Gigs a Coming Come on Out

Hey it's been a bad week for blogging, sorry. Lots going on.

I had a rehearsal this week with Ali Matthews who I am warming up for and playing with 4 times this Christmas in the FTC Christmas shows. I have done very little playing for other people in my life and this is a great experience. So fun to be able to "sit back" and have fun in the background. The whole band is great and the music is all Christmas and fun. You have got to see this!! We wil be playing in Hamilton first Nov. 30th at the Royal Botanical Gardens, sounds cool non! Then a few days later in London at the Lamplighter Inn in London on Dec 3rd.

For tickets call FTC 1-877-382-2262. Hope to see you there!!

The Cliff Cline Jazz Club Christmas Party

So mark your calendars Dec 14th, 2006 and come out to Not My Dog for our first annual Christmas bash. Love to see you there. We will have lots of the Jazz Clubs guys out that night, should be a casual hoot!! Come by and say hi, love to hang for a few hours.

Computers - Yeesh

So I am not technically much of a computer geek. I know enough to be dangerous and generally right a wronged ship, but I am not energized by the process. I run the computers at church - three went down last month. Without boring you with the details, it si also crucial in a small environment that all of computers work, well all of the time. There is no pad. Needless to say I have been wokring like crazy to make us ready for this weekend and the staff able to do their respective jobs. Now they are back to normal, I better go and catch up!!

The Cliche Police - A Tribute

I was recently cited and fined (rightly) for cliche (Christianese to be exact) use on my blog, something I try very hard to avoid. I was reminded by this fine, payable with remorse and apologies, that sometimes trite sayings or expressions get in the way for what you are actually trying to say. I will take better care in trying to write with more intelligence and clarity in the future. In fact, I will definitely put my best foot forward and give it 110%, take it one word at a time, and leave nothing on the keyboard, put my sholder to the computer, and not accept cliches as an answer.

Phew, now that I got that out of my system, maybe I will stay clean for a while.:)

Joy In Work

I definitely think it is a struggle to keep constantly motivated. I also think it is tough to stay totally positive in the midst of high pressure and high goal setting. On top of that I think it is very difficult to keep balance across all areas of life in the midst of pushing on all fronts, positively with great motivation.

That is, however, what I think we need to do. I am reading a couple of John Maxwell books right now. In one of them he cites Edison as an example fo a incredibly positive thinker who succeeded through positive attitude and thought.

Many of the thoughts have caught my attention as I read these books. The one thought recently is this: Remain positive, hopeful, persevere, don't give up.

I am totally pumped by the work I am doing both at church (and at home for the CD and book etc.) I am working out, trying to do even more with and for the kids, and the decision to keep it positive is helping me get up in the morning. When you decide life will be good, it tends to agree - even when all of the circumstances you ind yourself in are less than ideal.

Technical Difficulties

I have been having some technical difficulties as of late. I think I have figured out it is FIrefox and/or the Mac OS. Alas, I have put in a couple of backdated ones that you may have read when I publihed a couple of posts in iWeb format, or maybe not. Just letting you know.

Cool Find

So one of my laments over the years has been the lack of ability to record and keep easily accessible demos of all the songs I have done. For obvious reasons, when you have written as many songs as I have and you are not performing and recording, well every year pretty much, unless you are diligent at writing them down and/or recording them, then you are in trouble.

I have always known that I have lost a few good ones, but lately I think it has become worse. In part because I have written so many "secular" songs that I am not really using in any venue right now.

Interesting the journey I am on in life (to me anyway). This CD project is pulling and pushing me to, perhaps, re-find my voice artistically.

Anyway, I did a concert 7-ish years ago, if you can believe it, at a friends photography studio downtown (link). He no longer has that place. I found a video tape of the concert, and have hence found several songs that I must consider now for recording. I am starting to think I am going to have to release a volume one and two under the same title a year a part or something.

Anyway, re-finding the songs in my hands and voice tonight. Very fun. Thought I would share.

Studio 60

So there is a new episode of my new favourite show (apparently already cancelled) on tonight. After a long but productive week, and at the start of what looks to be another one (Sunday is my first workday of the week) I am excited to chill with my bride and catch some entertainment.

Was at a friends triple cool 40th birthday party last night. Great friends he has. You can tell a lot about a person by their friends (or lack of them I suppose). The people were amazing, and the so was the get together.

Going to be a busy month of singing which I am excited about. I will be in Stratford, Burlington/Hamilton, London and Toronto over the next few weeks with Ali Mathews and FTC Canada. Should be a blast!!

Blogger has been having some problems, so I put up a couple blogs from the mac. I will have them re-entered under this format in a day or two.

'til next blog.