this gay mad whirl

[kip_w]

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I've been working on finishing a book I've been setting up since forever. I do changes, then the author decides to make more changes. The editor wanted to send it to the publisher like yesterday, but I got the changes to her and haven't heard back yet, so I'm just holding the line or something.

Been going to the Y with Sarah. She stopped going to swim lessons, so we got our money back for the rest of the session to cut our losses slightly. She has been going with me instead. She still wanted to pass the deep end test so she could go down the slide on weekends. Tried once and almost made it, then she didn't seem to want to try again. Tonight Cathy took her, and she took it and passed. She also plays in the adventure center, where there are always several kids willing to run around and climb stuff.

Cathy keeps getting better. She came back from ALA on schedule, or maybe a half hour late. She was going to have lunch with my sister, but fresh snow made it foolish for my sister to drive 60+ miles, so they talked on the phone instead. Cathy brought me back the first volume of Orphan Annie reprints, which I have been reading at every opportunity.

A restaurant Sarah and I went to had a piano, so I told them I was always looking for a place to play. More conversations ensued, I played a little bit for them, and told them what kind of stuff I do, and offered to play an hour for free so they could hear a real cross section of my material. Instead, after I tried to get them on the phone a few times, they said I could play Thursday night (next week) for money. Then a bit after that, they called again to say their Friday guy couldn't make it and asked if I felt like filling in, so I said sure and went out and bought a nice pair of slacks to wear and got a shoe shine kit so my shoes would look good. I played (and played well, I think) for two and a half hours, and at the end of the time they told me the customers hadn't really enjoyed it and asked if I knew any 80s and 90s stuff. I said I didn't, so Thursday's off.

They have a guy who does some show tunes and stuff on Friday already, so they don't want more of that. They have a guy who plays some classical on Saturday, so they don't want more of that -- apparently, there is just enough classical music to fill a two and a half hour slot.

Sarah tried again and succeeded, so I guess I have to try again somewhere else. I don't know where I'll find an audience for my cornball 60s stuff and obsolete earlier material. Retirement homes, I guess. Waffle House doesn't have a piano.
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Comments

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

Hurrah for Sarah! And BOO to the restaurant for not enjoying your music.

[kip-w.livejournal.com]

The manager who had the unenviable task of being in the middle (between me and the patrons) kept saying that he was getting comments about it sounding like saloon music -- wild west stuff or something. It was only later that I realized these were probably because I played "Last Date" near the end of my set. I played "Loch Lomond" and he came up and said no more old stuff, so I didn't play any of my classical material. It might have been a mistake to listen to him at all, I just don't know.