchburg to Darlington Heights had a somber air about it and the memories of both the drive out and back will be littered with images of snow covered fields, trees, and what marvelous country we've lived in here in Central Virginia. The irony of this day also caught up to me in a big way in that we've said goodbye to many of these people 13 years ago when we moved to Sioux City, Iowa, after Cassie took a job with Gateway Computers. I guess whoever said the more things change the more they stay the same was dead on.
I also met some new people today who were so nice and who knew Cassie too before I ever met them. It was a really fun but also sort of painful at the same time. Is that possible? There's no telling who if any of them will come to see us but hopefully some of them will.
Work continues tomorrow on my solo CD that I have to finish before Wednesday. I set that goal to assure myself that I would get it done. John Ward was gracious to play one of the almost finished tracks on his behemoth sound system today and I was gratified to hear that my tiny little M-Audio near field monitors we're dead on enough to get a good result which I'll confess was worrying me. If everyone there had actually seen where I'm recording my album I think they'd think I was crazy but my dear friend Billy Worley is a genius and that transfers hugely into my process. I'm so blessed to play with such amazing musicians. Robbie Wells hopefully finished his parts today.
The twins spent the day with their pal Jonathan and had a blast and we ate pizza tonight from "our" Italian Restaurant Monte Carlo here in Lynchburg which is an all time favorite for them and me too. The only thing missing naturally is Cassie who has always completed me and who's absence weighs on all of us even though we know it's been necessary. Things aren't happening the way I'd hoped they would as far as some of what we wanted to do but again, it'll all happen in it's own good time.
Lots to think about tonight before I head back into the studio tomorrow to sing a whole bunch. The positive love and warmth I felt today will help me sing true tomorrow.
I will miss and miss these people...........*
Love always,
sid
Just got back from Wardstock III and seeing some very good friends from the Hampton Roads area for what could be a long long time. Even the drive from Lynchburg to Darlington Heights had a somber air about it and the memories of both the drive out and back will be littered with images of snow covered fields, trees, and what marvelous country we've lived in here in Central Virginia. The irony of this day also caught up to me in a big way in that we've said goodbye to many of these people 13 years ago when we moved to Sioux City, Iowa, after Cassie took a job with Gateway Computers. I guess whoever said the more things change the more they stay the same was dead on.
I also met some new people today who were so nice and who knew Cassie too before I ever met them. It was a really fun but also sort of painful at the same time. Is that possible? There's no telling who if any of them will come to see us but hopefully some of them will.
Work continues tomorrow on my solo CD that I have to finish before Wednesday. I set that goal to assure myself that I would get it done. John Ward was gracious to play one of the almost finished tracks on his behemoth sound system today and I was gratified to hear that my tiny little M-Audio near field monitors we're dead on enough to get a good result which I'll confess was worrying me. If everyone there had actually seen where I'm recording my album I think they'd think I was crazy but my dear friend Billy Worley is a genius and that transfers hugely into my process. I'm so blessed to play with such amazing musicians. Robbie Wells hopefully finished his parts today.
The twins spent the day with their pal Jonathan and had a blast and we ate pizza tonight from "our" Italian Restaurant Monte Carlo here in Lynchburg which is an all time favorite for them and me too. The only thing missing naturally is Cassie who has always completed me and who's absence weighs on all of us even though we know it's been necessary. Things aren't happening the way I'd hoped they would as far as some of what we wanted to do but again, it'll all happen in it's own good time.
Lots to think about tonight before I head back into the studio tomorrow to sing a whole bunch. The positive love and warmth I felt today will help me sing true tomorrow.
I will miss and miss these people...........*
Love always,
sid
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Plasma TV And 5.1 System To The Heights
Just a short post tonight to celebrate the transfer of our 5 year old plasma tv and 5.1 surround audio system to our dear friends Tray and Joanne Eppes in Darlington Heights near Cullen today. I rarely get to spend most of a day with Tray but we had a blast loading everything here with some assistance from Paul Alcock. Tray and I headed for lunch at The Blue Marlin and then off to the Heights. We drove to his house and unloaded everything and hooked it up and had a blast doing that too. I even got to hang out with the chickens for a while. What a day!
