THiS IS LIFE...

I've been hectically busy and then last week - (I don't know if this ever happens to you?) - I hit a wall. I forget to schedule in the holiday after some major projects and tried to keep going. Both Christiane and I were completely cream crackered and productivity dropped off to a standstill! I need to get better at holidays... Back with engines firing on most cylinders today.

We're staying at a friends house whilst they're away as house sitters - great fun - but they have a television - and I want to watch it all the time! I haven't had a tv for seven years and it eats time and energy. Some wonderful entertainment - Vicar of Dibley and Wimbledon final and news on Channel four but such lightweight shows elsewhere and repeated ad infinitum.... It's odd to see The Bill after all this time and analyse scripting etc... I need a time limit on viewship so it only works for four hours a day maximium - must invent one of those....

Where we are staying the guy of the couple is a guitar expert as a player and collector. The upshot of this is that I have 13 beautiful guitars to play with. Danelectro 12 string is awesome as is Turner Jumbo and the Fender Telecastor - he has a Stratocastor somewhere I must find. Grist to the mill of songwriting and playing guitar that's for sure, it's an Aladdin's cave.

Talking about tv Anyone see the tennis yesterday? Fantastic. I  haven't seen the championships for a few years. I really liked BBC's coverage, very accessible and so well presented with a coue of quirky moments - being interviewed on a roof with wind blowing / boys walking out into rain at end of interview, the last one Sue picked up on.  Sue Barker was excellent as anchor with her mix of knowledge humour and professionalism and Andrew Castle's insights into the people of Wimbledon made it a more real occasion or me - great coverage. Boris was very strong and funny and Tim did well (they must take the monitor out of his eye line though it distracted him, - it distracts me when I do interviews too) Tim mentioned the phycologists always told him - Stay in the present - it's not the past or the future, it's the present you're playing in is how I interpreted that. Makes a lot of sense. 

Two shows this week for ICE TIMES - the first time I'll have done two shows almost back to back. Charlotte and Zoeanna and Stephen will be with me and we will have some fun.

I've also got a couple of contracts being negotiated - we'll see how things go. I'm excited about the possibilities I see in the next year and whether I'm in TV or producing songs somewhere lovely, or a mixture o both there's a lot to be done.  

Right now though to have some time out to develop my competence as a songwriter / performer and producer is the priority. I need to complete songs I've written and have an ongoing production capability for more. Big mountain to climb but one I love the challenge of. I've got some super material and it keeps on coming as I learn more about the craft of songwriting but I need to bring some to fruition. The big question for us is where to base ourselves in this time? The options develop daily....! 

I think too I'm a bit reticent about 'coming out' as a singer songwriter, I did a demo for my friends very quickly three years ago and it was - creative, bold and.... from a production and performance point of view well.... - pretty dreadful! So I want to get excellence before lifting the curtain on this again.... and for this I need time and to focus exclusively on this area. That's what I'm aiming or right now.

Little Tiger is a joy, he found himself surrounded at church yesterday by four lovely little girls - ha, ha he can't engage in meaningful conversation yet but they didn't seem to mind.

I was a bit stressed at times last week (you know when you're tired and have so much more to do and... well you just can't be bothered...) and then I stepped back and looked at my life. I have a beautiful wife I love to bits and a gorgeous son, I am 'being showman' by being on stage in my own show and people loved the last one in particular. I am pursuing an area of development in music that is a thrill for me and singing is a big stretch - I love that challenge. I have a super family, loads of great friends my health is good and I have the blessings of sight, hearing, motor skills etc... (I so take these for granted). And I have a firm faith in God  as a Christian. Not a PC thing to put on a blog (?)  but hey let's do politics and religion. Actually I don't like the word religion I prefer faith.

I was told you can't be in the entertainment business and talk about religion or politics. Well we shall see. I love to talk about both. Maybe there's a job in that somewhere, that would be fun - once I've done the music... don't get distracted.

I'm getting rid of a load of stuff from my life right now. Years of cutter, empty files that I've kept (why) and books I've read. Going 'light weight'... another big job but useful if you are about to cast off and travel to some - yet to be defined - song writing inspirational place in the world. 

Wish me luck.

Have a great day - love n