Well, here I am, sitting in my apartment staring at the computer screen recovering from my fourth cold since I arrived. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to go contend with 30 some excitable and noisy teenagers all day everyday. It's unfortunate, times like this when I feel misery (even though no matter where in the world I am, I would still feel misery), is when I feel the most homesick. Though I won't go as far to say that I feel any regret in our decision to puddle jump, I will say that there are things that I have a pressing urge to do, but do not have the ability to do. I know the Linger situation has gone out of my hands now, so my mind moves to the next project. For many years on this blog you've read about my old band, Kat Has the Key, and our intention to record some of the material that we wrote, mostly in 2005 at the Gladmer Park apartment. I have started accumulating the best versions of songs that I have on file into an arrangement of what I could distantly call an album's worth of material, or at least 8 songs worth, something that could become an album's worth of material with just a few jam sessions.

When oh when would I ever have time to do this project? I am on the other side of the world right now, of course, with too many miles between us to effectively collaborate. As well, Doug and Allysia are both in Paper Strangers mode, a new band for which I am extremely excited to hear material from. Will they even still be interested if it turns out to be two years before we can put the work onto a record? So I lied, I have one regret, not recording this stuff when I had the chance. Now it's a two year wait before I get another crack at it. If I get another chance at it.

I was listening to an album by a band called the Cowboy Junkies, and I was very inspired by something they did. With their album, "The Trinity Sessions", with their really only big hit, "Sweet Jane", they recorded their entire album in one night inside a church with a DAT recorder and a single microphone, letting the acoustics of the church do the work. Actually of all bands, Incubus did something similar with their album "Morningview". They camped out in a mansion by the ocean, where they wrote and recorded the album in one month. A little longer than I would hope to take. But even the Root of Truth only took one week, and in that week we recorded nine or ten songs.

I hope we can do the same thing with the Kat Has the Key project. One week, holed up in some inspirational environment and pound out an album which can then be mixed at our leisure.

Someday, distant, but someday, I hope.

now that i've scared off all of my loyal readership (hi Kat!), now i guess i can be a little more candid in my posting. i thought that i could get away with not blogging, and since i didn't have any time before, and stress kept me down, i just sort of stopped. but hey, now i'm sitting here with more time on my hands than i know what to do with (when i'm not watching season after season of star trek and sailor moon (don't ask)), now i feel compelled to talk about stuff that's on my mind, and with no outlet to use, the thoughts just bobble around in my head until the brain is like a house with too many cats, all shrieking and loud. Well, it's time to let out the cats (No, I'm not drunk...anymore).

First off, congratulations to my sister Jaimee, she and her boyfriend Chris are getting married. Right now, she is in New Brunswick visiting, as Chris graduates from the military academy in the coming week, after that, a cross country adventure ensues, only to arrive at their new house in Pierceland, SK. I am very happy for them both, and I wish them a prosperous and happy future.

Second bit of news, Nine Inch Nails is coming to Canada, and I am 10,000 miles away. Okay, I have aleady seen them I know, BUT that's not the point. The new Ghosts record has been in my record player (iPod) since it came out, a wonderful concept that is inspiring me and katherine to get our asses in gear and create some art. Keep an eye out on my youtube page, in the near future I will post my first entry for the Ghosts video contest (when I finish that is). Also there are lots of vids from our trip up there and a few other eclectic items as well.

Two more albums I am listening to with regularity are Radiohead's "In Rainbows" and The Mars Volta's "Bedlam in Goliath". All of these albums are incredible and inspiring. Billy Howardel from A Perfect Circle is releasing his debut solo album next week, I think the band's name is aSHES dIVIDE.

As I mentioned I have a lot of time on my hands and for the first time in some years, I have seen most of the Oscar nominees. There Will Be Blood, wicked flick, directed by PT Anderson of Magnolia, Punchdrunk Love fame. Juno, a definite character flick well performed and well written. No Country for Old Men by the Coen brothers was another great hit. I could continue listing good movies, as this year's Oscars were packed with great flicks, Gone Baby Gone, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (that was shot in Alberta and Manitoba).

It seems all I do is watch movies in my boredness...somebody come visit already!

Ah, for now, I will leave you (hi Kat!), but I promise that I will maybe post on here more often...peace...