A still from the ‘public’ Wildcats’ livestream…watch it here
ONCE I have my first Zoom session with a guitar student out the way I set about sorting the tangle of power and other cables round our router, ethernet switch and a load of electrical stuff.
Having had to to re-jig everything to accommodate BT digital voice we ran out of useable power sockets. I ordered a good quality single track 12-way trailer and have been putting off ‘installing’ it and sorting out the mess. Today’s the day!
Not, of course, as simple as it should be. Sonos system problems ensue and take a good while to sort out. But I get it done.
I reheat a leftover pizza in the air fryer for lunch then work on some Loch Lomond pendant orders.
Next, there’s a new song idea to be developed…and some other guitar stuff to be worked on.
Early evening I take a stroll up the lochside then get back to the studio and set up for the Wildcats’ livestream which – for one week only – is going ‘public’ on my Facebook page rather than in the Wildcats’ group.
After another session with a Zoom guitar student I do the livestream which goes pretty much to plan!
After dinner I spend some time working on a plan to launch a Kickstarter campaign to get Devil May Care out on limited edition red vinyl.
NOT sure if it’s hay fever or the lurgy….cannae be a hangover as I’ve now not had any alcohol for 16 weeks!
Regardless of feeling crap, I get up and we have breakfast in the garden. I have some orders for the pewter/epoxy loch pendants to get underway, so I make a start and Margaret goes of to Doune to see Catriona and the kids.
Margaret’s asked me to set up an online survey to help in the formulation of a local place plan for our area. I take a laptop out into the sunshine and get it all set up for her to check over when she gets back.
We’re having pizza tonight and I do a little prep in the kitchen…I also start the sourdough for tomorrow mornings loaf.
Our pal Bill is live-streaming his monthly show tonight so once we’ve cleared dinner we sit down and enjoy the show…
WE have a bit of a long lie then breakfast out in the sunshine.
I get some tidying up done outside then help Margaret put ups midge screen on our bedroom window.
After lunch I make up some dough for bao buns. Tried this before and is was a disaster. Hopefully better this time.
While the dough’s resting I work on a new song in the garden.
The buns turn out OK…not great, but definately better than last time. I make an early dinner – just a snack as we’re off to an evening wedding reception across the road and there will, no doubt, be lotsa grub there. We have some of the steamed buns with panic chicken, pickled greens and sriracha mayo.
The wedding reception is great.. Beautiful evening on the lochside…and all just a minute’s walk from the house!
Prototype guitar necklace…showing promise but more work to be done!
NOT long finished breakfast when I get a message for someone urgently needing some West Highland Way Gifts’ items for a birthday present. They need them today as the birthday is tomorrow. I get on the case.
In the studio I work on some lyrics for a new song, taking a break for lunch then getting back to it.
I’m waiting on posters for the Kimaronock show. They should been here yesterday but the printer is obviously taking shite as. they’re still not here! The folks that run the Old Kirk trust are keen to get tickets before the weekend so I cycle over to Gartocharn in the sunshine and drop off five books of tickets.
It’s a lovely sunny afternoon for a bike ride but I crunch all the way there and back as I forgot to adjust my rear gears after changing the chain yesterday. I work on it when I get back home.
I start work on a wee guitar necklace idea and get a prototype made up. Promising, but needs work.
Next I prepare a bit of flank steak for Vietnamese beef then Rachel, her husband and kids rock up to pick up the stuff she ordered. We have a coffee and bother in the garden then I finish fixing the bike.
We nip along to Betty’s to take down her winter curtains then back home to get the grill going for dinner…
Custom orders for his’n’hers golden wedding key fobs…
A BOOKING enquiry for a local gig came in to me via Facebook last night…I passed to Margaret and she’s on it first thing after breakfast.
It’s a small gig – and the proposed fee considerably lower than we would normally accept, but Margaret negotiates and we have a deal. So Sunday 2 July, 1.30pm, I play Festival Americana at the Three Villages Hall, Arrochar.
I spend the next wee while getting it listed on my website and, along with some other UK shows, submitted to various UK listings sites.
