OR RECORDING MY RADIO SHOW

- that's another activity I left out - and have completed.  Listen to Canoefm.com on Sat. June 29 for my show.  on at 10pm eastern time.

so last evening I went out for a little walk in the pre-sunset light and ended up, as I often do, over by the tracks.  Used to always be the railway tracks, but there's also the subway running nearby, and some nice, abandoned grasslands just alongside.  I was up on a rise; some young boys were playing down by the fence line; the sun had splashed everything: the hill, the waving long grass, the pathway, and all of us, in its gorgeous rosy light.  The boys noticed me at some point, and began calling out to me, as they will do when they're far enough away.  As soon as I started to acknowledge them, however, they all ran and hid in the bushes that were down there.  All except one little guy, who came struggling up the hill, slipping and picking himself up; he had bright red hair - what I could see in his buzz cut, and he started asking me as he got closer:
"What are you doing?"
"I'm walking", I said..
"Where are you going?"
"Well, first I'm walking this way, and then I'm walking back", I said, indicating the length of the path.
He had little horn-rimmed glasses on, and eyes that were magnified.
"I'm Remington", he said.
So perfectly named, I thought.  I told him it was a great name, and he said, yes, his parents named him that, and started off down the hill again, after pointing out to me that the other boys were hiding.
On his way down, he turned around and hollered, "What's your name?"
I told him, and as I walked away, I could hear him telling the others, who came out to meet and question him.
"Her name is Zoe", he said importantly.

It was a good walk, and now I know Remington.

DON'T DO THIS AT HOME!

The thing is - when I'm not singing, or swimming, or reading, or on my bike, or spending time with friends, family or my lover, or food shopping or cooking, or doing a massage, or teaching those horrible children - I can be either extremely lazy, or, as I learned today, sort of nuts.

I should add making videos to my list of possible activities, because that's what I am currently doing to keep myself off the streets, but it didn't work today, - at least it didn't keep me off the ground.  There I was, creatively searching for subjects for the next brilliant video for youtube, to accompany some of my songs - and I suddenly got the brain wave to illustrate one of the lines from my tune "Gotta Move On" ( from my latest CD - watch for the video soon).

So this one line says "gotta roll on", and I decided to do that literally and I filmed myself rolling on down a hill - just like I used to love to do when I was six years old.  Well, here's the news, folks: it's not fun when you're no longer six.  In fact, it makes you feel ill and quite wretched. The things I do for art.  And does Art ever say thank you?

I survived, but just.  And now I'm passing on to you the benefit of my wisdom (got a little late).  DON'T DO IT.  (although I think it will look like fun in the final video package).

Before all that foolishness, however, I had a great night on Friday at our gig. The pics:

john deehan, me, ron johnston, mike allen, and sam

me being intensely songstressed

THE DULL WIT OF CAPITALISM IN BANKING CENTRES (CIBC)

If there's anything that bugs me, it's meaningless bureaucracy. Had a little run-in this morning, with that anachronism of sixty years or more, and it's all I can do to just run away – fast and furious. It was a bank – not surprisingly – that brought out my wrath. Bad enough their obscene profits; they have to be obtuse and annoying in the process.

Last week, I was thinking about doing a little traveling in the fall, so dropped in to my local CIBC, and spoke with a nice young man about setting up an account that would let me withdraw cash in most countries. My normal banking company doesn't have actual, physical outlets, and their debit card is not guaranteed to work outside Canada.

The nice young man told me to come back with my VISA card, and a passport, which I did; I also brought with me a second credit card, some bills with my address, including a tax bill, and my Ontario teacher's ID card. The only photo was on the passport, which happened to be Irish rather than Canadian. Canada's passports must be renewed every five years – another source of tedious bureaucracy – while Ireland's last ten years. So although I am Canadian, born in Toronto, I have Irish citizenship as well, through my grandfather.

I can't really blame the nice young man – even if all he did was repeat the rules over and over, and show me the brochure that states those rules. It's the manager's fault; and I have grave doubts about what those people can honestly “manage” in real life. God forbid they should base a decision on common sense - in this case lots of ID, including a photo on a passport which states I was born in Canada. I also have a mortgage with CIBC, which they have in their files, and have had many accounts with them over the years.

But stupid rules are stupid rules, and so, rather than offer service, they rigidly and dim-wittedly maintained their position for precisely and only what's listed in their beloved brochure – and thus lost my business. Oh, I know they don't really care, because I would have had a “no-fees” account, and CIBC wouldn't make a profit from this one pathetic customer.

It's a good thing I can sing; and don't have to live a life limited by “business”. Even if I'm poor – and I can live, and have lived, below the poverty line quite happily, often enough. I think I have more by being able to remove myself from this “mean” mean. I quit office jobs a long time ago because of this same lack of intelligence, imagination, and commitment to what I consider reality.

