The weekend Thread [Archive] - Guitar Discussion Forum

Brian Krashpad

October 13th, 2008, 12:08 PM

Friday: brought home pizza for la familia and beer for me. Hung out with Los Krashpaditos while Mrs. K was at a happy hour with her work friends.

Saturday: In the early afternoon we worked on my son's science experiment (rock candy, yum!). Then he and I and La Krashpadita drove into town for parking detail at our church, picking up one of El Krashpadito's friends on the way. Our church is about 5 blocks from Florida Field (a/k/a The Swamp), so every home game, they sell parking spaces and make a batch of money for the youth group and college ministry (we have 2 interconnected lots, one at the church and one at the vicarage). Most of the spaces at the church are reserved, so the work involves mainly setting out traffic cones on each space with the persons' names on them, then collecting them when the lot is full.

As the game begins we order pizza, and then take the cones back down. While we were there, the youth group's adult leader asked if La Krashpadita wanted to be the youth representative to the church's Youth Group Advisory Panel, all the rest of which are adults (she later decided she would do that). I'm very proud of her-- but the church had better be ready for some opinions. ;)

After pizza and traffic-cone removal, we went home and watched the Gators dismantle the 3rd-ranked LSU Tigers and win by 30 points. GO GATORS!

Sunday: went to church, El Krashpadito was serving his first Sunday as an acolyte, so that now all our family has served in such capacity when the time came:

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/9913/smallhpim0720vm6.jpg

I couldn't be more prouderer.

During the service, I noted that one of the songs specifically called for both a bass solo and for electric guitars to come in halfway through, but none were there. I've offered to play either bass or guitar and they're too pansy to go for it (I know it's not me not being up to it, because I played at this church's sister church for a decade, plus they have another guitarist who could play if not me). :mad: Mrs. K foolishly let La Krashpadita (age 15) drive us through town traffic all the way home, and only due to the grace of Divine Providence did we survive unscathed.

In the afternoon I watched some NFL football and then the evening was spent helping El Krashpadito study for a history test. Mrs. K wasn't convinced he was studied-up enough though, so this morning I quizzed him some more and drove him to school so we could study (using flash cards) more on the way.

I now know all 6 major ancient Mesopotamian civilizations in historical order and all their starting dates. Plus a bunch more crap.

How about y'all?

sumitomo

October 13th, 2008, 12:40 PM

It was cold so I did the lazy and a little shopping with the Mrs. on Sat and Sun I slept most of the day(Its been a long time since I've done that,felt good).Sumi:D

Glacies

October 13th, 2008, 12:53 PM

I opened my big stupid mouth on Friday and volunteered to work over the weekend since we're behind on some projects.

Friday I self medicated with tequila shots taken with my chick.

Saturday I worked, Sunday I worked, this morning I got in early. I'm running out of steam.

Funny thing was I was working at home both days during the weekend. On Sunday I was 3 scotches in when I started on a particular item. That particular item got much praise today when everyone else took a look.

Brian Krashpad

October 13th, 2008, 01:04 PM

Brian Krashpad

October 13th, 2008, 01:04 PM

It was cold so I did the lazy and a little shopping with the Mrs. on Sat and Sun I slept most of the day(Its been a long time since I've done that,felt good).Sumi:D

Sigh. With one preteen and a teen, it'll probably be years before I can sleep in again.

Glacies

October 13th, 2008, 01:24 PM

Haha, man I can't do shots any more. They're just no fun. I still like drinking beer though.

I love drinking beer, but it makes me feel so bloated.

I love bourbon too. And Scotch. I freakin love scotch.

Perfect night for me, one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer :D

sunvalleylaw

October 13th, 2008, 09:42 PM

It was a little snowy here, so other than a quick hike with the dog, I did not get out too much. Sat. was playing some new chords I am learning and some leads I am trying to learn over a backer, with my eyes closed as much as possible. Just kept at it as much as I could all day. I rarely have a chance to do that so it was nice.

Sun. was help the kids with homework day, and later launching rockets up into the low hanging clouds we had that day with the Cub Scouts. We all built the old school Estes Triple Alpha rocket kits. Most of the kids were able to find their rockets after launch. Those that didn't got to take turns launching mine that I built that morning, modding it with a special "Pumpkin Express" paint scheme.

Got to have a beer with my buds at the local watering hole after all that was done. Shots are very few and far between for me. I can't remember when I had one last. I am more a micro brew swiller, or red wine.

warren0728

October 13th, 2008, 09:42 PM

ok....friday night me and my two kids (and two of their friends) and my neighbors and their three kids went up to the pool around 8pm and had the whole pool and spa to ourselves....swam until 10pm....

....got up early saturday morning and signed my son up for the city basketball league....then me and my 2 kids along with some neighbors and their kids (total of 4 adults and 7 kids) went to a "corn maze" about an hour from our home....lots of fun with the maze, a hayride and playground....

http://www.longandscottfarms.com/Corn_Maze.htm

we got back late in the afternoon and we all were hanging out outside watching the kids play....i brought out my acoustic and started playing and another neighbor brought out his telescope and we all took turns checking out the moon....

when it got dark the bugs came out so one of my neighbors brought over a small tiki torch and everyone was hanging out on my front porch....we were drinking beer and ordered some pizzas....we ate outside and we all were laughing so hard that we were almost in tears....

we called it a night at around 11pm....

slept in sunday morning and then we went to one of the neighbor's kids (6 year old) flag football game....he scored his first touchdown and as he was running by he was grinning at us on the sidelines instead of looking where he was running....still made the touchdown though....

we all went out to dinner after the game and then came home to chill and get ready for monday....

a very busy and fun weekend! it was a lot of fun spending time with all the kids and my neighbors!!

we have decided to plan another event (scavenger hunt or something) for the near future!

ww

Brian Krashpad

October 14th, 2008, 05:50 AM

Man, Warren that sounds great, I'm glad you were able to be with your kids and have fun. There's a corn maze here west of town that we've been to several years.

Brian Krashpad

October 17th, 2008, 08:05 AM

Weekend coming up again!

What are your plans my peeps?

I shall be here:

http://www.popapete.com/images/wekiwa/aDcp_0908.jpg

http://funandsun.com/parks/WekiwaSprings/folks.jpg

http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/display/0466460a-c17b-4ff7-be03-c893259eaf90.jpg

Happy Friday folks!

Hopefully I'll have some pics by Monday or so. The old beater acoustic 12 is going along, so there shall be tunes in the woods!

warren0728

October 17th, 2008, 08:10 AM

you will love wekiwa brian....i live close by (call me if you have time)....i have my daughter's soccer game saturday afternoon and then it's gonna be a daddy/daughter event....dinner at her favorite mexican restaurant and then off to see that new chihuahua movie!

ww

Glacies

October 17th, 2008, 08:21 AM

I am finally going to try that guitar I've been eyeballing, buy a new song book, maybe even set up my father's old sax and give that a shot, then I'm joining the library.

Tonight will be tequila night again - was a long week.

Brian Krashpad

October 17th, 2008, 08:23 AM

Haha, El Krashpadito saw that flick last Sunday and loved it. I'll be pretty much tied to the campsite all weekend, as it's a Scout thing and I'm sure I'll be asked to transport some besides my son.

warren0728

October 17th, 2008, 08:24 AM

Haha, El Krashpadito saw that flick last Sunday and loved it. I'll be pretty much tied to the campsite all weekend, as it's a Scout thing and I'm sure I'll be asked to transport some besides my son.
enjoy it....we'll get together another time!

ww

Spudman

October 17th, 2008, 09:45 AM

I've got two gigs this weekend - double honky tonk. :whatever:

Hey Crash, how come you still got leaves on your trees? That ain't right.

Brian Krashpad

October 17th, 2008, 11:13 AM

I've got two gigs this weekend - double honky tonk. :whatever:

Hey Crash, how come you still got leaves on your trees? That ain't right.

There's a reason they call 'em "live oaks!" The above pics were just snatched from various places off the web, but we do still have leaves on the trees, of course. The trees get all confused in Gainesville and drop leaves for like 3 months solid when the cold finally comes.

On the other hand, it'll be in the 80's this weekend with night-time lows in the low 60's or high 50's, perfect outdoors weather.

Break a leg at your shows, and, of course, we'll need pics!

Algonquin

October 17th, 2008, 11:46 AM

Sure Krash... wait until mid October to start posting threads about camping :reallymad:

Brian Krashpad

October 17th, 2008, 12:57 PM

Sure Krash... wait until mid October to start posting threads about camping :reallymad:

Well, every silver cloud has a dark lining. El Krashpadito went to summer camp with Scouts for a week in June or so, sleeping in tents, and it was miserable. I dunno how he did it. I went out for the day on Wednesday and again Friday to pick him up, and it was really really awful.

ShortBuSX

October 17th, 2008, 01:40 PM

Sure Krash... wait until mid October to start posting threads about camping :reallymad:

Just ask him if hes going swimming there, hehe!
Its freezin balls even in the hottest summer months in those springs hes going to :rotflmao:

Are you going tubing Krash???
That place is alot of fun!

bigoldron

October 17th, 2008, 02:06 PM

you will love wekiwa brian....

Where is that Brian's going? Is that Weeki Wachee you're referring to WW? If it is, it's changed a lot. I haven't been there since I was about 8 or 9 years old, which was many moons ago (try 37 or 38). I really enjoyed the MERMAIDS!

Anyway, we're having our community Harvest Festival. Typical South Georgia festival with the usual activities such as parade, vendor booths, entertainment, etc. I'm helping with the sound system and me and my church youth group will be playing. Should be a great day, low of 58, sunny, high of 79.

The only bad thing is that we've got a rally going on at the courthouse steps about 2 in the afternoon. The KKK has decided they want to have a rally protesting child molesters, illegal aliens and getting prayer back in school. Because of this, the Festival, which was 1/2 a block away has moved across town to just below our football field.

It's definitely a black eye on our community (very small), but 1st Amendment guarantees free speech and peaceful assembly. Our local leaders are urging everyone to just ignore them and NOT go by there and try to stir up trouble, then we'd all be better off. The sad thing is that we've got some REAL intelligent people (:whatever:) around here that are easily "offended" and are irate with the city leaders for not denying them the right to assemble. They're asking that their people protest the Festival and not attend. Like that's going to really hurt the Klan...:thwap:

This is the group that will not rest until they go around there and start trouble. I've heard rumor of NAACP and even the Black Panthers coming also, but don't know for certain. Hopefully, every one will stay away from the courthouse and it'll all peacefully blow over.

Ah, sometimes life in a small town, ain't so grand. Pray for us. :( :confused:

warren0728

October 17th, 2008, 02:15 PM

Where is that Brian's going? Is that Weeki Wachee you're referring to WW?
nah...wekiwa (or wekiva) springs is a state park near me that has a spring fed swimming area and canoe rental, camping, trails and such....i've never seen a mermaid there but maybe they were hiding!

ww

Kazz

October 17th, 2008, 04:58 PM

it'll be in the 80's this weekend with night-time lows in the low 60's or high 50's, perfect outdoors weather.

I'm really not liking you at the moment Brian.....

It was 80 here Wednesday....tomorrow not getting above 57.

Brian Krashpad

October 20th, 2008, 06:29 AM

Well, I went camping at Wekiwa Spirngs, but I can't find the cable for the camera I took pics with. :thwap:

So I'll wait on making my report until I can get the pix out of the camera and do it up proper.

Howzabout you lot? Ron, what went down with the Klan doofuses?

Spudman

October 20th, 2008, 07:17 AM

I played a gig and all the women (if you can call them that) in the bar took off their bras and hung them over the bar. :messedup: I'm not sure what that was all about but there were plenty of gratuitous tata shots. Vedy intervestink!

Brian Krashpad

October 20th, 2008, 07:25 AM

sumitomo

October 20th, 2008, 08:23 AM

Holy floppin fun bags Spudman pics or it didnt' happen Sumi:D

bigoldron

October 20th, 2008, 05:12 PM

Howzabout you lot? Ron, what went down with the Klan doofuses?

Kind of a non-event. There was only about 12-15 showed up (all from out of town). The crowd was about 100, with NAACP and many others. There was PLENTY of law enforcement. According to a friend of mine in law enforcement, it wasn't that bad. They spoke for about 25 minutes or so. Some in the crowd would shout out to them, with occasional profanities and ugly comments, but the crowd pretty well policed itself and would hush the rowdies. After 25 minutes or so, the Klowns packed up and left.

