Is it a problem if I'm already sick of driving??

I had so much fun at The Rider Inn last night, that I just didn't want to leave this morning! (Maybe the other reason I didn't want to leave was because I knew I might be sick of being in the car by the time I reached Chicago, but who knows...)

Anyway, I tried to keep myself entertained with my camera. The first milestone of the day...my car reached 75,000 miles! And I happened to look down at that exact moment! So I thought, I should definitely share that with you. Aren't you glad? Plus, you'll notice, that it was a much cooler day today. Only 80 degrees, phew.



Then, I saw the worst tarp job on the back of a truck ever. Keep in mind, I spend a lot of time in Mexico and I married an Eagle Scout, so I know a thing or two about knots. And if I don't know how to do it or don't know the name of the specific knot, I at least know more than to ever leave the driveway with a loose tarp! This thing was flapping like crazy...unacceptable.



After I overcame my shock at the lack of tying ability (seriously, it's not that hard...) I pulled up next to a tractor-trailer truck that had THREE trailers! I've never seen such a thing! I had to snap a photo to prove that it existed. Right after I nearly killed myself trying to take the photo and prove to all of you that such a thing does exist, I passed about seven more. So, it turns out it's not that big of a deal. Bummer. I thought I had made some kind of trucking discovery.



After the truck disappointment I started trying to take a photo of a hawk that was flying around over the highway...seriously impossible, I don't know what I was thinking. Then I started just taking photos of the green fields...they're beautiful, but as you can see...quite boring.



After a LOT of green field photos (you can look at my iPhoto library later if you're up for it!) I saw an exit for Bryan and decided that might be a good place to pull off and walk around.



Boy am I glad that I did. The first thing to find me in the parking lot...the Fun Finder!! Now some of you know, Bryan and I have been looking for a new place to live, and I think I have found it. It's a score, and it's actual name is the Fun Finder! Who wouldn't want to live in that? Plus, I'd never have to rent a hotel room on a tour again!!



When I got inside the rest area, I bought a soda and some Gardetto's (I like to gold-mine the brown circles) and with the change I thought it would be cool to make one of those flattened pennies. Well, I picked the "I Love You Ohio" design because I had such a good time last night, but the machine was off by just a tiny bit I think, because my penny only reads..."I Love You hio". That means nothing. But I put it in my car anyway as a little momento.



I know you're dying to know all of these details, but I just have one more crazy thing to tell you, and then I'll fill you in on Chicago. As I was driving and trying to take pictures of flying hawks I saw something coming at me through the air. I thought it was a bird (like a robin or sparrow or something) because it was so big and dark, so I was pretty upset when it HIT THE FRONT OF MY CAR! I felt really bad, but then went back to photo taking because I was very focused on the hawk picture. Anyway, long story short, as I was returning to my car with my souvenir penny I noticed something in the grill of my car. It was a huge, beautiful black and yellow butterfly. Poor guy was probably just flying along and then, BAM right into my car. Didn't even know what hit him. Either that or he was suicidal. I guess we'll never know.



After all of this excitement...I arrived in Chicago. Tonight was a tough show because people who thought they were going to make it couldn't, people who were on their way got stuck in traffic, and so on. But those of us who were there had a lot of fun! My friend from college, Kirsten came, and I haven't seen her in so long! And tonight I'm sleeping at my friend Luke's house. We were just figuring out how long we've known each other...we met in the 3rd grade or so! Can you believe that? Not only that, but we dated briefly in the 4th grade. It was a relationship that lasted a few weeks, but we worked through the awkwardness after the breakup and we've been able to stay friends. Luckily, Julia (his wife) is cool with me (his ex) staying here.



Now, for those of you who couldn't make it this time to The Bourgeois Pig...you've got to get over here whether there's live music or not! Check out this cookie! It was so delicious...and almost bigger than my head!



So tonight, I get to sleep on a nice comfy couch in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Not too shabby! I have been thinking about home and hoping that everything is going well for Bryan and Buddy there, and believe it or not, just as I was thinking about them this photo came into my inbox. Are you kidding me? I leave for a week and the dog is being walked on a power strip cord?? Somebody mail Bryan a leash!



Goodnight!

