I SLEEP through my alarm then have a panic to get sorted in time for my 9am online guitar student.
Dawn arrives for her lesson just as I’m finishing up with the online session and we have a good hour or so playing guitar and blathering. The lesson’s meant to be ½-hour but coffee and chat always make it a little longer.
I prep the smoker and get some ribs on to take along to Betty’s for dinner later – she’s got the large so we thought we’d take her some grub.
I’ve just got them on when Izzi drops by to pickup some Love Balmaha merch and has a coffee and chat.
After lunch I work on some recordings in the studio, make some cornbread and look after the ribs on the smoker u til my evening guitar student Jamie arrives. Then it’s time to go along to Betty’s – the smoker’s been running a bit hot and the ribs aren’t my best effort but we have a grand evening nonetheless.
WHILE my day late sourdough cools I jump in the shower and then get some work done. For some reason this feels like a Wednesday!
After the breakfast I drive to the surgery for a blood test – had to make a case for my request despite having been sent to he prostate clinic a few years back and put on various meds on a permanent basis. There’s been no follow up or monitoring of things and given my prostate issues, my age and the fact that my dad had his prostate out (can’t remember why) you’d have thought I might be classed as ‘at risk’ and worthy of a PSA blood test or some kind of check.
Back home I pack up some merch – some for collection and some to be dropped off at a post office later.
Before we head into Glasgow for an event later on I call a couple of record stores that stock my music to see what they need replenished and arrange to pop in with stock, including the new Still Friends album.
We manage to get to a spotty office, drop off some personal bits and bobs and stock into Blitzkreig and Love Music with a little time to spare before we have to be at the Blythswood Hotel for a Christmas event we’ve been invited to.
We have a grand evening and I’m happy to be in driving duties and manage to dodge all the fallen trees and storm-related carnage on the way home.
NO SOURDOUGH baking this morning ‘cos I didn’t have time to sort it all yesterday. I get the starter out the fridge to make up the dough later for tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.
After my mid-morning session with a Zoom guitar student I wander along to Betty’s to drop some stuff off and stop by another neighbour to deliver a couple Love Balmaha tote bags…when I get home I add the Love Balmaha tea towels to the website too.
My afternoon guitar student is sick so I take advantage of the time and remaining daylight to take a walk up the lochside.
When I get back Fiona’s dropped by – I join her and Margaret for coffee and cake.
I finish my sourdough mix and se tit aside then hit the studio to prep for this evenings Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook. All goes to plan!
Anne and Peter Johnson switch on the CHristmas tree lights at the village hall
I SPEND the morning sorting out a Christmas music playlist and sorting the PA for the lights switch-on and craft market at the village hall later on.
There’s also a bunch of stuff needing finished for my table and all the stuff I need to be gathered up and packed….plus some photo gear for pix…and a gazebo to keep our local celebrities dry for the switch-on.
We get to the hall early afternoon and have everything set up and ready for the event kicking off at 4pm. The lights switch on is at 5pm and the event comes to a close at 7pm. Another successful event organised by Margaret and the other ELLCT trustees.
I discover it’s not easy getting pix of Christmas decorations!
MARGARET’S away early to meet Catriona and the kids and go to the panto in Edinburgh with Les.
I drag myself out of bed and go for a paddle up to Milarrochy doing a couple livestreams along the way. It’s the last decent weather for the next few days so I’m glad to get out.
A shower and late breakfast then I hit the office and make some Christmas tree hangers for my custom engraved baubles.
There’s other stuff to be made for tomorrow’s (Sunday) craft market at the lights switch-on.
I’m In the studio trying to take photos of the baubles and other stuff when Margaret gets home and makes a Thai tofu stir fry.
AFTER getting the routine tasks out the way I get busy with some promo for next year’s shows.
Margaret heads into town for some shopping and I hit the office. Loads of stuff to be made for `Sunday’s craft market at the Christmas lights switch on.
I realize that I don’t have the blanks I need for some custom orders so get online and order up a bunch of stuff then start trying to work out what I need – and don’t need – for Sunday.
In the studio I set up to take photos of some stuff to show on a video loop that I’ll either project on the wall behind my table or show on an iPad.
I’ve got the fire going when Margaret comes back from town and her local meeting on the way home. We put the shopping away then I have a nap for ten minutes.
I SLEEP through the alarm then have a panic getting my shit together for ann online songwriting session with Elaine.
We’re re-visiting a song idea we worked on a while back that slipped down the priority list for both of us.
After lunch I send an email out to my list with a 24-hour flash Christmas discount code then take a wander up the lochside.
Margaret’s got the fire on when I get home and once I get out my wet clothes I fall asleep on the couch for a wee while. I’m woken by the guys from the garage bringing the car back…£600-odd to get the front parking sensors sorted. A known VW fault. Mmmm…this has been a shite month for expenses – kitchen tap, cooker hood, car sensors….
In the office I make up some merch orders that have come in following my email out then do soem work on ideas for my table at Sunday’s Christmas light switch on and craft market.
AN EARLY start for an online guitar session followed by an in-person lesson.
The car’s still at the garage in Killlearn and I have a session with the kids at the school in Balloch. The bus times are pretty crap so I have over an hour to kill when I get to Balloch so I stop for a sandwich then wander up to the school.
By co-incidence there’s a merch order from someone who lives close to the school so once I’m through with the kids I drop it off then go for the bus home.
I’m puggled when I get home and have a nap on the couch then hit the office to get some work done before we go to Betty’s for dinner.
My 3D design and print mini pedalboard works out great 🙂
I WAKE up and check Margaret put the car key in the car for the folks from the garage could take out away early. She slept through her alarm – and it looks like they came, checked the car, tried our front door handle then went away. Why they didn’t ring the door bell or phone is a bit of a mystery!
Margaret calls the garage and arranges for us to take the car…we borrow Betty’s car, do the needful and are home by 10am.
After breakfast I get busy designing a wee pedalboard for the Valeton GP5 pedal and radio receiver using Shapr3D on the iPad. It’s a bit of a learning experience but I get there eventually and by lunchtime I have a 3D design to send to the printer. It’ll take about three hours to print.
In the studio I mess with some guitar ideas and get some poster artwork done for the March gigs down south
I get out a walk but don’t go far as the rain starts and it’s getting dark already.
The pedalboard has printed when I get back so I take it to the studio and start making up the connector cables and stuff. Some of its a bit fiddly but it all works and although no it a work of art, it’s functional and practical.
WHILE the sourdough cools I go out for a quick paddle. It’s cold and grey but there’s some light trying to get through the low blanket of cloud clinging to the water.
A quick shower then breakfast and I get on with the day. First up, a session with one of my online guitar students then I start editing some video footage for tonight’s livestream.
My afternoon student has called off – no bad thing, really, ‘cos I’ve got lots of stuff to be getting on with.
A courier drops off a the wee junction box I ordered online to let me power the wee Valeton GP5 pedal and a wireless receiver from a single USB power bank. It’s tiny and I’m skeptical it can work but, to my surprise, it all works a treat.
I do some rough sketches for some kinda wee mounting board to keep it all together. If I have time tomorrow I’ll knock up a 3D design and see if I can print something.
Then it’s back onto the video and prep for the Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook. All goes to plan and soon after 9pm I’m back in the house enjoying Margaret’s spaghetti carbonara.
