"hellllp meeee..... i'm mellllltttttiinnnnggggg!!!!"

->did you know it's a 2 & a HALF hour drive to ridgecrest from frazier park? neither did i, til i got online that a.m. to get directions to the gig. crap! i hurriedly packed some bags & squealed off in my truck... it was a road race to the show, on dry desert & along the stunning formations of red rock canyon, & in a first, i got there ahead of everyone else! randy, mike, mark, everyone we met was really nice, but sound check was confusing. then it was time for... hurry up & wait. wait... wait... in ridgecrest!! temperatures soared & soared... bakersfield's temperate, by comparison! we planted ourselves in the shade & watched the other bands a little; rick & patty met a straw-hatted, suspendered, & bow-tied old fellow who'd been a dj in the '40s; i had a rootbeer snowcone; the paxtons kept urging me to eat "real food"... finally it was time to prep, & while using blowdryer & elmer's to plaster back bsp's hard rock mane (he claims he's gonna get a cut), we blew the circuits in the green room... as well as to the chinese food vendor's booth next door! oops!! "johnny cash" came in from his set, a bit traumatized by the sun-blazed stage, sweat-soaked in his black tailorcoat & ruffled shirt... stage manager randy later said, "i thought johnny cash was gonna die out there in that heat. i'm glad we didn't kill johnny cash!" we didn't feel the full punishment til we got out there ourselves. brutal! couldn't someone have built a stage overhang? oh well; it happens... upon starting our first song, i hit the keys & realized brian & scott were a half-step off me... they'd just tuned! their boiling strings went south that quickly!! the monitor mix was all keyboard... i couldn't hear rick at all - he'd set up far back... in the shade, the turkey! occasionally i'd look over at bsp in his black pants & gabardine cowboy shirt & hope he wasn't gonna croak onstage, himself. i bore down w/grim determination; everyone was wilting! the show must go on! anyways, we got some dancers, the audience, sitting out there w/no shade, responded happily enough for people melting like candlewax in an oven, & in the end, it was another show under our belts.
-> afterward, we rested & drank water & ate pizza & watched cadillac angels from the green room window. by the time they hit stage, the sun had set, the evening seeping into coolness... lucky angels!! they sounded \solid, w/mickey rae's steady & pumping doghouse bass & tony's link wray-style shreddings. "he sounds like phil alvin," commented lisa, & sure enough, i realized, tony's voice had a similar warm, keening quality, tho not PA's eccentric energy... phil alvin, laid back, in the body of a tall, relaxed, gentlemanly drink of water... here are a few pix from the day. you can see in one how tired & sweaty we were afterward! tho the dime-store child's dress i bought looked nice in some pix, from the stage, i looked ridiculous! - so if you want to see those pix, you'll have to look elsewhere. :)
-> all in all, good job, dusk devils! & thank you again to desert empire fair people for being so nice to us. :
-> well, everyone, what's up for halloween?? next wkend for me is show w/cattie ness & revenge down south, then i hope to hop over to halloween show w/whiteboy james & the blues express. still, it'd be nice to find some friday night deal in bako, since we'll be celebrating my ex-hubby b's "special" birthday that night! i'll keep my eyes open for local fun, & you do, too! :)
-> friends... gooooood.......... :) :)

"that reminds me - i haven't seen my son all day..."

one of my favorite scenes from my favorite marx bros movie -- actually, it's a tie between this & "a night at the opera," for me... :)

and if you get scared on the rollercoaster, hold my hand & move a little closer, doin' some huggin' & lovin' at the county fair

- dusk devils!!! we play sunday!!! don't miss the desert empire fair, ridgecrest, ca. we'll play a nice long set, 330-5 pm. before us is a johnny cash tribute band called walk the line & afterward will be roots rocker stalwarts cadillac angels (wanda jackson's backing band, among other accolades, as you might know!) & there might be other bands, too, cause this is "rockabilly day" at the fair... address is 520 s. richmond, ridgecrest, ca. the fair'll open at noon... the fair! the fair! the fair! whoopee!!!
- this wkend, too, is the opening of the new library in frazier park, saturday, 10 am... you should see the place -- it's huge & gorgeous! amazing to think such an edifice could be constructed & maintained in these times so dire for arts & education... i'm so looking fwd to seeing this new library! if you drive into frazier park, there's no way you can miss it: left at the post office off the main highway (the only light in town), then a right at park drive. just follow the signs!
- off to st vincent de paul now to do some art & make more friends & try to be of some use, for heaven's sake... my cousin the cop (i mean sheriff's dept chief public information officer) is having me design a patch for his motorcycle club, so i'll have something to draw myself today, not just stand around like the teacher... life is wonderful. how lucky can a person be? hope you feel the same today... & maybe to see some of you out at the desert fair! here's the website (don't look for us; i forgot to send in a picture): desert empire fair

how many legs does ynnej have?

how you? i fine. writing many songs. exercising a lot! got to do a 12-step call of sorts via phone last night. it helped me as much as the caller, i think! we hung up both resolved not to drink or use. my dear friend donna commented, "you may have saved a life tonight." wow! who could not be grateful? went to wonderful retreat last weekend. that is from whence came this "very special people" shot. how many legs do you count on my body? i like it! :)
gigs coming up, lots more travel, friends & family, meetings, music, life life life... so happy lately. all is well! love to you who read... due to my statcounter, i know for the most part who you are... so i mean love to you ALL.
as dear penni would say, "oh.... YAAAAAAHH..." :) :) :)

"hello!" and "i'm sorry!"

