The weekend Thread [Archive] - Page 2 - Guitar Discussion Forum

Brian Krashpad

August 24th, 2009, 06:38 AM

Had a long church band practice Saturday, 90 minutes for 5 songs for service, then a short break and a couple hours for a special welcome back for the college kids in a couple weeks, the latter is originals by my band director, so I guess that makes another band I'm in. It's me on bass, a drummer, and the band director on keys or guitar, and vocals. VERY different than anything I've ever played before, and challenging as a bassist. His songs are much more complex, especially rhythmically and time-signature-wise. He wants to play clubs sometime eventually.

The service Sunday morning went very well, I thought. We did an amped-up version of the ol' campfire/VBS song "They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love." It ended with an 8-bar electric guitar rock solo on my Rickenbacker. Everybody who said anything to us directly said it was good, including even a member of the handbell choir (!). We'll see if the higher-ups got any complaints from elsewhere though. There are a lot of old cranky people there who are eventually going to have to figure out they need to go to the early service if the notion of a rock guitar, or drums and bass, in church is a problem for them. The new vicar said we surprised him with the ending but also that he liked it. There were a lot of college kids there (UF starts today), so I'm glad we did some rocking songs.

We're crammed into a space that's not really meant for a band, and play through a PA (well, I keep my guitar out of the PA actually) not meant to handle anything but sermons, but we're tweaking weekly and it's really starting to come together. I bought a little Fender Super Champ XD (small combo amp with a 10" speaker) that I use as my stage monitor, and then line that out into my PA head I use with my 1x15" bass cab (this is in front of me and pointed away from me, so I can't really here without a monitor).

As usual, I played one song on mandolin. Still kinda freaks me out that I'm teaching myself mando in front of 200-300 people each week, haha. The mando goes straight to the PA head (different channel than the line out from the Champ) so that I can switch instruments with no unplugging. Also since the mando is acoustic-electric I don't need a monitor like I do with my guitars.

Did some back-to-school shopping after church Sunday, got lunch boxes, a bike lock (Jack is going to ride to his bus stop), and I fixed the chain on Jack's bike, which he had gotten more boogered up than I have ever seen a bike chain. Did some laundry, but am behind on the folding. Put the vanity in the master bath and shimmed it, but haven't secured it to the wall yet. Will be glad when the master bath renovation is done.

Getting closer.

What about y'all?

Robert

August 24th, 2009, 07:55 AM

Our family was volunteering Sat and Sun at a triathlon race. When it was over, I ran back home - which meant Forty Thousand Meters before I was home. Or 25 miles, if you prefer. :)

Brian Krashpad

August 24th, 2009, 08:05 AM

Dude, there are these things called cars...

:D

Spudman

August 24th, 2009, 10:03 AM

I spent the weekend with Anam Thubten
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anam-Thubten-Rinpoche/82249680204?_fb_noscript=1

Brian Krashpad

August 24th, 2009, 10:22 AM

I spent the weekend with Anam Thubten
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anam-Thubten-Rinpoche/82249680204?_fb_noscript=1

He was expounding on Buddhist religion/philosophy in a Catholic church?

Spudman

August 24th, 2009, 10:50 AM

He was expounding on Buddhist religion/philosophy in a Catholic church?

The church is now multi denominational. The retreat was held at a local hotel.

Brian Krashpad

August 24th, 2009, 11:09 AM

The church is now multi denominational. The retreat was held at a local hotel.

Ah, that makes more sense. Having a Buddhist speaker at Our Lady of the Snows looked a little... incongruent, if you take my meaning.

sunvalleylaw

August 30th, 2009, 08:14 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by sunvalleylaw
Also, although it is not a gig, I may sit in this Saturday on a few songs with a friend's garage band like I did last year at their Dipperstock (Dipper Road is where the party is located) in honor of the closing summer and the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Should be fun! There will be a keg and music there too.

This weekend we worked on the house trying to get into our exterior painting. Unfortunately, weather prevented spraying, but we did a good job of some priming of trim and caulking that was needed, and likely would have been overlooked had we been able to leap into spraying.

Saturday night was "Dipperstock", as mentioned in the post above from the Heavy Metal Kegger thread. Yep, a keg of microbrew at a party with a live band! :beer: :rockon:

The additional good news was I got to play out with my Hagstrom for the first time. I brought both, but the Hagstrom fit the garage bandish sound that was going on. The band was much more confident and tight than last year. I had not played with them, and did not even have a song list, so I was on my own to pick up on what was going on. I held back and played quietly, trying to key on the others and just keep up mostly. But on a couple songs, I knew what was going on and dug right in. DVM's Rabid Rodent, along with the Hagstrom, sounded great live on some Stones tunes and some Neil Young, etc. EDIT: The combination, which I was using with both pickups on, neck turned down a bit, gave a super nice throaty snarl that was so so fun. I was on the red LED setting, with filter neutral, distortion at about 10 and volume straight up. I was quite pleased with how the pedal worked in a band setting with a loud drummer. One of the other players has a Fender Blues Jr. and a nice American Stat, and my chords blended in and and provided some nice background for him to rip it up against. The Hagstrom sounded great and mixed in with the band nicely with no effects as well. Very fun guitar to play out. Will not replace my strat, but since there was already an overdriven strat in the band, it was nice to have an alternative. END EDIT. Bottom line, had a great time, and I love my gear, and hope to play out more.

Also, live music and keggers are good things!

Today was more housework. Raked the big rocks from construction digging out of the area. Ouch, blisters on my fretting hand! And then mowed. Did not get to paint again due to thunderstorms. But got my MIL more settled in her new quarters in our house, and got her tv and cable hooked up.
I did try for a MTB ride between storms and got caught out in one. Got pelted by big sleet, and set my bike down and got down low as the storm passed over. :thwap: Cold and wet ride home, but fortunately, not electrifried.
Oh, also, Mark Wein's "Foundations for Guitar" showed up in yesterday's mail. Cool! I can't wait to get started. :D

deeaa

August 30th, 2009, 10:20 PM

Them beer kegs are nice...how big are they? We have 5-litre kegs but they are not very popular around here for some reason. We've destroyed a few of those with the father-in-law when barbequing, but never brought one to a party.

Maybe one reason is because people in parties are very much into safeguarding their own drinks...everybody wants to make sure nobody else drinks his beers, and everyone always feels like they brought too little to drink after all, no matter how much they have. Very often people make sure everybody buys a slightly different brand so they know their own. One 5-litre keg could be just about enough for each person, but then there's a problem of refridgeration etc. and there are just a few brands sold in kegs.

Being vigilant over one's booze helps with knowing how much you've drunk though. You will know if you are able to drive a car legally by 3 p.m. or 6 p.m. the next day if you know how much you've consumed. The limit here is 0,5 promille blood alcohol so it sometimes takes well into the next night till you're under the limit, if you're up to around 3.0 or so after midnight. Next saturday I'm going to this sauna/pool party, am already pondering what to take for drinks. I'm thinking three sixpacks of beer will last me the evening OK, counting on that somebody else is offering a few sharper schnapses this time. :beer:

sunvalleylaw

August 30th, 2009, 10:46 PM

A standard US keg is 15.5 US gallons, or 58.67 liters, or 103.25 Imperial pints. ;-) The neighborhood party was just down the road a bit, so I was walking, and most folks walked or rode their bikes. A very bike friendly community here.

deeaa

August 30th, 2009, 11:13 PM

60 liters, whoa! That'd be perfect for a 2-day party with the band guys. Exactly 18 beers each per night, just perfect!

I suppose that's sort of what they use in bars as well.

Brian Krashpad

August 31st, 2009, 06:24 AM

3.0!

Crazy Finns! :master:

Low-key weekend for me. Friday night I went to dinner at our fave local Mexican Restaurant with la familia. After dinner I and the kids went to the video store and got a season of "My Name Is Earl" and "The Spirirt." I wanted to like the Spirit but kept falling asleep. Fort some reason it just never engaged me. Maybe I'll try again before returning it.

Saturday I got up early and went in to practice at church. We only had 3 songs in the service. The "slow" song was too difficult to play on mandolin, so I played the electric 12 string on it. On the other 2 songs I played my '52 RI Tele. Did an outro lead on one and a very short instrumental break on the other.

After getting home I basically folded laundry all day, and did some picking up and putting away of the dishes.

Sunday morning I went and played in church, first a run-through at 10:30 or so and then the service at 11. After church we had a meeting about the youth band we're making. It will play at youth-sponsored Gator football parking (we're a few blocks from "the Swamp") and other youth events. It'll have a high-school age guitarist, drummer and bassist, with my daughter on bass. I and the pianist from the praise band will sit in with them. The other guitarist and drummer already play with the adult praise band, but this'll be Hannah Beth's first real public performances on bass (although she did play a couple songs with me at a party earlier this year).

After that planning meeting, I broke out the bass and had a practice with yet a third church-related band. This is a trio with the praise band leader on piano or guitar, me on bass, and the praise/youth band drummer. The material is originals by the praise band director. Sort of like Ben Folds Five with a more spiritual bent. Very different from anything I've ever played before, might make a bassist out of me yet. The band is called "Pedagogy," which frankly isn't my fave pick for a band name, but it's what the leader was already using so no big whoop.

On the way home we had to stop by my office to get my CD boombox so my wife could use it in her English classes, since the one she kept locked in a file cabinet over the summer at one of her classrooms (she doesn't teach in a school, but on the UF campus at married housing where many of the foreign students live) went missing. Also let my daughter poke around in the recycled clothing store around the corner from my office, but she said most of the stuff was hideous. Oh well.

Finally got back around 4 p.m. Watched the end of a Liga Mexicana football match, had some dinner, and then some of the Chicago-Denver pre-season football game, but didn't see the end.

deeaa

August 31st, 2009, 06:39 AM

Ah I am also an English teacher. At a vocational college...cooks, waiters, hotel personnel etc.

Brian Krashpad

August 31st, 2009, 06:59 AM

Ah I am also an English teacher. At a vocational college...cooks, waiters, hotel personnel etc.

In my wife's case, her students are mostly the spouses and other adult family members (such as parents) of foreign visiting college students enrolled at the University of Florida. It is a very large school (50,000 students). Also, she gets a few farm worker migrant type and other "illegal alien" stereotype (US stereotype anyhow) folks. So most of her classes are made up of Asians, and Latin or Central Americans (the latter group is mostly UF student-related rather than migrant-related). A small smattering of Eastern Europeans and those from the Middle East or Mediterannean.

Are your students mainly Finns?

deeaa

August 31st, 2009, 07:48 AM

Ah, that is a HUGE school. We have something like 6-700 in our unit, something like 8000 in the whole system which includes vocational colleges in several towns nearby.

My students are mainly straight from grade school, i.e. 16-17-year-olds up to twenties, but there's also a large number of adult students changing careers or just on some update courses. Almost 100% Finnish, with varying levels of English skills ranging from near zero to quite passable. A few Russians, occasional exchange student but pretty homogenous when it comes to backgrounds. It's not like there's a lot of foreigners here in the first place :-) most foreigners are teachers, scientists or other people who've come here for assignment and found they liked it and stayed or still on their assignments...or spouses who've moved here along with hubby/wife. One woman from the U.S. writes a humorous column in the local paper as well in English, going over those 'minor' differences in cultures etc.

marnold

August 31st, 2009, 08:31 AM

I actually did something this weekend (apart from my normal activities, don'tcha know). My congregation and the other WELS ones in the county had a booth at the County Fair. It was upper 50s and drizzling on Saturday when it was our turn to staff it. It felt very strange wearing a sweatshirt in August. After church on Sunday I drove down to Green Bay for my fantasy football draft. I'm thinking of renaming my team "The League of Super Evil" because I drafted guys like TO and Ochocinco. My team's name otherwise is the "Fightin' Wombats." When I play fantasy hockey my team is the "Ice Chiggers."

I'm also awaiting a package from Metal Method. My son and I went in on the 2007 revision of the course. The reason for getting the newer version is because this one starts assuming you know nothing, whereas the 1992 version started out pretty quickly. Also, over the course of Stages 3, 4, and 5 you learn parts of a solo that you should be able to play in toto by the end of that Stage. It makes it much easier to gauge progress. Stage 5 also gets into harmony soloing, something that really wasn't touched on in the older version. They also re-released the original 1983 cassette version on CD. I bought that for nostalgia but also because it teaches some Rhoads and Van Halen stuff I'd really like to learn.

Spudman

August 31st, 2009, 01:41 PM

I went to another wedding and ate a lot of fabulous food. I also got a gig out of it playing with the Miller Sisters (http://www.millersisters.net/)when they come to Pocatello.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/BoysRanch003.jpg

Brian Krashpad

August 31st, 2009, 01:54 PM

Jeez that's a big-*ss tent. :eek:

You knows some rich folks.

Spudman

August 31st, 2009, 02:17 PM

Jeez that's a big-*ss tent. :eek:

You knows some rich folks.

More importantly...they know us.;)

Now this is a BIG tent.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Jackson/WineAuction008.jpg

pes_laul

August 31st, 2009, 02:19 PM

Last weekend I helped my brother move into college. I really miss him (not so much him but his XBOX and GTA 4)

Brian Krashpad

August 31st, 2009, 06:05 PM

Last weekend I helped my brother move into college. I really miss him (not so much him but his XBOX and GTA 4)

Haha, well said PL. :rotflmao:

Don't be a stranger to this thread, we kick around our weekends every week.

marnold

September 1st, 2009, 09:55 AM

Now this is a BIG tent.
I think that's more of a "compound."

bigoldron

September 1st, 2009, 09:18 PM

Friday night was wind-down night. Got up Saturday and FINALLY got my grass cut. Ran the weedeater and remembered why I hate them. (2 reasons - string is a pain and shouldn't wear shorts).

That afternoon, we took our youth over to Bainbridge to a Christian rock concert. We had a pretty good time. Supposed to have been 3 bands, but one was sick, so they fed us and we listened to 2 pretty good bands. The first one was a metal band, which really isn't my style, but they did pretty good. The second was better to me. They actually had a 70's classic rock sound. Wrote their own music that included GUITAR SOLOS. Gosh, forgot how good that was. Anyway, we all had a good time.

Sunday was a good day. We had 4 people baptized and our praise band played for the adult choir (1st time) - got lots of compliments. Had 5th Sunday lunch and youth committee meeting. Then had community wide 5th Sunday Service at our church. Really good crowd. We played the congregational songs, one song w/just the praise band, replayed the song we played with the choir and sang one with cd track. Had food and fellowship afterwards. Overall, a pretty good weekend.

bigoldron

September 1st, 2009, 09:18 PM

Hey Robert! How about making this thread a "sticky" one?

sunvalleylaw

September 1st, 2009, 09:25 PM

Done. I use this thread a lot and very much enjoy it. Very water cooler-esque to hang with my fret buddies and discuss the weekend. :)

bigoldron

September 1st, 2009, 10:53 PM

Thanks, SVL!

Brian Krashpad

September 2nd, 2009, 04:35 AM

Woo-hoo, stickyville, population: us!

Thanks Ronnie Beth and Robert.

Ron, sounds like you are busier than ever with church/youth. Me too!

bigoldron

September 3rd, 2009, 08:54 PM

Woo-hoo, stickyville, population: us!

Thanks Ronnie Beth and Robert.

Ron, sounds like you are busier than ever with church/youth. Me too!

You're welcome, My Gator-loving Friend! Yep, been real busy between church and getting Carabeth in college. She's coming home Friday afternoon for the first time. It's a 3 hour drive, with the first hour on I-75, so we're a little nervous about that, especially with it being Labor Day Weekend.

The really good part is that we have nothing going on this weekend, other than the football game Friday night and church Sunday morning. We'll get to spend some quality time with our girls and I will (hopefully) get a chance to catch my breath and relax a little. :AOK:

Spudman

September 6th, 2009, 07:55 PM

This is where we did the pre wedding party on Friday evening. It was bonfire by the river style. The location is back in the trees next to the river.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/Sept5006.jpg

The wedding site is at the house in the lower part of the photo. I know, you guys are probably saying "why would anyone have a wedding there?" I was thinking the same thing too until I tasted the wine. The brother of the bride is in the business.:beer:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/Sept5014.jpg

Kodiak3D

September 6th, 2009, 08:14 PM

Why would anyone have a wedding there? Because it's BEUATIFUL there!

Breathtaking pics. I'd be very cozy out there.

sunvalleylaw

September 7th, 2009, 09:53 PM

Phew!! I basically painted all weekend. We have been trying to get our house painted, and the weather and various circumstances had not cooperated. So despite weekends of trying to get it done, we were basically just prepped and primed up to this weekend. Well, my painter I hired to spray, and a couple helpers, were able to make it this weekend.

First, saturday, it decides to rain. No go. I hate it when you have your workers and nothing to do. So we did a bit of additional prep, we took the kids to the "Wagon Days" all horse, mule or pony drawn parade in Ketchum, then I mowed the lawn, and went on a run with the dog. Sunday, we finally get a good day. Everyone shows up and we get started. We get the hang of working together and have have of the upstairs above the lower roofs done, when the sprayer tip fails, and the wind kicks up. Dang IT! (I might have said something a bit more strong). Well, I try to rent a sprayer, but the rental place closed for the weekend, borrow from a friend, but his is not sufficient, and finally, one of the guys finds one to borrow. It is a nice, professional unit too. So back to work. We fixed the masking that got blown around, fought the wind a bit, but finished the top half of the body of the house. The new sprayer worked great.

Today, I was going to try to get some office work done, and maybe go for a bike ride or something while the guys I hired painted, but since we were behind, I decided to help mask off the rest of the windows. We did not before, because the wind just tears it off anyway. It was a good thing I did. The wind really kicked up today, and the two helpers had there hands full with the paper and tape on the soffit, and I handled the plastic over windows and doors. We worked all darn day, but we got it done. My painter did great applying in the wind, and it looks awesome!

Now I am in some basic court hearings tomorrow, and the painter and one helper will attempt to complete the garage. Fewer windows to deal with, so hopefully it will be completed.

Like I told the checker at the grocery store on sat. night when she asked now my weekend was, "only two more work days til the work week!" It was great to get it done though. It does look nice.

deeaa

September 7th, 2009, 10:20 PM

...special last weekend. Friday just chilling out at home w/the family, Sat morning I drove to the cottage and installed an old propane fridge and then drove onward to a friend's cottage where we fired up the sauna and did a lot of bathing in a tub like this: http://www.benexter.ee/no/badestamp.htm with 3 old friends/band members.

One of them said he'd developed cancer, but that in all likelihood he'll live for many years still. So, we drank lots of beer, whisky and vodka as usual in such get-togethers, listened to loud rock music all night off my iPod and a battery-equipped speaker system, played cards and such, and passed out sometime past midnight. In the morning we watched old AC/DC DVD's and some Moustache ones and drove home. Sunday parents visited and we ate pizza.

Brian Krashpad

September 8th, 2009, 07:22 AM

On Friday night we did our first performance with the new church side band, Pedagogy, at a BBQ for the church college kids. I'll post a thread and pics in the gigs sub forum of guitars in general. Upshot: it went well. Not perfect but good for a first outing. Here's the other thread, w/pics:

http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?p=148170#post148170

Saturday morning I was back at church to practice with the praise band for Sunday service. Both our bassists were unavailable, so I practiced the bass parts, but told the band director my daughter could maybe sub on bass, if he could make me copies of the music to take home overnight. So he gave me copies of the 3 songs we were to do and I took them home. My daughter is a beginning bassist and used to tab rather than lead sheets so I showed her how to work lead sheets.

After being home for all of a couple hours, turned around and went back to church, this time with daughter in tow, to do our first Gator game football parking. We had a new system for this year where the reserved spots all have numbers, instead of names put onto the marker pylons, and it worked well. Was there from 3:30 til around 9 pm or so.

Sunday morning the daughter, Hannah, and I went in early and ran over the songs with the drummer and praise band leader (keyboardist/singer). Hannah had played a couple songs at a small party with me earlier this year, but this was the first time she'd ever played in front of a large group. She did great! Not perfect by any stretch, but it freed me up to play electric guitar, which was good because as it turned out our acoustic guitarist had got sick and was a no-show.

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/8038/dscn0543.jpg

Unfortunately our son was still running fever with swine flu, so he and my wife missed Hannah's debut.

After we got home, speaking of swine flu, I started running fever. So another first, I got swine flu. Mine was much milder than Jack's though. The fever lasted through yesterday evening, but so far this morning no fever. If it stays away for today I can go back to work tomorrow.

So yesterday, for Labor Day, I was basically in bed. Did watch some of the Miami-FSU game last night but didn't get to see the end. Just as well, since I had to root for FSU, since my Gators play them but not Miami.

Tynee

September 9th, 2009, 06:25 AM

Well, finally did something worthy of posting in the weekend thread, after lurking for many months. We decided a couple weeks ago to sell the house and move up. To do that, a lot of the nagging things that haven't been a priority in the budget, became a priority:

Repair ceramic tile in bathtub
Paint office
Finish installing baseboards in the rest of the house
Replace back storm door

Sounds like a nice full Labor Day weekend, right? Well, throw in two 4 hours shifts at my weekend job, Church on Sunday morning, a sick kid who eventually ended up in the ER (he's fine now, but the labored breathing Sunday night really had me scared). Now, just for fun, mix in much worse water damage than you anticipated from the leaking tub, poor flooring work in the kitchen (meaning now I gotta replace the linoleum prior to finishing the baseboards in there), and water damage in unrelated areas that was hidden by the prior owner. NOW you got a recipe for turning a weekend worth of work into a month's worth of work...

