How Do You Know When You Have Crossed That Line...

....Between A Hobby And An Obsession?

There is a scene in the movie 'Once' that may or may not have made it's way into the Broadway musical version of the show.

I don't know for sure.

It's the part where the 'girl' convinces the 'guy', a Dublin street-musician/busker, to go to the bank and take out a loan.

Why?

So that he can go into the studio and record his singer-songwriter stuff with a bunch of scruffianish sidemen that normally only play 'Lizzy', of course.

Confused?

Well, I guess you've got to see the movie to get it (which you should, even if you hate musicals).

Anyway....

Here's the kinda/sorta weird thing.

Despite, my having started a longterm busking project with my kids awhile back after seeing the movie, a project that has since morphed into other things, I don't really identify with the 'guy' who goes to the bank and then makes his record.

Instead, I actually identify with the 'banker' who, after he hears the pitch from the guy and girl, smiles and then pulls out his guitar to show them what he's (not quite) got.

Which is fine, as far as it goes.

But now I'm starting to wonder if I've crossed a line somewhere recently.

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What am I going on about this time, you may be wondering?

Well....

Just let me lay the last few days out for you by way of explanation....

Wednesday...Taught class, submitted a paper, acted as a school examiner in a thesis defense...Then rushed home to go to rock band practice with a bunch of guys that are way, way better than me...Didn't get home until the wee hours because we're playing a Christmas party next weekend and the fear is upon us...

Thursday...Drove everyone else in the lab crazy demanding final bits of data for the revisions to a second paper...Worked out a schedule for a gradual student that is getting ready to finish up his stuff in a lab on the other side of the continent that has a microscope rig that I just don't have the money or, truth be told, expertise to provide...Took care of a visiting science geek for a good chunk of the afternoon...Then rushed home too late for dinner and immediately drove here so that I could do a quick opening acoustic solo thing for a couple of our friends who have a group of their own...Then, when that was done, took C. and littler e. home and rushed back out to campus to drop off all my stuff as well as masses of stripey-candy things and little foil-covered balls of chocolate for the following day...

Friday...Took the littler one with me to work so that she could go to class where she hid under the lecturn until she started shaking the bells at the front of end of last lecture Christmas Carols followed by the handing out of the afore-mentioned stipey/foily things...Then got e. off to her friends house (another Pro-D Day in Lotusland - really?).... Finished the revisions for the 2nd paper and shipped it off to the people in Philadelphia will send it out the sci-geek reviewers to see if it now makes the peer-reviewed grade...

Saturday...With no Monday deadline looming for the first time in weeks snap-decided to hop on bike and head to the ferry (with train and bus-through-tunnel assist on Mainland side)....Seventeen bucks(!) for ticket and bike charge to ride on German boat-boondoggle for the first time...Got (really, really) soaking wet riding in to Royal Oak and then across Wilkinson Rd, past old castle jail, to Galloping Goose Trail and out to Colwood....When I finally got to my parents' house my brother the cook/real musician almost immediately began restringing an extra box figuring that I would want to start playing as soon as possible (which was true), although we didn't go hog-wild as sometimes happens and did manage to spend most of the evening visiting with Mom and Dad (which was the real point of the trip)...

Sunday Afternoon...Back on the ferry now.... Already itching to get home to get things lined up for a post-holiday/early new year show with Bigger E and friends  here... Will keep you all informed (of dates and times, etc)....


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Had an interesting conversation with my apolitical brother (the cook/musician) about radio listening...He told me he misses Mr. Holman's radio show which floored me...What's worse, he said, is that now when he gets to work and starts the prepping and chopping on Sunday mornings he is forced to listen to 'that really boring lady' on the MoCo...

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