Wednesday Afternoon Waterfront

I went down to the lake today. It was warm out, but not as sunny as I'd have liked. That being said, it was a nice few hours of peaceful outdoor living.

After ripping my left index finger open on an exposed nail in the shed, I made a fire and opened my first beer of 2010: a 22 oz. Magic Hat #9. I cooked up four hot dogs for the afternoon's grazing, and fed a goose one of the extra whole grain hot dog buns after I ate. Then I spent the next few hours reading the latest issue of National Geographic (May 2010, featuring a cool story of China's Tea Horse Road); doing some spring cleaning around the lot (raking the road and edges, moving brush, piling firewood, etc...); and listening to mood-appropriate music on my iPod (Almanac Mountain, Miranda Lee Richards, and Vanessa Kafka). I brought my guitar, but didn't use it (I was in more of a clean-up mood than practice mode); I didn't kayak because of the overcast skies; and I forgot my sketch pad (but not my drawing tools), which was the main point for today's trip, so I didn't get to do any design work for the Music Fest. Nevertheless, it was a great afternoon down at the lake. I'm glad I dragged myself out of the house. I am The FireMaster!

Monday Afternoon Kayaking

I went down to the lake today, car loaded with everything imaginable: a sketchpad & pencils, my guitar, several different types of clothing, two books, and a bottle of water & bag of almonds. I spent an hour kayaking around the local part of Wyman's Pond, taking pictures, enjoying the scenery, and getting some good exercise. Later, I built a fire, and proceeded to burn all of my remaining Not Lame Minus business cards (now that it is a music-only site, and has little to do with travel or beer & coffee), as well as the remaining stash of wooden nickels that we handed out to attendees (or left behind to be found) at local music shows. A fine way all around to spend a sunny afternoon! And for those of you who still have them (or run across one in your travels), your wooden nickels have instantly become collectors items! Who knows? The site may revert back to its original purpose at some point... I should really have a LakeFest soon. I am itching to cook on the firepit, kayak with friends, and drink my first Wachusett beer of the year. And I am getting pretty excited about the music festival - it should be epic. It's going to be an amazing summer, I can feel it...

In-Blog Play:

April - Wolf People

Spring Has Sprung

I went down to the lake yesterday. It was sunny, if a bit windy, and I had a good time reading for an hour, and mentally setting up the music festival. I was down there for the first time in 2010 on March 20th, and the entire lake was still frozen. It's nice to see that several weeks of rain, and then a week of sunny 70's (and 90 degrees on Wednesday!) have done their job to free up the kayaking surface. The fresh air was fantastic, the peace soothing, and the smell of the water and new growth inspiring. I can't wait until swimming is once again an option, and there is no doubt in my mind that kayaking will become a frequent activity beginning the next time I head down to the family lakefront hang out.

Month Numero Cuatro...

I decided to free-hand the grid this month, instead of using a ruler for penciling (and then inking over the lines). It makes for a certain charm. Add in leftover letter stickers from my niece's birthday gift, and there you go. I just wish there had been a patch of sunlight in my apartment that was window pane lattice-free!

It was sunny and warm both days so far, and I had a fun time driving my parents to Logan Airport yesterday afternoon for their flight to California, to stay with my youngest brother Jason & family for the week. The traffic on the Mass Pike on the way home was ridiculous, but with my windows down and WZBC blasting on my car stereo, it was a minor annoyance. I thoroughly enjoyed both legs of the trip.

Here's to a month of sunny days (and perhaps a day trip to one of the islands...), especially since we got more than our share of April showers in March!

In-Blog Play:

The Ghost In You (Album Versio...

March Out

A low-key month, with some good stuff mixed in. I worked out a lot, and drew even more. My guitar-playing endeavor has hit a road block though. I am not inspired as a true musician ought to be. But it is a new skill, so I am grateful for that, and will proceed at my own pace. I had hope to kayak this month, but the lake was still frozen when I went down there on the 20th (still, it was a nice few hours in the sun, and I had my guitar with me, so it was a good day nonetheless). And last but not least, I got to hang out in Boston twice! With the guys on the 5th, and for the Beach House concert on the 28th:

I went to Boston to see the show (and sold the other 2 unclaimed tickets), but after a fantastic dinner* at 973 Commonwealth I decided to sell my ticket and head home. It's not every day you enter the city with $21 and leave with $34 (dinner was $25 w/tip, and Alewife parking was $7)!

Oh, and I also finalized a deal for a new apartment, which I will move into sometime in late May. It's going to be a bit smaller than where I am now, but it's closer to family, is $150 less per month in rent, and cable & internet are included! Once I find a decent job I'll finally be able to start saving money...

*I highly recommend the 973 Sandwich - grilled chicken, mozzarella, hickory smoked bacon, onion tanglers (super-thin fried onion rings) and pesto mayo, all served on focaccia bread - the BEST sandwich I've had all year!

In-Blog Play:

Spring - Saint Etienne