what's happening to me?

what's happening is this - I'm getting my life back!

I finished that god awful degree and slept.....and slept and slept and slept - reluctant to go out in the yard, go anywhere, do anything, I wasn't even inspired to paint the house (which is in serious need of a paint job). I thought something was wrong with me. Turns out I was right. Something was wrong - I'd just finished something horrendous that I never wanted in the first place! Last week I had a long, much overdue conversation with my PhD pal who said she'd done the same thing after defending her dissertation - it's a common phenomenon with academics. When you ought to feel free and light, you shut down instead. It was in that moment that things turned around for me (I love my friends). And, except for a massive migraine on Wednesday, I proceeded to have an incredible week!

Monday I was lucky enough to play, for the second year in a row, for the Girl Scouts at Camp Judy Layne (my pal Stacy sometimes calls it Camp Mary Jane, other times Camp Mary Kay) with my pals Melanie Johnson and Marianne Sherman. Now, such a gig may sound trivial. It's anything but. I would play that gig long before I'd go play The Hoosier Dome again... or CBGB's, the Stone Pony, you name it, every great gig I've ever played I'd give up to play for these girls. Why? Because they love it - I don't think music has ever given me more joy than seeing the look in their eyes when they hear us three women play and realize they can do it, too. You can see the light bulbs come on in their brains - the excitement is infectious. It makes me feel like I make a difference; something sorely lacking in my current "day" job.


The Lexington Herald-Leader got wind of what Melanie has been doing with these girls and the story became the front page lead in yesterday's paper. (be sure to watch the video). Someone apologized to me that Marianne and I weren't mentioned by name (we were referred to as "two of her bandmates") - I said, "I don't care - Melanie is way overdue her 15 minutes - I've had mine!"

So, I flipped the front page and there's a large, albeit horrible, picture of Alison Krauss and Robert Plant from their show the night before at Rupp Arena (watch the video provided on their website).


And could somebody tell me what it is about newspaper editors that cause them to pick pictures that make people look retarded? Seriously - the H-L did it to me years ago and I thought it was something personal but when I saw the pic on the inside of the paper of Alison looking just as retarded as I had, I knew it really was a deplorable lack of sense on their part (they had enough sense to not post it online, at least). She's beautiful and to choose a pic that makes her look like she just got off the short bus is just stupid.....oh bother.....


Anyway....I'd seen Robert with Jimmy Page back in '95 - one of the best shows ever. I've seen Alison God knows how many times and I don't think I've ever heard her hit a flat note (I don't think I can say that about another singer). Their show together was a religious experience - like seeing The Who in the late 80's with Simon Phillips on drums. My pal Stacy looks at me by the third song and said, "As long as that man's alive, women will never need Viagra!" She's so right - it was like a 2 hour orgasm. And it wasn't just him, the music was impeccable, ethereal, otherworldly and not at all what you'd expect. I can only describe it as taking American music to a completely uncorrupted level. Buddy Miller was along and you can never, ever go wrong with him on a stage - easily the most underrated American musician touring today. T Bone Burnett is no slouch nor is Stuart Duncan who really showed his stuff. My only criticism was the drums - there were times when I wanted the fancy big drum sound to let loose with some serious rock and roll groove. Stacy loved them but I equated the sound to a big man with small balls. Sometimes you just need big balls and there were a few instances where some big balls would have come in really handy!

It was a full moon Friday night and I had a blast!

Imagine my surprise when Saturday I went to see Mamma Mia....the week-long fun was continuing! (how bout the Abba-ites at the premier below?)

It was a roasting hot day - perfect for a matinée. The singing bordered on bad most of the time but, strangely, I didn't care. It is such a feel good story, Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnon are so handsome together, the scenery so beautiful, that you just don't care that they can't sing their way out of a paper bag. It is a total chick-flick and, despite myself, I loved it. I ate buttered popcorn, raisinettes, a large diet, then went to Frisch's for a Big Boy, fries, and a chocolate shake - what more could you possibly want out of a hot day?

And did I mention that I interviewed author Gwyn Hyman Rubio last week, too, who's uniqueness and kindness was an inspiration to me? Here's a woman who had a bestseller (Icy Sparks), her next book was a let down because some suit pushed her for a deadline, then she stood up and said, "ya know what? I don't work that way and you're not worth it to me or my writing." Girlfriend is writing her next novel on her own terms. I LOVE that.

I was also sent a copy of Janis Ian's autobiography and will be talking to her soon. That won't be boring - talk about a survivor! The list of good stuff happening to Tonic lately just goes on and on...

Today is Sunday. I have to go back to my "day" job tomorrow. I can only hope that the energy and creativity that's filled my life outside the library this past week somehow find a way this week to overtake the digital doldrum that is my life during the day.