The Best Surprises Are The Ones You Don’t See Coming

It’s been an action-packed week, one of little sleep, and much commotion. The bullet points — since I’m catching a flight to Nantucket in 8 hours and have yet to pack — look something like this:

MTV Video Music Awards: Worked about 70 hours this week prepping for and covering the year’s most absurd awards show. The subject merits a short novel, really, from our brainstorming meetings, to run-throughs with diva talent, to sponsorships blimps and arches and ridiculous tie-ins, to the notion that “the best surprises are the ones you don’t know,” but I don’t have time. Suffice it to say, the highlight for me was knowing that at the end of the ordeal, I was going on vacation. That and it was the most watched, highest-trafficked VMAs ever. And remind me to elaborate on the following: Life is high school.

Liner Notes: VH1’s Brian Ive’s is writing liner notes for the “Summer’s Gone” remix single from the angle of “This guys so earnest he covers Phil Collins.” Or something like that. He has the first burn.

Mastering: The “Summer’s Gone” CD single masters get Fed Exed to West Westside Music on Tuesday for an unattended mastering session on Wednesday (my birthday).

Guitar: I bought a new guitar, an inexpensive hand-made Canadian spruce-top acoustic by Norman. So it’s Norman, Martin and me.

Tour: I hired The Planetary Group today to do press and radio supprt for the “Summer’s Gone” Tour from September 1 – October 15. Hopefully, the investment (more than my first used car) will bring some new fans to the fold, some new press clippings to the kit, and some cash to the coffers. So it’s Norman, Martin, The Planetary Group, and me.

So I’m off to Nantucket for Labor Day weekend where I’ll be hanging out with my family, friends (from New York that I only see in Nantucket), and our neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers. Yes, that Mister. Rogers.

See you when I get back.