Sundance

I guess an update on this thing is long overdue. Since I left off with band info in the last post, I'll start with band info. I like it when things come full circle.

Jake and I have been pretty busy this January so far. A few months ago we were asked to play a new festival some locals were trying to put together in Park City, UT the week before Sundance. It sounded like a great opportunity to play for a very different bunch of people that might appreciate our unique sound. We were super stoked, we even practiced...twice. Which is a lot for us and a really good thing since at out first practice, we both couldn't remember how to play our newest songs.

The only downside of the festival was the time our first show was at. 11:45 PM on a Thursday night. It worked out okay for me, I was able to get coverage the Friday night after it so being out until 2 the night before was no issue. On the plus side, Thursday was the opening night so most of the festival artists were up in Park City for the opening ceremonies. In addition to the late hour, our venue was geographically undesirable, on the bottom section of Main Street that was closed for some reason. Needless to say, those that were actually in the bar (which was playing hard rock music before we started) weren't exactly interested in our sound. The sound guys liked us so that was a positive.

The worst news of the night was the notice that our second festival show on Monday night was to be rescheduled. Monday morning we found out instead of the 7:00 PM start time, we were given a 10:30 PM start time. After much band debate, Jake and I decided it was still a good opportunity to get our sound out to new people. There ended up being a bunch of people there for the band that was playing after us and some of them legitimately liked our sound.

I guess the best news out of the Orion Music Festival for us came yesterday. One of the Orion organizers asked us to play Sundance tonight. SUNDANCE! I'm trying not to get excited about it but I'm pretty stoked. We are even playing before my bedtime (5:15) at a different (read: not Siberia) venue. I'm really glad we didn't opt to burn bridges there.

On the home front things have been pretty quiet. A few weeks ago we were invited to a game night with some of the other young couples in our ward. We had a total blast with the other couples. It was funny when we realized 80% of the people there were engineers (I was the only wife engineer). Apparently our neighborhood attracts them. I'm not sure why, maybe it's symmetrical? Type A personalities like symmetry, right?

We also had our wood floors refinished this month. It looks so good. We didn't do the whole sanding move out our your house for a week process, we opted for the process that screens off the finish and puts a new shiny one on (it's called enhance through the Home Depot if you're interested). This seemed to be the best option for us. It doesn't get rid of the scratches in the wood but since the 80 pound pit bull isn't moving out anytime soon, there really no point in spending the time and money to remove the current scratches. Since the finish needed 7 days to cure (we could walk on it the night they did it with socks), Dublin went to the kennel for the week. When I dropped him off, he was so excited there were so many new people. He broke the paper tag they put around their necks 3 times before the lady went and got a stronger on. When I picked him up, all the receptionist would say is that he is adorable and very energetic. I believe it.

Dublin also decided this weekend that his bones go on the ottoman where our things go. While we were watching TV on Sunday, he picked up his bone from his bed and dropped it on the ottoman and walked away. He's done it a few more times since then. Every time I've made him pick it back up and put it on the floor. I can just imagine how frustrated he's getting with me. I'm sure he's thinking we put things up there all the time, why can't he?

Dear Abbey

So in another effort to explain my blog absence, I wanted to share the latest release from my band The Sweater Friends. Jake and I have been working on this project for the past few months along side our full length album we plan to tackle this year. A big chunck of my December was devoted to this EP.

Here's a link to our bandcamp website where you can listen to all our music and download tracks from the new EP and our last full length, Everyone We Know.

thesweaterfriends.bandcamp.com

Also check out the awesome cover art our friend Nate Call put together for us.

I don't really know what else to say other than I'm in love with this set of tracks. This EP is easily the most personal set of music I've ever been involved with. I think I'll save the back stories for the songs I helped write for another time (and probably a post on the band website) but for now, please just go check it out. I would love to hear what you think.

Jake did post a few explainations for the songs on the Sweater Frends blog. Read it here.

Pictures

Sorry for kind of dropping of the face of the EARTH for awhile. And while in the Czech Republic none the less. It's probably a really good thing I probably saw everyone that reads this blog over the holidays so I'm sure no one was too concerned with my absence. I did get home from the Czech Republic...eventually. I'll explain that later. I really just wanted to share pictures with you.

On December 2nd, Dublin turned 1. In true Lundberg fashion, I made him a cake for his birthday. Because our dog just tends to eat things whole, I thought giving him a few cupcakes would work a bit better.

I'm pretty proud of my skills. The original plan was to make him a cake with the left over fondent in my freezer with Jen and Danielle. Because of the Czech trip, that craft day was cancelled so this is what he got instead.

Here he is in the obligatory milestone monkey picture. I seriously can't believe how big he's gotten. Everyone that see him tells me he's huge but he's still my little puppy that used to be able to curl up in a ball on my lap and now is lucky to get his head in my lap.

Here he is eating his cupcakes. For the entire week I was gone, Shad said he would go over to the table outside and sniffed it looking for more cupcakes. Silly dog.

Now on to my Czech Republic pictures.

This was a picture of the wall to the church in the town square. I thought it was cool they had all these little niches with statues all around the church.

The town square in Hradec Kralove where I stayed for the week. I wasn't kidding when I said it was dark there.

Some closer town square lovin'. I really like the Christmas tree in this picture.

Not so much in focus but it was raining and dark so I don't blame my camera for rebelling.

Now onto Prague. So the Friday of my trip I left work at noon and took a taxi back into Prague (about 2 hours) so I could spend my last night in Prague exploring before my plane left Saturday. Such an awesome decision!

This was in republic square. From what I could tell most of these buildings are government buildings or churches.

I loved that there were trams everywhere - not that I actually figured out how to ride the trams or trusted myself not to get lost on the trams but they were still cool to see.

The Old Town section of the city all decked out for Christmas.

Pretty bulidings from the bridge.

This is the street I stayed on in Hradec Kralove.

More pretty buildings. And just so you know, my camera died in the middle of me wandering around Prague so my Iphone got to fill in. That's why these pictures are less pretty.

More pretty Christmas decorations.

This is a tower that was at the end of the walking bridge to cross the river in Prague.

I think I'm going to hang this last picture in our house for Christmas time. Gotta love the powers of Picnik. I'll update on the other goings on of our house later. For now, just enjoy the pictures.