Workin' People's Music by Busy Bees

OH how I've been missing summer, and better days, and not worrying myself to sleep every night, and so many pasttimes I've enjoyed, like blogging and learning tunes and keeping my sad little MySpace up to date. I've been thinking about my pals The Dixie Bee-Liners all week long because I've adopted one of their songs as a sort of personal worksong. Little did I know that while buried in my personal drama, they've been planning a visit to The Kent Stage for THIS SATURDAY. The show is at 8 p.m. and tickets are a steal for this bunch -- you'll have plenty left over to buy their CD and buy a cold beverage!

What a treat. I had hoped to venture out last weekend to see that pied piper of my soul, Tim O'Brien, but at 14 below BEFORE factoring in the wind chill, my kids and I decided to remain cozy indoors with blankets and lots of Tim's music. And over the course of the time since then much has happened in our country and in my slightly rocky, uncertain little world. Everyone in my company has been asked to take another 15% paycut to help prevent layoffs. We all agreed that 15% is better than 100%, which is what tens of thousands of Americans give up every week.

It did my heart good to see the news last night and watch Obama's cabinet report to work at the White House on the first weekend of the new Presidency. Since I had to work and I know a lot of other people did too, it was reaffirming somehow. It's been another batshit busy week punctuated by a surprise project for another organization that needs it in a hurry. I'm delighted for the opportunity which could become a new line of business and certainly will help me re-establish greater contact with the local nonprofit world, but I spent a lot of the weekend working on it. I hope it's successful.


Despite the news and the fact that I probably won't exhale until May or June, I'm trying to remain focused and optimistic. There wouldn't be another job out there waiting for me unless I dreamed it up myself, so my best hope for doing that is just to stay the course and keep existing clients happy while doing meaningful work that still allows us to eat. In the meantime, my sister and I both agreed it might be good to practice our flagging skills. (We both look good in orange so I'm not worried, really.)

It's interesting that we find our country in this enormous economic morass in the dead of winter. This evening's news heralded another major storm poised to take out more heat and power lines. Never having been a fan of winter, I've tried to be patient, but of course it's wearing thin. To learn of the Bee-Liners visiting was like a summer breeze blowing through my tired, worried brain. Just here in July with Blue Highway, it was one of the warmest nights we'd had, and the house was quite full.

I'm pretty sure my favorite tune off of their album, RIPE, is Yellow-Haird Girl. I can see it as my soundtrack whether I'm working out (it got me through several sets of weights last week), banging out a grant application for a client, or standing in the middle of the road with a big ol' "STOP" sign directing traffic, and feeling the sun beat down.

Here's to America getting back to work as quickly as possible with whatever music it takes, and to meanwhile making it out as often as possible to support live music in your neck of the woods -- or mine!

Yellow-Haired Girl