...here's the "hello!!" :) :)
margie evans "29 ways" .. thank you, gene taylor, for the link! :)
...here's the "i'm sorry!!" this is a picture from one of my porches, looking toward bakersfield last evening... check out the brown yuck!! so sad to think of all the friends & loved ones -- people, period!! -- living in that garbage!!

seester!!!!! i love you, seester!!!! :) :) :)

happy birthday!!!!! :) angie is such a devoted teacher and friend, as well as kind, bright, sunny, helpful, talented person... i so love my little seester!!! :) :) :) she actually is at via arte, an annual chalk art festival at bakersfield's marketplace, today with her students... she does it every year. she is so committed to art & to her students! i'm so proud of my sister! she makes good choices today. she is a really good woman! she loves, & is loved. :)
road trip!! today will be trip to blues jam in bako w/brian paxton, then fresno to hang out w/cattie ness & co... tomorrow, we record! only four songs, but should be super-fun, tho usually i DESPISE multi-track recording. i hope we do it live!! hope hope hope!! but if not, i know my friends & i will have a nice time. :)
out of the low spot of yesterday, i got a new song... & it's a good one! people who write songs know (i guess unless you're leiber & stoller, or chopin, or some fantastic, god-kissed composer) the ratio is 75% crap songs to 25% keepers. or maybe 90-10. the important thing is, when the fire's lit, nurse that thing! add to it! make it roar! after all, who knows when a dud will turn into a nugget of gold? :) in songwriting, just like all other writing, initially there can be no critic -- the flow is what's key. scrutiny comes later. anyways, i've written two keepers this past week!! one's a slinky rockabilly dance number, the other's a "goodbye" broken-heart kinda tune i hope will turn out like a blasters-like thingy. i do wish j the best. i hope he reads this & knows that.
- last night i dreamed i went to a party at phil alvin's house w/my friend the blues musician, & another musician -- who resembles a rail-thin charlie sheen -- was showing off & dominating the conversation. he then called me a filthy name & my friend, who used to be a boxer, turned, &, still smoking his cigarette, punched the other guy's lights out. i woke smiling a bit, realizing i feel safe these days, not just in the universe's flow (which doesn't guarantee good will happen to me, but which has purpose & beauty i can find reassurance in), but with my friends...
that's all for now. gotta get ready to hit the road. xo & happy weekend to all!

sick

- must stop drinking out of glasses after others. and shaking hands. and hugging! and kissing! and gallivanting! must stop driving 800 miles in 5 days, hanging out with friends who've been sick as well as sleep-deprived party animals, eating junk food, exercising on little sleep, staying up over 24 hours at a time.
- no - wait; that all was fun fun fun. but i need a 2nd body to withstand the pounding!!!
- dizzy when stand. fever. throat killing me. entire body freezing cold, all stoved up all day. then the weather changed. it's 40 degrees all of a sudden!! that does not tend to help this human barometer's health...
- only the leftover butt of a kool, discovered under a pile of papers, helped, many hrs ago. know this is some sign of dying, that a smoke would help the pain & sickness. i mean, i'm not even a smoker, by trade!!!
- what happened to this house? cigarette butts in the sink. towels and rugs everyplace. dirty dishes and clothes. the fridge left open. remnants of fried meals. empty booze bottles. in MY trash!! (no, i didn't drink them... also, i haven't emptied the recycling in weeks, & there've been lots of musicians visiting.) electric piano left on for 11 hours. well, at least the instruments got played a bit!
- just got "in a relationship" with my sister's stunning friend kristin. long have wanted to be "in a relationship" w/someone on facebook. facebook would not allow me to be "in a relationship" with the ghost of boris karloff, new orleans louisiana, doug, the cute little dog from the animated movie "up," or even grottu orloff, the cyber monster. apparently, a person's got to be "in a relationship" with a real human being on facebook. i mean, how discriminatory is that?
- kristin has "bride of frankenstein" all over her house. she can really cook up a mean bellywarmer of a meal. and she is gorgeous. maybe it'll go someplace. problem is, i like men and so does kristin. we're both rather super-hetero, in fact. so i guess how especially nice of her to fill my facebook need. this monster must find her mate. or at least have some bs one acknowledged... i think kristin felt the same way. :)
- fb flirting indiscriminately with others male & female. seeing boundaries not just eroding, but a gullywasher of inappropriateness imminent. danger, danger! pried self off facebook, but not after embarrassing exchange w/kristin about eating tuna.
- raining like heck outside all day. i think i forgot to close my truck. my keyboard's in there as well as left-over gear the inebriated musicians decided to keep with me. this tho i won't even see them maybe for weeks or months. there's also fog. rain all up and down california. people have called asking if there's snow. fishing for a visit. come on up! i'll be the pile laying in the corner, listening to 5 royales radio on pandora. apparently pandora is stupid. they have 5 royales listed as "5 royals." just in case you want to add that station.
- so... cold... ohhhhhhh... goodbye...