Tray is a potter and made us 10 gorgeous plates and bowls to take with us to Paris that will remind us of our home and friends here in Virginia. We couldn't take the tv or 5.1 system as they're all 110 and everything in France is 220 and all tv signals there are in a format called PAL as opposed to NTSC which is the standard here in the US. Tray proposed a swap and it was a done deal.
EVERYONE WINS!
There's a major space that opened up in our family room with the departure of all that AV gear and it's another marker that our time here is fast diminishing. I got quite a number of hugs from Tray today that made me feel pretty special. We've been used to talking at least weekly since we got here and Tray and Joanne are some of our favorite folks in the whole world. To say that we're going to miss them is one of the understatements of the century. The plates and bowls Tray made for us will be in use daily in Paris so they'll never be out of our thoughts and from I've already heard the plasma tv is a HIT.
I play my last show here tomorrow night with my pals Phil and Pam at the White Hart as part of The Black Madelines and Saturday I'll be at Wardstock III, Sunday redoing vocals for my solo CD with Billy Worley, and so it goes.
Ain't life GRAND?
Love to all!
sid
Tray is a potter and made us 10 gorgeous plates and bowls to take with us to Paris that will remind us of our home and friends here in Virginia. We couldn't take the tv or 5.1 system as they're all 110 and everything in France is 220 and all tv signals there are in a format called PAL as opposed to NTSC which is the standard here in the US. Tray proposed a swap and it was a done deal.
EVERYONE WINS!
There's a major space that opened up in our family room with the departure of all that AV gear and it's another marker that our time here is fast diminishing. I got quite a number of hugs from Tray today that made me feel pretty special. We've been used to talking at least weekly since we got here and Tray and Joanne are some of our favorite folks in the whole world. To say that we're going to miss them is one of the understatements of the century. The plates and bowls Tray made for us will be in use daily in Paris so they'll never be out of our thoughts and from I've already heard the plasma tv is a HIT.
I play my last show here tomorrow night with my pals Phil and Pam at the White Hart as part of The Black Madelines and Saturday I'll be at Wardstock III, Sunday redoing vocals for my solo CD with Billy Worley, and so it goes.
Ain't life GRAND?
Love to all!
sid
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Watch Out Where The Huskies Go
Mornin Pilgrims,
I'm reminded mightily of Frank Zappa's "Yellow Snow" tune this morning watching it snow AGAIN here. Things are moving forward but the inclement weather really slows things down. One of the BIG projects I had planned with the twins was to clean off the back patio of everything that needed go to the landfill and where we'd normally put that stuff there's a 4 foot high snow berm. I guess our buddy Paul Alcock will have his work cut out for him after we leave but we'll pay him well to do everything that'll need to get done. Times have been hard for independent contractors in Lynchburg the last year or so after the economy tanked so the work will keep Paul busy for close to a month and hopefully he'll get more work from Betty Burch after we're gone.
Work continues on my solo CD and in spite of everything, Billy Worley and Pat Lawrence have both been brilliant like always and the love and care they bring to my music is priceless. Robbie Wells starts putting his parts down tonight and Saturday and I go back to Billy's on Sunday to redo any of the vocal parts that need it. Monday will be final mixdown and Tuesday I master it and take the final to Bright Images to get them pressed. The twins have also been magnificent through my recording process and I plan to take them to lunch Wednesday and shopping to get them out of the house.
Cassie FINALLY moves in at 44 Rue Nic tonight! She's excited and very pleased and will have the apartment ready for the entire crews' arrival on March 3rd. It's going to be so cool to be back in Paris again and with my family too! Awesome!
It's starting to feel like a runaway train here but I'm enjoying the ride!
