I have had a good day. Learned some lessons about the value of quiet, of taking information in. There are some things that do need to change. Spring is a great time for this kind of renewal and reassessment. I have been playing a lot of shows with my Bikini Kill tribute band, Rah! Rah! Replica. Last night we played one that was a benefit for the Girls Rock Camp in DC. There is a book about the camp that just came out, with a truly compelling forward by Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney. In it, she talks about how rare it is to see something totally new, totally brave, that knocks you off your feet. That is how you feel when you see young women perform music in front of a crowd of hundreds, particularly if they only just started playing an instrument that week. It is awe-inspiring.

I was also reminded yesterday that I possess the skills to navigate stressful situations and encounters. As soon as grad school is done, I want to focus more on playing my drums on a regular basis. Diane and I are going on a Trophy Wife tour in the fall (more information about that at trophywifetheband.blogspot.com - as well as a song). Shows have been good. It is a very connected feeling, playing music with her. I tried to write about it in my most recent column for Give Me Back.

Part of spring will involve cleaning out our house. A lot of possessions of past housemates take up space there, and I think that kind of energy is not always the best to be around. I had a great talk with Kevin last night about reorientation towards the world in a lot of ways. He is quite simply one of my wisest and most valued friends.

On Monday, I turn in the first draft of my Masters thesis. It is on Girls Rock Camps, and how they serve as a healthy youth development strategy for young women. I am drawing the connection between the camps and the impact that sports instruction has on the lives of young women, in terms of feeling able to inhabit one's body and also to collaborate and take up space with other young women. I am looking forward to wrapping this up.