Monday January 31 2022

Waking up around 11:45 a.m.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, Flax Seed, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

At the Rec Center this time – doing some basic ab and cardio on the row machine then shooting some basketball around.

 

Eggs. Bagel. Spinach. Chips. Coffee.

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers – running errands.

 

Chicken Pad Thai for dinner.

 

ELO rehearsal – still running through the set and helping Chidori get acclimated to the songs.

 

Back home. Catching up on business and things over Green Tea.

 

Pineapple and a Protein Drink.

 

More business – cleaning up the kitchen.

 

Sunday January 30 2022

Waking up around 11:30 a.m.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, Flax Seed, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

Working out at the gym.

 

PB&J Bagel. Pineapple and Yogurt. Coffee.

 

Coaching two MMLIVE bands with the help of Andrew and Rebecca – we had a new girl try out the kid band – after a little acclimation she was loving it.

 

Dropping by Trader Joe’s for a few groceries.

 

Home. Cooking a quick dinner: Vegan Jackfruit Sausage with Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, and Chard.

Finishing the first season of Ozark (2017).

 

Catching up on business.

 

Chores.

 

Hanging out in Ana’s room using the foam roller. Meanwhile, Elvis thinks it’s okay to attack my arm.

 

Saturday January 29 2022

Waking up around noon thirty.

 

Breakfast Bar. Tea.

 

Once again it has snowed overnight but Snow Day Part 2 isn’t so bad – it’s just annoying at this point.

 

At the studio kick starting the next MMLIVE Band session – just the all girl band today. Andrew helps coach on the bass.

 

Eggs. English Muffin. Chard. Coffee.

Watching Ozark (2017).

 

Running errands – dropping off some returns. Attempting to go into the Verizon store – they’re supposed to be open till 7 but suddenly they’re not.

 

Over at the 104 space at Music Makers I tweak a few things then workout/exercise.

 

Back home. Ana made a beautiful dinner: Falafel with Quinoa, Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, Potatoes, and with all the fixings.

 

Cleaning up the kitchen and doing laundry.

 

At the studio organizing some things.

 

Popcorn.

 

Sleep at 4:20 a.m.

 

Friday January 28 2022

Waking up around noon thirty.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, Flax Seed, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

Running a few errands – picking up some pants from the tailor – dealing with some things at Music Makers.

 

Exercising/conditioning in the 104 space.

 

Protein Bar. Pea Snacks. Coffee.

 

I drive Ana and I out to Norfolk – we attempted to go into Nomads, where she exchanged some clothes of ours but to our dismay they closed up an hour earlier than expected – Strike 1. Then, we decide to drive over to the Chelsea district – the bake house is out of loaves and pastries for the day – Strike 2. The next strike and we go home, lol. Down the street we take a chance on dinner at Grandiflora Wine Garden, a cozy atmosphere and house turned into restaurant/wine bar – they offer wonderful Turkish Vegan fare. We have a nice time.

 

Stopping by Doumar’s for a novelty ice cream cone – drive up only.

 

Back in VB we get some things at Target and spend a good amount of time browsing for clothes.

 

Back home. We get to cleaning – her in the bedroom and I in the living room – vacuuming and organizing.

 

Thursday January 27 2022

Waking up around 11:50 a.m.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, Flax Seed, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

At the gym with Vlad working out.

Vega Recovery Drink with Banana.

 

Eggs. English Muffin. Chard. Coffee.

Watching Ozark (2017).

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

Gringo’s Fish Tacos with Chips n Guac for dinner.

 

Taking Wes and I to Ladada practice with Josiah and Bobby – it’s been a while since we played together. It was actually a full practice and we checked off all the boxes – working through some new and old tunes – jamming on new stuff – having story time.

 

Wednesday January 26 2022

Waking up around noon.

 

Breakfast Bar. Tea.

 

Grabbing a few things at Target.

 

Exercising/conditioning in the 104 space.

 

Eggs. English Muffin. Kale. Coffee.

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

Back home. Making a quick dinner: Vegan Sausage with Quinoa, Peas, and leftover Veggies.

Watching Ozark (2017).

 

Catching up on business and emails.

 

Pineapple. Chocolate. Green Tea.

 

Chores.

 

Protein Drink with Melatonin.

 

Tuesday January 25 2022

Waking up around noon.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, Flax Seed, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

Driving over to the Central Library in hopes to grab some particular tax forms I need – they’re out of course. But I take a browse – feeling nostalgic remembering times when I was younger hanging out here just because it was quiet. I’ll also never forget the time I was in elementary school and my mom helped me with a school project on dinosaurs.

