Netarts Christmas show was good. Audience appeared to enjoy the stuff; there were a few people there who knew me, and a couple who’d heard me play before, but most of the crowd were new. The Netarts Community Club is a small place but it was full. And I got paid! I hadn’t expected that. Tips, too. It was actually the best-paid gig I’ve had this year (which isn’t saying much for this year, I know).

No CD sales from the Netarts show, and no new names for the “joelist”—but there were the tips. Got fed a nice dinner, too. I did encourage the Community Club folks to have me back; whether they do so will indicate whether they really liked the show, or whether they were just being polite. I told them what they were going to get wasn’t exactly normal, and it wasn’t.

The songs that went over best were “Santa’s Fallen and He Can’t Get Up” and the “Welcome to Hebo Waltz.” I think they appreciated “Santa, Baby” less than most of the audiences I’ve played it for—and conversely, they liked “Even Roadkill Gets the Blues” more than most of the audiences I’ve played it for. (I don’t think they knew exactly how to take “Roadkill”—and I’m no help: I don’t know exactly how to take it either.) They sang along with “White Christmas” (of course) and “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” (surprise).

Thursday at the Tsunami in Wheeler and Friday at Garibaldi City Hall will be the last performances of the Christmas songs for another year. I am about ready to do other things. Next Wednesday’s appearance at the Tonic Lounge in Portland, as part of Whitney Streed’s Weekly Recurring Humor Night, will be all non-Christmas songs. ‘Tis the Season Season will be over.

Elsewhere… Got wind of a fellow city manager’s resignation and immediately contacted his mayor about an interim job; I don’t know if I’ll get it, but it was nice to be able to be timely. Two (of four) articles for the paper and my column done timely too. The documentary is done, I understand; I still haven’t seen it but was told instructor Wil Duncan did the soundtrack, and I’m sure it’s good. I’m relieved, on the one hand, that I don’t have to rush composition of a soundtrack just days before the World Premiere of the documentary; on the other, I’m hot to start what they’re calling “Part Two,” because I do want to do a soundtrack and have some ideas for it (and also have some footage that didn’t make it into Part One).

Got given a set of rubber ducks to practice my square dance calls with, and I have a square’s worth (eight) of real dancers willing to let me practice on them, too. Found some “loudspeaker” speakers at a thrift store; they’re small (though maybe that doesn’t matter so much these days), but they will match up to the Radio Shack PA, unlike the ones I’d borrowed. I haven’t tested them yet. If they work I have my PA system, for a total cost of less than $50. I like that. Of course some of the components are more than 50 years old—but so am I.

Joe