July 22, 2008

7:40 p.m.

From Blues to Berries

Got up way early to say goodbye to someone at breakfast, worked all morning, gave a Reiki session, and skipped a nap in favor of going blueberry picking on Temple Mountain.

It's not really a mountain, not like Monadnock. It's where I hiked last week. This time I noticed there were far more blueberry bushes than I'd even noticed the first time. I brought a quart container and filled it to the top. Free, wild blueberries! High bush and low bush! Inchworms, spiders and caterpillars no extra charge. Came back, showered, fridged the blues and came out to dinner. Grilled tuna steaks, couscous, salad, veggies. I'm stuffed (again). Stuffed and sleepy. Oh, I watched part of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," too, which came from Netflix. Didn't finish it and didn't care for it overall.

I met a few more newcomers.

Now it's pouring again. Pouring between here and my car.

Ah, well.

Doing okay with the sadness thing, after another crying jag last night over a lyric I was working on. I did take out my guitar and try to noodle on it a bit, but absolutely nothing came. Not the first whisper of a melody, not even a hint of what tuning it should be in. Nada.

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In other news, Rose and Marc have bought a house! It turns out to be one they looked at last year which Rose absolutely wanted above all other houses. The price was too high; owner wouldn't negotiate; sign came down so all assumed it had sold. It turns out the owner moved back in because it wasn't selling, and she and new beau had started doing some horrible, non-period renovations thinking they were going to be staying. R&M went through a couple of major house disappointments and then found out the dream house might still be negotiable.

In short, the owner came down a lot, R&M went up as much as they could and still be able to swing it, and now they're drawing up papers. Rose is ecstatic. They'll have a ton of work to do, undoing the unfortunate changes recently made, but at least the hunt is over. And she got exactly the house she wanted. And nine acres. And a one-horse barn.

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It's official; we have a gig in Portugal during the England tour. We may also be doing an in-store performance in the afternoon to promote it. How interesting. We'll have a couple of days to sightsee in Lisbon, too, with Carol's friend who has arranged it all for us. If we just break even it'll be worth it; otherwise we'd be paying for hotels for nearly a week in England anyway. Our agent can't house us more than a few days here and there this time. I feel like last year she held our hands and guided us around a lot, and this year we're fledged and being kicked out of the nest to fly on our own. Just as well, I guess; even with just us there, it's five people sharing a bathroom anyway.

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The rain may have let up enough to get to the parking lot. I daresay it'll be an earlier night tonight.