1/19/04 wrote Love Song lyrics, home heat issues, plumbing issue .5 hours

1/21/04 more lyrics .5 hours

1/22/04 lyrics, travel, holidays

China Grove

2^nd Avenue

Craig fuller

– Songs and artists for a mix CD?

4/14/04

 Waiting on Jake to get home to go to Islander playoff hockey. The last mixing of

 “A Breath Untaken” is almost done and then we will get into the Love Song work. I set up the guitar synthesizer and cakewalk sequencer software in the basement studio and it is ready to go. Lyrics set, guitars ready. Idea is a simple short song. (We’ll see!)

4/16-18/04

Trip to Jamaica Tryall Club for Samantha Cherney’s wedding. Just before leaving, I burnt a CD of Pure Prarie League songs. While in Jamaica, I came up with new lyrics inspired by the PPL music:

Mr. Tree

After dancing with the wind, that was grasping at his branches

Mr. Tree took some time to think, about his chances

Of moving away from his home

Where he had been anchored

He wants to make a move, to a new location

Maybe with a view of some civilization

He’s been stuck on that same old hill, since he was an acorn

Oh, his view’s been interrupted by brothers

And sisters who grew up, to surround him

Took away all his sun, and his action

What’s he to do he can’t go?

Oh, oh, oh!!!

Bridge – Instrumental                                                                         

Well another day goes and then another nightfall

Crickets, Owls, and Bats are screaming, while heavy rain falls

He sucks up some the water and fog, and catches a tree buzz!!!

He reflects on all the years and the things that’ve happened

Chainsaws in the distance, and gunshots, and axes!!!

Scary lightning storms, big droughts, and goddamn cicadas!!!!

Oh, so his views ain’t like those in Aspen

The grass at is feet ain’t Columbian

But he’s had it pretty good here,

His friends shield him from the storms

Woa, oh, oh!!!

Bridge – Instrumental

Oh, maybe push another root down on into the soil

Drop another acorn, drip sap and ooze some oil

His spot is really ok, anyway he can’t change things

The grass is always greener, the sky is always bluer

He thought “I need to look at me. And you? You  need to look at you

My hill? It ain’t so bad”, he just started thinkin’!

Oh, another year older and wiser

The secret is be a compromiser

I win, you win, we can both win

The game will go on, and on, and on, oh oh woa !

Bridge – Instrumental

Mr. Tree is on the mountain

His children in the valley

He looks down and he sees them

He couldn’t be more happy

What goes around comes around

He’s accepted the role he was given

There are always those who have been

Given more than you have

But worry instead, about those things that you do have

Ahead of the game we all are, so go on and try it

And do what Mr. Tree did and accept what you’ve been given

Take a deep breath and listen, yes you can agree with

The space you’ve been given’ on earth and what you may find there

It’s hard  to go and do it, but most of the time

It’ll make you happy, if you go and spend some time

If your healthy and busy and tired, don’t do no complainin’

4/19- 27/04

Work in basement studio, see the general journal there.

4/26/04

Pretend that you’re a tree

Whose choices are few

It shouldn’t be hard because

You know in fact it’s true

That a speck on the beach of life is

The size of me and you!!!!!

Whoa, oh, oh…………….

Oh, oh, oh………..

Oh, oh, oh?

4/27-04 – 5/15/04

Lot’s of basement studio work and CD ripping I needed to do. Laid down initial guitar and mdi tracks of the love song. Came up with another chord progression for a song that uses Fogelberg and Pure Prairie League type chords that in the end will be Mr. Tree. Mike home from school, Justin is coming. Heating up around here for summer!!!!

8/26/04

Well, that summer came and went!! Oh baby!!!!! WOW. Lot’s of mountain biking, trip to Costa Rica, Mohonk, and finally Rocky Mountain National Park and mountain climbs. So busy with work that very little time went into the music. Love song almost done. Final mixing this weekend. See the studio journal for the work on it this summer. Not much as it is a simple song and it was a busy summer!!!!

Did a lot of work on Mr. Tree in spare moments so I will begin on that soon. Seems late summer early fall is the starting time of a song as life takes a turn around here at Walden Place!

9/1/04

Presented Taf with her “Love Song” for our 25^th anniversary. Last few days of August I prepared the CD jacket and printout of lyrics to give to her as part of it. I think she loved it!!!! We had dinner out to celebrate. She is the best!!! How lucky am I?

9/3/04

A painting we bought in Colorado arrived today. It is amazing. Hung in the den over the couch. Big 3 day weekend is here. I brought a microphone up to Justin’s room and I think all the hardware I need is here to start to record like last fall!!! I installed Sonar tonight to record with. Over the weekend I’ll get going. Big hurricane Francis in Florida!!! Oh baby. (1 hour)

9/4/04

I debugged Sonar today and Hank and Nash Prince came over to learn a little Sonar. I gave the young budding musician a prior copy of Sonar and he came over to learn a little.

(2 hours)

9/6/04

Labor day BBQ at brother Geoff’s. Came home and as I laid in a lounge chair at the pool and watched the sun sink down I felt like I watched the summer end right there. Not so bad, I like the fall best around here!!! Went to the basement studio and finished a Gene Clark disc I was burning.

