And So it Goes…And So it Goes

I have always loved that Billy Joel song….which, I might add, had a bit of scandal attached to it because the melody is distinctly reminiscent of a Billy Bragg song, also compelling in it’s nature….so it goes!

And, so here goes, catching you up on my musical adventures, mommyhood, and all the rest….Rest? What’s rest? Ha ha ha. Just kidding. Doncha worry. I get some resting in there, you know it!

MAY 29th, TUESDAY

Had our first kids board meeting to talk with a select group of kids about SUPER PAL UNIVERSE, the television program we are creating. That’s all I”m allowed to say, but know that, of course, the kids were informative, funny, touching (not each other, silly…I mean in word!), shy (at first) and insightful. This is going to be a great thing. We met at the Gibson showroom, where we have also held auditions with the kids a few weeks back. Thanks to Gibson for providing the space and lots and lots of snacks and Izzie!

MAY 30, WEDNESDAY

Met with Bob Van Steenburg to talk more about the “Music For Life” series we are putting together for the Texas Coalition Against the Death Penalty. (You can read more if you scroll down here in my blog….)

Met with Pat Forgione, Superintendent of Austin Independent School District (AISD). He was very kind and served lunch! As we munched in his office, we talked about the Recording Academy and our Grammy Career Day. I was meeting with Mr. Forgione, who is very amicable and helpful, to discuss the event and also to talk about Super Pal Universe. I give Mr. Forgione an A+!

Went on a private dinner cruise with Lance on Town Lake. And I mean PRIVATE! Just the two of us, a languid trip down the river in a boat built for eight with luxurious leather seating in the oval, Lance steering the way (Captain Lance, I dubbed him) and a full spread of fajitas and champagne on the tiny dining table between us. The sun was setting, the birds were chirping, hardly anyone but the occassional skuller passing us by. The reflection of the orange and purple sky on the dark waters was gorgeous, and being in the midst of all the green, full trees, bending over as if to kiss us with encouragement, was stunning and very, very relaxing.

This was part of a package I won for Lance in the Valentine’s Day Poetry concert sponsored by Chez Zee and the Austin American Statesman.
I submitted an incredibly goofy poem about Lance, and also a heartfelt story of why he is such a fine husband/partner/dad, in 100 words or less, and won 2nd place!!! Woo-hoo! We received gift certificates for Chez Zee, the private dinner boat cruise, flowers from Austin Flowers, and a one hour massage….I put all the gift certificates in hand-decorated envelopes and gave them to Lance as his Valentine’s surprises….

MAY 31, Thursday

Went to the Tax Trailer to talk with our amazing accountant, Vicki. We are learning the difference between contract labor and employee, and will be hiring Mollie as our first employee, which means, in essence, we pay her taxes for her instead of assuming she will take care of them herself, which is what everyone else in the office has done all these years. We are excited to be able to give Mollie the official title of “Employee”! I have also become an S Corp, as I have been an LLC all these years. Probably boring stuff to put here, but the more I learn about the business side, the safer I feel, especially nowadays with the government more and more in our business (meaning EVERYONE’s business!!)

Packed for the trip to Los Angeles this weekend.

The girls have been taking art camp at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Edie’s Retreat. Lots of beautiful ideas coming to fruition that we get to hang around the house and enjoy!

JUNE 1, Friday

Lily went out with me to Georgetown, Tx to play at the library for a children’s show….aha….or should I say, “ahem…” cuz when we got to the library, it was closed! Then we realized, DUH!, it was around the corner in a new location, so Lily carried the cds in a box and I carried the guitar and we walked over and up the stairs. NICE library! We walked into an un-air conditioned room FULL of kids and moms (and two dads, hello!) and got to work. The press was there, snapping pictures immediately! They had no P.A., only a lav mic that sounded like ca-ca unless I held it directly in front of my lips, which, of course, would be impossible since I play the guitar, and they had no MIC STAND, and then proceeded to tell me they had paid thousands upon thousands for this new sound system and I wanted to take them in my arms and give them all a nuggie and actually said, “I WILL BUY YOU A MIC STAND and donate it to the library” cuz I could imagine Joe McDermott or Laura Freeman or some other children’s performer getting there and also wanting to hand out nuggies….Anyway, just one of the things you learn to flow with so I announced in my loudest voice, “Ok, everybody! We have no sound system today, but can you hear me?” to a resounding roar of YES!!!!!!!!! and, thus, I performed. AND Lily sang, as well, and did a lovely, heartwrenching version of “Look At Me” to which the mothers all want to come up afterwards and give her lots of accolades, and it makes me so happy to see Lily enjoying her gift! It has also become a summer job, in which I give her monies for coming out to help me at the library shows. This year we actually negotiated her price…I started waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too high, and she looked at me and said, “Mom, really. You need to come down. That is a ridiculous price!” So, flattered she would be so wise and generous, I slashed the amount in half and said, “How about…?” to which she countered with another, higher offer, and I accepted. That kid! She’s off to a confident start!

My mother-in-law came out to the show, and we hugged and she stayed to help Lily and I sell cds, then we had to pack up and ska-doodle back to Austin where I grabbed my bags, kissed the family goodbye, left Lily in the air conditioned house (whoo, thank goodness!) and off I went with Kristin, my friend and back up singer who had joined us at the house, off to the airport to fly to Los Angeles for a show….TONIGHT.
Yes, you read that right.

We landed at 6 pm, got our bags almost right away (after a friendly conversation with a man from New Zealand who I could have sworn was a surfer dude, and I was right! but he now lives in Phoenix and sells telecommunications…promised he’d come to the show…yea….did he? no, he did not!), got on the shuttle, Kristin started to haul all our bags/guitars off the shuttle while I ran to the counter, ahead of the crowd, to get our rental car….We got in the car, drove the 11 miles to McCabes (which seemed like 1349 miles due to L.A. time constraints, also known as ridiculous traffic!) got to McCabes at 7:30, did a quick sound check, ran back upstairs to put on makeup and warm up our voices, made a set list, BOOM! downstairs to do our show.

Afterwards, chatted with the folks in attendance, including Keith Holzman (brother of legendary Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra) and I was so delighted to see him! So many nice people…

I’ll have to write more later…gotta go get ready for today’s life!
XO
S