 

Getting groceries.

 

Eggs. English Muffin. Spinach. Salt n Vinegar Chips. Coffee.

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

Meeting with the Modern Day Warrior band to talk about things and practice.

 

Back home. Dinner: Naan Pizza with Sardines, Kale, and Beets.

Watching Ozark (2017).

 

Catching up on business. Tax season looms ahead and I find I’m running out of time to get things done.

 

Tweaking things on the computer.

 

Pineapple.

 

Monday January 24 2022

Waking up around 11:30 a.m.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, Flax Seed, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

At the gym working out.

Banana.

 

Eggs. Toast. Spinach. Salt n Vinegar Chips. Coffee.

Watching Ozark (2017).

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

Dinner: Stuffed Mushrooms with Black Beans, Kale, and Quinoa.

 

ELO rehearsal.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Catching up on business.

 

Chores.

 

Ana and I get into a heated conversation again – she’s really unhappy consistently she says and I don’t know how to help except be there for her.

 

Sunday January 23 2022

Waking up around 1 p.m.

 

Cereal with Banana, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. Tea.

 

At the gym running on the treadmill and working out.

 

Egg Sandwich with Spinach and Beets. Potato Chips with Hummus. Coffee.

Finishing The Last Duel (2021).

 

Working at the computer catching up on all kinds of business.

 

Leftovers for dinner: Peas with Veggies and Naan Bread.

 

At the studio organizing things.

 

Danish. Vega Protein Drink.

 

Chores.

 

Saturday January 22 2022

 

Waking up really late – it’s almost 2 p.m.! That melatonin in the sports drink really knocked me out.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, Flax Seed, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

The snow apocalypse came through the night and it’s officially a snow day! Most of the main roads are clear so it’s easy to drive. I head to the gym but discover they’re closed. Instead, I hang out at the Music Makers 104 space and do a conditioning workout.

Banana.

 

Back home.

Eggs. Toast. Spinach. Pineapple. Chips. Coffee.

Watching The Last Duel (2021).

 

Catching up on business.

 

At the computer taking care of all kinds of stuff.

 

Late night dinner leftovers: Salmon, Beans, Quinoa, and a Salad.

 

Later on at the studio figuring out how to rig this vocoder and general cleaning.

 

Pineapple. Vega Protein Drink.

 

Friday January 21 2022

Waking up real late.

 

Breakfast Bar.

 

Catching up on business.

We moved all the lessons to virtual cause of the snow to come.

 

Later on, Ana and I drive out to Shore Drive to grab brunch at Simple Eats

Avocado Egg and Bacon Toast with Potatoes and Coffee.

 

Taking the road through Pleasure House and Independence – stopping by the Gateaux Bakery (now changed to Staz-a-Licious) – then the R.E.I. store to return some things and buy a few new shirts.

 

Grabbing some groceries from Whole Foods.

 

Back home – making dinner: Black Beans (in Blue Corn Shells) with Purple Cauliflower, Greens, and Chips.

We watch an episode of Curb.

 

Cinnamon Bun.

 

Later on into the night the snow thickens up the outside and it doesn’t stop. Even though it’s 2 a.m. we take the recycle out then hang out at the 104 space playing drums. Meanwhile, that snow is persistent.

 

Pineapple. Vega Protein Drink.

 

Thursday January 20 2022

Waking up around noon.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

Working out at the gym with Vlad.

 

Eggs. Leftover Hash. Chard. Toast. Coffee.

Watching The Last Duel (2021).

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

The threat of a looming winter storm is in effect but not much is going on besides some icy rain.

 

Back home. Ana and I joint cook dinner: Salmon with Black Beans, Roasted Veggies, Quinoa, and Corn.

At the table watching an episode of Curb.

 

At the studio reconstructing this wall mount thing I use to organize a bunch of cables. Meanwhile, Ana practices guitar in the other room.

 

Chores at home.

 

Wednesday January 19 2022

Waking up around noon.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

At the gym working out.

Banana.

 

Eggs. Bagel. Chard. Chips. Coffee.

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

Meeting with Mike to figure out a vocoder stand.

 

Back home.

Naan Pizza. Hazelnut Nougat Protein Bar.

 

Catching up on business.

 

Chatting with Ana while I reconstruct the keycaps on my computer keyboard – we come to some understandings on things.

