May 6, 2009
Before

Before

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We All Need a Place

I don’t know if any of you were fans of the HBO show “Six Feet Under,” but I will catch you up to make my point.  A family that runs a funeral home suffered the loss of the their father and in dealing with the death, the oldest son came across a room his father rented; a room that noone seemed to know about.  Upon visiting the room the oldest son sat there trying to imagine what it is his father would need such a place for.  As his imagination ran wild with the scandalous possibilities it became apparent to him that “we all need a place.” A place that is uniquely our own and for no one else.  A place where we can be ruled only by our thoughts and our imaginations and amused only by ourselves.  I have recently created such a place, the ironic part is that it is not a secret place and I do not own it.  But lately its as close as i can come and ever since i swept the last piece of floor i felt a little bit better about something.  Maybe I had been without something long enough to realize what a necessity it was.  A lot of times a songwriter’s place can be his or her own mind, but you can’t open your mind, or your heart for that matter in front of people all the time.  You need a place to sort through the really personal stuff.  Below is a picture of my new “place.”  Here’s to glass cleaner and the cartharsis it can bring, and to the people who read this, and the hope that they too have a ”place” of their own.   

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After

After

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April 16, 2009
“A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is visible labor and there is invisible labor.” - Victor Hugo “Writing is manual labor of the mind: a job like laying pipe” -John Gregory Dunne When I am home I am drawn to the merit and reward of physical labor. It is a much simpler equation then the music business. An honest days work for an honest days pay. I like the way the dirt on my hands makes the most of the cracks and crevaces that time has made there. I like the way beer tastes when your body is tired. I like the way people don’t get in your way when your clothes are dirty. Landscaping is quiet, honest work, and it makes me feel like writing. I see things clearer when my hands are busy and my legs are tired. If you are loosing your mind, try raking some leaves, it just might be what you need.

“A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is visible labor and there is invisible labor.” - Victor Hugo

“Writing is manual labor of the mind: a job like laying pipe” -John Gregory Dunne

When I am home I am drawn to the merit and reward of physical labor. It is a much simpler equation then the music business. An honest days work for an honest days pay. I like the way the dirt on my hands makes the most of the cracks and crevaces that time has made there. I like the way beer tastes when your body is tired. I like the way people don’t get in your way when your clothes are dirty. Landscaping is quiet, honest work, and it makes me feel like writing. I see things clearer when my hands are busy and my legs are tired. If you are loosing your mind, try raking some leaves, it just might be what you need.

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April 6, 2009
In 2003 I met this guy named Eric Donnelly and we started performing as Tim and Eric.  Its been a long time since Eric and I had some shows together as the duo that would eventually become the Altnernate Routes. For a few days we didn’t argue about the set list, worry about what time to leave the hotel room, or what time dinner should be.  The truth is we would have slept in the van.  There is only one person that I know of who is willing to drive across this country with me, sleep in a van if need be, and pull it off come what may, any time, any where.  Lucky for me he is also the finest guitar player I know.  We had a great time in North Carolina, the driving there in the spring is second to none.  If you know somebody like Eric in your life, don’t forget to tell em about it.  The people who do the most for us, are often underappreciated.  One idea that was born during my road trip with Eric was to do house concerts as a duo in places where we aren’t drawing enough people to fill a club.  Stayed tuned for more details about this in the weeks ahead, and let us know if you are interested. On and On We Whisper

In 2003 I met this guy named Eric Donnelly and we started performing as Tim and Eric.  Its been a long time since Eric and I had some shows together as the duo that would eventually become the Altnernate Routes. For a few days we didn’t argue about the set list, worry about what time to leave the hotel room, or what time dinner should be.  The truth is we would have slept in the van.  There is only one person that I know of who is willing to drive across this country with me, sleep in a van if need be, and pull it off come what may, any time, any where.  Lucky for me he is also the finest guitar player I know.  We had a great time in North Carolina, the driving there in the spring is second to none.  If you know somebody like Eric in your life, don’t forget to tell em about it.  The people who do the most for us, are often underappreciated.  One idea that was born during my road trip with Eric was to do house concerts as a duo in places where we aren’t drawing enough people to fill a club.  Stayed tuned for more details about this in the weeks ahead, and let us know if you are interested.

