Rough day today. I went into it exhausted, as I had a particularly rough night yesterday: crying fits, suicidal thoughts, panic attacks, sudden rages. I must have cried for at least two hours before I could settle down & work. There is something uniquely awful about having a good, productive, comfortable PD day - and then going home to the certain knowledge that you're back in the pits of hell the next day. This alone freaked me out considerably. Then there was the extra added bonus of preparing Monday's lessons in advance, as I'll be at a conference that day. I mean, I'm glad to be doing some PD, but when I do, it's like it's added onto my normal work day rather than instead of my normal work day. Anyway, the fun of writing 6 lesson plans yesterday wiped me right out, and I faced the demons with less than my usual enthusiasm.

Today's highlights: a creepy student coming up behind me & touching my shoulder; a class that would not shut up during a test & a photocopier malfunction that turned my quick errand into an odyssey of frustration. Oh, feel the joy of my chosen career.

There was something good about today, however, and that is that the Boy bought tickets for Valdy's gig at Hugh's Room. Opening for him was Geoff Berner, a wonderfully funny accordian player and the third member of the "Unusual Instruments" panel at Stanfest (the other two musicians were Carmaig de Forest & Ana Bon-Bon, the Boy's & my heroes respectively). Also, I think he was one of the ones who rode in with St. Stephen - either that, or he was introduced to St. Stephen by Carlos del Junco, the harmonica player who insisted upon picking up the hitch hiker. Either way, we feel an almost proprietary admiration for Geoff. He's not just any alternative accordion player - he's our alternative accordion player

We came in a little late, and although I was afraid I'd missed part of Geoff's set, my fears were allayed as soon as I walked in the door and saw that he was right in front of me at the bar. As we were checking in, he walked over with a funny look on his face.

"You're wearing a Jen Patches t-shirt!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, we were security for StanFest," I said as casually as I could. Inside I was squealing, for my outfit had paid off: I had begun to sing the song of StanFest and right away Geoff had sung along. He chatted with us for a few moments, told us that he'd be playing with Corb Lund (another StanFest '02 alumni, albeit a very angry one) on the 17th, and wandered off.

Hugh's Room is a very cool venue. Unlike the usual concert/bar arrangement, Hugh's is a restaurant first & foremost. People sit at tables, eating good food and listening attentively to the music. I was reminded immediately of the nightclub in the Spider Robinson story "Satan's Children." It was so much more comfortable than any other concert venue I've ever been to that I wondered why more promoters hadn't thought of it.

When everything was ready, Valdy came on to introduce Geoff. "We've played on both coasts together," he said. "On the East Coast, in Canso..." The Boy & I clapped loudly in the hush, and Valdy pointed to us appreciatively. It was great. "...and on the West Coast, where we both live."

Geoff did a great set. I am renewed in my desire to buy his CD. Unfortunately there were none left by the time we sniffed out the merch table. I guess it'll have to wait until that gig with Corb Lund.

Geoff Berner at StanFest:

We'd planned on attending the "Unusual Instruments" panel before we left Wolfville - there was just something so right about a panel devoted to accordions and ukuleles. Seeing Carmaig in the "Wordsmiths" panel just whetted our appetites further, as he was obviously a very clever ukulele devotee. Geoff & Ana seemed quiet by comparison, their accordions muted next to Carmaig's sharp tongue. Still, there was something about the two of them - Ana with her sincere devotion to the accordion and 40's type torch songs, and Geoff with his ability to wail out the most alternative choruses over the most rolicking & Parisian of melody lines.

At one point, Geoff suggested that they rename the panel to "Unusual Hangovers." Clearly, he was our kind of guy.

Later we would see him & a truckful of performers at Mother Webb's when we stopped for a bite on our ride home. There was something incredibly surreal about the fact that we could stumble across StanFest performers on our way home - it was like the weekend refused to die. Not only that, but they were some of our very favourite performers: Jen Patches (who plays the keyboards and drums at the same time, and did a version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" that had me running uphill to hear it out), Tanya Tagaq Gillis (the solo Inuit throat singer who toured with Bjork and who made me weep unashamedly whenever she performed), Ana Bon-Bon (the female accordion player from BC who could stop traffic with her smoky voice and my personal StanFest hero) & the Corb Lund Band (an excellent roots band who were absolutely incensed that they didn't have a main stage gig, and who snarled their way resentfully through every workshop.) Seeing us in the doorway, Geoff invited us to eat with them - but there just wasn't enough room, so we ate at the next table & made fun of the menu.

(Mother Webb's, by the way, is this little steakhouse in Antigonish, and a visit is absolutely the best way to end three days of wet, cold suffering.)

"Here's where we saw that first apartment. That would've been a killer commute. Not that the commute I have now isn't a killer."

"I'm sorry."

"What? Why?"

"I'm sorry that your commute is a killer."

"[Boy], my whole life is a nightmare. When you're having a nightmare, it doesn't necessarily matter that a horse is on fire while the baby is trying to eat you - you're in a nightmare. It's all scary. It all sucks."