i had one drink, two drinks, maybe 3 or 4, when i was through, it wouldn't let me go

- that is a ronnie dawson song i just really relate to... was sitting @ the doll hut in anaheim yesterday post-afternoon set w/cattie ness & revenge w/an enormous, friendly boy-man named goat, best pal of johnny rage. sweetly inebriated, he touched my triangle ring & mouthed the name of my secret society of non-drinkers (i couldn't hear him cause of the slamming psychobilly trio onstage)... i nodded yes & he suddenly looked a little... i don't know... comforted? recalcitrant? respectful? sometimes when i've met fellows & then they find out i don't drink, & even more, my affiliation & its implications (rode hard, hung up wet, still living, maybe wiser), the dynamic changes & suddenly i'm the teacher or someone to be protected from king alcohol, which i wouldn't touch if it were handed to me, anyway... but i always feel relieved when that change occurs, which it often does in my experience of bars w/men, who tend to offer drinks as icebreakers to conversation, especially if a gal's in "the band." i'd rather be the teacher -- someone from a world of safety & sobriety, not necessarily someone who can impart knowledge, but just that reliable figure that casts a guy's memory back to childhood innocence -- than a piece of meat. plus i always hold the hope for someone, cause there sure are a lot of folks in the music world who are suffering due to the bottle, the smoke, & the line... not to mention the needle, but then, i have no experience w/that. not yet, anyhow. (i have so many "yets".)
- what a wonderful trip i had to visit donna & family... ruben, her ex, my long-time friend, too, showed up & we all went to guitar center & donna the amazing somehow got 3 guitar cases for $1 each & a danelectro for 50 bucks! she is, after all, queen of scores... we went to the fair, our yearly tradition, & had the most lovely time, agreeing that the evening, the weather, the lights, the dramatic skies, the laughing crowds, the exhibits, the aromas, were magical (also, we saw beautiful farm animals & whimsical artwork! i held a scorpion! donna enthused near- orgasmically about her 1st elote w/parmesan cheese & lemon!)... then donna had a family reunion &, so happy for her, i too was honored to be the only non-family member there as we sat in the backyard @ her sis's house someplace off the 10 & ate beef stew w/carrots & potatoes, beans & cornbread & smelled, alternately, the pungent aromas of guava tree or marijuana bush, depending on how the wind changed. :)
- next day was lunch w/stepson cody &, over eggs & toast, i was delighted to learn he is in love. :) then i headed to gig at doll hut, stuffed into rockabilly jeans i've not worn for 7-8 yrs. becky fixed my hair in a swinging ponytail (as in, "i got my hair fixed in a ponytail, so when we dance, it can really sail") & we got onstage & had a rollicking fun set! it was super-loud & fast, which i love! afterward, we all hung out w/the goat & fabi's friends & adam kept joking about the smoke i had saved in my cleavage (i actually had some -- cleavage, that is -- for this show, wearing the dia de los muertos shirt walter -- who didn't show up -- had given me). becky rode w/me & delighted me w/ribald & frank stories as we caravanned back to flying j & then she hopped back in to ride home w/hubby john & adam, but while still @ the hut, i waited a bit for my friend to show up... he did not bc he'd gotten lost after playing a central cali show: wanting to get away from fans & demands + too much hair of the dog caused him to miss his ride, so now looks like i'll chauffeur him & another musician, who also got lost, home. i should get gas money from it, maybe a meal, some smokes (i don't smoke really, but will if they're greens!), some laughs, some cool music... and dusk devils, i hope, will get a gig or two out of it all. not to mention that i always hold the hope for ppl i know, whether i dislike, like or love them, that they will, if needed, put down the bottle, smoke, or line & pick up the proffered keys to the kingdom. you never know who'll find this thing, tho it certainly is only for those who realize THEY need it. it's not for me to decide for them, most definitely... i hope the trip will be an adventure!
- another upshot is, since i'll be in the southland, i can go to the barndance tonight, mebbe! perhaps manuel will show up if i call him... hope you who read this have a good & safe week. it's beautiful up here on the mountain, & i hope it is there, too, wherever you may be... :)