Expanding Horizons
December already?
no really, i've been catching myself asking the question lately: where did the fall rush off to? there's no denying now that winter is actually here: the mercury has dropped to well below -10C and the stars cut clearer through that cold thing air, i've got holiday plans fast approaching, and i'm finding myself accidentally writing '2009' in the columns of my notes to self. already.
but as i think back to the past few months it's been a great autumn, full of things i couldn't quite have expected. this is the first fall in a few years that i've stayed home rather than hit the road, and so i watched the season unfold here with curious eyes. it was slow progress, sudden shifts, and then one day i realized fall was over.
Christina and Juli joined for my last few shows of summer at the end of august, and we had a hoot playing and driving from Vancouver, through Kamloops, to Williams Lake and Prince G. We checked out the nightlife of Williams Lake after the thursday show and as 
we wandered downtown we followed our ears to some live ruckus. peaking out of an open garage door was a young band playing hardcore; we took it in for a while, bopping around in the fenced lot... and i couldnt help but love the fact that their music was at such a different end of the spectrum as mine. and still, music makes so many people's worlds spin.
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newly unleashed...
i tried my hand at hosting in front of a camera - the moving picture sort. i was merely providing a little extra commentary and flow for the ArtsWells documentary in progress, supporting the doc's real hostess, Carmen. still, we had a fantastic day zipping around Wells and Barkerville for shots in the sun. can't wait to see the resullts sometime next spring when the doc is released.
i also was asked to do some writing for the newly relaunched BC Musicians Magazine. the first issue hits the stands this week across BC and i can't wait to get my hands on a copy; there's a slew of great musicians and writers that will be contributing to the magazine as it finds it's legs.
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muse, oh muse
i've taken a break these months from shows to focus on new writing.
i don't know how other writers do it, writing new material, that is. especially when there are so many things to keep in mind as a working artist. space is my biggest ally, space and time to imagine and experiment. well, occassionally total lack of either actually works even better... but usually it's a long process for me of getting into that spot where the creative stuff lies in waiting. there's a long, narrow tunnel, echos of self doubt alternate with blinding silence, and then suddenly it opens into a gorgeous spacious realm of possibilities. it takes me time to get to the place and i finally got there again this fall. i'm looking around, checking out the scenary and getting reacquainted with that ever changing process.. i've gotten really excited again about the prospects of writing and recording. there's a fussy vision of another album project in the very near horizon and i'm giddy about it.
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Amy Winehouse, i aint...
and one other thing that i cant help but laugh at. i'm one of those spur of the moment Hallowe'en enthusiasts: i tend to make up my mind about a costume at the very last minute and then run around the house ripping and tearing to appropriate bits to make the costume a reality. so this Hallowe'en was no different: around 7pm, before heading to the Wells pub i decided to go as Amy Winehouse. how hard could it be? i had a great dress, plenty of eyeliner, and i piled my hair as high as i could on top of my head.
but no one at the party knew who i was. i like to think that it had little to do with how much time and detail i put into the costume. really, i have proof: it turns out i live in a rather dusty forgotten corner of the world, and that my friends and acquaintances are more than somewhat removed from the goings-on of that big popcultch world. Madonna? No. even when i let them know that i was dolled up as the infamous Amy Winehouse, no one knew who she was. (Ok, one person knew and commented that i looked far too well put together.) i tried to humm a few bars but even the dj didnt have any of her music on hand.
so there it was; proof pudding that my humble home is somewhat removed from all the 'important' things plauging most of the western world. truth be told, it made me kind of happy to be an unrecognized pop starlette. i faired far better the previous night when i wore my dusty grad dress and painted my face dead with two puncture marks on my neck. i won the best dressed costume at the Barkerville Hallowe'en.
tried and true.
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