We wrapped the scoring session for Kim Voynar’s film “Bunker” last Sunday, coming in a little ahead of schedule. We’d planned as a contingency three studio days–we ended up working a half day on Friday, a full day on Saturday, and a half day on Sunday. We had a celebratory dinner on Sunday with some of the crew, incl Vinnie the sound recordist who has extensive experience in composing, doing sound for film, etc. He was very helpful in bringing things into a landing, and I had total confidence in handing off the tracks for him to do a final mix.
We had Monday evening on hold at the studio for the film, but since we didn’t need it, it was mine for the taking. So, after spending a cheery day at a local prison visiting a relative, I used the time to do a little work on my album plus sing a kind of jingle vocal for a Norwegian songwriter, a country song that he needed lead vocals for. This is work I got thru eSession.com, a website that puts together songwriters/artists in need of players, producers, singers, etc. To be honest, it’s the only gig I’ve gotten thru the site, after being on it for probably 4-5 years. Any smart person would contact the session player on their Facebook and instinctively cut the middleman out, I would imagine. But some people don’t have a specific person in mind, and post for a general response. I got the job, prob. by being the first to respond. It was fun–unexpected, and different. I was also able to play some organ and guitar on some songs on my album.
Tuesday I headed up in my rental 4×4 (I won’t bore you with the details of searching for, and finding, a particular toy for my daughter for Christmas, on my third try–after Seattle’s Toys R Us, Lynnwood’s WalMart failed to yield the good, I found it at Alderwood Mall’s Toys R Us. Did I mention I am one of the greatest songwriters of my generation?) to Bellingham, to my mom’s place, for lunch with my mom, stepdad, Aunt & Uncle. We exchanged gifts, and it wasn’t even 8pm that, with wine in my belly and a fire crackling in the fireplace, that we all conked out. I had an excuse tho–that afternoon I had visited Hoagland Pharmancy, who have an extraordinarily useful service–travel vaccinations. The nurse on duty is an expert on what you need for any given country, and I stopped in in advance of next month’s tour in Asia. Having forgotten my raggedy WHO immunization record at home, Dom managed to scan it and send it to me, and we looked thru it and found that I needed just a HepB booster and a typhoid update. But still, this stuff helped knock me out, I’m sure of it. But also, I was in my parents lovely likeside home, and I was simply relaxed.
I woke up on the couch at 6am, and took my time to get myself ready, packed up, etc. Said my goodbyes and headed to Seattle, encountering some but not too much traffic on the way. Gassed up the rental and dropped it, and made my way to Air France. I had come over with an empty suitcase–on the way back it was now laden with presents from my family for myself, Dom & Aden, plus stuff I hadn’t been able to fit in there on the last visit-birthday presents, CD stock left over from my touring last month, supplies and gear cheaper to buy in the states, etc. This includes an empty guitar case for one of my Gretsch Electromatics, the original cases long beat to dust but embarrassingly still in use. Again, all cheaper and easier to get in the states than in France. The extra case was going to be a problem–you’re only allowed one bag in economy class on Air France, and my Gold status on Alaska Airlines was no use (but an at least one decade-old Delta Gold card was). So I ended up just paying the extra weight. I paid another €70 to get a premium seat (bulkhead, right by the bathroom, and easy to walk around the guy next to me to come and go w/o disturbing him).
And, I was home.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. I tallied it up–in 2011, I’ve made 14 albums and played 79 shows. And had 60 days of air travel, 17 of which were long haul, intercontinental flights. Just in the last month I’ve applied myself in making the most important album of my career, a make or break play for my 4th solo album. Plus had some serious family events, trust me. And coming home, into the gloom of winter and the horrible dreck of the holidays, which I’ve never enjoyed (it’s like the audience at a North Korean comedy club: SMILE and LAUGH and ENJOY….or else), with the fury of activity that a typical year provides coming to a grinding, vicious, halt–my body can’t take it. I love being home, I love the cuddles and giggles with my family, but…I’m a man of action, and inaction is not my strong suit. My girls have been so good, too. Dom is a wonderful, fun, understanding person to come home to. But I’ve been a mess. I arrived on Thursday morning, and it’s Tuesday now, and I feel out of the fog today. I think the massive workload/inoculations/jet lag cocktail was pretty deadly. I was sleeping in til noon, and still feeling tired, after going to bed at ten. I was irritable and lost. This morning I woke up before 8, finally feeling a little bit my old self, and after making slow but positive progress on completing my album at home. Home is a terrible place to work, really–it’s so much nicer to make a tea or tickle Aden, or take a bath or go for a walk, than actually work. I’ve worked so many days in a row this year my body is surely in a mute revolt.
The darkest day of the year is in two days. I’m finally feeling prepared. I’ve given those occasional, enigmatic extra squeezes to Dom & Aden, who wonder what I’m on, and it’s me, knowing how lucky I am to have them, who knows what I’m on. I’m on safe ground.
Love
KS
Paris