Up the Tree

I was…

I had been…

I tried to…

Ahh, forget it. The story is that I was lumbered with work over here. pounds of the stuff. stacks of paper, reams of CDs, and deadlines up the (pardon my language) wazoo. It was rough folks. Worst of all I had a trip out to California, that I was planning for and… I left.

I was so busy that I never even had time to say bye.

I’m sorry friends, for I should have said something. I should have given you notice, I should have sent a card, left a note, stuck a post-it(TM), but alas I didn’t. I just packed up my drawings and went from meeting to meeting in rainy california and lived with my bad karma.

What I’m trying to say is…

I’m back.

_sorry._

You might not get this if you’re not a New Yorker, but I thought I might send this out to all yall in the public transportation spectrum. Over here in New York City we got these nondescript little orange cards that cost lots of money and allow a commuter to travel from one place to another. These “MetroCards” can be refilled, unless you decide to purchase a *Weekly or Monthly card.*

I don’t know why these cards are different, but they are. They require a whole new card every time you buy one and so if you’re anything like me at the end of buying one you’re left with two identical looking cards with two very different values.

* Card A is worthless.
* Card B is worth $70

I, however, in putting my credit card away, after buying my new MetroCard, have gotten totally confused which is which.

This isn’t a complicated process, but the fact that I am now unsure which card is which is very disconcerting. I will find out which card is which when I swipe it at the turnstile to gain access to the subway, but this uncertainty will follow me even after I’ve swiped the right card and folded the wrong one in half to distinguish it as _not the right one._

You will sometimes find me, down on the platform, in front of a trash can, reluctantly letting go of the bent metrocard, fearing that just maybe it was the good one and I have just thrown away $70.

The good news is, the crap I was dealing with last week has been resolved… well most of it has been resolved. Some things just have a staying power that weekends can’t cleanse.

The bad news is that new things have replaced the old and the grind has been reborn with all new spikey edges.

The spectacle of my life is beginning to wear on me.

Something’s got to give.

Although I have said it 53 million times before, I have decided to play my music for real. I have the new guitar, I have the new songs, I have the look… now all I need is the courage. Mr. cowardly Lion.

When I start making noises, I’ll record a few new ones for you guys… untill then, “enjoy an old one from 1997.”:http://www.upthetree.com/media/iwould.m4a It’s from when I was a baby.