Weeknotes: June 17-21, 2024
Monday, June 17
The start of my marathon training schedule coincides with a miserable heat wave. It's early morning runs or none at all. I'd expected the work on the Spring St. Bridge to be a summer-long endeavor, but as I'm about to make my detour, I see cars crossing in both lanes. To my left is a dirt lot that alternately serves as a staging area for construction crews and a depot for piles of compost in the summer. As I pass, a large earth mover uses its basket to push an aluminum rowboat across its expanse. The bridge looks unchanged; I'm not even sure what they repaired.
Although it's good news for this leg of my run, my satisfaction is tempered by the knowledge that they have already closed off the LeForge Bridge, which I cross even more frequently. LeForge is my gateway out of town, on foot or by car, and also offers easiest access to the river. Just east of the Pen Dam, it's where I put my kayak in. I've lived in river towns before, but never been so affected by their crossings as I am here.
Weeknotes: April 29 - May 3, 2024
Monday, April 29
I'm sleeping with the windows open again and the birds wake me around 5:30. It's always robins. The local harbinger of early morning. There are days when I'd like to sleep in longer, but spring feels especially friendly right now and I'm happy to hear my neighborhood come to life. The lilacs on my street are in bloom and the volunteer tulips next to the sidewalk have risen to attention. Rain showers move through as frequently as trains. Everything is leafing out and I'm into all of it.
I listen to Mdou Moctar's wild Funeral For Justice album while Islay and I meander up the street. She pauses and sniffs every invisible station while I vibe to the North African guitar shredding lighting up my synapses. After work I sit on the bed and email venues, trying to put together a small weekend tour in July. Soliciting gigs a thankless task, but I'm trying to keep my calendar relatively vibrant, so I soldier through it.
As evening rain comes and goes, I record a demo of a song I wrote in 2022. I have so much unreleased material right now, I'm trying to get it all down and figure out what to do with it. It's humid and warm and I keep the studio window open, allowing the night sounds to permeate the tracks.
Afterwards I watch Top Chef. I'm not much for reality TV, but I started watching this show for first time last spring while ramping up for my album's release. It became an easy stress reliever and now I just enjoy it. Kristen Kish is still getting her rhythm down as host, but I like her. And I like that the new season is in Wisconsin, a state I have a lot of affection for.