LOTS of social media stuff to do this morning – just a week to go ‘til my show at The Met in Bury.
In the office I get some bits and bobs of merch in production to make sure we have enough stuff – not only for The Met, but also our subsequent journey to France to play Festival B.A.R. and (hopefully!) some other shows. The booker/agent is, let’s say, a little laisssez-faire.
I manage to get a break for a wander up the lochside then when I get back I put the old backdrop up for auction.
There’s a decent harvest of wee tomatoes from the hydroponic – and forest of basil so I make some pasta dough and prep to make pasta with cherry tomatoes.
Later on Mikey arrives so he and Margaret can get a decent start on his accounts in the morning.
MARGARET’S off early to Edinburgh to pick up Les and go to get her hair done.
I get a message from the embroidery lady asking if she can drop off a batch of beanies so I get out my pit and have breakfast before she drops by.
Stephen Jardine has an optician on his BBC Radio Scotland show and is taking calls. I message and get a call back from one of the producers – they’ll call back in ten minutes so I can pitch my query live: how soon after my cataract op can I safely go out for a paddle? My op was three weeks ago and guidance is a loose three or four weeks – what does she think?
A careful answer recommends I wait ‘til after I’ve seen my optician which isn’t ‘til we get back from France. Ach well – the weather over the next week’s crap anyway, so unlikely I’d have a chance to go out anyway.
In the studio I finish off the hydro society news release and send it round my colleagues for fact checking before I fire it off to the local media.
Next job is to make another set of videos to promote next week’s show at The Met, Bury round my socials. The light is inconsistent with the sun coming in and out unpredictably but I get something done.
I also want to use the ads as the creative on a new set of Facebook and Instagram ads retargetting folks that have watched the videos in my other ads for the show.
My late afternoon guitar student arrives at the studio then I go back to the house for a nap before starting to prep dinner.
Another idea for some merch popped into my head…had to make it…!
I HAVE a couple of hours to catch up on some work after my 9am online session with one of my guitar students.
Margaret reminds me that we’re out of current design (‘the blues comes in many colours’) t-shirts and hoodies in some sizes so I call Kenny to see if he can do a rush order for next week. The new design shirts with screen printed backs and embroidery on the front are still some way off.
There’s also a news release to be written for the local hydro society but halfway through I have an irresistible urge to take a merch idea that’s popped into my head and make a prototype. So I do.
After an early lunch I head to Balloch for a music session at the school.
Back home when Margaret goes to a community trust meeting I take a wander upon the lochside.
After my walk and Margaret’s meeting we pick up Betty and go toot he next village for some dinner. Lovely.
THE TO-DO list is out the window after breakfast – Margaret needs photos urgently for our local place plan.
I trawl through my archives to see what I have and pull out a bunch of stuff, but she needs some specific stuff. Urgently.
We’re off into Glasgow – I have a Musicians’ Union meeting – but we leave early as it’s decent weather and we can stop en route to get the pix. I have the drone and ‘normal’ camera so manage to get a selection of shots in the bag.
Onward to Glasgow and Margaret drops me at the STUC centre for the meeting and goes for some shopping before coming back to collect me.
Back home we sort the pix and then spend some time wrestling with email accounts then outside for pizza.
MONDAY. That means an early alarm to get my sourdough in the oven then into the studio after breakfast for a session with one of my online guitar students.
Top of the to-do list, sorting new t-shirt artwork and production, is bumped down the list so I can do an interview for a local magazine.
After lunch I get back on schedule, sort the t-shirt/hoodie artwork and speak to Kenny, my screen printing buddy.
I’m just finished when Laura and Violet rock up for Violet’s guitar lesson after which I head back to the studio, edit some video and prep for tonight’s WIldcats’ livestream on Facebook.
AFTER a late breakfast I spend some time messing around with artwork and design ideas for new shirts and hoodies. Need to get ‘em sported quick as we’re off south then onto France soon for a bunch of shows.
I take a break and cut the grass while the rain’s off and manage to get some strumming done too. Maybe the last grass cut of the year?
