Aloha, etc.

If you enlarge the photo, you'll see that yes, it's true, I'm too pretty to do math, I have a new koa Kamaka ukulele, and I've been in Hawaii. Conferencing and a bit of down time afterwards on Kauai and I can only say that Hawaii is damn relaxing. I did not get sunburned, which is a plus for mid-30s skin care regimens.

My jetlag has more or less dissipated, which is a good thing since I've been suffering from all weekend due to very little sleep on the freakinglong flight plus time change plus getting off 'living aloha' and what have you. Now I have a week to get my serious work together and I think it actually may happen due to the fact that I don't have any other distractors I need to attend to, work-wise (joy!). So this update is part of my morning of emails, cooking, cleaning off my desk, checking how my items for sale are doing on Ebay, figuring out my finances, etc. So exciting! For the record, I'm downsizing the guitar collection to highlight acoustic gems. If I ever start performing for real in my AC/DC cover band, I'll get back to the electric axes but for now...financial reality is a-knockin'. Such is life.

And I came to realize one little nugget: sometimes having owned one's dream guitar for a short time is as nice as keeping it forever.

I'm off to Slovakia and Austria on the 7th and then I buckle down again at the end of June til the end of the summah.

I need a mai tai just thinking about it. I'm a barrel of stress and excitement. I say watch out! But don't worry, I've only had one coffee today.

OK, my Most Interesting News today is, besides the fact that I am REALLY REALLY, and I mean REALLY being tested professionally at the moment, is: RUN, do not walk, to get yourself the new Dixie Chicks CD, "Taking the Long Way".

Hell, it's only $9.99 right now at Best Buy, what's not to love? But apparently if you buy it at Target, you get the code for concert pre-sales. Who IS this marketing genius behind all this? I bet you get a free large one-topping pizza if you get it at WalMart.

OK, regardless of hooplah, musically DELICIOUS is all I can say. They do not disappoint. It's quite different from "Home", their last release featuring their asswhoopin' bluegrass chops and prowess. So, I suppose since we learned on that recording that yes, they can play the instruments they pose with and HOW, these new recordings wind in different directions and showcase that they can do whatever they want, I'm quite sure of it. I would not be surprized if the Dixie Chick Rock Opera or the Dixie Chick Jazz Sessions or the Dixie Chick Salsa Fiesta is next.

Ginapalooza , who purchased the album even before I did because she understands the Dixiness, noted that on this one "...it sounds like Emily and Marty have been reduced to doo-whop girls but then I listened more and changed my mind.." (Hundlenator, 2006), underscoring that there are many many layers to attend to aurally on this collection, not to mention a reminder that all three of them are stellar singers; maybe someday they'll mix up the lead vocals. I'm sure they have loads of free time between changin' and raisin' all their babies and whatnot.

Emily Robison may be my new muscian idol, although there is no danger of her replacing Nancy Wilson of Heart as Esteemed Mighty Rock Goddess Musical Genius. Frick, what CAN'T she play? Her Banjoness rules. Curiously, she's not playing dobro on this one but does hit the electric and acoustic guitars, and accordion and sitar for that matter, which, to the best of my knowledge is new on the Retrosfuturistic Modern Era* of DC recordings (*R.M.E. = 'today'. They were around for centuries with a different lead singer but were not 'mainstream'. So she may have recorded guitar back then, what the heck do I know).

Hard to 'categorize' this album's* genre, which is fine with me, so I chalk it up to Plain Good Music and Songwritin' and killer supporting cast. Maybe I just love that the track "The Long Way Around" is totally my life soundtrack du jour. Thanks, Chicks! Now, when does the tour stop in State College?

I'm sure the media and music outlets will have a heyday placing this CD all into neat little categorical boxes, not to mention people out there still wanting to 'ban' them for not liking the president. I say the same thing when I'm abroad and I'm not even from Texas...oy to the vay.

What's new in your corner of the world?

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*yes, I still call them "albums"...