Cat Jahnke Mews

12/11/07 – The Old Fire Hall, Rossland, BC

We were stopped by some police officers today as we drove through a small town. Lucky for them there was a four-way stop controlling the hectic streets, and this is where they set up shop. Now Darren and I are both remarkably “lame”; we have no vices to sparkle up our arresting allure. And the only time Darren’s had a run-in with the law, even the cop handing over the speeding ticket told him to contest it!

I have NEVER been pulled over. Technically we weren’t even pulled over; our departure from the stop sign was merely delayed by a few seconds. In any case, it was quite an adventure for me, especially since I (the non-driver) was the one addressed. “What are you doing?” he asked me. Apparently it’s very curious for a passenger to be typing on a laptop. If it was a ploy, asking a trivial question to elicit any kind of mouth-opening response in order to assess sobriety, why wouldn’t he direct it to the one in charge of operating the machinery?

I’m just surprised they weren’t pissed that our gear nearly blocked out our panoramic view of the road.

And as if I needed more excitement, we discovered the merits of winter tires on a very slippery hill this afternoon. Who would have thought it wasn’t a great idea to traipse halfway around Canada for the fifth time in a year on the same set of tires… During the winter… Enjie put up a good fight but I’m sure it was only a slight nudge from our Lord God above that prevented us from snowballing back down that hill. I think we were going .5km/hr when we crested the rise; that was slow enough to allow time to contemplate what the best course of action would be, but not enough time to implement it.

The struggle against the elements was well worth the evening I found waiting for me at The Old Fire Hall, though. It was great food, great people and a great atmosphere. It was a good safe environment to be in when I said goodbye to my pioneer handbag. The experience was bittersweet. I know she went on to a good home but you never forget your first…

12/9/07 – Mocha Cabana, Lethbridge, AB

I love it when I see huge groups of friends in the crowd. Well, I love it, and I’m nearly blind with jealousy simultaneously. What lucky ducks these folks are who have more friends than Friends!

Tonight one of these troops became my Lethbridge posse but we’ve yet to develop a gang sign. Although I’ve played piano for most of my life, it seems I’m not that versed in urban hand manipulation. Please send suggestions! All I’ve come up with so far is an ‘L’ (for Lethbridge) with thumb and index finger, held proudly to one’s forehead, but I have a feeling that one’s already taken.

How’s this for hard-core?

My new friends called me “cutie” and “sweetie” and I felt like I was one of the crowd. After some Sherlocking (care of your favorite stalker zone and mine: Facebook) I find out that I am almost a decade older than them. I’m blessed with a baby face and an elf-body and am consistently in a state of disguised adulthood. I relate to that creepy little girl in Interview With The Vampire, but I’m pretty sure I drink less blood than she does.

Apparently she and I DO share a conviction of our immortal status. Click the image below to see me tempt fate (and squeal for two straight minutes).

12/8/07 – Gitter’s Pub, High River, AB

Sometimes adventures can be fun. Sometimes adventures can define a day that had had other objectives. Our gear was incarcerated beyond our reach and we spent an afternoon fishing for keys. Thank goodness for small towns! While the familiarity can breed acute boldness, it also means one can walk in to a gas station and ask for “Beth from Irricana” and walk out of it with the number of her best friend’s brother’s best friend’s sister’s cell phone.

12/7/07 – Full Of Beans, Irricana, AB

I always expect a ruckus when I hit Full Of Beans in Irricana. There’s something about the intimacy of a small town that dissolves the inhibitions of the inhabitants. But when you’re told that a seasonal sing-along is more rowdy than “Stripper Night”, it’s time to re-evaluate who is the sheep and who is the shepherd.

Granted they weren’t standing on their chairs, craning their necks to see me pick up various objects with various body parts, but I’ve never heard Christmas carols sound more like drinking songs. They were pounding the table in solidarity with the little drummer boy (pa rum pum pum pum – “rum” being the operative syllable), they were criticizing the opposite side of the room for not singing “Silent Night” with as much gusto, they were bringing out their washtub basses (complete with hockey stick neck) to accompany me.

Click the image above to witness my own attempts at wielding the tub to the tune
of my previously a capella arrangement of “Hush, My Dear, Lie Still And Slumber”.

Click the image above to hear un-spoiled
samples of the Christmas album.

12/6/07 – Saskatoon, Wildwood Mennonite Church

I’ve got my dentist in Toronto. I’ve got my aesthetician north of Saskatoon. I’ve got my car dealership in Lethbridge. Now all I need is a gynecologist somewhere in the Yukon and I’m set!

This sign was near the salon in Warman where I go to be pampered
(if having hair ripped out of your eyebrow area can be considered luxurious).
“Warm Up With Chili Flavoured Cappuccino”?? If you say so…

It’s SOOOO good to spend time with family. I can’t even begin to describe the thirst I had for seeing my kin, and the resulting misery at realizing that the craving could not be slaked by visits crammed in to the tiny scraps of time I had between shows. I managed to leave the city and carry on with the tour ONLY because I know I will be returning for a proper visit after the holidays.

Hug someone you love today!

Speaking of someone I love, Cam Fuller at the Saskatoon Star Phoenix is a jewel. Never in the history of news reporting has there been a better headline than: “Jahnke Avoids Schmaltz..”

Click the image to read the full article.

The show tonight was rejuvenating. I am thankful every day for Darren’s geekiness, for without it I would not have had the capabilities to present my new Christmas album with backing vocals. It was a nice way to debut O Night Divine and I was very glad that so many of my closest peeps were in the audience to witness it. I am a big fan of the holiday season and apparently I turn into a little bit of a suck when I start thinking of the big picture.

We even had the chance to show a couple films that we scored recently. One of these films, Ctrl Z, is actually up for an award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008. For more info about the film visit: http://ctrlzmovie.com/index.htm . You can watch and rate the five finalist films at http://www.delta.com/flyinmovies . The filmmaker with the highest average rating wins an amazing prize package to be presented at the festival– so please spread the word. We love our director friend and would love to see him honored as he deserves to be.

Thanks so much to Pauline at Wildwood Mennonite Church for helping make everything happen tonight. And thanks especially to my mom and sister for filling in the blanks and making sure it all ran smoothly. XOXO

12/5/07 – Prince Albert, Turk’s Coffee House

One more time we hit the road before hitting the hay. No one had better accuse me of being a lazy musician. Lazy implies lolling about, and I surely have no spare time for such frivolities!

I have no time even to sweep a patch of floor! I apologize publicly to our darling house-sitter for leaving the digs in such disarray. It was a whirl-wind of “home time” during the week and a half we were able to spend there. We were baking, we were trimming the tree, we were putting the finishing touches on some hand-made Cat Jahnke merchandise. All fun; all disruptive to the neatness.

Here are some photos of the aforementioned Cat brand schwag.

1. Reversible Messenger Bag
2. Croc Toque – front & back

Have I already discussed the love I’ve developed for my new-used sewing machine? Be not afraid: there will be many such tributes. And for anyone sharing my fondness for DIY, make sure to check out http://www.threadbanger.com. They’re the best!

Thanks to everyone who came out to Turk’s tonight. It was great to see so many friendly faces!

TITLE EXPLANATION: A lovely chap manning a gas bar in the middle of nowhere obviously intended to ask if I was playing a “gig” tonight.

Click HERE to read an article from the Prince Albert Herald.