Cheet, I missed my last bus again!

Living a ways from the city center is becoming more of an inconvenience as I gain more reasons to stay out on the town at night.  Buses don't run very late and taxis only get more expensive at night. I'm always on the lookout for good accommodation with a better location, but it will be very hard to find something as cheap and comfortable as my current home stay. Living with some of these new friends has crossed my mind, but I don't know if that's a good idea as far as having a good study environment. At least here where I'm at, things are quiet and I believe I can get along with these people long term.

checks and balances

how much time should i allow myself to relax? i think as much time as i want as long as it's still relaxing. if i'm sitting around and thinking about things i should be doing and want to be doing then i'm not relaxing, so then i know it's time to be working. and vice versa. when i'm working i want to be productive. and i will be productive till i start thinking about needing to relax.

Pipe Organ

Our voices are organs. Physical and spiritual organs. Our bodies and lungs like pipes. Mediums of sound.

Vale vale

Practiced some Espanol yesterday with the Spanish international students. Things start coming back when you hang around the language. Mi objectivo es para componar una cancion espanola antes de termino del ano. Bueno suerto!

Rockin Robyn

a swell evening at the Porter. good music. smooth beers. lovely chats.

shake shake shake this town
and bathe in roman pools
shake shake shake this town
and dance away the rules (like fools)

take janet to the planet where she's treated like a goddess
malika to the milky way to give her what she needs
and bathe, and play in the pain(t)

Judy and the Castle

Wandering about the area today I came across a little castle up the hill and in the trees. Turns out I was trespassing on a private estate but the lady Judy was very nice and told me to go around back to view the garden. This "garden" was monstrous, with an old wall and creaky little doors from section to section. I had to walk through a little tunnel made of overhanging trees and plants. The little stone steps led me to a small orchard and pumpkin patch. The entire thing overlooked exquisitely green pastures. Carpets of life. I asked if I could come back sometimes to sit about and write. She would be delighted.

Wild Wildlife Dreams

Before I go on to describe my dream from last night, I did want to mention something that happened towards the end of my busking this past Saturday. I was playing my last song when a guy working at the shop nearest to me posted a sign on his door saying "we are OPEN, just closed the door to drown out the awful busking." His name was Ashley. I stopped playing and told him that he could have just talked to me like a regular human being instead of posting a rude comment on his door. Earlier that day a group of girls asked for my autograph. Just goes to show how greatly musical taste differs.

I woke up laying in a hammock on some gorgeous beach. Looking to my right I saw a magnificent spider web stretched across the stakes that were holding up my resting place. In the middle of the web was a tiny sea turtle and caught in its design were tiny red birds as well as a few bees still buzzing. A cheetah sat closely licking the sweet dew off the web and the yellow insects. What a fantastic morning.

The fruit of a day's work.

I was busking in the streets again. A girl put an orange in my guitar case. Sweet.

K. O.

One of the gentlemen I collaborate with - Konrad - wanted to take me out to the city last night to show me Bath from his point of view. The man is very passionate and excited about working on music with me and so we got some beers and went to sit by the river in a truly stunning place. A couple fellas walking by asked my friend for a cigarette and as he was looking for his pack, one of the youngsters turned to me and said I look nervous. I didn't know why he would assume such a thing but before I could even finish answering him, Konrad got in the punk's face and started threatening him. I guess he has a really protective nature. The challenged teenager punched my friend in the face, knocking him to the ground. They ran off calling him a pussy. Konrad lay there not responding till his family came to pick him up. I had called them for help.
Last night I saw a part of Bath that I would love to see again.
Last night I saw a part of Man that I never want to see again.

Sphere Envy

Pricey pulled out his poetry. Smoking fag after fag and drinking wine glass after glass he showed me his past scribbled passions. On one old piece of paper he had composed his "sphere envy theory." Humanity craves balance but falls short of the most balanced body there is - a sphere - our planet - our Mother. Realizing that we are each a part of the Earth's balance just may bring internal peace and ease the frustration involved with trying to become... like a sphere.

Focus.

There is so much one could do. Even within a specific area like music the avenues are countless. And so are the dead ends. To be content with a day's efforts, one needs to be aware of their worth in the grand scheme of things. In order to do that, there needs to be a grand scheme put in place. Or maybe the grand scheme is a work in progress based on each brick of effort that is produced daily. Can I know what I'm going to end up with if I can only lay one brick a day? What impossible discipline it would take to plan the entire structure in advance and stick to the blue print exactly! I suppose the beauty of life lies in the ability to decide each day where to lay the next brick and then observe how that affects what you do with the next day. Happy building my friends.

Feelin cozy.

I've been thinking lately - I actually really like living here in the Price residence. It's quiet and comfortable and the folks are extremely friendly. I'm even growing fond of the two large dogs - which is quite an accomplishment for me considering I've never had any pets and am not used to living with animals. I don't mind the giant spiders either. They just sit there. Watching.

Take me to the river. To the river Avon.

Standing near this place you can't stop your thoughts from floating away. I didn't know what I was thinking anymore. Just that I liked what I saw. 

