Alix's first trip to NY

I've tried explaining to Alix about New York but there is nothing like her experiencing it for herself. This will be her first trip, unlike Shane who was exactly her age when he made his first trip and done it twice.

Her wee sized world which consists of taking the bus to nursery and hanging around katong will explode to:

• the plane experience
• a cold climate
• wearing different clothes and closed toed shoes

Since I work, there is hardly an opportunity for us to spend so many days together without a break. While it is stressful catering to their needs when I am not used to dealing with them 24 hours in a day, let alone in a confined cabin space of the airplane - the crayolas don't really know all about that. All they know, is that dad and mom are with them, we are going off on a family fun trip and there is no 'work' which will prevent us from devoting our attention to them. Sure, there will be moments that I will wonder what made me want to do this, but very nearly crashing into that divider and not having gotten over that, has made me so grateful for just being around for them.

So, off we go.

flying nanny

We are taking the crayolas with us to New York tomorrow on the free ticket. We are flying for 20 hours, away from our normal routine and everything which distracts so there will be no intermission from their moods, my moods, their needs and my needs. We will all be mished together, sharing one queen sized bed in a hotel room quarrelling over whether we watch the Disney channel or Ricki Lake.

Fun fun fun.

crazy, losing our mind

While i like writing songs, I've never been good enough to play in a band or sing in public. Its a solo activity unless you have guitar kakis. A guitar kaki is someone to go to the beach with, drink coconut juice, sing some songs and extract the poetry which is life. It doesn't matter if you don't play well or sing badly, they would still cheer you on. After all, that is what guitar kakis are for.

I left a comment on the Rambling Librarian's music blog about a song he arranged through Garage Band. I thought it sounded great. I wanted to be his friend and have his guitar mojo rub off on me. He introduced me a group of songwriters called Songcraft. It started several months ago, when a guy called Jeremy inspired by the film 'Music and Lyrics' rented a room in the Substation for songwriters to gather once a month. He didn't know how many would turn up but turn up, they did. There are at least 8 regulars now.

I joined in on the 5th session. The format is an open mic. If you have a song to share, you share. If you just want to listen, you are most welcome too. For people who write songs in the isolation of their own bedrooms, it is a big-big thing to share to more than an audience of zero.

Which brings me to my latest song which can be heard in the Songcraft recap - warts and all - bad chord changes and croaky singing. The song was uncompleted for the longest time. If not for this group, I would not have found the inspiration to complete it.

what if love was just a word
a flower that won't bloom
a touch that you could never feel
a moment that was lost

how can you express
the colour and the sound
red is red and blue is blue
so why can't i have you

never to wander too far
never to wake up and find
what you were dreaming
it could be real
its passing like a cloud
what if love was just a word

maybe like the stars that come out in the night
shine so bright
and fill the sky
too far away to find

====

Sometimes I wonder why make up songs. To what end being this emo and spending late nights into the creation of songs?

But finding this bunch of songwriting kakis affirms that I am not the only one sweating blood and emotion into a song. We are all just as crazy losing our mind over this.