ps

by the way. I done cut my hair off... a month ago, but I got haircuts in consecutive months for the first time in about 3-4 years. crazy...

martin sheen

i've got a shot... a legitimate shot to meet the president... well not the real president. and no, I don't really have a shot... however, if I ever did have a chance to meet a president of the united states, it would be martin sheen. he plays one on tv. the west wing has become my favorite show. even moreso (and hear me out) than the O.C. I really like the O.C. and I record it when I'm away, I'll admit it. also, I take the extra effort to capitalize both of the main letters in the name when I'm typing journals. but I've been watching the west wing lately, and often. I've always been fascinated by the writing of the show. the writers must be brilliant. and sure I write some wicked good lyrics sometimes, and I've always been interested in writing and being versatile to that effect. but I don't always write properly. for instance: "to that effect" in the previous sentence; and that semicolon I just typed. are those errors in structure? syntax? what is syntax? I used to think that it was just a computer error, because on our family's first ever computer, the Apple IIE, the most common error message I remember was "syntax error" because commands always had to be typed properly in order for the machine to understand.

**special note: MC Hammer is now receiving royalties on a commercial that used his song "u can't touch this" for a purell hand sanitizer commercial. Also Hammer has recently received a cameo mention in my latest song concoction, "driving through the ghetto." this song was debuted at Colby College in Maine during my first show of the year a couple of weekends ago

...anyway, back to the topic that I've forgotten about or never knew in the first place: writing. ahh yes. I've even gone so far as to turn off the current basketball or football game to watch the west wing. I'd only have a score check during commercial breaks. I've always wanted to write a script, or screenplay, or funny bud light commercial, or any funny commercial... oh and a musical. I'm not jiving either. I'm /sur-ee-us/.

if anyone has not watched the west wing, or claims that they have, and turned it off after the first segment or two, you have to give it a chance. watch the full episode, or two full episodes. I can't stand it when people pop in a cd, especially when they themselves haven't heard it before, and then have the nerve to skip to the next track or over the next track before the end of the song. please be patient. especially if you're riding in the car with me.

well this entry has certainly covered a wide array of topics. which I'm fine with.

I like to jump around,

skip lines, and I wish I posted more. when I hit the road again, I'll be as diligent as i was in fall, I promise. please feel free to facilitate such future entries by giving me some inspiration in the form of inquiries and the always popular, "quenstions, comments, concerns, announcements." which are always welcome between songs at any live show. 'cos they're still so damn intimate...

about 7 degrees today in michigan, my car was frozen shut, but I got in, my windows are all frozen shut, I don't feel like scraping the back windshield, cos it's iced over, and who needs the back windshield anyway? also, I need to get one of those remote starters, but I won't need it so much if I just move to the carolinas, or san diego. but seattle, I'd definitely need it.

how bout you?

exhibitionist

so the performing year is officially underway. I made the long trek to Maine to play the first show of the year this past saturday. the drive was hell-ish, but I got by with the help of David's sunflower seeds. I forgot to bring any cds with me, so I had to rely on periodic radio signals on the fm dial, and the always inconsistent am radio trying to listen to the lates in playoff football. a side note, my stereo is not a stock sytem, so for some reason it really doesn't pick up any am stations, and not only that, but for every station that it doesn't pick up, it makes this terrible screeching static sound. so that sucked, and every time I go through instances like that I tell myself that I'm going to get XM radio soon. and I will... so I say.

the drive let me cut through canada, which I always enjoy. it reminded me of the friends I made on the holiday cruise that I was on recently. on the way back home, as I drove down the 401, I thought, maybe I'll go visit my new canadian pals. then I realized I don't really remember what town they live in... but they were the coolest canadians that I had possibly ever met. they knew about the popular hamburger stand that we used to frequent on the way up to hockey camp every summer, and they knew about the resort we used to waste time at, just before we went up to the camp. I think shania twain is from somewhere close to that town. that's what I heard at least. the guy who told me that (I remember it so clearly) was on my starting line when I played my one and only all-star game in college. he was canadian, so he knew, yet he was playing for iowa state. probably not so different from where he was brought up.

so the show went okay. I would have loved to pack the place up, but the dedicated base of people who stayed around for my sub 2-hour set was gracious. so I rewarded them with new 'jimmy atto official chapstick.' which went over really well since these people live in a cold and snowy climate and probably go skiing a couple times a week. I didn't bust out the frisbees, or the stadium cups, those will come out some time soon though... just axe me...

it was a good warm up show. as you may or may not know, shows are being set up for a good old spring tour. I hope to visit your town, wherever you are... my voice held up, which I was surprised about, cos I hadn't been singing too much over the last month or so. and I didn't screw up many words or chords on the guitar. my favorite addition to the set is my new "d" harmonica. as some may know, my previous harmonica in the key of D crapped out on my in winona, mn last fall. it had done so on several previous occasions, and winona was the last straw. some lucky young lady has that harp now. my new one played flawlessly in its debut, and will surely continue to do so, as I see a long and healthy partnership between me and my new harmonica.

get your chance to meet and greet the new harmonica at a spring show. they'll be posted soon. check ya later...

JJA