Oh well. Got to hang with a buddy that came to help me with the baseboards. Even got to touch my guitar twice this weekend, even if I was just to move it out of the office, then back in.

bigoldron

September 11th, 2009, 06:42 PM

Well, this weekend, for a change, is relatively quiet. We did take it easy last weekend with Caraboo, but she's back at school. Saturday afternoon, we have to go to a football game our middle school team is playing, cause Annaboo is a cheerleader this year for the middle school!

Other than that, not much else. The praise band is off this Sunday, the senior adults are singing Sunday morning and our bass player's gospel group is putting on a concert Sunday night. So, another slow weekend. Wow, 2 in a row. Shocked beyond belief....

Brian, glad hear that young Krash is getting better. Sorry to hear about you. Maybe you can shake it quickly. Also PROUD of Hannah! Tell her to keep it up!:AOK: :bravo:

Brian Krashpad

September 14th, 2009, 09:12 AM

Saturday was at church from about 7:30 to almost 5 pm, got home to Casa Krashpad about 5:30. Band practice followed by a long day of car park duty. In the mulch lot over by the vicarage, the kids read the map wrong and reversed all the parking spaces with what are supposed to be their corresponding pylon numbers. Fortunately #119 arrived early and asked us why the #119 slot wasn't in the same place as last week. So there was a frantic 10 minutes or so of reversing the 20 or so pylons for spaces in that small lot, but fortunately before anyone else got there.

This was a noon game. I saw one carload drinking beer and eating wings before 9 a.m.

Only other snafu was one car with a reserved space left and stopped by on the way out to say we could re-sell their spot. Unfortunately another person in their group had told a guy with a nice motorcycle he could have it, and hadn't told them. So, after re-selling the space, to a big-*ss truck no less, we found out that the bike was parked dead-center in it.

Fortunately I could kind of put the truck half in the space and half out in the lane, so all's well that ends well.

My daughter wanted to play bass with the other kids playing instruments, in the fellowship hall, where they have a band/PA setup, but there was no bass amp. Fortunately I still had a bass head in the Rockmobile from last weekend, and cannibalized one of the PA subs for her to use as a cab. Punk rock dad shoots, scores!

Kids experimented doing a pancake breakfast but it didn't really work. Pizza around noon. Rained during the first half of the game, but we always put up a tarp to sit under at the entrance to the parking lot, and I always bring an umbrella.

In church on Sunday it took me a full five minutes to figure out why my channel switching pedal on my Super Champ XD wasn't making any change in the sound of my guitar. The status lights on the pedal and amp were switching correctly, but the guitar stayed clean.

Then I noticed I had plugged the guitar into the mandolin channel cord-- which goes directly into my bigger rig and not the Super Champ.

:thwap:

On the upside, at least it was still during pre-service run-through.

This is why I try to always play with the simplest rig possible. Only played 3 songs, but I got an outro solo on electric guitar on the first, and the middle one I played on mandolin. Mando is so much fun, I only play it on super-easy songs, but it adds a different tone palette. Almost had a catastrophe by leaving the mandolin in the Rockmobile overnight though, just before the service I discovered it was about a halfstep sharp across the board, so I quickly dropped out of the pre-service run-through and re-tuned. On the other guitar song I did some little 3-note chords w/heavy delay up on the neck, kinda Edge-like.

Had a Crash Pad practice Sunday night at the office. Ran over a "new" song I wrote a long time ago, to put in the set. Bassist couldn't make it so it sounded thin, but at least we got a practice in. Went home and watched the Green Bay-Chicago NFL game, which turned out to be quite a battle.

Spudman

September 14th, 2009, 11:37 AM

We fed 2 rounds of hors d'oeuvres for over 600 people at the Preforming Arts Center in Jackson Wyoming. It was a very posh affair and was sponsored by an alcohol company. So most of the dishes had either Tequila or Bourbon in them.

Here is the location. Dig the painting.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/Sept5032.jpg

Some of the models
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/Sept5040.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/Sept5041.jpg

And some photographers
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/Sept5043.jpg

Brian Krashpad

September 14th, 2009, 11:39 AM

Will need more pics Spud!

;)

Spudman

September 14th, 2009, 12:30 PM

Will need more pics Spud!

;)

Since you weren't specific...we also did a little motorcycle tour of southern Idaho on Sunday.

An old homestead
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Motorcycle/Sept5004.jpg

Sandhill crane migration
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Motorcycle/Sept5011.jpg

Brian Krashpad

September 14th, 2009, 04:17 PM

Haha, touche'!

I wonder if those sandhills are the same ones that winter down here.

We have a big marshland south of town called Payne's Prairie [actually, it's a (mostly) dry lake bed] where the cranes come every year.

street music

September 14th, 2009, 04:22 PM

SPUD, more Tequila and models please.
The Mrs and I went to a Bluegrass concert for charity on Saturday, got to see a great new group called " BLUERIVER" and then they were followed by J.D.Crowe and New South, they were both excellent groups, my wife left this show with a much higher appreciation of Bluegrass than before. Now understand we both love classic rock & roll but J.D.Crowe is a legend and I can listen to good music in most any genre, excellent musicians make it easy to enjoy.

sunvalleylaw

September 14th, 2009, 04:33 PM

I worked on the house all weekend. I don't want to talk about it. ;)

bigoldron

September 17th, 2009, 09:23 PM

Will need more pics Spud!

;)

Yeah! Of those BABES!!! :D

bigoldron

September 17th, 2009, 09:30 PM

We're leaving after work on Friday to go to Macon to spend the weekend with Carabeth. Mercer's having a "Family Weekend", so we should have good time. I'll maybe try to even take a pic or two.

Spudman

September 17th, 2009, 09:57 PM

Yeah! Of those BABES!!! :D
Okay. She works for Lexus

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Jackson/WineAuction078.jpg

deeaa

September 17th, 2009, 10:49 PM

This weekend I'll be recording - or trying at least to record - Spookbox's first demo. We've played together for 3 times now proper and made 4 songs and we'll record them now on Saturday.

http://deeaa.pp.fi/spookbox.htm

- under construction but I'll post stuff there as soon as I get it done.

Really looking forward to the recording project.

Ah, Sat night we're going out with this Russian couple who are wife's workmates. So there will be lots of Vodka I presume. Wife is preggers of course so she'll drive but I can enjoy the vodka no problem :-)

Brian Krashpad

September 17th, 2009, 11:51 PM

deeaa

September 17th, 2009, 11:56 PM

Ah, an automatic "designated driver," as we say in the States. I've gone out a couple times with my 16-year-old daughter, she's old enough to drive but not to drink.

Works out well for me!

Oh yeah over there kids can drive at 16. Here it's 18, same as for everything else like drinking and smoking etc.

At 14, you can get a licence to drive mopeds/scooters under 50cc and even 'moped' cars that are these tiny 2-person plastic cars that are limited to 50km/h per hour, although have bigger engines (like 500cc diesels...they feel like glorified lawnmowers to drive but have all the equipment of real cars...wife's brother has one):

http://www.nettimoto.com/816649

bigoldron

September 18th, 2009, 11:25 PM

Okay. She works for Lexus

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Jackson/WineAuction078.jpg

Nicely done, Spudster! :AOK: :bravo:

Brian Krashpad

September 21st, 2009, 08:24 AM

Nothing Friday.

Saturday: Off to church at nine, practiced with church band and then side church band all morning. Only had 3 songs in service, none right for mandolin. One good rocker with an 8-bar solo that the music director decided should start with a rhythm guitar intro. Played the Tex-Mex Tele, with Epi WildKat in reserve. Played the "new" 77-'78 Peavey T-40 bass for the side band practice. Even though it's not that heavy (between 10 1/4 and 10 1/2 pounds) after 2 hours of practice with no breaks to take it off it was getting... noticeable, at least.

After practice, had Gator game parking detail. Kim had dropped off the kids. I stayed til about 6 (start of the last quarter), then drove home to avoid the football traffic. Kids stayed at church for a lock-in. Got home and mowed the front lawn, watched some college football. Kim had gone over to a colleague's for dinner.

Sunday: got up and drove back into town to pick up kids from church at 7 a.m., only to find they'd left a message that they could stay till 9. Let them eat breakfast and then took them home and ordered them to bed. Got back in the van about 10 and went back to church to play the service. The first rock song went really well, even though I had to stretch the solo out to past where I intended to end it, and the rhythm guitar intro was a little lower than I like, volume-wise. The third song was a bit of a train wreck, the band director played it at a real weird rhythm, unlike how we'd practiced it. But we couldn't do a pre-service run-through because some bible study group was using the sanctuary. Sigh.

As I was loading out the overall music director walked past and made a point of not saying anything to me. As I was doing more load-out he had a discussion with our band leader. Of course, he'd thought the first song was too loud. And, as usual, he was wrong. The solo was just right, the rhythm guitar was actually a little low. He didn't say anything to me, only to our band director, I got the news by pm'ing the latter on facebook later. The music director basically likes it so the guitar can't really be heard and is just a blur with the other instruments. I think he's pissed because I don't go through the PA, so he can't turn me down. But by not going through the PA people who don't like guitar can sit further from the band and hear less of me. Plus if my house volume was purely the PA: a) I'd sound like crap, and b) I'd never get heard. I know when to lay back and when not to, and he honestly doesn't "get" when a guitar has to have some volume to it and when it doesn't.

Sigh.

Got home and Kim and Hannah Beth weren't home. My son explained that my wife cut her finger on a window somehow and went to go have it looked at. She ended up getting 2 stitches in her thumb, and was at the ER all afternoon. Meanwhile, I cleaned up the house for a tutor who never came over. Kim worked on math with Jack after dinner while I did the dishes.

Got up early this a.m. and worked with Jack for his math test, including driving him to school so he could get quizzed on the way.

And you?

Tynee

September 21st, 2009, 08:36 AM

Worked at my mall gig Saturday morning until three. Got home just in time to see the 'Cats pull one out that they were supposed to win easily, over the hated Cards from L'ville.

Had a date with my wife on Saturday, a little shopping at the mall, italian for dinner, then a movie on the couch at home. In bed by 10 (Yeah, that's the kind of party we throw.

Stayed home with Little Tynee Sunday AM (cough is coming back), while Momma Tynee went to church. Wrote thank you letters to mail this AM for a job interview I had last week.

Sunday afternoon was filled with cutting underlayment to replace rotted sections in the bathroom floor. Should have time this week to pull the toilet back out, and put the linoleum back in the bathroom. Went to some friend's house for home church, football, and dinner Sunday night. Came back home, cut and installed the last couple of pieces of underlayment, cleaned up my mess and went to bed.

Another weekend bites the dust.

sumitomo

September 21st, 2009, 09:02 AM

Okay. She works for Lexus

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Jackson/WineAuction078.jpg

You know I'm a Lexus service specialist!:dude: Sumi:D

Spudman

September 21st, 2009, 09:58 AM

You know I'm a Lexus service specialist!:dude: Sumi:D

I'm not sure how to take that but I'm smiling anyway.;)

Krashpad - sorry about the politics. Why don't you just spike the Koolaid every week and rock out. Nobody is going to complain then.

I just took it easy all weekend letting my body heal. I tore some ligaments and muscles in my neck and chest.

Brian Krashpad

September 21st, 2009, 11:17 AM

I'm not sure how to take that but I'm smiling anyway.;)

Krashpad - sorry about the politics. Why don't you just spike the Koolaid every week and rock out. Nobody is going to complain then.

I just took it easy all weekend letting my body heal. I tore some ligaments and muscles in my neck and chest.

Ouch, man, get well soon.

As far as spiking the Koolaid, we do give out wine once every few weeks, but that doesn't seem to help.

The funny thing is, I honest and truly do know when to lay out and when to bring it. I would never intentionally do anything untoward in church. The MD there is some aging pipe organist, who, I'd be willing to bet, has never heard a live (secular) rock band in his life. For example, of the 3 songs we did, the only one that was a problem was the one that was a rock song. News flash: a lot of rock songs have the guitar as the pre-eminent instrument in them. This guy wants the guitar buried in the mix on every song, whether its appropriate to the song or not. I think what ticks him off is that I don't go through the PA. So when he steps up to the sound board to bury some tastefully crunchy rhythm chords, or (Lord forbid) a guitar solo, he can't.

Funny thing was, I played for 10 years solid at the sister church to this one across town, and never had a problem with volume (I didn't go through the PA there, either). I didn't realize how good I had it, apparently.

deeaa

September 21st, 2009, 12:26 PM

Brian Krashpad

September 21st, 2009, 12:43 PM

You know, it's strange...I get the idea that there is quite a lot of music in American churches, bands even. I've seen some gospel things in movies, but to me it is completely strange to have such a lot of amplified music in churches.

I mean, I don't know much about churches - despite I was originally raised as a Christian Lutheran as practically all Finns are and even worked for the parish as a youth counselor for a while I've never really visited a church more than a one or two times a year absolute maximum...but Í do know as much that there's practically no other music than them big organs playing sombre hymns for people to mumble to in Finnish churches...and even those are just the same tunes every single time, changing maybe one tune per occasion.

Sometimes rarely they might have a young priest play an acoustic quiet tune for some youth group but...that's it, basically.

There are sometimes some semi-secular or gospel band performances in churches but I understand they are completely aside the usual business. So it just seems weird to me that it seems like there's quite a lot of music in American churches, let alone electric guitars.

Modern electrified bands are pretty big in churches here. I myself am also a Lutheran (as is Rev. Arnold, forumite marnold, who is a Lutheran pastor, iirc), and it is one of the more conservative when it comes to such things. I've gone to church most all my life (I'm 51), and played guitar since I was about 12, and only at my previous church did I finally begin to play guitar in church. It is not only a lot of fun, but has also brought a new element to my faith, and made me a much better musician.

Win-win really. Although being told the guitar is too loud on the "rock" songs, always by a few people who know nothing about that style of music, is getting frustrating.

Tynee

September 21st, 2009, 01:30 PM

You know, it's strange...

Yes, it is strange indeed...

Where I worship, we have completely accapella music. Its a tradition that some will tell you is absolutely mandated by Holy Scripture itself. I still worship that way because to me, there is no other way to worship that is as beautiful and pleasing to the ear as when a church that really knows how to sing, SINGS!!! It lifts my soul and makes me feel closer to God.:AOK:

However, I'm not gonna say that worshipping with a set of spoons and a washboard is gonna damn you to hell, either. It's not worth the weight we've put on it over the years.

sumitomo

September 21st, 2009, 01:34 PM

Make a Joyful Noise!!!!! whatever that may be! Sumi:D

Monkus

September 21st, 2009, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Spudman
I just took it easy all weekend letting my body heal. I tore some ligaments and muscles in my neck and chest.

That has to hurt, get well soon!

The nanny that helped raise me and my five siblings passed away last week at 77. She was so much more than a nanny, she was part of our family. Attended the funeral and cemetary on Sunday then slept. She had a wonderful life. We should all be so lucky.

This week has two public holidays, Eid (Monday) and Republic Day (Thursday) and as such I told my staff they could have Friday off, if, the production numbers are fantastic. I'm gonna give them it off anyway, they just don't know that yet. Mrs Monkus reminded me that we haven't taken a vacation in all of our working lives so we're taking off to Tobago on Thursday ...Back on Monday..

We'll be staying here:

http://www.myperfectvilla.com/browse/20/caribbean/57/tobago/816/tobago/villa-seabreeze

Taking my nylon acoustic to write sappy music that shouldn't be written.

Various immediate family members will be joining us at different points, but that's how we roll here. We're lucky our family are friends first. So its fishing, beer, rum, snorkeling, cooking, harping on my brothers and sister, parents telling weird stories. I can't wait. Has broadband so I'll send some pics when we get there.

marnold

September 21st, 2009, 03:25 PM

I just took it easy all weekend letting my body heal. I tore some ligaments and muscles in my neck and chest.
Moved all your guitars to another room, did you? :)

Get well soon.

Brian Krashpad

September 21st, 2009, 06:02 PM

That has to hurt, get well soon!

The nanny that helped raise me and my five siblings passed away last week at 77. She was so much more than a nanny, she was part of our family. Attended the funeral and cemetary on Sunday then slept. She had a wonderful life. We should all be so lucky.

This week has two public holidays, Eid (Monday) and Republic Day (Thursday) and as such I told my staff they could have Friday off, if, the production numbers are fantastic. I'm gonna give them it off anyway, they just don't know that yet. Mrs Monkus reminded me that we haven't taken a vacation in all of our working lives so we're taking off to Tobago on Thursday ...Back on Monday..

We'll be staying here:

http://www.myperfectvilla.com/browse/20/caribbean/57/tobago/816/tobago/villa-seabreeze

Taking my nylon acoustic to write sappy music that shouldn't be written.

Various immediate family members will be joining us at different points, but that's how we roll here. We're lucky our family are friends first. So its fishing, beer, rum, snorkeling, cooking, harping on my brothers and sister, parents telling weird stories. I can't wait. Has broadband so I'll send some pics when we get there.

That sounds bloody great!

Looking forward to pics!

Spudman

September 21st, 2009, 06:39 PM

Moved all your guitars to another room, did you? :)

Get well soon.

Picked up my pedal board.:thwap:

Childbride

September 21st, 2009, 07:17 PM

spent the weekend with mom.

walked for hours in an out-of-the-way lake waco park and we told stories the other never knew.

saw a doe, a roadrunner, turtles on logs, water birds.

learned that my dad used to take her sunflowers when he courted her in hs. once, on a farm to market, he found a small bunny. took her to mom when she was a junior.

it hid in the utility room behind the hot water heater. she kept feeding it and giving it water, until one day she pulled out a full-grown buck jackrabbit, and had to reintroduce it to the wild.

loved the time with just her and me, remembering and making new memories.

got sick, checked out for flu today.

dr was amazed at my bp today since cutting the smoking down, and i've actually lost weight, tho i was convinced i'd gained 10 lbs [been walking an extra mile a night the hard way]

on the front porch tonight, looking out into two yards in the neighborhood where elderly folk have passed this year.

and there were still fireflies. the day before fall, there were still fireflies, but only in those two yards.

decided there was still Magic in the world, and that Life was a Beautiful Thing.

bigoldron

September 21st, 2009, 07:52 PM

Modern electrified bands are pretty big in churches here. I myself am also a Lutheran (as is Rev. Arnold, forumite marnold, who is a Lutheran pastor, iirc), and it is one of the more conservative when it comes to such things. I've gone to church most all my life (I'm 51), and played guitar since I was about 12, and only at my previous church did I finally begin to play guitar in church. It is not only a lot of fun, but has also brought a new element to my faith, and made me a much better musician.

Win-win really. Although being told the guitar is too loud on the "rock" songs, always by a few people who know nothing about that style of music, is getting frustrating.

I know your pain and frustration. Never having been in a Lutheran church, I can't say I know how "uptight" they are, but I'm a Southern Missionary Baptist in a small town, so it's pretty uptight too. We don't drink anything with alcohol. For communion, we use grape juice.

We got our current Minister of Music a little over 2 years ago. He and his wife and daughter "auditioned" as a trio with he and daughter playing guitar and his wife playing bass. Some of the folks who I knew wouldn't care for that actually liked it. Of course, it helped that when they hired him, he looked and acted like the seniors, even though he was only 50.

But it did open a door. Before too long, we got the Youth Praise Band started, and this summer, we got our Adult Praise Band going. Something that I don't know if we could have done 5 years ago.

But we do have those who don't care for, as one member so eloquently puts it, "that durn guitar" or the drums or loud music. But, they don't loudly protest, it's usually more of the "snide comment" variety - not too loud for everybody to hear, but loud enough I hear it. I just smile and say, "oh well, we're still learning. Can't please everybody" and go on about my business.

I was running through an amp, but now it's pretty much through the house. I have a small amp in my face as a monitor, but I have no idea how I'm sounding in the house. So, if I think I need it, I'll jack the amp up a little. :D

Anyway, the point is: you'll never please everybody, so do what you think is right and hope for the best. As long as most of the folks are enjoying it, keep doing it. Worship is as much a part of the Church experience as is the preaching, in my opinion. Keep it up, Brian! :AOK:

deeaa

September 21st, 2009, 11:34 PM

Yes, it is strange indeed...

Where I worship, we have completely accapella music. Its a tradition that some will tell you is absolutely mandated by Holy Scripture itself. I still worship that way because to me, there is no other way to worship that is as beautiful and pleasing to the ear as when a church that really knows how to sing, SINGS!!! It lifts my soul and makes me feel closer to God.:AOK:

However, I'm not gonna say that worshipping with a set of spoons and a washboard is gonna damn you to hell, either. It's not worth the weight we've put on it over the years.

I think it's close to that over here too - I think it's all mandated by some rules and they usually only vary the hymns according to the time of the year.

But I may be wrong, I resigned from the church the day I hit adulthood and I don't believe in anything supernatural like deities or any gods. I do let my kids be raised as lutherans and take part in their clubs and such, I think the christian ideals are pretty good, hurt nobody etc.

deeaa

September 27th, 2009, 03:34 AM

Ah, weekend! Still Sunday, but good time to spend surfing. Friday, after work some tinkering around the house, plus visited mom&pop. They'd just come home from my sister's cottage (used to be theirs and they still use it the most. We already arranged them inheritance things over a decade back when my mom sold me the house we live in now and the cottage to my sister and my parents moved to small adjacent apartments downtown.)

