Starting to demo songs for a 2025 acoustic album….
MY USUAL Monday morning routine starts by getting the sourdough in the oven…it takes the best part of an hour for the oven to heat up and the baking…then another hour for the loaf to cool before cutting.
I have session with my regular Monday morning Zoom guitar student then sort some merch orders and have to order more insulated tumblers. I messed a couple up and there’s still some orders to be fulfilled.
After lunch I have another Zoom session then I start setting up to make a demo/video of how Still Friends might sound if re-recorded for next year’s planned acoustic album. I’ll spin out into tonight’s Wildcats’ Facebook live-stream.
An online supplier has offered to make some custom ‘blanks’ for future merch projects and we strike a deal. Watch this space!
My late afternoon guitar stent rolls up with her mum and we have a good we session. She’s coming on great 🙂
I prep some ribs for the smoker – trying them in the electric smoker as a bit off an experiment. They only take a couple of hours as opposed to six hours in the ‘proper’ smoker.
Then it’s back to the studio to make the demo video and get sorted for my Wildcats’ livestream.
All goes fine and the ribs work out pretty good too…not quite as good as the kamado smoker, but still passable….
THERE’S a few orders in for Wildcats’ insulated tumblers so I get busy in the office. Engraving the tumblers is still a bit of a learning process and I’m still screwing some of them up.
Margaret’s busy tidying up the garden. I nip out every so often to help as needed.
I also spend some time in the studio finishing off my accounts so I can get on with the rest of my tax return.
I’m still messing with the tumblers and packing orders when Margaret has the dinner ready. We enjoy dinner while watching our pal Bill’s livestream..this time from Hawaii’s Big island.
ONCE I get all the routine stuff out the way I head out for a quick paddle.
I don’t have a lot of time, but I get some fresh air, exercise and manage a wee livestream too.
By the time I’m back and out the shower it’s lunchtime. I find I’m tagged in a ‘after movie’ from BluesAlive in Czech which is kinda cool (see here..or below) and gets some more bits and bobs sorted in the studio before it’s time to head to Doune.
We’re babysitting this evening and tomorrow ’til early afternoon as Catrioan and Will both have work nights out.
I spend some time playing with he kids then embark on my accounts. A fair bit of online work to do in the accounts package provided by the bank….
WE’RE still in bed drinking coffee and dealing with emails when the doorbell goes…it’s my guitar student, Dawn.
Normally she’s not here ’til 10am, but she did ask to come early when we were arranging this week’s lesson. Jeez, it’s even in the diary! I get sorted, put lint he tea and coffee and a few minutes later we’re in business.
After the session I continue Betty’s batch of custom mugs and sort out the fans and venting in the office to accommodate the new machine.
Once the mugs are finished I deliver them and get back home for lunch.
In the studio I prepare a 3D file in the hope I can get some wee sleeves to reduce the bolt holes in the Acoustasonic to take the slimmer carbon fibre neck bolts 3D printed. I upload the file to a 3D printing service but get an error saying the walls are too thin…the sleeves are just under .4mm and the thinnest walls the recommend printing are .5mm. I email for help.
Suddenly it’s time to head into Glasgow. We have some stuff top drop off then a Christmas social/networking event at the Scottish Music Centre.
I’ve booked a table at Celino’s in Partick for dinner. We’re a little early so enjoy a drink in the Lismore across the road before enjoying a lovely meal courtesy, in no small part, of some vouchers my cousin Fred gave me for my birthday back in August.
UP AT the crack of dawn to get into Glasgow for an appointment at the eye hospital.
All’s good, although the consultant recommends I get a cataract op on my right eye. I’d been to the optician a few weeks ago thinking I needed a prescription for long distance sight but as it turns out it’s cataract.
Next stop Costco, then the supemarket and home.
A load of wood was delivered earlier in the week so we stack it in the woodshed then I start prepping some Italian sausage sugo for dinner – Betty’s coming round later.
There’s a big order of custom mugs to be started. I get them going in the office and start sorting the venting and extractor system so I can add in the new machine.
I go and pick up Betty and we have a grand evening – first time she’s been for dinner since breaking her hip…
STRAIGHT into the studio for a run of online guitar sessions with some of myself students.
As well as sessions diaries for this morning I have some re-arranged to make way for yesterday’s physio appointment.
I go to the village hall with Margaret to take down some lights from Sunday’s event and enjoy a walk home in the crisp, frosty sunshine.
After lunch I get a message from Fiona to see if I want to go a walk up the hill with her and Nova. It’s still nice outside so I along and we have a good blether. Back home, Fiona stops for a coffee and chat with Margaret and I get on with some merch orders…
AN EARLY alarm to get the sourdough in the oven – then a shower and over to the studio to finish sorting the photos from yesterday’s Christmas lights switch-on and craft market.
I get the photos sorted before I have to leave for a physio appointment in Dumbarton. My shoulder symptoms leave the physio scratching his chin and reinforce my thoughts that it’s all to do with the nerve tumour on my upper left arm. Nevertheless, I get some exercises and a return appointment in January.
After some shopping I get him for lunch then into the guitar for a Zoom guitar session with one of my online students.
I do some work on thermal mugs for my Wildcats’ Facebook group members so I can show them in tonight’s livestream.
Next, a walk up the lochside then home to do some prep for the livestream….
I MAKE breakfast burritos and we have a long breakfast then chat and drink coffee until Tom and Helen head off around 2pm.
There’s some stuff to get done in the office then I bring various tubs and boxes of West Highland Way Gifts’ stuff into the house to sort out and price for tomorrow’s Christmas craft market at the lights switch on.
I also manage to finish off a brass plaque I’ve made with an embossed nativity scene.
We take a walk along to Betty’s and have an aperitif with her and Liz then back home for dinner and. relaxing rest of the night.
AFTER breakfast Margaret goes off to the village hall to sort some Christmas decorations in advance of Sunday’s light switch on and Christmas craft market. Alister and I go for a short walk.
Alister drops me off at the village hall and heads back up to Aberdeen and I help out with some stuff at the hall before we go to the local pub to be part of a crowd in some TV filming for New Year.
Our pals Tom and Helen are staying over tonight and – along with our neighbours Jess and Drake and another pal Joel –are gonna be part of our team (Wildcats!) at the local quiz tonight.
Have a grand night at the hall and we win the quiz! When we get home Jess and Drake join us for some snacks and a few drinks and we finish off the evening ion grand style.