Meanwhile, across town the Harvest Festival enjoyed a beautiful day! The crowd was good, all the vendor slots were full and we had some good entertainment. My kids and I played about 30 minutes and didn't do TOO bad. The guy who ran sound while we were performing didn't know who to boost and who to pull down, so of course that one that couldn't carry a tune in a bucket was the loudest one heard. (Ugh! :thwap:)

I'll try to get a couple of videos uploaded of a couple of our better songs. I wrote 2 of what we played and they were TOO bad (for a bunch of church kids).

Overall, it was a pretty good day. Heard lots of positive comments on the new location. I thought it was better because there was more room and everybody wasn't having squeeze through each other to walk. I was ready to drop when I got home though. I was there at 8:30 rounding up the equipment, delivering it, setting it and getting ready for the 11:30 start of the entertainment. Ran sound the rest of the day until 4:30, then it was 7:30 before I finally got home. Man, was I whooped!

Our prayer now is that may the Klown(s) took the hint that they weren't welcome and won't be back. One can only hope. Thanks for asking Brian. Sorry if my reply is a little long-winded.

Spudman

October 20th, 2008, 06:30 PM

Pics?

:AOK:

Why do such things never ever happen at my shows? :mad:

I can't post them here dudes.

Brian Krashpad

October 20th, 2008, 06:54 PM

I can't post them here dudes.

Amigo, 2 words: personal message.

Pictures of gig and other breastesses are why PMs were invented.

You could look it up!

warren0728

October 20th, 2008, 07:00 PM

Amigo, 2 words: personal message.

Pictures of gig and other breastesses are why PMs were invented.

You could look it up!
i think you're right....i'm pretty sure i read that somewhere! :beer: :pancake:

ww

Spudman

October 20th, 2008, 07:44 PM

Amigo, 2 words: personal message.

Pictures of gig and other breastesses are why PMs were invented.

You could look it up!

Otay Panky. I'll get some to you soon.

:whatever:

Algonquin

October 20th, 2008, 07:51 PM

Otay Panky. I'll get some to you soon.
:whatever:
None for me this time thanks... Rob's pretty much filled my in box :master: , and I need a bit of a break ;)

Spudman

October 20th, 2008, 10:36 PM

None for me this time thanks... Rob's pretty much filled my in box :master: , and I need a bit of a break ;)

Is it just me or does the above sound kind of...um, strange?

Brian Krashpad

October 21st, 2008, 05:59 AM

Our prayer now is that may the Klown(s) took the hint that they weren't welcome and won't be back. One can only hope. Thanks for asking Brian. Sorry if my reply is a little long-winded.

No worries, glad to hear they didn't cause any real trouble and the fest thing you did went well.

I'm still stiff and sore from camping, but I'll save that for tonight when I can hopefully get some pics up.

sunvalleylaw

October 22nd, 2008, 12:22 PM

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

Here is a pic from my B-day weekend with the guys mountain biking. I am the one in the background on the left with the brown and black jersey. Wonder bread boy was our course finder. This was near the beginning of an absolutely awesome ride. :rockon:

The night before the boys fed me a few beers and a coupla shots of Patron silver, and although we climbed around 3000 feet in this ride the next day, I rode well and had a great time. I guess Patron burns cleaner than a bunch more micros that I might have otherwise consumed. :beer:

Sumitomo, sorry I did not get in touch, but as we had a large group, we were moving in many directions over the weekend, and it was over before I knew it.

Brian Krashpad

October 22nd, 2008, 04:27 PM

That's a great pic!

I wasted most of an hour yesterday trying to buy a USB cable for one of our cameras locally, then when I tried to buy it online, the website messed up.

:mad:

It may be this coming weekend before I have pics of LAST weekend!

warren0728

October 22nd, 2008, 05:11 PM

you could probably buy a usb card reader cheaper than a dedicated cable for your camera....faster transfers too....

ww

Brian Krashpad

October 23rd, 2008, 05:42 AM

you could probably buy a usb card reader cheaper than a dedicated cable for your camera....faster transfers too....

ww

I have no idea what that is.

Escuela-me, por favor.

(Note: not real Spanish)

warren0728

October 23rd, 2008, 07:55 AM

hey brian....it is a small device you connect to your computer via usb....you take your memory card out of your camera and insert it in the card reader and then it acts like a mini harddrive on your computer....you can drag and drop files from the card to any location on your computer just like if it were another drive....when your done just pop it back in your camera....they are very inexpensive....

ww

Brian Krashpad

October 23rd, 2008, 08:29 AM

bigoldron

October 23rd, 2008, 08:53 AM

Ah, cool, I was guessing it was something like that, thanks. The USB cables are less than a tenner but impossible to find locally.

Thanks man.

What? No USB's in Swampsville? :poke: Seriously, Warren's right about the card reader. They're fairly cheap and you should be able to find one at Wally World.

Brian Krashpad

October 23rd, 2008, 10:19 AM

What? No USB's in Swampsville? :poke: Seriously, Warren's right about the card reader. They're fairly cheap and you should be able to find one at Wally World.

The USBs for Pentax are slightly different than others and others won't fit. Went to a Circuit City and they didn't have any USBs at all. Went to a camera store and they had a bunch but none fit the Pentax w/the possible exception of some unversal doohickey that had like 15 different ends on it and cost $36-- plus the sales b*tch, I mean, sales lady, wouldn't open the thing to check if it fit anyhow.

:mad:

sumitomo

October 23rd, 2008, 08:16 PM

Brian Krashpad

October 27th, 2008, 05:45 AM

OK, first a quick report for this weekend, then I'll recap the Wekiwa Springs trip, w/pics! (Thanks to Warren for the cardreader suggestion.)

This weekend we did the usual car-park thing for Saturday's UF-UK football game. Got home around 1:30 or so and by then the Wildcats were already toast. Hope the Gators have something left in the tank for Jahjaw next weekend at the Cocktail Party! Sunday we went to church and Jack acolyted again (see pic on first page). It was Reformation Sunday, which is a big deal in Lutheran churches, 95 Theses and all that. Unfortunately that meant that the "blended" service was even less blended than usual--ONE contemporary song, and, as usual no electric guitar or bass. :mad:

In the afternoon I fixed the kids bikes and aired up the tires and watched a little NFL.

Last night the HotHeads had practice, as a 3-piece. Looks like I'll probably be playing bass the next show unless we can get our former bassistto sit in. We're probably going to do at least one, maybe 2, Warren Zevon covers. For sure "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me" at a minimum. That song is fun to sing, Hoyt tends to sing it in his lower register and me in my higher (such as it is) so it sounds pretty cool together.

Wekiwa Recap in next post!

Brian Krashpad

October 27th, 2008, 06:13 AM

OK, Wekiwa Springs pics/recap. Stopped at the turnpike's Okahumpka service plaza on the way down for a bathroom break, and they had some sort of "official greeter" guy who let the kids ptich pennies. Here' Jack and his friends Tim and Derrick:

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/4229/imgp1256ik3.jpg

We arrived well after dark Friday night. Pitch black outside. On the way in we saw this sign (this photo taken the next day):

http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/4356/imgp1268cr5.jpg

Here's the campsite (taken Sunday morning after the weather turned cool), adults in foreground, Shark patrol (newer Scouts) behind, older Scouts in distance:

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4854/imgp1275kt4.jpg

Saturday morning, after breakfast, we got in the vehicles and went to a different part of the park and pulled Ceasar weed (a non-native invasive plant) for several hours, that's Jack on the left:

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/6419/imgp1265pd8.jpg

After the weed-pulling we returned to camp for lunch. Then a 4-mile (round trip) hike to the springs. I just put my feet in as I did not want to trudge back soaking wet or bother with changing clothes. Jack and the other scouts did go swimming though, even though it was overcast. I did take a shower in the outdoor shower stalls back at camp before dinner though. That spring water was cold!

After dinner we had some speakers talk about the history of the Wekiva River (springs are spelled "Wekiwa," river is with a "v") and Native Americans, including paleo-Indians and the later Miccosukee and Timucuan tribes. Saw a lot of arrowheads and spear points, some were ancient and others had been made by the speakers. One of the speakers, David White Wolf, is a Native American, and at the end of the presentation he did the traditional men's dance that shows how the wolf taught the Indians to hunt. Here is David in full regalia:

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/6168/imgp1274aa1.jpg

More pics in another post.

Brian Krashpad

October 27th, 2008, 06:22 AM

Here's some more pics.

This is the Troop's trailer (taken Sunday morning packing out), we packed up the food every night so as not to attract bears:

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/3333/imgp1281ps2.jpg

Here's Jack and his friend Tim:

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/4848/imgp1283jy6.jpg

Here's some wild turkeys I snuck up on while we we pulling Ceasar weed (sorry it's a little blurry):

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/1272/turkeysyl1.jpg

Here's the back of the Rockmobile packed up for the return trip. That skinny blue bag on the top is the first time I've managed to get my tent back in the bag it came in!

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/7063/imgp1280kt8.jpg

Spudman

October 27th, 2008, 10:07 AM

Mrs. Spud ad I did a little peak climbing close to home on the west end of the range that runs behind the house. We climbed 2 low peaks and even saw a male moose at the top of one. When he saw us he made himself vanish very quickly so I didn't get a picture.

2 happy Spuds - until we got all scratched up by the thickets
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/MichaudCreek004.jpg

The route up in the beginning
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/MichaudCreek001.jpg

This is looking north into the desert. You can see the big reservoir faintly in he distance.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/MichaudCreek007.jpg

Brian Krashpad

October 27th, 2008, 10:47 AM

Those pics are great Spud!

No peaks in Florida. :(

sunvalleylaw

October 27th, 2008, 12:18 PM

No pics from this weekend. Basically, stay at home, kids' soccer, pumpkin carving/Halloween parties, (Ms. SVL and I dressed up as a Hofbrauhaus man and a St. Pauli girl type, you can use your imagination as to who was dressed as whom), and some guitar playing with the new equipment, and a little outdoors time on the mountain bike and for a short hike up the hill Spud and I rode up last year.

warren0728

October 27th, 2008, 12:28 PM

Ms. SVL and I dressed up as a Hofbrauhaus man and a St. Pauli girl type, you can use your imagination as to who was dressed as whom
i bet you looked hot as the st. pauli girl ! :eek:

we had a busy weekend....saturday....jessie's soccer game in the morning....conner had basketball tryouts for the city league early afternoon....went out with friends and their kids for a late lunch....general playtime the rest of the day....

sunday my parents and my grandma (she's 91) and a nephew visited to celebrate conner's 12th birthday....he got lots of cash....we went to his favorite restaurant for lunch (beef o'brady's)....came back and when we were going to cut the cake about 5 or 6 neighbor kids showed up : ) for cake....i visited with my folks and all the kids played outside (clear blue sky....mid 70's)....

folks left around 5 and the kids played outside til about 8....came in, washed up and put the kids to bed....

Glacies

October 27th, 2008, 01:48 PM

sunvalleylaw

October 27th, 2008, 01:51 PM

Every year I try to get my girl to dress up like that and every year she said no until this year, sadly we have no event to attend.

Sounds like you need to make your own event happen, FAST!

street music

October 27th, 2008, 02:51 PM

Spud, those are great pictures and Mrs. Spud was looking good too. I hope to come west someday and see some of that country in real living color.

Spudman

October 27th, 2008, 05:32 PM

Spud, those are great pictures and Mrs. Spud was looking good too. I hope to come west someday and see some of that country in real living color.

Thanks...and yes she does. Come on out any time. The hospitality out here is great. The weather isn't always great though.

Algonquin

October 27th, 2008, 05:39 PM

Beautiful weekend pics Gents. Camping in late October (insert jealous face here), and hiking in the hills... awesome. :AOK:

Brian Krashpad

October 29th, 2008, 10:24 AM

Beautiful weekend pics Gents. Camping in late October (insert jealous face here...

If it helps, we had a record low here last night. Iirc it was around 30F.

But today is beautiful, cool and clear.

Brian Krashpad

November 1st, 2008, 11:58 AM

Halloween!