Love to all!
sid
I'm reminded mightily of Frank Zappa's "Yellow Snow" tune this morning watching it snow AGAIN here. Things are moving forward but the inclement weather really slows things down. One of the BIG projects I had planned with the twins was to clean off the back patio of everything that needed go to the landfill and where we'd normally put that stuff there's a 4 foot high snow berm. I guess our buddy Paul Alcock will have his work cut out for him after we leave but we'll pay him well to do everything that'll need to get done. Times have been hard for independent contractors in Lynchburg the last year or so after the economy tanked so the work will keep Paul busy for close to a month and hopefully he'll get more work from Betty Burch after we're gone.
Work continues on my solo CD and in spite of everything, Billy Worley and Pat Lawrence have both been brilliant like always and the love and care they bring to my music is priceless. Robbie Wells starts putting his parts down tonight and Saturday and I go back to Billy's on Sunday to redo any of the vocal parts that need it. Monday will be final mixdown and Tuesday I master it and take the final to Bright Images to get them pressed. The twins have also been magnificent through my recording process and I plan to take them to lunch Wednesday and shopping to get them out of the house.
Cassie FINALLY moves in at 44 Rue Nic tonight! She's excited and very pleased and will have the apartment ready for the entire crews' arrival on March 3rd. It's going to be so cool to be back in Paris again and with my family too! Awesome!
It's starting to feel like a runaway train here but I'm enjoying the ride!
Love to all!
sid
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Tundra
Mornin friends,
Who would have imagined that Central Virginia would look and feel like South Dakota this Winter after many years of less than frigid seasons. I read other friends' postings on Facebook about how beautiful the snow is and all I can think about right now is how many things that need to happen around here aren't happening....... This weekend marked that weather event that the press around here dubbed "Snowpocalypse" and actually for places a little further North of here it was of a sorts although I can't help but marvel at how unprepared everyone was for any kind of major weather event. Our new Governor who's a "short person" really got to flex his short person persona by calling out the National Guard here to patrol the highways after thousands were stranded on the roads in the huge storm that hit us right before Christmas 09. Here in Lynchburg, the city will "maybe" clean your residential street but usually only once and then I guess they all hold hands and say prayers hoping that the rest of the snow melts quickly but with temperatures hovering around freezing and going into the teens at night the snow from the 15 inch snow fall last weekend is pretty much still here and so what we got this weekend has added to that.
It seems as though everything will probably happen all at once instead of gradually for our move and I told a friend this weekend that I felt like Laird Hamilton must feel riding an 80 foot high wave wondering where it's going to deposit him. I'm not getting spun up about it though as I'm still certain of our "leave behind" team Paul and Betty will have things well in hand after we leave if everything isn't quite done yet.
Pat Lawrence comes today for his tracks on the my solo CD "Way Back Close And Personal" and hopefully Robbie will do his parts either Monday or Tuesday.
Cassie returns to Washington D.C. on the 21st and I'm taking the train up to meet her. We'll spend the night in a hotel that night in Georgetown and then go to the French Consulate the next day to pick up our extended visas and we'll drive home in the minivan Cassie will rent at Dulles that we'll keep until we drive back to Dulles on March 2nd to get on the plane and leave.
Wow, it's really getting close.
More later....
Love to all!
Sid
Who would have imagined that Central Virginia would look and feel like South Dakota this Winter after many years of less than frigid seasons. I read other friends' postings on Facebook about how beautiful the snow is and all I can think about right now is how many things that need to happen around here aren't happening....... This weekend marked that weather event that the press around here dubbed "Snowpocalypse" and actually for places a little further North of here it was of a sorts although I can't help but marvel at how unprepared everyone was for any kind of major weather event. Our new Governor who's a "short person" really got to flex his short person persona by calling out the National Guard here to patrol the highways after thousands were stranded on the roads in the huge storm that hit us right before Christmas 09. Here in Lynchburg, the city will "maybe" clean your residential street but usually only once and then I guess they all hold hands and say prayers hoping that the rest of the snow melts quickly but with temperatures hovering around freezing and going into the teens at night the snow from the 15 inch snow fall last weekend is pretty much still here and so what we got this weekend has added to that.
