MY USUAL Monday routine of getting sourdough in the oven is deviated as we’re having overnight oats today and tomorrow…so the bread baking will be on Wednesday this week.
I manage to get a fair bit of work done before an 11am session with an online guitar student. There’s some computer updates and stuff to run so once I get them set up I head off to the village for a swim.
After lunch I spend some time in the studio working on ways to tab out guitar music with a MIDI pickup then do some more video editing – vertical versions of the stuff I plan to spin into tonight's Wildcats’ livestream for reels later in the week and, while I have time, another song ready for next week.
The livestream goes smoothly with none of the technical issues that plagues last week’s episode then it’s back to he house for dinner.
RIGHT on form the kids have us awake early…I’m feeling like the lurgy hasn’t just not gone away, but is back 🙁
Matty goes out for a run and we have breakfast – he gets back just as Catriona arrives to pick up the kids. We all hang out for a while then everyone goes their separate ways.
I finish off a wee pewter heart pendant I started making for Margaret ages ago then hit the studio and edit up some video from Aldershot and Brighton ready for tomorrow (Monday) night’s Wildcats’ livestream.
WE’RE not long finished breakfast when Matty arrives…he’s picked up the kids at Catriona's and everyone’s here for the day/night.
Once I get the pork belly on the smoker for tonight’s tacos I get busy with merch production in the office and guitar stuff in the studio.
The others have all gone for a swim and when they get back I take a wander up the lochside and enjoy the walk listening to a podcast.
By the time the kids are ready for bed the pork belly is done – an eight hour smoke on the pellet smoker – but needs to rest for an hour before I slice it.
WE SLEEP through our alarms which is kinda weird as we weren’t late last night. Seems this lurgy is still lurking 🙁
I chase up an online order from last week that’s not been delivered – or charged – and find the company isn’t fulfilling orders in the UK, despite being a UK based company! They’ve cancelled the order and I find a similar product on Amazon. Not an important purchase, but annoying nonetheless as I like to try and support the more independent retailers.
The merch case is low on brass guitar pendants and pins. Before I make more, I start designing a jig for the engraving/embossing as getting things lined up properly is a bit of a pain and involves a lot of trial and error getting it right…and made worse having to do same for every on I make.
Making a brass jig – I can’t 3D print it as the embossment and engraving processes create a list of heat…so any kind of plastic, wood etc is a no-go – is gonna take a lot of time and effort, but if I invest the time now out could make things much simpler and faster in the future.
The postie delivers some air drying clay that I wanna use to create custom holders for drilling and finishing small cast items. I make up a test for a wee heart pendant I started making a ages ago but abandoned as I couldn’t hold it in place – or at the right angle for drilling.
A slap of rindless, boneless prior belly I took out the freezer has defrosted. I trim it up, score the fat cap and, using a mustard binder, add a salt, pepper and garlic rub. It goes in the fridge for smoking tomorrow…and destined for tomorrow night’s tacos.
We nip along to our pal Anna’s a couple of villages away – she’s invited us for dinner. It’s been ages since we had a catch up and we have a grand evening.
LAST night I noticed that some pages on my (this!) website haven’t translated properly to a new editing system. Nothing to do with my web host migration, this is an old issue that I hadn’t spotted. The promoters’ are and discography pages are gobbledygook!
I spend most of the morning sorting them out and packing up soem merch orders then we go for a quick swim before lunch.
Been missing getting out for a paddle…it’s been consistently windy for the last month, Hopefully calmer days will come soon.
My afternoon guitar student arrives at the studio while I’m messing with the guitar and we have a good session. Some of the kids coming for lessons are doing amazing!
I’m revisiting ways to try and tab out – tab, or tablature, is a way of notating guitar music – some of my songs…not just for some fo my guitar students, but also with a view to creating some digital (and maybe even physical) songbooks or some of my albums. My old midi guitar pickup gave up the ghost a few years ago and I was never completely happy with it. There’s a cheaper, improved version available now so I decide to give it a bash. Watch this space.
In the studio I have another bash at navigating the system for the radio show I’ll be presenting from end April. Not sure if there’s some permissions missing from my account or I’m missing something but I can’t build my music library and start getting my head round it all.
UP EARLY to get this week’s sourdough in the oven…a little later in the week than usual. It’s all baked, cooled and ready to eat in good time before my 9am online guitar session.
Dawn, my regular Wednesday morning in-person guitar student, rolls up just I finish the online lesson and we have a good session.
Voru Blues Club in Estonia has requested a short promo video for the show on 24 April. While I could just use my phone and knock something out I decide to try and do something a bit slicker which involves camera, lighting, green screen, a dash to the bay to film some ‘background, video and, eventually, some editing. Worth it tho’!
Before I know it my ‘double dunt’ – a two-at-once lesson for a sister and brother (aged eight and six respectively) – arrives.
Margaret and I both still have some lurgy hanging around and after the lesson I’m feeling wiped..and need a nap!
After 40 winks I hit the studio and get all my PRS live performance returns submitted then look out some local pix for a pal before Betty arrives to join us for dinner.
MARGARET gets a call from Catriona first going to ask if she can go and look after Aaron…she has a hairdresser appointment and Aaron’s off school ‘cos he was sick during the night. So off she goes.
After breakfast I hit the office and make a wedding gift for Barbara and Thorsten. We missed their wedding as we were in Brighton on Saturday.
I start organizing some PRS live performance returns then have some lunch…then a wander up the lochside. First time I’ve been a decent walk in ages.
I’m home in time for my afternoon guitar student then get busy with the PRS returns before heading to the village hall for a community hydro society meeting.
NO SOURDOUGH to go in the oven as we weren’t back in time yesterday for the dough to be made. Instead, Margaret prepped some overnight oats.
After a weekly session with one of my online guitar students I get some stuff together for the folks behind the Rock.Scot radio station – I’ll be presenting an alt.blues show when it goes live on FM, DAB and online towards the end of next month (April).
We’re both still suffering with the remains of the lurgy so go for a swim and visit to the steam room and sauna in the hope it might help.
After lunch I get busy editing some video from last week’s gigs to spin into tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook, taking a break for my late afternoon guitar students.
Suddenly it’s 8pm and time to go live…all goes to plan after I sort out some sound issues then it’s back home for some dinner.
Playing to a small. It perfectly-formed crowd at Komedia, Brighton.
THE lurgy’s still lurking around us both when we wake up…not as bad as it’s been tho’.
We have a lazy morning at the Premier Inn. I edit some video clips and share videos, posts and links round socials as my ‘day of show’ promo for tonight’s gig at Komedia in Brighton.
It’s only 60 or 70 miles to Brighton and we take the on-motorway route which allows us to stop at a nice wee pub for lunch. Our first proper meal since Wednesday, The travelling and schedule has made it difficult to have anything other than sandwiches, snacks and stuff.
After checking in to out Travelodge and short drive into Brighton we load in and soundcheck. It’s a nice venue – but an expensive hire for a self promo show – and engineer Steve is good and helpful. Despite good local and regional press and a heap of both organic and paid socials ticket sales have been slow both via my own Eventbrite ticket and venue box office. Nevertheless, the small crowd, none of whom have seen me before, is appreciative and enthusiastic and we have a grand evening.