My son Jack was a Clone Trooper from Star Wars, he's the littler guy:

https://gnn.ufalumni.ufl.edu/visuals/florida/albums/75006/IMG%5F18PHoUp0%2EJPG

Jack and his friend Ryan went to Boo at the Zoo, a cool local tradition where the community college opens it's teaching zoo (usually open only by appointment), where they decorate the zoo in a bunch of different themes, and the kids walk through and get candy and look at the decorations and the animals:

https://gnn.ufalumni.ufl.edu/visuals/florida/albums/75006/IMG%5F8sjcASKh%2EJPG

https://gnn.ufalumni.ufl.edu/visuals/florida/albums/75006/IMG%5FMjn5KxFp%2EJPG

My daughter Hannah Beth, the artist, went to a party with her high school girlfriends, here's her costume:

https://gnn.ufalumni.ufl.edu/visuals/florida/albums/75006/IMG%5FId7OGnQX%2EJPG

She carved us a fantastic pumpkin:

https://gnn.ufalumni.ufl.edu/visuals/florida/albums/75006/IMG%5FwTPpKGoU%2EJPG

https://gnn.ufalumni.ufl.edu/visuals/florida/albums/75006/IMG%5FMA2mcXqX%2EJPG

https://gnn.ufalumni.ufl.edu/visuals/florida/albums/75006/IMG%5FQJBzBqMh%2Ejpg

Let's see those pics peeps! I knows you got 'em!

warren0728

November 1st, 2008, 12:49 PM

Brian Krashpad

November 1st, 2008, 01:06 PM

the kids are with their mom this weekend so i don't have any halloween pics....my daughter's soccer team did win their first game of the season this morning....all the girls really played great!! :bravo:

Outstanding! Did you go out or atay home handing out candy?

I watched 4 movies on AMC channel, all based on H.P. Lovecraft stories: The Haunted Palace, Die Monster Die, the Shuttered Room, and the Dunwich Horror.

http://bp3.blogger.com/_v0fV15P7uQo/Rk4nwcLeIWI/AAAAAAAAAmI/eUAlg2jPs7o/s400/haunted+palace+poster.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/710EJ42Q5SL._SL500_AA280_.gif

http://bp2.blogger.com/_v0fV15P7uQo/Rg8WRs5vy5I/AAAAAAAAAWk/fvVdJ9LrEi8/s400/SHUT+TITLE.JPG

http://www.filmfan.com/images/onesheets/Dunwich_Horror_1SH.jpg

I'm steering clear of anyone called Whitley, Wheatly, or Wately.

But Carol Lindley=Babelicious.
http://bp3.blogger.com/_v0fV15P7uQo/RguNF85vyiI/AAAAAAAAATs/ZRmzXpF27Zs/s400/SHUT+CAROL.JPG http://bp3.blogger.com/_v0fV15P7uQo/RguNF85vyjI/AAAAAAAAAT0/eGVaO2XexcM/s400/SHUT+COUPLE.JPG

And my daughter carved us this outstanding pumpkin:

https://gnn.ufalumni.ufl.edu/visuals/florida/albums/75006/IMG%5FQJBzBqMh%2Ejpg

Spudman

November 1st, 2008, 01:26 PM

The girls went "treating" and I stayed home to pass out candy which was a lot of fun after a few beers.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/People/Witches2008003.jpg

warren0728

November 1st, 2008, 01:32 PM

Outstanding! Did you go out or atay home handing out candy?I watched 4 movies on AMC channel, all based on H.P. Lovecraft stories: The Haunted Palace, Die Monster Die, the Shuttered Room, and the Dunwich Horror.
i stayed home and a couple of neighbors came over....we drank....handed out candy....and listened to music until about midnight.... :beer:

bigoldron

November 1st, 2008, 08:02 PM

We had our last home game of the season last night. Since that was going on and my girls are too old, we skipped the trick or treats this year. Didn't even hand out any candy.

I did watch the last half of Georgia getting their butts whipped and FSU losing to Tech today. My 17 year old is gone to the Homecoming Dance and me and Mrs. Bigoldron and Little Bigoldron are sitting here watching "Back to the Future" on the Encore channel.

That, plus I'm sitting here posting to the Fret...

BTW, me and the youth kids are supposed to play in the Morning Service for a change. Wish us luck!

warren0728

November 1st, 2008, 08:08 PM

I did watch the last half of Georgia getting their butts whipped and FSU losing to Tech today.
i was thinking about you while i was watching my gators....and again when i saw the criminoles got beat.... :poke: :pancake:

bigoldron

November 1st, 2008, 08:14 PM

i was thinking about you while i was watching my gators....and again when i saw the criminoles got beat.... :poke: :pancake:

The Gators beat the ever lovin' SNOT out of the Dawgs. Worst butt whuppin' I've seen them get in a while. I was torn on the FSU game. I actually went to Tech for 2 whole quarters before I flunked out (WAY TOO MUCH PARTYING). So, I kinda wanted them to win too. Guess I got my wish.

I was screaming at the Criminoles to pull it out, yet I was secretly hoping that Tech would stop'em. Too much conflict in my life I guess... :messedup:

Oh well, congrats to you Gator fans. I only wish you one more loss. (Take a guess which one THAT will be...) :poke:

warren0728

November 1st, 2008, 08:20 PM

Oh well, congrats to you Gator fans. I only wish you one more loss. (Take a guess which one THAT will be...) :poke:
i guess everyone has their dreams! :poke: :tongue:

bigoldron

November 1st, 2008, 08:31 PM

i guess everyone has their dreams! :poke: :tongue:

Just hopin' it ain't a Molly Hatchet song - "Dreams I'll Never See"... :whatever:

Brian Krashpad

November 1st, 2008, 09:09 PM

The Gators beat the ever lovin' SNOT out of the Dawgs. Worst butt whuppin' I've seen them get in a while.

After that bush-league 'penalty' Richt ordered last year, all I can say is... shit rolls downhill.

I loved it when Meyer called two successive time outs at the end of the game to prolong the Dawgs' agony.

Algonquin

November 9th, 2008, 10:09 PM

Well, this weekend I was able to do two things that I've wanted to do for a while now.

First I was able to squeeze one last canoe camping trip in before the snow falls here in Ontario. That's right Brian!... I wanted to get in a camping plug one last time before you plug your Florida trips all winter long! :master: I'm not jealous... I'm envious!

I headed north of Kingston Ontario for one final outing. The weather looked like it was going to be great for the most part, so I made my move. I took Thursday and Friday off work and headed out. Left home about 7:30, made it to the park about 10:00 ish to register, was on the water by about 11:00 and on my way! This was my second solo excursion, so I was pretty pumped. My daughter is my main canoe partner, but first year High School had her pretty busy and my little guy is a bit too small to take out this late in the season.

I was able to do a bit of hiking, and a bit of fishing. I caught a small Small Mouth bass, and my first ever Lake Trout.. The trout was cool to catch, but since catching this fish close to the surface knowing they prefer cold water had me a bit cautious. If Lake Trout are this close to the surface... it's probably to cold to be in. There was absolutely no body around this weeked... it was 100% vacant.

Here's a pic of the view from my site...
http://www.thefret.net/imagehosting/72149178d065068b.jpg

Secondly I was able to meet up quickly with a fellow fretter :AOK:

sunvalleylaw

November 9th, 2008, 11:14 PM

Sounds like a nice weekend David! That quiet is just so full of awesome sounds.

Algonquin

November 10th, 2008, 06:47 AM

That quiet is just so full of awesome sounds.

Thanks SVL... it was a great time to unwind! You're right about the quiet too. The coyotes didn't though, and they liked to rip it up a bit each night... pretty cool to hear.

warren0728

November 10th, 2008, 06:55 AM

very cool david....and i love the picture of yor "view"! :AOK:

Brian Krashpad

November 10th, 2008, 07:37 AM

Great pic of the lake above!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

My son Jack and I and his Boy Scout troop went to the Okeefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia this weekend. We camped a couple miles away from the actual Refuge property, which is half the size of the state of Rhode Island. The nights were cold, somewhere below 45 F (we were in tents), but over all we had a great trip.

We arrived Firday night and set up camp in the dark. Got the kids up with reveille Saturday morning (good to have a retired USAF bugler as one of the dads) and went out to the Refuge. After a presentation by one of the rangers and a movie about the park, we hit the canoes. We rowed out into the swamp and had lunch on a camping platform a few miles away (no dry land to be saeen in any direction) and then canoe'd back. Some of it was very tight with not much more a few inches on either side of the canoe to get through. Although this was Jack's first time in a canoe (and my second!) he did great. Jack saw an alligator off in the brush a ways off the canoe trail, but I couldn't see him, they are really hard to see in the water. Later we passed by an alligator sunning himself, about 10 or 12 feet from us, on the side of the canoe trail, as we passed in the canoe. I didn't try to take a picture of that one!

All the Scouts and adults made it back safe and sound, eventually, and no one capsized all day.

Sunday after a chapel service at aour camp we packed up and then went back to the Refuge and went out to the Chesser House, which is an old swamper's cabin built in the 1920's and lived in until 1958. No electricity or running water, and with a kerosene-powered refridgerator. We also went out on a boardwalk built over the swamp and saw another gator, he's the one in the photo below.

We didn't get back to Gainesville until about 4 pm on Sunday. I'm sore and a little sunburned, but it was a memorable trip. Pix below!

Jack & BK

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/4672/imgp1304qi8.jpg

Bugler
http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/7523/imgp1298qk5.jpg

Jack in canoe
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/8562/imgp1306lu1.jpg

Lunch
http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/4465/imgp1309jv9.jpg

Ranger
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/5467/imgp1300ss5.jpg

Lost?
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/5139/imgp1307vv0.jpg

Brian Krashpad

November 10th, 2008, 07:39 AM

Heron
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/1408/imgp1318yy6.jpg

Canoe trail
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/7168/imgp1319jx9.jpg

BK w/sign
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/3495/imgp1325zx9.jpg

Walking Trail
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/2096/imgp1322pc2.jpg

Smokehouse
http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/9118/imgp1333pv5.jpg

Gator
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/44/imgp1339vs5.jpg

Jack
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/8048/imgp1335th3.jpg

Algonquin

November 10th, 2008, 07:42 AM

Shorts?...

'Uncle' I give in :master:

sunvalleylaw

November 10th, 2008, 07:58 AM

Brian, other than the vegetation being a bit different, those pics remind me so much of my own scouting experiences growing up. My boys are just getting to the point that in the next year or two we will start some scout campouts and such. Was the bugler blowing taps or reveille when the pic was shot?

Spudman

November 10th, 2008, 08:26 AM

Oh my gosh! Shorts and t shirts. I am so jealous. It's great that you can go participate in the Scout events.

Brian Krashpad

November 10th, 2008, 08:33 AM

That was reveille, Steve. Unfortunately we did have a mishap later on Saturday after we got back to camp, some of the younger scouts are a little too wild for my liking, and they were playing a ways away from the adults, and somone through some sand. It got in one of the scouts' eye, and they had to take him to an emergancy room in the nearest town to be safe. He had some scratches on his eye, hopefully it will heal up fast.

The reason that had to do with the bugler is, the boy who got injured is his son, so he wasn't around to blow taps.

They gave two different talks to the scouts about horseplay the next day. The first one was for the kids involved, and then the second was to the whole troop in general. I was not surprised by the composition of the first group. I knew Jack wouldn't be in it, and he wasn't, but conversely the kids who usually are the worst about running amok were there.

What kinda pisses me off is that at least a couple of the 5 or 6 kids that were involved were there with their dads. Sfaik I didn't see any of those dads wander over to see if their kids were in the first group, nor go off with their sons to talk to them privately about what had happened.

One of those kids I've known since Cub Scout days, and the kid doesn't mean harm but he desperately needs direction. His dad is totally oblivious. I hate to do it, but there've been times when I've had to, either as a parent or assistant den leader (during my last year in Cubs) stop the kid from what he was doing beofre he hurt himself or someone else, even though his dad was right there.

I just don't get that type of parenting.

bigoldron

November 10th, 2008, 08:35 AM

Oh my gosh! Shorts and t shirts. I am so jealous. It's great that you can go participate in the Scout events.

I hate it for you, Spudster! We were COLD this morning, got all the way down to 41! :rotflmao: I had to actually put a jacket on this morning as I got cold and I'm pretty hot-natured. :D

Brian Krashpad

November 10th, 2008, 08:38 AM

I hate it for you, Spudster! We were COLD this morning, got all the way down to 41! :rotflmao: I had to actually put a jacket on this morning as I got cold and I'm pretty hot-natured. :D

Haha, Ron, you're a cruel man.

You are just on the other side of the swamp from where we were, I bet, if you're in SW Georgia.

bigoldron

November 10th, 2008, 08:39 AM

Not really a weekend thing, because we got home LATE Friday night (OK, maybe it is considered a weekend thing.), but my daughter (the 17 year old) is on our high school's "One Act Play" cast and they competed at the region level and won on Friday. This coming Saturday, they will compete at the state level.

