Just had a break in Suffolk with G - to catch a classical concert and generally slow down in a  rented cottage - G needed to study too. I tend to have problems with holidays and travelling generally, going way back. I'm not great with countryside and snow either but spirits were kept up with...
1. the concert - singing group Exaudi singing some of my fave music ever  - Sieben Passions-texte by Rihm, and some nice  medieval pieces by de Lassus. Very cold church and car nearly got stuick in field carpark,  tho but good music. I knew one of the group as I played for his birthday party last year but didnlt get to chat becuase of cold and car.
2. I watched several excellent DVDs - A Matter of Life and Death (one of my fave ever films), Ivan's Childhood (Tarkovsky's 1st film) and 2001. On retyurn home also watched Man in the  White Suit.
3. I finally restung my 9string acoustic guitar (while watching 2001)
4. I read quite a bit - The JP Kelly - Look Into The Sun is still OK and the Bradbury stories are as good as ever.

I guess my brain slowed down some which I guess is a good thing.

Home now and looking forward to picking up the pieces where I left off - the new age album with Llewellyn, order laptop & other equipment, CD promotion generally but esp for Songs for Dreamers, gigs on Weds & Thurs (must rehearse a songs set for Thurs) and recording with Clookai on Fri.

Back in the groove in the studio - got stuck into the final 15minute piece Air, and really broke the back of it. 4 layers of synthesizers, bamboo flute, 3 layers of tin whistle and  3 of voices - still needs a little something here and there plus some thinning out but it's nearly there.

I bit the bullet and ordered the laptop. It'll come tomorrow. I ordered the Acer 6492. I've decided that I'm not going to do my head in and sort out all the things it needs and get it all done now. I;m just gonna treat it like a hobby and build up the things for it slowly - eg internet, Open Office, soundcard, synths etc. I have a few ideas as to what to do with it - In the first instance I;d liek it to be an electronic studio with all the various virtual synths my main computer doesn't have the oomph to run. Plus I can vet some of these instruments on the laptop and if any are so good I can put them on the desktop. Slowly slowly.

Back to gigging tomorrow and the next day - lots of things I need to do.