 

Cleaning up the kitchen/dishes – prepping.

 

Tuesday January 18 2022

Waking up around noon.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

Catching up on business.

 

At the 104 space doing a conditioning workout using a few cables.

 

Eggs. Bagel. Spinach. Chips. Coffee.

Watching Curb Your Enthusiasm.

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

Back home. Making a quick dinner: Vegan Sausage, Hash, Kale, and Quinoa.

 

Catching up on all kinds of stuff at the computer. Tax season looms overhead!

 

Chores.

 

PB Pita.

 

Later on, Ana and I catch up on our days – she sits on my bedside while I’m at the computer. Her resentment quickly takes over the conversation and we get into it. She always gets to the point of saying stuff like “I feel like we’d be better off without each other” or “I can’t figure myself out as long as I’m in this relationship.” It’s very frustrating for me that she constantly feels unhappy and dissatisfied.

 

Monday January 17 2022

Waking up around 11:30 or so.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

Working out at the gym – trying out this new workout regime I got online through Athlean-X.

Banana.

 

Eggs. Bagel. Spinach. Chips. Coffee.

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

Leftovers for dinner: Peas, Pasta, Sardines, and a Salad.

 

At ELO rehearsal – we’re still working in Chidori on the drums.

 

Back home. Catching up on things – Green Tea, Raspberries, Chocolate, Popcorn.

 

Sunday January 16 2022

Waking up really late around 1 p.m.

 

Cereal with Banana, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. Tea.

 

At the gym running on the treadmill and working out.

 

Eggs. Spinach. Bagel. Chips. Coffee.

Watching Curb Your Enthusiasm.

 

Catching up on business and all kinds of things at the computer.

 

House chores.

 

Cooking up some dinner with a mix of leftovers: BBQ Jackfruit with Roasted Cauliflower, Carrots, and Vegan Sausage.

 

Organizing stuff at the studio.

 

Chores and cleaning.

 

Saturday January 15 2022

Waking up really late at almost 1 p.m.

 

Ana and I use this gift card to check out Session off Shore Drive for brunch. It’s a small but really cool spot.

 

Later on, while Ana goes to Nomad’s in Norfolk to give some vintage stuff from our closet, I take care of some things at the house.

 

Then, we hit up Smartmouth at the oceanfront to catch The Sand Tones set (Ronnie and Derrick).

 

Running errands – getting groceries at Kroger and Whole Foods.

 

Back home I cook dinner for us: Pasta with Peas, Peppers, Onions, Kale, Chard, and Naan Bread.

 

Chores and cleaning.

 

At Music Makers cleaning/mopping the floor.

 

Snacking. Staying up too late.

 

Friday January 14 2022

 Waking up real late around 12:30 p.m.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Strawberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

Catching up on business and house stuff.

 

PB&J. Plantain Chips. Coffee.

 

At Music Makers meeting with Allyson and this guy Phillip from Mass Mutual to discuss insurance stuff. Teaching a few lessons.

 

Later on, Ana and I grab some dinner at Aloha Snacks. Jesse, the owner, is there – he wants to have Musicplayer perform at the end of the month – I love this guy cause he’s all about vibes.

 

We head over to Pinboy’s to meet up with friends for bowling – Elliott, Michelle, James, Allyson, and Shannon. I wear this old bowling league shirt that my dad wore back in 1976 – it says Smitty on it. We all have a good time.

 

Then, some of us migrate over to Crazy Shirley’s, a dive bar off Great Neck. It’s quite crowded and there’s karaoke. Shannon, Ana, and I do a rendition of Love Shack.

 

Finally back home – it’s unusual for us, but definitely nice to have a night out like that.

 

Thursday January 13 2022

Waking up around noon thirty.

 

Breakfast Bar. Tea.

 

Catching up on business.

 

At the studio loading up all the gear with the help of Megan, her dad, and Anna. Driving it over to the Smartmouth Pilot House at the oceanfront. Modern Day Warrior has a gig! I lead the set up over by the garage door – Andrew and Reid are here to help.

 

Friends and family of the band slowly start to fill up the place – it eventually packs the house. I help out on keys and keep everything in order. They really stepped up their game this time with a two hour set. They all feel so comfortable but energetic. I’m incredibly proud of them! The guy over at the Donnie Fry’s food truck offers a meal on the house after I discover they sold out on the break. This whole event turns out to be quite the success on all fronts. Afterwards, the band is elated – plus they made a bucket full of tips.