The play they're doing is "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". Carabeth is one of the brides and has a few speaking parts. She and the rest of the kids have done a really great job. In fact, the girl playing the lead (Millie) won "Best Actress" at the region competition. Not bad for a little podunk town in Southwest Georgia! :AOK:

Brian Krashpad

November 10th, 2008, 08:42 AM

Oh my gosh! Shorts and t shirts. I am so jealous. It's great that you can go participate in the Scout events.

It really has been a blessing. The camping weekends only cost $20 a person, and include food and entrance fees to the parks, etc. So aside from gas money I spend since I drive along, it's a $40 weekend. Although on the way home on this one I bought the 3 scouts in my van a burger each since they were starving since we didn't have lunch.

So make that a $44 weekend. ;)

Brian Krashpad

November 10th, 2008, 08:46 AM

Not really a weekend thing, because we got home LATE Friday night (OK, maybe it considered a weekend thing.), but my daughter (the 17 year old) is on our high school's "One Act Play" cast and they competed at the region level and won on Friday. This coming Saturday, they will compete at the state level.

The play they're doing is "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". Carabeth is one of the brides and has a few speaking parts. She and the rest of the kids have done a really great job. In fact, the girl playing the lead (Millie) won "Best Actress" at the region competition. Not bad for a little podunk town in Southwest Georgia! :AOK:

That's outstanding Ron! My daughter did some community theatre a few years ago but hasn't had time for it with her studies of late. She's going to be Mary in our church's annual Christmas pageant thingy (it's something called "Boar's Head" or something like that, not having seen it before I have no idea where that name comes from) but I think it's more of a choral presentation with action rather than a traditional play with speaking parts.

bigoldron

November 10th, 2008, 08:46 AM

Haha, Ron, you're a cruel man.

You are just on the other side of the swamp from where we were, I bet, if you're in SW Georgia.

Actually, we're about 2 1/2 hours or more away. Okefenokee is in Southeast GA and we're in SW GA. In fact, if you look at map, we're the SW corner of the state where GA, FL and AL meet. Only 100 miles from Panama City! :D

bigoldron

November 10th, 2008, 08:48 AM

That's outstanding Ron! My daughter did some community theatre a few years ago but hasn't had time for it with her studies of late. She's going to be Mary in our church's annual Christmas pageant thingy (it's something called "Boar's Head" or something like that, not having seen it before I have no idea where that name comes from) but I think it's more of a choral presentation with action rather than a traditional play with speaking parts.

Good luck to her! I'm sure she'll do a great job. I'm kinda curious to know where the "Boar's Head" comes from too. Can't say as I've ever heard that phrase connected with Christmas.

Brian Krashpad

November 10th, 2008, 09:14 AM

Good luck to her! I'm sure she'll do a great job. I'm kinda curious to know where the "Boar's Head" comes from too. Can't say as I've ever heard that phrase connected with Christmas.

I googled it, and found this on wikipedia:

The Boar's Head Carol is a macaronic 15th century song which may refer to one of several English Christmas carols that describes the ancient tradition of sacrificing a boar and presenting its head at a Yuletide feast. The modern version most usually performed is based on a version published in 1521 in Wynkyn de Worde's Christmasse Carolles.

bigoldron

November 10th, 2008, 09:42 AM

I googled it, and found this on wikipedia:

The Boar's Head Carol is a macaronic 15th century song which may refer to one of several English Christmas carols that describes the ancient tradition of sacrificing a boar and presenting its head at a Yuletide feast. The modern version most usually performed is based on a version published in 1521 in Wynkyn de Worde's Christmasse Carolles.

Sounds like a valid explanation to me. :messedup:

sunvalleylaw

November 10th, 2008, 09:47 AM

Hey Ron, congrats! I love it when kids are involved in creative arts and putting it out there, and love it when parents support them.

Brian, I agree with being frustrated with parents that don't take responsibility for guiding their own kids and want to leave it to the Scout leaders. We have some parents like that in our own little Cub Pack. I will say that I recall running amok myself just a bit at Boy Scout camp (wasn't allowed at Cub events). But throwing dirt and sand was never a part of it. I do remember throwing a hatchet at a tree Davey Crocket style when the leaders weren't looking. :eek: As I recall, we were told by an older scout to stop in no uncertain terms or I just decided on my own it wasn't a good idea and said so. (I normally didn't start the mischief, but I sometimes joined in or watched before coming to my senses). Some of my buddies were also pretty good at making a "smoke signal" fire with wet fir boughs piled on a big fire (cough, cough). I was not so into that.

Seriously though, as soon as we got into more backcountry backpacking and more serious camping, there was an emphasis on survival skills, first aid, responsibility for one's own safety etc. and that cut down on the horseplay. The horseplay tended to happen at the Scout camp that we just drove to and set up stinky canvas tents for a week.

Scouting is great, and some amount of self discovery needs to be allowed, but I hope the leaders and parents can learn to guide the ones that need it.

Glacies

November 10th, 2008, 12:29 PM

Spudman

November 10th, 2008, 01:37 PM

I hate it for you, Spudster! We were COLD this morning, got all the way down to 41! :rotflmao: I had to actually put a jacket on this morning as I got cold and I'm pretty hot-natured. :D
Thanks but as much as you are trying to dig on me all I have to do is remind you that we ain't got chiggers or hurricanes.:p

Brian Krashpad

November 10th, 2008, 01:44 PM

Thanks but as much as you are trying to dig on me all I have to do is remind you that we ain't got chiggers or hurricanes.:p

Remember, nowadays we're very PC and half of the latter are him-icanes.

bigoldron

November 10th, 2008, 02:14 PM

Thanks but as much as you are trying to dig on me all I have to do is remind you that we ain't got chiggers or hurricanes.:p

Chiggers???!!! We don't got no stinking chiggers!!! Redbugs we do have, but not THAT bad. :whatever:

I'll tell what we have seen in the past though, it's that white stuff, er ugh, what do you call it? Snow, yeah that's it. We have seen a snow flurry or two in the last 10 years or so. :D

Brian Krashpad

November 23rd, 2008, 08:32 AM

With her old man.

Well, besides when she was a baby or toddler at outdoorsy things.

Friday night I got home from work to be notified my daughter (15) wanted to go to an early all-ages show at my fave local venue (same place I played last week). So I changed clothes, had something to eat, and off we went.

The show was a benefit for a school group helping those w/autism. My ex-bandmate Dave, the soundman there, gave her a pair of earplugs before I could make some out of a napkin or buy a pair. I introduced her to my friend Jen, the bartender (also a local musician, my band Crash Pad has played with her band many times over the years), and Dave first thing.

Dave actually had seen her last when she was a toddler or baby when we did the occasional band practice at my house back in the day. There were literally maybe 6 adults in the whole place (besides staff, which was Jen and Dave and a couple people on door) that stayed for any length of time. A group of another 7 or 8 people came in but I think they found it kind of awkward with all the high schoolers, so they stayed less than an hour. The rest of the adults besides me were a couple band members' parents and a couple regulars who are there a lot (apparently).

We had a good time.

Here is the flyer for the show:

http://www.gainesvillebands.com/images/flyers/in_rotation/08_11_21_1982.jpg

This is the club:

http://a249.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/121/l_84c2775178821863a692d168acffde90.jpg

As you can see, it's called 1982. I have yet to hear a good explanation why. It's street address is 919, so I know that ain't it.

This is the band Captain Fresh that played. They were our favorite band that night. In the pic they are playing onstage at 1982, but this is from some other show:

http://a673.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/112/l_666da3cc181edbf07fa429b6bf31b458.jpg

This is what the stage looks like. But the gear is from my side band when we played last week. The stage still looks the same. ;)

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/43/l_2d9cc267e1e445479bb10afb311dac47.jpg

This is my friend Jen. She tends bar there:

http://a310.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/115/l_851200196377b30d4004b07668e4bcf5.jpg

Here's us outside 1982:

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/9186/hannahsfirstshow112108al6.jpg

Saturday morning I dropped Hannah Beth off at church for the usual Gator game car parking. I couldn't stay, as El Krashpadito was sick and needed to see a doctor. Supposedly a viral croupe. Took Jack home for a few hours, then we went back to church and helped pick up the parking cones.

Then back home again to listen to the Gator game. Today will be church and some yard work and NFL on TV.

street music

November 23rd, 2008, 12:01 PM

bigoldron

November 23rd, 2008, 12:39 PM

That's a mighty fine looking 15 year old you have there! Glad to hear that you and her can go and share common interests. My older girl's birthday is Tuesday and she'll be the big "18". We've got a family surprise get-together planned this afternoon, so she'll be floored by that.

Tuesday night, the girls and I and one of Caraboo's friends are going out to eat at a "fancy eatin' place", as we redneck's call it, in Tallahassee. I may even have to wear a coat and tie, which I'm not looking forward to. (I hate ties, especially when I was in banking for 9 1/2 years and had to wear one every day.)

Anyway, sounds like you and baby girl had a good time. We'll probably have a hoot too. Later!

Brian Krashpad

November 23rd, 2008, 12:44 PM

Brian, it must be nice to live where you have so much to choose from. Yesterday morning I was attending the funeral of a neighbor lady that I grew up with her son. Then the wife and I took off for WV and she mall shopped while I went to the Route 60 Muisc Company , great store owner by singer & songwriter Paul Callicoat. We talked a little while he had so many customers and he lets me try out anything in this shop, bad case of GAS again. Today I changed the setup on my SX after Paul played it yesterday he said that he could tell something wasn't right in the bridge pickup. So I Pulled out and resoldered everything and that give it that pickup twice the volume. So i'm being lazy today, playing each of my guitars and the wife too.

Playing the wife too? :D :dude:

Yeah, Gainesville is a really neat place. Not that I put much stock in such things, but a couple times in the last decade or so it's been voted (in Money magazine, iirc) the best city to live in in the US. For me it's the perfect combination, no major big city problems like rampant crime/gangs/drugs/traffic, etc. but still with museums and cultrual events and a music scene.

I went to college here for undergrad, took a year off to teach, came back for law school, and never left.

Brian Krashpad

November 23rd, 2008, 12:50 PM

bigoldron

November 23rd, 2008, 12:56 PM

Have fun Ron! And drive safe. Happy birthday to your daughter!

If they don't let you leave your peanut shells on the floor, it's too fancy for me.

:D

Logan's Roadhouse it ain't! It's the "Silver Slipper". Can't you hear the excitement in my voice/post? I may just pee myself... :whatever: Oh well, as long as the girls have fun, I'll be along to foot the bill. (Which will be a heck of a lot higher than Logan's too!)

Brian Krashpad

November 23rd, 2008, 01:11 PM

Logan's Roadhouse it ain't! It's the "Silver Slipper". Can't you hear the excitement in my voice/post? I may just pee myself... :whatever: Oh well, as long as the girls have fun, I'll be along to foot the bill. (Which will be a heck of a lot higher than Logan's too!)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/83/LogansRoadhouse.png/200px-LogansRoadhouse.png

or

http://www.theaspectratio.net/roadhouse3.jpg

I heard you were taller!

Brian Krashpad

January 5th, 2009, 08:40 AM

I'm back!

I know, I know-- "You were gone?"

Anyhow, last week I went up to West Virginia with la familia Krashpad. It was a ski trip with the kids' (Hannah, 15, and Jack, 11) church group and assorted friends and parents. Monday night we took a bus up from Florida. Tuesday morning we arrived, checked into our hotel, and went out to the resort (Winterplace) to rent our skis and snowboards and check them overnight. After dinner we went to some Christian youth meeting where there was live music (one acoustic guitarist, two vox, full drum kit), and a speaker.

Wednesday, New Year's Eve, was our first full day there. The kids and I did snowboarding and Mrs. Krashpad tried skiing. It was the first time for all of us. It was snowing and windy. By the afternoon, the missus and I were pretty tired so we just hung out in the lodge/restaurant while the kids snowboarded. I got a call on my cell phone from my daughter that my son had got an injury and that the Ski Patrol was bringing him down the mountain.

I went down to the Ski Patrol and told my wife to just stay with the rest of the group and I would call her to give a status report. My daughter Hannah had told me Jack had a cut and if he was bloody and not cleaned up yet I didn't want Mrs. K to get all freaky on us.

Which was a good thing, because he was all bloody. Whole left side of his face was covered in blood from hairline to jawline. He had a nasty cut, up under his hair a couple inches above his temple, where his snowboard had whacked him. He'd been boarding with his back foot out of the binding, went down, and the board popped up and hit him. Apparently this happens enough that they have a name for it-- "the Scorpion." Since the cut was well up under his hair, they didn't stitch it up, which they otherwise would've. They just took strands of hair from either side of the gash and knotted it together temporarily, to keep the wound from opening up. Once he was cleaned up I gave Mrs. K a call and had her come down to the Ski Patrol.

