Let's start with the residency.
We had our third Tuesday night in August at the 331 Club this week. It was a weird show. Things started late. There was some confusion with gear. It just didn't run very smooth. But I thought we played a good set.
I've said it over and over again, but I really do love playing at the 331 Club. The staff treats you so well. Jason, the sound guy, treats bands so well. He brings around a tip jar towards the end of every set and people actually put money in and just the effort of him doing that alone makes such a difference.
And there are always people there. 11pm on a Tuesday and there are people there. It's fun. It's fun to play to a room of people. : )
Colleen and Laura were back to join us, which is also fun.
Earlier in the day, the three of us went to KFAI to do an in studio session for WomenFolk Radio.
I don't what it is about in studios, but they are terrifying! Fun, but terrifying. I get so nervous. I'm just not a very good public speaker and I don't do well put on the spot, so I get all nervous about what questions I'll get asked and I talk really fast and I giggle a lot. So I was grateful to have Colleen and Laura join me and help ease the stress of taking it on alone. We played "The Reminder" and "For the Time Being".
Warming up beforehand.
Warming up beforehand.
Live on air!
Post radio selfie with Ellen Stanley, host of WomenFolk Radio
You can hear the archived session here (about 90 minutes in):
Listen Now
331 Club Set List 8-18-15
- Car
- Lens
- Running
- I Wanna Know
- Safety Mode
- Reactor
- When You Were Mine (Prince cover)
- Introvert
- Beg, Borrow, or Steal
- Yesterday
And, I found out I got another play on The Current, too! It was a big radio day.
Tomorrow, 8/22 at 7pm, we're taking a detour from our residency and playing at
Como Dockside Pavilion. 90 minute set. We will be playing all the songs.
In other news...
It's my Birthday Week this week. Actually, it's my actual birthday today. So Happy Birthday To Me!
36
I'm usually all about Birthday Week and my birthday and making the most of it. But I got my present earlier in the month (my new guitar) and so things have been pretty mellow. I've been trying to stretch out these last weeks of summer but they are going by so fast. And once they're gone, I head to the hospital to get a hysterectomy. And I'm terrified.
I have a large mass in my uterus that is causing a bunch of problems and so it's got to go. I've never had major surgery before. They have to cut me open right down the middle of my stomach. It's a very weird thought. Just thinking about it gets me panicky and teary. I'll then be off work for 3 weeks while my abdomen heals. Stuck in bed twiddling my thumbs while the days waste away. I feel like I'm losing 3 weeks of my life - and more. Those 3 weeks are just the first wave. It will be another 3 weeks before I can really be active again. I've already had to turn down 2 shows. That makes me very mad.
And then there's just the whole idea of losing my uterus. I don't want kids. Never have. It's not that. I'll be thrilled to never have a period again. That's for sure. I'm already thinking about how I'll have my last one during the State Fair and I love the fair and my stupid awful period is going to get in the way of my enjoyment of something I love one last time.
But, well...I've never been a girly-girl. I don't know how to put on make-up. The only thing I can do with my hair is wash it and brush it. I hate shopping. Fashion escapes me. I do like to wear dresses, but only because I find pants restrictive. I'd rather spend an hour in a guitar store than getting a manicure.
So there's this part of me that feels very attached to my uterus and the bits of femininity it brings me. The whole "totally get ya, girl, cramps suck amiright?"of womanhood. As girls we're told when we get our periods we're welcomed to womanhood. We can bring life with our uteruses - the ultimate super power. It's just weird that I will no longer be a part of that club. A club I already feel so removed from in so many ways.
But, it has to go.
I put off the surgery because August is so busy. I have so many shows. It's my birthday. My wedding anniversary. The State Fair. So many things I love in August that I didn't want to spend it lying in bed. My doctor was concerned that the mass would continue to grow and make surgery more difficult the bigger it got. I didn't think that would happen, so I was fine with putting off until September. But I think she was right. I think it has become bigger. So now I'm worried about that. Or I've just gained a ton of weight - which is also a very likely possibility as I have been stress eating all month.
So, now I'm one month away from the surgery date and freaking out more and more every day. My head is in a really weird space. I keep trying to shove the thought of the surgery out of my brain and focus on other things, but it's hard to do.
Today, I'm home. Vacation day for my birthday. I took Robbie Dog to the lake for a nice walk. I did some more work on some demos. I'm currently drinking a beer, waiting for Matt to get home. I'll probably go to bed early tonight as tomorrow is a busy day. Birthday lunch at my mother-in-law's, then in early show, and then possibly an after party at my place. We'll see if people feel like coming over.
Hello, 36. Let's see what happens.
