beginnings of unwritten blog posts in my head

- DK’s room is finished and I must give her credit on the color selection.  Han & I thought it would too dark, but it totally works.  I’ll post before & after pics soon.

- Had a fun time at the house concert.  This guy always has such a great spread in the green room. Lamb/beef meatballs, shrimp, salmon, lots of wine & beer, veggies, brie, so much good stuff.  Han plays percussion with this performer and these shows are always fun.  The performer is getting ready to head back to his “other job” up in SF, so getting to hang with him while we can is good.

- The family gathering has come & gone and it was, by all accounts, a rousing success.  My parents finally met Han’s (well, one half of them anyway).  I found out later that Han’s dad asked my dad when Han & I would be getting married.  I think my dad handled it well (‘they seem to be doing just fine…’) and later Han’s dad & stepmom hinted at wanting more grandkids to which we firmly told them to not expect them from us.
The gumbo that John made was spectacular, and bonus, we bought a rice cooker for the occasion and now we have that in our kitchen arsenal. Overall, it was a good time and I think everyone was glad they could be there.

- Obama’s inauguration was splendid.  We watched it at work, which was cool.  When I got home from work, I watched the speech again since Han had recorded it.  Awesome.

- C came over for an Acoustic Duo meeting.  Work has begun for their 5th record.

- Got a letter from Mary and wrote her back for her birthday.  Forgot to tell her that “yes!” I want another quilt.

- Last show of the music season in Fallbrook.  Thought of maybe going up to Long Beach to see some old poetry friends but decided to close out the season with these good music friends.

- Sitting in the audience of the “Year in Ink” publication party, I couldn’t help but contemplate the many people I still know in the poetry world of San Diego.  And how comfortable I feel in it.  I almost want my hair to be more dissheveled and haphazard because I’m a poet and it makes me look more like one. Some good readers, some okay, some new faces, some happily familiar ones.  It feels good to be published in this fine book, only 30 poems out of 400 submissions made it in.

- Han is sick.  Things are unbalanced.  I realize that I often feel quite uninspired.

- Have been watching the Australian Open.  Love tennis.

- Stayed home while Han’s Rock Band had a gig.  I began to compile a catalog of all of my poems, which ones have been published, and where.  For those that I didn’t have a copy of saved to my computer, I typed out and saved them.  It was quite the journey to return to some of those past poems and recall the girl/woman/dreamer who first wrote them.   Is she still here?

- Fun Superbowl party at Cathryn & Jonny’s.  Han won $50 on some pool.  Lots of munchies and the return of the best eggrolls in the world.

- The beginning of February and another opportunity to start over with the goals for the year.  How will they manifest themselves this month?  And how well did I do in January?

- Made some updates to the blog.  Added some new pages, updated the Flicks & Books pages.  Contemplating how to incorporate my old house concert stuff here.

 

what’s in store

I’ve made a couple updates to two of my other pages.  I changed “Reading…” to “Books” and changed “Listening to…” to “Flicks.”   Check ‘em out if you’re so inclined.

I’ve also taken some time to put together a few lists.  Like my sister, I’m a big list-maker.   So I have a 2009 Goals list, a Mondo Beyondo list of sorts and a Mondo Beyondo travel list.

I didn’t make an MB list last year, though I thought about it.  And the one I created this year may be somewhat tame but I can always revise, add, delete etc.  I give myself permission to let it evolve over time : )  I did feel that I had to split it into two lists, one for overall dreams and one for travel.  The travel one incorporates places that Han has expressed interest in visiting too so it’s a combined list. Now that I think about it, I’ll probably make the MB lists have their very own page.

But first for 2009.  These range from the tangible to the ephemeral. Some may overlap here and there. Stay with me.  I’ll try to elaborate somewhat on the ways in which I would consider the less concrete ones to be successful.

