"There's a madness to my method..."; a quick montage

So, here's kind of my montage of this year...

Jan 1st I flew up to Billings and hung out with Harley and company... building puzzles

wearing ww2 helmets


watching the door freeze at -46F

Then on the 20th I moved up to Missoula. This is a shot off the M. The sun never shines here...


I moved into this shit whole with a creepy mother fucker for about a week until I complained enough they gave me a new room.

Moved into this hall, it's a "suite" there's 4 separate rooms and a common living room... much better, have my own space and I don't get a creepy i-want-wear-your-skin vibe from my roommates.



So there's a brief recap on what I've been doing. Soak all of that in alcohol and it's more or less accurate. I hit the bars once I got here... nothing like broken dreams. It's not too bad, just wish the sun would come out every now and then.

As for music and writing, I need to do some catch up. I have all my equipment here in my little 8 by 8 room just need to unpack and set up. I have a few new songs kicking and some old ones I gotta get off the tapes. Need to finish some ideas I have on paper as well. I'll be in touch.

Bluegrass and Potatoes

I don't have any of my guitars up here yet but I've been using Harley's lately. Cathy and I started playing some bluegrass, Old Joe Clark and the like. I was screwing around with the cello and mandolin but I think I'll stick to guitar.

Also I've taken to cooking lately. I've been cooking every night since I've been here. Here's some of the recipes I've made and used.

Cabbage Kielbasa Soup

Ingredients

• 8-10 medium red potatoes
• 2 kielbasa
  
• 1 head cabbage
• 1 whole medium onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 3/4 cup vinegar
• salt + pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cut potatoes into 1-2 inch cubes, place in large pot, add water till it's 1 inch above potatoes.
2. Cut kielbasa into thin round slices, place on top of potatoes.
3. Cut onion/garlic place on top of kielbasa.
4. Cut the cabbage into thin strands then half, place into pot.
5. Place a lid onto the pot and bring it to boil (cabbage should cook in the steam), constantly check to see that potatoes are not burned to the bottom.
6. Once cabbage starts to wilt stir everything and add vinegar.
   
7. Salt and pepper to taste

Of course if you want this vegetarian just don't add the kielbasa. I made this version and a smaller batch of the vege one for Omega, both were damn good.

German Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 10 medium potatoes
• 10 strips bacon (the whole pack will work the same if it's a few more slices)
• 1 whole onion (white or yellow)
  
• 2 eggs
• 2 tblsp sugar
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp mustard
• pinch of Cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Cut the potatoes into 1-2 inch cubes and boil until soft (reds or russet, it doesn't matter).
2. Cut bacon into small chunks, cook until lightly crisp.
3. In a bowl, mix eggs, sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard and pepper.
4. Pour mixture into bacon with the bacon grease, stir well.
5. Add potatoes cooked potatoes and chopped onion.
6. Mix together on low heat.
7. Serve. Goes well with beer and brauts.

For the vinegar I used half a cup of apple cider vinegar and half a cup of white wine vinegar. It turned out great, had the sweetness of the apple and the dryness of the wine, a good combo. You could use all apple or all plain white vinegar but I like mixing it up.

Potato Spinach Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 large onion
• 4-5 stalks celery
• 3 cups water
• 6-8 medium potatoes (red or russet)
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cups chopped spinach (frozen works fine)
• 1/2 cup cream
  

Directions

1. Melt butter in pan, add chopped onions and chopped celery, cook till tender
   
2. Add potatoes, water and salt. Bring to boil, stir occasionally.
3. Once potatoes are soft, reduce heat, to low and cool for 10 min.
   
4. Add chopped spinach and cream
5. Serve. Grated cheese goes pretty well on top.

Flour can be added to thicken it, but I added a little too much last time and it was like a paste... that and the potatoes dissolved into the soup. It was pretty nasty looking but it tasted fine.

Made With Real Yakima Valley Hops

Yay for cheap beer, I have made friends with Rainier. Here in Billings for two weeks until I head to Missoula. I think orientation is on the 20th, hopefully I only have to take the tour and all that garble because I'm not a freshman. Anyhow, won't be posting much on the recording progress; all of my stuff is in a milk-crate back in Denver. Whenever I get set up in Missoula I'll start recording and transfering the rest. I still have a couple songs on tape.

I ordered a book back in Denver to be delivered here, should be here tomorrow: "Le Calvaire" by Octave Mirbeau. Should be good.