The Main Event

Happy new year everyone! Let's all move in a little closer. Huddle up, people. Right now is a perfect opportunity to reach out to the folks in your proximity, or those you would like to move a little closer to. It's cold, for starters. Maybe a Minnesota winter was all it took for someone to come up with the term icebreaker. I'll bet you a dollar! Whatever. Consider yourselves relieved of whatever might be holding you back. Check in with the people you care about, say hello to a stranger, something. Anything. Here's an even better reason than cold-ass Minnesota winters. This time of year sucks for a lot of people and though we all like to be tough or discrete, a little love goes a long way and a lot of it is a miracle waiting to happen for someone. Just ask my pal Frannie dog.

I had a sweet winter break. Did a bit of travelin'. Nothing exotic like T-shirt weather, but there was plenty of warmth to be had. I spent the last night of 2010 with some of my favorite people, playing music and the fool; it was great fun. Midway through my excursion, I broke fast at my own personal breakfast Mecca, where two eggs really means four eggs and a doughnut hole is the Alpha of many delights you will enjoy.




On my way back to Red Wing, I passed through Madison Wisconsin and had the incredible fortune to reconnect with an old friend and his charming family. I am a big fan of letting go of the metaphysical steering wheel and having lunch wherever I may roam. Are ya with me? My first step is to know that everything is ok. After that, I can't go wrong. This approach took me to the place where Sean, Jen, Margot and Liam live. And it was good. Plus, Sean's new record is largely killer and he sent me home with a copy. Hah!

School is back on and though I hardly have time to play guitar or cook myself dinner, if I could, I would spend even more time in the guitar building lab. We build on Monday and Tuesday then move on to other topics for the remaining 3 days of the week. As of today, blueprints are graded and templates have been made. The time has come so here we go! First, my blueprint. Cough Cough, *perfect score*.




This drawering was a huge effort. I underestimated the amount work it would take to complete. There could easily be waaay more information crammed onto this page, but what I had was enough to win all the points.

I've had visions of this bit of a tree lodged in my brain and it has somehow been enough to keep a fire roaring. This AAAA-grade maple top will be stained a deep red, once it is all said and done. Pancake sauce and THIS from Maple trees??? Inconceivable.


During the next five weeks, I will take a few other hunks of wood in similar states and turn them into a guitar, full of lust and soul. It's gonna be cool. Ya'll come.




Up here where cold is cheap and plentiful, you can wait all day. You can wait all day.