Sadly, mom's in a bad way...altzheimer's getting worse day by day, she doesn't even know who I am half the time. Pretty soon I gotta commit her to hospital care, it's getting too much for dad to handle, and he never has the time to spend with us because he's tied with watching my mom. Hopefully she'll die soon and not have to spend a long time in such a state...I've seen it with my granddad, I last visited him four years before he died, and he had no clue who I was...and still lived for so long after that. And mom is just over 70, might live for years still. I don't wish that to anyone, least for myself. I wish there was some euthanasia scheme one could apply for when it comes to that. In any case I am definitely gonna off myself right away if the big gear starts to slip. It's sad but that's how life is. Nonexistance sounds much much better than such sad existence.

Anyway...on to brighter things...Saturday we went to the cottage; time to lift up the boat and do some maintenance on it...changed the oils, filters, plugs and whatnot on the boat and removed the battery...also changed the oils on the generator and lawnmowers. Lotsa stuff to do fore winter...then we had some sauna and slept well. I still need to visit there before snow to bring in the jetty and some other stuff, oughtta chop some wood too, but we'll see.

Probably next week, or at least in the next few weeks we're getting a new family member too, a second son...so that's a lot of stuff to take care of. I'll stay home for a month to help at first too...but it sure is great to get a new kid in the house - after all, they're all that really matters, innit? If I were rich, I'd get me a dozen kids, adopted also, but alas, I need to make sure I have some property to leave for each of them&make sure they have a good start on life and don't need to spend their lives paying mortgages like my parents made sure I could get a nice house when I started a family, so I guess two will have to suffice.

And now its Sunday...so nuthin' special to do expect surf the net some, play with the kid all day on Xbox and his toy cars and whatnot...I'm also taking him to an amusement park later in the afternoon to see some of his friends and play for a few hours...then we'll have some sauna and I think after he goes to bed I'll have me a few beers and spend some time alone on the computer, maybe get another song mixed from the last session.

Spudman

September 27th, 2009, 10:47 AM

Did a short motorcycle tour of southern Idaho yesterday. We stopped off at Soda Springs for a brief rest. The water is all carbonated naturally.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Motorcycle/Sept262009051.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Motorcycle/Sept262009061.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Motorcycle/Sept262009072.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Motorcycle/Sept262009053.jpg

Spudman

September 27th, 2009, 11:07 AM

There were some fires in the area and although the day was really hazy it made for some dramatic light.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Motorcycle/Sept262009097.jpg

Brian Krashpad

September 28th, 2009, 01:20 PM

Deeaa- prayers and mojo for your mom. Congrats in advance re the kid!

Spud, cool pics as usual.

mjk123

September 28th, 2009, 01:26 PM

I went to OC (Ocean City) Maryland and partied. Needless to say, I have not picked up a guitar since Thursday night. I am hoping that I can get a lot of time in tonight.

mjk123

September 28th, 2009, 01:28 PM

Deeaa- prayers and mojo for your mom.

Prayers are on their way...

deeaa

September 28th, 2009, 02:24 PM

Thanks guys...I appreciate that, even though I'm an atheist myself it's still a very nice thought...my mom does believe something, at least in souls and some sort of, well realm of the dead, heaven, joining her family in death, or something akin to that if I understand correctly from her comments about her dearly departed etc...so she'd also appreciate it I'm sure. Thanks.

Altzheimer's is terrible. It's been rather hard to accept...I used to try and argue and reason with her and try to help and make her understand who I was and how she simply remembered everything wrong etc...but of course it was all an exercise in futility. The disease takes away everything. But once I accepted the fact that the person she was is pretty much gone and just this broken record is still playing, I also felt like I already lost her some time ago and now, when she finally goes, I'll just be glad it's over. But my heart just breaks for my dad. It's been super hard for him the past few years taking care of her, and then he'll have nothing all of a sudden. I've always felt closer to my dad anyway, I always thought mom's treated him so unfairly as long as I lived, and it's so terrible how he's had to dedicate his life to her for such a long time.

But, as they say, Ce'st la vie...and tomorrow is a new day with who knows what happy things coming! Always look on the bright side of life and rock on :rockon: :)

sunvalleylaw

September 28th, 2009, 03:15 PM

deeaa, sorry for what you are going through. My mother in law just moved in with us because she has some oncoming dementia (they are not calling it alzheimers yet) due to some mini strokes. This lady survived the war in her occupied Dutch town near the German border, emigrated to the States, raised 4 kids as a single mom (one mentally handicapped) after her husband left, and became a successful psychiatrist who treated poor and not as poor alike with skill and knowledge. It is hard to see her slip because she has been so mentally and physically strong for so long. Anyway, don't mean to divert away from what you are dealing with, but it struck a chord.

For my weekend, I helped my mother in law entertain some out of town guests for dinner on Fri, then took my oldest son to a soccer tournament in Jackson Hole, WY (the place where a lot of Spud's catering pics come from). It was smoky saturday as shown in Spud's pics above, but cleared up Sunday. The boys played well, with two wins on Saturday, and a tie on Sun. morning. They lost in the semis later that day. Good weekend for the boys though, and a beautiful location.

Brian Krashpad

September 29th, 2009, 12:56 PM

Friday:

cut and painted the remaining couple pieces of baseboard for our master bath remodel.

Saturday:

practice at church @ 10 a.m., praise band had 4 songs. Forgot my mandolin again, but the first song was real easy (D-G-A) and folk-based so I knew I'd be able to play it fine even without practice. Had one cool upbeat song I'd never heard before, called "Give Us Clean Hands," that I played rhythm with overdrive on, followed by our alt/hard rock version of the old campfire song "They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love." Also played that with overdrive, even some palm muting, sort of a slow burn through four verses, then an 8-bar guitar solo outro.

That was the one we got in trouble for a few weeks ago, but that Sunday we'd played it during Communion, so some of the geezers got pissed, and the pastor said he didn't mind solos, but that Communion songs needed to be more contemplative. So THIS week we did it right after the sermon, before Communion. Last song was the Communion song, something mellow I played clean little 3-note chords on, mainly up the neck, since I knew our other guitarist would be playing open chords.

After praise band, we did about an hour practice for the "church" side rock band, Pedagogy (me on bass, praise band director on keys/vocals, and the praise band drummer on drums). Played my Peavey T-40 bass again. For a change, I played fingerstyle the whole time, no picks. By the end of the practice a couple of my left-hand fingers were starting to cramp up a bit, but surprisingly my right hand was still in pretty good shape.

Went home, took El Krashpadito to the store to get an airsoft pistol, as he was helping supply the armament for an overnight birthday party his friend was having, then dropped him at the party. That afternoon, I installed the baseboards in the master bath and did some laundry and dishes. Evening, we watched the Gators destroy Kentucky, with several lovely shots of various sick football players puking. Way to go ESPN! What a bag of d*cks.

Sunday:

Mrs. K had a cold and El Krashpadito wasn't back from his sleepover, so the rest of the familia Krashpad skipped church. Almost forgot my mandolin a second time, but ran back in to Casa Krashpad to get it. I'd practiced gutar the day before with my Breadwinner, but in pre-service run-through back at church, the input jack was being all noisy so I ditched the guitar at the last second in favor of my backup, my Epi WildKat. The songs all went really well, including the solo outro, which I was kind of sweating. I have no problem being onstage in a club, but after that solo I went and sat in a pew and shook for a good minute or so. Even though it was NOT too loud, I was well ready for any of the fogey brigade, including the music director (not our praise band leader, the choir/organist guy) to complain, if not immediately then eventually. (The only one who complains immediately is the Music Director, who at least titularly is our "boss," or would be if we were getting paid; everyone else "goes through channels.")

So the said MD passed me as I was on one of several trips out to the Rockmobile loading out gear. I smiled sweetly at him (I love doing that) and he glared, but said nothing. Seems he had to do some run-through or practice with his beloved handbell choir (yes, we have one) right after the service, so he had no chance to chew us out, had he wanted to. As I got outside on the same load out run, the pastor saw me and said "Good music today!" Boo-yah!

Because, you see, Pastor outranks Music Director.

Got home and did laundry most of the afternoon, with NFL and middle school homework as a nitecap.

deeaa

October 1st, 2009, 07:49 AM

Colors of the fall...this is what it looked outside, took some photos w/my kid:

http://deeaa.pp.fi/images/57.jpg
http://deeaa.pp.fi/images/58.jpg
http://deeaa.pp.fi/images/59.jpg
http://deeaa.pp.fi/images/60.jpg

Brian Krashpad

October 1st, 2009, 10:43 AM

Those are great pics Deeaa! Everything is still green here in Florida, though at last we (in north Florida) are having some cool nights, in the 50's F.

deeaa

October 1st, 2009, 11:12 AM

Those are great pics Deeaa! Everything is still green here in Florida, though at last we (in north Florida) are having some cool nights, in the 50's F.

Thanks...yeah yesterday was the first snow...only a slight case of it, more like hale merely...but still, even around midday there was some snow in the shadow side gutters. And the car windows were completely covered in ice. I heard it was quite slippery in places in the wee hours.

I guess it's time to change to spiked tires and put the extra heater in the car and start to plug it in for the nights.

Brian Krashpad

October 1st, 2009, 12:18 PM

Wow, heating cars overnight, I do not miss not having to do stuff like that one bit.

Algonquin

October 1st, 2009, 12:25 PM

Those are great pics Deeaa! Everything is still green here in Florida, though at last we (in north Florida) are having some cool nights, in the 50's F.
Those are great pics Deeaa! Now (and for the next 4 months) is when Krash usually starts posting his weekend camping pics just to rub it into folks like us who live in regions of winter snow...

Spudman

October 4th, 2009, 03:42 AM

I did a gig this weekend filling in for a guitar player while he was off backing a national artist in another city. Looks like I'll get to gig with these guys in the future whenever he takes off. They were very happy to play my material. I think they were bored with their old songs.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Gigs/10-02-09020.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Gigs/10-02-09032.jpg

deeaa

October 4th, 2009, 10:15 PM

Wow, heating cars overnight, I do not miss not having to do stuff like that one bit.

It's not the car heating...I dunno how you guys have arranged, but with me it's all I need to do is remember to plug the car in when you pull into park (and remove the plug when you leave - I've forgotten that a few times and ZING needed a new cord :-) ) and there's a timer to use the engine block heater for a few hours in the morning...and if you like also an internal electric heater so the car will be warm inside too, not just the engine (which can be a double-edged sword because if it don't melt all the snow, the leftover snow may freeze in the door cracks and freeze the whole car shut if you're not careful...

BUT what I don't miss is the snow plowing...nigh every morning the plow will come and push a wall of snow a few feet tall accross the driveway, so in order to get the car going, you first need to shovel some heavy ice/snow away.

That can be a daunting task especially if you happen to, say spend the Xmas holiday somewhere else, and come back to find this mountain of solid ice and snow blocking yer driveway...yecchh...I have a motorized plower too but that's often useless when it's really ice, not fresh snow.

But I generally drive my bicycle to work, it's only a few miles trip...no sense to drive the car. I got properly into the habit when I drove a Chevy Van with a thirsty 350...such a big engine and tranny - I had to keep it heated all night to keep the (4 gallons of cooling fluid!) warm enough, and still the automatic transmission needed like 5 minutes of engine idling to warm up enough to drive...get to work and let it stay cold for 8 hours, drive home...the thing drank so much gas it was insane for such a small trip. So I always rode my bike, at least whenever it was colder than, say, minus ten or something. I have a snowboarding helmet that is almost too warm even in -20 or less...always work up a sweat no matter how cold the weather.

Came to think of it, perhaps that's a big reason why automatic transmissions have been so rare over here until very recently they've gained ground...automatics don't work so well when cold...they tend to need repairs more often, especially when they've been used when too cold...manuals don't even need oil changes or anything, at least not in the first 300.000 or so. Small engines also...a 1.6 litre block certainly warms up quicker than a 5-litre one :-)

sunvalleylaw

October 4th, 2009, 10:33 PM

Good pics Spud! Glad you had fun! We are STILL working on the house every weekend to complete our remodel. This weekend, yesterday, i dug down into the idaho soil, if you can call it that, and hit the ancient riverbed a foot or so down on the way to three feet down for fence posts and trellis posts. did not get as much done as we wanted. Today, I woke up to heavy rain which soon turned to snow. We moved stuff from storage back into the garage all day instead of digging. The snow started sticking this evening and is now a couple inches deep. This is early for Idaho (I do not think it will stay), and the trees have mostly not changed colors yet, much less dropped leaves. Lots of limbs were bending heavily under the load of wet snow on the way home from the restaurant tonight.

EDIT: pics of snow in early October here: http://gallery.me.com/sunvalleylaw#100134&bgcolor=black&view=grid

Brian Krashpad

October 5th, 2009, 06:45 AM

Saturday:

Went to praise band practice at church. Both our drummer and our director (pianist/singer) were out of town, so the director's mom sat in on piano (she usually plays flute with us, maybe once a month). Plus, our usual bassist couldn't make it, so my daughter Hannah sat in as well. We only had two songs. Not sure if that was because the director wanted it to be easier on the band with 2 non-regulars sitting in, or if it may've had some more nefarious origin with the overall Music Director, who is in charge of the choir and handbell choir. Sunday was supposed to be a recognition of the church's Music Ministry, so I could see him wanting to downplay the praise team. Sigh.

Anyhow, one song was relatively fast and upbeat. The other was mellower, but more difficult to play, in some sections changing chords on about every beat. I had to help Hannah with visualizing the bass part to the chorus as two runs, one up then back down the A string, then one up the E string. Once she could think of it in those terms she was OK, otherwise it was just too many notes too fast (she's a novice player).

The fast song was called "Everyday," which is originally by the Australian church/group Hillsong. Our sit-in singer-keyboardist is a good singer, but she struggled with the song a little, even though it's a simple song. Like some classically-trained musicians I've played with, she has problems "swinging," for lack of a better word. Like, ever heard an opera singer sing a blues song? It just sounds kind of stilted vocally, like the singer is over-enunciating every syllable. That's how she sings.

After we got home I put up the towel bar in the master bath, then mowed the back lawn. The got cleaned up and took the kids downtown for Pride Fest, which is an annual event sponsored by the local lesbian/gay/bi/transgendered rights group. I warned the kids that sometimes at big events not everyone behaves themselves, so they should expect a little weirdness.

And by that I don't mean just being gay or drag entertainers or whatever, my kids know about that. But when we got there, there were indeed a couple people there who were a little "out there," in particular one little Asian lady with long straight gray hair who basically danced around the whole time we were there, whether any music was playing or not. At one point, she came up to us and pointed at my mandolin, said "That's a mandolin! Play it!" and so I played a few chords, and she said "You're an artist!" and danced away. The kids thought she was hilarious. I wonder if she was just eccentric or on something, haha.

At any rate, some friends of mine were closing the show and had asked me and a bunch of their other musician friends to come up onstage and sing on their closer, which is why I brought the mandolin. They were going to be filming for a video of the song, and I thought it would look cool onstage and add to the peace/love vibe, which is part of their stage show (they bring flowers to every show and pass them out to the audience, etc.). I found their bassist, Tom, beforehand, and cleared it with him, because I didn't want to do anything to upstage them or throw them off.

The show was running late, as most benefits seemingly do, and we had to sit through some pretty awful lip synch acts (ugh), then a different band, before my friends went on. On their penultimate song they pulled us all onstage even though there wasn't much to do but clap along, although I was familiar enough with to sing along, off-mic. Then they did the closer, and everybody tried to get at least within the vicinity of a mic, and we did the song, which is called "Let Freedom Ring." I positioned myself opposite the lead singer so the mandolin would be far away and wouldn't throw him off or anything, since none of this had been rehearsed. It was a lot of fun.

Here's some pics:

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs229.snc1/7617_148513523878_512618878_2580900_671900_n.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs209.snc1/7617_148520003878_512618878_2580992_8104058_n.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs209.snc1/7617_148528588878_512618878_2581160_1797640_n.jpg

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs209.snc1/7617_148549448878_512618878_2581341_5695417_n.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs229.snc1/7617_148545333878_512618878_2581305_1552057_n.jpg

Back at home we did some grilling on the patio and had a late dinner, and I watched some college football.

Sunday:

Played in church, brought the kids but the missus skipped again. My daughter played bass as planned and I played guitar, my Fernandes Ravelle with Les Paul Studio Doublecut in reserve. My son was acolyting so all of us were helping with the service in one way or another. Got through both songs with no mishaps to speak of. We got to stand later when they recognized anyone who served on any of the ministries (musicians, acolyte/cruficers, groundskeeping, altar guild, ushers, etc.), which was nice.

Back home I watched what turned out to be a fairly boring match between the Spanish teams Racing and Valencia. Then is it was helping my son study for a test for several hours. And then some long discussions about switching schools, because he is in the most rigorous academic program in the county, and with dyslexia and dysgraphia, he is doing schoolwork 24/7 it seems. Then I did some typing for him for more of his schoolwork, and watched "Sons of Anarchy" before crashing myself.

Brian Krashpad

October 8th, 2009, 03:31 PM

Saturday:

Went to praise band practice at church... We only had two songs. Not sure if that was because the [band] director wanted it to be easier on the band with 2 non-regulars sitting in, or if it may've had some more nefarious origin with the overall Music Director, who is in charge of the choir and handbell choir. Sunday was supposed to be a recognition of the church's Music Ministry, so I could see him wanting to downplay the praise team.

Sigh.

While I felt I was being quasi-paranoid about suspecting a nefarious origin in the coincidence of the praise band getting cut down to only 2 songs, coincidentally on a week where the music ministry was supposedly being celebrated, I've since learned that sure enough, the overall Music Director cut one of the praise band songs in favor of a choir song-- despite that there's a whole separate service beforehand with just choir and organ.

Sigh.

bigoldron

October 8th, 2009, 10:51 PM

While I felt I was being quasi-paranoid about suspecting a nefarious origin in the coincidence of the praise band getting cut down to only 2 songs, coincidentally on a week where the music ministry was supposedly being celebrated, I've since learned that sure enough, the overall Music Director cut one of the praise band songs in favor of a choir song-- despite that there's a whole separate service beforehand with just choir and organ.

Sigh.

That's not serving God, that's being a JERK! I hate that for you Brian! As I've posted before, we have to deal with similar issues and it's really counterproductive. Hang in there my friend! Time has a way of healing such things.:AOK

Brian Krashpad

October 9th, 2009, 06:51 AM

That's not serving God, that's being a JERK! I hate that for you Brian! As I've posted before, we have to deal with similar issues and it's really counterproductive. Hang in there my friend! Time has a way of healing such things.:AOK

:thankyou
Thanks Ron. I try to not see it as a competition between the praise band and the choir or other trad music people, and to not assign bad motives when I can't know other people's hearts and minds, but it does get disheartening. My prior church had an actual contemporary service where the praise band played every song, and in this day and age to have a "blended" service where we play 4 or 5 at most (the usual minimum is 3, last Sunday notwithstanding) seems kind of silly, at least where there is a whole nother service that is strictly traditional. The overall Music Director seems kind of like a control freak, stereotypical glum Lutheran, and I think, among other things, it galls him that I keep my rig out of the PA so he can't turn me down.

Oh well, this is why I'm making the big bucks. ;)

bigoldron

October 10th, 2009, 11:29 PM

Oh well, this is why I'm making the big bucks. ;)

Exactly! :happy

Spudman

October 11th, 2009, 10:00 AM

Played out Friday and Saturday. Breathed a lot of polluted air, drank a lot of cola, hawked out some dark phlegm, watched some movies, made some new friends, ate some steak, ate some popcorn, enjoyed a good beer, hugged my wife. Pretty good weekend.

deeaa

October 11th, 2009, 12:47 PM

Had the guys of my band over last night, since la familia is still at the hospital and the kid at grannys it was a good time to have a party with the guys.

I suppose it will suffice I just post these 'before' and 'after' pics of a table...

http://deeaa.pp.fi/images/107.jpg
http://deeaa.pp.fi/images/116.jpg

Brian Krashpad

October 12th, 2009, 12:52 PM

Haha, party weekend for y'all.

Saturday: band practice at church in the a.m. Stopped at one of my fave pawns on the way home and found a Peavey USA Foundation bass, just like I bought for my daughter a couple months ago, but in red. Tagged at $199, but they always simply give me their best price with no haggling, took it down to $125. Went home and called (spoke to the daughter, actually) and e-mailed a buddy from church who's daughter is wanting to learn bass.

Looked like this'un:

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/8833/foundation2.jpg

Went home and after lunch got a call back from the previously-mentioned friend from church, could I meet them back at the pawn shop to help check out the bass? So I got back in the Rockmobile and met up with him and his daughter at the pawn. Aside from some excessively cruddy strings, the bass checked out. One hefty ding along the back lower edge, though not visible while playing and certainly not effecting performance. So they bought it for $125. Win-win. Kid gets new quality bass for cheap, and I do a favor for both my friend and for the pawn shop.

