I hope that everyone has had a wonderful time this week with family and thinking about this unbelievable historical event we call Christmas.

I can say for my own part that this really hasn’t felt like the Christmas season at all. Life is messed up. Second only to sleeping, I have spent more time in a hospital this past week than anywhere else, doing any other thing. My dad should be coming home today – doctors think.

Needless to say, I had grand plans for the week leading up to Christmas – all of the things I’d be able to accomplish with more time to work at the studio. Almost none of it happened, but that’s life. The last two days, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I’m going to get everything done this coming week that I need to.

I think the basic answer is just to take everything one day at a time and do what I have to do to make it work. Here are just the main things on my list:

• Scribble up a promotional plan for Fundamental, my new record, coming out on Jan. 25th
• Finish up my media contact list for promoting said album
• Put together my 2011 summer festivals contact list
• Record pre-production guitars and vocals for Restoration Project #2
• Write up the recording schedule for ResProj #2

All in all, I think we’re probably talking a good, clean 40 hours of work on these things – and I’m about 90% sure I won’t be putting that in before next Monday. Again, that’s life.

Now, just a quick word to put this all in perspective: I love my family and I love spending time with them. In some ways, I feel blessed to have been able to spend the time with them that I have. Life is a balance. We all always have to hold both ambition and responsibility with an even hand.

Off we go… happy Monday.