As the pictures suggest; I am back, and it was quite incredible on many different fronts.
For those of you who don't know, I went up to Caspar (a tad north of Mendocino) to "Old School" studios...owned and engineered by Calvin Turnbull. 
My band for the week was Dave Tweedie (drums/producer-man) and Nick Tost (bottom end). 
I'm calling this my introduction to the whole process because up until now, I haven't had a positive view on the 'recording process' (If you're asking why? I'm not going into it, because it don't matter).
Our days were from noon till 3am. 
I would wake up, start coffee and head out to the back porch, enjoy the view and envision the day ahead.  I would then step off the back deck and rip a few golf balls out over the field and over the trees in the distance...I was focused and ready to go.
This was not a project that was rehearsed for a month straight so we could just go in and bust each tune right away...although Dave and I had begun to get a feel for what my tunes needed (arrangement, parts, more tone, less..etc.) it was by no means charted out on a piece of graph paper...it was a discovery. 
And that was the only (and perfect) way to do it.
The studio was a heaven.  I've never felt so excited to create. 
Nick, Dave, and Calvin all had the most perfect connection, it was a joy to watch these guys realize that they were at the same shows, and knew the same people, and had similar stories of trouble and mischief as kids...what a trip (I don't think I've laughed so hard in a really really long time).

As I am now lost in the memories, I am also lost in my blog....

An update of where I stand now:
Dave and I have been meeting up once or twice a week, laying down some here some there.  Two more tunes will be recorded....along with more instrumentation on the existing tracks we cut up at Old School.
I haven't set a release date yet, and if I do I promise ya'll will be the first to know...

I can't wait to show this off to everyone
I can't wait to get started on my second attempt, I've already started writing it....

Hope all is well with you,
Pretty soon here you'll be able to hand me off to your friends, "check this out"

MJH