Reading: Fair Folk
Music: Steve Kaufman's Celtic Workout
TV/Movie: Millennium
Link o' the Day: The Internet Movie Database

Well it's been a long few days gone past. Friday afternoon I started to feel the onset of a nasty little headcold of some ilk, and pretty much slept away the following Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Tuesday i was back in action, and catching up for lost time. I skipped the Irish music session this week in order to catch up on the very long Guy Williams book which is within spitting distance of being finished (the first draft, at least).

I didn't practice any fiddlin' over the past few days because my head just wasn't in the place for it, but I did nail down Father Kelly's Reel and most of the Yarmouth Reel on the mandolin. My goal is to learn at least one new song per week. (the criteria being able to play it through twice in a row with no noticeable flubs.) I recently picked up Steve kaufman's 4-Hour Celtic Workout book (with 4 CDs). It looks like a pretty good exercise course for guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. Maybe even other instruments. My only criticism is that rather than playing the lead tune just once out of the three run-throughs, it should be twice, with the last run-through just playing the rhythm. Maybe if he had the lead on both speakers for the first run, then on just one speaker for the second run, that would satisfy more people. Ah well. I should get some good use out of it just the same, and found mandolin/fiddle music for a couple of songs I hadn't yet been able to find music for.

Been writing in fits and starts. Trying to get the ball rolling on some incomplete projects. Still awaiting to hear back from a number of markets. Ah, the waiting is the hardest part. Still sloughing through FAIR FOLK and taking notes for a review to post at Tangent Online. For the most part it's going to be a very positive review. Some minor issues here and there, but if'n you're wondering what to pick from the SFBC, I'd recommend this quite readily.

The wedding plans are already being laid out. I admit, I thought she was kidding at first, but apparently it's no joke that reception halls are best reserved nearly two years in advance--both for reasons of cost and availability. Who knew? Pretty Maggie now has a book (the first of several, I imagine) guiding her through all this. We're both very happy and excited. I think we're both looking for a speedy passage of time for her to finish grad school.

Back to work for me. Today's link goes to one of my favorite internet time-wasters: The Internet Movie Database. Want to find trivia on movies, TV, and video games? Quotes? Cast and bios? Goofs? A great place to waste time while waiting for more work to cross the desk.

Cheers!