From Brett:
There is always something going on between the Botanical and/or Faust or other local parks and such. Jeff Beck was a great concert too! I’m anxiously awaiting my Jeff Beck Blueray that should show up any moment.

If you like high energy, Richard Elliot is fantastic on the sax, however he’ll be at the venue from hell (The Padgett – nice looking but bad acoustics). I really wish St. Louis and the stations would use some other venues. I’m sure it’s all who you know. Oh well… =)

http://stljazznotes.blogspot.com/2010/07/stljn-saturday-video-showcase-rnr-with.html

For the first time we caught Jonathan Butler at the Bottle Neck Blues Bar a while back and I’d love to see this guy again! He’s back:

http://stljazznotes.blogspot.com/2010/07/jonathan-butler-to-play-friday.html

If the schedule permits, I’m there. I sure wish I knew what Bronze, Gold and VIP were, etc… Not very clear on metrotix.
(Note from Sonia: I loved seeing Jonathan Butler live! He’s awesome!!!)

The Kettle Moraine Jazz Festival in Milwaukee looks like it’ll be a good one if you don’t mind a flight or hopping in the car for a bit:

http://kmjazz.com/enter.htm

We’ve done this in the past with our buddy, Dan, who’s also awesome on the keys. It was pretty neat. The cooler weather helps a bit too! =)

Just an FYI. Enjoy the music and let us know if you know of any great concerts.

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As you’ve read here on BrettandSonia.com, I recently finished writing a 120 page book. In December, I started brainstorming ideas for my 90+ page culminating project for my Masters in Fine Art in Writing (MFA). Originally, I waffled between fiction and non-fiction. I spent hours thinking of ideas, writing outlines, and then ultimately ditching everything.

Finally, I gave up on writing something deep and meaningful… and decided to write something that was fun instead. Let’s face it: we all need more fun in our lives.

I have always loved murder mysteries, so I decided to take the plunge and attempt to write a novel. It was an interesting exploration quite different from journalism; a cadence between cranking out new scenes on my iPhone and editing on my laptop. I also found I couldn’t get more than two scenes ahead of myself in the book without losing my way; so long, careful outlines just didn’t work.

For the longest time, I didn’t know who was the murderer myself, and I thought this was good because then my writing wouldn’t become to predictable. I tried to walk along side the main character and learn about things when she did.

As I’m a reader who has always enjoyed walking along a library shelf and picking out a book based on its cover, I was thrilled when Brett designed me this awesome cover. I am planning on returning to editing soon once I get more feedback from my first round of friendly reviewers (friends and family). Then, Brett and I may see if we can get it published in Apple’s iBookstore.

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This is the first time that we didn’t spend hours at the Apple store waiting for Brett to get his new iPhone. Instead the iPhone 4 came in the mail a day early! It is slightly thinner and has a beautiful high quality display… so much so that 78% of the iPad’s pixels will fit on the iPhone 4.

I’m adding some photos for you check it out. Also, if you have an iPhone 4, let us know. Brett hasn’t had a chance to try out the new Video call feature yet.

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If you’ve ever ran your own business or applied for a job, you’ll relate to this funny video. We deal with it every day!

My favorite line: “No… I want the haircut and the highlights, but I only want to pay for the haircut…”

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The months have flown by… Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve updated BrettandSonia.com! I’ve been busy working on my final project to finish my Master’s in writing at Lindenwood. (Over 60 pages and still in progress!)

I’m writing now on our new iPad so hopefully this will help me keep all of my websites and blogs up to date. What do I think of the iPad? I think it’s beautiful and fun to use. I look forward to giving it a workout.

Speaking of workouts, Brett and I have been exercising a few times a week since the new year, and it’s starting to pay off. We’re feeling good and looking better too.

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