Painesville Rules.

I know it's morning, but I only have a few minutes (I need to hit the road to Chicago...) and really wanted to get this posted!! Here's what I wrote last night! See you later at the Bourgeois Pig in Chicago!

Ok, so it's a quick blog entry tonight because I'm really tired, and have a lot of driving to do tomorrow!! First of all, leaving PA was fine, but I was a little sad that I didn't see any Amish buggies along the interstate. (Believe me, I was looking...for some reason I've loved the Amish since I was a little kid.) So, when I pulled into the "Welcome to Ohio" rest stop, you can imagine how excited I was when I found some Amish Cheddar Cheese Corn...a.k.a. cheese popcorn. It was delicious! I tried to eat the entire bag, but couldn't quite finish, so I'll see if I can finish it up tomorrow.



While I was driving, I also had another HUGE driving reminder that I was no longer in New England...I saw my first Waffle House sighting of the trip! I didn't stop in, because I really wanted to get into town, but I snapped a quick photo out of the window.



The drive from Pittsburgh to Cleveland isn't that long, and it's really quite easy. But I took my time and stopped to get gas, lunch, etc. I made sure that I was feeling wide awake. When I arrived in Painesville (which is where I played, just outside of Cleveland) I stopped in to visit the couple that I was staying with. Now I've never met these people before, they're friends of friends, so I was a little nervous at first. But I was put to ease instantly when a man (closely resembling David Crosby) walked out of the door to welcome me. There's a photo coming up, but you're not going to believe the likeness between this guy and Crosby. Amazing. Anyway, he told me to unload my stuff when I could because there was a parade in town and he wanted to make sure that I would be able to park and unload my stuff at the venue. Everything worked out well, I unloaded my duffle bag at his house and then brought my guitar and keyboard over to The Rider Inn so that we could start getting set up.

As I was getting set up, again, the parade was mentioned to me, so I decided to head out and see what I was missing. Am I glad that I did? Absolutely. I took TONS of photos. A guy that was sitting next to me, actually asked me if I knew someone in the parade because I was taking so many. Whatever.

This first photo is just amazing...have you ever seen a 4-H group pulled in a parade by a huge tractor?!



Ok, photo #2, also amazing...have you ever seen a State Representative promote his/her office with a huge silver rocket ship?



Photo #3, if I love the Amish, it's partly because I love horses so much, so I just had to take this photo...they're so pretty!!



Ok, and the last parade photo was completely necessary...this town has it's own department of mosquito control. Seriously. The guy who asked me why I was taking so many pictures let me know how important this department was. I am now informed as to why Painesville, OH needs mosquito control.



Soon after the parade the show started. I had a great time. This is a cool place (The Rider Inn) with a lounge/tavern room and that's where I played. Upon speaking with some of the workers I found out that this place used to be a part of the Underground Railroad. Now, again, if you know me at all, the fact that I saw Amish popcorn, horses, and hung out in a place that was a part of the Underground Railroad, you know that by this point I was going nuts! Harriet Tubman was one of my heroes as a child!! I know it may make me strange, but I don't care.

Besides that, they believe that the place is haunted. It was built in 1812, and the innkeeper's third wife, Suzanne, mysteriously died near the fireplace (where I was playing!!). They have had ghost hunters come and stay with them (even the show came and filmed there, including filming in the old underground railroad tunnels...which by the way the manager goes into all of the time, but can't bring me under there because they aren't up to code...believe me, I asked) and as many as 10 different spirits have been detected there. I don't believe in ghosts, but I'd love to see one, so the manager showed me some photos. It was pretty cool.

Back to my new friends Charlie and Jackie Brown. I mentioned Charlie earlier (the David Crosby look-a-like). We had a great time since Charlie has been a professional musician for almost 50 years! That's how he has made his living his entire life. Amazing. He played a few songs tonight, and I was blown away. This man just suffered a stroke a few months ago, so he can't play with a pick anymore (his right hand just can't grip that way) but his finger-picking will blow your mind. I have a video if you want to see it when I'm back in town. His advice to me at the end of the night..."keep fightin' the good fight, kid." Anyway, here I am with my new friend Charlie, he was making me laugh really hard. Doesn't he just seem like someone that you want to meet?!?!