On and On We Whisper

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March 11, 2009
We are headed east for the first time in a month.  I spent five weeks with a true friend named Matt Wertz.  He is a Christian.  We played shows together for hundreds of people and I was grateful to be there.  I spoke with Matt a lot about women, and about God.  It’s a funny combination, and we spoke about each topic separately.  But if you can love one, you can love the other.  And conversely,  If you can’t love one, then maybe you can’t love the other.  Can you love more then one woman.  Can you  believe in more then one God?  I wrote a song driving home from the Wertz Tour.  Thought I would share the lyrics.  I’m not sure if its done yet, but its done enough to share.  Here’s to a good friend, a real conversation, and grey area.   I’ve seen a river freezing                                                                                                I’ve seen a burning sky                                                                                                 I’ve seen without believing                                                                                               I see it all the time I wanna beat this cancer                                                                                                     I wanna kill my fear                                                                                                          I wanna see my Anger                                                                                                 Until it disappears I lose myself, I do sometimes                                                                                    Honey you know I do                                                                                                  Honey I                                                                                                                     Honey I need you too I wanna know what faith is                                                                                                 I wanna stay in love                                                                                                          I wanna know what God means                                                                                      By a woman’s touch I had a dream in Kansas                                                                                                    You gotta dream alone                                                                                                  But you give me all your happiness                                                                                And my direction home I lose myself, I do sometimes                                                                                            Under this star lit-moon                                                                                                   I need some things                                                                                                                 Honey I need you too                                                                                         

We are headed east for the first time in a month.  I spent five weeks with a true friend named Matt Wertz.  He is a Christian.  We played shows together for hundreds of people and I was grateful to be there.  I spoke with Matt a lot about women, and about God.  It’s a funny combination, and we spoke about each topic separately.  But if you can love one, you can love the other.  And conversely,  If you can’t love one, then maybe you can’t love the other.  Can you love more then one woman.  Can you  believe in more then one God?  I wrote a song driving home from the Wertz Tour.  Thought I would share the lyrics.  I’m not sure if its done yet, but its done enough to share.  Here’s to a good friend, a real conversation, and grey area.  

I’ve seen a river freezing                                                                                                I’ve seen a burning sky                                                                                                 I’ve seen without believing                                                                                               I see it all the time

I wanna beat this cancer                                                                                                     I wanna kill my fear                                                                                                          I wanna see my Anger                                                                                                 Until it disappears

I lose myself, I do sometimes                                                                                    Honey you know I do                                                                                                  Honey I                                                                                                                     Honey I need you too

I wanna know what faith is                                                                                                 I wanna stay in love                                                                                                          I wanna know what God means                                                                                      By a woman’s touch

I had a dream in Kansas                                                                                                    You gotta dream alone                                                                                                  But you give me all your happiness                                                                                And my direction home

I lose myself, I do sometimes                                                                                            Under this star lit-moon                                                                                                   I need some things                                                                                                                 Honey I need you too                                                                                         

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February 20, 2009
The Road:  Stretches for the few who dare to dream her And she rises when you least expect to see her And the midnight makes you wonder where you are  When the strength you have is broke and breathing hard. -Texas

The Road:  Stretches for the few who dare to dream her

And she rises when you least expect to see her

And the midnight makes you wonder where you are 

When the strength you have is broke and breathing hard.

-Texas

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December 6, 2008
Look at me, totally confused, trying to be a songwriter and soliciting my friend Trish to take photographs in the middle of Florida.  The internet has never been my thing, but its time to jump in the pond.  There’s a lot of plastic surgery in Florida, but they do a nice job.  The woman who made my dinner told me that the road to success is never crowded when you go the extra mile.  Here’s to getting there from here.      Photo by Trish Badger

Look at me, totally confused, trying to be a songwriter and soliciting my friend Trish to take photographs in the middle of Florida.  The internet has never been my thing, but its time to jump in the pond.  There’s a lot of plastic surgery in Florida, but they do a nice job.  The woman who made my dinner told me that the road to success is never crowded when you go the extra mile.  Here’s to getting there from here.      
Photo by Trish Badger

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