Saturday night we watched a low-scoring football game between my Gators and 4th-ranked LSU, featuring the quarterback's return after a concussion 2 weeks ago. Thank goodness for that bye last weekend. But the Gators pulled through again, with a slightly modified game plan to help protect the QB.

Sunday: played 3 songs in church, and I actually used a different instrument for each. First was a fairly rocking version of "Our God Reigns" which the band director had me start by playing unaccompanied rhythm guitar chords (overdiven using the Vox channel on my Super Champ XD) for 8 bars or so. That's always a bit scary, because if I miss a chord it's painfully obvious, but moreso because if I get the tempo wrong, the drummer and everyone else has to follow me, and we're stuck with it. Fortunately, got through the intro with no mistakes, and then did some soloing over the outro that was just right, rocking but not overpowering. For that song I played this:

http://static.flickr.com/34/64187961_55ebafd407.jpg

The second song was some modern lyrics sung to the tune of the Doxology. We gave it the quasi-Celtic feel since it was in 3/4 time and relatively mellow/trad sounding. Again, begun with rhythm chords by me unaccompanied before the rest of the band kicked in, but this time on this:

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2401/177/82/512618878/n512618878_1385793_1330.jpg

Last song was the pre-Communion song, which is actually a part of the Lutheran liturgy during the traditional service, rather than a free-standing hymn or song, called "This Is the Feast." Frankly I never really liked the melody and have always found it hard to sing. What we did with this was slow it down considerably, and the drummer played congas. In practice, I ran through it playing rhythm guitar at first, but the band director asked that I play some little lead bits throughout instead. We did two run-throughs in practice with me doing the lead, and though I wasn't going real "out" anywhere, it still hadn't been as smooth as I wanted it to be.

In the service, it really came together. Out of the blue (glances heavenward) the somewhat clunky and (to me) unnatural melody came out of nowhere, so part of the time I played the melody and part of the time did some improvisational things with some descending arpeggios and the occasional string bend.

Played on the neck pickup of this bad girl:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3290/3141374077_74b1b0f4a0.jpg

I was really happy with the performance I had this week. Each song was pretty different, using different instruments with pretty different tones, but they all cooked in their own way. I honestly think God bailed me out on the last one, because in practice I had not hit on the melody but a tiny snippet.

Then I saw the Music Director coming towards us from the choir loft (menacing music plays in background). I made sure I was busy packing stuff out to the van by the time he got up to the front of the church, because I was on a performance high that I didn't want him to pee on. By the time I got back up to the stage for a second load, he was gone.

I asked our band director "What'd Art want this time?," half afraid to hear the answer.

"Oh, he said he was afraid of what we'd do to that last song, but thought it sounded great."

Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!

The end.

(Except for picking up my son from a paintball/birthday party and doing laundry/watching football.)

Brian Krashpad

October 17th, 2009, 06:34 AM

I've got a busy day today. Gotta get Los Krashpaditos (plus another friend who stayed over last night) to the church by 10, which is when I have band practice. It's arguably slightly before they need to be there, for Gator game parking, but it'll save a trip. Am bringing the mandolin, the Ric, and the T-60 this week. Plus the T-40 bass for side-band practice later.

Since I just posted the mando just above, here's the other cohorts for this week:

http://static.flickr.com/34/64187964_178d5e6b9c.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/20/71021519_a6a90ee6d3.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2505/3971870533_5fa738113d.jpg

So after the praise band practice, I'll help out with parking for awhile, then once the substitute organist is finished with her practice, back into church for a side-band practice. Once the side-band practice is done, back on parking detail. Probably won't get home till 5:30 or 6:00 tonight. Maybe I'll bring a camera and take some pics!

Tonight I'll be writing a brief in the appeal of my baby-daddy case out of Pensacola, which is bound to lose, but the clients insist on doing it anyhow.

Tomorrow will be church and more baby-daddy brief. Ugh.

Spudman

October 18th, 2009, 09:31 AM

Another weekend gone by in a smoke filled honky tonk. I can barely speak today because of what all the smoke and singing did to my throat but it was all worth it to be able to play with a good band.

Yes, I temporarily conformed.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Gigs/10-16-09025.jpg

The whole band
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Gigs/10-16-09019.jpg

sunvalleylaw

October 18th, 2009, 09:55 AM

Way to go Tex! :applause :rockon :rar :bootyshake :pancake :beer:

helliott

October 18th, 2009, 11:43 AM

Yee-haaaa! Looks like fun. Is that a Tone Lab in front of you?

Spudman

October 18th, 2009, 01:26 PM

Yee-haaaa! Looks like fun. Is that a Tone Lab in front of you?
M13 and a Crybaby.

Algonquin

October 18th, 2009, 05:10 PM

Looks like it was a lot of fun Spuds!... glad to hear you are enjoying yourself. :applause

Spudman

October 18th, 2009, 06:10 PM

Looks like it was a lot of fun Spuds!... glad to hear you are enjoying yourself. :applause

Thanks. It is a lot of fun working with good musicians. Speaking of....

The rest of the weekend proved to be very rewarding as well. My last drummer and I have been trying to get something together for some time but bassists have been scarce. A new one showed up and has been playing at church with him and he's now joined our trio. So that is happening and after 2 rehearsals this young bass player shows a lot of ability and promise. We should have a full night ready in time for our Halloween gig.

bigoldron

October 20th, 2009, 10:09 PM

Looks like you had a good time Spud!

We had our annual rival game with our neighbors up the road. Always the biggest game of the year. Well, it wasn't our turn to win. Miller County came with blood in their eyes. Their fans didn't stop yelling from time they walked in till the time they got home. I do the PA announcing and tried to get our crowd into it, but they just weren't as fired up. So, long story short, we lost 19-6.

Saturday, we had our annual Harvest Festival, with the parade, vendors, entertainment, car show etc. I ran the sound for the entertainment, plus our Adult Praise Band played a 30 minute set. We did pretty good, except we almost FROZE TO DEATH! It almost 90 here last week. Saturday morning the high never got above 50 degrees with a 25 mph wind. :what

I showed up wearing a tshirt, which wouldn't have been too bad, except it was heavily overcast. A little sun would have gone a long way... We played 6 songs and by the time we got to the last song, I almost couldn't hold my pick. We made it through and got lots of compliments. A friend let me borrow a jacket or I don't know if I'd have made it till 3:30. Finally tore down the equipment and went home to thaw.

Sunday wasn't too bad. The band didn't play and the choir didn't sing a special because one of the children's choirs did a couple of songs. Got College Girl back on the road (she came home on Wednesday for Fall Break), had youth band practice Sunday afternoon, and Sunday night service.

Not too bad a weekend...

Brian Krashpad

October 21st, 2009, 07:57 AM

Dang Spud, sounds like you're cookin' with gas!

Ronnie Beth, expect some gibes from our Yankee and Westerner brethren, not to mention Canuckians, about freezing in that weather.

Although it sounds cold to me too. Dude, time to get out the leathers!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/BrianKrashpad/HannahKrashpadDebutBrightened.jpg

bigoldron

October 21st, 2009, 08:31 AM

Yeah, 50 and below is cold to me too. If I'd had a jacket on while playing, I'd have been fine.

sunvalleylaw

October 21st, 2009, 09:49 AM

When the 50's come back around in spring time 'round here, it's shorts weather!!

bigoldron

October 21st, 2009, 11:36 AM

When the 50's come back around in spring time 'round here, it's shorts weather!!

Yeah, I know. I'm a wuss when it comes to cold weather. Krashpad's the same too... :bootyshake

Brian Krashpad

October 21st, 2009, 11:57 AM

Yeah, I know. I'm a wuss when it comes to cold weather. Krashpad's the same too... :bootyshake

We Southerners got thin blood.

marnold

October 21st, 2009, 12:21 PM

We Southerners got thin blood.
Evidently. You'd hate it up here, then (except maybe when Hurricane Billy Bo Bob is hurtling toward you). That's especially true this year where we seem to have given October a pass and gone charging right into mid-November. I'll take snow any day over this cold and drizzly garbage. To add insult to injury, my new Premier Guitar came today and was nicely moistened in delivery.

Brian Krashpad

October 21st, 2009, 12:44 PM

Evidently. You'd hate it up here, then (except maybe when Hurricane Billy Bo Bob is hurtling toward you). That's especially true this year where we seem to have given October a pass and gone charging right into mid-November. I'll take snow any day over this cold and drizzly garbage. To add insult to injury, my new Premier Guitar came today and was nicely moistened in delivery.

Yikes. Hope she's OK.

Of course, it's all what one is acclimated to. Today is gorgeous here, have my office windows open and am wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and slaps. October-November is great here, and March-April. Those are best, with warm days and cool nights. But the "winter" in between isn't bad by Northern standards, cold, but only below freezing a dozen or so nights, and no snow.

The half-year summer is only bearable with A/C and access to a pool, springs, or the beach. Fortunately, we have A/C of course. No pool on the premises at Casa Krashpad, but we have a pool membership with a local hotel, there's plenty of springs within 30 to 45 minute drives, and the beach is a couple hours east or west.

Cain't complain.

deeaa

October 22nd, 2009, 11:02 PM

This weekend I went crazy and bought my boys something I always wanted as a child...http://picasaweb.google.fi/aepheikki/Scale?authkey=Gv1sRgCJKD3ezY9ILs0wE# sorry about the horrible Google translations, I wrote it in Finnish and it *tries* to translate 'em.

That should be enough to get started with slot cars :-) I figure if he really likes it I could expand it to a digital system with lane changes and pitstops and all later.

BUT I'll give 'em to him (them) on Xmas, not yet. I did this test build without curbs and such to see which pieces am I missing and found I need at least 3 extra short pieces still. Plenty of time to get them now.

Meanwhile, had to go get my mom from the police station, she was making a police report on some lost money, which never happened of course, and I took her to her flat...she didn't even recognize her own apartment house, when we pulled over she asked if I lived there and how long have I lived in this town since we haven't met since I was a kid and so on...and then when she realized she was home she showed me around the apartment three times, every time forgetting she'd just done that, LOL :-) so it's apparent she can't remember diddlysquat no more. Luckily she still recognizes me as someone in the family if not her own son any more.

Well, if it goes like this she won't be able to live alone for long. I should try and check on her at least weekly from now on. Too bad she won't hear of moving to a home or accepting any home aid etc. she's still too proud and doesn't understand her condition at all basically.

@nthony

October 23rd, 2009, 02:28 AM

So then... This weekend's plans...

I'm having a quiet one, not had much time this week to practice. So tomorrow morning it's a 7 mile run - followed by muchous guitaring! And I think I need to change my strings :)

Brian Krashpad

October 23rd, 2009, 05:46 AM

deeaa--

That's some slot car set up! By the way, when I looked at the pics , the page didn't try to translate into English, it was all in Finnish.

Sorry to hear that about your mom. Prayers and mojo.

bigoldron

October 25th, 2009, 06:07 PM

Kind of standard weekend this time. Friday night, College Girl came home for her best buds birthday party. Baby Girl went to a "spend the night" birthday party for her bud. So we dropped one off and took College Girl to Dothan to swap some stuff and find her bud a birthday present. Had a couple of gift cards to Applebee's, so dinner was good and free!

Saturday, I worked on College Girl's car. It's STILL having battery/cranking problems. This time though I THINK I got it fixed. Only time will tell. We picked up Baby Girl and College Girl went to her bud's birthday/sleepover party. I stained by Yamaha also. (That's another story for another post I'll be putting up.) Had a quiet evening here at the house with me and the wife. Baby Girl flaked out pretty quick.

Sunday, we got up, I went and picked up the kid who plays bass in the youth band, so he could play bass for the adult band in church this morning. The regular bass player was gone this morning. We had a good service and the kid did a good job. The song went over well. We had the Lord's Supper also in the AM service. Had lunch with in-laws so they could see College Girl for a few. Came home, got her packed and sent her on her way. I put the first coat of poly on the Yammie. Went to youth band practice (had a pretty good one). Then church afterwards. Came home, had supper and am now sitting here on this stupid computer.

Nothing wrong with uneventful weekends. This is one I consider "uneventful".... :thwap

Spudman

October 25th, 2009, 07:52 PM

Did a little mountain biking and rehearsing with the band but have been mostly holed up going over and over material all weekend. My 11 year old daughter was humming Waiting For The Bus just before dinner and didn't even realize it. I hope that gets her away from Mylie Cyrus. My fingers are crossed.

Brian Krashpad

October 26th, 2009, 07:37 AM

Ronnie-- sounds like you were at church all day Sunday! (Me too.)

Spud-- good luck with the ZZ Top vs. Miley thing. I don't know how I got so lucky on that score, my kids have always totally derided the Disney/Nickolodeon manufactured pop music acts. The only stuff that's kids- network-related that they like is the Teen Titans theme song, which is pretty bosstastic, done by the J-rock group Puffy AmiYumi with a cameo lead guitar by Guitar Wolf, and for awhile the Hives had a song that was used on a Nickolodeon commercial. Of which I also highly approved.

;)

Saturday

Got up early and got an oil change and some new wipers put on the van. Went home for a brief spell, then into town to practice at church with the praise band. Almost not worthwhile, since we only did two songs this Sunday, but since we played (for the first time) in both services, I wanted to go ahead and set up my amp and have the guitars there when I arrived at 8-ish on Sunday. The rhythm guitarist/vocalist and flautist were no-shows, but we had the core band of me on guitar, our regular bassist, the drummer, and the praise band leader pianist/vocalist. This week's guitars, the Tempest Special, with Brownsville Choirboy in reserve.

http://static.flickr.com/97/207025704_4ce5ab591f.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/419396776_8ba65ee8cc.jpg

No mandolin this week. :(

Went home and mowed the front lawn (finally) and watched the Gators eke out another road victory.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/BrianKrashpad/gatorchomp.gif

Sunday

Played the first service with the same core band as had practiced on Saturday. Bassist lost signal and after the service we had a heck of a time figuring out the problem, tried different channels on the amp and different cords. I wish the bassist would just break down and buy herself a cord. Since the ones I was lending her didn't seem to work, between services I ended up running over to the parish hall and getting one of the ones they use for youth meetings over there.

During the sermon in the first service the guest pastor noted that at the church he is now working at (he's a temporary until they choose a permanent one), he wears casual clothes and all the services are fully contemporary. Funny he would note that on a Sunday where our band was only doing 2 songs. Still since it was Reformation Sunday, which is a big deal to Lutherans, I guess I can see why the organist wanted to pull out all the stops (pardon the pun) and do "A Mighty Fortress" (which Luther wrote) and bring in a horn section. Not sure whether the horns were volunteers or hired guns but at any rate they did sound fantastic.

Between services there was a brunch so we all went over and got coffee and some snacks. I didn't feel like I should eat a full breakfast since there was going to be a lunch after second service. Mrs. K dropped the kids off between services because Jack needed to help oversee some things with the younger kids in Sunday School (they were icing cookies and muffins for a local veteran's home), so the kids went ahead and ate both times, haha.

After the band got coffee we went back to the sanctuary, and the two missing players (flute and guitar) showed up, so we had a chance to run the songs with them. It was funny, on one of the songs I played pretty much the melody line (with a few embellishments) throughout, and the flautist told the other guitarist she didn't know he was that talented, thinking he was the one playing the lead. Poor gal felt a smidge embarrassed when he told her "That's not me, that's Brian," but we all had a good-natured laugh.

In practice the day before, we had goofed around with the drummer, who played congas on the 2 band songs, playing triangle on the song the pianist played during the offering (apparently the church term is the "voluntary"), and I and the bassist had played congas. We hadn't done that in the first service though. When the pianist ran through the song between services, I played one conga and the drummer played the other one. The pianist said, you guys should do that during the service!

So we did. The look on my son's face when I came up to the bandstand and stood at the congas was priceless. Since Jack was acolyting, he was sitting up front off to the side with the vicar, just a few feet from the bandstand. He motioned to me like "YOU'RE going to play THOSE?" and I just nodded and smiled. It went pretty well except for one small break between two tunes (the voluntary was technically a medley of two different songs), but I covered pretty well, and the real drummer worked off what I did. Afterward, he was like "that was cool that you went to the two and the four on the second part of the medley!" I was like "Oh, is that what I did?"

Haha, I won't quit my day job to be a percussionist any time soon.

After the service we went over and had lunch, and then my wife came over and picked up my daughter Hannah, who had to go somewhere for some extra-credit school assignment. I stayed behind with Jack, who had to practice for the Boar's Head Christmas pageant (that's the wordless medieval English costume production, where the Nativity is told entirely in song, among other things). (Hannah is going to play Mary again this year, but she wasn't needed in practice)

As I finished packing out my gear, our assistant organist came up and said that in January a music minister friend of hers at a Methodist church a few blocks away was going to need an acoustic guitarist for an early Wednesday evening service, and asked if I was interested. I told her it depended on the timing, because I picked up our kids from their Wednesday night things at our church at 7:30. But at any rate I gave her my phone numbers and e-mail address, so maybe I'll become a "professional" church player (I'm assuming there'll be some small remuneration since I'm not from their church).

Just before we left (I was at church from about 8 a.m. until almost 3!), an older lady saw me packing a guitar into the van, and asked if had played in church. I said yes, and she said, "Oh, are you from the university?" I was a little confused by her question and told her that I had graduated a long long time ago. She said "Oh I thought they hired musicians from the university to play." I guess she was thinking of the horn players, but I explained that everyone in the praise band was a church member and volunteered. She thought that was even better, and said how much she enjoyed the music.

So, Weekend Recap:

1. Conga debut!

2. Paying church gig?

3. Mistaken for professional musician!

Woo-hoo!

And how was your weekend?

bigoldron

October 26th, 2009, 10:12 AM

So, Weekend Recap:

1. Conga debut!

2. Paying church gig?

3. Mistaken for professional musician!

Woo-hoo!

And how was your weekend?

Sounds like a pretty cool time Brian! You're on your way to becoming a "professional" church musician. :what

We've got both bands (Adult & Youth) playing Saturday night for our Fall Festival. (You know Baptists don't do "Halloween"...). We'll be out on the front porch of the fellowship hall and they'll be having games and one of those big inflatable obstacle courses. So, the kiddies will have fun. I just hope the weather's decent.

Last Saturday's Harvest Festival scored the Adult Praise Band a gig for a one-nighter at a Revival for a local church, so maybe we're going to be like you! :dude

Have a good week guys and gals!

Brian Krashpad

October 26th, 2009, 10:25 AM

Break a leg at that revival Ronnie Beth!

I've always found playing at other churches fascinating, but never really had the chance to do it. I once subbed on short notice at the Catholic church across town as a favor to my praise band director (a Catholic moonlighting at my prior Lutheran church), but that's about it. This acoustic gig would be fun if I can swing it, though if they don't have a house guitar, I might need to buy an acoustic-electric, since that's one thing I've never got around to buying.

bigoldron

October 26th, 2009, 07:04 PM

Algonquin

October 26th, 2009, 08:36 PM

Hmmm... weekend thread. I spent much of a CRAPPY Saturday wrasslin with a toilet that had previously swallowed a deodorant stick and didn't want to give it up without an extreme fight!

bigoldron

October 27th, 2009, 03:13 PM

Hmmm... weekend thread. I spent much of a CRAPPY Saturday wrasslin with a toilet that had previously swallowed a deodorant stick and didn't want to give it up without an extreme fight!

Aw now, you're just pulling our chains... :rollover :rotflmao:

deeaa

November 1st, 2009, 01:59 PM

I was going thru what vids I have on the HD as I'm upgrading my computer...also checked what I have online...found this clip I guess a year back fore xmas of our trip to Lapland.

http://deeaa.pp.fi/clips/lapland_30min.wmv

It's kinda long and might be boring, but made me laugh, I didn't remember doing that clip. In case you're interested how it looks here early winter.

Spudman

November 1st, 2009, 02:32 PM

Played my first gig with the new band and then Sunday went for a long bicycle ride on the road. I had to clear my lungs out. I'll sure be glad when Idaho goes smoke free in bars. I also consumed my yearly allotment in refined sugar.

bigoldron

November 1st, 2009, 09:37 PM

Friday night, the wife, baby girl and I went to Dothan shopping. Saturday morning, I put another coat of poly on the guitar I'm refinishing. That afternoon, we went to the church and set up our sound system outside for the "Fall Festival" we were having. Both the Adult Praise Band and the Youth Praise Band played for the kiddies and parents/grandparents/etc. to enjoy. That went well, except it turned cold about time the youth got started, so we were kinda glad to get through.

Sunday morning, instead of the adult praise band playing and singing, we played and sang with the adult choir. Ate lunch with in-laws and wife's grandmother as it was her 87th birthday yesterday. Touched up the poly this afternoon, went to church for youth praise band practice and came home.

Made home-made pizzas with my girls and started to wind down and get ready for the week.

Brian Krashpad

November 2nd, 2009, 08:00 AM

Came home a bit early Friday to help clean Casa Krashpad for weekend guests.

Had an early Saturday praise band practice, then came home and cleaned up a bunch of fallen limbs on the property, and dragged them out to the street for pickup. Also, got out the leaf-blower and cleaned the porch, driveway, and sidewalk of leaves, which was long overdue. Trimmed some of the holly bushes in front of the house and cleared the leaves from the gutter on the street.

