The Weblog of Daniel Tashian

Had a pretty good night’s sleep, so things looked a little better. Walked early, and Leslie worked. Practiced Guilty Pleasures music in the morning and talked to a number of people about various ways of making money. My dad said I should write articles. He said Richard Schwied wrote for the Tennessean. Not a bad idea. Tossed around some ideas with my dad, and he was really uncharacteristically positive. He was really great to talk to. But in the end, he said he couldn’t justify giving me the money to start a studio, because it wouldn’t be good for my work ethic. Talked to my brother, and for a moment I thought “I could just live in the shed, and it wouldn’t cost any money.” but that’s a ridiculous idea. It’s so hot out there. Made some sauteed vegetables and cous cous and jajick and Leslie came home and made herself a veggie burger. I told her I had been emailing and talking to different people and told her a few of my ideas but none seemed to really stick. She said she had her own problems to think about, so I needed to practice more G.P. anyway, so I went and did that for about an hour and it was fun and it took my mind off what I’m going to do about money. I keep thinking about that thing Andy Warhol said about “act really spoiled, and people will just give you money.” Finished McEwan’s “Saturday” and went to sleep.

Woke up and walked the dogs and came home and cleaned the kitchen and put on the coffee. Leslie woke up and she was in a good mood, but then I was in the shower and she said “You’re dad’s in the yard.” and it was true. My dad and Roger and Jeanne were in the back yard and I got out and went back there. They had found some lawn mower parts on the roadside and were fixing my mower, which was sweet, but they startled Leslie and when Jeanne’s out there gardening it makes us feel like we should be out there, too. They worked on the mower for about an hour, then Leslie was obviously mad about something, so with some coaxing, she admitted that she’s tired of supporting me. She said she doesn’t like to be put in the position of being the bad guy, but she really is tired of working so hard to spend all her money so I can stay home and make up songs. So I felt bad and couldn’t really blame her so I went to the library for an hour or so and read the paper and fell asleep at the library. My phone was ringing and ringing but I had it on vibrate. Went home and relations were still strained. Leslie had a dentist appointment so she left and I watched some Tennis and my brain tried to formulate some kind of plan of attack on the world. Leslie came back and I made Salsa and we went to Roger’s Hooley and came home and went to bed, I was so tired from thinking so much.

Leslie had to work and I took the dogs around and I really get energized by the music of Femi Kuti, in particular, the song “Truth Don Die”. That song is like a cup of coffee in the morning! Came home and had some more coffee and toast and worked on the computer a little, then went to the bank and called Bill Lloyd and he said come on down to the museum, so I went down there and got a neat “behind the scenes” view of the country music hall of fame, and he reminded me that it was never called “country” music until they started marketing it in the sixties, and this term was the invention of a marketing team. If you look at it that way, it’s really just “American Music”, and I like that. There was some impressive footage of Wanda Jackson, and man, she can rock. Then we went to lunch at Kenny Roger’s Thai, and it was tasty, but the service was iffy. Took Bill by the bank, and took him back to the museum. Went by Grimey’s and was in the mood to buy a few records and Doyle was there and he immediately handed me 4 cds. He said he likes afro-pop and that’s what I was looking for and wound up getting the new Zero 7, Sarah Silverman’s “Jesus Is Magic”, The Best of Femi Kuti, and a collection of Thai and Chinese teen pop. Went home and Posh had one of my New Balance out, but she hadn’t done anything to it yet, but she was kind of saying “I was tempted.” Went by Corner Music to pay my bill and looked to see if they had any compressors for guitars, and I was about to leave, then I found one (used, $89) and I took it home and plugged my telecaster in through it, and it sounds awesome! I can’t believe I never used one before for guitar! I called Butterfly, but her message box was full. Started workking on Dinner and I had a Camapari and Ginger Ale and listened to Sarah Silverman and she sets a joke up so well. The set up is everything! Anyway, her songs are funny, and she’s somewhat musical. It would be fun to work with her. Made some Cous Cous (Parmesan) and sauteed some carrots, zuchinni and onions in butter, olive oil and garlic, and added some tamari at the end. Made some straight up green beens with just salt and butter. Leslie came home and had a good day, and she wanted some red wine, but we didn’t have any, so she went to the store and got some, and she brought me some Maker’s Mark. We watched Shalom In The Home, and it’s great! But Leslie pointed out that there’s so many commercials, and most of them are just for other TLC shows, and you have to watch the same commercials every time they have a break. It’s true, it’s really annoying! But it does give you a chance to talk about what’s going on in the show. Which is a lot! Went to sleep about 12.