The injury got us out of going to another of the Christian youth group meetings/sermons, which was OK by me because I was beat. We hung out at the hotel until the rest of the group returned, and then our kids joined the rest of them in a little celebration at midnight.

Thursday, New Year's Day, we went back out to the resort. But not on schedule. While we were down in the hotel lobby getting organized, one of the girls in the group freaked out and said one of her roomates had fainted or something and wouldn't open the door to their room. So we had to get a key from the desk and run down the hall and open the room.

Sure enough, the girl in the room had passed out. I held the door open (it was really hot in the room) and tried to calm down the first girl, who was nearing hysteria, while the other adults went in and worked on the girl who was passed out. She was initially unresponsive and since no one had seen her fall, there was the possibility she'd hit something on the way down, and they called 911.

By the time the ambulance got there the girl had revived and could at least respond a bit. Turns out she was anemic to begin with, and being in the hot room with all her ski gear on, had passed out. She (and one of the leaders and some friends who went to the hospital after her) later rejoined us at the resort around noon time.

I did a little bit of snowboarding in what was left of the morning with Jack (we rented a helmet for him), and then we all had lunch. After lunch we went up the mountain to the tubing run. That was the most fun we had during the trip. No learning curve, yay! That night after dinner the whole group skipped the speaker/music meeting so we could pack up and get planety of rest.

Friday was spent on the long bus ride back to Florida. One of the best things about the trip was the price. Since the kids and I had helped with all the youth group's football parking days (our church is near Florida Field, a/k/a The Swamp, where UF plays football, and we sell spots in the church parking lot on game days), for each of us the cost was only $50-- the cost of the bus ride! My wife paid that plus $250, so for the whole family was $400, which included round trip transportation, 3 hotel nights, and most breakfasts and lunches.

Here's a couple pics, a batch more to come:

Jack, first day:
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/6605/westvirginiaskitripnewyqj1.jpg

Jack and I on the slopes:

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/7960/westvirginiaskitripnewykk9.jpg

Brian Krashpad

January 5th, 2009, 09:25 AM

Here's some more pics:

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/998/westvirginiaskitripnewyyq6.jpg

Jack, 2nd day, post-crash (note helmet):

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/1441/westvirginiaskitripnewyer5.jpg

Katastrophe

January 5th, 2009, 09:32 AM

Brian Krashpad

January 5th, 2009, 09:47 AM

Yep, scalp cuts get bloody in a hurry. But, Kraspadito looks like he bounced back well in the later pic!

Sounds like an eventful trip, Brian. One of these days, I'm gonna have to do stuff like this with the family. Wife's been wanting to go camping. Maybe this summer.

Camping definitely rocks. Thank goodness for Scouting, because I doubt I'd have ever got round to it otherwise. Mrs. Krashpad is not a camper, has no desire to sleep outdoors. So Scouting allows me and the boy to go camping with no guilt.

BK & kids:

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/7960/westvirginiaskitripnewykk9.jpg

All of us:

http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/4874/westvirginiaskitripnewyri8.jpg

Tubing hill:

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/6670/westvirginiaskitripnewyws1.jpg

BK & kids in tubing line:

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/7295/westvirginiaskitripnewyrx6.jpg

Brian Krashpad

January 5th, 2009, 10:42 AM

Last batch o' pix:

Hannah Beth in tubing line:

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/6050/westvirginiaskitripnewyll3.jpg

Snowball fight (Jack and HB):

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/392/westvirginiaskitripnewysf4.jpg

Sunset at Winterplace:

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/2966/westvirginiaskitripnewyor4.jpg

sunvalleylaw

January 5th, 2009, 01:09 PM

Ouch, bite 'o the Scorpion. Glad he is ok. Helmets are a great idea when snowboarding or skiing. These days, they are very light, comfortable and warm, and can save your bacon. Back in the olden days, before retracting ski brakes, skiers used to get injured like that when you ski popped off during a crash and windmilled around as you fell while connected by a ski leash. RE: the girl who fainted, it is common up here for altitude, cold/hot from going in and out of weather, and dehydration to cause fainting, light headedness etc.

I am glad overall your trip was a success. Looks beautiful. I spent the holiday season (through this last weekend) working my lawyer job part time as I did my ski instructor job while folks were in for vacation. This is what it looks like here now. It is snowing lightly, and absolutely beautiful conditions.

http://www.sunvalley.com/SunValley/info/mtn.cams.aspx (SV Mountain cams)

P.S. Your kids are darned cute. Good for you for taking them out to all these great places and joining in with them. It was very important to me growing up that my folks took us skiing and to scouts, etc. and participated. Yours always look like they are having fun in the pics you post. :AOK:

Brian Krashpad

January 5th, 2009, 01:53 PM

http://www.sunvalley.com/SunValley/SunValleyAssets/images/heros/mtn.jpg

Wow, that looks great where you are Steve. I'm back in near-80 F weather today. Quite a switch. Wonder how long it'll be before all those snow clothes we bought get used again? ;)

I'm just glad I didn't have to drive around in the snow/ice. There were 2 wrecks right at the entrance to our hotel in the few days we were there, although apparently more from poor road/driveway design/placement than anything else.

sunvalleylaw

January 5th, 2009, 02:01 PM

Heh, heh, that pic is from the very nice golf course that is groomed for Nordic (cross country) skiing in the winter, and where I often take a mid day office break to get some quick cardio. The mountain in the background is Bald Mountain (Baldy) where the main alpine ski resort is located. And the skies really do get that blue. There are tradeoffs for trying to make a living in a relatively remote resort area (cost of living, earning capacity, proximity to diversity), but views like that are a good thing. Glad you had that great trip!

street music

January 5th, 2009, 03:34 PM

Hey Krash, I haven't been there during the winter but I have visited Snowshoe during the World Archery tourament and we would shoot our way down the slopes and timber areas, very nice till the bear attacked the targets.

Brian Krashpad

February 2nd, 2009, 12:46 PM

So, at least those in the States may've done something interesting this weekend, what say you? I watched the game but spent a lot of the weekend driving my kids all over creation.

Friday night my kids' youth group had a meeting/cookout at one of the leaders' house. He lives way out in the country on a dirt road a couple miles from the nearest paved road. They had a bonfire and lots of hotdogs, hamburgers, and picnic type food. Cold out, but fun.

I played my 12-string a lot by the campfire. It's the one pictured in the middle below:

http://www.afn.org/~afn52445/acoustics2003.JPG

That old beater Yamaha sure still sounds good.

http://www.campshands.org/images/gallery/life1.jpghttp://www.alachuabsa.org/images/logos/buc-08.jpg

Saturday morning I took my son Jack out to Camp Shands, a Boy Scout camp way east of Gainesville (we live a bit southwest of town). This is an annual event called "Camp Buc Tuocs" (Cub Scout spelled backwards) where the Boy Scouts show younger Cub Scouts scouting skills. Jack went back when he was a Cub Scout, and now this year as a Boy Scout. I packed ski clothes for him to sleep in, he was in a tent and it went down to 32 F here Saturday night! He didn't use the ski clothes though, just two sleeping bags.

http://www.gvlculturalaffairs.org/website/programs_events/HMF/09_HMF_poster.gifhttp://www.gvlculturalaffairs.org/website/programs_events/HMF/HMF_images/joust.gif

After I got home and had some lunch, I had to take my daughter to meet a friend at our annual Hoggetowne Midieval Faire. Another hour+ round trip! Then a few hours later I had to go BACK to pick her up.

After I got home we had some dinner and vegged out. A lot of driving!

Sunday, went to church in the morning, and offically transferred our membership from our last church to this one. Sorta like being a "made man" in the Mafia, only you don't have to whack someone first. After that, my wife took my daughter to go to the Midieval Faire with a DIFFERENT friend, while I went to pick up Jack from returning from his camp out. Then, since it was the last day of the Faire, I took Jack out to the Faire with me! We met up with his sister when her friends left, so she could stay a little longer.

Whew.

Last evening we watched the Super Bowl and I did homework with Jack. Apparently he forgot all about a huge history test he had today. So I got up real early this morning and made him flash cards to study with. Instead of having him ride the bus I drove him to school, so he would have longer at home to study, and could study in the van with no distractions on the way over, instead of on a crowded noisy bus. Fortunately the test isn't until after lunch.

You?

bigoldron

February 2nd, 2009, 03:46 PM

Geez, Brian, you sound us. The best thing that will ever happen to you is when your oldest kid turns 16. Shuttle service drops drastically at that point!

We didn't do a whole lot. Went shopping Friday night and went to some friends house Saturday night to watch a movie with them. (Fireproof - Excellent movie! I recommend it for ANY married couple and for those who are even thinking of getting married!)

Did the usual church things on Sunday and watched the game last night. We don't usually have that many festivals around here, and we're usually too busy to go to them anyway. (Same old junk vendors, parades and entertainment, so not a whole lot to look forward to...)

Next Saturday, we're taking some of our youth group up to Mercer University in Macon. They're having a Baptist Youth Day for the kids. Free concert with their praise band, lunch, campus tour and a boys' basketball game to boot. My daughter's got her heart set on Mercer, so of course, she's excited about going. So, we've got SOMETHING to look forward to next weekend. Plus, Mama's turning 70 on the 9th, so we're having her a supper on Sunday night, so we'll eat good and have a little cake too.

sunvalleylaw

February 2nd, 2009, 06:43 PM

Good on ya Brian! I went to a training last week to keep our local scouting going and make sure our Webelos have a troop to go to in a year. I coached skiing, then skied in clinic with other coaches discussing half-pipe and park ski progressions, and skied really hard and fast with people a lot younger than I am. Sunday, I skied with my daughter during her last lesson day of a series of lessons she was in, then took came home, hung with the kids, took the dog out for an XC ski. Then the not so good part.

I went to pick up my middle son from an overnight trip to a yurt he had gone on with the developmental nordic ski team. They skinned in on telemark skis and skied and camped in the yurt overnight. You could see as he unloaded his gear from the team van how much he had grown in responsibility and confidence. Then he was telling me about it as I loaded his gear into the back of our van, and as he was showing me something, he moved his hand just as I closed the rear gate, and his left pinky got caught in the door. :thwap: :thwap: :thwap:

So, an ER trip was in order. The finger hurt, but does not appear to be broken. It is splinted for a week to be sure that there is not a hairline fracture that cannot yet be seen. Dang it!!!! I felt awful. He was very brave and snuggled with me later during story time, but it hurt me very much to make that mistake. Of course his finger probably hurt worse.

Oh, and I still am not a Steelers fan.

bigoldron

February 2nd, 2009, 07:21 PM

Then he was telling me about it as I loaded his gear into the back of our van, and as he was showing me something, he moved his hand just as I closed the rear gate, and his left pinky got caught in the door. :thwap: :thwap: :thwap:

Sorry to hear about your son's finger, SVL. Even though it was an accident, you still feel like a jack@ss. The only good thing is that the kiddies tend to heal a lot quicker than we do...

Brian Krashpad

February 2nd, 2009, 07:42 PM

I shut a car door on my daughter's fingers when she was little. Terrible feeling.

Mojo and prayers.

Brian Krashpad

February 9th, 2009, 09:17 AM

So what'd everyone do this weekend?

Friday I took the afternoon off and helped clean up Casa Krashpad because my sister and brother-in-law from Ft. Myers were staying the night, on their way up to Atlanta to see their college-age daughter in some singing competition. Friday night after they arrived they took us out to one of our favorite resaurants, La Fiesta. We went to a branch that's a little further away from Casa Krashpad than the original location, as we tried a different restaurant first that was full. I'd never been to this location:

http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/7/1/6/3/ar121072224136174.JPG

My old pal Moe Rodriguez (who originated calling me "Brian Krashpad" before even I did) was tending bar. This is Moe:

http://b6.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/00007/60/07/7657006_l.JPG

As you can see, Moe is an entertainer as well as a bartender; he also does show promotions and has a local music radio show.

We all had a good time at dinner.

Saturday my wife went out with some of her friends and was gone all day. While she was gone I took my son Jack for his flag football tryouts. They grade the kids so as to try and get the teams as even as possible. On the way there, we discovered he'd outgrown his cleats. So we stopped here:

http://portal.playitagainsports.com/users/photos/locations/3204.jpg http://playitagainsports.com/users/play_it_again_sports/images/piaslogo.gif

We took Jack's old cleats in as trade-ins on "new" ones. Since the "new" ones we bought were really used ones that only cost a tenner to begin with, and we got 4 bucks in trade for the old ones, he got a new (to him) pair of cleats for $6. I highly recommend this approach to parents with kids who need sporting goods clothes/accessories they may grow out of! Cheap, and one less thng in the landfill.

