56--stop talking

It occurs how useless it is to talk someone into a covenant. Given time and freedom, whatever a person is talked into, they can think their way out of.

Sometimes you have to simply stop talking and let the water flow where it will.

Good morning Beautiful

Have a great day, Strender

60--...Pullstop

What's wrong with this picture? Other than being upside down because I bent down to take a picture of my ankles? Well, the problem is that there's a black sock on the left AND there's a black sock on the right. Matching socks?!!? I haven't worn matching socks in years! What the heck is going on around here?

Today I tried acting for the first time. It's the final day of filming for PullStop, a full-length independent feature film shot in Portland and McMinnville over the last two weeks. I've thoroughly enjoyed the day so far. Director Dean and Producer Dawn have done a magnificent job assembling a capable and cordial crew. I felt at home instantly.

Really connected with Tom and Jake and Travis and Sean, and...who am I kidding? I liked them all. Leading lady Lacie Mallander was super easy to work with and she's so good at this. Eric, the dude that played George, wow! Great actor. Made me cry.

Here's my disclaimer. My character, Jonah, is a bus driver. Bus drivers wear matching socks. So that wasn't me wearing those--that was Jonah. And with that technicality, the unmatched streak continues, thank you very much.

Now that's done, turning my attention to the vocal loop for this evening's concert. I want to run through it at least a couple times before the gig, so I've got about 2 hours to build a concept.

Dawn, thanks for talking me into that. It was a wonderful experience.

65--what lies ahead

I love the feeling I get when I look down the tracks. These tracks, 50 yards from where I sleep, are physically connected to tracks that run the length and breadth of this country. They can take me anywhere and who knows where they will take me?

I met Anna Fermin in Las Vegas at Music Strategies 2010. She's an amazing musician. I love her style and storytelling. She hosts a house-concert series in Chicago and I'm invited there as featured performer March of 2011. We could have booked a sooner time, but Chicago's not exactly a day-trip from where I am.

I got to thinking, if I go out there, I might as well do some other nearby cities while I'm there to justify the trip. But right now, with the promise I made to Jeff, I have to be back for work on Monday morning. So if i wait until next year, after I have fulfilled that commitment, I can stay longer than 4 days and put together a little tour that actually connects a string of venues in neighboring cities.

There's something there about the importance of commitment. Don't give your word lightly. It's not cheap, or at least it shouldn't be.

I thought I'd fly into Chicago and then rent a car and drive from city to city, but then I thought how expensive that might get, how grueling the road-tripping in between performances, how few the opportunities for rest. So then I thought, how about I fly into Chicago, and then take trains from there to wherever? And then I thought, why not just take the train all the way out from here?

Started checking train routes and now I'm planning to just tour along the route. Where the train stops, there I am playing. So I'm gonna start putting out a list of cities soon and if you know someone there and you can think of a venue that would fit my Man With Guitar stylings, I sure could use your help.

Leslie told me about this community of couch-surfers that you can join and work out places to crash along your journey.

I'm not heading out to find myself; I'm heading out because I have. My soul is bound to this music and I follow on a journey that may just come near you. I hope it does. I hope to shake your hand and touch your spirit. I hope we will be friends.

Last time I followed the tracks on foot, I arrived at a field of grass and flowers. Here's what I saw when I looked down...

Here's what I saw when I looked up...

I'll ride the rail, soon. I wonder where it will take me.

65--Tomato Soup

I did a show in Silverton a couple weeks ago. My audience in Silverton is growing and it's always great spending time with them. I thought I'd like to spend a little time in community with my listeners so I invited 10 selected guests to meet me for dinner before the show.

I make a pretty good Tomato soup; maybe I'll share it with you someday. Years ago when I was shooting my very first music video, the director's mom made us this recipe and I loved it so much, I asked her to show me how. I'm pretty sure more people have tried the soup at my hands than have witnessed that video for Without Love.

The soup takes a bit of preparation, so although dinner was served at 5, I had to start cooking at 3 to be ready in time. Oak street church has a fabulous kitchen so that really helped. In a less-equipped or less functional space, it would have taken even longer.

I set out from Sheridan 90 minutes ahead of cooking time. Olive oil...check, Pepper...check, Live Basil...check. How wonderful that I can buy live basil and pick it right at the moment of use. Bread, La Brea Bakery Roasted Garlic Loaf...check. Pots and pans, stirring spoons and ladles...check. Sorrel--caribbean beverage that I pre-brewed and bottled earlier in the day...check.

I'm ready for whatever. I've got all my stuff, all the necessary spices, all the necesary tools.

These are NOT the tomatoes I served to my dinner guests.

These are the tomatoes that were waiting for me on my kitchen counter when I returned home from a wonderful dinner and concert with my friends in Silverton.

In my careful attention to not forget any of the supplies, I had brought with me absolutely everything I would need, except for the tomatoes.

Thankfully, I remembered on the way and stopped at Roth's in West Salem to grab ten pounds of vine-ripened...

Love you, Beautiful.

Don't forget the main thing, Strender.

Keep the main thing, the main thing

69--All You Need

This blog is winding down. I'll make my final entry on my 40th birthday. Starting a new blog that day. I made some decisions and effected transitions toward accomplishing deep-seated goals, intentions that live with me on a cellular level.

Some of my idiosyncrasies and failings are now established without apology, others laid bare for repentance or forgiveness.

I set goals for who I'd be and what I'd accomplish by the time I turned 40. Some of them were unrealistic. Some I achieved; others I didn't even get close to.

Last week I told my employer that I will fulfill my promise to work at his company for the entirety of 2010. At our hiring conversation, I was asked what length of commitment I could make, seeing as my stated aspiration is a full-time pursuit of music. I promised a year. We are just past the halfway mark.

There is so much, so very very much to accomplish in the next 6 months. I have had roughly 32 years to contemplate the scope of this mission and I've realized that for me it is utterly impossible. Which is why I know it must be assigned from a higher place.

I was saying to Truth a month ago, "this is so big, I'll definitely need your help."

She replied, "all you need is Him."

Thank you to my readers on this blog. There will be a new blog launched on my birthday. I hope you will transition with me. It will be the chronicle of a leap from a cliff. I am going to jump. I may fall or I may fly, but what is sure is that I can no longer stand on this cliff.

I love you.

Good morning, Beautiful

Great day in the morning, Strender

71--Call Log

...just off the phone, 48 minute call with Kevin May, my agent. Back in 2003, Suzanne made a list of possible venues for me to approach to play music and build my audience. All these years later, I have those lists and just gave them to Kevin to engage his significant abilities as a Business Development professional.

He's having tremendous success with another of the bands he represents, Jokers and Jacks, comprised of his sons Jaime and Morgan. They are opening for Leon Russell at two venues and there's a possible third in the works!!! That's huge!!

I don't remember where I heard it, but I was told that a great way to assess what is valuable to you is to look in two places: your bank statements and your cell phone call log. Value indicators emerge from the spending records of money and conversation.

48 minutes on the phone with Kevin. Now I'm firing up my studio to work on a cover for Brian.

What's on your call log?

74--Coffee Cottage

7:40pm, at Coffee Cottage to hear Charity Brophy play. She is such an incredible voice. Her songs are so wonderful and her voice simply does magic things to me. Kind of like Stephanie Schneiderman's voice last night. There is so much beauty in the world! I just feel lucky to be alive and to have experienced more beauty than my fair share. But what's fair got to do with it?

Meet artist Autumn Stevens. Her work is on display at the Cottage this month. I've seen some of her sketches. Never seen her paintings before. Love, love, love the colors in this piece called Mothering Nature.