Last photo, I promise. The host of the evening, and the man who made my visit possible...Jim Snively (www.jimsnively.com). I met him last year in Cleveland, and I'm so happy that I did. He brought in an audience for me to play for, he hooked me up with Charlie and Jackie Brown, and he walked around with a tip jar to help me make some gas $$. He's a good guy, and I'm so lucky to know him!



Off to Chicago tomorrow....whew...that's a long drive!

Pittsburgh....and now off to Cleveland!

Driving yesterday was pretty easy. I was able to use cruise control (something that never happens at home because we always have traffic) so that made the trip much easier! The only crazy thing...it was soooo hot. I took photos as my temperature gage kept climbing.

I thought 90 degrees was hot...



Then it reached 91...



Then it jumped to 95...



It got to 96...



and peaked at 97!



Sorry for the many photos...maybe I was better off earlier this tour with Vanessa as my travel companion!! Or last year with Gaby?! Ah well, this trip I have my camera. Pennsylvania is really beautiful, so I tried to take a few pictures out of the window to show you how nice it is.



On this drive, I got a little bored, and I was really hot, (even with my air conditioning going full blast) so I decided to take a nice long lunch in the air conditioned rest stop. And guess what? They had a Chili's there! Now, for anyone who knows me at all, you know that I live for their queso dip, and this dip did NOT disappoint. I was totally psyched. I of course couldn't finish the order by myself, but I tried my very best.



I arrived into Pittsburgh just before I needed to get to Club Cafe, so I was only able to stop briefly at my friend Heather's house. (www.heatherkropf.com) She is crazy busy right now with life and lots of shows (we're playing together next week when I come back through) so I was so grateful that she let me stay at her place! From her house I went right to Club Cafe where I got to meet a bunch of really great people. Again, this year, Pittsburgh was a great experience. I had a lot of fun, and people were really receptive to my songs. Not only did I get to see Heather again, (I shared a show with her last year on tour) but I also got to see my friend Joy (www.joyike.com) who I also played with last year! It was really fun to catch up with both of them. They're really talented, and I feel so lucky to have such great connections in this town.

Anyway, here's blurry photo of Joy playing last night, she did a great job, and I really liked hearing some of her new songs!



Today, I am off to Cleveland (in a matter of moments, actually) and I'll be playing in Painesville tonight at The Rider's Inn. I'm very excited to see some friends from last year, and again, to meet new people! I'm just going to fill up my iced tea one more time (another great coffee shop find...Enrico's Tazza D'Oro...please check them out if you're around!!) in this environmentally friendly cup made entirely from plants and I'm on my way!



Thanks for all of the great e-mails, phone calls, facebook posts, etc. I really appreciate the love and encouragement!!

Albright College

Sorry, I wrote this last night, but didn't have an internet connection, so I had to wait to post it! Here you go...

So I had a few more adventures this afternoon. It was great! I got to spend a lot more time at Hard Bean Coffee using their internet and eating some of their delicious food (an amazing banana muffin!) and drinking iced tea. If you live in the area you need to stop in! It's a nice atmosphere, the staff is really friendly, and they have great prices!

I walked around a little bit in West Reading, and then met Steve for dinner in Reading. He of course drove us around in his old Mustang from high school...it was just like the old days. Here it is parked in front of the Reading Railroad. That's right, think monopoly!



Here's Steve in his Albright gear posing in the 'stang.



Also, I took a photo of Steve's house. Isn't it nice? I drew a little arrow so that you could see the guest room and picture where I was sleeping!



After dinner with Steve, he had to go back to work, so I took a little drive and ended up at The Reading Pagoda! It's crazy! And it's something everyone stops in to see when they visit Reading, so I had to stop in too.



After getting back to campus I took a little stroll...



I wandered onto the football field! (But didn't stay very long because I felt like someone was going to yell at me!)



All around the campus there are these red adirondack chairs, so I decided to sit in one for a moment and try out my new camera's timer. It worked...



And for the last thing, I had to check out the Music Department. (I showed this photo to Steve, and he didn't even know this existed!!) I walked around a little bit in the building, but all of the practice rooms were locked, so I'll have to check out the inside another time.