 

Loading everything back at Music Makers.

 

Home. Enjoying some Pastries Ana left me and Green Tea.

 

Organizing all the stuff at the studio and putting everything back in order.

 

Salad with Pita Chips.

 

Wednesday January 12 2022

Waking up around noon.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

Catching up on business and scheduling.

 

At the studio meeting with a guy from Omni to cancel all this automatic delivering of printer ink. Also, discovering some shelving fell off the wall in the back room over night – what a disaster.

 

Eggs. Toast. Chard. Chips and Avocado. Coffee.

 

Teaching lessons.

 

Afterwards, Modern Day Warrior has their last practice before tomorrow’s gig. We try to get through the entire set – there’s always some foul ups but overall I think they’re ready.

 

Back home and having dinner: Jackfruit BBQ with Vegan Sausages, Kale, and Carrots.

Watching Curb Your Enthusiasm.

 

Green Tea.

 

Packing away all the gear at the studio.

 

Tuesday January 11 2022

Waking up around noon.

 

Breakfast Bar. Tea.

 

Dealing with all kinds of rescheduling and business stuff at the computer – teachers calling out sick and cancelling lessons. That and on top of other various tasks I’m trying to complete!

 

Walking over to 17^th Street Automotive to retrieve my car for the last time. It’s 30 degrees out but it feels good to get my legs moving.

 

Eggs. Chard. Toast. Chips with Avocado. Coffee.

Watching The Courier (2021).

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

Afterwards, helping with the Modern Day Warrior band practice in the 104 space.

 

Naan Pizza with Sardines and a Salad.

 

Catching up on business.

 

Relaxing.

 

Monday January 10 2022

Waking up around noon or so.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

Rescheduling and catching up on business.

 

Cleaning/scrubbing the shower – it’s a long time coming.

 

PB&J. Pineapple and Yogurt. Coffee.

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

Right afterwards, helping out Modern Day Warrior with their band practice in the 104 space.

 

Grabbing a quick dinner from Bangkok Garden: Chicken with Broccoli, Snow Peas, and Rice.

 

Then, at ELO rehearsal – we’re working in a different drummer, Chidori.

 

Back home. Enjoying a few Chocolate Chip Cookies and catching up on the day.

 

Sunday January 9 2022

 

Waking up almost close to 1 p.m.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

Catching up on business – shopping online.

 

Eggs. Toast. Micro Greens and Sprouted Lentils. Coffee.

Watching The Power of the Dog (2021).

 

Working on all kinds of things on the computer.

 

Over at Elevation 27 checking out the Wilder Horses show (Mike Mosgrove and Bobby’s Rolling Stones tribute act). It’s a free show to the public – they’re filming a special promo video – Nigel is here emceeing – other people from the ELO band are here too. I stand behind the monitor board and enjoy the tunes – recalling the time when Ladada covered Stones for a Halloween show.

 

At the studio organizing the 104 space – plugging in cables and trying to figure out the PA system.

 

Back home. Warming up some dinner: Falafel with Pita, Hummus, and Cabbage.

Sharing with Ana at the dinner table.

 

While catching up on things I swipe right on my phone and see a picture of mom suddenly appear. It’s as if she’s reminding me that she still loves me and is thinking of me.

 

Back at the studio continuing my work.

 

Saturday January 8 2022

Waking up very late almost 1 p.m.

 

Breakfast Bar. Tea.

 

Catching up on business.

 

At the gym working out upper body and chest.

 

Picking up stuff from Whole Foods.

 

Lunch: Eggs. Toast. Chips. Micro Greens with Lentil Sprouts. Coffee.

While trying to sprout the lentils a little while ago I discover they can be eaten raw after a certain time.

 

Later on, returning some pants to REI then driving out to Norfolk.

Meeting a guy named Alex who lives with his girlfriend about a piano they were selling on Facebook. It’s a super nice Roland digital piano. They just moved into this new loft apartment that looks inspiring fit with a kitchen island and so much space to cook. They’re originally from somewhere overseas.

 

At the studio rearranging the back room to fit this piano in there.

 

Back home. Making a quick dinner for myself: Naan Pizza with Sardines and Chard.

Watching The Power of the Dog (2021).

 

At the studio organizing gear and things.

 

Pineapple and Yogurt.

 

Friday January 7 2022

Waking up around noon.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

I run some errands – stopping by Target – dropping off my car again – talking with Allyson about business at Music Makers. Meanwhile, Ana is having troubles riding her horse, Magic.