There’s a couple of merch orders in – for both West Highland Way Gifts and Dave Arcari merch. Some items need made up so I sort all that out then a couple of custom “his’n’hers” keyfobs commissioned for a golden wedding gift.
Finally I get round to putting a new chain on the bike…a simple, but messy job that I’m glad to get done.
Betty comes round for dinner…Margaret’s on the cooking tonight -)
Very pleased with the way my first Loch Lomond pen want turned out…now available to order here
FIRST job is to finish off the tickets for the Kilmaronock show on 14 July….then more online gig listings for all the upcoming shows.
In the office I start messing with some ideas for a pewter and epoxy Loch Lomond pendant. Last week’s prototype casting was promising but needs some refinement. Much happier with the re-design and resulting item. I put it on sale in my West Highland Way Gifts’ online store and spread it around my socials.
After lunch I play some guitar in the studio and try to develop an idea I’ve been messing with for a while.
Later on the sun’s out so I take the laptop to the garden and get some admin work out the way.
We have a local community trust meeting in the evening. I’m not a trustee but give some communication support.
A FAIR bit to get trough today…and first stop is sorting the internet connection to the studio.
It’s not too difficult to get the network going, but there’s still some bits and bobs not working…or acting up.
Rather than sit and have my coffee in the office I take out out on the loch and have a wee paddle to Clairinch and back.
When I get back I create Facebook events for the upcoming Kilmaronock show (14 July) and the private garden concert (29 July) spreading links for the former and private invites for the latter.
After lunch I get some more work done and notice there’s a bike repair event in the village this afternoon so I take a ride down and catch up with he folks there who take a look at my noisy and ineffectual brakes. Cannae really find any cause….back to the drawing board. Been a good excuse for a ride tho’, and I order a new chain online just for good measure.
In the office I design and print tickets for the Kilmaronock show then Maragert gets home with the shopping – closely followed by Maggi who’s in to discuss some local stuff.
SOME custom key fobs to finish off first thing then it’s into the studio for a session with a Zoom guitar student.
BT have switched us over to ‘digital voice’ – fine and dandy, but the BT SmartHuib is pretty crap and we upgraded our router to a Netgear mesh to give better coverage in the garden and office. It also has a lot of extra functionality, including ability to set up a secure guest network and manage decided connected to the network. I have the SmartHub to a pal in Glasgow when I sorted out their internet problems a year or two ago.
However, BT’s digital voice requires the phone handset to be p[lugged into the router…and must be a SmartHub 2! My bad, really, as BT ‘own’ all the equipment they supply (although I’ve never heard of anyone having tor return anything)…so for sure they weren’t about to send me another. To make matters worse, these routers retail at £200 on BT’s website. Extortionate price for a piece of crap…! Anyway, Margaret found one own Amazon for £30 and today’s the day I have to try and integrate it into our network.
It’s a major pain in the ass trying to get routers to connect to each other and function they way I need them to. Eventually I get the phone working and the Netgear router pushing out connectivity. Some of our shit’s not working tho’….
Meantime, the sun’s out and I take the opportunity to spread some weedkiller and fix the squirrel feeder before hitting the studio and knocking up some artwork for the upcoming show at Kilmaronock Old Kirk on 14 July.
Not much prep for tonight’s Wildcats’ livestream so I play some guitar then have a quick wander up the lochside before my 7pm Zoom guitar student…then straight into the livestream.
After dinner I spend a few hours getting some of the other stuff on our network working…still some more to sort tomorrow!
Grand afternoon near Fishcross for a surprise garden concert at Phyllis’…
AFTER breakfast I dye a batch of custom leather keyring I’ve been making then pack the car.
I have a garden concert near Fishcross mid-afternoon but first we’re gonna see Catriona , Will and the kids.
Nice to see them and sit in the sun for an hours or two then we carry on to Phyllis’ place – Jeanetta has hired me to play a special surprise garden concert for her pal Olive – Phyllis’ sister – at a family/friends gathering and reunion before she heads back to Canada.
It’s an informal. low-key and fun way to spend the afternoon 🙂