*****Now for today! This morning I went to football practice for a few minutes. It's about 90 degrees out there...I was sweating just watching those guys run around in all of their gear. I can't believe how hot they must be! Anyway, it was cool to see Steve in his element...it's always fun to see people that I grew up with living real adult lives, you know? These kids are scared of him too...he's a tough coach! (I circled Steve in red because it's hard to see him, and that's the Albright color!)



Right now I'm finishing this up at Hard Bean Coffee (I couldn't resist another one of the Ruby Lemon Mint Iced teas....seriously if you live within driving distance you've got to stop in! (600 Penn Ave if you have a navigation system.)

Off to Pittsburgh today! So I'll be on the road...hopefully I'll see some cool stuff and be able to tell you about it later!

West Reading, PA

This has been a very sleepy day for me! I arrived last night at my friend Steve's house just before 3 a.m. I guess I was a little tired since I thought this would be an interesting picture...



It was a very easy drive, I didn't hit much traffic (amazing that I hit ANY...) and the Garmin led me right to Steve's front door. A few hitches in our plan...Steve told me just to come in and the guest room would be all set up for me - it was, I just had no idea where the guest room was. Also, I expected Steve to be in the house alone, but there was a big guy on the living room couch. So, I made some calls and woke him up (sorry, Steve!) because I got really nervous that I had walked into the wrong house. Wouldn't THAT have made for a great story!!

So this morning, I had to get up much earlier than I wanted to (sleeping in is possibly one of my favorites hobbies), but I got to play at a cool place called Hard Bean Coffee.



I knew that I was going to be playing during the hours of the town Farmers Market, but I wasn't sure exactly what the set up was going to be. I was very very pleased by what I found! The Farmers Market was really cute and on a very nice street, with a lot of shoppers. (I'm planning on checking out some of the shops later...Vanessa, there are more thrift stores!!)



The only problem with playing outside was...it was about a billion degrees out here today. (I broke my own personal rule of wearing shorts in public...that's how hot it is! And yes, Bryan, they're my purple shorts and they are awesome!) So, I played inside to all of the other people who were trying to cool off with iced coffees or tea. It was great! I got a lot of people to sign up on my mailing list (that is always really encouraging, because it makes me think that I'm actually growing a bit of a fan base) and I sold a bunch of CDs. That's always really encouraging because it means I can pay for gas and keep driving to the next gig. :)

Anyway, the owner, Terry, is a really nice guy who worked really hard to help me promote this morning's show, and it really paid off. Again...I was on the sidewalk! And we all know that it makes me feel very cool when that happens!!



Ok, off to explore the town a bit, then out to dinner with Steve. I may have more photos to share with you tonight, but if not...I'll certainly have something new for you tomorrow!

The Greenwich Hotel and Las Vetas!!!

It's been another couple of fun days, so I'm going to tell you the stories in photos!!!

Last night (after a great day of thrift store shopping on Thayer St. in Providence) I played with my friends Daniel Chase and Jose Docen (check them out), and we had a great night at The Greenwich Hotel. Again, my name appeared in chalk...I gotta tell you...again it made me feel cool!



We played to a fun house since each of us brought a few people. There's a regular crowd at this place as well so we got to play to a nice full room. Here I am with Vanessa (my roadie for two shows!) and Aunt Judy (she stayed out late drinking Stellas with me...).



Now, lately I've been ending all of my sets with "Peace". I think it's cool to get everyone singing along to a nice peaceful song to end the night. Especially when I'm singing in a bar, it's always one of my personal challenges to see if I can get everyone to participate. Last night was no exception, and I must say, the clientele rose to the occasion. I was actually joined by two men (who had had a few adult beverages) who each decided to grab a microphone!! It was a little crazy, but with a bit of coaching, they both joined in at the right times and somewhat in tune...

Here's adult beverage man #1:



And here's adult beverage man #2:



Crazy times! After hanging out for a while after the show, Vanessa and I took off since we needed to get back to Fairfield, CT this afternoon and we didn't want to be sleepy drivers. I arrived home knowing that today is the last day that I'll see Bryan for a while so I decided to let him open for me tonight at Las Vetas...



