New CD

Well it's here,
the new CD is done and probably on it's way to you sometime in August.
Dad did the update to the web page so if you go here: http://www.coldcutrecordings.com/music/cd.html
you will get a short description of each of the new songs.

Talk at y'all later,

Andy

Portland Saturday Market

This Saturday, the 23rd of July, we went down town to Portland's Saturday Market. If you have visited us and were here on a weekend we may have taken you down there. This week it was La Resa, Selea, and myself, and we actually had Donovan along with us. We are slowly building up the interest of all of the Kids. If Taylor ends up going I will probably pass out.
The saturday market is not a flea market, it's more of a craft market, with all sorts of cool things that you would probably never buy. We actually saw some neat little things that we may end up getting to redecorate the house, you know, things to hang on the walls.
It seems that as soon as I arrive there I get hungry, even if I just ate, the food smells really good but of course that is the smell of the deep fried really bad stuff. Typically I get a "Brat" or sausage of some sort. The kids of course get the elephant ears, very nutritious.. hmmm.
The best part of the day is the people watching, you will see everyone that you would not normally see on the planet there, as well as the people that you feel are like yourself, just down there to see the unusual. It is very engrossing, it kind of makes me forget to talk while I am there. I also like the live music, even if it's bad I like to hear it. They have a live band or performer playing at the food court, center stage. Actually some good bands play there. The locals that will never end up going anywhere but they just love what they do, and you can tell.
I was tempted to buy a couple of things but I held off. I found my favorite soap there http://www.oregonsoap.com/
this is a natural soap that I have been using lately, a little expensive but it works well for my body's rejection of some of the chemicals used in commercial products... oops going off on a rant... sorry, sounds like I have been in Oregon too long.
We spent about 3 hours + there then we went for a little walk down to waterfront park and then came home.
Later in the day we met Kat and Drew at "Widmer" Gasthaus, a restaruant, if you would like to see it click here http://www.widmer.com/_movies/gasthaus1.mov
had some pork schnitzel and garlic mashed potatos, that was great! Finished the night off at Kat and Drews..
was a great Saturday!
Thanks for reading this blog

Saturday on NW 23rd

La Resa and I are going on little jaunts every Saturday, not necessarily intentional at first but consistant as of late.
We have been picking little areas of Portland that we aren't all that familiar with and just walking around.
Yesterday we picked NW 23rd ave. The first time we ever visited Portland we went there, back then it was really more of a "'Hippy" type place, but it changed quite quickly over the years and has become more "trendy". It feels somewhat European but more New Yorkish, which is probably why I like it.
It is a street mostly of little shops of interest, a lot of what I wouldn't buy, for example, trendy shoes that probably cost $200.00 or more something that isn't seen at your typical Mall (which is good). There are also some cute little stores that sell cards and little novelties that I haven't seen since child hood, like those eyeglasses with the eyeballs that are on springs.. you know what I am talking about.. wouldn't have bought them back then and still wouldn't buy them but they are like running into an old friend... "hey haven't seen you in awhile, wow! great to see you, we'll have to do lunch.. I really mean it let's really do it.."
and then you never see them again.
We typically leave the kids at home but this week I piqued Selea interest and she went. She actually said, toward the end of our stay there.."wow, coming downtown is really fun" It was fun having her along, made us go into little toy stores and such that we don't typically go to. We ate a "Roses" Cafe, had a Hot Pastrami (La Resa) and I had an "Oyster" sandwhich.. hmmm.
We ended the day by buying some chopped liver at "Kornblatt's" a New York Style Delicatessen (haven't had chopped liver since I spent a weekend in Philly at a friend's Jewish Family's reunion) and picked up a dozen bagels at "Noah's" bagel shop. I have had 5 bagels in the last 18 hours and that's pretty much all I have eaten...
talk at you sooon,
Andy

for those of you who...

For those of you who didn't see this is my new recording equipment. I have scaled down quite a bit but I am getting a much better sound. Not counting the cost of the laptop because I would have that anyway, it wasn't all that expensive. Software of course is the most expensive.

Andy

New Addition to Family

We have had several new additions to the family, this is the one that I could get to sit still long enough to get a picture.
Okay, I really clipped this off the web site.
I am hoping that someone in the family will turn out to be musical. Taylor is the only one playing on it right now but we bought some books for Selea to work on, and actually La Resa is plugging through the book also.
Just a quick update.

Andy

Taylor is getting as big as me!

Also decided I would share some pics here!
Taylor is getting big, she is going to be getting her permit sometime this year!!! OMG!
am I ready for that, I just don't know...

Selling my Akai

I am sure that no one at home (family) will be wanting to buy this but I am posting it and sending my blog link to people who are interested in seeing it from the user groups that I belong to. I would be willing however to trade this 16 track digital hard disk recorder for say a "Scott Mcneill" original hand luthiered guitar...

Testing my emailing blog

sorry about this little blog I am just testing a new blog email
address that I set up to see if it works

andy

Another Weekend off...

I worked on Sat. last weekend even though it was a holiday, so I get this saturday off (and Sunday), so it worked out nicely.
Nothing planned, I am still in the recording process since my ambitious recording efforts last weekend didn't work out. I only got one song recorded as opposed to 3 songs.
My Ribs didn't come out perfect either because in the last 45mins. of the 8 hour experience I fell asleep at the wheel, actually on the lounger in the back yard and consequently over slept. Ribs a little too done but no one seemed to mind too much, they were still real good.
Job is going well, a lot to do, have a real good crew. I have more of a administrative position in that I have so many people working that I have to be looking for areas of improvement and keeping people productive.
I have been reading other people's blogs lately and have determined that my are extremely boring, so I will try in the future to lighten things up a bit a get more political or something.

Later

July 4th Weekend

It's the holiday weekend.
The weather in the Portland, Oregon area is very beautiful on this fine Sunday morning. I worked yesterday morning but left around 11:15am. I left to go down to the "Blues Fest" http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com/ in case you want to check it out.
I spent about 6 hours down there, really enjoyed myself. I was supposed to have a partner with me but they flaked at the last minute. I took advantage of the time alone. I brought a towel and was very mobile. It's in very huge area so I mosied from place to place. I ended up in front of the smaller stage but they had some good artists there and it was very enjoyable. Of course I took a snooze at some point. It was very shoulder to shoulder so I was able to talk to some interesting people. Most of the people I could see were very into the music, I was too but not quite as expressive as they are. As a consequence to this I am sure I will be writing a few new blues tunes. On my new CD I have a few, even though they have been covered up with a bit of country licks and phrases, they are still based in the blues. You will be hearing that by the end of the month I would say.
I just have to rerecord 4 more songs. I am hoping to get at least 2 done today and maybe one tomorrow but that is pretty ambitious.
I will be smoking ribs all day tomorrow.

Oh Geesh! before I forget we have a new member of the family... a little Kitty originally named "Patches" but the kids are working on a new name, "Missy" seems to be the front runner right now.
That's it for now!

Talk to you all soon,

andy