1. Be active and healthy.
It’s no secret that getting up and moving your body makes you feel better.  I’m sad to say that my latest bout of inactivity (all of 2008 pretty much) causes the activity I do engage in to be more painful than pleasant and I’m tired of it.  I can make myself more aware of my body and do the things (big & small) to make it feel better:  walk, drink more water, eat more fruits & veggies, minimize portions, reduce sodas & sweets, stretch.  I’m allowing this goal to be far-reaching in its scope without pigeon-holing it into one specific success point (like a weight loss goal or to join a gym).  If those things come about due to this goal, great.  If not, I am counting on myself to find other ways to support it.

2. Focus on self-care.
Here’s the first instance of overlap.  Self-care goes hand in hand with being healthy.  But for me, this is more than just a health point. In the past, I’ve felt guilty if I took time to read some pages from a book.  I would beat myself up because I thought I should be doing something more productive.  My goal is to move beyond that self-criticism and acknowledge that hey, I love to read.  It soothes me, inspires me and can help change my mood. That’s some important shit!  And ultimately, not only helps me but everyone in my world.  If I’m happier overall, I’m much more likely to be pleasant to be around.  So that’s the point of self-care.  And as I referred to in an earlier post, I want to try to make it less about blocking time for “me” time, but simply incorporating the things that make me smile into the course of my day so it feels more natural and not forced.

3. Read 25 books.
Again with the overlap.  But you see how it fits in.  I would also like that list of 25 to include the entire Harry Potter series since I’ve not read any of them and I’m ready to take them on.

4. Travel.
Han will be going to Texas this spring with his Acoustic Duo and I would love to go along.  I’ve also talked with my sister about possibly meeting up somewhere in the US to take in a ballgame.  And who knows what else?  But this goal is always going to be on my list.

5. Get published outside of San Diego.
Here’s one with some specificity but still broad.  This goal will require some research and some discipline.  I’ve been published outside of SD before but I’m interested in organizing myself to a point where I can easily see that publication list and what poems are off the possibility list.  I’m interested in seeing what’s out there right now.  And I will also say that I will submit for both online & print but for me, print still seems more legitimate, as far as poetry standards.  Maybe that’s just me.

6. Find magic in each day.
Right.  What? This is my attempt to re-connect with my power of observation.  Something that once seemed so keen but has dulled.  This one is very subjective obviously.  It’s a reminder to myself to not get all hung up on the routine of daily living and to notice what’s going on around me.

7. Write.
Simple enough, right? Blog.  Journal.  Poems.  Letters.  Songs.  Emails. I’ve got plenty of words at my disposal.  I want to get familiar with them again.

8. Music business management & growth.
The Acoustic Duo, Rock Band and Studio will all need continued attention this year.  The AC and RB are both releasing albums this year so that will entail a lot of PR work.  The Studio will be launching its revamped website soon, too, and we’ll do some PR around that as well.  Should make for an exciting year!

9. New direction for Meeting Grace.
Since I’m no longer hosting house concerts, my website for the series has languished with inactivity since April.  I don’t want to give up the domain name (it’s up for renewal this month), but I’m not sure what to do with the site.  This goal is probably the one that needs the most immediate attention and the one I have the least idea about.  Any suggestions?

10. See 52 movies I’ve never seen before.
Thus the new “Flicks” page.  I love movies.  Especially good ones.  Since I don’t get much opportunity to actually go out to movies, I’ll rely on cable and the DVR for a majority of this one.  I should stipulate that this means that I watch the whole movie, preferably unedited, from start to finish.  That’s one movie a week.  I think I can do it

That’s it for 2009.  I’m excited about it!

And since this post has gotten long, I’ll just link to the new Mondo Beyondo page for you to check out my big dreams!

 

goodbye 2008

So this year sucked in a lot of ways. Every year always has its ups and downs but this year seemed like every time there was an up, the down was like a swift kick in the gut followed by a pummeling that left me exhausted for weeks.

As so many other blogs are doing (and why wouldn’t they), there are various re-caps, summing ups and favorites lists to send 2008 on its way. I will not deviate from that much, but I’ll first give my thoughts on some things I’m thinking about as the new year is but hours away for me.

