July / August 2008

My god, I was just reading through my last diary entry – all that stuff seems about four years ago…it’s amazing how fast time is moving along! Maybe I’m just getting old? (don’t say a thing!)

I was swithering about whether or not to even put in a diary entry this month. All it would read, really, is ‘mixing’, ‘mixing’, ‘mixing’, ‘finishing touches’, ‘artwork’!

But then, think of all those months when all I wrote was ‘DIY’, ‘DIY’ and ‘DIY’…I’d hate to deprive you of the minutiae of my life!

So, July…

Well, I was mixing the album and then there was a big earthquake and…no, no, I was mixing the album and there was a huge fire and…no, no, I was mixing the album and there was a volcano eruption in Clydebank and…no, no…

I was mixing the album and decided to take a break and go to Wimbledon – honest! – that one’s true!

I did, I had tickets for Court1 and saw the Amazonian Goddess that is Venus William play in her quarterfinals. I was sitting way back and she still seemed taller than me! What a player, I’m amazed that she and her sister get such negative press – all because they choose to have a life AND play tennis! However, she and the whole Wimbledon experience were quite fantastic – great fun! And, it just happened to be about 80 degrees – thank god for seats in the shade.

Funny though, I went with my mum and couldn’t believe that, after what seemed like three days, it was still Monday – THE DAY WE LEFT FOR WIMBLEDON – still three days still to go!!!

When I came back – after finding out ways to have my mum committed to an old-folks home (!), I…well…I mixed more of the album!

Managed to get time to go and see the Blue Nile though – that amazing Glasgow band that has appeal far and beyond this country. Bands like this make me even more proud to be Scottish!

Guess what I did the day after the Blue Nile?

Aha, you thought I’d say, mixed the album? Well, no, I went to spend the weekend on Arran – another place that makes me proud to be Scottish; the weather was amazing as was the scenery…And then the midges came – and I really wished I was indoors, MIXING THE BLOODY ALBUM!

On my return, we’d arranged for the photo shoot for the CD cover. Now…how to hide the midge bites? However, I needn’t have worried, photographer, Cheryl Doyle, managed to hide them all – I knew she was a brill photographer!

In between photoshoots and stuff – yep, you guessed it, I mixed and remixed the album! Then changed a few bits – Marco was loving me – I’m sure!!!

And, when it was done…I mixed it some more!

Okay, enough of that…

Did I mention that I really live in suburbia – did I mention that? Did I mention that this month I found myself power washing my bins? Not only that, I was out in my glorious garden, chain sawing wood for my fire! Wohoaw – I’m a lumberjack and I don’t care…

Managed to wash my hands in time for my gig at the Jamhouse in Edinburgh.

Well, no-one seemed to know about it and here was this big imposing venue and me with a new acoustic band set up. Aw Naw, what if we were rubbish? (the nagging doubt of a petulant, self-obsessed artist).

Needn’t have worried though – we were fine and had a really great show.

The petulant, self-obsessed artist was over tired though – all that mixing and all that playing live (!!!!!), she needed a break (!!!!!!!)

So the petulant, self-obsessed artist (that’s me, by-the-way) took herself off on a beautiful drive up to Lewis. Up through Glencoe to Skye, through Harris and onto Lewis – I really had died and gone to heaven!

You may remember Lewis was the place I wrote the material for Kitchen Stories – I loved it then, even when the rain was running horizontally in the wind past my window – I love my time there.

Well this time, there was no rain – nope, only blinding sunshine, only 80 degree heat, only beautiful long, white sandy beaches, only me and my friends on those beaches – only paradise really!

My time there, with my beautiful friends, was magical and again and again, I love Scotland (especially in the sunshine). Even the midges were nicer!

And, back home to get the finishing touches done to the artwork finished.

It’s done, it’s a great feeling and it’s a lovely way to make a living!

August

And, I guess I should do August since it’s like almost the end of this month.

Except there’s not much to say – no mixing, no DIY! Only admin and accounts and all that other lovely stuff (and I mean that by-the-way!); and thinking about finishing off the wee bits and bobs of DIY – so that I’ve got something to write about in September’s diary!

I managed to get to see an amazing play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival - one about Frida Kahlo. It was estupendo (Spanish, that by-the-way). Of course, she was a Mexican artist and, as she is Mexican, I love her – not only that, she had a hairy top lip and, as a woman who is top-lip-hirsute-ly challenged, I can relate to her – well that and her love of tequila!

The actress (a Brazillian woman) and the production were magnificent though – so much so that I decided I had to come home and watch Frida the movie again! As a consequence, I was up until 1am – how very rock and roll eh?

And so, we’re in rehearsal at the minute too, for the shows in September and October. I hope you manage to come along to at lease one of them – a new band in tow!

Should be fun.

All the best for September.

Carol