Jack White has a new ba- BLAM! (head exploded)

Jack White of White Stripes and Raconteurs fame now has a third band called The Dead Weather. They've actually been up and running for a while but their album was released this week so here ya go. Enjoy "Hang You Up From The Heavens."



I am so jealous of Allison Mosshart the lead singer. She's from The Kills. (Look! She has that rockstar coat I wanted last winter!

Jack White is probably my absolute favorite musician. He has very broad taste (word is he's working on an album of Hank Williams music with T-bone Burnett). He is uber talented and follows his creativity wherever it takes him. Working with him must be a dream, but mostly I'm jealous because she gets to be in a band and here's why:

*You get to wear strange clothes yet still be considered "cool"

*You get to collab with other artists

*You get to hang out with a bunch of oddball dudes who treat you like their sister and don't want/expect anything else from you (this is my fantasy, don't wreck it)

*Rocking-out is part of your job

OK. That's enough drooling over rock bands for one post. I know most of you guys aren't big headbangers anyway. (Sighs.)

In other SueNews:

Novel three, which was a sequel to novel two-- the one I'm trying to get published right now- has been temporarily shelved. I'm practically done with it, but have so many changes in mind for the revision it'll be largely rewritten.

This seems to be a pattern with me. I used to hear how it takes most authors a year to write a book and I'd be like, "Why? -- I write pretty fast." Yeah, but I seem to need to write about three times as much as winds-up in the finished product.

Anyway, I started rewriting my first novel and can't stop thinking about that so have to get it out of my system. First novels always suck and mine is no exception, but the story is good, so I'm starting from scratch. I've learned so much about story structure etc in the last five years and my writing is way much better-- er... betterer? -- whatever. (yes, that's a joke) Anyway, I know I can write a better novel this time around.

Artwise I'm working on individual garden gates made out of old screens, and have ideas for a bunch of smaller wall pieces. Also I'm thinking about how to take my sculptures of women to the next level-- better faces completely covered with steel as opposed to the wire covered framework. Ideas are rolling around, even though the market is pretty dang discouraging right now.

Fortunately I can distract myself with MOUNTAIN BIKING!
That's right you lucky people, it's another mountain biking update!

Last week I went on a ride with both Trusty Pam AND Dan and those guys both had incidents. TPam went semi over the bars twice into rocks, the second time doing this to her leg.



Believe it or not, it looked worse the next time I saw her and all the bruises came up. Dan winged a tree and has a scrape on his arm, and caught a stump with his toe (the same one I did once). When the bike stops fast, you don't. Nuff' said. I of course was completely unscathed. I guess I ride more cautiously. I'm getting faster, but only because I'm now comfortable zooming through sections I've slow poked through numerous times. I need to feel how my weight shifts and find my favorite line etc before I start speeding up.

My goal with riding is to #1 have fun, #2 not get hurt, and #3- be still riding trails when I'm in my 80's and 90's. We'll see. I'd love it if people have to eventually stop and rub their eyes when I zoom by-- "Was that an actual old lady?"

Yesterday I got as close to the experience I'm jealous of all the guy riders for as I ever have. When T Pam and I arrived at the trail there was a lone girl in the lot assembling her bike. I cruised right on over to say "Hi" and "Go chick riders". She was actually about our age, waiting for her hubs to show up, and we rode together for a while. It was so fun feeling like a little tribe caravaning through the woods. I really am jealous of the guys, how they automatically get the hang factor.

I really feel like a kid over there. There's something magic about flying over the little humps of dirt on the trail, even with my "Driving Miss Daisy" style of riding. I've gone from being terrified of certain features, like the swoopy bowl, to riding them, to riding them without brakes, to trying to turn sharper and push the front end down into the descents. The giant banked curve which was the sight of my first ever wipe-out took me a while to get up the guts to ride, but now I zoom down hooting and whooping dorkily every time. There is even one spot I can get air if i want without having to master the whole wheelie/timing thing.

The trail we ride is the best in the metro (if not the state). Yeah I said it. Here's CoolTrailBossRich talking about it and showing off some of his suprstar skillz.



That segment of trail shown is an advanced feature I of course never have ridden (and maybe never will). He and the Hillsiders don't follow the official rulebook of trail building (yeah, there really is one I guess) and go off the reservation building more radical jumps than usually allowed and running sections straight down hills that get washed out and gnarly-- more fun to them.

Gee- is it any wonder I'm so drawn to this with a rogue trail and a bunch of rule breakers running the place right in my backyard?

Tonight me and Dan are hitting it again. I'm SO glad Dan is into this too. He approaches everything he does like he's an indestructible fifteen year old kid. (He runs up and down ladders like they're stairs, facing out on the way down, even carrying stuff.) I'm a little worried he'll get broken some way, he is past his warranty, but he's having so much fun. Hopefully he'll stay in one piece. (Crosses fingers) At least I have a couple people now to zoom around with.

Well, this was super long. If you're still reading-- way to hang in there. Look for pics Mon from a floatilla party we're having on the river tomorrow which I will be attending as the fabulous and mysterious Madame Soucie. Hopefully people will get nutty. Have a good weekend. Remember to spread those vibes of awesomeness-- have fun!

EDIT TO ADD:
Dan drove me nuts tonight trying to be a superstar on his third ride EVER, riding the teeter totter, expert loop even though one jump was enough to mellow him out a little there, and going over his bars trying to ride some curved ramp deal. This put me in worrying about him mode instead of just riding and having fun mode, plus the trail lords decided to toughen up a section I had just mastered making it an automatic walk for me. (This is just part of it- riding over there. They want it to be super challenging even for elite riders. I was just already pretty crabby by then.)

Not a good date ride, but, at least after we hashed it out. I go over there to feel like a kid, not a mom. Dan's agreed to reign in the stunt show a little until he learns what he's doing at least, and I'll have to just learn to quit projecting horrific possible injuries on him and relax a little.