Singing in the Rain

My first day busking by that tree in the centre of town. Someone is cooking something downstairs. My stomach perked up like a dog at the door. 

The spot I chose, near the afore mentioned tree, was under a sort of short tunnel between buildings. It trickled on and off, and when it did, people found shelter under there. And they listened to me play and sing. And they liked it, their smiles said. No one really plays there. I play there now.

Who told you you're naked?

Just woke up from a peculiar dream. I was one of hundreds of people taking an exam for something. The first test was written. We had to walk around in this large old city alley and write everything that was “rock” about it. A rock test. I talked about the cracks in the walls and the echo of footsteps of rebels taking the alley way instead of the streets. At one point there was a race. We had to run down this muddy road after the test givers chased a bunch of scared cows onto our path. The cows seemed to be running at us as we ran towards them. Not quick enough to maneuver around them at the speed I was running I simply jumped over the beasts. My family was there. They seemed happy.

Standing at the bus stop I saw...

A grey old couple locking up their vet clinic and getting into their silver Mercedes without a word; they ride off under the dark clouds down the dull beaten road. 

Heaven on Earth

There’s a cheddar gorge I’ve learned of today. You can just go there and eat the shit out of it.

The words just came with the rain.

Peering through the leaves

Found them looking back at me

But shadows use no words

Their callings bore by the worlds

You caught it again

Didn’t think it would stick to your hand

But who says you get to choose

When you win or lose

Keeping one shoe tied

And the other one loose

Never know when you might get bored

Tripping over your (holes)

What do you think about

when your’re looking below?

Do you think of your mother?

Or back at your childhood foes?

Spent the day at the Zaleski household. A single mom with four grown sons. And two pet ducks and a pair of guinea pigs too. They are trying to incubate some of the duck eggs and today as the oldest son was tending to them, he accidently cracked one. The dispute was whether to cut her off from whatever she was attached to on the inside of the shell, or just leave her in the incubator the way she was. They should have gone with the first choice. Baby duck burials don’t give one peace of mind.

Bring it on, oh saturated skies!

Come down on me and soak my bones

Come down on me in rain sized stones

Jammed with Jacob Tyghe today. Good guy. Told me a true story. He was on tour with his band for 2 months one summer. Best time of his life. Came back from gigging to his regular job doing some hard labor. His first assignment was to move a pile of horse shit the size of a living room with a pitchfork from one place to another. “How demoralizing,” the musician says.

The warm welcome wears off

British weather finally showed its true face today. Dark, rainy and windy. And I took the wrong bus. Can’t blame the clouds for that one. 

Not feeling well? - Your socks may be too tight.

I was given a new pair of socks by a 60 year old man who claimed that mine were cutting off my circulation because they’re too tight. Walked about town in my new socks singing and whistling. Trying to find a good spot acoustically to set up in the future and play for the townspeople and tourists. I think the big tree in the city center will be my place. No one else plays there as far as I know. At least not yet.

Andy's Gonna Sleep Tonight

Slept in. Finished writing “Andy’s Gonna Sleep Tonight.” Played for countless hours. This old house has beautiful acoustics. And now my nail is filed down past the point of comfort.

His Master's Voice

Moved into the Price residence today. Alex took me out. A lot of people seem to know him. His friends and he think I fell into the right household because he knows people, they say. Music folks like the studio manager at Moles. The guitarist from The Verve. The Heavy. His great grandfather was Francis Barraud, the man who painted “His Master’s Voice.” I used a copy of this painting of the dog “Nipper” listening to a gramophone in my JMS research project at Millikin University just a few months ago. Thank you Mr. Barraud. Strange happenings, eh?

"I like the strumming" - anonymous

I began the month of September by going out on the town and talking to everyone and anyone I came across. The mission, besides spreading smiles, was to find a place to keep my head and things at night for the next three weeks before I am allowed to move into the studio apartment I’ve rented. Honestly, I was seeking for a charitable good-willed offer in exchange for work or music. I told my story and gave out my phone number to a few good folks in hopes that they might hear of something suitable. The beautiful lady Jane in the tourist information center responded by saying she would take me in. Then chuckled nervously as her co-working ladies gave us a disapproving glance and butted in with information about websites for finding room shares. Jane had the right idea. But I was too mixed up at the moment to enquire further about the seriousness of her offer.

I wrote some lyrics when I got home:

lookin for a place to crash

though he doesn’t have no cash

would you buy his smile

and his singing style

hey hey man

I respect the way you travel the land

Just playing your tunes

Won’t you liven up my rooms

Andy’s gonna sleep tonight

Andy’s gonna eat tonight

Andy’s gonna write you a song

To keep his living going

Lookin for a lovely match

Though he can’t attach

Would you buy his smile

Even for a little while

Hey hey boy

I like the way you’re strumming that toy

I’ve got the perfect place for you 
to rest your head my friend

Andy’s gonna sleep tonight

Andy’s gonna eat tonight

Andy’s gonna write you a song

To keep his loving on

Before going to bed, I found a note on my door at the hostel I’m staying at. It read:

“I like the strumming :D”