I'm going to label this njc because by now, I guess it is, and we wouldn't want to offend those njc'ers, would we (or maybe we would, come to think of it!) I'm really enjoying the posts on the fest from other people's points of view. It's great to see from different angles and yet, we are so alike in many ways. Marcel, your posts cracked me right up - your description of the New England (or Mass. anyway) roads system was bang on. (Est-ce que vous parlez francais?) There was something really weird that I couldn't put my finger on until you mentioned it - the fact that there's no reflective paint or anything to guide you ON and OFF the main highways! Sometimes I attribute this stuff to my own on-and-off-again ditziness, or shitty eyesight and not-so-great night vision (Kerry and Steve and Les are probably groaning, "Oh, NOW she tells us!") but up here in the good old province of Ontario, we have all these road markers and even though I STILL hate driving at night here, I'm not quite as worried about ending up in a ditch. (I know when you're in a new place, no matter HOW well the roads are marked, it's still hard, esp. when it's DAAAK.) I am SO glad I chose not to drink any alcohol! (or maybe it would have helped!) I had visions of the state troopers pulling me over to the side and my ending up in jail (or the stocks/pillory, whatever) and then maybe being deported as an undesirable alien and never being allowed back into the USA!) So happy to read these posts about Friday and Sunday (because I was only there in the church Saturday from about 3 p.m. on when I finally dragged my sorry ass along). Sounds like Atty May's was a bit of a bummer - that's too bad - maybe we should do a beach party thing next year (if the weather is good!) (Notice I say "we" - if it kills me, I'm going next year, and I'm getting there earlier and staying later - I don't want to miss anything!) I'm thinking about renting a house for a week or so near the beach if that's feasible - my family used to do that in the summer when I was a kid - we'd be in the Old Orchard Beach/Saco/Biddeford area for the first two weeks in August every year for many years (my family is originally from Montreal and that's one of the places good Montrealers, both English and French, used to go and probably still do). I LOVE New England (despite its road system). Also, thanks to those who mentioned names that I had forgotten - I remembered the singing, but couldn't remember the names - like Kay Ashley (what a voice!) and Amy, and Russ-I-think-I-called-you-Ross, with his BEEE-YOO-TI-FUL piano playing (and you have to watch his hands when he plays -that's a treat in itself!) If I didn't mention anyone's name or what you sang, it's only because my brain can only take so much of even a good thing - EVERYONE THERE WAS FABULOUS AND THAT'S NO LIE! I'm in a bit of a penurious state right now, so, whether I make it next year or not, probably depends on fortune as much as hard work - maybe I'll try a spell ;) As you probably have heard too many times already, I finally managed to get my husband to move out of the house a couple of months ago, but unfortunately at present I seem to be stuck with supporting him financially but am putting LOTS of pressure on him to get off his ass and get a job and start supporting himself, because my kids come first. It has been 4-5 years since he lost his job and all I know is I would work at ANYTHING rather than having to depend on ANYONE to support me, because I'm just too friggin' proud to put myself in anyone's debt (financially or emotionally) that way. I would never want to owe anyone that way. I also had a bit of a health scare, but I think it's going to be OK. I had this iffy-looking mole (aka "nevus") removed about 10 days before going to Boston, and they took a fair chunk out of my left arm. Ironically, I had always hated that mole (Out, damn spot!) but I figured they just kind of scooped 'em out or cauterized 'em or something (they do if they're small and it's just a cosmestic thing). Anyway, yesterday, I went back and had my stitches removed and the biopsy results. The good news is, it isn't cancer (melanoma, which sounds too pretty to be cancer - it could be a girl's name). However, it is what they call "severly dysplastic" which means (as the doc told me), it's "thinking about" turning into cancer. What that means is that in three more weeks, I have to go back and have another piece carved out of my arm to make sure all the bad stuff is removed. I shouldn't whine, but i just had the damn thing cut and I'm really not looking forward to doing it again, but will get myself steeled for it within the next few weeks and hope THIS time they get all of it - I'm starting to feel like a frickin' Christmas turkey, so don't be surprised if I start gobbling. Pass the cranberry sauce, wouldya? Some good news (for me anyway) is I've signed up for a singing class which starts in a couple of weeks. That should be fun - I need to do something to get some volume in my voice, which tends to be kind of reedy and thin, so I can belt 'em out like Yael ;) My classical guitar lessons start up again next week, but I've reached this plateau and I'm getting a bit discouraged. I seem to be at the same level I was at when I quit piano lessons way back when I was 12 and I would probably give up, except that I want to see if I can make it over this durned hump and at least get A LITTLE bit further than I did in piano. Of course, now I want to play non-classical like all you big kids - is there anyone out there who does classical AND rock/pop/folk/whatever? Does it make you feel kind of split-personality-ish, or can the two of them blend rogether? All this to say is that next year, Godwilling, I will NOT forget my frickin' guitar-case key in my hotel room and/or will borrow someone else's guitar, or whatever, and I'll sing/play something (but probably not on stage, unless I build up a lot of confidence through these singing lessons and/or learn how to deal with mikes, which I've never used before.) The practicing begins today (dammitall) and hope I don't get sick of the song(s) too soon. Thanks for hearing me out, people. My spirits are much better today than they've been for a while. Oh yeah, by the way, I missed Anne Sandstrom's set because I guess it happened before I got there, but I have her CD and it is just so great. You really must get one if you don't have it. And I've got Victor's and now I want to get Gregg's. when you go to Jonifests, be prepared to bleed (but in a *good* way). Get your free @yahoo.ca address at http://mail.yahoo.ca
