STRAIGHT into the studio after breakfast – I’ve not done as much prep for tonight’s radio show as I shoulda done!
As usual I end up going down a load of rabbit holes with the music and enjoy occasionally take a break to play some guitar.
I’d hoped to get out a walk but everytime I get to the point I can take a break ti’s pishing rain!
The radio show goes too plan and although it's taking a lot more time than I’d like, I’m really enjoying doing it. Maybe it’’ll be less of time sucker as I get more experience.
As soon as the radio show is done I get the grill heating for smash burgers…and chill.
IT’S a nice calm morning when I wake up so I head out onto the loch for a pre-breakfast paddle and do a wee livestream to try and help promote tomorrow’s (Sunday) radio show.
After a shower and breakfast I grab the wee drone and capture a flyover of the affordable housing site in the village. I did same a few weeks ago and it’s interesting to see the progress. It’s coming on really well.
Next job it to go and grab some video of Betty’s flowers – her window boxes and decking area are resplendent in culture and blooms and she asked if I could video it for her. If course I’m not happy to just snap it on my phone so the Osmo Pocket and drone cameras are called into action.
Back home I do a little more prep for tomorrow’s radio show and then edit both the affordable housing site and Betty’s flower videos.
WE HAVE a (really!) long lie – no idea why we’re both so tired. It’s so late that Margaret gets a pack of smoked salmon from the fridge that’s at it’s use by date and we have smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for brunch!
I haven’t checked any of the incoming music submission for radio airplay for a week and spend a good couple of hours in the studio going through all the music. There’s only two tracks I earmark for Sunday’s show. There’s nothing wrong worth any of the other stuff, it just isn’t appropriate for my show.
With tomorrow’s show in Gullane pulled I spend the time working on new ideas rather than rehearsing a set.
It’s a nice evening and I go for a walk up the lochside then join Margaret at Betty’s for an aperitif 🙂
THE WATER went off last night and although we were told it could be off all day today (Thursday) it’s back on when we get up. Early.
That’s good as I need a shower and we need to be away by 7am for Margaret’ hospital appointment in Glasgow.
We get into twin in good time and once we’re done we go for a visit, a work render round the shops then off to Costco and Tesco for the week’s shopping.
I have an online guitar session when we get back then spend some time testing Betty’s ideas for notating guitar parts the some of my songs. I might even do banjo too!!!!
I’m about to go fora walk when a car pulls up – another guitar student who I’d forgotten I as coming. Somehow I missed the diary alert. No harm done and we have a good session.
Once done I shut up the studio, go back to the diary and make some pasta for dinner.
A LONG(-ish) lie for the firs time in a while, After breakfast and routine admin stuff I hit the studio.
I’m keen to re-visit ways to tab/notate some of my songs. A song book might be a good seller on the merch table and I could maybe do a digital version too for instant delivery/download. My overses online sales have plummeted in the lat year thanks to US tarrifs and Brexit-induced customs fees….plus huge increases in postage costs…so I’m keen to explore digital stuff that won’t require carriage and customs.
The hurdle has always been truism to figure out what I’m playing! I’ve tried using MIDI pickups, AI tools and all kinds of stuff over the years but it all fails miserably. Maybe advances in the tech will make it more accurate - even a starting point so I can edit and tidy up the tab/notation.
It’s a rabbit hole tho’.
Eventully I break free and go out for a walk…no real progress and a fried brain!
Margaret’s off to an evening meeting and I prep a Vietnamese cold beef and noodle salad for alter….
A NINE o’clock session with an online guitar student. Then I get busy editing all the video footage from Friday’s boat trip on Loch Katrine.
While the video is being ingested into FInal Cut I go to the village for a swim and get back in time for lunch.
I spend a good few hours int eh studio editing the 90-miutes’-worth of footage from the trip into a three-minute video, upload it to my YouTube channel but keep it unlisted then share the link with everyone.
Next job is to get an e-ail out to ally he Scotland-based folks on my email post to the them know Saturday has been cancelled and announcing the rest of the year’s Scottish dates.
There’s time for a quick walk in the woods before we go find to Betty’s for dinner…and I fit a new movement t her ‘gin clock’ that hasn’t worked in years.
A BUSY day for me – I start with a couple of online guitar lessons and get som admin out the way before Dai, Liza and auntie Glo arrive. They’ve checked out their accommodation but don’t need to leave for the airport ‘til about 3pm.
I have some online merch orders to make up and get in the post and some other stuff to do in the studio but pop over and chat over coffee from time to time.
They’re not long away when my afternoon guitar student and her mum rock up and we have a good session and blether.
Back int eh studio I start prep for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook – no time for a walk or anything but I do manage to return the electric buggy we borrowed for auntie Glo and wander back home in time for the livestream.
MARGARET’S birthday. Seventy. Wow! I give her gifts then I get up and start putting up gazebos and start getting the garden ready hope this afternoon’s celebrations.
Matty goes for a run, Mikey goes a walk and Margaret makes breakfast then Dai, Liza and auntie Glo drop int o say happy birthday to Margaret. They all go a drive and will be back in an hour or two for ‘the party’.
I marinade some chicken and flank steak for the grill, make mozarella and tomato salad and some special size for the chicken. Once the enough food prep is done I get backs to the garden and get the grill and everything sorted.
I’m ahead fo schedule when Catriona, WIll and the kids arrive closely follows by Dai, Liza and auntie Glo….and Betty joins us too.
The grill does well and all the grub goes down a storm. We have a fantastic afternoon then Matty and Les hit the road before Catriona, Will and the kids head for home.
We sit outside and enjoy a few more drinks before moving indoors where we continue to chat and enjoy a few drinks. Been a grand day 🙂
DAI AND Liza drop Auntie Glo off here after their breakfast ant the Oak Tree and head off to Edinburgh for the day.
We all have breakfast then I hit the studio to get tomorrow’s (Sunday)radio show pre-recorded – it’s Margaret’s 70th tomorrow and we have a big day and I don’t wanna be messing around withy radio shows!!!
After lunch Margaret, Les, Auntie Glo and Mikey go to the flower show while I finish off recording the radio show. I get a call from the promoter of next Saturday’s show saying they’ve only sold 35 tickets so they’re going to cancel. I’m not very happy but not in the mood to argue and just say ‘fine’ and I take it down form as many inform places as I can.
With a week to go, upcoming local press feature and walk ups I’d have been confident of a full – or nearly full – house…on one hand I understand the cold feet, but on the other I get frustrated when folks pull the plug and are unwilling to trust that it will be OK on the day. It also underlines the need for folks to buy tickets in advance…otherwise risk the promoter getting cold feet.
Matty had stopped in at the flower show and come back with the others.
I’ve got a couple of bacon-wrapped pork loins in the smoker….and everything’s pretty much ready when Dai and Liza get back from Edinburgh.
UP EARLY to get paddleboards and stuff sorted before Dai and Liza bring Auntie Glo up to the house.
Dai decides it might be better to use a kayak 'cos his back and hip are playing up and we're all on the water before 10am.
I take them up to Port Bawn on the far end of Inchacailloch and we have a grand morning before getting ready to go to Loch Katrine – we're meeting Mikey, Les, Catriona and the kids to go for a family boat ride and high tea on the Sir Walter Scott steamship.
We have a brilliant time then Catriona takes the kids home and Les and Mikey come back to ours for a night of dinner, drinks and 90th birthday celebrations for Auntie Glo.