Sunday we played hooky from church in the morning,as Mrs. Krashpad had not got back from her dinner at a friends until quite late. In the afternoon, my wife took us (me, the kids, and one of Jack's friends) out to the place she'd been with her friends during the day before, the La Chua Trail, part of the Paynes Prairie state preserve here in Gainesville. The prairie is a large semi-dry lake bed south of town that has lots of wildlife. We saw blue heron and cattle heron, LOTS of gators, bison, turtles, migrating sandhill cranes, and ducks. There's a raised trail that leads to an observation deck about a mile and a half out into the prairie, and we walked all the way out and back. I should have some photos we took posted later this week, for now here's one I found on the web already:

http://www.zvents.com/images/internal/3/3/0/8/img_138033.jpg

That night after we returned home we went to a different Mexican restaurant I'd never been to, Mexico Lindo. It was good too, although the service was a little slow. There were a few TV's around the place, like in a sports bar. During dinner I went back and forth between watching the Pro Bowl and a match from La Liga Mexicana, Pachuca versus America. Football, and futbol!

After getting home from dinner, I checked our messages and my side band were having a practice, so I jumped in the Rockmobile and drove over to the office for practice. Got to try out my "new" bass, for the first time, an old '80's Peavey Fury I:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/3177684432_e5372072ed.jpg

The bass sounded good although the action was a little high. My right hand was tired by the end of practice. It'd been so long since our last practice I had problems recalling my exact bass parts at the start of a couple songs (this is a band I've gone back and forth between bass and guitar at various periods), but in general it went well and we had a good time.

Got back at around 9:30 or 10:00 and my son had overlooked one of his homework assignments and Mrs. K was tired and angry at him. I told her to go to sleep and I'd handle it, so we worked on his last assignment until about 11:30.

The end.

You?

sunvalleylaw

February 9th, 2009, 10:11 AM

Sounds like fun Brian! And thanks Brian and Ron for the kind words about my son's hand. He still has a splint and a little soreness, but it seems to be healing well.

It was his birthday this weekend, and we had a big sleep over party, set up our big dome tent in the living room for said party, and let the boys (and his sister with a friend over as well) have fun! Quite loud, and lots of 8/9 year old boy energy going on, but everyone had fun! Of course we had ski team on Sat. a.m. and I got out for quick skate (XC) ski on the bike path at the mouth of our driveway to exercise the dog and quiet my head Sunday. Not much guitar got done this weekend, due to all the visitors, but that is ok. After all, it is a B-day weekend.

bigoldron

February 9th, 2009, 11:24 AM

I would say that we carried our youth from the church to Mercer University in Macon for "Baptist Youth Day", but the only one's who showed up were the youth pastor, my 18 year old and me. So, we left about 6:30 and got there in time to meet up with my daughter's "friend". He's a guy met a while back and they've been texting back and forth. Supposedly not a "serious" thing, but I'm not buying that. Anyway, he's seems to be a good kid and his minister of music (one of our friends who moved away) gives him a good recommendation, so I'm not losing any sleep right now. Plus, he's 5 hours away...

Anyway, the day was good, not a very big crowd, but we did find out it was the 1st time, so you have to start somewhere. We heard and met a really good Christian rock band (JJ Weeks Band), who's based in Macon. They did a really good job, especially for 10:30 on a Saturday morning. Got their contact info so we can maybe get them down here.

After that, we heard a couple of short speeches, did a brief campus tour and had lunch. At 1:30, we got to watch the Mercer men's team play Jacksonville State. It was a really good game. Fairly even matchup, not too rambunctious a crowd. JSU got up to a 10 point lead in the second half, but Mercer came back and made a 2 pointer with 10.2 seconds left to go ahead 71-70 and managed to hang on for the win. It got very exciting in the last minute or two and the crowd was on its feet for that. Afterwards, we said our goodbyes and had a (thankfully) uneventful ride home.

Yesterday, we went to church in the morning, had a birthday lunch for my father-in-law and went to Mama's and cooked hamburgers for her birthday yesterday afternoon. Both of them have 2/9 for their birthday. FIL is 67, Mama's 70 today. So overall, it was a pretty good weekend, just too short.

Brian Krashpad

February 9th, 2009, 01:44 PM

That's a shame more kids didn't go to that music thing Ron.

That reminds me-- isn't Macon where Gretsch is headquartered?

Sounds like you had fun anyhow between that and the birthdays!

bigoldron

February 9th, 2009, 01:50 PM

That's a shame more kids didn't go to that music thing Ron.

That reminds me-- isn't Macon where Gretsch is headquartered?

Sounds like you had fun anyhow between that and the birthdays!

Well popularity/familiarity is a funny thing. If we'd said we were going to Athens to UGA, we'd probably have to carry 2 buses. Macon is a private Baptist college (read that as "expensive"), plus there's no football, so you can imagine how much popularity that it generates around South Georgia.

Yep. Gretsch is headquartered in Macon. Saw that last year when I took my Number 2 daughter to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

It was a really good weekend. Shame I have to be at work today.

Brian Krashpad

February 23rd, 2009, 07:31 AM

Friday I loaded up my van with a backline for a birthday party at my friend's house on Saturday. His actual birthday was 2/14, but since that's Valentine's Day he re-scheduled the party to this weekend. All five original members of our college-days party band, the Band of Fools, attended. One guy lives in England most of the year and comes into town for a few months during the winter. A couple of the other guys drove up from downstate, one from Tampa and one from Orlando.

Obviously we didn't practice or anything, just threw together a few songs on the fly, with a guy sitting in on drums so our original drummer could play guitar. It was pretty cold out, and that didn't help with the guitars staying in tune either. At least the cops didn't show up.

My daughter played bass on a couple songs, which was the first time she had ever played with a band or in front of people. Here's a few hilarious/painful seconds of that, sorry about the weird keyboards, that's what happens when people drink too much! Pretty bad when the only one not making a fool of herself is the teenager.

nbCBgo9zuWo

Sunday morning I had to get up early despite not getting home until 1:30 a.m., because my son was acolyting/crucifering at church. Stopped for lunch on the way home, then later in the late afternoon I drove back up to my friend's house and loaded all the stuff back up. Went from my friend's house to my office for band practice. Since I had a little 2x10 cab I bought for my daughter to practice at home with me (had used at the party for bass), I tried out the 2x10 cab at band practice in combo with a Hartke 4x10 and it sounded great. I think a 1x15 with the 2x10 might even be better for the contrast.

How was your weekend?

Spudman

February 23rd, 2009, 08:11 AM

Sounds experimental. I like it.

Brian Krashpad

February 23rd, 2009, 08:29 AM

Sounds experimental. I like it.

Haha, if experimental means "bad," yeah. :D

Oh well, everyone had fun. Lotsa people and some I hadn't seen in years.

bigoldron

February 23rd, 2009, 06:47 PM

Oh well, everyone had fun. Lotsa people and some I hadn't seen in years.

That's what it's supposed to be about. Glad ya'll had fun! Does your daughter have a learners permit yet? She could double as the bus driver. :rotflmao:

Wait a minute, did I see in one of your posts that her name is "Hannah Beth"? Too weird. My older one is Carabeth and my baby girl is Annabeth, affectionately know around town as the "Beth Girls". I get called Ronnie Beth way too much because of it. :D

Spudman

February 23rd, 2009, 10:27 PM

I get called Ronnie Beth way too much because of it. :D

That's probably going to start happening here now too.:D Ronnie Beth.:poke:

marnold

February 23rd, 2009, 10:34 PM

Sounds like a Johnny Cash tune: The Ballad of Ronnie Beth

Kazz

February 24th, 2009, 04:56 AM

Hey Ronnie Beth......

Brian Krashpad

February 24th, 2009, 07:44 AM

That's what it's supposed to be about. Glad ya'll had fun! Does your daughter have a learners permit yet? She could double as the bus driver. :rotflmao:

Wait a minute, did I see in one of your posts that her name is "Hannah Beth"? Too weird. My older one is Carabeth and my baby girl is Annabeth, affectionately know around town as the "Beth Girls". I get called Ronnie Beth way too much because of it. :D

Yes, she does have a learner's permit. She can be my designated driver!

And yep, we call her Hannah Beth, her name is Hannah (for a great-great-grandmother) Elizabeth (for a great-aunt). Since Hannah was/is a popular girl's name we knew she'd probably have other Hannahs in her classes and such, but that there probably woudn't be any other Hannah Beths. Now at school I think she's shortened it and just goes by Hannah, but at home we call her Hannah Beth a lot still.

In Spanish we call her Annabel, which is the name I think she uses in her school Spanish classes.

sunvalleylaw

March 15th, 2009, 07:45 PM

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

This weekend, I coached the Freeride ski team on Saturday and had basically a normal day. Today, I took the dogs for a nordic skate ski (the crust cruising, where you go out on the open land rather than on the groomed track) was great! Then I took my 5 year old daughter skiing at Dollar Mountain, the beginner hill at Sun Valley. We had a great time, singing the "Sharpay" version of "You are the music in me" and dancing all around the hill. Then we had a cookout in our backyard during the driving snowstorm, roasting snausages and hotdogs and making S'mores, washed down with some red wine brought over by my Mother in Law!

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

Now my boys, who had a friend each over for a sleep over, are bedding down in the tent in the living room for a "camp out" It is spring break, and since we aren't going anywhere this year, we are having our own spring campout/cookout. Good spring times! :AOK: :D :beer:

bigoldron

March 15th, 2009, 07:56 PM

Sounds like a great weekend, Steve!

Spudman

March 15th, 2009, 08:36 PM

Oh I'm so envious - you got the storm and we didn't.:D We got wind but no precip or clouds really.

Cool tent in the living room. That's really roughing it without the fly.:rotflmao:

sunvalleylaw

March 15th, 2009, 08:54 PM

No storm huh? Did you get your ride in then? Beat into the wind and coast back?

Spudman

March 15th, 2009, 09:22 PM

No storm huh? Did you get your ride in then? Beat into the wind and coast back?
Nope. I was busy saving all sentient beings.

Brian Krashpad

March 16th, 2009, 06:12 AM

Brr.

My weekend started inauspiciously enough, got a call from my wife Friday morning that our son's middle school had called, he had felt sick and was sent to the nurse and got sick while at the nurse's. My wife was getting her nails done, so I went to go pick him up at school.

Since I already had plans for a rare weekday lunch, my wife met me at the place I was going to eat with some old college/band buddies, and she took Jack home from there. By odd conicidence the guitarist in my very first band currently works at UF doing some scientific thingies with the bassist in one of my current side bands, and he brought said bassist along. However that side band really exists only on paper at this point, as the frontman/singer-songwriter for it lives over in St. Augustine (a couple hours away).

The bassist had grown hs hair out long and had a full beard-- I hadn't seen him in probably a year, so I didn't even recognize him. Our fourth was my friend Albert, the keyboard player in that clip above.

We had a nice lunch, although I learned that our mutual friend Tom, who had been in a band with me and the bassist, Brad, and is basically my guitar tech when I need repairs, was separated from his wife. He is probably at least 20 years older than she is, but they had been together for 20 years or so, since she was 16. She's already living with some guy. I just don't get that. At least there are no kids involved.

I had already planned to stop by and see Tom after lunch anyhow, so I stopped at the music store where he works and we chatted awhile.

Went back to the office but had been putting in such long hours that I basically just collected up my stuff and went home for the weekend.

Unfortunately, it turned out our son had a bad stomache virus, rather than just some food poisoning or a 24-hour bug. He was running fever and my wife made the mistake of letting him sleep in our bed and watch TV that evening. He got to feeling better and had some pretzels, and then barfed all over the bed.

Fun evening that was.

Saturday we took it easy, Jack was still sick and neither I nor my wife felt very good either, although Kim felt worse than I did. Mainly did a lot of laundry.

Sunday morning I went up to the little town of High Springs and picked up a practice amp so I'll have something I can use to play in church. It's a little 40W Crate, I will put the deets in a separate thread.

Came home, played around with the new (to me) amp, and did more laundry and just hung out. Jack was feeling a bit better, and Sunday was his birthday, so Kim went out and got him a cake and some presents, and Sunday evening we had pizza and ice cream and cake out on our patio. It was nice, probably in the high 70's or maybe even low 80's F. Just the four of us. Kim had bought one of those portable "fire pit" things so we built a fire in it even though it was a little warm for that.

