WEEKEND WRAPPING!

Hey, here's a GREAT Christmas Gift Idea: Deni Bonet's latest CD!

(What better way to avoid the crowds at Macy's? Info below...)

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Yesterday, my guitar teacher and I discussed the mental block I was having over a music lesson that was giving me fits. We meet every other week. I've always loved the guitar, but I'm not immune to the frustration many guitar students experience after sitting for hours trying to figure out why a lesson isn't making sense. I explained that I tend to "give it a rest" after an hour, walk off to my kitchen and make some tea. He was running a few hours behind and we had to reschedule our lesson for later in the afternoon. A friend of mine in New Jersey phoned me to ask about an upcoming magazine article I'm writing, and basically I ran short on time to change my guitar strings. Fortunately, my teacher had no other students, so he showed me a new technique for locking in a set of fresh strings at the posts. Ultimately, we resolved my mental block about the lesson in question. Part of this involved sampling a cut from Buddy Guy on his computer. Buddy has nothing to worry about yet; I have a long road to travel before I'm playing well, but it's been enjoyable so far.

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I returned home and caught up with my mother by telephone. She was describing a minor car accident she had. Actually, another driver rear-ended her car at a red light. The driver was distracted by talking on her cell phone. Fortunately, my mother was not hurt. She got out of her car after the impact to exchange insurance information with the other driver in good faith. To my mother's astonishment, the other driver sped off! If my mother was younger, I have a feeling she would have commandeered a Hummer to pursue the "hit and run" driver as Gene Hackman did (commandeering a Pontiac LeMans) to pursue crooks in "The French Connection". Thankfully, she opted for driving home peacefully and making arrangements for her car to be taken to the body shop for a new rear bumper.

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On that note, slide on over to Singer/Songwriter/Electric Violinist Deni Bonet's Blog (LAST GIRL ON EARTH). She wrote a song that is now featured on American Airlines domestic and international flights; she recently rocked out at CARNEGIE HALL, and she has a fun, new Holiday Song you can download on Itunes, "It's You and Me For Christmas".

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Have a Great Week!

Michael