A reading Sunday.

We've had a quiet day, the plants and I. They took a long shower outside and I read a lot inside. I should say that both were welcome and productive in their own relaxed ways, though I didn't talk to the plants for long.

Last night, Moses and I played at the new Portsmouth location of the Loaf and Ladle (the original is in Exeter) to a typically sparse audience. Most of the people were friends of ours but I think we got a pair to come in off the street; I didn't get a reliable account of whether anyone knew them or not. Our duty is basically to help get the live music scene at the L & L, which started only last week and has featured only Moses and Friends in various manifestations, on its feet. Moses and anyone else he gets to show up will play on Tuesday evenings and we'll get food and drink in exchange for being a musical presence. I think that is a fair trade for the time being.

After I read for a while today, I got up the motivation to put together an Excel spreadsheet budget whose purpose was to be more detailed (and adjustable) than the pieces of paper I have sitting around here somewhere. With the numbers I put together, which are on the stingy side of honest (aside from having alloted zero dollars for going-out/fun money), I am in the red but just barely so. I did, however, find that I have enough in savings at this point to pay a year's worth of rent so I feel better. Otherwise, I hope I can bring in at least some meals during the school year by playing music. Of course, I will only ease my future financial burden by taking on the current psychological burden of working a bit at Friday's this summer. I have to admit that it makes it slightly easier to do so knowing both that they are willing to be flexible about it and that I have been honest with them about not working during the semester.

Kristin and I are going to take a walk around damp Dover.