My sister already has her “resolutions” in place. I put that word in quotations only because it’s become such a cliche. They are goals, things to look forward to, simple accomplishments and major ideas. As she said, “I have everything from “Eat at the Red Iguana” to “end the year lighter than I started it.”” I have not yet committed anything to paper or planner or blog, but the overall sense I have for 2009 in relation to making it a good year is self care. (did you see that, Mom?) I want to be more aware of the ways I can take care of myself so that I can be more joyous, more free, more loving, etc. These things, like so much in life, are big and small. A pedicure, a walk, a guilt-free day of reading, a movie, health…

There are other thoughts I have for ‘09 but that is the one that has been resonating the most these last few days. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that I have not fully committed to that concept this year, as much as I thought I was at some points. I need to find a way to integrate it into my daily life so that it’s not just about “me” time, but a shift in how I tackle all of my tasks. This realization has been slow-coming but, if successful, will help align a lot of things that frequently seem out of whack.

So on to the ‘08 re-cap. And speaking of “resolutions”, let’s look back at what I envisioned for this year:

1. Reduce my impact on the earth.
2. Read 20-25 books.
3. Get back to my poetry roots.
4. Better prepare for the holidays.
5. Take a couple trips.
6. Release “Best of Meeting Grace” volume 2
7. Acoustic Duo goals:
- book and route tours of TX, NoCal, Northwest and midwest
- book locally
- help coordinate recording of 5th studio album

8. Rock band goals:
- work to increase visibility of band
- help coordinate recording of 1st album
- book locally and potentially regionally

9. Studio goals:
- develop word of mouth campaign to attract new clients

# 1 (Reduce my impact on the earth.) was not as successful as I’d hoped. I do remember to take my own bags to the grocery stores if I’m planning a shopping trip, but the impromptu trips after work were not as “green” as I’d hoped. I also did not lose any weight, but instead probably gained some.

I got very close to accomplishing goal # 2 (Read 20-25 books.) I read 19 books this year which I’m thrilled about. I finished both books I was reading (The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and The Almost Moon) on Monday and thought I could speed-read one more to make my goal but it’s not going to happen. Still, I loved this reading goal and it will make a return appearance for ‘09.

Goal # 3 (Get back to my poetry roots.) started out strong. I had some readings this year, I wrote some new work, and I was published a couple times. All of that in itself is really great and I’m proud of it, but I guess compared to my more prolific “early” years, I may have been a bit too far-reaching in this goal. I need to understand that my place in and my stamina for the poetry scene I once flourished in is a journey that’s come to a close. That is not to say my writing is finished or anything, but I just need to shape it into something else. Maybe it’s not about attending readings, maybe it’s about being published more and finding a new connection to other poets who are out there. I have some ideas about this one as well for ‘09. Stay tuned.

I think I did pretty good with goal # 4 (Better prepare for the holidays.) Throughout the year I kept a list of gift ideas and a wish list (sometimes they overlapped). I also completed a homemade poem-a-month calendar (limited edition) for my immediate family which had been a goal of mine in ‘07 that crashed & burned. The CD we did for our family and friends was also really fun and very well-received. My shopping was done by early December and I didn’t feel overwhelmed. I will admit that I never felt the Christmas spirit and I’m sad about that. That is not to say I was unhappy or ungrateful, but there is just something in the season that I usually always feel and this year it did not shine through. This was another good goal and I bet I can improve on it for ‘09.

# 5 (Take a couple trips.) was accomplished. I heart traveling and wish I had the disposable income to back it up as much as I would like. And although some of the trips we thought we’d take at the beginning of the year didn’t actually happen, the fates still played roles in taking me (and sometimes Han & DK) to some interesting locations. Places I went in 2008:

- Las Vegas (June)
- Julian (June)
- Mansfield, Missouri (July)
- Clinton, Iowa (October)
- Redding, CA (November)
- Chico, CA (November)
- San Francisco, CA (November)
- various trips to LA over the year

It looks like there will be Texas, at least, in 2009, and maybe (hopefully) more.