Slept in for the 1st time in what seems like ages. Finally got up and cleaned the kitchen and put on some coffee. Worked on the computer for a little bit and got a call from Liz and she said High Society was finally up on itunes. But we figured out there’s a typo in the name of the band, so it went in under 2 different band names. I hate typos. Anyhow, good that it’s up there and i’m sure we can get it sorted. Liz said there’s some “label interest” in the bees and that’s flattering. Leslie got up and she wanted some space and so I went to walk the dogs and had lunch with my parents. Everybody was going to see Al Gore’s new movie about global warming. I fell asleep on the couch for a while. Everybody came back from the movie and Vicki said: “I thought you didn’t go to the movie because you had work to do, yet, you take a nap?” and everybody was annoying me because they were all talking like zealots about this movie, and were armed with facts now, so there was no discussion, just a lecture, and the general concensus was that it was my duty to see the movie so I guess I will. But mom ordered Dog Back Packs so that will be great. Leslie called and she said she was going to Las Paletas and did I want a popsicle and I said no thanks because my stomach was unhappy, and my dad made me some mint tea and I drank it and it made feel better and I went home.
Jeanne said she wanted to take everybody out to dinner, so we decided to go to Ted’s Montana Grill, which was pretty good and I had Thanksgiving in June. But it was really lots of food and filling. Went with Leslie to Wild Oats and she’s on a new diet for her blood type and it seems pretty cool, so I want to find out what my blood type is. I used to know. Got some Kombucha tea and I swear that stuff gave me a buzz. My heart rate was up, and I couldn’t fall asleep. So I almost finished McEwan’s Saturday and had a bowl of cereal and fell asleep.

I was actually kind of hung over and when the alarm went off I wished it was far away. I called my mom and said (in the immortal words of Sinatra): “Not Today, Baby!”. So, Posh got the idea pretty quick and resigned herself to the fact that it would probably be the afternoon before they got to play. But I couldn’t really go back to sleep, so I went to McDonalds ($4) and took Posh over to Hopkins and let them play, then me and my mom went to the pet store and got some Advantage for the dogs and cats ($181) and a new Kong toy. Went to pick up the vegetables and went home with all the loot and put it in the fridge. Posh likes the new Kong, but it’s more challenging and she actually gave up after a while, biscuits still intact! Then Melissa Mathes called and she had to work at 4, but wanted to come visit, then I got an email from Charlotte and she was going to be in the neighborhood and wanted to drop off my books, so it was me and the girls, and Char took a couple pictures of Posh and we had tea and pizza. Then they left and I tidied up a little bit and called Butterfly and went over there to rehearse, but I realized it would be better if I had an amp, so I went and borrowed my dad’s “champ” and it sounded cool. We worked for an hour, then I went to Kroger’s ($36) and started cooking dinner and I made beet greens with soy sauce, olive oil, and vinegar, cous cous, and rosemary roasted new potatoes. Leslie said it was another rough day, and she didn’t get home until 9:30 and she called her sister and they talked for an hour or so. I read a funny David Sedaris story in the New Yorker. I got a check from BMI and it wasn’t huge compared to some of my friends (who i’m sure get tens of thousands every quarter) but it was big for me, so I was happy. Gave Leslie a foot massage, took a Benadryl, and went to bed.

Walked the dogs and Leslie went right back to work, but she seemed cheerful when she left. Talked to Tom Littlefield on the phone and he’s hilarious. He said he had a near-death experience in the Hollywood hills. He also told me the story of his work with Shawn Colvin and he met her through Marty Crutchfield.
Went to Alex the Great to take Brad his percussion stuff and Keith Brogdon was there with Justin Earle, and he really knows his blues. I told him the last time I saw him was years ago at 12th and Porter, and he was there with Emmylou, and he passed out with his head on the curb outside the club. He said he was clean now. Went to Sarah Siskind’s house, and she said she had started working out with a personal trainer and she was really getting in shape. She played me some beautiful song ideas and I’m so jealous of her talent! She already has her own sound- a sound that doesn’t sound like anyone else. It has to do with her chords, and her melodies. We wrote the guts of a really good song and had fun, but I had to leave to go rehearse with Butterfly. I arrived a little late but we worked for an hour and I learned another song. Went to feed Posh and she was so happy to see me because she’d been alone all day, and she’s not used to that anymore. But I had to leave again right away and went to dinner at Bob and Lynn’s and Mel and Vicki and Roger and Jeanne were all there. Mom and Dad told the story of their trip and it was interesting. I told a joke about a hiker that everyone already knew the punchline of, and I have to get some more jokes. Went home and saw Les for a second and she said she was going to have a glass of wine and pass out and she had a crappy day. I went to the Snooker hall to meet Brad Jones for a beer and there were tons of people there, and a good blues band. Doug Lancio had a buzz and he was funny, but a bit incomprehensible. Amanda said Anderson Cooper was gay. We were having a fun time and drinking “Poor Man’s Balck and Tan” which was a drink Brad invented where you mix Miller Light and Dos Perros and it was tasty. Brad started telling me all these insightful things about the world the way he sees it, and he just has such a great outlook on things. He said when he was 31, (which is how old I am) he started seeking out things made by other people when they were 31, and he found “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter” by Joni Mitchell and “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville were both made by 31-year-olds. Then, there was Marty Crutchfield! And I haven’t seen him in 10 years! His name comes up with Tom Littlefield and the next thing you know, there he is! Life is strange sometimes! Then we went to Jackson’s and had a sandwich and it was nice sitting outside, very peaceful. We left, and the waitress chased me down the street to give me my keys, which was fantastic! I would have really been screwed without them. No key to the shed, etc. It would have been at least $75 dollars for a locksmith. So I gave her $10 and she didn’t want to take it, but I made her. Went home and drank some water and went to bed. I told Leslie I loved her and I really meant it.