Just kidding! But I did enjoy sharing the stage with Beethoven this evening...



It was SO HOT tonight in Las Vetas, so after my piano set I needed to take a small break to cool down, and while I was outside cooling off I was evangelized to by two very friendly young missionaries. Both girls are members of the Church of the Latter Day Saints so we exchanged cards. I think the design work on mine is more professional looking...



Here are the last photos, I promise. As I was finishing up my second set, I noticed a little girl looking at me, then drawing in her notebook, then looking at me, then drawing in her notebook...you get the idea. Anyway, when I was finished she gave me her drawing (which was addressed to "an awesome guitarist and singer"), and it turns out that Christine was inspired by my songs and wanted to draw something for me! Here's Christine posing with me after I was done playing:



And here's a close-up of the picture!



Thanks for reading...so far things are going really well and I'm having a lot of fun! Now I'm off for a late night drive to arrive in Reading, PA. Give me a call if you're up for a late night chat!!

Tour has started...yippee!!!

It's always so exciting to start on a project when you've been planning it for months. I started contacting venues and friends back in February to make this tour happen, and now FINALLY the day has arrived!

So...last weekend I performed at Googie's Lounge in NYC. I'm always really nervous to perform in New York because I feel like there's a lot of competition there and people are judging you. No one's mean or anything (though, if I sucked, I'm pretty sure that people would let me know) but it just feels very stressful for a person who doesn't perform there often. With that said, I'm psyched because I think I've found a nice little home at Googie's Lounge. It's a very low key place, they have a cool, old, white baby grand, and it's in the village, which just makes me feel like I'm a big deal. Anyway, the show went really well, I tried out a new cover that I'm going to be using on tour (you'll have to make it to a show to find out what it is!), and I worked out a good song order that I was happy with.

Plus here's a cool pic...I was on the chalkboard...I know, I know it's not permanent, but it also made me feel like a big deal.



Last night I played at The Tavern Downtown in Hartford. It was a cool place with a lot of great musicians playing. (I was a part of the open mic night.) It's through the New England Megastar Competition that I made this connection with the venue, and I'm so glad that it worked out! I got to see some of my friends from the competition and my friend Mike, and his brother and brother's girlfriend, Tim and Michele (who are now my friends too!) came out to show some love. It was great...and I didn't really want to leave, but last night Vanessa and I decided it would be a good decision to drive to Providence and spend the night here, and it was.

This morning we woke up late and hung out a bit at my aunt-in-law's house (Judy rules!) and now we're driving around and exploring Providence. We've eaten lunch (HUGE falafels) and we're going to hit up a few of the thrift stores here on Thayer St. I highly recommend a visit to this town if you've never been here!

Tonight I'm playing in East Greenwich, which is just a few minutes away, and I'll be playing with a few other people. It's going to be a great time, and I'll have more photos and an update for you later!!

For now, here are a few photos for you to enjoy:

Here's Vanessa and I in front of the 'tour bus' a.k.a. my awesome corolla.


Here are our 'world tour' matching water bottles.


My friend Mike came out to see me in Hartford! What a good guy!!


Vanessa color coordinates her tops with her camera, phone and drinks. (And apparently, that's a photo of my evil twin...)


Here we are in Providence!


And last...here's my amazing falafel...sorry about the Coke product in the photo, dad!

Good things happen when you show up...

I've had a really busy schedule over the past few weeks between playing shows (I had three in one day on June 13!), hitting open mic nights, planning my summer tour, and soliciting local radio stations for airplay (four stations are playing "Montreal" and "Time" by the way!). During my sleep deprived but free moments today, I've had a chance to reflect on all of the good things that have been going on lately.

Let me to fill you in on some highlights from the past weeks:

**Sunday, June 7 - My parents went to see Lucinda Williams perform in Green Bay (how great are they!) and passed along one of my CDs to her merch manager to see if she would pass my music on to Lucinda....how sweet are my mom and dad?!

**Saturday, June 13 - I played three shows, sold all of the CDs I had in the car, and played for hundreds of people at the Monroe Strawberry Festival!

**Sunday, June 14 - I played at a Connecticut Songwriters Association Showcase, which was a great networking opportunity.

