SHAFTWAXER

Let the beatings begin.

It’s the wonderful time of year where I begin to contemplate the premise of hibernating in my apartment for days at a time, cowering in the corner, fondling my golden ring, and eating a raw fish or two. At some point, I manage to avoid the whole raw fish bit, but I do indeed hibernate, basking in the warm and comforting glow or my computer monitor.

It’s writing season.

While everybody else is excited and stoked about the fantastic weather outside, I instead opt to burrow closer to my computer and write music and drill for the little ones all over the country. And almost every year I swear that I’m going to get started earlier. Did I live up to my promise this year? A little. I started earlier, but not quite as early as I would have liked. One good thing that came out of the complete anal raping from the state and federal government and their respective tax codes is that I finally have put together a database and spreadsheet system on my computer to keep track of things like mileage, expenses, billing dates, and the whole mess. I should have been doing this long ago. It’s annoying, it’s tedious, it’s monotonous, but damn if it doesn’t make life so much more organized and easy at the end of the calendar year.

I’m legitimately excited about some of the shows that I’m doing this season. There is a show that I was not looking forward to, but the more that we are talking about it, the better it gets. Then there is a show that I have been wanting to do for at least 7 years. I’m finally going to have the chance to do it, music and drill. It’s great when these things work out.

I’m not working for quite as many people as I was last year, but I think I’m doing more for the groups that I am working with. In the end, it about evens out. Ideally, I would be doing a drill or 2 more. I’m already eyeing different parts of the country for my next full frontal assault of mailing and shameless self promotion.

It’s amazing. Now that I’m really thinking about it, this really is a “job”. It’s “work”. The people who seem to think that I don’t really do anything are quite wrong. Now that I have records, receipts, and data to back it up, I do a lot more than I originally thought.

I wonder if knowing that makes it any less fun…?