9/7/04

I brought some more stuff up here today to get ready. I have a lot to do at work for one more week and then I should have some time to get to work up here. The next two days should be big rain as Frances the Hurricane remnants come by. (.5 hours)

9/10/04

Spent some time setting up recording settings with the Harmony acoustic. Almost ready to go.  Big time this afternoon clearing up the pool from the big winds of Hurricane Francis remnants today. Also, big 9/15 tax deadline. Work almost done, I should have some time the next 6 weeks to work. (1 hour)

9/13/04

Finally. Had a few minutes and quickly laid down the basic acoustic guitar track. Just shows why if you have a few minutes you have to go for it!!!! (1 hour)

9/15/04

Tax returns gone, deadline over. Shit. Another big hurricane Ivan!!! Mike’s girlfriend Nicole escaped Louisiana and is with him in Boulder. Whew!!! Mixed and applied digital effects to the acoustic tracks recorded Monday. Big Jewish holiday tomorrow (1.5 hours.)

9/18/04

So Ivan remnants hit yesterday here. Picture. Big flood on the street. Amazing rain and big cleanup. Spent some time this weekend working up a riff for another song. Jammed with the 12 string Rickenbacker in Justin’s room here tonight. Waiting on some quiet time to record Mr. Tree vocals in the house. Updated Windows to Service Pack 2 tonight. Big deal, no big changes is the system. Big Giants win today!!!! Gog came to watch and we went to dinner together at Outback restaurant. (1 hour)

9/21/04

Mixed tracks to CD for vocals practice in the car so I can record Thursday (9/23) which I plan to take off. Did massive work in basement studio tonight. See journal there.

9/22/04

Guitar lesson working on inverted chords for Mr. Tree. (1.5 hours)

9/23/04

Recorded and mixed vocals during day off. Morning had repair guys for house alarm and heat, then lunch with Taf. After recording I started a 3 mile run and blew my right hamstring BIG TIME. I’m really getting old!!! 2 hours at pool, made dinner. Nice day. (2.5 hours)

9/24/04

Gave platelets for 3 hours this morning. Worked on inverted answer chords for intro and more. Yup, another hurricane – Jeanne!! (.5 hours)

9/25/04

Recorded inverted acoustic chords and some Gibson electric guitar lead stuff. Struggled with the notebook as it suddenly is acting funny. Maybe a mistake to update to service pack 2. Massive Hematoma in rear of thigh!!!! (2.5 hours)

9/26/04

Did some editing and mixing of the stuff recorded to date. (1 hour)

9/28/04

Jeanne Remnants here today. What a mess lately with all these hurricanes!!! (1 hour)

9/30/04

Work up bass part. .5 hours

10/14/04

After working up the bass parts I decided to enlist my guitar teacher to listen to what I had so far and make critical suggestions. So last night at my biweekly lesson, I brought my notebook machine and peripherals and we listened and he made suggestions.
It is the first time I had a professional musician critique what I am doing and give me some ideas. I have a list of about 15 things to think about and incorporate into this now.

The basic guitar and vocals are done. Now I’ll add second acoustic, electric lead and bass.

Last weekend we went to see Justin in MD and I have been buried with the 10/15 tax deadline so progress has been quiet so far in October. Also Oscar was in for a week from Costa Rica but he brought me a new guitar that has the family initials by person inlaid in the neck along with the USGP track layout. It is beautiful.I should have more time starting this weekend. Big US soccer victory last night!!!! (3 hours)

10/14/04

Friday night dinner at PG with Taf and Terry Smith and Clara after Jake soccer game in MASSIVE rainstorm. He played nice goal!!! Very relaxed weekend. 2 hours in studio Saturday and 4 hours here today doing second acoustic, electric lead and mixing. Taf went to wake for work person. (4 hours)

10/23/04

For the past week this notebook was taken over by Taf for some nursing deal she had. During the week I started to work on “It’s Morning” by Jimmy Ibbotson. What a great song with mandolins and banjos. I sent him a random e-mail to buy a cd and he sent me 2 cds and some autographs as a response. Nice guy. So, I’m gonna try and cover his song which is a great one.

Tonight Taf and I had dinner out with 2 friends and we came home at 8pm. I went out in the back yard to smoke a cigar by myself in the 50 degree October chill. I sat on a deck of cedar that in June of 1985 we planned and discussed with the builder while Taf had labor pains with Mike (who arrived several hours later.) Adjacent to the deck is bed of flowers that Mike then dug and helped plant 16 years later. The yard is filled with trees and bushes we planted over the last 21 years. I looked at trees that tower over the neighborhood that was the size of pencils when we put them in the ground. The whole acre is atop the terminal moraine from the glaciers of the last ice age at one of the highest point on the Island. What an amazing spot we have come to occupy with our family. Mr. Tree would understand.

10/25 and 10/26/04

Worked on lead guitar parts in the bridge and release parts and recorded the first one tonight!!!  (1 hour total)

11/05/04

Finished lead guitar and bass parts 2 hours.

11/10/04

34^th anniversary of the “Brookside Game”. Had the usual e-mails with the old 9^th grade teammates. How many things you did when you were 14 make you keep in touch with people when you are 48?

Had a guitar lesson with Baldwin where we worked on producing Mr. Tree. Equalization etc. Played it for Taf last weekend and she loved it. Wow.

The average woman does the laundry

The average woman might hold one job

The average woman can make herself pretty now

The everyday woman done please her man

The average woman can raise the children  some

The average woman goes and drives the car

The average woman can bitch to her girlfriends

The all around  woman can cry to her ma

But not my woman she don’t do nothin’ like

Just those things my girl don’t go just that far

She’s not like those women walk tight pants round the neighborhood

Polish them nails eat lunch in the local bar NO