dandelionfiles

Maybe I'm just abusing the power of being a blogger, but I feel it's a personal responsibility of mine to turn people onto really great musicians in Dayton.

Obviously I adore my husband's band, Low Tech Riff Raff and their link is on the side of this blog. However, there are a couple other folk who deserve your attention and make incredible music:

Emily Strand : It's a good thing I'm happily married--I am in love with this woman and could really embarrass myself otherwise. She's a professor at UD (she deals with Women's Religion) who is doing well in her field and still manages to find time to be an incredible musician. Those lucky enough to be in the Tri-State area can enjoy her concerts at Canal Street, Bogarts (Cincinnati), or even The Trolley Stop. Do yourselves a favor and visit this woman's site and get a sample or two of her music--oh, yeah, and if you like what you see, do yourself a favor and buy a CD or two (we've worn out a couple:).

Eric Loy: ericloy.com--this man is an incredible guitarist--he makes guitars do things they shouldn't, it sounds incredible, and the guitar actually seems to appreciate the attention.

Jim Volk: jimvolk.com. Do you like amazing guitarists? Check Jim Volk out. You won't be disappointed.

Sharon Lane: this woman is an institution in Dayton--she's one of the best Blues singers in the Tri-State area. If she gets a website I'll post it--until then, you can bug me or Tony or visit the Lowtech site, and we'll help you contact her. By the way, Sharon Lane took vows and married Tony and I!

Michael Kelsey: Another incredible guitarist who you'd be cheating yourself if you didn't give a listen to. The link is www.michaelkelsey.com--he can do a rhythm guitar like nobody's business.

She took over my house from the time she was six weeks old, she's taken over my friends and family...and now I find that my cat, Quetzlcoatl, was about to take over my blog. There was only one solution--to give Quetzlcoatl the site she needed on her own. The link's on the side of the page, she's going to be joined by Jacklyn Hyde's cat, Pandora, and any bad things that happen to anyone who takes their advice is not our personal fault.

Feel free to visit, though, or to write the site--askquetzlcoatl@yahoo.com for any interested parties.

OK--it's up to me to issue some challenges here for all members of the Dandelion Tribe as well as any onlookers who wish to have our amoral support.

Nanowrite is about to start again. In case you haven't heard of it, Nanowrite is a website in which people get together, each year, to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. It's a lot of fun--the idea is to write without any thought to your inner editor--you can mess with that later--and to actually make yourself finish something quickly.

Signups begin on October first--go to the following page:

Nanowrite Signup Page

I've thought of a working title for what I want to do, but the rest will be figured out come November 1st (no cheating, after all). My working title? Experimental Demonology, a Love Story.

Who is with me?

Dora--is that you, honey? You haven't meowed over the phone recently--I've been concerned. A move from Philadelphia had to be a painful experience.

Please remember--human beings don't always understand things. To them, a giant fish tank is merely entertainment--they don't realize the tantalizing aspect of it providing perfectly decent snack food.

My advice? Wait 'till they go out, call me (I'm on speeddial), then I'll tell you how to open the tank and help yourself. If they get upset, remember the "big eyes" our species are famous for. We can cute ourselves out of just about anything.

Quetzlcoatl

I have borrowed my person's computer to register a complaint. Don't get me wrong; this is a great place she and I are living in now, so I'm not complaining about that as long as nobody steps on my tail.

I understand the little creature (the person of that one refers to her as a PEEG, but she looks like a weird kitten to me) in the cage is not a snack food. My person pays a little more attention to her than I'd like, but the hay the PEEG eats just doesn't taste that good, so I feel sorry for her.

However, WHY won't she let me hunt in the fish tank? Hello, I'm an indoor kitty, but I still have instincts!

--Pandora

This is me shamelessly sucking up for a cat treat.

Dear Quetzlcoatl,

I am a person at loose ends in his life. I wake up each morning and go to work, but it's like the world has a permanent shade of gray. I can't feel like anything is worthwhile, and I can't bring myself to do anything about it.

What gives?

Signed,

Feeling Ennui

Ennui Man,

Something struck me about your message. First, not ONCE did you mention the feelings of your owner (feline or canine in nature). This is not a good thing. How can a mere human stand against the "slings and arrows" (nobody realizes this, but it was Shakespeare's cat who was responsible for his masterpieces. Unfortunately, Will had the nerve to remove the most riveting sections of the plays, the ones involving mouse hunting. The literary world suffers still. Sigh.) of the world without moral guidance? Where is the cat or dog who can guide your conduct about life? It's obvious to see what the problem is here.

Get your ass to the nearest Humane society pronto. Oh, and while you're at it, go ahead and make an appointment with a decent doctor who can help you get some of those pills that help humans so much and talk to you about why you can't see obvious solutions to life (such as pet ownership).

Quetzlcoatl