Ben Sures - Going to Bolivia - Black Dog Best in Show #12

NLFB Office Sessions: Ben Sures w/Rebecca Campbell

Any Precious Girl live Roots at Rusty's

I put my new wool sweater in the dryer and other mistakes I made in life

I was so careful to make sure I put none of her jeans or sweaters in the dryer as per her instruction. I have been not so careful most other times, in  a rush or impatient to sort through or choosing to play dumb, telling myself its brain fog, thats my excuse 'brain fog and  a sore back'. Of course even if I was good at lieing or lying (how the fuck do you spell liing?) to myself I am less good at lying to other people so even if I had remembered to make an excuse for once again ruining the laundry, she wouldn't have believed me anyhow.
This time however was different and its not so much that I really care about ruining the laundry, its that I care that in her eyes I am responsible, have my shit together so to speak. So this morning, feeling almost smug for not screwing anything up last night she bellows from the bedroom "you shouldn't have put your wool sweater in the dryer".
Now I have to keep it a secret from my mother, how I ruined the wool sweater she gave me for christmas, because I also want my mother thinking I am responsible and have my shit together.
So for the next few months of winter I will try to feel comfortable wearing the nice tight sweater my mom bought me for 'not christmas, sort of for your birthday'.

CBC Interviewer that makes me nuts!

have been trying to put my finger on what drives me so crazy with annoyance and frustration in regards to a certain interviewer on CBC Radio. I realized when the interviewer injects too much of themselves into the questioning, it creates little invisible walls around the person being interviewed and the answers end up initially interesting and then move in mundane circles. I'm trying to be diplomatic, but this 'certain interviewer' attaches validation, mortality, and a lot of superficial crap to each interview with really amazing people, and I end enjoying them less and fixating on what is driving me nuts about the interview. No matter how they try , even though said interviewer comes across like they are listening, if you really listen you can tell they aren't catching the meat the subject is serving up.AAAAAugh!!! vented and no names named!

Summer

Summer is fast approaching and I am looking forward to some festivals and campfires.I bought a 1943 Epiphone mandolin while on tour a few weeks ago and I really like it and hope to be chord savvy by the end of summer just in time for my trip to the UK and the Middle East. I have a tour of England,Ireland Scotland and Beirut, ha ha.
My sister and her husband live in Beirut so I am going to do a gig, visit my new and only niece and eat some damn good pita I bet.
my summer festivals are listed and I am hoping to add some in between shows as well.If ou have a yard I will sing in it!
xo
Ben Sures
ps.I have an app at the appstore its free, you can get updates on gigs and stream some of teh new songs.

Soul Soup, the good and the bad and the dissappointing

I love good food. I ran into my friend Andrea Huncar from the CBC who was on her way to Soul Soup a little place on Rice Howard Way in Edmonton.I had a great bowl of soup, some cornbread and a glass of water.
The soup I had was really good, some kind of zingy meaty stew thing.I decided to go back the following week.I ordered a 16 oz soup to stay and a glass of water.The semi friendly counter girl said "we don't have glasses." but invited me to buy a bottle of water. I have never been refused water in a restaurant and if there is the option of tap water, which is just as good or better than bottled water, not to mention the plastic.
So I said I would just have the soup, received my change and the smug look from the counter person and took my seat. When I looked around I realized two of the four people in the place had take out paper bags, paper bowls, lids, plastic spoons etc. I don't know if people prefer eating out of plastic, aren't aware of the 'little things' we can do for the environment or maybe the policy of Soul Soup or maybe just the counter girl is to avoid uaing anything that might have to be washed at all costs.
Its my pet peeve when restaurants only offer to go packaging and its also my pet peeve when people eat in on take out containers.
I am no saint, I use paper cups sometimes, I eat in food courts once in a while but this kind of stuff bugs me when there is a choice, and the place is called Soul Soup.
I posted a note about this on my facebook page and a bunch of people have already decided to stop going there, I don't think this is the answer, I think finding a constructive way to get them to change their policy and/or mindset about take out materials would be more useful.
I am starting to think that restaurants should have to pay outrageously high prices for take out containers, but I would prefer it, if they just made an effort.

The thing that really pisses me off though, is the counter girl looking at me with such disdain because I don't want to buy a bottle of water and the fact that I am the odd man out in the place not eating off of take out containers.