I have a couch! Ok.....I have a loveseat....but it fits perfectly in my apartment, and provides a great place to read with a kitty cat in my lap. The apartment is coming along, and I'm hoping to have everything set up by Thursday (when my internet is supposed to be set up). I have discovered that a friend of mine from undergrad (O) has migrated this way, so we met up at the museum of Natural and Cultural history to take a look at the world instruments exhibit her and her husband had helped set up. O also offered to show me around town next week while she was showing one of her friends from high school around as well.

I'm heading to U(rban)C(ity) today to try and find some good tunes (and visit IKEA before the session), but I am planning on heading back to the session tomorrow night to see if there are any new/different faces. Also planning on doing at least one open mic this week, and checking out the beginning running group sponsored by the local running store.

I had my first Skype calls this week. Wow, technology is crazy. And very, very cool. I think once I get a video camera hooked up it will be even crazier.

The weather here has been A-MAZ-ING. Even the cloudy days are beautiful, because I get to wake up, make breakfast, and look at the mist surrounding the Buttes from my kitchen window.

I'm hoping to venture out into the city on the bus next week. My plan is to use the bus to investigate the used bookstores because they're near locations I'll visit frequently (ie school/coffee shops/and hello.....used bookstores).

I'm trying to put myself out there earlier and more than I did in FDP. It's odd because usually I talk myself out of doing things at the last minute (ok....I did that for the open mics I was planning on....but I had unpacked boxes all day and didn't feel like playing). To me, making small talk/meeting lots of new people takes a lot of effort/energy/courage that sometimes I don't feel I have, which usually results in me sitting with my cat on my lap and reading/watching a movie. I am being much better about going out and doing things anyway, and it's something I want to keep doing.

I want to accomplish so many things while I'm here, it's kind of overwhelming: Break into the Singer/Songwriter scene, get my PhD, take my Irish trad playing to the next level, get published, set myself up to get a good job, attempt some sort of recording, etc. Following on the heels of 4 years of grad school, sometimes my to-do list makes me tired and brings out the "what makes you actually think you can do any of that" voice just by looking at it. It's really helpful to have (almost) two months to get a break and set up my apartment, try out some open mics, practice trad flute, get up at 9 am and leisurely cook breakfast, and study for entrance exams without the added pressure of school and teaching.

Anyway, I need to make some more progress on the unpacking front before I try out the session tonight!

Peace, Love, and Tunes,

Mac.