I have three days off in a row in Seattle, one of my favourite towns. This is great for two reasons:

One, I get to pillage Seattle’s used bookstores, and also visit Dusty Strings to see if they have that Pierre Bensusan book I’ve been looking for since last time I was here, and

Two, I get to nurse my right hand back to health.

The other day I pulled a tendon in my right hand wrestling a bear fighting off pirates rescuing the princess opening a door, and it’s been painful to do any fingerpicking since. So I’m hoping that a bit of time off will fix it up. Now I just have to convince myself not to play guitar for three days… easier said than done!

Today in the car I tried to listen to “Freak Out” by Frank Zappa and the Mothers. I try this every six months ago. Just long enough to forget how completely unlistenable it is…

Had to take a business call today. At the end of the conversation I had to tell the person that I wasn’t going to be able to follow up immediately, on account of being at the top of a small but significant mountain. In many industries that would have been greeted with derision or disbelief. I kinda like my industry some days.

Dear older gentleman heading into the room next to ours at the Motel 6 with a small valise and a large bottle of Clorox… obviously you knew this place better than we did when you checked in. Hats off to you, sir.

Heather was doing a Skype interview so I was banished outside. So I wrote this post from my phone! How awesome is that?

Of course I have nothing to say, but that’s the internet for you…

Heather has taken my laptop, ostensibly for video editing, but now for spreadsheets. Here’s where I notice the limitations of the Chromebook. All I want to do is FTP and emacs (there are Mysteries as yet unresolved on a couple of servers). And what do I get? Facebook. Slow-loading news sites (not the Chromebook’s fault – the hotel wifi sucks this morning). BORED.

Oh and the entire Internet is boring today because, aside from a few cleverly done stories (“Setting the Clocks Back at Avebury”), most of the April Fool’s stuff is crap. GRUMP!

Nothing is quite as therapeutic as a beautiful spring morning spent throwing axes. We had a great show in Santa Fe last night (and I think I’m gonna move here!) but it’s been topped off by a morning of genteel projectile violence. Now we’re going off for lunch and the obligatory used-bookstore hunt. Got any favourites in any of the cities we’re visiting on this tour? I mean, aside from Powell’s in Portland, of course, where I intend to blow every dime of the indiegogo fund 😉

Me: “Fine then, I’ll stop trying to be nice.”

Heather: “No, don’t stop! You’ll get it right someday!”

Well played, Ms Dale, well played.

Great gig tonight in Round Rock, TX. One of those weird gigs where you know objectively that you’re playing a house concert, but it kind of feels more like you’re onstage with Iron Maiden, and all the punters are singing along with every word, and even singing the guitar solos. Texas fans are hardcore yo. There were 70-year-olds there who have all the records, AND the t-shirts, AND who sing along with all the words. There was a 16-year-old girl there who had skipped out on her main event at an equestrian contest to be there, who was basically in tears when Heather sang “Hunter”.  There were even people there who got my weird recherché Rush jokes (although only one person got my obscure French pun, and she’s in the band). Anyway, if you ever wonder why we tour in Texas so often, there’s the reason. We’re leaving tomorrow and I can’t wait to come back already.

… Now with 200% more annoying TV news! I can hardly function whilst being bombarded by network news. PANIC! EVERYTHING IS A DISASTER! BE SCARED! FEEEEEAAAAAAAAR!

No thanks. Think I’ll just get my iced tea and leave, thanks.