I'm reminded of my very brief stint many years ago with the government's income tax service: we all sat in rows in a big room, checking returns, while a man did nothing but walk up and down the aisles, presumably to make sure we were working. I used to put my pencil down, and place my hands in my lap until he passed my desk. He never said a mumblin' word, of course. Jerk.

I quit the job as soon as I could. 

I'm singing tonight at Gate 403

403 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto

9pm

with John Deehan, sax; Mike Allen, guitar; and Ron Johnston, bass

Come and have some fun.

IF YOU MISSED IT, YOU MISSED IT!

....as they often say at BayBloor Radio.

But I'm referring, of course, to our recent gig.  And some unfortunate people did miss it - too bad for them.  It was great at the Old Mill's Home Smith Bar - a true musical delight, with each musician so enormously talented, combining technique and heart (many in the biz do not have both) - and on top of that, making the evening fun, and connecting with the audience - an additional talent not always seen.
Many members of the audience - so many - came up to tell me how much they were enjoying the evening, which to me is worth so much - priceless, as they say in the commercials.  I seem to be quoting the world of advertising here.
A wonderful room in which to perform, and I'm glad all over to have been invited to sing there (4th time!!), and to have the musical friends I do.
So here are some pics, and a little clip of one of my songs - "My Honeyman".  Don't know why it won't do it straight; it was normal on the camera, but it has flipped it sideways on the computer.  sorry for the neck tension...

me and norm amadio, in a very dark mood, apparently



another opportunity for torticollis - twisted neck - why does the computer do this?

diana braithwaite, chris whiteley (hidden), john deehan, ron johnston

le maitre du piano, norman amadio

chris whiteley, ron johnston and moi

myself and john deehan

mike allen

And other news,

nothing to do with music, except that it's another reason to sing:  the judge on the charges brought against the @#$%^ conservative government that we are unfortunate to have here in Canada, has made a ruling, and found that - surprise, surprise - there is evidence of interference.  to whit, his words:

 In a clear and bold statement, Judge Richard Mosley wrote: "I find that electoral fraud occurred during the 41st General Election."
Of course, the government will now lie, and say someone else hacked into their systems.  They are so slimy and corrupt.

But we do have some more music news.  The next gig:

June 7, 2013  9pm
Gate 403;  403 Roncesvalles Ave., Toronto
C'mon out!!







THE BIG TIME

You know you've made the big time when you find your musicianship represented on a faucet seat reamer website.
a What?!!!!
I hear the question echoing across cyberland.  A faucet seat reamer is a tool you need to make sure your faucet functions properly.  Just happen to know that;  just happened to have mentioned that i was frustrated one morning without that tool, as I tried to fix my bathtub faucet, so turned to the balm of music.  Then i put it all online, as I sang my way to a better mood, and forgot about it, until I saw my name listed on the obscure-to-many seat reamer's web catalogue.
Well, perhaps it will introduce some new people to my songwriting and singing. Qui sait?

But for now, I have a photo and a short video I took at a beach one day last week.  The guys were out with their flying equipment, but it was all sitting on the beach (where the sun was shining magnificently).  I liked how they luffed in the wind.  so i turned the camera on; bruce cockburn was on the radio as i sat and filmed, so i hope he doesn't mind having a bit of "nicaragua" represented along with Lake Simcoe.

HOLY ROAD!!!!

on the trip up to dorset, in Haliburton county, it rained like a good thing.  a veritable deluge, and in the aftermath, there were many washed out and unpassable roads.

is it a spiritual path (it's so 'holey'), or is it the road to hell (paved with good intentions).

you can see the look of shock on my face, but mostly that's because there is snow (!!!) on the ground in April.  i hope to god it's all gone now, and for the rest of the season.

and just to remind us of how it should be:

part of my front garden in May

la tulipe and the flowers with squirrel-guard screening

never forget my bleeding heart

here is my bleeding heart  -  in my face and yours, at the CD launch

and sideways to boot

SO NOW THE MAIN MESSAGE IS THE GIG ON THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013
7:30-10:30PM
THE HOME SMITH BAR, AT THE OLD MILL, TORONTO

Some fabulous music, with fabulous musicians and guests.  stay tuned.

AFTER THE HOOKING, ETC.

The big CD launch for HOOK, LINE & SINGER was great fun on Saturday night.  Lots of people there to share with us; lots of them buying the CD - thanks to them for that; lots of great staff at the bar; and as always, fantastic music from the stalwart band members.
Here are a couple of pictures:

L-R: Paul Chilco, Ron Johnston, John Deehan, Paul Greco, meeself

including one of a couple of audience members who included themselves in the shot when i asked them to photograph us with my camera:

thanks guys, whoever you are; your (large) group was fun

and finally, a short clip of the action - everyone up and dancing for a jumpin' tune: (thanks to chris for shooting this)