Kim took some pics of Sunday evening, maybe I will be able to post them this evening.

Brian Krashpad

March 23rd, 2009, 07:02 AM

Played guitar in church Sunday morning, first song was a pre-service song, U2's "40." Of course, my delay pedal was busted, that's always fun trying to play U2 with no delay. So I cranked up the chorus and the reverb and faked it. It actually went OK though. On that song it was me on electric and the pianist/singer used my beater 12-string Yamaha. On one of the service songs I missed an intro, because the flautist started playing without giving me a count in, so I just waited to come in with the piano, rather than jump in late. Fortunately no major screw-ups that were really noticeable.

I'm still a bit nervous playing there. At my last church (a couple years ago) the band was off to the side and I mainly played seated, and sorta hid behind the organ console. Here, I'm up front and there are like several hundred people facing me. I used my new (to me) little 2x8 40W Crate and it sounded fine, did not run through the PA, which is how I prefer anyhow. Played the Les Paul Classic with the '52 RI Tele in reserve (wanted the praise band leader to not have a chance to judge me poorly based on gear, so brought the more expensive stuff). Still getting used to doing the little descending bass-note chords one sees in church music again. The pianist/singer/praise band leader leader asked me if I'd be available to play more than the one Sunday per month that my "team" plays, and I said sure, he apparently doesn't have any electric guitarists on any of the other teams, so if there's a song that's a bit more "rock" maybe I'll get to sit in with some of the other teams.

Saturday I'd dropped my daughter off at the botanical gardens, they were having a big Spring event with plant sales, bands, etc., before I went to church for my band practice. She spent all afternoon with her new "boyfriend" but reportedly no PDA as yet. It went well though-- I checked her facebook and her friend left a little heart on her wall. Back at Casa Krashpad after church band practice, all day was spent doing laundry and folding and putting away, and picking up the house for Jack's belated birthday party Sunday afternoon.

After I got back from church on Sunday at about 1 pm, I went out into the front yard with the grass whip and took out all the weeds, then fired up the mower and mowed the worst parts of the back yard, and leaf-blew the drive and front walk and porch, before people got there for the birthday party. We did everything out on the back patio, the weather was perfect today, 70's F, cool and breezy. The kids who came all got a Nerf gun as their party favor, so they had Nerf battles for a couple hours, in between gift-opening and cake and ice cream. Nice low-profile inexpensive party, and perfect for 12-year-old boys.

Howzabout y'all?

bigoldron

March 23rd, 2009, 07:44 PM

Sounds like a nice weekend, Brian. Congrats on getting the chance to play more at church. Apparently, the leader/director recognizes talent when he sees it! (Be positive dude, don't say "apparently he has no other guitarist).

We spent Saturday working in the yard. I planted 15 azaleas and 5 dogwood trees, got my lawn mower running (spent 45 minutes running down an air pump), and finally got the grass cut. Sunday morning was the usual, except I got the new keyboard at the church set up for pianist/keyboard player that morning and we had a gospel quartet come for the evening service.

Say a prayer my kids in the youth praise band. Next Sunday night is our Community-Wide 5th Sunday Service, where the local churches get together have singing, dancing and other forms of worship. This time it's "youth oriented", so my kids and I will be playing. They get a little nervous when we're not in our church, but I think they'll be fine.

Brian Krashpad

March 23rd, 2009, 10:15 PM

We spent Saturday working in the yard. I planted 15 azaleas and 5 dogwood trees, got my lawn mower running (spent 45 minutes running down an air pump), and finally got the grass cut. Sunday morning was the usual, except I got the new keyboard at the church set up for pianist/keyboard player that morning and we had a gospel quartet come for the evening service.

That's a lot of planting! Back when my son was in Catholic School (an educational rather than religious decision) the Catlicks (no offense to any Catlicks) made me do service at their church and I (along with a few others) planted a batch of trees along the border of their property. Hard work. The last thing we need at Casa Krashpad is more trees, however.

Kudos for hooking up your keyboardist!

Say a prayer my kids in the youth praise band. Next Sunday night is our Community-Wide 5th Sunday Service, where the local churches get together have singing, dancing and other forms of worship. This time it's "youth oriented", so my kids and I will be playing. They get a little nervous when we're not in our church, but I think they'll be fine.

Prayer said. Cool that you get to play in other environments. At my prior church all I ever did was play in the sanctuary, and outdoors at our Easter Sunrise services and a July 4 picnic on the grounds.

Sounds like a nice weekend, Brian. Congrats on getting the chance to play more at church. Apparently, the leader/director recognizes talent when he sees it! (Be positive dude, don't say "apparently he has no other guitarist).

Well, it's true. He has other guitarists, but apparently they're all acoustic-electric strummer types. That said, tonight he e-mailed me about forming a band to do his original music, probably with me on bass. So I guess that's pretty cool.

I haven't listened to his music yet though. Will check it tomorrow probably. He described it on Sunday as "Ben Folds meets contemporary Christian" which would certainly be a step outside my experience. (At a minimum I know he's a talented guy.)

Still, a groove is a groove, and a bassline a bassline.

Funny thing is, he hasn't really heard me play bass, other than a few seconds of noodling to check the tuning on my bass at practice on Saturday, before determining what would get played Sunday (and deciding I would play guitar only).

Will just see if it goes anywhere.

bigoldron

March 25th, 2009, 05:22 AM

Keep us posted on the church band, Brian. I'm interested in hearing how it turns out. We've basically formed ourselves a "band" and we're trying to act like such. We do play outside our church as the occasion arises. We have our annual "Harvest Festival" in October and we've played it twice, plus we played at the ACS Relay for Life last Spring and are planning on doing that again.

The 5th Sunday thing started about 3 years or so ago. Most of the churches in our small town are part of a ministerial association and they came up with the idea of getting together on each 5th Sunday night and have a community sing. It started out as adult choirs and ensembles but gradually has had more and more youth groups participating - anything from bands to blacklight skits to dramas/skits and even dancing. Now about once a year, they have "youth only" at the 5th Sunday's. Those are my favorite ones.

I'm curious to hear about the style of music your band leader has in mind. We play mostly contemporary stuff, we love Casting Crowns, but we don't have any guys singing, so that's always a challenge.

Anyway, good luck with it! :AOK:

Brian Krashpad

March 25th, 2009, 06:04 AM

Brian Krashpad

May 18th, 2009, 01:00 PM

Well, I've been remiss in keeping up the weekend thread over the last few months, so here's a report. Let's here from y'all as well!

My weekend: Friday night Kim went out with her teacher friends. We had kind of a rough week with Jack (12) and schoolwork. His science teacher is a real piece of work, we had problems with her 3 years ago with Hannah Beth (now almost 16) too, but HB isn't dyslexic/dysgraphic. Jack could fail this 9 weeks and still pass the class for the year since he has three B's in previous 9 weeks, but it seems like he is running out of gas, at the very time the teacher is making everything way harder (mainly because she couldn't write a decent worksheet with a gun to her head). She asks all kinds of questions that simply are not answered anywhere in the kids' notes or textbook. So we end up having to do research on the interwebs to find answers, which should not be necessary to do fecking homework.

My wife Kim actually found the worksheet Jack most recently got in that class. He's in 6th grade, the worksheet was from a high school course. And it's not so much the difference in grade level, as that the high school worksheet/class uses a totally different textbook. Lazy beyotch. Right now Jack has a D+ in this final nine weeks, if he can finish with a C so his overall yearly grade is a B- I'll be happy.

While Kim was out to dinner, some young local musicians came over and bought an old small 5-channel mixer off me. I practically gave it away for $20, but I wasn't using it anyhow (I even have a second one just like it, that has a couple knobs busted off), so I reckon it was a good karma/"pass it on" type deal.

Saturday morning I went and got the oil changed in the Rockmobile. Then I went to a garage sale where I had someone holding a CD/radio boombox for me for a fiver. Now I'll be able to listen to CD's at work without slowing down my computer. I also bought a few CD's they were selling, for $1 each. A Face To Face album, and something by the Plain White T's that I figured my kids would like, and one other I'm forgetting.

Saturday afternoon I took Jack to his flag football game. Even though the league doesn't keep track or give trophies, the kids keep track, and everyone knew this was the 2 best teams, with a 5-1 record each, and that each team's only loss was to the other. So the upshot was that whomever won would finish out the season in (semi-mythical) first place.

Holy cow, what a game. The other team went up by three TD's, we got one, then the other team got a fourth TD, and we got one, so we were down by two scores. Then we came back for another TD, and a two-point conversion, meaning they were only up by one score (less the 2 points). The other side got right down near the goal line, and I'll be danged if Jack's team didn't put up a four-down goal-line stand that included two sacks! After taking over on downs, they went the length of the field in under 3 minutes and scored and went ahead by two. The other team started coming back down the field, aided by an iffy roughing the passer call, and had a pass into the endzone batted down as time expired. I almost had a fecking cardiac. We won, 26-24!

Saturday evening was Jack's awards ceremony for flag football. After the excitement of the game it was kind of a letdown. Mainly just a ventriloquist for the kids, applause for all the coaches and helpers, and all the kids got a football as their annual present (last year it was a gear bag). Meanwhile, Kim took our daughter Hannah down to Micanopy, the small town where the movie "Doc Hollywood" was filmed in the '90's, for a street dance patterned after the one in the movie. Unfortunately it was apparently a bust, but at least Hannah and her boyfriend had some time together.

Sunday morning we went to church, Jack had to acolyte/crucifer. The rest of Sunday was pretty much laundry and homework.

Talk to me peeps!

Spudman

May 18th, 2009, 01:34 PM

My weekend was pretty simple. Lots of hard exercise followed by late night guitar playing. http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=10778

Brian Krashpad

May 26th, 2009, 06:58 AM

OK, those of you in the States should have some good weekend reports, since it was a 3-day weekend here

I took Friday afternoon off and watched a football match from the UEFA Champions league, iirc it was Munich v. Madrid. The only place to see it in the States sfaik is on ESPN Desportes, so I watched it at a little Mexican restaurant that is usually pretty dead during the day. Unfortunately, for a goodly portion of the game a trio of what can only be charitably described as "trailer trash" (no offense to anyone living/has lived in a mobile home intended) were seated in the booth behind me. Ugh. 3 adults and a baby. The guy didn't say 10 words the whole time, but the two women talked non-stop, swearing like sailors the whole time and incapable of subject-verb agreement. It was all I could not to throttle someone.

Saturday was my anniversary, but in the morning I had a church praise band practice. If you can call me and a pianist a "band."

I played my Dano Hodad on 2 songs and my Epi T-bird bass on the third.

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

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3366/3500424819_9c1a5a459d.jpg

One of the songs was in Ab, but I talked the pianist into playing it in G instead. Fortunately, I had an old songbook from my former church with the song in it, in that key, out in the Rockmobile, so I went out to the parking lot and fetched it. We ran through the song in G and she asked if I needed a copy of the music (I'd just been playing extemporaneous lead during it). I said no-- if she thought I could get away playing something like what I'd just done. She said no prob, but this was the first time I would be playing a real "rock" lead in this church.

That night we drove up to the little town of High Springs, northwest of Gainesville, and had a nice dinner with an old college buddy of mine and his wife. Here's where we ate:

http://greatoutdoorsdining.com/images/stories/homepageimages/great_outdoors_photo_collag.jpg

Apparently it was some local school's graduation so the place was booked up, so we ate in the bar. Food was great, fun evening. No live music, but we were there for food and conversation anyhow.

Sunday morning I played in church. The pianist forgot to get the music director to turn on the PA, so I played to the whole church through my little 2x8 amp-- and she led the singing with no mic. Sigh. Anyhow, afterward a bunch of people including the pastor complimented me, so I guess it went OK. Also, after the service the music director asked me if I sight-read, and I told him no but I could usually figure out something with just a lead sheet. So maybe eventually I'll do something with the choir in addition to the praise band.

After I got back from church, Mrs. Krashpad and I went out looking at refrigerators. Ours is white but our stove, microwave, and dishwasher are brushed chrome, and she's been bugging me to get something that matched. We found a "Whirlpool Gold" (apparently better than without the "Gold") fridge that looks like this, for eleven-something, a floor model that had a tiny dent in one side:

http://www.appliancist.com/36-inch-refrigerator-dacor-french-door-cabinet-depth-bottom-freezer.jpg

Apparently this was a good price, but the cheap bastard in me still thinks it's crazy to pay that much for a fridge. Because it was a floor model, they asked if they could deliver it Monday (despite the holiday!) because their practice is to deliver floor models next day, so they don't get messed up.