**Tuesday, June 16 - Four local radio stations (WWUH, WESU, WPKN, and WVOF) now possess my CD and have all played "Montreal" or "Time" once in the past week...I'll pass along their request line info next week so that you can tell them to play my songs!

**ALSO on Tuesday, June 16 - I was named ev3studios artist of the year for 2009!!

**Thursday, Jun 25 - Two different local papers (The Day in New London and The Observer in Southington) have agreed to help me out by writing something about my CD and upcoming shows in the area.

**Saturday, June 20 - Played at a house concert in Clinton, CT with my new friends Glenn Roth and Patti DeRosa.

**Tuesday, June 23 - Debuted my new song, "Heartbreaker" at The Acoustic Cafe Open Mic, and didn't screw it up! (Woohoo - looks like the writer's block has ended...)

**Wednesday, June 24 - Competed in the NEMegastar Preliminary Competition. Didn't move on, BUT did get invited onto a local television show (I'll let you know when that's happening) AND the competition's organizer was annoyed that I didn't move on to the next round so suggested I submit a video of myself singing (did I mention that he's the one who judges the videos???) which would send me straight through to the final round AND give me a showcase performance opportunity.

So, to find a moral in my own story, I'm going to keep showing up and keep playing anywhere I can. Good things keep happening when I do!

Online Promo...what could be more fun?!

Hey everyone! I have a short little update today because I just wanted to let you know that I've been working to create more of an internet presence for myself and my music. Of course, I could always use help! If you're willing, I just posted two banners on my myspace page that you can grab and post on your own pages.

I also have created a song widget for "Montreal," that not only helps me spread my music, but will help me gain some recognition in the 'Rock the Space!' contest!! As always, I can use as much help as possible, so click 'grab this' and post it on your facebook, myspace, blog, etc. Thanks so much for the help, and stay tuned as I continue posting details about my summer tour!!





Help me spread my music by putting this widget up on your page! It's a MySpace contest...the more people spread my song the better...thanks for the help!

Back to Piano.

So...for the last month I've been really focusing on booking myself some shows, and so far I've been pretty lucky in filling up my performance schedule! You can see my upcoming shows on my myspace page: www.myspace.com/kristengravesmusic. As much as I hate booking myself, I know it's a necessary part of the job. (But seriously, it's so awkward! You have to talk about how good you are, how many people will come to see you, ask for money, etc.) Happy thing for me, as I've been booking more and more, it's getting a little easier. (Slightly, but hey, every little bit helps.)

Anyway...when you stop in to visit my schedule on my myspace page, and mark all nearby performances on your calendar (hint, hint!), please make sure to listen to the song that I recently posted called, "Back to Piano." It's off of my new CD, so many of you have heard it, but for those of you who haven't — listen to it and then rush to iTunes and buy it!!

About "Back to Piano," here's the story...

A few years ago I took some time off. I wasn't playing shows, writing songs, or even practicing music much. Why? Because I thought that my time was better spent working in Mexico helping out with my husband's non-profit, Simply Smiles. (www.simplysmiles.org) Don’t get me wrong, it was a really wonderful and amazing time. The immediate gratification I received, knowing that I was making a difference — even in the smallest of ways, was so motivating that I decided it was a better use of my efforts. It was an incredible year, I enjoyed helping out with the projects we were working on, but there was clearly something missing — and it made me quite cranky and miserable. (Sorry, Bryan!)

A friend of mine named Madai, who grew up at the children's home that I continue to visit in Oaxaca, Mexico, still works there as an employee. One day, she pulled me aside and asked me why I wasn't playing shows anymore. I was surprised that she cared about my music career or even thought it was important, but she did. She actually went from questioning me, to scolding me, and then told me that I was wasting my talent. Huge wake-up call.

The week after my scolding, a group of volunteers came down from Connecticut to help build a few homes in the local garbage dump for needy families. All these people are from the town where Bryan and I live, so we had a great week working, eating tacos, playing with kids, and hanging out. One of the guys in the group, John (a fellow musician), borrowed my guitar a few times to play around and sing a few songs. We got to talking about music, I played him a few of my songs, showed him my website, etc., and that was that — instant friendship!