# 6 (Release “Best of Meeting Grace” volume 2) was accomplished and with it came the close of Meeting Grace itself, the house concert series I had started in 2000. I miss it in some ways, but don’t in a lot of others. The compilation CD is awesome and I’m so glad to have the memories that each performance brings.

The Acoustic Duo goals for # 7 were mostly accomplished. They toured in the midwest and NorCal and made appearances at conferences in Texas and Arizona that will help boost their schedule in ‘09. Their local bookings all were great and they are still at work on that 5th album. It will be a high priority in early ‘09.

The Rock Band goals for # 8 were general and thus more “easy.” They played regularly in town, but LA is still a tough nut to crack. They are also still in the process of recording that first album which will make ‘09 a year for release parties and hopefully some good press.

# 9’s studio goals was solitary as it is a work in progress. The name changed and a new website is in the works. Clients have been steady and should only continue as Han continues to produce amazing sounding records. All of the music business goals will remain in place with hopes to be more strategic and prepare sooner for 2010, especially with regard to the Acoustic Duo.

And that’s that. Of course, aside from the goals I set for myself, there were some other happenings (minor & major) of 2008 in my small world.

- we staged two large Acoustic Duo shows with 350+ at each (February & August)
- I volunteered as a community reader at an elementary school in Chula Vista (February)
- hosted last Meeting Grace show (March)
- we moved (April)
- Rob & Paulette’s wedding (April)
- new babies for Laurel & Lee (April), Devon & Anna (July) & Rob & Paulette (September)
- hosted a fundraiser benefit show for Eric Lowen of Lowen & Navarro who has ALS that raised over $2,000 (April)
- all the family (including Mia) visit (April)
- Junior Theatre performances with DK : Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (crew – May) and CATS (pit singer – November)
- meeting many of Han’s close friends from high school at a memorial for his friend Paul (May)
- Jonny & Cathryn’s wedding (June)
- Robert Plant & Allison Kraus concert (June)
- Jenny & Brad’s wedding (July)
- Han getting Amy Tan’s autograph for me (September)
- visiting Alcatraz and seeing Lucinda at the Fillmore (November)
- Disneyland twice while it’s decorated for the holidays, once with S, T, Han & DK and again with just Han (November & December)

And in the larger world we share, the economic fall-out has been the story of the year, but I’d rather focus on the jubilation of electing Barack Obama as the next president of the United States and look forward to 1-20-09 when he is inaugurated.

Finally, I can’t possibly sum up this year without speaking about the deaths of family and friends, acquaintances and others that all happened this year. As of today, the count is 11 as another soul left us yesterday. Julie was a close friend of DK’s mom and a very special person to DK herself having known her since she was a small girl. I had met Julie a couple times when we had gatherings for DK’s birthday in the past. May she rest in peace along with:

Paul Lowry
Craig Yerkes
“Papa” Herman Light
Brendan Moran
Dan Ely
Wanda Light
Scott Zensen
Lorna “Doone” Hamilton
Cindy’s mom
Dave “Smitty” Smith

This ended up being a very long post but hey, I’m re-capping a whole year! Here’s wishing you (and me!) a more prosperous, more health-filled, more life-affirming, more positive, more productive, more rockin’, more loving, more blissful new year and may it all start right away!

 

time to write

It’s tough for me to find time in the morning to write.  And in the evening, well, I’m not too inspired. So my dilemma tonight is when to create time to create.

I write this at ten ’til midnight after falling asleep on the couch.  That’s the other thing.  I just get tired at night.

In the past, in my prolific time, I would write when I would go out, to the coffeehouses and yes, even the bars.  I was a regular at the Ould Sod on Wednesday nights with my journal and a Guiness (or three) listening to Loam/The Hatchet Brothers.  But that’s not how it works anymore, and I haven’t been able to replace that time.

