Babbling

This is basically a long, tedious dump of posts, random thoughts, and other nonsense that I haven’t had a chance to finish or post until now. Consider yourself warned.

Edit: I eddie-ted some of my comments about Ryan Shupe to add info about his new release and soften some comments whose tone I didn't like.
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Happy Fall! If you didn’t notice Fall fell on us a couple of days ago. 2005 is almost over. Can you believe it? Where did it go? It seems like the last thing I really remember was going to San Francisco in April. Everything else is lost in a whirl of hospitals, doctors, funeral homes, insurance policies, wills and the like.

This isn’t exactly the 2005 I signed up for. Can I get a refund or at least a do-over?

Sigh.
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Since it’s conference planning time at work, life has been a whirl of meetings lately. I’m blessed with one planning committee member who’s all about hearing herself talk. It’s a constant struggle to keep the group on our appointed task and not her personal agenda, which seems to revolve around decorations.

Somehow I seem to end up with committees that have at least one "problem personality" on them. If Charlie Brown were a working adult, he would be me.

Then there’s also the joy of finding that our director was working on a workshop for the conference that no one knew about until she had it all planned! Luckily, one of the sessions I was working on just wasn’t coming together, so we had a slot, otherwise I would have had to uninvite a presenter.

Yesterday, I took everything that’s been done so far to the bigwigs to make sure everyone is onboard and that there are no more little “surprises” out there. It went well except for the one person who always has to object to something connected with everything I do. This time the objection related to a specific element of the opening assembly that “just doesn’t seem to fit with everything else.” That woul, of course, be the one part of the opneing that said group of bigwigs asked me specifically to include. Sigh!

Still, if this is the worst that happens, it’ll be okay. I was looking down the list of things that still need to be done and we’re actually a little ahead of where we usually are this time each year. If I can get these last couple of workshops confirmed, I’ll actually have the program to the printer early!

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Been doing a lot of yard saling lately. Last Saturday and this one we've gone to several sales. It's a good way to get new clothes since a lot of my old stuff isn't fitting any more. I also picked up a nice leather overnight bag today, which will come in handy when my brother and I talk our innaugural road trip in a few weeks.

The only good thing to come out of Dad's illness was that Danny and I both realized how much we missed spending time together, just the two of us. So, we're going to plan a Mitchell Brothers Road Trip once a year. I'm looking forward to it.

As for yard saling, well, given that we've got our own sale coming up next week, there's an element of irony here.....

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I've plateaued in my weight loss. Been sitting at the same spot for a couple of weeks now. Ugh!

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I’ve decided that I’m going to enter some kind of a distance walking event next year. I don’t know exactly which one yet. I’d prefer something where I pay a fee and walk a few miles with a group of people, rather than having to get sponsors. Around Derby time there are always things like that happening here. I walk every day as a part of my exercise routine, and I’m looking to stretch in that area. I think this will provide me the motivation to do so. More as this develops.

Then again, there’s also this. If they just had a beginner session in the evenings…

Of course, I could do it on my own, too.

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I got the bill for Dad’s funeral the other day. That should signal the end to all the paperwork and financial dealings until I have to do his taxes next year.

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Playlists

Here's the stuff that's been playing at home and at the office for the past few weeks:

Austin Country Nights: An excellent, hard-honky-tonkin’ compilation of Austin-based artists from the mid-nineties.

Sister Hazel—Somewhere More Familiar: Eh....

Ollabelle—Self-titled: Wow!

Caetano Veloso--Livro: Usually like his stuff, but this just didn't click with me after reapeated listenings.

Eliza Gilkyson--Paradise Hotel: Not quite as good as Land of Milk and Honey, but easily one of the best of the year.

Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem--Cocktail Swing: Nothing but silly, fun, feel good music (even the sadder songs), and there sure ain’t nothing wrong with that.

Freedy Johnston--Never Home: Fascinating.

Jordan Chassan--East of Bristol West of Knoxville: Ditto

RebbeSoul--Fringe of Blue: Traditional forms of Jewish music blended with American (rock, blues, and jazz), European, and African rythms and styles. It shouldn’t work nearly as well as it does. Largely instrumental with a few prayer chants thrown in, this is one of the most captivating things I’ve played in recent days.

Tracy Bonham--Blink the Brightest: I was born without you. Why can’t I live without you now?

Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band—Hey Hey Hey: I knew them only from the comedic song “I Play the Banjo” so I was surprised at how much this made me think of jam bands. I was also surprised at how much I liked the whole CD, since that’s not really a genre I get into. (I like Leftover Salmon, but for the most part, extended noodly never-ending jams really leave me cold.) I think a part of it is that they never really do any full-fledged noodling, and part of it is that Shupe sounds so much like Danny Flanigan and Mitch Barret (of Zoë Speaks), two local artists I really like.

By the way this whole CD has just recently been re-released on a major label under the title Dream Big. Contents and song order are unchanged.

Kate Campbell—Blues and Lamentations: There’s just something about her music that I find comforting. She touches parts of my life and heart that don’t get touched much. I can’t explain it any better without going into a really long, rambly post about spirituality. New Kate Campbell is always a cuse for joy.

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2005 is going to be one of the best years for new music I can remember. A core of my favorite artists--Eliza Gilkyson, Kate Campbell, Carrie Newcomer, and Mary Gauthier—have all released albums this year. Wow!

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Just checked the local concert calendars, and all of a sudden, our fall looks to be pretty booked:

Amy Ray at Headliners October 14
James McMurtry at Uncle Pleasants October 18
Bright Eyes at the Brown on November 15
Keller Williams at the Brown November 19

Keith will be more psyched about Bright Eyes, while I’m pretty excited about Amy Ray. I haven't brought up McMurtry or Williams yet.

Lucinda WIlliams is next week!