Mark here - I had a great weekend in Madison with my family. We've started taking a group weekend once a year, and this time it worked out for me to play a solo set at the Art Fair on the Square. Sims and Maggie came out, too!

Mark here - had a *very* quite weekend for a change! No gigs, just spent time with my lovely wife Kathy. Hope everyone's had a nice long holiday.

Mark here, back again from apheresis. I don't really need all those platelets - let someone else use them! I had a busy weekend, played solo Friday night at a great bistro in a Minneapolis suburb, played bass with the Cafe Accordion Orchestra on Saturday, then played for brunch with Patty and the Buttons at the Aster Cafe in downtown Minneapolis. I have two solo gigs this week, too - one at a farmer's market in Edina thursday at 4, then later at Dunn Brother's Coffee in St Paul at 8!

It's Mark - trying to get back in shape, so I have begun running again. I put in about a mile and a half today, not great, but I'm moving! I've been working on writing some new material that's a little edgier - kind of exciting! I hope all you dads had a great father's day.

Just got back from donating platelets - I hope everyone who can will consider donating blood or platelets - you can save lives!

Mark here again, spent the day cleaning up some old emails and mailing off some CDs. I thought about practicing some tonight, but the wine is winning. I have a piano tuning and solo gig lined up for tomorrow, and my band's playing for the class of '61 at Carleton College Thursday! Beyond that, life's a blur - heck, life *behind* that's a blur!

I drove to Madison on Tuesday, went out to hear Jeffo play some sweet jazz. Went back to Sims and Maggie's, slept, got up and dropped off some of my/my band's CDs at radio stations, then filmed a TV pilot - jumped in my van and drove 12 hours to the International Peace Garden between ND and Canada where I taught guitar, mandolin and fiddle at the International Fiddle Camp - great students and faculty!! Yesterday I drove back to Minneapolis and had a relaxing evening with my wife Kathy. Today is her birthday, so we're off to the Aster cafe in Mpls with our kids and grandkids, and I'm play bass for my regular Sunday brunch gig with Patty and the Buttons. WHEW!

I've been packing and getting my office in order all morning. I'm done teaching for the year, but now comes the road season, starting with a trip to Madison tonight for a TV pilot shoot tomorrow, then I hop in the car and drive to the International Peace Garden in North Dakota to teach bluegrass at the International Old-Time Fiddler's Workshops and Contest. It will be nice to have highs in the 60s for a couple of days! Then it's back to Minneapolis for my wife's birthday on Sunday, celebrating at my regular brunch gig with one of my other bands called Patty and the Buttons.

We had a very busy, productive weekend. We rehearsed 6 hours Friday night, played Saturday and Sunday and had a meeting, too! Now I'm back at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St Paul, teaching songwriting and guitar. Later I'm off to Carleton College in Northfield for the last time this school year - yeah!

Hi all, I'm in Madison at Sims and Maggie's, awake too early after a great night of rehearsing with the new Wail. We're at the Brink tonight and hope to see/meet a bunch of new people. Come see how much we've learned! Mark