I owe some poems to a friend who is guest editor for the San Diego Poetry Annual, and he asked me to submit some work to him.  Thankfully, the deadline has been extended to mid-December, so I’ll have to carve out some time and eke out some inspiration somwhere along the way.  Maybe while I’m doing that, I’ll also figure out how to put some exercise back in my routine.

 

the zen of Space Mountain

I missed a day! But it’s all good. 

Thursday evening, me, Han & DK drove up to LA to my folks’ house where my sister had arrived to retrieve her boy who has been here with the g’parents since early November. We hung out a bit then, Han & I went to our hotel and DK got to stay at the house.  The plan was to meet at Disneyland at 9 am to get going on the joy.

I was still pretty tired from my birthday night, which was really fun. My little tribe all came out and the music was exceptional.  I even got up and performed my part on the Cathryn Beeks Ordeal song “Rescue Me.”  It was a rush and really fun to perform in front of such an inviting crowd and knowing I was among people who care about me.  I maintained through the night, remembering to drink water between drinks.  My drink of choice was vodka/cranberry and they were tasty : )  But when the show lasts ’til 1 am and then you do the requisite curbside hangout after the gig, it means you don’t go to sleep until 3 or so.  And I had to work the next day.  I was draggin’ but managed to get a lot done.

So now it’s Friday morning, and the plan, as I mentioned was to meet at 9 am.  Well, my alarm does not go off and I wake up and see that it’s 8:22 am. Panic ensues.  It doesn’t matter your destination, when you don’t wake up on time, your day is already a bit skewed.  S, T & DK were already at the park when I called at 8:25am, just getting to the parking lot.  So Han & I rushed to get there and met up with them by 9:30 or so. Okay, crisis over, but not the start we wanted.

But then, something great happened. We got on Pirates in less than 5 minutes, and then did the same thing on Haunted Mansion, Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain.  It was awesome!  We expected it to be insanely crowded because it was the start of their holiday decor and special shows etc.  But it stayed like that most of the day.  ToonTown is where we waited the longest, and frankly, I could have easily skipped that part, but the kids were into it so that was cool.

Then there was some downtime, for me at least.  They rode Matterhorn (too bumpy for me), then the kids did Autopia and then S & T did the submarine.  DK did rockets & S & T did the Astro Blasters. I was just waiting for Space Mountain.  I think Haunted Mansion is my favorite because it’s the one I buy into the most every single time.  And now that it’s decorated as “Nightmare Before Christmas,” it’s even cooler.  But Space Mountain is spectacular.  It’s been improved over the years and now the music, lights and build-up really make it awesome.  When I ride the other coasters, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, California Screamin (in CA Adventure), I scream and love the wind whipping past me.  But I noticed that on Space Mountain, I don’t scream.  Maybe a little flutter here or there but not like the others.  It’s dark and cool and the speed is almost soothing.  I keep my eyes open and my arms up and let it take me through its curves and twists.  It’s relaxing and thrilling at the same time.  It was exactly what I needed.

From there, we went to Fantasyland where S & T rode Dumbo while Han, DK & I rode the Snow White & Pinochio rides.  When it’s not as crowded like it was yesterday, I am so much more interested in the details.  Every single thing in the whole park has a purpose, whether it’s to contribute to the magic or to just be aesthetically pleasing.  Now that we have annual passes again, I’d love to use one visit at least to just focus on those little things and the art that may often be overlooked.  Like the water fountain right inside the castle that has a bronze miniature statue of Sleeping Beauty and the Prince dancing.  Lovely.