Got cleaned up, did some laundry folding, and watched the Gator football game. Around 5:30 or so a bunch (7) of Hannah Beth's high school friends came over for a sleep-over. Went and got pizzas for all of us. Then all her friends went trick or treating for awhile. When they got back they watched scary movies all night, including one I have on DVD called "Suspiria," which is supposed to be one of the scariest movies ever made.

http://www.cult-cinema.ru/pictures/screenshots/suspiria/suspiria12.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_U0yeLBrZEBE/SHTRz9-OPGI/AAAAAAAAACE/-qD822w-rTI/s400/suspiria.jpg

So needless to say we didn't get much sleep that night.

Sunday the praise band played 3 songs, and since they were all relatively easy, I played them all on mandolin, which meant I didn't have to set up my guitar amp. However, we also had problems with my big rig (which I usually line-out my guitar amp into, and use for both bass and mandolin) in run-throughs. I eventually could only find one channel that would work, so I let the bassist use it, and played the mandolin purely acoustically. Brought the amp head home and will try to figure out what is wrong with it. Mentioned to the praise band leader that I also have a banjo, which he seemed to have forgotten (I'd not brought it in before, but thought sure I'd mentioned it), so we may work that into the service at some point too.

Stayed at my office after church, rather than go all the way home, while the kids practiced for the Boar's Head Christmas pageant, then went to pick them up. Did some reading with Jack (he reads 15 pages a night for school) and helped him with his science homework, watched some TV, did some writing for work, and went to bed.

bigoldron

November 9th, 2009, 06:38 AM

Pretty good weekend this was. Friday night we won the first round of our region playoffs 56-19. But, it was the deadest, most boring game and crowd I've ever seen. Made me wonder why anybody bothered to show up... Anyway, we're playing away next week.

Saturday, I spent half the day putting my Yamaha back together. She turned out pretty good I think. Spent the rest of the day raking pine straw in my yard and putting in the flower beds.

Sunday, the Adult Praise Band met earlier to run over the song we were going to do in the morning service. Got almost nauseated when my Yamaha started cracking and popping and dropping out. Fortunately, it was a bad patch cord, so that turned out OK. That afternoon, we had youth AND adult band practice, because the adult band is playing at a revival on Tuesday and the kids are playing at a youth rally this Saturday. The adult band played a song in the evening service and we had choir practice after the service to work on the Christmas cantata.

Busy weekend, but good! :AOK

sunvalleylaw

November 9th, 2009, 07:54 AM

It was nice, crisp, fall weather this weekend. I worked outside on the deck I am rebuilding and garden trellis, and took some black and white pics of the kids in the leaves with my ancient SLR, and took the dog on a run Saturday.

Sunday, more work on the house, really started to make some quicker progress and close in on completion. Had a nice brisk MTB ride at the end of the day as the sun was heading behind the hills, had dinner, and went off to my new acoustic jam for the second time. That was really fun! See "New Playing Opps" thread for more details on that if you care too. I hope everyone else had a nice one!

Spudman

November 9th, 2009, 08:36 AM

I played rock star and watched silly large breasted women jiggling in front of me. Nothing much else happened all weekend but the weather was divine.

Brian Krashpad

November 9th, 2009, 09:49 AM

I played rock star and watched silly large breasted women jiggling in front of me. Nothing much else happened all weekend but the weather was divine.

We'll need pics!

Spudman

November 9th, 2009, 10:03 AM

We'll need pics!

I would love to but my hands are usually quite full with all my stage duties and I have no time to fire up a camera. I'll see if I can find someone who will take some crowd shots in the future.

Brian Krashpad

November 9th, 2009, 11:00 AM

Saturday:
Spent the morning working on Jack's science experiment on the adhesiveness of tape. After lunch, took the kids over to the church for Gator football game parking about 3. Almost got rear-ended on the way into town due to the pre-game traffic congestion (came over the crest of a hill to find traffic stopped dead, for a red light a quarter-mile away). Go there later than planned because Jack's friend Ryan got the departure time mixed up and was MIA when we went to pick him up. We finally left without him, and his dad brought him over to the church.

Spent the first hour or so practicing with the praise band, with my daughter subbing on bass this week. Did 3 songs. No side church-band practice afterward this time. After practice, just sat at the lot entrance waving cars in. Had some pizza and left at half-time. Went home and watched the end of the Gator game, and then some other game I forget.

Sunday:
Went in early for pre-service run-through. Praise band leader was out so his mom subbed on piano-vocals. She has a great voice but she can't let go of her training when singing contemporary songs and over-enunciates everything. Sounds like an opera singer trying to sing the blues, if you know what I mean. Stilted instead of natural.

Played the first 2 songs on the WildKat:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/2686545950_7efd400e5d.jpg

First song with overdrive (Super Champ XD Vox channel), second song clean. Third song I played on my banjo, as seen on the right in pic below:

http://www.afn.org/%7Eafn52445/acoustics2003.JPG

It went pretty well I thought. I fingerpicked, nice easy chords, C, F, G, G7.

Left the kids at church for lunch and the Boar's Head Pageant practices. Replaced the headlamps in Mrs. K's car back at the house. When she brought the kids back, we did more work on the tape experiment, which included 20 pounds worth of barbells coming undone from the tape and smashing my left-hand pinky finger pretty nicely (still numb today).

At about 5:15 I went over to my office for the first Crash Pad practice in more than a month, first since our bassist quit. I talked our former drummer, who dropped out after adopting a baby a few years ago, into coming back and playing bass. He did great (he's played bass before) and knew almost all the songs. Our other guitarist brought his new SG, which he bought brand new from Best Buy for $1200 (ouch). In honor of his real SG, I played my hundred-dollar knockoff:

http://static.flickr.com/33/64969414_025241fa57.jpg

I can honestly say his did not sound twelve times better than mine.

Went home and worked with El Krashpadito studying for a quiz about Mexico, while Mrs. Krashpad typed up his experiment results.

And you?

Monkus

November 16th, 2009, 11:48 AM

Moving house .... *ugh*

Brian Krashpad

November 16th, 2009, 01:13 PM

Moving house .... *ugh*

Whoa, my condolences. It's been over 15 years since my last move. I shudder to consider what the next will be.

Were you staying in the area, or was it more long-distance?

Eric

November 16th, 2009, 06:16 PM

Brian Krashpad

November 16th, 2009, 06:26 PM

I think I'll join in...

Saturday:

Went with my girlfriend to drop off a couple of guitars for setups; I will see what they become after Pete the Luthier works his magic. Since we were in NJ, decided to do some early Christmas shopping. No luck there, so came back to the city and got cupcakes. Asked my girlfriend to marry me, got an affirmative. Called some people, then played Settlers of Catan after getting Indian take-out.

Sunday:

Got up at the butt crack of dawn and went to church for morning practice and the two services. Futzed with settings and hookups until everyone else arrived. Had an instrumental passage in 'Hosanna' where I could whip out a solo, but couldn't come up with much of interest to my ears, so I ended up playing the melody with some fills and embellishments. Ended up very pleased with my OD tone and became a new fan of the ME-50 'natural' OD setting, which I think markb has recommended.

Took a nap, then went to church #2 in the evening. Cooked and ate dinner afterward, then the weekend was over. What's up with that??

Congrats on your impending doom! I mean marriage. ;)

Thanks for joining in this thread. :AOK

Tell me more about this ME-50 of which thou hast spoken. I don't know what that is.

I think our church is tending to go towards pre-service practices, which makes way more sense to me than coming in the day before and then doing a second practice pre-service. Although during Gator football season, 90% of the band is there at some point (usually for several hours) the day before for football parking anyhow (our church is 5 or 6 blocks away from Florida Field, a/k/a the Swamp, and we sell parking in the church lot).

Will try to post my weekend tonight.

Eric

November 16th, 2009, 06:39 PM

Tell me more about this ME-50 of which thou hast spoken. I don't know what that is.

It's a multi-effects board and the only effects unit that I use. It has most of the big items on it like delay, OD/distortion, noise gate, simple comp, reverb, modulation effects like chorus, and a limited EQ.

The reason I love it is because it has zero amp modeling and the whole thing is knob-based (http://www.glenngoodman.com/images/old_pix/Boss%20ME50.jpg). You select your effect and then work with a knob to adjust it instead of surfing through menus to change parameter values. It's similar to the Line 6 M13, but considerably less ritzy and less versatile. It covers what I need out of a pedal, but without a lot of the junk you get in some ME pedals.

I think our church is tending to go towards pre-service practices, which makes way more sense to me than coming in the day before and then doing a second practice pre-service.

We usually have an Thursday evening (~7) practice, and we always have a Sunday-morning practice an hour before the first service. I tend to use the Thursday one to mess around with new ideas.

Eric

November 16th, 2009, 07:18 PM

Congrats on your impending doom! I mean marriage. ;)

Thanks. I'm still just kind of in a daze, but excited nonetheless.

Brian Krashpad

November 16th, 2009, 08:23 PM

Thanks. I'm still just kind of in a daze, but excited nonetheless.

As a long-married man myself, let me be clear. Marriage is the BEST!

I am married to a woman who puts up with me, and much more besides. I am truly blessed.

My hope is for you to have that joy.

deeaa

November 17th, 2009, 10:00 AM

This weekend's been kinda a haze, as I've slept real little. Friday/sat I slept maybe five hours, but since then I haven't had a wink, now running on 40th hour awake shortly. Gotta start hitting the sack soon, I'd like at least an eight-hour night before morning to get back some shuteye time.

Interesting sleep deprivation experiment, though...funny how clumsy and slow you get, almost like drunk in a way. Tried to play some online fps games, no way man, reflexes slow like a turtle's.

Had to stay awake to take an EEG test...luckily just 24 hours. I did try to get some sleep during the day after the test, but no way...tired as I am, better wait till ten at night before trying. Otherwise I'll spoil my sleep rhythms.

On a brighter side, finally got to talking w/doctors some about my mom, and they seem to generally agree it's about time to lock her up in some hospital & keep her under control so she'll eat her meds etc. They already admitted her to check for her to eat antibiotics she needs just now, but there was another doctor at the other place they tok her, and they weren't sure what to do, and couldn't act against her will, so they dismissed her back home once again. Well anyway the wheel is now rolling and one of these days she's not going to be let out any more.

Eric

November 17th, 2009, 10:44 AM

Had to stay awake to take an EEG test...luckily just 24 hours. I did try to get some sleep during the day after the test, but no way...tired as I am, better wait till ten at night before trying. Otherwise I'll spoil my sleep rhythms.

I feel you. I had to take a few EEGs back when I was younger, and at least one of them was the sleep-deprived kind. However, I gave in and zonked out as soon as the test was over.

You're nuts for staying up afterward, though I see your point about the schedule.

Brian Krashpad

November 17th, 2009, 11:47 AM

Dee, I hope and pray that your Mom's situation gets sorted eventually.

Here's my weekend.

Saturday:

In the morning we continued the clean-up at Casa Krashpad because my parents are coming next week. Aournd 1 p.m. we took a break and went to an arts fest downtown. My friends who had played a few weeks ago asked me to come up and sing/play mandolin on their last song again, but we got there after their set started so I didn't have a chance to check in with them about it. I just sat in the crowd and figured that if they saw me, they could call me up, but I didn't want to throw them off their rhythm otherwise.

They didn't see me, so I didn't play with them. No biggie. My son and I wandered around the fest with a friend of mine we bumped into, who asked me if I might write local music reviews for a new magazine his publisher is starting up. After he left, my son got tired, so we sat and rested. A blues band was playing about a block away, and I managed to figure out 1-4-5 progressions on the mandolin and play along with their music. That was fun even though I didn't really know what chords I was playing and whatnot.

We went home and watched the Gators finish their season by beating their last SEC foe, South Carolina, headed by our former coach Steve Spurrier. The Evil Genius had some tricks up his sleeve, including a successful fake punt, but the mighty Gators were too much for SC. Yay!

After the game, or towards the end, I took my son Jack to a friend's for a sleep-over. Then I hung out at home with the girls and went to bed. Unfortunately, my wife roused me at about 11:30 and said our daughter was having a really bad migraine, so she took her to the emergency room and got her some different meds, and an IV. They also did a cat scan. They didn't get back until almost 3:00 a.m.

Sunday:

I had to get up early for church, which obviously the girls were skipping (my wife had already planned to skip in favor of a brunch with friends, previous to the whole hospital trip anyhow). We only had 2 songs, I played both on my Hamer Special:

http://static.flickr.com/9/68914042_487b48a210.jpg

Backup was my LP Studio DC:

http://static.flickr.com/34/64187961_55ebafd407.jpg

After the sermon, I skipped out early to go pick my son Jack from the sleepover, at which he had in fact not got any sleep. He fell asleep in the van going back to church. He had lunch and then a practice for the Boar's Head Christmas pageant, and I explained why my daughter Hannah (who plays Mary, as she did last year) was not there. We got back to Casa Krashpad at almost 4 in the afternoon.

My wife and daughter, who was back to herself, then went to one of my wife's student's Vietnamese wedding. I stayed home with Jack and did homework and watched TV.

bigoldron

November 17th, 2009, 11:42 PM

Friday night we just hung around the house and rented a movie. Disney's "Up". Overall not bad, but way too sad for a kid's movie, in my opinion. Our football team had gone to play in the 1st round of state playoffs and lost by 1 TD. I was told there were SEVERAL bad, if not flat wrong, calls. Two TD's by us for called back for supposedly bogus calls. Oh well, there's always next year...

Saturday we slept in. Got up later than normal ("later" for me is 8:30...) and got ready to go to our Church Associational Youth Rally at 3:00. It was at a town 25 miles away. Our youth band played first. Did 5 songs and did a really good job. Way better than the second group. The third group was good, but is more of a mellower classic rock sounding band. The kind you like to just sit back and listen to. Not jump around like a goofball... Anyway, the overall rally was kind of flat. The crowd wasn't very large, the second band bit the big one and everyone was bored by the time the 3rd band finished. The pastor gave a 40 minute long, 10 minute sermon, which further put a damper on the overall spirit of the event. Youth rallies are supposed to be "UP" and "Uplifting", not boring... Oh well.

Sunday morning, my kids played 2 songs in the morning service (in "Big Church" as we jokingly call it) and did a GREAT JOB! I am proud of my kids. They bless me every time I'm around them. Had practice later that afternoon and Sunday night service. That's pretty much it....

deeaa

November 22nd, 2009, 09:56 AM

Hey,

Would you believe it, guys, I actually went to church today. That was due to my son is in a day club arranged by the church and they sang there.

It was not an ordinary thing I guess, there were the normal lutheran mass bits, but also 3 songs performed by a 40+ youth choir.

Other than that, it went pretty normal I guess. The priestess first went thru the mass things and then the assistant priestess - or actually, what do you call them in English? Reverendresses? I have no idea - anyway, led the choirs. It was a lot less gloomy than I remember them to usually be.

Then the head bishop also came along - I know him pretty well since I was a kid, he was always taking us to camps etc and he also christened our firstborn - and he said a few words and it was over.

I felt a bit out of place in my band shirt and I thought if any of them knew I wasn't a member & an atheist, but it was quite interesting. I guess I won't mind if my kid wants to go to those again :-)

Brian Krashpad

November 23rd, 2009, 08:27 AM

Hey Dee, it's good to hear you had a good experience with church. I don't know about Lutherans in Finland, but over here some have a reputation for a certain "standoffishness." Drives Mrs. K downright batty some times.

American Lutherans call lady priests priests. Some denominations here use "pastor" or "minister" or "reverend," also. In English "priestess" has a bit of an Ishtar/Ashtaroth ring to it, so Christians don't use that word to reference our lady clergy.

Saturday:

Praise band practice at church, my daughter subbing on bass again, yay! Then outside for Gator game parking lot duty. Glorious weather, perfect. Back home for more cleaning.

Sunday:

Church rocked yesterday. We actually clapped. Not applause, clapping to a part of one song where all the instruments except drums dropped out and everyone sang a capella for a chorus. Then a pick slide down into a half-step modulation for a last chorus. Clapping and a pick slide. Who'da thunk it!

Hannah did fine on bass too, and I played my hundred dollar Esteban acoustic-electric as well; and banjo on one song.

Then back home for more cleaning. 'Rents showed up several HOURS earlier than expected, haha. Had dinner with them and watched TV, including the end of the MLS Cup, which was pretty dramatic.

Eric

November 23rd, 2009, 08:33 AM

Church rocked yesterday. We actually clapped. Not applause, clapping to a part of one song where all the instruments except drums dropped out and everyone sang a capella for a chorus. Then a pick slide down into a half-step modulation for a last chorus. Clapping and a pick slide. Who'da thunk it!

Man, your church sounds like the one I used to go to.

I finally felt it was time to move, and the place I've been going for about a year and a half is SO much different. Everyone is really into the songs, the musicianship is on a pretty high level, and they love volume and dirt. Everyone really uses the music to worship instead of just tolerating it.

I hope the clapping was a sign of things to come. Music can be a really powerful conduit to God if you let it be.

Brian Krashpad

November 23rd, 2009, 08:48 AM

Man, your church sounds like the one I used to go to.

I finally felt it was time to move, and the place I've been going for about a year and a half is SO much different. Everyone is really into the songs, the musicianship is on a pretty high level, and they love volume and dirt. Everyone really uses the music to worship instead of just tolerating it.

I hope the clapping was a sign of things to come. Music can be a really powerful conduit to God if you let it be.

I've taken it on as my little mission. We did 5 songs yesterday, but there's no real reason we couldn't do the whole service. From what the other guitarist (who goes direct into the church PA) said after the service, the organist/Music Director was interfering again, and turned down the PA in the middle of the service, because at the end of the service my son said he couldn't hear my acoustic-electric (which is not in the PA) well, while the other guitarist said that from where he was onstage, that was ALL he could hear, and that he couldn't even hear the lead vocalist/praise band director singing. So it looks like the MD is meddling again. I stay out of the PA so he can't turn me down, the bass runs through my rig also, as does my acoustic-electric and/or mandolin. If the MD messes with the PA, it messes everything up. Part of the problem is no decent monitors.

The vicar really liked it, and a bunch of people gave us compliments, so we'll take it one day at a time.

Eric

November 23rd, 2009, 11:23 AM

I've taken it on as my little mission. We did 5 songs yesterday, but there's no real reason we couldn't do the whole service. From what the other guitarist (who goes direct into the church PA) said after the service, the organist/Music Director was interfering again, and turned down the PA in the middle of the service, because at the end of the service my son said he couldn't hear my acoustic-electric (which is not in the PA) well, while the other guitarist said that from where he was onstage, that was ALL he could hear, and that he couldn't even hear the lead vocalist/praise band director singing. So it looks like the MD is meddling again. I stay out of the PA so he can't turn me down, the bass runs through my rig also, as does my acoustic-electric and/or mandolin. If the MD messes with the PA, it messes everything up. Part of the problem is no decent monitors.

The messed up part of that is that it's the music director! It's one thing if somebody completely uneducated about sound goes to the booth and presses buttons (as has happened before in my experience), but you would hope the overseer of the whole thing would realize how that's going to affect things...

Keep working on it, and keep praying about the whole thing.

Brian Krashpad

November 23rd, 2009, 11:44 AM

The messed up part of that is that it's the music director! It's one thing if somebody completely uneducated about sound goes to the booth and presses buttons (as has happened before in my experience), but you would hope the overseer of the whole thing would realize how that's going to affect things...

Keep working on it, and keep praying about the whole thing.

Thanks.

He's a gifted musician and organist, vocal choir director, and bell choir director, but he's out of his element with modern live music. I could just about guarantee that he's never (willingly) heard modern "rock/pop" music played live, outside of church. And what he's heard in our church he frequently tries to turn down.

I'm relatively certain he's more than a little ticked off about me not being in the PA mix, but when he started pulling that stuff (unfortunately the board is in the choir loft), I made sure that nothing I was playing was going to be at his mercy. Although frankly playing direct usually sounds like poo, anyhow, so I wouldn't have wanted to do that to begin with; his shenanagins sealed the deal on that'un.

bigoldron

November 26th, 2009, 09:34 AM

Thanks.

He's a gifted musician and organist, vocal choir director, and bell choir director, but he's out of his element with modern live music. I could just about guarantee that he's never (willingly) heard modern "rock/pop" music played live, outside of church. And what he's heard in our church he frequently tries to turn down.

I'm relatively certain he's more than a little ticked off about me not being in the PA mix, but when he started pulling that stuff (unfortunately the board is in the choir loft), I made sure that nothing I was playing was going to be at his mercy. Although frankly playing direct usually sounds like poo, anyhow, so I wouldn't have wanted to do that to begin with; his shenanagins sealed the deal on that'un.

I'm blessed with a music minister who enjoys the music but is a little clueless on mixing sound, so he doesn't mess with it. What we do have to put up with is the sound guy who is a henchman for the leader of the "dissension" group - a minority, but very vocal group who think we should be behaving like they did it the 50's and 60's. They're causing a lot of turmoil and will probably keep on till the church either hushes them up or causes a split. Anyway, the sound guy doesn't like it loud, so he takes every opportunity to turn us down that he can.

On the 15th, the youth band played 2 songs and we intentionally didn't play loud because we didn't want to offend. We practiced right before church, so the leader of that group heard us. Of course, his comments were "Why do ya'll like it so loud. They're holding their ears back here." I said, "because they're kids and they like it that way." and walked away. After church, one of the even older members came and raved over the good job the kids did. Go figure....

