And a flock of sheep to watch from where I lay

Friday is here. The weekend begins; I need it. It was a week that seemed to fly by while seeming to take forever to be done with. Every day gifted me with one headache or another, but there was also some learning, some peace. I'm engaged in a spiritual practice; practice being the operative word. Practice entails missteps and frustration along with the good stuff. So I go easy on myself and thank the Universe, The Divine Mother, Krishna, The Holy Spirit, Jesus, God, myself, whomever, for granting me the clarity to see where improvements can be made. And, you know, when things began to overwhelm me, respite arrived, always, in a timely manner.

Ok, here's the deal on Modern Vampires of The City. It's, very, very good. The songs are well crafted, balanced, and highly melodic. They've been swirling in my ears for the last several days. It's their best record; the songs fit together and there's not a dud  among them. Bravo, VW!

Some people get Christmas cards this time of year. Me, I get a jury duty summons. Came yesterday. You know, my first reaction was pretty sour, but it didn't take me long to figure out that I'm actually interested in going. T'will be my second appearance. The last time was years ago and I had the stomach flu. I was picked almost immediately and the case only lasted a few days. It wasn't so bad, stomach flu notwithstanding. One of the jurors was a former coworker of mine, fortunately one I had gotten along with. We hung out the whole time and it felt like one long field trip. It settled out of court just as things started getting as compelling as an episode of Law And Order.

The cold showers continue. I've reached the point where it's hard to imagine not taking them. The trick is you have to immerse yourself immediately, no dilly-dallying. One effect I've noticed is this coolness, pleasant like a minty piece of gum, that settles over my whole body periodically throughout the day. Another effect is that I find myself foregoing coffee in the morning. After the stimulation of a cold shower, I seldom feel the need. Overall, the cold showers have fortified me; my thoughts have felt sharper and my body has felt stronger,more durable. And getting into a cold shower every day, sometimes twice a day, is an affirming act. It illustrates I'm capable of enduring some discomfort in life in order to better myself.

I just worked on music for the last couple of hours. Got a lot done. I fleshed out some new songs and took some established ones out for a spin. I never feel so complete as when I'm in the thick of my songs.

I'm nearing the end of my Dark Tower re-read. It's going to be bittersweet. What should I read next? Here are some options:

1. Dune
2. Mother Night
3.The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe
4. Insomnia


We'll see. Alright, worms, I'm gonna make like a tree and get the fuck out of here.

Namaste