What am I Doing!?!

During my time on this planet, I’ve been involved in numerous public endeavors. Singing, leading worship, public speaking, campaigning for office, cold calls, face to face sales, you name it. I’m not going to tell you I don’t get nervous anymore, but the nerves come more out of a desire to execute well versus a confidence issue.

Except when I pick up the guitar and play a thread of a song idea to another couple writers in the room. I swear it feels like the first time, every time, no matter how many times I do it. Then there’s that 10 second pause at the end when they digest it.

You wait….wait….are they going to like it…wait….man I hope they do cause I got nothing else….wait…is that my spleen that hurts right now…wait…can you get yak out of a Taylor…wait…when did my eye start twitching like that….wait…anyone got the number to that truck driving school…note to self: two cups of coffee and a Mountain Dew should be a no-no before a session-safety tip…wait…

I’ve heard it said that being nervous means possessing a heightened sense of self-awareness, a feeling, an emotion, to harness and use constructively. I say who ever said that probably lives with his mother and wears head gear still to this day. No. Nervous means purposely making yourself uncomfortable. Purposely. There’s a certain amount of crazy in that.

Working

“Our goal is to be published songwriters, with a cut on the radio, by the time we are 40. 1,541 days to go.”-originally posted August 8, 2006……

We have a co-write set up this weekend. The ladies from Nashville West are gracing us with a few hours. We’re meeting in a more central location this time, a new spot. Hopefully the logistics aren’t an issue.

I’m really looking forward to Saturday, to getting back to work, and to visiting with a couple of good eggs for a while.

The bad news is that Gina and Lisa have only a few more months left on probation. When their community service hours are up, and they get out of the half way house, Chris and I will have to start paying them to come down.

Miles and miles to go. 873 days.

On Fruit

This morning my boss caught a customer of ours in a lie. Not unusual. This guy is just plain sleazy. What makes this morning unique is that he used me in his lie, tried to throw me under the bus.

I’ve got the documentation, and thankfully, an ethical track record working on my side. Unraveling what really happened didn’t take long. Still…the stones some people have are amazing. Professionally and personally I’ve never encountered anything like it.

Now, gentle readers, what to do, what to do? I’d like to reply to the lovely e-mail I received this morning, attaching the evidence, and making it clear to all the ladies and gentlemen of the jury that this case is closed. The spleen vent would be well deserved and cathartic, to be certain. But at the end of the day, all I’d end up doing is alienating the general manager of our largest customer, potentially damaging our business and the 24 other employees here.

You like fruit? How do like them apples…

Behind the Scenes at the Filer Music Machine!!!

Me: You coming out to write tonight?
Chris: No, I’m having dinner with my manager tonight.
Me: Oh, nice of you to take the wife out on a Wednesday.
Chris: No, my manager.
Me: Manager?
Chris: Yes, my manager.
Me: You have a manager?
Chris: Ahhh, yes, I do.
Me: Doesn’t having a manager presume there’s a career there to manage?
Chris: I do so enjoy talking with you.
Me: So, we writing tonight or what?
Chris: Are you?
Me: What?
Chris: Writing?
Me: Yes
Chris: Actual writing?
Me: Yes, writing.
Chris: With real words and everything.
Me: Ahhh, yes. That’s what I said.
Chris: Doesn’t writing presume you having the ability to come up with a good idea?
Me: I do so enjoy talking with you…..

Bump In The Night

Night number two of good old fashioned, late springtime thunderstorms. Lots of noisy thunder rumbling around upstairs and plenty of lightning. Real crowd pleaser tonight.

I give it about three minutes until I have a sleepy-eyed, six year old junior weather man asking about the favorable conditions present for severe weather and the possibility of a parental unit slumber party in his room.

Ten years ago when the immediate threat of a Ben Franklin electricity experiment was past, my wife and I would find a porch or a deck and take advantage of the cool front that brought on the storm. Sit out in the cool air, just under the overhang to avoid the rain, and watch the light show, maybe even occupy the same deck chair and talk to each other.

Tonight…the weather and the accompanying percussion symphony means one, or both, of us will be up a bunch. Momma has an early meeting so she’s in bed. Can’t go on the deck because our 100 pound ferocious beast of a guard dog would most certainly be attempting to occupy the same space I’m in, cowering and whimpering at the thunder. Let me tell you, sitting with a wet Marmaduke in a deck chair just isn’t the same. I’ll make sure there are batteries in the weather radio and check the sump pump. Then end up in bed with the little guy doing my part to ward off the drop in barometric pressure.

Good times, people. Good times.

Frustrated

It’s late here in Missouri. Late. I’ve been sitting at the computer, guitar in hand, staring at a chorus for the last two and a half hours. Can I get a verse, for the love of Mike? A noun, verb, adjective, anything, please, give me something. I like the chorus too much to give up on it. It has legs and wants to walk. I know it. For now, it’s just lying there all gimpy and angry at me for treating a good idea that way. Gentle readers that’s no way to treat a hook. I should be ashamed. In fact, I should have my Wanna-Be-writer's card revoked.

If my grandmother were alive, she’d call the ball. “Son, you ain’t regular like you should be.” Metaphorically and literally she would be correct. I need a writer’s two pound bran muffin and a thirty two ounce jug of literary prune juice for I am STUCK I say unto thee!

Can you hear it? The chorus, it’s mocking me now. “Tony Wood would’ve had it cut by now. Avalon and Mark Harris would be in court fighting over the rights to the song.” “Sue Smith would have turned it into six musicals, three songs, two blogs, a choral piece, and a book deal, rookie.” I can hear Belinda say “Gang, I wouldn’t feed that to Pete.” Literally, it just told me Joel Lindsey would punch me in the mouth. That just happened.

Some would say I’ve gone completely crazy. I would argue the “completely” part. Obviously there are some significant things I’m missing. Like, oh I don’t know, the ability to finish…anything. I’m going to sit in the corner, slowly rock back and forth, and suck my thumb until I find my happy place.

I’m out!

Wii Bit of a Problem

Little guy scored a Wii from a grandma. Way too much for a birthday present. A good parent would have objected. I would have, but I’d hate to deprive my family of the joy of giving and this thing rocks!

Evan and I spent some good quality time together playing tennis, golf, and bowling.

I actually served so hard one time that I hurt my shoulder. Joker still hurts this morning. Yeah, I know……..