Random Notes

That’s me sorting through resumes. I have four positions to fill at The MTV. Like, soon.

Work is crazy. I lobbied long and hard for my new title, but couldn’t have begun to imagine how different my life would be. As if a laptop, cell phone, digital camera, and iPod weren’t enough for one messenger bag, I now have a Blackberry. I may be wireless, but I’m completely tethered. With golden handcuffs. In other news:

Jason Walsmith of The Nadas called from a recording studio in Texas yesterday. They’re finishing up their new record, “Listen Through The Static,” due in September. You’ll recall that I was gonna’ to tour with them next week. If you keep an eye on my Shows listings, though, you may have noticed that the dates have been dropping one by one. Well, now it’s off completely. Seems the tour fell apart on ’em. Which is a bummer ‘cuz I was looking forward to hanging out, and of course, playing. Their offer still stands to tour with them (on Meat Loaf’s old bus!) but the timeline is TBD. Meanwhile, Jason invited me to Des Moines to record and perform with them, which I’ll surely take them up on.

I rehearsed with pianist Dan Zola last night. I will tell you this: if you come to our May 14th Rockwood Music Hall performance are in for a real treat. The piano brings an entirely new voice to my songs. And he had a cover suggestion that is not only editorially salient, but it’s downright beautiful. You don’t want to miss it.

My cousin Andrew instant messaged me from Chicago yesterday, which was fortuitous as was thinking of him just a few minutes prior. Anyway, I mentioned wanting to record with him there sometime in June, and he was enthusiastic. Looks like a week in the Midwest is gonna’ be my first vacation of the year. And the foundation of my next album.

So here’s the schedule for the next few days. I’m tired just typing it:

Friday night: Amtrak to Philadelphia
Saturday: Family reunion
Sunday morning: Philadelphia Broad Street 10 Miler
Sunday afternoon: Amtrak to New York City
Monday morning: American Airlines to LAX
Friday night: American Airlines red eye to JFK
Saturday night: Smith Family show at Hank’s

The week after that I have a half-marathon and two shows.

I’ve gotten emails in the past from people saying, in essence, that they prefer I write about what’s going on in my heart to what’s going on in my social calendar, and I can appreciate that. So I’ll try and tell you.

I’m not really sure. I don’t feel as strong as I want to feel, but I do feel like I’m getting stronger. I’ve been working on putting myself out there into new and different situations, and doing so alone instead of with a woman on my arm. I’ve been working on being a better leader, and a better friend. I’ve been working on building peer groups, like The Sunday Singer/Songwriters (which meet for the first time May 15th). And I’ve been working on evolving and expanding my creative base, which seems to be happening.

A friend of mine made a pretty succinct observation the other night. He said that I tend to define my life — success, failure, happiness, sadness — in relation to whomever I’m in relationship with. And, well, right now I’m not in a relationship with anyone. So, if you’ll forgive the comparison, I feel like I’m learning to be myself without someone else, just like I had to learn to be myself without drugs. So I’m kind of without mooring right now. But I know it’s necessary, and it doesn’t really bother me that much. It’s like some kind of limbo. Meanwhile, life goes on at a breakneck pace. Gotta’ keep up. And gotta’ get going …