A few months later, Bryan and I finished working with all of the volunteer groups, said our good-byes, made return travel plans, and got on a plane to come back home. After sleeping for a few days, (you get really tired down there!) we both got back to work. He was working on fundraising for Simply Smiles, and I made a decision to get back to focusing on music; writing new songs, playing shows, you get the idea. After a few days back to work, I got a phone call from my new friend, John.

John designs and builds big beautiful homes in Southern Connecticut, sometimes tearing down an old one to make room on the property for the new one. To get to the good part of the story...when people move out of their homes, they'll sometimes leave behind an old refrigerator, stove, or even a piano...and that's exactly what happened! I got a call from John, he offered me a piano, I said, "YES!” and he was at my house within the hour accompanied by a moving truck and some strong guys. And just like that, I had my piano. It was awesome.

I wrote, "Back to Piano," a few days later and if you listen to the lyrics — they're all true..."I head down the hallway, walk through the door, see my old friend, sit and stare at the keys, they're out of tune, but it doesn't matter, I'm back to piano...” I'm so lucky! This was an amazing gift, and I'm so so sooooo grateful. (Thanks, John!) I wrote the majority of the songs for my album, "Stay", on this piano, I practice on this piano everyday, and I'm going to keep it forever, even when I'm rich and famous!!!

(Unless of course, someone steals it - I do have a bit of a history...)

Good story, right? Hope it brightens your day!



Here I am at my piano.
Rock on, my friends.
Rock on.

I love the road!

There's nothing like pulling away from your house, speeding onto the highway with a full tank of gas, and heading off to play and sing in another town. I just love it. It feels like a little adventure. A freedom-filled adventure.

I was packing up yesterday; loading my keyboard, CD's, guitar, etc. and had a huge smile on my face the entire time! I need to remind myself of this when I'm working on booking from my office and don't have a huge smile on my face...

Last night was my show at Perks Coffee House in Norwood, MA. It went really well, I had a lot of fun, and got to show off my new guitar to everyone!! I spent the night at my aunt and cousin's house just down the road from Perks and my cousin Kristina and I just finished a delicious diner lunch.

Today I have a short drive as I head down to East Greenwich to play at the Greenwich Hotel. I'm playing with my friends Jake and Josh (a.k.a. Gamblin' Hands) and our new friend Daniel Chase for a singer/songwriter night. It should be a lot of fun. Come out if you're in the area!!

Momentum: Why Such a Frisky and Fickle Creature?

Last time I wrote, I was writing on my laptop while under a beautiful shade tree at a children's home in Oaxaca, Mexico. Today, I am typing as I sit at my desk, staring at my to-do pile, in Southport, CT. Quite the difference!

Maybe it's because I'm just a regular person, or maybe it's because I have undiagnosed ADD, but I have a hard time switching from trips to Mexico (where I reside with 80 screaming kids, and lead groups of teenagers) back to living in a tiny house with one other person and spending the majority of my day working in my office and/or singing to myself. It's a strange little life I lead. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change a thing (as I've mentioned a time or two before...) I just need to snap out of it or something.

I don't do well taking off for Mexico for a week or two or six, where I only play guitar for a few minutes a day at most (no piano there...), and am only able to maintain the very bare minimum of booking and promoting upcoming shows. Contrast that with returning from Mexico exhausted and sometimes cranky, and very behind in my promo/booking of upcoming shows and therefore needing to spend a lot of time thinking all about me all of the time. No distractions, no emergencies, no homes to build, just me telling other people about why they should listen to me. Really weird.

Anyway...

Tonight I'm playing at the Steam Vent Coffee House hosted by the Winsted Congregational Church. Tonight is a coffee house evening that they host once a month as a part of their fund-raising efforts to bring a group of volunteers down to Oaxaca, Mexico. A nice "full-circle" project, because I'll see all of these people tomorrow (when we're all shiny and clean) and then I'll see them again in Mexico this August! (When we're significantly less shiny and definitely not clean.)

So, I guess this blog is a bit of a rant - except for that last paragraph. Not towards anyone, just to myself. I don't know why it's so hard to get back into the swing of things after each trip, but I'm doing my best! One of these days, I'll definitely figure it out.

Have a great weekend!