Walked the dogs and fed the cats. The house smells funny, like nobody lives there and it’s hot. Barry and Holly called and they will be home tomorrow. Went to Ten Ten to meet Angelina Presley, and it was so hot outside I almost fainted trying to get there. I had a Sprite and that seemed to revive me somewhat. We talked for a while and she played me a couple of her songs. Very nice stuff. We went to Noshville for lunch and I saw Susan Nadler and Evelyn. They have a new record coming out with Merle Haggard on it. Paul Kennerley called and he said I need to meet his son’s best friend Trey, and he gave me his number. I asked him if I could come over and have tea and he said to give him a few days to get his “head above water”. He said he heard that Maisie was really sick and wanted to send her a card and some presents and he’s so thoughtful. But I was talking on the phone for a long time and I was supposed to be writing with Angelina, and we started a funny song, but to be honest, we were both so hot and tired after lunch that we decided to resume another day. Went to Hopkins and did some laundry and took a short nap. Collected my stuff and took it back to Clayton and I couldn’t get it all. I turned on the AC and started to sweep up and the cats had reverted back to a more feral existence in my absence. There was insulation everywhere, like some sort of squirrel had been nesting. I swept up as much as I could and threw away 700 lbs. of junk mail. I really like Roz Chast’s idea in the New Yorker of figuring out a way to use junk mail as an alternative fuel! Leslie and I went to the Yellow Porch for dinner, and it’s a nice restaurant. I had a greek salad and leslie had some salmon ($37) We talked about her trip, and about family and had a good time. Too pricy to go all the time, but nice for a treat. Came home and fell into bed. Read some more Ian McEwan, then watched some of “What Lies Beneath” with Michelle Phieffer and she’s so scary! I love that movie! Harrison is good too. I didn’t watch the very end because it was too scary and I didn’t want to have nightmares, but what a movie! Posh puked in the night and for some reason she decided to welcome herself home by eating a bunch of grass.

Sat bolt upright in bed about 7 and realized I forgot to take the recycling out to the street. Hastily dressed and was dragging it up the driveway and Dick Houghton was walking by with Pepe. “They just came for that about 5 minutes ago.” He said. Then, coming back in, I got stung by a wasp and I was amazed by how much it hurt. It was like an electric eel or something. I thought it was beginning to be one of those days where everything goes wrong. Went home and fed the cats. Went to Bill Demain’s house and we worked until about 2. We wrote one song and started another. He made me lunch of boiled veggie hot dogs. We have a very similar frame of reference for pop culture. We like all the same stuff: Prefab Sprout, Peter Sellers, Bachrach, etc. Came home and let the dogs out and listened to some ideas on Garage Band. I have so may good ideas I need to finish. Took a siesta and walked the dogs again. Butterfly called and said we could rehearse, then she called back and said she forgot, but she had dinner plans. Mel and Vicky came over and Roger made salmon and Mel said he used to deliver groceries and a dog bit him once and that’s why he doesn’t like them. Played on Garage band a little and went to bed and watched Fellini’s Casanova and it was quite good. I feel asleep before the end.

Walked early, but just around the block and it was already hot. Fed the dogs, went home and fed the cats. Angelina Presley called, and she said she just had her parents for the weekend and she was exausted, so we rescheduled for Thursday. Worked on a “self-interview” for Stalking the Muse and it came out pretty funny. I tried to write an essay like Matthew Ryan, but mine sounded pompous, so I went with the interview style. Liz called, and said: “Did you just interview yourself?” She was laughing, but it was a nervous-i’m-not-sure-if-that’s-cool kind of laugh. Met Jason Gray for lunch and he’s been doing some touring with the Mummies and they were set to play a festival, but they got rained out at the last minute. Came home and took a short nap and walked the dogs again and it was really getting hot. Took a shower and answered some email. Went grocery shopping and made grilled cheese and tomato soup. Called Butterfly and went over there to rehearse and her friend Dawson Wells was there, and he gave me a copy of his new album, which looks great. Butterfly and I rehearsed for an hour, then I went home and played on the computer some more. I googled a mis-spelling of my name and found some interesting sites. Watched a little of “Single White Female” and some of a strange movie with Tilda Swinton called Female Perversions. Talked to Leslie briefly and she said she got some new pink luggage. She went to visit a 93 year old aunt, and went for some good Mexican food. Fell asleep at 1.