The kid steps into the room.... looks around and sneaks to the back of the class hoping my absence goes unnoticed. LOL! Hello guys and gals! Well I'm back... yesterday was the end of my first month at my new job, and well I can say, I'm finally back in the game after a brief hiatus which has been very good for me! This has been as far as work goes frankly the hardest month of my life, not only is starting a new career hard enough but the work itself is the hardest I've ever done. It's getting easier but going from an air conditioned office for ten years to jumping into the mid to upper 90's with 100% humidity I have no excuse to say I've been EXHAUSTED. Not so much mentally (a little because I'm learning things that are completley new to me) Laying 12 in water lines, gas lines, major road infrustructure projects, working in holes 15 ft above my head, and climbing out of them countless times a day, directional gas boring underground, throwing 60 lb. rods 8 ft. out of a hole, I drink about 20 bottles of water a day, dang near caught heat stroke twice, and yesterday sliced two fingers nearly off! Enough so it took stitches LOL but they are healing nicely.
I have been drained to the point of exhaustion, and am sunburned to where I'm nearly unrecognizable to friends and family, but I am finally back in the game! I'd decided to focus on work for one month and give writing a break, so I can focus on my job, especially with things like getting up at 4:30 am each morning, just all these changes were so much I made the decision to "bow out" for a month, and today is officially a month. So the KID IS BACK!!!
Had my 31st birthday come and go August 6th without much ado... I wrote one song the weekend before I started my new job a month ago, called E-Cigarette with a local artist named Kenna Danielle who is making some noise. I was able to attend my NSAI chapter meeting this past Monday to keep my head in the game, I find it's like an AA meeting for songwriters, lol it just gives me that little "umph" I need to get cracking again full speed ahead for the kid. I literally wrote on half of one verse in the last month. But family first for the last month, and I'm finally knowing the way our schedule at work goes that I do have plenty of time to write as we do have quite a bit of down time on SOME days...
For the last month I've come home, and played with the kids, and crashed... exhausted has been the flavor of the month. The Old Dawg sent me an email today riddled with swear words, and veiled threats (lol j/k) demanding to know my wherabouts, but i'd actually been planning on posting tonight before he emailed me. I've lurked a couple of times and read some really great info. Especially a few great exchanges between MAB and Philinocala...
Honestly I missed my friends on here, I hate having been off the radar for a month I feel like I need to go back and read up just to catch up, (which I probably will on and off this weekend) I've got a co-write wth a really great girl I've met through NSAI, she's a great writer, but doesn't play, but brings great lyrics and we write well together. Her dad plays and has his own REAL studio and plays himself. So Sunday afternoon I've got a co-write appt. with them, to finish a couple songs that the girl and I wrote about a month and a half ago.(I say girl she's 30) reminds me a bit of Meh as far as writing style (of course no WHERE near her level) but reminds me of Meh in many ways,
I just got off the phone again with Kenna a minute ago and am going to see her and Josh Fuller of Josh Fuller Band (Texas Artists) next Thursday at a large venue. It'll be nice to meet and network with Josh as he's making a lot of noise down here. Both of them have played Michael Berry's Redneck country club in Stafford, TX and Josh is basically his full time band at his Country Club/Music Venue he's a really popular Conservative radio host out of Houston, I know is syndicated in Portland, Birmingham, and a few other markets.
So all in all the kid is back in his groove, I've been laid up getting used to my new job, putting that first, but NEVER not keeping one ear to the business. And making sure I'm staying involved. But this break has really been good for me. Love the new job, but now I'm finally to a place where I know my job well enough, my routine, my kids routine, wife, etc. to know where I will have time for the balance. So the kids back in the game!
One piece of advice MAB always gave me was don't be like so many who expend so much energy that they "burn out" life happes, job changes happen, bills happen, and one day you'll look up and you've lost your love for this. The true test of if you are in it for the long haul is if you fight through it, keep all your family happen, and continue to do what you love. Well this last month has honestly tested me, and while I've never doubted my love for writing, I have felt exhausted to the point I question myself a time or two on if I was hitting the wall, well I wasn't life was just changing, I excepted that but NEVER just gave up, I always kept a toe in my local scene, but just needed a month off to get my literal household in order.
The kids back!!!!! I think this has been the best thing for me, it feels weird but I kind of feel wiser in a way, rocking back on my heels for a moment, taking a breather, which I really needed, but I'm back!!!!! Longwinded posts, tall tales, and Texas pride in full tow. LOLOLOL!! missed you folks!
p.s.
One more thing got a bit of good news today which I posted on my facebook. "I Wasn't No Angel" a song I wrote has been picked up by the major FM radio station out of Dallas/Ft. Worth 4 and a half hours from where I live, and he's been invited to play the Stockyards for it, so that was some great news. Of course I cant pick it up on my car radio down here, but i was on their website and saw it just got played like twenty minutes ago! FM radio and dallas is a big market! The kid is on cloud nine on that one!
Good to be back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!