 

Sharing lunch with Ana.

Tempeh Bacon. Kale. Toast. Coffee.

 

Time to run our errands together. Spending a good amount of time at Alpha Music – I stock up on a few cords and various things I need. Then, we go to REI in Town Center, a sporting goods store where Ana got me a pair of slippers for Christmas. We return them and browse for other things.

 

Then, settling on Fuji Yama Sushi for dinner.

I joke how we were good citizens of the economy today cause we spent so much money.

 

Back home Catching up on things.

Playing DOOM.

 

Chores.

 

Thursday January 6 2022

Waking up around noon.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

Workout at the gym with Vlad.

 

Eggs. Spinach. Bagel. Coffee.

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

Back home. Ana cooked dinner: Vegan Burgers with Cabbage and Roasted Potatoes.

 

We drive over to Wes and Jen’s place to grab Ana’s guitar and give a Christmas card. We hang out in their living room while this sheep herder dog, Archer, prances around with his toy. It’s enjoyable to hang out with them – Wes is about to be in jail for 5 days starting tomorrow so we’re kind of having a one last hurrah.

 

Chores.

 

Wednesday January 5 2022

Waking up at 11:50 a.m.

 

Cereal with Banana, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. Tea.

 

Catching up on business.

 

Doing a quick run at the gym.

 

Eggs. Bagel. Spinach. Chips. Coffee.

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

 

Right afterwards, Modern Day Warrior has band practice. I actually join this time. Helping them on keys and polish all the weak parts of their songs.

 

Back home. Making a quick dinner: Naan Pizza with Kale and Sardines.

Watching Cobra Kai.

 

Catching up on business.

 

Cleaning the recycle bins at the studio and organizing a few things.

 

Tuesday January 4 2022

Waking up around noon.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

All kinds of scheduling and things to be taken care of – almost everyone we know is contracting this new variant of Covid like crazy – cancelling or switching lessons to virtual.

 

Eggs. Bagel. Chips. Spinach. Coffee.

 

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

Packing away Christmas!

 

Back home. Dinner: Falafel with Pita and Veggies.

Watching Cobra Kai.

 

Catching up on business.

 

Chores and cleaning.

 

Taking out the recycle.

 

Catching up with Ana downstairs.

 

Monday January 3 2022

Waking up around noon or so.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Blueberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

They called for snow today but I didn’t believe it cause yesterday was 70 degrees. And thus, here we are and it’s snowing, but not the kind that sticks.

 

Working out at the gym – feels good to be back.

 

Because of the weather and the fact that everybody all across creation is getting Covid the schedule at Music Makers is a mess.

 

Eggs. Bagel. Spinach. Coffee. Chips.

Watching Cobra Kai.

 

At Music Makers teaching lessons.

 

Leftovers for dinner.

 

At Soul Haven Studios with Nigel and John to record keyboard parts for some new ELO songs.

 

Back home. Cleaning up the kitchen and catching up on things.

 

Sunday January 2 2022

Waking up around 12:30 p.m.

 

Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Strawberries, and Almond Milk. English Breakfast Tea.

 

Catching up on business and stuff at the computer.

 

Chores around the house.

 

Eggs. English Muffin. Spinach. Chips. Coffee.

Watching Don’t Look Up (2021).

 

Running errands.

 

Modern Day Warrior has a sudden band practice at Music Makers. Meanwhile, I work on a few things. Rebecca is here at some point – we catch up on stuff. She’s been dealing with a lot of emotional things since her cat, Aria, passed away. Also, there’s a ton of things to plan for this coming year Broadway and ELO related.

 

Eating leftovers for dinner back home.

 

Back at the studio cleaning up some things and working on keyboard patches.

 

Saturday January 1 2022

Waking up pretty late almost till 1 p.m.

 

I make Ana and I Pancakes for breakfast – they’re fluffy but mediocre.

 

Catching up on business and things.

 

Many errands and things to do. Ana and I drive around in the truck – grabbing some grub at Zeke’s – hanging MDW flyers around – dropping off some cards – stopping by Target.

 

Back home. Ana makes dinner: BBQ Tempeh with Cauliflower, Broccoli, Squash, and Quinoa.

We get into some constructive conversations at the dinner table.

 

Cleaning up.

 

Doing the account for Music Makers.

 

Organizing some stuff at the studio and rearranging things.

 

Back home. It’s super late, almost 5 a.m. Ana and I make fire before sleep time.