My daughter and I are growing our hair for Locks Of Love. This is a wonderful organization that collects qualified lengths of hair and makes it into hair prosthetics for folks who can't grow their own hair or lose their hair due to diseases and other biological factors. Read about it by clicking this link. It's a marvelous thing!

Laura and I decided to start letting our hair grow out in September of 2004. Laura's is already very long, but will do very well when she does cut it. She's got gorgeous flax-blond hair. I've got more sandy hair (with a bit of grey :-)), but it's got body and grows pretty quickly. My hair is down to my collar now, and even my bangs are starting to reach past my ears a bit. The wonderful folks at my work were more than accomodating to the fact that I was going to look pretty scruffy for about a year - before I can get my hair long enough to tie back into something more presentable to the general masses.

Please check out Locks Of Love. It's worth donating money, time, and hair to them

Elvis was sighted at our local Sam Ash store!

One of the cubs and I went to the Sam Ash store to look at acoustics and banjos last evening. While there, someone who was the spitting image (in most every way, including casual dress with buckle and boots) of Elvis. No kidding.

Elvis played a couple of the Martin and Taylor acoustics in the acoustic room, then moved out to the electric guitar area and played a couple of shred-er-ific Ibanez guitars on the floor. It was amazing.

While we were there, we looked at and played a couple of Washburn B9 banjos - Washburn makes an relatively inexpensive banjo that sounds as good as many of the "Name Brand" $$$ banjos I've played. If you're thinking banjo, don't leave Washburn off your list! I've got my sights on one someday when we can get a few bucks together.

We also played two lovely low-priced Applause (Ovation) electric-acoustics, an AE48 and an AE28, both in Ruby Red. They have a fantastic sound! I was very surprised at the crisp, full warm tone, even though I'm someone who has played Martins, Alvarezs and Takamines over the years.
The AE48 uses different sound hole techniques than the standard type of acoustic guitar. It has surprising tone coming from that nearly-closed design. For a little less money, you can get the AE28, with the traditional sound hole and rosette, with a shallow-depth bowl. One of these might get in the plans someday, too. I'd love to do some recordings with either one.

I played a simple Washburn banjo at a local guitar store yesterday. It's a tone color I'd like very much to add to our library of instruments and sounds. I'm hoping to raise enough money to purchase (or at least substantially purchase) one of those particular banjos soon so we can learn how to use it and add it to one/some of our tunes.

Stay tuned! Maybe we'll have some of that wonderful bluegrass sound to add to some entertaining stuff soon!!!

The eBay "Name the song" tune is done! It's an edgy, change-pace tune that describes the ups and downs of a good relationship. (Sort of a love song that says something about everyday relationships...)

I'll post the tune after the eBay auction ends today - I'll know what to name it. The working title is "Someone Like You."