Studying hard/ly studying

Sorry for my blog silence over the last week. I'm in the midst of taking my doctoral qualifying exams. Here's a little glimpse of what that looks like:

You can see that there's dust on this guitar. A sad commentary on the state of my life at present.

books.

more books.

still more books.

supplies. I probably went through a thousand page flags. I'm not exaggerating. Also, Lucky Cat says "hi."

This week, things got really exciting as I created a giant poetry timeline in dry-erase marker on my mirror. Of course, it looks like I just went crazy, for real this time, but it is, indeed, a huge timeline. And this isn't even the finished version:

Why, yes, that's a crazy cat-lady calendar on the wall. Don't judge.

So, that's my life, right now. Today I have my third written exam, and after that, Adam and I will be dusting off those guitars to prepare for the Tourette Syndrome Scholarship Benefit Show this Saturday night. We'd love to have those of you in the Dallas area join us!

Now, it's time for another marathon paper-writing session. Wish me luck!

Tourette Syndrome Scholarship Benefit Show

We are honored to be sharing the stage with some wonderful singer-songwriters for the first (and we hope not last) benefit concert for a new tourette syndrome scholarship fund. Read all about the scholarship here. This scholarship has been set up by the fabulous musician, Tito Ortega, whose music you will also get to hear at the concert. There is no cover charge for the event, but participants are encouraged to donate, as all donations will go to the scholarship fund. The show is on March 31st at Opening Bell Coffee. We go on at 7:30, but you should come early and stay late to hear all the great musicians and enjoy the delicious beverages and lovely atmosphere of Opening Bell.

The Houston Adventure Part Two

So there we were, stranded in Humble. But things were looking up. We got a good quote for our car problem, spent gift card money on tasty Starbucks beverages, and we soon got word that some friends of friends in the area wanted us to play at their church on Sunday morning. So, we went off to amuse ourselves in Old Town Spring.

Apparently, Old Town Spring has world famous hat makers. Who knew?

So...it's not kettle corn? I'm confused by the quotation marks. And "the good stuff" just raises all sorts of questions about what goes into that sweet and salty treat. 

The next morning, we played at this church full of wonderful people. And when they heard about our car troubles, they significantly lightened the weight of our CD case (and our minds, contemplating that mechanic bill) with their generous purchases and donations! We made new friends, were treated to some really delicious home-cooked food and, except for sleep deprivation and clothes that were starting to be able to stand up on their own, we ended up with a pretty great weekend!

Of course, that didn't mean we weren't ecstatic on Monday at noon when we got the call that our car was fixed and ready to go.

On the road again!

I never thought I get so much wear out of those pants. By the end of the trip, plum was a new neutral .

So that's our story. Not that dramatic, but the generosity of old friends and new acquaintances in taking us into their homes, feeding us, driving us around, and getting us paying gigs for the weekend was truly remarkable, making it a weekend that I won't soon forget. Thank you, Houston-area! May we meet again much later, under better circumstances.

The Houston Adventure Part One

As you already know, last weekend we had the pleasure of playing an intimate acoustic show at Half Price Books in Humble, TX. (Just outside of Houston). This is the story of how a 2 hour gig became a 4-day weekend.

We set out on Friday with plenty of new mix CDs to get us through the 4 1/2-hour drive from Dallas to Houston, with every intention of driving home that night after the gig.

This suitcase only had CDs in it. Later, I would regret that.

When we arrived in the town of Humble, just a few miles from the bookstore, we smelled something funny. We assumed it was the dicey-looking Waffle House we had just passed. (Don't get me wrong; I love Waffle House, but that one looked dicey). Then smoke began to pour from our air-conditioning vents, and we quickly pulled over.

Stranded in Humble.

Luckily, our friend and organizer of the Half Price Books event was able to pick us up, feed us, and get us to the gig on time, which turned out to be a lovely evening.

If I had known I would be wearing them for 4 days in a row, I might not have chosen plum pants.

Adam brought his wonderful 9-string baritone guitar.

Bookstores make me happy.

After the gig, we rushed away to meet the tow-truck, which took the car to the only mechanic in Humble who was going to be open the next day (Saturday). The same friend who rescued us from being stranded also graciously provided us with a place to stay. And I ended the day feeling a little more like a "real" musician who goes out on the road and breaks down and hopes that tip money and CD sales will save the day. 

Hmmm... Don't see much cash in that jar; we could be in Humble for a while!

Would our car be fixed? Would we get back to Dallas by Monday morning? Would we make our time in the Houston area worthwhile?

Find out, in part two!