Dear Milwaukee,

Yesterday was exhilerating on many fronts: two WAMI nominations, Muzzle of Bees, SXSW Showcase announcement, a revitalized "Covers" series, and one of those e-mails that makes you blink 4,000 times (cross your fingers, if it happens then I'll share!).

But on the other front I've been fighting off a nasty cold and have been resting indoors, venturing out only for food and shows. I'm in New York! Not the time to be sick! Mucinex delivers, was able to perform the show without nasty fluids leaking from my face (I secretly relish in talking about these base bodily functions, much like a pre-schooler). The most memorable part of the performance for me was the dirty word face-off between me and the audience, which shall not be repeated here, in this pristine white space.

I love New York because you meet so many amazing creative people. Case in point: last night I met a fantastically independent and motivated dancer, Mari Meade. It's hard to talk in bars, but I learned that she moved here with a fellowship and has a dance company.

Luckily her next performance will be during my stay in Brooklyn, looking forward to attending her show on March 6 at Site Fest in Bushwick neighborhood, an area that I've been hearing a lot about for being up-and-coming and being and area to where artists are moving. Judging from Mari's dance portrait, wearing an egg carton tutu, I have a feeling I'm going to be completely fanatic about the dance.

Also met a motion graphic designer by the name of Jonny Hamilton, who has worked for Thom Yorke before, was plenty nice to me and gave me the other half of his sandwich (thanks).

I met one of our kind at the show last night! She's been out East for 11 years, but religiously reads OnMilwaukee.com, discovered that I was playing in Brooklyn and represented! A pleasant surprise for a Brooklyn bar show, where I expected to know nobody.

Kudos and baskets of thanks to Matt Hendershot of Brooklyn band, Dead River Company, for putting the evening's lineup together. I sincerely enjoyed all of the bands, ESPECIALLY the chick drummer from Top Ten Lovers (she FELT it!!).

By the time the drugs wore off (Mucinex, people) I was back in the apartment. It's sort of like being a werewolf, or one of those comic book characters. The Mucinex Margaret vs. Mucous Margaret. Let's not make either of those a nickname... especially since from where I'm sitting, Saturday morning, things are looking up on the nasal front. Cheers! From my nose to yours!