So, the advantage of March is that it gets people in the mood to consider Irish music as a cultural phenomenon, and once St. Patrick's Day itself is past, we can get down to business.

Aside from the sessions, I also play with Sean Smith and Steve Levy in Corvus, a band that actually has rehearsals, and a name, and gigs that we play with a setlist ( Read more... )

It's the start of the week leading up to St. Patrick's Day.  Terry Weir, who leads my weekly Wednesday session, has arranged for us to impersonate a pub band for the holiday. Last night we played St. Brigid's parish "Irish Night" corned beef dinner.

Next Saturday, we do the afternoon "quiet shift" at Harrington's Pub in Wakefield. There's a loud ( Read more... )

You know what I'm stunned by?  The difference between these maps showing the average "last frost date",

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I've been pretty fascinated looking over the new plant hardiness zone map.
"The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones." Those 10-degree zones ( Read more... )

Oh, goodness.  I guess it’s a healthy and proper thing that updating the world about my activities is the first thing that falls by the wayside when said activities explode into way too much to do, but I still somehow feel sad about it.

I posted some photos back when we’d taken a lot of things apart.  The goal was to have the wiring done, so we ( Read more... )

Next Saturday (Jan 7) I'll be playing at Boston Celtic Music Festival (BCMFest), which is a bunch of local Irish/Scottish/etc musicians performing in 3 different venues on the same block down in Cambridge.

I'm actually playing twice during the day, once at the church venue (parlor stage) with Corvus, and once with my good friend and neighbor ( Read more... )

It's been quite a month.
We've re-wired all over, including extra outlets, extra lighting, and a row of recessed cans
Filled the wall cavities with insulation and a vapor barrier. Funny how the room kept getting hotter and sweatier as we worked.
That window that we thought wouldn't be hard to install? It wasn't difficult exactly, yet each step took a ( Read more... )

Yesterday was Day 9 of the kitchen remodel.
Day 0 (T) - The general contractor arrives

Day 1 (W) - The range hood vent is installed in the ceiling. The general contractor falls down the stairs.

Day 2 (Th) - The GC points his cane and instructs, and the range hood vent pipe goes all the way to the porch - and momentarily through the storm window.  ( Read more... )

So, there will be a kitchen.  It will not look like this any more:

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Okay, Countertop decision has been made!!  We've been to the stoneyard, seen what we wanted, signed some forms, and put down a deposit.

This is Steel Gray granite, scale length ~1-2ft.  Inclusions are thumbprint-sized.

( Read more... )