Then it was time for Han & I to leave the group and head to his gig with the Acoustic Duo. Through no fault of our own but attributing it all to being outside the Magic Kingdom and back in the ‘real world’, things did not go smoothly.  We couldn’t find coffee, traffic was really heavy around the resort area and we didn’t have time to get anything to eat.  Once we left for the gig, about 1/2 an hour later than we had planned, we were greeted by bumper-to-bumper traffic on the freeway we had to take.  What should have been a 30 minute drive ended up being a 75-80 minute drive.  And it wasn’t just that.  It was that there was no reason.  We never saw an accident or any other kind of reason for the hold-up.  And it was the kind of drive where when you changed lanes to get into the one that was moving, it immediately stopped and the lane you’d been in starts flowing.  It made for a frustrating drive not to mention the added anxiety of knowing we would be late.

But…once we got there (C was already there), it was fine.  The opener had also been in traffic and was just getting her sound check.  We unloaded, set up and had time to spare before they opened doors. The show itself was great.  The people (in the audience and at the venue) just loved ‘em.  We’ll be able to go back and play there again and hopefully start to build up a good following there.  The venue itself is really cool.  It’s an old music store and world art & artifiact museum. Lots of cool African masks, old drums and various other stuff.  I took photos of the luthier work area in the back and some of the masks and old bells and stuff that were around.

The drive back to Anaheim was way easier.  We got some fast food and watched TV until we fell asleep.

This morning, I drove back to my folks’ place to see my sister & T off.  We decided to let DK sleep in.  They ended up staying at the park ’til about 11:30 pm and they were exhausted.  So she’s asleep, my folks took S & T to the airport.  I’ll be here when they get back then DK & I will head back to the hotel to collect Han and then head back to San Diego.

My goals for the weekend are to organize myself, clean the house and do some music business work that I need to catch up on. 

And when I start to feel anxious about something, I’ll do my best to remember that feeling of closing my eyes just for a moment and taking a deep breath as the countdown begins (5, 4, 3, 2…) and Space Mountain unleashes its sleek speed and I drink in the controlled recklessness.

 

it’s a beautiful day

A rare midday post.  It’s a gorgeous day here in San Diego.  I’ve accomplished quite a bit today already.  Got my oil changed, got gas, read several chapters of Bread Alone, made some phone calls.  I’m blogging now because I’ll be picking up Han in about an hour and then we’ll be heading to North County for one of his gigs and won’t be back until later tonight.

Whenever I read a book, I will often take on the perspective of the main character.  [Does anyone else do that?]  I put myself in their position.  What would I do?  And then I look at my own life and think and what will I do?  I’m having one of those days when I feel like anything is possible, but I don’t know what that anything could be.  For the moment, that’s okay.  What I want to hang on to is the feeling.  That “anything is possible” feeling.  I get it when I look at the incredible blue water of the bay, when I drive with my window down and it’s not stifling hot, when I’m hungry and I find something good to satisfy it, when I tidy up my home and feel happy to have such a great space to live in, when I can read without guilt, when I can take care of things without anxiety.  That’s the feeling I have now.  And I want to sustain it.  I want it to permeate everything I do.   And for now, it does, and it’s a beautiful feeling.

 

January redux

Isn’t ‘redux’ a cool word? I got a word-a-day calendar from my boss and that was one of the words. It means ‘brought back.’ So I thought I’d bring back January with a look back at the month and note some of the happenings and whatnot that kicked off the year, and see how they stack up to what I ‘resolved’ to accomplish this year.

- visited with Heather & her sisters which is always great. Given the developments in some of my former girl-friend relationships, I cherish the bond that Heather & I have been able to maintain, I love her and her crazy family bunches
- drove up to LA to hang with Mom & Dad. Even though I am a 36 year old woman, I still find amazing comfort in going home. Thanks Mom & Dad!
- saw the San Diego Junior Theatre production of “Bridge to Terabithia.” DK was on crew doing hair and make-up, the show itself was quite good and very moving, those kids are talented!
- Julia’s wedding. Spawned my last post on the exploration of my feelings toward unions and babies
- attended an open poetry reading and got some wonderful feedback. I’ll be featuring at the same reading in March, which goes with one of my resolutions, yay! (#3)
- hung with friends for football playoffs while having homemade gumbo and potentially finding a new place to live(!)
- finished reading “Love in the Time of Cholera” and started “The Book Thief”, that’s 1 book down, 19-24 to go! (goal # 2)
- put in the new good lightbulbs in the kitchen and bathroom, got downright militant about recycling, consistently use cloth bags for groceries (goal # 1)
- didn’t do anything with regard to goal # 4 except to think about it
- no trips in January (except to LA to see my folks)
- goal # 6 looks like it might get going at the end of February
- booked dates for the duo here in town as well as in LA, Las Vegas and the Midwest (goal # 7)
- booked some more dates for the band, recording will probably start in March (goal #8 )
- set up several meetings with potential clients for Han (goal # 9) that may result in at least 2 more projects
- played Guitar Hero for the first time, very fun!