Brian Krashpad

November 28th, 2009, 07:22 AM

I'm blessed with a music minister who enjoys the music but is a little clueless on mixing sound, so he doesn't mess with it. What we do have to put up with is the sound guy who is a henchman for the leader of the "dissension" group - a minority, but very vocal group who think we should be behaving like they did it the 50's and 60's. They're causing a lot of turmoil and will probably keep on till the church either hushes them up or causes a split. Anyway, the sound guy doesn't like it loud, so he takes every opportunity to turn us down that he can.

On the 15th, the youth band played 2 songs and we intentionally didn't play loud because we didn't want to offend. We practiced right before church, so the leader of that group heard us. Of course, his comments were "Why do ya'll like it so loud. They're holding their ears back here." I said, "because they're kids and they like it that way." and walked away. After church, one of the even older members came and raved over the good job the kids did. Go figure....

Man, Ron, that sounds so familiar. I'll pray for y'all.

Last night the kids had a lock-in. They're letting them sleep in this morning and waking them up around noonish for the last Gator game parking lot detail. I'll go in for band practice and stay for parking.

sunvalleylaw

November 29th, 2009, 09:52 PM

Ok, back in town a couple hours ago. We had a nice Thanksgiving, entertaining at home, with lots of guitar playing during the day. Then Friday, we went down to Salt Lake City to enjoy the holiday sights and do a little holiday shopping. We stayed at the Grand America Hotel, owned by the same owners as Sun Valley, where I was enjoying my R&R SV benefit for loyal employment before it expired in a week or so after I held on to it for almost five years. I earned it for five years, and my 10 year hiring anniversary is in a few weeks.

I am attaching the chords that Joshua Payne, a jazz trio player, gave me for his trio arrangement of Christmastime is Here, in F, instead of in E as the other example posted in another thread. His trio was playing at the Sunday Brunch we attended. Yum! Amazing brunch, and nice jazz. Just posting The arrangement because I thought it was cool he took time to write it out. I went and chatted the trio up at a break, as I was enjoying it so much. A nice sounding arrangement. The stand up bass player carried the bass lines, so Joshua said this might sound spare on solo guitar. Nonetheless, I love jazzy chords, and think they sound great in holiday tunes. He was playing a 1947 Epiphone Emperor (hollowbody archtop) though a little acoustic/pa amp. Kind of a trapeze style tail piece and some vintage, D'Armond (sp?) pickup, that looked kind like a clip on with a light of some kind on it. Both the top, and jumbo back quite arched, and finished essentially clear, that has yellowed with the years to a honey amber. I bet it is worth a bunch. Sounded warm and nice. I thought he could bring himself up a tad in the mix, but . . . ;-)

It was a nice weekend. I was not impressed with SLC guitar shops, sad to say. Though I did pick up some picks for my daughter, and a set of strings for my Martin at a pretty nice acoustic shop.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/sunvalleylaw/ChristmasTimeIsHere.jpg

Brian Krashpad

November 30th, 2009, 07:18 AM

I can't read his writing, but the first (left-hand) chord in the second line is marked as a B-something-or-other, but looks like a D minor to me (open A min played at 5th fret)?

sunvalleylaw

November 30th, 2009, 09:26 AM

The first chord is Fmaj7, going to a Eb9#11, then the next line goes with a Bdim7, as I interpret the empty set symbol. I am going to confirm a few things with him, then do a different thread on the song. I am going to ask Jim Pfeiffer's help too, as he does a beautiful version you can find on his soundclick page.

I was just giving thanks as I dropped the kids at school for the nice, relaxing weekend, using my R&R beni. We were really pampered by my side job company, and we have had such a busy summer and fall, we were sure ready. Made me feel human again, and ready to face the challenges of the week!

Brian Krashpad

December 7th, 2009, 07:56 AM

On Sunday, but more about that later.

Friday

Finally got new carpet installed on the stairs and the upstairs. The old carpet was like 25 years old. We'd replaced the downstairs carpet years ago, and then eventually replaced that with laminate flooring we installed, so this was overdue. Friday night spent toting things back upstairs.

Saturday

Praise band practice at church in the morning. My daughter has gone from being the substitute bassist to the every-week bassist, and the former bassist is now playing acoustic guitar. The former bassist also plays trombone, which she played on a couple songs. I played electric on 4 songs, and one song each on banjo and mandolin. The pianist/bandleader has also brought in his synth keyboard in addition to the piano. So now the line-up is:
Bassist (my daughter), Electric guitar/mando/banjo (me), Singer/Electric guitarist, Singer/keyboard, Acoustic guitarist/trombonist, Drummer/percussionist, and occasional flautist.

Saturday afternoon was more toting stuff upstairs and picking up. Watched the first half of the Gator game and then took the kids to a restaurant to watch the second half, so my wife could have the house for a dinner party with her gal friends. My son, 12, was pretty heartbroken when the Gators lost. After dinner, we went to the mall for awhile. My son bought a video game with his allowance so that put him in a better mood. Then we went to an ice cream shop a couple miles from the mall, then finally home.

Sunday

This was the day of my new personal record. For playing in bands in one day.

Church service at 11 with run-through at 9:30. Songs went fairly smoothly, other than having to tweak a guitar mid-song due to some tuning issues at one point.

So, that was band #1.

After breaking down my gear and hauling it and myself and my daughter home, had some lunch, then went back into town at 2 p.m. to meet up with a new band, at least new to me, called Cinnamon Hill. Mellow sort of folk-based music, mostly originals. These guys are scary good. 3 part harmonies all over the place, transposing songs and using numbers instead of chords, that sort of thing. Since I was playing mandolin, which is basically my third instrument, I was definitely over my head, but still I think I played pretty well. For a couple songs where I didn't know some of the mando chords, I just worked out a little recurring single-note lead line on the fly instead. I also played my beater Yammy 12-string on a few songs, and as usual that old thing sounded great. The band line-up, in addition to me playing along on mando or 12-string, was an acoustic guitarist/singer, a keyboardist/singer, a female singer, and a bassist. They also have a percussionist, but he had a work conflict. They also mentioned an electric guitarist, but I'm not sure what his status with them is.

So, that was band #2.

Went directly from the Cinnamon Hill practice (at their keyboardist's house) over to my office. Next up, a Crash Pad practice. Our rhythm guitarist couldn't make it, so we played as a trio. Me on guitar/vocals, our drummer, and our new bassist, who is in fact a former Crash Pad drummer from a few years ago. (This is a perfect example of why it's good to stay on good terms with former bandmates if possible.) Anyhow, that went well also, the new/old guy did good, a few flubs as he's still working out parts, but basically fine.

So, that was band #3.

Last, we had a practice, following the Crash Pad practice, of Hoyt and the Hotheads. In that band I currently play bass. The drummer is the same drummer from Crash Pad, so we were already there. Hoyt, the lead singer/rhythm guitarist arrived, and we started as a trio. Later, our erstwhile lead guitarist (he has come and "jammed" with us at a number of practices but has never played a show with us) Mike showed up, so we finished as a 4-piece.

So, that was band #4.

And how was your weekend?

PS-- the Cinnamon Hill peeps later asked me back to their next practice so that seems like a good sign.

street music

December 8th, 2009, 09:26 PM

These are from Friday while I was out, I had my camera out for the first time in awhile.
[http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/th_NathansDecemberpictures09014.jpgG]
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/NathansDecemberpictures09015.jpg?t=1260622238
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/NathansDecemberpictures09008.jpg?t=1260622293
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/NathansDecemberpictures09013.jpg?t=1260622339

street music

December 8th, 2009, 09:34 PM

Someone tell me what I'm doing wrong , I have these up on photobucket?

Brian Krashpad

December 9th, 2009, 07:00 AM

These are from Friday while I was out, I had my camera out for the first time in awhile.
<a href="http://s944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/?action=view&current=NathansDecemberpictures09014.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/NathansDecemberpictures09014.jpg" border="0" alt="water fall close up"></a>
<a href="http://s944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/?action=view&current=NathansDecemberpictures09015.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/NathansDecemberpictures09015.jpg" border="0" alt="u-turn closeup 2"></a>
<a href="http://s944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/?action=view&current=NathansDecemberpictures09022.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/NathansDecemberpictures09022.jpg" border="0" alt="Beaver dam"></a>

I think you may be linking to the page the pics are on, rather than the pic itself. Or maybe using an html tag instead of an IMG tage.

Got to photobucket and open the album that the pics are in. There should be little thumbnail pics of all the pics in the album. As you mouse over the one you want to post, a little pull-down menu should appear under it. At the bottom of the pull-down menu, it should say "IMG code." Copy the tag in the little box next to IMG code, then paste that code into your message here.

street music

December 12th, 2009, 07:08 AM

Ok, I might have the hang of this I edited pictures above but I'll add a couple more http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/PatsDec09pictures011.jpg?t=1260623381

and this one
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/PatsDec09pictures010.jpg?t=1260623431

and my little guard cat
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/1musicstreet/Pats09fallpictures008.jpg?t=1260623515

Brian Krashpad

December 15th, 2009, 09:01 AM

This weekend was the annual "Boar's Head Festival" at church, a funky medieval play/pageant thing for Christmas with a bazillion and one cast members in costume, and lots of music), and most of the men who are in the cast grow beards to be more authentic. Since the time where everybody was growing their beards coincided with "No-Shave November," I decided to go ahead and grow a goatee as a show of solidarity with the cast, and a way to my placate my own laziness (win-win!).

While I avoided being actually in the cast (and thus having to go to weekly rehearsals), at the last second the pastor decided it would be good to have some praise band people be "minstrels" in the church courtyard before each of the 3 shows, and I got drafted for that. I played mandolin, and two other guys played guitars. Since I had no idea what kind of costume I'd be stuck with and really didn't want to go to the trouble of changing at the church and then de-costuming for a 15 to 30 minute performance, I short-circuited the plan and made my own costume (had an old pair of engineer boots with buckles, and stole a woolen hooded cloak from Mrs. K's side of the closet).

Anyhow, the goatee came in nigh on white. Ugh. Here's a couple pics. Our other guitarist got called away momentarily, so "Mary" (my daughter Hannah Beth) sat in for a song:

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs090.snc3/15756_1274385372237_1008012468_30829413_6575361_n. jpg

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs090.snc3/15756_1274385332236_1008012468_30829412_243882_n.j pg

That goatee went away last night and hopefully I can get a haircut today. I am looking awfully grampa-like of late.

Sigh. :cry:

So, anyhow, there were shows Friday night, and two on Sunday (the pics above are from the early show on Sunday). In between on Saturday we had a praise band practice, and both kids went to birthday parties. Watched Army-Navy Saturday afternoon (Go Navy!). Sunday morning played in church as usual, but the praise band did all the music again, since the Music Director (the praise band's nemesis) has been ill. In between the service and the 4:30 Boar's Head show, I squeezed in a short practice with the new (to me) band, Cinnamon Hill. Played all mandolin for that. Seems to be going well, at least they asked me back.

And you?

Robert

December 15th, 2009, 09:03 AM

That's cool Brian! You old and awesome!

Me? I was cold. And I had my birthday.

Brian Krashpad

December 15th, 2009, 09:07 AM

That's cool Brian! You old and awesome!

Me? I was cold. And I had my birthday.

Haha, that cloak looked cool anyhow. With the hood up it was very Jedi. I went around in the staging area (church fellowship hall) saying "These aren't the droids you're looking for."

Did you do anything special for your birthday? Do tell!

Brian Krashpad

December 18th, 2009, 01:09 PM

Here's a pic a pro photographer took during the dress rehearsal for Boar's Head, my Hannah Beth is Mary. This is from the end of the show, where, after the Biblical cast tells the Christmas story, the Medieval cast comes back in, with the King and Queen last, and all the Court bows to the Holy Family:

http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs010/1102549393342/img/147.jpg

Robert

January 1st, 2010, 07:45 PM

Brian Krashpad

January 1st, 2010, 09:15 PM

I went for a run today and this is what I looked like when I got back. It was minus 23 with a 35 km/h windchill, so it felt like about -37 Celsius as a result.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_kmpRYJWvkw0/Sz6kS2XrytI/AAAAAAAABl0/EmfC1uzoYUY/s640/P1014261.JPG

It's official.

You're clinically insane.

Please check yourself into a facility, as it's clear you're a danger to yourself and others.

M29

January 1st, 2010, 09:40 PM

Run from what? Is that the edge of a chain saw I see there at the bottom? :thwap :D

marnold

January 1st, 2010, 10:27 PM

You look like Samson's Thunderstick:
http://www.sleazegrinder.com/images/home/Stick1.jpg

Brian Krashpad

January 2nd, 2010, 07:26 AM

Run from what? Is that the edge of a chain saw I see there at the bottom? :thwap :D

The sane thing to do would've been to take his chances with the chain saw!

;)

Spudman

January 2nd, 2010, 09:22 PM

Speaking of sane...I was wondering if I still was. My weekend was surreal. I played 2 nights of my rock and blues sets with mostly nude women grinding away on tabletops and doing lap dances on the other side of the room. Toward the end of the night it kind of dawned on me that most of the song lyrics actually fit the situation. Go figure. :thwap

Brian Krashpad

January 3rd, 2010, 06:35 AM

Spudman

January 3rd, 2010, 10:52 AM

Pics!

Check your PMs in a while. I can't post them.

sunvalleylaw

January 3rd, 2010, 11:33 AM

Well, it is the end of the always very busy holiday period. During this time, I teach skiing in addition to my lawyer gig, plus the family excitement for Christmas of course. Today is a quiet day. I finally get a day off after working straight through other than Christmas day itself. We are going to go snowshoe out one of my favorite mountain bike areas (Greenhorn), and likely take down the tree, put things away, etc.

I have holiday music on still, as I like to listen a bit after the holidays after things slow down and I can appreciate the season.

Here is what it looks like outside today:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/sunvalleylaw/HappyNY10.jpg

The snow is not as deep as the porch swing makes it look. That is my partly finished trellis project. I still need to cut that chain to proper height, and get the 2x6 installed up top and 2x2 firring strips on the back to complete the fence. Still looking pretty nice out there though! Happy New Year all!

Brian Krashpad

January 3rd, 2010, 12:06 PM

Check your PMs in a while. I can't post them.

Haha, you ol' dawg!

deeaa

January 10th, 2010, 07:44 AM

been cold here of late...below -20 the whole week. under 30 in places. walked to town yesterday ... only 3-4 mile trip but we sure had to put a lot of clothes on the 3-month-old Paul :-)

been busy...finished with latest demo & we got album out as well...and got me a new toy - a htc hd2 "smartphone" which I'm writing this on.it replaced my iPaq smartphone wwhich I will now use only as a boat and car navigator. this htc sure is pretty and fast, quite ok for web surfing, email and navigation etc. was hard to pick between this and an iPhone but this just made the iphone look clumsy and dated. plus i had a lot of wm software paid for on ipaq...iphone might have had less little bugs tho.

Brian Krashpad

January 10th, 2010, 07:49 AM

been cold here of late...below -20 the whole week. under 30 in places. walked to town yesterday ... only 3-4 mile trip but we sure had to put a lot of clothes on the 3-month-old Paul :-)

Yikes!

I hope that -20 is F and not Celsisus!

Have had a busy weekend myself-- gotta run to church to play some guitar! '52 Reissue Tele this week, with the Agile P-90 SG in reserve.

Report on return.

Brian Krashpad

January 10th, 2010, 03:19 PM

OK, promised (threatened) report.

Friday night: Practice in church Fellowship Hall for club debut (versus playing at church college group function earlier this year) of my "church" side band, Pedagogy. This is the keyboard-bass-drums trio doing the praise band director's (Joel's) material. We got a last-minute show for Saturday night earlier this week. So we practiced Friday night. Singer threw 2 new covers at me (I don't listen to the same type music he does, so I'd never heard either of them before) for the Saturday show. Tried practicing with my DiY 2x10 and old 60W Sunn head but it sounded horrible. Resolved to use 200W solid state Crate for next practice and show. One of the church's monitors actually started literally smoking, and Joel blew up one of his keyboard amps.

It was pretty loud.

Saturday:

Praise band practice at 11:30 in the Sanctuary. Nothing I could play mandolin or banjo on. Second week of us doing only 3 songs, but at least they were pretty cool songs. The service opener was a rocker, and with more guitars playing now, I basically solo through the whole thing. After praise band, the director, the drummer and I went over to the Fellowship Hall for another Pedagogy practice. This time I played through the 8x10 Ampeg SVT cab and the Crate. Vast improvement sound-wise. Nothing blew up, though we were still pretty loud.

Went home after trying to get a new heating element for the water heater, and a bow saw to cut fire wood. Couldn't find a matching heating element without the old one in hand, and ended up getting a small hand saw since the Home Depot was all out of bow saws.

Cut some firewood at home, watched some football, and loaded up the van for the show. Went to the show with my daughter. Tiny little room. A bunch of the church college youth group came, and our singer's mom. Set went well enough, a couple of my friends showed up late and missed us by almost a half hour. The house gave us $10 (yes, ten) and a $20 bar tab.

Hung around for a little of the next band's set. They were a couple aging white hippie guys on guitar and bass, and somewhat younger black guy on drums. Kind of bluesy-jammy type stuff. The guitarist used a stereo rig with a Fat Strat into two Peavey 1x12's. Bassist was especially good, played a Fender P-J with a painted headstock, didn't know the changes by rote, was following the guitarist's hands. They covered the Stones' "Dead Flowers." Got home about midnight, but couldn't fall asleep for another couple hours.

Sunday:

Church service went really well. First song totally rocked, after the service my daughter (who plays bass, but stands up on a riser, higher than I and more close to the center of the church) said there were lots of scowls during the first song from various and sundry parishioners, haha.

Sigh.

On returning home, cut more firewood, did a load of dishes and tried to pick up the house a bit before my daughter's school chums came over to work on a project.

Next up: pack up van with basses from Saturday night and guitars that've been sitting around since last Sunday in the family room (this morning's guitars are still in the van, as is my bass rig from last night), and take the whole batch over to the office for a practice with the roots rock side band, Hoyt and the Hotheads, after the last NFL game (Green Bay, I think-- our drummer won't practice during most Green Bay games since he was briefly on the Green Bay roster before getting cut after pre-season back in the day). On return to Casa Krashpad, tend fire, maybe write a bit for work and/or crack the whip over/assist the lad with his math homework.

Brian Krashpad

January 25th, 2010, 08:02 AM

Hey man, nobody does anything on their weekends?

Friday: Pedagogy practice at church at 6. Nothing blew up.

Saturday: Took son for a playdate at his friend's across town in the afternoon. Went home and tuned basses, mandolin, and 12-string. Cinnamon Hill practice at about 5:30, could only stay for awhile as I had a show following. Played all mandolin.

Pedagogy show, same place as 2 weeks ago. We opened, after an acoustic guy. I played my Epi T-bird this time, the T-40 sounded better, but at least the T-bird wasn't as heavy. Lent my bass rig to the guy in the band that followed us so I could separate my breakdown/haul-out into 2 segments. Good set but not quite as good as previous. My entire family was there, Mrs. K and both kids. The Mrs. and my son left after our set, my daughter stayed with, for the band after us. Stopped at Taco Hell on the way home since I had skipped dinner due to the practice and show.

Sunday: slight hangover (my daughter was my designated driver the night before), at church at about 9:30 to practice. Played one song on mandolin, 2 on electric guitar. After church was a potluck for our vicar, who got married last weekend back in the Midwest somewhere. His new wife did a piano-vocal song during church and was really good.

Afternoon and evening was mainly watching the football championships when I could stay awake. Also finished cleaning the higher gutter on Casa Krashpad and took the borrowed ladder back to our neighbor.

And y'all?

Eric

January 25th, 2010, 08:16 AM

Hey man, nobody does anything on their weekends?

Friday: Went to eat some Indian food at a local buffet, kept eating until I was ready to explode.

Saturday: Went for a run in the morning, went to Home Depot to get some supplies for a closet pole in the basement, and installed said closet pole. Organized some things in the basement. Gave away a recliner that I don't use. Went to a bake-off in the evening and ate more sugar than I thought was physically possible.

Sunday: Went to the late service at church, as I wasn't scheduled to play. Listened to the new sound system that was just installed the previous week. Ate lunch, took a nap, and went into the city for the evening service at that church.

Exciting, huh?

Brian Krashpad

January 25th, 2010, 08:23 AM

Friday: Went to eat some Indian food at a local buffet, kept eating until I was ready to explode.

Saturday: Went for a run in the morning, went to Home Depot to get some supplies for a closet pole in the basement, and installed said closet pole. Organized some things in the basement. Gave away a recliner that I don't use. Went to a bake-off in the evening and ate more sugar than I thought was physically possible.

Sunday: Went to the late service at church, as I wasn't scheduled to play. Listened to the new sound system that was just installed the previous week. Ate lunch, took a nap, and went into the city for the evening service at that church.

Exciting, huh?

Well, mine wasn't exciting either, haha.

Although a new sound system is exciting. I wish our church would get one, we need it. I think we're on the cusp of getting an electronic drum kit for the church first though. Also, we probably need to figure out exactly where in the building we're going to end up playing. I think it'd be better to reconfigure the front of the church than to stick us up in the choir loft, but we don't have a lot of options. When this church was built there was no such thing as a a "praise band" with drums and guitars.