The rest of the day is spent trying to sort out some website and e-commerce hassles. Nothing critical, but annoying stuff that shouldn’t be happening!
Margaret has dinner ready just in time for Bill’s livestream – the last one before he and Dorothy go back to Florida.
AFTER breakfast and chat at Billy and Dorothy’s we hook up with Mikey and go to his flat in Dundee where I install and set up a security camera for him.
Next stop, KFC then we drop into Perthshire Caravans to check out the camper vans and stuff but there’s nothing inspiring to see.
Onward to Doune where we stop off to see Catriona and the kids and drop off a birthday present for WIl’s big day tomorrow.
WE HAVE a bit of a late rise after a late night (erm..early morning!) then I go to the studio and pack a guitar for this evening.
Early afternoon we head to Bill and Dorothy’s ‘holiday home’ at Invergowrie just outside Dundee. We’re going to a special show Bill’s organised tonight – he’s invited me to play a few songs – and staying over.
We have an early dinner then make our way into the town and the Clep Bar where everything’s already set up for Bill and a splendid roster of musical pals are playing a kinda memorial show for some of the resident musicians who’ve passed on over the last few years. Quite humbled to have been invited to play too.
We have a grand night full of fun and colorful characters then have a nightcap before bed…another 3am job….
I manage to get the generator back up and running at the hydro scheme
FIRST job of the day is designing and ordering a new backdrop – a necessity now that I’ve updated my logo.
I go to the same supplier we used last time and go for a slightly wider format. A bit more expensive, but worth it.
An email comes back saying the order is processing and the backdrop has gone into production so I hit the studio to run through some songs – we’re off to Bill’s gig in Dundee tomorrow (Friday) and he’s asked me to plays a few songs.
There’s some other work to do too then an email comes in from the backdrop folks asking for an extra £30-odd for ‘Highlands and Islands’ delivery. Erm…we’re only 20 miles outside Glasgow and definitely not in ‘the Highlands’!
I call the company and explain and they respond by saying it’s down to their courier. I explain that we’ve never been classed as Highlands and Islands…and the last backdrop I ordered from them didn’t attract this ridiculous surcharge. I tell them to put the order on hold and I’ll send them some other potential delivery addresses to see of they fall within the courier’s ‘normal’ delivery area.
I send off some alternative addresses and awaiting a reply…when it comes in the company has decided that they don’t need me to pay extra and the order proceeds.
Duncan and Irene are coming for dinner later – the starter is Vietnamese summer rolls which are a bit of a faff so I get onto it early. The rolls made, I move onto the dipping sauce then spot an email from one of my fellow directors of the local hydro scheme…last night’s power cut has taken down the computer and it looks like the generator’s stopped.
No one else has replied so I volunteer to drive to the village, hike across the fields and see if I can get things back up and running. Mission accomplished 🙂
The unexpected task has eaten a up any spare time so I’ve only just finished the prep for our main course when Duncan and Irene rock up.
Amazingly the 3D printer picked up where it left off after a two hour power cut
WEDNESDAY. That means three back to back guitar sessions – one in-person sandwiched between two online lessons.
During the third one I get a message from the school saying they don’t need me today. I coulda done with the dish but there’s a lot needing done so it’s not the end of the world.
Margaret needs an iPad stand and orders one online – I revise I could maybe 3D printer one to use until it arrives. I find one on Bambu Makerworld and set it to print. Might take a while. U there’s no huge hurry.
So instead of school, I hit Glasgow for a load of shopping which gives us a bit of breathing space tomorrow by freeing us up on another busy day.
Margaret’s off to a community trust meeting when I get back and she’s only away ten minutes when the power goes off. No big deal, I ’spose – then I remember the 3D printer in the office which has (had!) almost finished the iPad stand. I power it off in case there’s a surge when the electricity comes back on.
I’m amazed when the power is restored and I switch the 3D printer back on it gives me the option to continue. It does!
Meantime, Margaret’s back and I make some pasta dough and smoke a salmon fillet for dinner…