Not too shabby really! It sure helps to look at it like this so I can see if what I’m doing in my every day life and tasks is reflecting what I set out to do at the start of the year.

In February, I’m looking forward to:

- rehearsal for the big show and a night at a honky tonk this Saturday with F (who will soon be off to Spring Training) & his band
- Superbowl Sunday (just another excuse to hang with our fun friends), and as a bonus for this day, the duo have a TV appearance and 2 in-studio radio performances to promote the big show on 2/9
- an evening in Long Beach on 2/7 to see many of my old friends perform as part of the Last American Valentine book release
- DK auditioning for “Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at JT
- the BIG show the duo is doing on Saturday, 2/9. I’ve been consumed with managing it with promotion, organizing the performers & volunteers etc.
- doing nothing the day after the big show!
- Amnesty International fundraiser on 2/17
- having the day off on 2/18
- finishing “The Book Thief”
- hearing all about my sister’s spectacular vacation
- making more advances on my goal list with regard to the music stuff
- potentially making plans to move!
- getting back to the gym
- writing new poems & more blog posts
- celebrating my parents’ 43 years of marriage!
- reading more of all my favorite blogs
- renewing our annual Disneyland passes
- more Guitar Hero!
- participating in Community Reader day at an elementary school in Chula Vista

That’s a lot of stuff! It looks like it will be a great month! Hope you have a good one, too.

 

goals for ‘08

This list is an ongoing process, but here are a few things I’d like to accomplish this year.

1. Reduce my impact on the earth.
This means being more “green” and also literally reducing my physical impact. (I thought that was a better way to say lose a few pounds. )

2. Read 20-25 books.
I read 11 books last year and feel good about that, but want to allow time for more. Since I got a hefty amount in gift cards from Powell’s, I placed an order yesterday and will soon own four more books that I’d like to add to my “Read in 2008″ list.

3. Get back to my poetry roots.
This means attending and participating in readings and/or open mics, maybe do some classes, workshops or seminars, and booking some featured readings.

4. Better prepare for the holidays.
Every year I say I’ll not spend as much as the year before and wistfully believe I’ll just make gifts for folks. This year, I’d like to, if not make something for everyone, at least plan ahead so that I’m not part of the holiday consumer crush that happens in December.

5. Take a couple trips.
Since I had just started my job last year, I only got 5 vacation days, most of which I had to save to use for the holiday trip to Florida and Georgia. Now (almost) in my 2nd year of employment, I get 10 days so I hope to be able to take a couple little jaunts, whether it be with Han for gigs or with Han for fun.
edited to add: looks like we’ll be doing some trips around weddings this year – to Las Vegas and Washington state

6. Release “Best of Meeting Grace” volume 2

7. Acoustic Duo goals:
- book and route tours of TX, NoCal, Northwest and midwest
- book locally
- help coordinate recording of 5th studio album

8. Rock band goals:
- work to increase visibility of band
- help coordinate recording of 1st album
- book locally and potentially regionally

9. Studio goals:
- develop word of mouth campaign to attract new clients

edited to say that #’s 6-9 are to replace the more general goal previously posted which was to Manage/coordinate musical ventures with efficiency and success. 

that’s all for now!