Eric

January 25th, 2010, 08:35 AM

a new sound system is exciting. I wish our church would get one, we need it. I think we're on the cusp of getting an electronic drum kit for the church first though. Also, we probably need to figure out exactly where in the building we're going to end up playing. I think it'd be better to reconfigure the front of the church than to stick us up in the choir loft, but we don't have a lot of options. When this church was built there was no such thing as a a "praise band" with drums and guitars.
Funny. I actually thought we didn't need one. I came from a city church with very little money, so pretty much anything seems fine to me.

I don't know all of the details of why an upgraded one will be better -- I think we have more/better speakers now for better control of everything, which is the main benefit. It sounded good, but when I'm in the audience/congregation, I usually notice balance/level, playing, and overall tightness/flow more than I notice the actual audio quality.

Brian Krashpad

January 25th, 2010, 09:03 AM

Funny. I actually thought we didn't need one. I came from a city church with very little money, so pretty much anything seems fine to me.

I don't know all of the details of why an upgraded one will be better -- I think we have more/better speakers now for better control of everything, which is the main benefit. It sounded good, but when I'm in the audience/congregation, I usually notice balance/level, playing, and overall tightness/flow more than I notice the actual audio quality.

I need to learn a lot more about ours. The prob is, the board is up in the choir loft, and we're at the other end of the church. That, and basically no monitors to speak of. There are some that I'm sure were meant for handling speech only (not a full band) that are up on pillars, but they're too far away to do any good. We've done all sorts of stopgaps to make it sound better and allow us to hear ourselves. Just when I thought we had it tweaked pretty good (for a very odd amalgam of various people's gear, mainly mine, and the church's), now we're going to end up in the choir loft and back to square one.

Sigh.

Eric

January 25th, 2010, 09:14 AM

I need to learn a lot more about ours. The prob is, the board is up in the choir loft, and we're at the other end of the church. That, and basically no monitors to speak of. There are some that I'm sure were meant for handling speech only (not a full band) that are up on pillars, but they're too far away to do any good. We've done all sorts of stopgaps to make it sound better and allow us to hear ourselves. Just when I thought we had it tweaked pretty good (for a very odd amalgam of various people's gear, mainly mine, and the church's), now we're going to end up in the choir loft and back to square one.

Sigh.
That sounds so familiar. Good luck. Thankfully, my main issue right now is coming up with good solos for our songs -- it's a good problem to have.

Monkus

January 25th, 2010, 08:26 PM

Friday: Went out had a few beers

Saturday: 1st soccer game for the year, a three team tournament with our team fielding a bare eleven, got a helluva workout. Got home and tracked bass and a guitar on a personal project.

Sunday: Crawled out of bed late, cooked lunch, played squash later on in the evening to iron out kinks from saturday. No fun, sometimes I wish I wasn't this competitive. Muscle aches all around. Noodled around on guitar for the same project, found nothing working. Note to self, don't be tired in the studio while learning new sequencing software.

Anyone else find ultrabeat in Logic intimidating?

sunvalleylaw

January 25th, 2010, 11:57 PM

Got up early Sat, coached skiing, then attended clinic in the terrain park. Rails and jumps. Watched Inglorious Basterds, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Will watch it again.

Sunday, some guitar, some skate skiing (a type of nordic skiing, great exercise), then took my 12 year old up to the terrain park to practice jumps. A little more guitar, then bed.

Brian Krashpad

February 1st, 2010, 02:23 PM

Saturday: 10:30 practice at church for Sunday, only three songs AGAIN. Ugh. Plus we'll be going up to start playing in the choir loft soon. Just when we had our system in the front of the church tweaked, we'll be back to square one. Supposedly we're all going to use headphones once the electronic drums get here. I predict absolute disaster for that scheme.

At 6 p.m. I drove back into town for another (4th so far) practice with the acoustic-oriented band, Cinnamon Hill. Got out about 10 p.m. As usual, they were scary good, especially the vocals. Met the percussionist for the first time, although according to him we'd met some time in the distant past already. When you've been on the same scene for 29 years, that happens a lot.

Found out that the bassist for the band has played the Ryman. Oh man. My mandolining is improving, one song had an end tag with 6 different chords played for just one strum each, with an Eb and an Ab stuck in there, and although I had to really concentrate, I could nail it. Am getting used to figuring out 2-note chords, which apparently is done a lot on mando and not considered cheating. Took a long dinner break and the pianist's wife fed us. Really good Mexican food, make-your-own burritos with all kinds of fixings. Those practices are so homey, kids running around, a couple spouses, food, and not a one of them (except me) drinks alcohol. (Totally unlike any of my other bands' practices ever, haha.) But I abstain as I would kind of stick out and besides I'm playing way over my head with these guys and need to be sharp.

Sunday: First two songs were on electric guitar, last on mando. While jamming along to the pre-service music, just before the service I thought my mando was out of tune, unfortunately I don't have a mando-sized stand so it gets leaned against walls, laid on the floor, etc. and the tuners sometimes get bonked around. However, there was no time to re-tune. So we did the first 2 guitar songs and I had to walk all the way down the aisle out the back of the church to go outside with my mandolin and re-tune. Good thing I did because, sure enough, one string was WAY out.

So I get back inside, wait for a break in the service and plug the mando back in with the PA off, then turn the PA on to go back to my seat, but there's this terrible hum from the instrument cord when I click the PA on, and I have to jump over to the PA to turn my channel down. Ugh. Fortunately the last song went really well when we finally got to it, and no problems with any more hum when the PA came back on. But the whole tech difficulties were a big pain.

Back out to Casa Krashpad for lunch and folding up some laundry, and then went on a firewood patrol around the neighborhood to scavenge yard trash on the curbs for right-sized firewood. After finishing up with firewood gathering, went back into town for a Hotheads practice (my side roots rock band) at the office.

Our former bassist was supposed to sit in with us so I could move to guitar, so I set up my guitar rig. When he was initially a no-show, I then had to set up my bass rig too, and we began the practice with a few songs as a trio with me on bass. We eventually got through to him and he showed up, so I moved over to guitar and he played my bass rig. Went pretty well, though I was rusty with my old guitar parts to the songs, which I hadn't played in over a year. Left everything set up and decided to break down before the others got in for work this morning.

Back out to Casa Krashpad for the last half of the Pro Bowl and sleep.

Brian Krashpad

February 8th, 2010, 01:44 PM

Monday, time for your reports, kids!

Friday: found out the inaugural ish of a new mag I'm writing a column for came out, there's another thread about that. Had take-out pizza. Begged off a drinking session downtown with my new writer colleagues, as I had a really bad chest cold and was not up to it.

Saturday: church band practice in the a.m., then home, took son over to a nearby neighborhood to work on a video project for school, then went back to pick him up a few hours later. Stayed in for the evening and built a fire in the fireplace as we had another cold front come through.

Sunday: played church, only TWO songs this week. Grr. First was the service opener, played on electric guitar with some OD (my usual Super Champ XD Vox setting) and an outro solo. Second was a mellower one after the sermon, played mandolin. At least they both sounded good and the Music Director, our praise band's sometime nemesis, was pleasant to me while I was loading out.

Went straight from church to my office with el Krashpadito so he could change into football clothes. Bought some beer for later on the way to his flag football evaluations (they test the kids' skills to try and make the teams as even as possible), and he did pretty good. They have a passing drill where they have a tire hung up, and you get credit for getting the ball through the center (of course) or for hitting the tire, and I'll be darned if he didn't hit the thing 2 out 3 times. Since he's always been more of a receiver or center than a quarterback or passer, and probably hasn't picked up a ball since the last season ended, I was glad of that.

Went from the football evals straight over to the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire, Sunday was the last day. On the way over, discovered that the two black boots I'd grabbed for wwalking around the fair in were from 2 different pairs (I have a lot of black boots) and for the same foot, and that I'd have to walk around in my dress shoes all afternoon. Still, had a good time walking around, watching the combat demo's, human chess match, falconry, and such. My son saw someone there playing a mandolin and I mentioned that mine was still in the van from the morning, so he asked if we could get it from the van, and I played it as we walked around for the second half of the afternoon. A few nice beers were had by me. Nom.

Back at home there was a small crisis, our son's school project group member who was supposed to edit their video project couldn't get his computer to work with the camera, so we tried unsuccessfully to edit the video but couldn't figure it out. Had to write an explanatory note and just turn in the unedited video. Sigh.

Watched the Super Bowl, which really was super, but my son was rooting for the Colts so he was a bit upset by the ending. Fortunately there were some cool ghost-hunting shows on after that, including an episode from Mark Twain's house, so the whole family watched that and he got over the football game pretty fast.

And you?

mainestratman

February 8th, 2010, 01:58 PM

Okay, I'm bored at the moment, so I'll play. :-)

Friday: Homework in the morning, played some guitar, watched some TV. That afternoon I designed a logo for our Relay for Life team, then played some more guitar, snuggled the woman and we watched some movies.

Saturday: Class from 8-12. Had a REALLY pleasant "coffee date" with my dad (our relationship has historically been really rocky.. but we've gotten a lot closer the past couple years, much to my delight). Got home and cranked up some blues.. had a mini-party with the woman.. lots of beer, some Tullamore Dew and I played for a good 6 hours. But that doesn't count as practice since I was trashed for most of it. Oh, and ordered my new PA head.

Sunday: A nice easy day. Did lots of different things with the woman (shopping and chores and stuff), got a little practice in, watched some TV.

I know. I'm boring.

Next weekend will be more exciting.. I'm DJing a Mardi Gras party on Saturday... and I alone control the beads. ;-)

Brian Krashpad

February 8th, 2010, 02:27 PM

...
I know. I'm boring.

I think we probably learn as much about each other from the "boring" weekend reports as from when we do something special. Very cool about having the nice chat with your dad. I've always been on pretty good terms with my parents, but now they've moved a few states away, and I only get to see them a couple times a year.

Next weekend will be more exciting.. I'm DJing a Mardi Gras party on Saturday... and I alone control the beads. ;-)

We'll need pics. ;)

PM if necessary.

warren0728

February 8th, 2010, 02:27 PM

friday: it was a rainy day....a lady friend (her name is karen) came over and we watched various snippets of a bunch of my concert dvd's....she is a big music fan and she loves the blues! :AOK

saturday: did some house work and a little client work....went to dinner at karen's and then we met some friends at a little dive/biker bar to see a friend of mine's band....there was a biker club there having an anniversary party (it was founded by firemen) and i purchased a 50/50 ticket....winner gets half and the other half went to a charity....i won $100!!!! :pancake
the 4 of us came back to my place and we hung out till almost 3 in the morning listening to music and shooting the shit....

sunday: slept in....helped my neighbor hook up their wireless router....and karen ended up coming over to watch a movie....we watched
"crossroads" the blues movie with ralph machio and joe seneca (and part of the superbowl....the half time show)....went to bed early and got up this morning at 4am to watch the last night launch of the space shuttle....

Brian Krashpad

February 8th, 2010, 02:43 PM

A'ight, Miss Karen sounds like a good match for you, Double-W! Congrats on the Benjamin as well!

I totally forgot about the night launch. At some point last year, I was driving in to work in the early morning, and just as I was going over one of the less-traveled, slightly more "rural" I-75 overpasses headed east into town, the shuttle launched. Since I was at a rare relatively high elevation and could see over the tree line, it was pretty magnificent, especially against the backdrop of the sun having just risen. I bet the night launch was bosstastic.

mainestratman

February 8th, 2010, 02:48 PM

I think we probably learn as much about each other from the "boring" weekend reports as from when we do something special. Very cool about having the nice chat with your dad. I've always been on pretty good terms with my parents, but now they've moved a few states away, and I only get to see them a couple times a year.

We'll need pics. ;)

PM if necessary.

Thanks dude.. it was a good all-around weekend for sure.

I'll try with the pix... can't promise miracles... lol

warren0728

February 8th, 2010, 02:53 PM

A'ight, Miss Karen sounds like a good match for you, Double-W! Congrats on the Benjamin as well!
we'll see....i haven't really dated since my divorce 2 1/2 years ago....still pretty gun shy....she is cool....we have been checking out a lot of live music (including the gov't mule show at hob)....

I bet the night launch was bosstastic.
it was....i just open my front door and watch it....too bad this was the last night launch....

Brian Krashpad

February 12th, 2010, 12:51 PM

So what does everyone have on tap for this weekend? Anybody have Monday off (I don't but the rest of la familia Krashpad does)?

I'ma be busy busy. Tonight a practice with Pedagogy at the church fellowship hall on bass. Tomorrow morning in church on guitar and mando for praise band practice, followed by another Pedagogy run-through next door in the fellowship hall. After that back home for possible wrasslin with the water heater (replace/repair). In the evening, a skatepark show with Cinnamon Hill (mando) opening and Pedagogy (bass) closing. I doubt there'll be much heat (it's indoors but in a big building I doubt is heated), and temps will eventually dip down below freezing, outside anyhow.

Sunday morning pre-service run-through at 9:30 and play service at 11. Back to church in the evening for prep, serving, and washing up with the Youth Group in the fellowship hall kitchen for their annual "Sweetheart Dinner" fundraiser.

I'm tired just thinking about it. ;)

Eric

February 12th, 2010, 01:14 PM

So what does everyone have on tap for this weekend? Anybody have Monday off (I don't but the rest of la familia Krashpad does)?
Yikes on your weekend. I do have Monday off, which I can never seem to remember -- I love those surprise holidays.

Tonight I have a whole lot of nothing. Thinking I'll try out my newly installed Ubuntu Studio and see if I can make some headway with Ardour.

Tomorrow I'll be doing some wedding planning stuff (visit restaurants, ring shopping), Sunday maybe some registry-making. Luckily, she doesn't like it much either, so it will be kept to small doses. Even though we've scaled back and then cut out almost everything after that, there still seems to be plenty to do.

Church on Sunday night, then a whole lot of nothing on Monday. I'll find stuff to do for sure, but it will also be nice to have a semi-unplanned weekend.

guitarhack

February 12th, 2010, 03:59 PM

My valentine and I will meet some friends at our favorite watering hole tonight, then some quality time together Saturday watching Kentucky whip Tennessee, and Sunday--more quality time. :D

mainestratman

February 12th, 2010, 05:39 PM

We're trying to get our house put back together now that we have it back (her kid and family moved in for a few months), which is cutting into beer time... class tomorrow morning, DJing the Mardi Gras dance tomorrow night (lots of zydeco on tap), then the after party here in my "new" studio area, which might wind up with a very VERY drunk acoustic solo act by yours truly.

Sunday.. a day of rest. I hope. :-)

ibanezjunkie

February 12th, 2010, 05:45 PM

its my sisters' birthday (twins) tomorrow.

and the rest of my weekend, and half-term holiday will be split between seeing Emma and...

http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss93/LeadGuitar2009/P120210_2005.jpg

http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss93/LeadGuitar2009/WoWscreenshot.png

marnold

February 12th, 2010, 07:24 PM

Performing a wedding tomorrow. Following the usual Sunday festivities I'll be preparing my Ash Wednesday stuff as well as making hospital calls on a member who is having open heart surgery and another who was injured in a snowmobile accident.

Brian Krashpad

February 13th, 2010, 07:15 AM

bigoldron

February 13th, 2010, 08:21 AM

So what does everyone have on tap for this weekend? Anybody have Monday off (I don't but the rest of la familia Krashpad does)?

I'm actually off Monday, Brian. Don't have a whole lot planned for once. Yesterday, it actually snowed here! Haven't seen that much in over 30 years! Lots of snow, but no accumulation here. So, the wife and daughter #2 and I rode about 25 miles to see where it actually accumulated and got to get out and play in it for a while. Spent the rest of the night chilling at the house. We had planned on taking our daughter shopping today, but they have icy road warnings for Dothan (nearest large town), so we'll just hang around here.

Our praise band is actually NOT playing in the morning since the "Senior Adult Choir" will be singing. So, if the regular sound guy ACTUALLY shows up, I might get to sit and relax and actually enjoy a church service... Our youth band will practice at 4:30 tomorrow and our choir director wants the choir to hang around AFTER Sunday night service for cantata practice, which is not thrilling me...

I guess Monday, we'll take daughter #2 shopping and get ready to go back to work.

Aside: The regular sound guy manages a cotton gin. From November to January is his busy season and he usually doesn't show up. He's been there 2 times in the last 3 months. I've been trying to run sound, which also includes the slide presentation and video streaming, AND play in the praise band AND occasionally sing in the choir. I haven't made it to Sunday School in a while. Needless to say, I'm pretty well tired after church. I'm just proud we don't do 2 services.... :thwap

Brian Krashpad

February 15th, 2010, 11:53 AM

That sounds like a lot of work there Ronniebeth. ;)

Gig on Saturday was semi-disastrous and at best a waste of time. Acoustic-based band (that I play mando in) opening simply couldn't be heard, especially vocally, and needs to play in a much quieter environment than a skatepark. Conversely, at least from where I was standing, the lead guitar was waaaaaaaaay too loud. And although I'd practiced with them 4 times, playing enough material for a set, about half the set was songs I'd never even heard before, much less played. Sigh.

By the time I closed in the other side band several hours later, I'd arguably been "overserved" to be euphemistic. Then shortly into the set the house turns out the overhead lights, leaving me to try to see my music from a single blue lightbulb for the whole band. Put lightbulb on music stand, bulb falls off and breaks. On the shards, or some other sharp edge, I then proceeded to slit open the tip of my right hand index finger. Due to the cold, I did not immediately notice the cut until I'd bled a bit. That put any fingerstyle playing right out, so I switched to a pick, but the blood (in addition to the cold) made the pick hard to hold. The pick still has bloodstains on it, haven't looked to see if I bled on the bass as well. Sigh.

Did I mention I borrowed a music stand from church and that it's currently MIA? Have to check to make sure the keyboardist didn't take it home, then check with the venue. Sigh.

At least church on Sunday went better, despite a mild hangover and a distinct lack of sleep. We'd all decided to wear suits, or at least those of us that had them, and a parishioner came in and took video and photos of the praise band for the church website, before the service, during run-throughs. To my surprise I really played well, and everyone else did too. The actual service went well also, I played 2 songs on electric guitar and the final one on mandolin.

Went home to work on water heater which neighbor put off until 5, so my wife had to go in to church for a youth group fundraiser dinner I was supposed to work. Did not make good progress, called wife to get feedback on what to do, she didn't answer. Wife and daughter come back upset, some kitchen nazi was insufferable, plus my daughter's supposed boyfriend is now acting like the time they went out never existed and he's no longer interested, with no explanation. On Valentine's Day. Sigh.

Watched the Olympics with the gals, and got a boost from the Canuck moguller's win. Good on him, that was uplifting. Congrats Canucks. :canada:

mainestratman

February 15th, 2010, 12:03 PM

That sucks, Brian...

Hopefully it'll cheer you up to know that the dance I DJ'd went without a hitch, and the floor never emptied out... the after party here did wind up with me performing for a small crowd, so that was fun... the drunker we got, the better I sounded! LOL

Sunday was literally do nothing but laying around, watching movies.

Today is literally do nothing but lay around and watch the NCIS marathon while my back tries to heal.. LOL

Brian Krashpad

February 15th, 2010, 12:37 PM

Outstanding Jon, congrats!

I know what you mean about backs healing. Just loaded in the top half of my Fender Super Reverb, my bass head, and my 8x10 Ampeg SVT fridge cab. Thank heavens I never threw out my old '70's skate, it makes a great amp truck. Even so, at nearing 52, getting all that in and out of a van is some work in itself.

Desperately need to re-caster the fridge cab. Lost (sheared off) a caster at our prior show and another is so chewed up it needs to go also.

mainestratman

February 15th, 2010, 12:45 PM

Casters have saved me more than once... except for loading my cab (1660A) into our tiny little car... lol

Brian Krashpad

February 22nd, 2010, 08:35 AM

Well kids, what was it this weekend?

Mine was pretty average.

Nothing much Friday night.

Saturday:

Praise band practice at 11:30. No drums or flute or trombone this week. Down to 2 guitarists, piano, and bass. Probably the last Sunday before we move from the front of the church up to the choir loft.

Came home and messed about with our water system holding tank. Senora Krashpad thought it might have lost pressure. So I put more in. Skipped side band (Cinnamon Hill) practice in favor a birthday party up in High Springs for an old college buddy/bandmate, who is also now my editor at the quarterly mag where I do the music column. His (grown) daughter's birthday is a few days from his so it was a joint party (DON'T start!). Got hit up for free legal advice in the midst of it. Ugh. I hate when that happens. Came home early, around 9 or 9:30.

The water in the tap was now coming out brownish. Guess the extra pressure took some sediment out of the pipes. Let some pressure out of the tank and by morning it was OK again.

Sunday

Played electric on two songs. Had used the Ric in practice the day before but was having tuning probs so I played my Schecter Tempest Special instead. For third song I played my cheapie Esteban acoustic-electric. Sounded fine and did not asplode.

Came home and did some chores, had an early dinner and then went over to the office for practice with "main" side band, Hoyt and the Hotheads. I think I'm going to used my Super Champ XD for it's effects and overdrive setting at our next show, lined out to my Sunn 200S and a 2x12, with the 2x12 mic'd. Practice went well and was home by 8 pm.