It seems as though everything will probably happen all at once instead of gradually for our move and I told a friend this weekend that I felt like Laird Hamilton must feel riding an 80 foot high wave wondering where it's going to deposit him. I'm not getting spun up about it though as I'm still certain of our "leave behind" team Paul and Betty will have things well in hand after we leave if everything isn't quite done yet.
Pat Lawrence comes today for his tracks on the my solo CD "Way Back Close And Personal" and hopefully Robbie will do his parts either Monday or Tuesday.
Cassie returns to Washington D.C. on the 21st and I'm taking the train up to meet her. We'll spend the night in a hotel that night in Georgetown and then go to the French Consulate the next day to pick up our extended visas and we'll drive home in the minivan Cassie will rent at Dulles that we'll keep until we drive back to Dulles on March 2nd to get on the plane and leave.
Wow, it's really getting close.
More later....
Love to all!
Sid
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Runaway Train
What fun it is to juggle numerous processes all at once. I think it was Firesign Theater who posited that Indians could be at 2 places at once, and that dogs had flown in spaceships, and lastly that the Aztecs had invented the vacation and then closed by saying, "and I bet you don't even know where you are......".
In times past I got spun up about the impending move just like everyone else around me but I have a far more peaceful countenance these days and successive snow falls and impassable roads have heightened that felling. It'll all get done whether everyone gets tense or not and we are fortunate that we have a fantastic support team of Paul Alcock and Betty Burch and Teresa Weinmeister handling a host of small and also large details for us to whom we'll be eternally grateful.
Today it dawned on me that we have less than a month in this house......... Gee, time sure does fly. What a great run it's been here. We'll miss this place and the people who've made the current tenure in Lynchburg fun and for their friendship and good cheer.
I'm gonna miss this house..........
Love to all.......
sid
In times past I got spun up about the impending move just like everyone else around me but I have a far more peaceful countenance these days and successive snow falls and impassable roads have heightened that felling. It'll all get done whether everyone gets tense or not and we are fortunate that we have a fantastic support team of Paul Alcock and Betty Burch and Teresa Weinmeister handling a host of small and also large details for us to whom we'll be eternally grateful.
Today it dawned on me that we have less than a month in this house......... Gee, time sure does fly. What a great run it's been here. We'll miss this place and the people who've made the current tenure in Lynchburg fun and for their friendship and good cheer.
I'm gonna miss this house..........
Love to all.......
sid
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Soon
Mornin pilgrims. The date is set. March 3rd we get on the plane and head to France. Time speeds up now. All of the basic tracks for my solo CD are done and the rest of the tracking will take place this coming weekend. The artwork for the project went forward last week.
It's so weird to know that we're in our last month in this house which not too long ago was talked about in terms of how we'd retire here and leave it to the twins when we were gone. Cassie and I have always been about the adventure in everything we've ever done. Why change now? It's still a blast and what a neighborhood we'll be living in! Amazing! Even the twins exclaimed "cool" when they saw the front of the building at 44 Rue Nicolo (AKA "Rue Nic").
Will write more later today. Off to Dudley's with Paul Alcock to plan the work that needs to be done to the house.
Love to all......
Sid
It's so weird to know that we're in our last month in this house which not too long ago was talked about in terms of how we'd retire here and leave it to the twins when we were gone. Cassie and I have always been about the adventure in everything we've ever done. Why change now? It's still a blast and what a neighborhood we'll be living in! Amazing! Even the twins exclaimed "cool" when they saw the front of the building at 44 Rue Nicolo (AKA "Rue Nic").
Will write more later today. Off to Dudley's with Paul Alcock to plan the work that needs to be done to the house.
Love to all......
Sid
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