Estoy Nueces

I went to Target yesterday. What fun. I bought school supplies! Okay, I bought a new pack of pens, but it counts. I miss getting that new big sack of everything you will need for school this year. I especially loved the Big Chief tablets, all fresh and full of opportunity. I bought a good thin flat calendar, too, to try to keep track of musician and their gigs and upcoming CD releases and events so it will make putting together the Texas show a little easier, I hope. If I can just keep it updated as I hear of things. I do a pretty good sweep of the clubs we normally promote, but when Cory was at the Buda park I missed it completely because it wasn't a "normal" thing and I didn't look up his schedule. I wish there were really a good complete site that had all of our artists and their gigs. But there isn't.

My voice is on the edge again today. I hope I can rest it. I am going to go visit my aunt if she feels up to it and that may wear it down, but I'll try not to stay too long and talk too loud.

Yesterday was a very long day and so goddamn aggravating! I know I was feeling sick and cranky already, but things just kept sending me into that going postal range. I finally took a pill to make it all seem a little easier.

The meeting with the broadcasters and promoters was, exactly as I wrote, a long boring talkfest where each promoter wanted to put their one-cent worth (I wouldn't say it was worth two) again and again and again. I like the magazine people and they did a good job of controlling some things, but it went on forever and I finally had to leave at 12:40 in order to get to my remote. The little fat (and may I add hairy) girl was there. The loud mouth from San Antonio was there and she really gets my goat. The nice one from Fort Worth was there and he was calm. The name-dropper from Austin was there, too. As many names as he drops (... and I'm good friends with your boss...) I'm surprised he never mentions his sister, who is more famous than us all. Anyway, I was glad to break free. The Elman, our sometimes photographer and webmaster of the stars, was there (and completely quiet) and he had a cool Panasonic Toughbook. What a cute little device! I want one!

I rushed home and made me a good omelette for breakfast. Oh, but FIRST, I grew to hate the Post Office more intently than ever. I checked the mailbox. We check it about once a week. Stuffed into it, were THREE Of the FIVE envelopes I mailed at the Post Office on Tuesday night. The envelopes/cookbooks I was SO proud that I got out of my rut and got to the P.O. and got them into the mail to the cousins and aunts. Each had a sticker that said "postage due" but no clue as to how much postage was due. And the fact is, I used the post office's own kiosk to put the postage on so I knew that I had put on exactly what it had told me to put on it!!

LIVID, I took the packages with me as I headed to the remote. Fortunately, and this was the only fortunately, the PO was open until 2:30. I stormed to the counter... No, I took a number and followed rules and waited. But then, I said, "I am as irritated as can be that I brought these here Tuesday night and they were back in my box today!" He says "Well, you don't have enough postage. These aren't envelopes they are packages." I Said, "Uh, no, that is an envelope!" No, he says, if it is over 1/4 of an inch, it becomes a package. Does anything tell you that at the kiosk? Nope, I don't believe it does. AUGH. So, how much exactly does it cost to send these now? Another whole $1.16. My "packages" are now 5 days behind schedule and it took me an extra trip to the post office so they could make another $1.16. Why don't they have an option on the computer that says "This may be a little more, but it will make sure that this doesn't come right back to you!" For heaven's sake. I asked about the other two that also had "envelope" postage. He said if they don't come back to me they will probably have postage due on the other end. Oh, great, they are going to make my 80 year old aunt go to the post office to pick up a cookbook and pay them 33 cents. I can see why people should not have guns available to them.

The remote at the boat store was hot and uneventful. I do hope it is my last one of the season, all though more money is always welcome and this month may be skinny so I could use it. No flower lady this time and that made it slower, but her flowers wouldn't have survived the rest of my day anyway.

So from there we took the LONG drive to the other side of the county to Coupland. I drove on some of the new tollways and they are very nice. I am not sure exactly where they go and where they end up, because I didn't end up where I thought I would, but I made it to Coupland and had a good time. My salesman was there with his kids and future in-laws (he hopes) and we enjoyed the night. The first band didn't start until 9 and I introduced them and then I went ahead and stayed and introduced Gene, too. I had lots of people come meet me that have called or listened to me forever and I hadn't met them before. It was a good opportunity to meet new people. One listener gave me a rose made from napkins, which was very clever. Nice people all the way around.

Then, let's add some more aggravation to the day. I left after just a few songs, and a few beers, and headed home. I was going down 290 out in the country and I saw a car from the other side cross the median and come back my direction. Uh-oh, that's a cop move. But I wasn't speeding, I knew, and I didn't think I was weaving, so would they stop me? Yes, lights come on and he pulls me over and I have a headlight out. Just a warning, but it still took ten minutes for it to all go through. What a hassle and now I have the hassle of going to get a headlight.

Finally got home late and fed kitties and talked to Mark and looked online a minute or two and made myself go to bed. It is hard to go to bed when Mark is gone. He will be home today. I must clean the house some before that happens.