The Opposite of Doldrums, Sort Of

Day Four of the New Year and here I am. I'm trying to make this a year where there's more focus and more productivity on my part. Those sound like buzz words or something that's heard in a conference room, but it applies to my situation. It's like this: I'd always rather be writing, but there's always something else that seems like it should be done first - dishes, laundry, trying to organize that pile of albums in the other room, deciding what should be sold and what should just go to Goodwill. Then all of a sudden time has slipped away and it's time to go to work. Or bed.

Right now my brain is being crippled with anxiety because on Wednesday, I'm flying to New York for the Jazz Connect Conference and Winter Jazz Fest. It's not flying or the events themselves that have me freaked out. There's a test going on at work that day that I need to finish quickly so that I can get out to the airport on time to catch my flight. And I don't know how smoothly the timing is going to go. If I think about it too much, I'm just going to stare out the window and start at the screen, running in circles in my head.

Back in the fall when I went to Detroit, I came to the realization that going to one jazz festival every other year just wasn't cutting it. Five years ago, I was a newbie there and was welcomed by everyone. Last fall, on my third trip, I felt like "that guy from Pittsburgh" (if I got even that) who just hangs around when he can, and isn't always sure what's going on. I'm hoping to get around a little more, maybe find a story idea or two and get a better profile. Plus I'm covering Jazz Connect for City Paper since there are a few local folks who are going to be there.

Now that all the year end stuff is over, it's time to focus on moving forward. Oh damn - that reminds me: I have two reviews due on Monday morning. That's usually a day off from work but not this week, since I'll be off at the end of the week. See - there it goes again.