Which was good because that was when the "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" episode came on that was filmed here in Gainesville. It was fun to watch, we saw some people we knew. I have a couple amps on consignment over at Studio Percussion, the store/studio that the recipient homeowner Tobin runs. Maybe all this PR will get them to finally sell, they been in there for months. Helped El Krashpadito study his science (I now know more than I'd really like about the 3 phylums of worms and the sponge phylum). Watched some Olympics and to bed.

warren0728

February 22nd, 2010, 08:44 AM

friday: didn't feel too good....stayed home....watched olympics....

saturday: helped a neighbor hook up a wireless router....still didn't feel great so i missed going to a blues festival with my friend karen :-(

sunday: felt a lot better so i went on a hike with karen and we tried geocaching for the first time....it was a perfect day for hiking....sunny with a few clouds and in the low 70s F....

black hammock wilderness area
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/take_a_hike/IMG_0497.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/take_a_hike/IMG_0501.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/take_a_hike/IMG_0507.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/take_a_hike/IMG_0509.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/take_a_hike/IMG_0511.jpg

finding the geocache....more info on geocaching http://www.geocaching.com
this was my first time geocaching....used a gps program on my iphone to find it....

area geocache was hidden
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/take_a_hike/IMG_0506.jpg

close up
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/take_a_hike/IMG_0502.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/take_a_hike/IMG_0503.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/take_a_hike/IMG_0504.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/take_a_hike/IMG_0505.jpg

had dinner at karen's (chicken parmesan, broccoli and bread)....lost a game of scrabble....

Brian Krashpad

February 22nd, 2010, 09:37 AM

That looks like fun WW. I take it the cache is an ammo box? Looks like it.

warren0728

February 22nd, 2010, 09:41 AM

That looks like fun WW. I take it the cache is an ammo box? Looks like it.
yeah this one was an ammo box....although they can be any type of container....we are going to do more geocaching for sure....it's a lot of fun!

i have to remember to bring a trade item next time (i'm thinking of using guitar picks)....you are allowed to take one item in the cache as long as you replace it with another item!

Eric

February 22nd, 2010, 09:52 AM

The only interesting stuff that I can think of is related to Sunday. We didn't have time to practice for church on Thursday, so we got in at 8 and ran through the songs for the two church services. Now that I have my Agile 3100 back, I played that for the whole thing. It went pretty well overall.

The 17-year-old to whom I had loaned my $100 SX Tele brought it in, because it has gained some dents/chips, plus I was supposed to be giving him a lesson. He canceled the lesson, but I did try out the Tele, and was really pleasantly surprised by it. I like it a lot, which says something for letting guitars sleep for a little while and then rediscovering them. I gave him a bag in which to keep it, so hopefully it won't acquire any more "character."

Possibly more important, however, was that after the services I tried plugging my Sansamp GT2 directly into the amp on stage, instead of using that post-ME50 and relying on the ME50 for the dirt. I found that I really like it (particularly the fender and mesa models), and it's possible to toe the line between clean and dirt on it pretty easily. My plan for the next time I play is to ditch all of my effects and just use the guitar->GT2->amp->line out and see what I can manage with that.

I may find that I don't like it, but I find myself using OD and distortion as my go-to effect, so I want to see how much I miss reverb/delay/chorus.

Spudman

February 22nd, 2010, 09:56 AM

I was a rock star this weekend. We played at the Snow Creek Saloon in Red Lodge Montana.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Gigs/IMGP1943.jpg

mainestratman

February 22nd, 2010, 11:55 AM

I think I wouldn't be able to play that high up.. LOL

My weekend.. Bangor. Got to see some old friends, hang out with my dad, and we did lot of shopping for the pub which is now been dubbed "Pub McQ". Yesterday and today have consisted of painting and laying down flooring.

Oh, and I made a facebook page for it! LOL http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pub-McQ/319422317425?ref=mf

kidsmoke

February 22nd, 2010, 12:06 PM

First time chimin' in...
Friday, I went to see "crazy heart" with my gal. She's a latina with a WIDE appreciation of all musical genres, loves NIN, loves Johnny Cash, loves Vincente Fernandes...anyway, this was her treat to me.

Good movie. I dig the outlaw country, not so much the modern nashville sound. It's more a story of what alcoholism does to a life than anything, and the fact that main character is stupid talented only makes it that much more evident, and of course, redemption that much more attainable. Beautiful old guitars, beautiful songs, beautiful scenery...all in all 2 thumbs up.

Then, we went and enjoyed some live flamenco music with Margaritas and ceviche. Nice evening out.

Saturday, I got A LOT of time in on my guitars (much of it spent on Dolphin street) Then in the evening we celebrated a friends 40th, with more acoustics and general low key revelry.

Sunday, family shindig for a 3 year old nephew, followed all the chores I'd blown off on Saturday. Got to spend time with both my girls....one a partner the other a daughter...the guitars, and got some work done. Not bad for a February weekend!

deeaa

February 22nd, 2010, 03:05 PM

had nice gig friday...posted some vids here too...besidez that....hungover mostly...

Bloozcat

February 26th, 2010, 01:17 PM

I was a rock star this weekend. We played at the Snow Creek Saloon in Red Lodge Montana.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Gigs/IMGP1943.jpg

I take it that those in the very front at the bottom of the picture aren't your biggest fans, Spud...? :poke

Spudman

February 26th, 2010, 01:58 PM

I take it that those in the very front at the bottom of the picture aren't your biggest fans, Spud...? :poke

They were pissed that I didn't get the first picture when I asked them to say cheese because the camera wasn't turned on. Either that or I'm #1 in their book.

mainestratman

February 26th, 2010, 02:28 PM

Tattoo girl on the lower right looks exactly like someone I dated once. Except her tatts were in a different place. ;-)

sumitomo

February 26th, 2010, 02:39 PM

Tattoo girl on the lower right looks exactly like someone I dated once. Except her tatts were in a different place. ;-)

Unreal the girl you dated had two left hands too? Sumi:D

mainestratman

February 26th, 2010, 03:24 PM

No clue.. never really saw her in daylight..

:-D

kidsmoke

February 26th, 2010, 03:44 PM

any of you ever heard of, or seen this band? (http://www.tinariwen.com/)

Tuareg Nomads from the Sahara, called Tinariwen, who developed a style of music while in refugee camps using cast off amps and guitars....

AMAZING stuff. I'm working their show on Saturday. Kinda cool to hear something truly original. And the audience is just as interesting at their shows.

mainestratman

February 28th, 2010, 07:22 AM

I know the weekend is only half over, although for me, it's just begun.. but...

I'm totally stoked about today, a day that's been a long time in the making! At the risk of jinxing myself, we may be on the cusp of having a fairly sweet 3-piece blues project!

Yayy!!!!

:beer:

mainestratman

February 28th, 2010, 03:47 PM

OKay.. didn't go quite as well as I was hoping it would, but not too bad at all.

We just might have something here... :beer:

Brian Krashpad

March 1st, 2010, 09:10 AM

Break a leg with the new thing, Jon!

Didn't do anything Friday night, as I knew Saturday would be a long day.

Saturday

Got up early, and drove into town for the UF Music Law Conference, with check-in beginning at 9 a.m. Myself and my bandmate Hoyt (our band is "Hoyt and the Hotheads"), as other band members playing the MLC Showcase, were comped in. In other bands' cases, that was worth $30 (registration for all band members in a given band), but since Hoyt and I are attorneys and could get Continuing Legal Education hours (6.5) for attending, that was a savings of $140 ($70 apiece for attorneys).

Got a free "contintental" type breakfast of bagels, coffee, etc., and headed inside for a morning of talks. The schedule/agenda of the conference is here:

http://www.law.ufl.edu/musiclawconf/2010/schedule.shtml

Finished a small work project while listening to the morning talks, hung out with Hoyt and our mutual pal Glypher (webname he uses irl also), who is the webmaster/owner of our great local scene website gainesvillebands.com, and who was also on one of the panels and the last solo speaker of the day. Got a nice free lunch various types of green salads and pasta salads, wings, chips, soda, etc. Only thing missing was beer!

While we ate they had an all-gal a cappella group perform. A bit on the geeky side (c'mon, you have to giggle at least a bit at 20 women singing a choral arrangement of Bon Jovi's "You Gave Love A Bad Name") but talented nevertheless. Then back inside for more speakers and panels.

The conference also had a conferee's packet that included a CD with a couple songs from all the bands that had played, both those at a "kickoff" show a couple month's prior, as well as those playing the Showcase later that night. So I had 2 bands on it (another of my side bands, Pedagogy, played the kickoff show), although I was not on the Pedagogy tracks. The conference booklet had little bios of all the bands, and photos of the bands in the Showcase, so that was cool, especially since they gave the most ink to the Hotheads bio, about twice as long as anybody else's.

Here's the photo of the Hotheads that was in the booklet everyone got:

http://www.hoytandthehotheads.com/sitebuilder/images/P0005521-765x509.jpg

In between the speakers/panels during breaks they rotated photos of the bands playing at the Showcase that night on a big screen in the auditorium; this is the Hotheads pic they used:

http://www.hoytandthehotheads.com/sitebuilder/images/vd0121-735x483.jpg

Got home a bit after 6 pm, had some dinner, collected my daughter, and went off to play the Showcase, which we were opening. Will do a separate thread on that once I get ahold of pics. Basically, it went pretty well, got home about 1 a.m. or so.

Sunday:

Skipped church since they are breaking in a new PA system and I hadn't been to practice the preceding day (due to the conference) to help get my rig integrated into the system. Did some chores like laundry, pulled some weeds, blew the leaves off the back patio, cleaned the ashes out of the fireplace, etc. Watched the Olympic men's hockey final, had dinner, watched most of the closing ceremonies and the "Marriage Ref" TV show debut and to bed.

And you?

Spudman

March 1st, 2010, 09:38 AM

Brian Krashpad

March 1st, 2010, 09:50 AM

That sounds great Steve!

Brian Krashpad

March 1st, 2010, 12:29 PM

Btw, gig report w/pics is now up:

http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?p=166785#post166785

sunvalleylaw

March 1st, 2010, 06:26 PM

I got to be a rock star again. Sadly no photos. Friday was at the local brewpub to a small but enthusiastic group. Saturday was to an absolutely stellar apres' ski crowd at Pebble Creek ski area. They partied like crazy animals. I love the apres' ski bunch. It's amazing that after skiing all day they can have a couple of beers and keep going hours longer on the dance floor.

It was wall to wall people and in spite of having my camcorder ready to go there was no place to set it up or if I did I would't have been able to get to it to turn it on and off. We were stuck on stage. They had to pass beers overhead through the crowd to keep us going. Lots of fun for Phat Bone.

Skiers rock. Ask Bode. Though he apparently rocked a bit less at night this Olympics (having a kid will change you), and rocked more on the slopes. I wouldn't mind rocking some apres' ski with Lindsey and Julia either. :AOK

I am glad you are enjoying the ski gigs. Would love to make it to one, but I am stuck in this ski town until my ski job quits for the season.

Krashteban, I am glad your gig went well and H&theHheads are going strong. I commented in your other thread as well.

deeaa

March 7th, 2010, 11:16 AM

We went to Sweden on a ferry...crazy ice situation, ship delayed by a day as it had to slowly 'crawl' thru the frozen sea...but a fun trip anyway. Went to see the Warship Wasa museum too.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_6nk96PAbWiI/S5H3jSs13NI/AAAAAAAAC_I/rEMNM0Rad0Q/s576/Sweden%202010%20248.JPG

Here my son is looking at some dead people on display, he's very interested in skeletons.

mainestratman

March 14th, 2010, 11:33 AM

Did an open mic gig last night with the blues project. I'm not super happy about it, but hey, it was being on stage again.

Spudman

March 14th, 2010, 12:19 PM

Gigged Friday and Saturday in a town about an hour away. They really like the band there. We get lots of compliments because we don't do the same material that everyone else does and you can dance to it, and we get really good crowds too.

Friday night I heard a loud crash in the middle of a song during the second set and I see at what used to be a table over by the ladies room. Underneath the overturned table on the floor is a late 20s blond gal totally out on the floor. 20 minutes earlier she was shaking her stuff right in front of me. I'm glad she didn't black out and fall on me cause she was kind of big. A few folks go over and set her back upright and then I notice that the floor is all wet. ? What? Yup, she had spewed pretty hard before the crash so now her clothes are covered in vomit and all these people are very gingerly holding her upright while they hold a trash can in front of her. She was removed shortly afterward. God I love a place where people party.:dude

So she kind of set the pace for Friday night. There were some pretty hot mamas dancing right in front of us all night and booze was flowing like a stream. Everyone was having a really good time. Several local musicians had been hearing about us and came out to see us. They too were full of compliments, and I'm sure plenty of jealousy, because we were gigging and they weren't and we have a tight band. Still they are nice guys and hopefully we inspired them to get busy.

Coming home Saturday night was pretty scary with a van full of gear. About 20 miles from home the highway had turned to solid ice. There were some storms going through all day Saturday and Saturday night and then it got colder. We didn't see anyone off the road though so that was a good thing. We made it home safe and all was good...until I realized that I lost an hour because of daylight savings. Still it's all good because that means spring is coming.

Next week - same town different club. Should be another good time.

Brian Krashpad

March 15th, 2010, 01:17 PM

Mainer: it's a start!

Spud: sounds great. Except for the vomit part. I never want to be that drunk for the rest of forever. Been a lonnnnnnng while since I have been.

Saturday

Church band practice in afternoon. My latest side band (or at least the core members thereof) had already started a freebie coffee house outdoor gig downtown, so when I and my daughter finished rehearsing at church (she plays bass with us), we went over to the gig and I took my mandolins with. I've only been playing mandolin for just over a year, but these folks have no problem with a novice playing along. They even asked my daughter if she wanted to sit in on bass!

We had fun, and the band sounded good. It was crazy windy outside though. At one point, one corner of one of the porch's tarp covers blew loose and a heavy-duty CHAIN on the end was whipping around. My daughter jumped up and caught it before it could hurt anyone. It had already managed to break some Christmas tree-type lights around the edge of the porch though.

That night stayed in with wife and son while daughter went to a birthday party.

Sunday-- played 4 songs in church, guitar for the first 2 and mandolin for the second 2. Check the "church rant" thread for deets. ;) Went home and then whole family went to see the 3-D version of "Alice In Wonderland," which we all liked, to celebrate my son's 13th birthday (occurring today). Stopped at Sports Authority on way home and he bought a paintball gun with some gift cards he'd got as presents.

In the evening he and I watched a DVD of "I, Robot." After he went to bed I watched a bit of "Pulp Fiction" on TV and went to bed later than I should've.

Eric

March 15th, 2010, 02:32 PM

Asked my girlfriend to marry me, got an affirmative.
OK, so this is kind of cheating, since it was over a week ago and not on the weekend, but...

http://www.thefret.net/imagehosting/101974b9e981b6d28d.gif

Made it happen! I'm now married!

Brian Krashpad

March 15th, 2010, 02:56 PM

That's fantastic Eric!

Congratulations to you and your lovely bride!

PS-- there is no "cheating" in the weekend thread. Weekends are all about the suspension of normal rules.

;)

Katastrophe

March 15th, 2010, 07:11 PM

Congratulations, Eric! That's awesome.

Many, many years of happiness, health, and prosperity to you and your bride!

and all the guitars, amphs, and effects you could ever ask for!

Had an uneventful weekend. Picked up my stepdaughter on Friday and drove home. Enjoyed a nice Saturday with the family, hanging around the house. Got up early on Sunday to take my stepdaughter back, so she could get started on her Spring Break festivities, which are this week.

kidsmoke

March 15th, 2010, 07:49 PM

Eric!! Wow, that's a happy couple. Congratulations, brother!

I assume she understands your obsession with wood and wire?

mainestratman

March 15th, 2010, 08:15 PM

Gratz, Eric!

Krash... sounds like you're making headway... maybe set up a wall of Marshalls some sunday for "effect".. ;-)

Today was busy (no the weekend, but is for me)... got the second coat of stain on the bar and some additional wood to put some finishing touches on it... Starting the polyurethane tomorrow... and had our first team meeting tonight for the Relay for Life this summer.. good cause and should be lots of fun!

sunvalleylaw

March 15th, 2010, 10:42 PM

Spudman

March 15th, 2010, 11:03 PM

Nice warm hike on a sunny day, great sledding and views as a couple of the boys and I hiked high on a ridge for a backcountry sled run, and nice dinner and family games by the fire in the yurt. Awesome!

That looks like it was a really good time.

Eric

March 17th, 2010, 01:13 PM

Eric!! Wow, that's a happy couple. Congratulations, brother!

I assume she understands your obsession with wood and wire?
Thanks! The wedding day was actually on my birthday, so that made it interesting if nothing else.

And yes on point 2: she was actually commenting on the honeymoon that it was kind of weird, because I hadn't talked at length about guitars during the week. Guess I'm predictable or something...

Brian Krashpad

March 22nd, 2010, 07:20 AM

Sounds like fun guys! I coached my kids team on Saturday, then Sunday, my family and a couple of others hiked in to the Boulder Yurt for an overnight. Nice warm hike on a sunny day, great sledding and views as a couple of the boys and I hiked high on a ridge for a backcountry sled run, and nice dinner and family games by the fire in the yurt. Awesome!

some pics here:

http://gallery.me.com/sunvalleylaw#100150

I thought yurts were something in Mongolia or something.

Tell us how a yurt came to be in your neck of the woods, and something about its construction.

***

Friday: Took Jack (13) and a couple additional scouts in the van down to Camp La-No-Che, just south of the Ocala National Forest and near the thriving metropolises of Paiseley and Altoona, Florida. The campsite we were supposed to use was unavailable, so we were taken to another, then told it wasn't available either, and eventually ended up in a neighboring camp on the same scout reservation, Camp Rybolt. By the time we got there it was already dark so we had to set up camp (4 or 5 dining flys and all the individual tents) by flashlight and Coleman lantern. At least we got a spot near the restrooms and showers.

It was cold that night, in the lower 40's. Jack slept in the tent with another scout, I slept in the van.

Saturday: basically, at the shooting range all day. However we had to hike a couple miles down to La-No-Che to get there, then back to Rybolt for lunch, then back to the range for the afternoon session, then back to Rybolt for dinner. Here's the shooting range:

http://www.camplanoche.com/virtualtour/stills/19.jpg

The rangemaster was a grizzled war vet with 2 artificial legs. I'm sure he knew a lot about guns, but frankly he was the worst rangemaster I've seen at 3 or 4 different archery and rifle ranges on scout camps. He was really bad at clearly conveying what he meant to the kids. As I was wondering exactly what he was talking about, one of the scouts asked the same thing I was thinking, but the explanation really didn't explain anything at all. Sigh.

Jack shot both sessions, but didn't do very well. They were using .22 rifles. At one point one of the other scouts' gun jammed, so I alerted the rangemaster, and instead of calling an assistant, he hands ME the ramrod. Now, I have shot a rifle before, about 40 years ago when I was a kid, but frankly I don't know dick about firearms. Of course, the kid laid the rifle on the table, put the bolt on the gun up and opened the chamber, so in my head I knew the gun can't fire, but still taking a metal rod and banging it against the point of a live round is not something I was entirely comfortable with. I kinda need those fingers to play guitar with. In fact, I took my cheapo Esteban down to the range and played a bit while we were down there (I did not bring the guitar onto the range, played outside at some neighboring tables).

Anyway, we got back to Rybolt with all Scouts intact and I still had all 10 fingers, so that was a good thing. Had some really good beef burgundy, asparagus and baked potatoes for dinner. The scout who had bunked with Jack slept in his dad's tent that night, so I bunked with Jack. It wasn't nearly as cold, I'm happy to say.

Sunday: After a breakfast of sausage and biscuits and gravy, we had to break camp quickly because of rain that was threatening. Managed to get all the dining flys down, all the tents down, and all the troop cooking and other gear into the troop trailer before it started sprinkling. After a very truncated church service of a couple songs sung acapella, we jumped in the vehicles and drove back to Gainesville in a downpour.

Basically just hung out and got caught up on emails and such on Sunday afternoon, watched a Harry Potter movie with the boy on the ABC Family channel.

And you?

sunvalleylaw

March 22nd, 2010, 08:28 AM

Yurts were in fact developed in Mongolia, by the Huns I believe. AAMOF, (reminds me of Cliff Claven), yurts have been adapted in the mountain recreation community as a more substantial backcountry lodging option for ski/snowshoe winter trekking, mountain bike and hike trekking in the summer, and etc. If you look at the pics in the link, you will see two that show this Boulder yurt, which is two of the actual yurts connected by a central wood structure made out of ordinary building supplies to house a cold entry and a dish washing station, complete with slop bucket to catch the washing water for disposal. Yurts are a wooden floor over a raised wooden frame, with a round lattice wall, then a roof over 2x4 type framing supporting a round tent type roof. Many have a domed skylight in the center. They often have a wood stove in them for heat/cooking, and have a variety of furnishings. Bunks, tables, whatever.

The ones here are operated pursuant to federal permit and have to be taken down once in a while and moved. Traditional outhouses are also in the area. They end up being not as substantial or as much of an impact as a cabin, but more substantial than a tent.

Very fun!

This weekend was pretty mellow. Around the house stuff mostly, a little guitar, a little ski teaching and skiing with my family, watched Hurt Locker depressing but good), and had a good dinner out! :AOK