Sunday night I was supposed to have a Crash Pad practice but my drummer bailed so we cancelled it. Stayed home and helped the boy with his science homework and hung out.

Monday morning I did some chores. First, managed to extricate my tree-limb saw from the garage, and used it to pull down a large branch that had broken off a tree but had lodged in some lower limbs. Next I made some space out in the garage for our old refrigerator to go, and then I mowed the lawn. Been having serious problems with the mower, fouling spark plugs like nobody's business and running ssssssllllllowwwwww. Changed plug. No dice. Changed oil. No dice. Finally opened air filter. Looked like a freaking sandbox. Banged all the dirt out, worked like a charm.

After mowing, the refrigerator guys came. They got the fridge installed, but had to take our front door off the hinges to get it inside, and also put the old one out in the garage. Now we have more fridge space than we know what to do with.

That afternoon I went to pick up my daughter and her boyfriend from the movies. His mom doesn't own a car so he rides his bike everywhere, so I took the Rockmobile and brought his bike back to Casa Krashpad. He stayed for dinner and then I took him back to his house. Or as close as he'll let us deliver him. He's embarrassed about not having any money so he insists on us dropping him off at a little strip mall near his house. Fortunately he's a big kid and it's a pretty safe area, but I wish he'd just let us pick him up and drop him off directly. Still, I don't want to make him uncomfortable.

Went home and watched the season premiere of "John & Kate Plus 8" which was kind of a downer, but about what I expected.

OK, that was long. I expect equally detailed reports from the rest of you!

:D

Spudman

May 26th, 2009, 09:36 AM

Friday was a 54 mile ride on my bicycle. Saturday was a mountainous 35 mile ride followed by some DVDs in the evening. We just hung out and relaxed. Sunday it rained all day but we still hiked a couple of miles down to the video store and back. Monday was a hike up the ridges above town. All the wildflowers were really strutting their stuff after the rain. They all be gone and everything will turn brown in 2 weeks so it's been good to get out and experience all the green spring goodies.

Brian Krashpad

May 26th, 2009, 09:40 AM

sunvalleylaw

May 26th, 2009, 10:02 AM

Brian Krashpad

May 26th, 2009, 10:39 AM

So you didn't go with the antiqued Avocado green? Our weekend was mostly quiet, around home. Mostly yard work, etc. on Sat and Sun. On Sat. my son and I hiked up Carbonate ridge, across Hailey from my house. It is the one Spud and I pedaled up a coupla falls ago. A lot of Indian Paintbrush already coming out, with some other various wildflowers coming out as well. It is amazing what elevation does on a rocky, high desert ridge. This site has a map and a slide show: http://thetrailbook.com/hailey/carbonate-mountain-hailey/

On Sunday, I went on a nice long mt. bike ride with a couple of other dads, and planted a tree in the yard. Both days we had BBQ's at friends' houses.

On Monday, I worked and cleaned my office, then had a Mt. Bike Ride at Adam's Gulch. Some pics of the area here, though the lupine is just getting started and the burned areas in the pics are covered in green growth again.

http://cruxphoto.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/idaho-and-montana-adventures/

Then Monday night, I took my oldest son who is a 5th grade Webelo (Cub Scouts) with his den of 5th graders to visit a Boy Scout troop they will be joining over the summer and next year. Good group of kids and good leadership. We did not know about this active group before and it is a good find for us!

That's cool he's found a good troop. Our Jack got the chance to not only visit a troop meeting, but also to go on a weekend camping trip with his future troop. A good way to sell the troop to potential new Boy Scouts then still in Webelos.

Unfortunately Jack has been working so hard in school this year he's missed a ton of scouting meetings and a few campouts as well. He's up to Second Class rank, and I want him to at least get to First Class eventually. This troop has a ton of kids "Eagle out" but if Jack stays in super-challenging academic programs I have my doubts that'll be doable.

oldguy

May 26th, 2009, 06:49 PM

Monkus

May 27th, 2009, 08:21 AM

Brian Krashpad

May 27th, 2009, 09:22 AM

Just stumbled across this thread, good read, glad to see people are physically active and having fun family times. I usually play soccer (football) on weekends with my college alumni team. This weekend however was my brother in laws' anniversary and birthday get together or 'lime' as we call it here in Trinidad. I had the job of setting up the pa and karaoke for the lime.

My father in law also introduced me to White Oak rum. I haven't had rum in years (I prefer beer, I only have Shiner when I'm in Houston heh heh) so I danced with older women, sang karaoke and generally was a happy drunk. The missus also had a blast and was the designated driver. Needless to say Sunday was awful.

Had bought some herbs on Saturday morning to start a kitchen garden so did that about 4:30 pm on Sunday. Relieved some of the hangover that. All in all a good weekend, pics to follow.

Looking forward to those pics. :AOK:

If you're a footballer, have you been following the UEFA Champions League? I watched Barcelona-Chelsea yesterday, and in a couple hours am going to go home to watch Manchester-Barcelona.

I need to get in an old-timers' league. I blew up my knee in the '80's and haven't played football since. Had previously played in youth leagues, high school, and for some college club sides.

Monkus

May 27th, 2009, 10:55 AM

Brian Krashpad

May 27th, 2009, 11:13 AM

I'm playing hooky this evening to watch the Barca-Manu 'Clash of the Titans' game as well. Gonna find me a bar somewhere showing the game. I like both teams but I think ManU has the edge.... we'll see, but I'm not taking any bets..lol

Trinidad and Tobago also plays Costa Rica on June 6th in Tobago and Mexico in the Azteca on the 10th for WCQ. Football heaven..!!! I think the US WCQ games are on June 3rd and 6th but not sure.

It must be difficult for such a small country to compete in WCQ's. Good luck!

I have only seen a few of the recent UEFA Champions games, but when Barca is on they're scary good, watching them absolutely destroy Bayern-Munchen recently (iirc it was 4-0) was crazy. How they managed that late game goal against Chelsea when already a man down is beyond me.

Hopefully the game will live up to the hype!

bigoldron

May 27th, 2009, 08:36 PM

Went fishing........got a few nice channel catfish, lots of bass and hybrid bluegill (perch, for you newbies), and I'm eating fish as we speak........
I practice that new "catch and fillet" fad that's going around...........

:poke: :poke: :poke:

http://www.thefret.net/imagehosting/thum_1154a1c8cc65fc4a.jpg (http://www.thefret.net/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1113)

You're a man after my own heart Oldguy! I haven't been fishing in a while, so I think it's time I head to the lake.

We had a great weekend. My older daughter graduated on Friday night (pics in another thread), we laid around and took it easy on Saturday and had a really good Memorial Day service on Sunday night. It was a community-wide church-based service with a community choir and several performances from various churches. My best friend and our minister of music and I sang Diamond Rio's "In God We Still Trust" with a photo slide show that I put together playing on the screen behind us. Got lot's of compliments. Really a great show overall.

Monday, I had to WORK, but teachers and other personnel were off, so there was only a handful there. I kept a low profile and occupied myself until quitting time.

Overall, not a bad weekend. :AOK:

oldguy

May 28th, 2009, 04:37 AM

Ronnie, that sounds like a great weekend to me. Maybe not the working on Mon. part, but overall really nice.

The weekend before Memorial Day I had one niece and one nephew graduate high school (the same school, thankfully), and it was pretty busy.
But this past weekend, I got to go fishing Sat. with my wife and youngest daughter who's 16. The rest of our children are grown and on their own now(and busy, usually, on weekends).
Sun. my wife and I went. We fished both mornings, and I cleaned fish both afternoons. Mon. I cooked fish, and we divvied it up with family members, and I had enough to bring back to the camper for work this week. I hadn't been fishing yet this year, so it was great. Looking at a highway interchange project starting next month, and it may be 6 and 7 days a week, so I figured I better fish if I wanted to................

sunvalleylaw

May 31st, 2009, 09:26 PM

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/sunvalleylaw/Croc.jpg
New Croc Day, that is!!!

Dude, they are so AWESOME!!!

Took my oldest to a soccer tourney in Boise, while my wife took the youngest two kids to a soccer tourney in Pocatello, where Spud lives. Each of us drove about 2.5 hours in nearly opposite directions from our home as a center point. (Well, I should have driven about 2.5 hours, but it didn't take quite that long. ;) )

Good events for all, and basically the end of the organized soccer season.

For me, I went to GC and checked out a few acoustics (the Epiphone Masterbuilt R/S dread AJ500RE was nice, but I like the Martin Custom DSR (also R/S) better, they did not have Larrivees), the Vox DA-5 vs. the Roland Cube (DA-5 won), and looked at, but did not have time to play with the Line 6 M-13. I played a coupla teles through the amphs, but did not find one I could not live without. This store does not have CV's or ASATs. If I got a tele, I would have to learn how to find tones. I am so used to my strat neck tone, that the tele bridge tone is a completely foreign land!

So I treated myself to a NCDay at Costco for $15.99! Sweeeettttt!!!!!! :AOK: :AOK:

Brian Krashpad

June 1st, 2009, 06:33 AM

Oh my land, Steve, those are scary.

No real news to report from the weekend. Friday night I took my daughter Hannah and a friend of hers to an art show downtown at the Civic Media Center. It's a very cool place, an "alternative" reading room/library/showspace. Very lefty/pinko, my kind of politics (not meaning to start a political discussion, just describing the place), it was the first time I'd been to their new location (they moved a few months ago), but I'd done many a show with Crash Pad at their prior location in the late '90's. Hannah's history teacher from school was DJ'ing, he goes by "DJ Angry" for shows and has a little radio show on the local low-power community station.

I saw this guy Joe there that runs a lefty newspaper called the Iguana (thus I've always thought of him as Joe Iguana, same as everyone calls me Brian Krashpad) and is one of the CMC leaders, and we chatted for a couple minutes before I skedaddled so as not to impinge on my daughter's teenagerness. I gave Joe a Crash Pad business card (hey, I got them for free years ago) and told him we were off hiatus and would be happy to come do one of their rent party/benefit shows. Went home for a couple hours and then back into town to take the kids home.

Saturday morning was more carting kids around-- took both kids into church to do prep work for Vacation Bible School in a little over a week. Hung out at the office and did some work, as well as a follow-up e-mail to the CMC, until they were done, around noon. Did house cleanup and ran Jack (12) over to a friend's to go to the movies in the early evening. He saw the new Terminator movie and loved it.

Sunday we played hooky from church and did more house cleaning, as Kim has an end-of-year party for her students tomorrow morning. Sunday night was supposed to be a band practice, but my drummer got a cut on one of his fingers and the bassist flaked totally, so that was mostly a waste. Did some band bonding with the drummer though, so that's a good thing. Also got back an e-mail from the CMC offering us a Friday show in July, so that's cool.

Pretty low-key, but it's fun to be booking shows again. We have one in about 10 days at my favorite little club, with a rad Celt-punk band from Boston called the Swaggerin' Growlers.

Robert

June 1st, 2009, 07:59 AM

I ran Calgary marathon. :)

My story here - http://runnerguy.tumblr.com/

bigG

June 1st, 2009, 08:09 AM

Very good, Robert! I'm proud of ya! We're all proud of ya! Way to go, my friend! :bravo: :beer:

Brian Krashpad

June 1st, 2009, 08:21 AM

15 degrees?

Please tell me that was Celsius!

It'll hit 90 F here today, barring unexpected rain.

Spudman

June 1st, 2009, 08:25 AM

I did 62 miles on my road bike on Saturday. Only 10 cars passed me from behind the whole day. I love my private Idaho.

On Sunday we took little Spud out for her longest bike ride ever which was 15 miles. All the time she has had her new bike she never told me until yesterday that her saddle has been making her sore. Of course she tells me this 5 miles into the ride after it's too late to change anything. She's a trooper and soldiered on for the whole thing without complaining. Probably because it was just an awesome day and she was enjoying the scenery.

bigG

June 1st, 2009, 08:26 AM

15 degrees?

Please tell me that was Celsius!

It'll hit 90 F here today, barring unexpected rain.

Hey Krash, how you likin this FL heat, man? It has been HOT! I was sweatin my face off luggin in that new gear on Friday! Man, I hate it, but every freakin year I stay here...and complain! :rotflmao:

sunvalleylaw

June 1st, 2009, 09:16 AM

Wow Spud, 15 miles! That is great! Tell her she did good!

Brian Krashpad

June 1st, 2009, 09:35 AM

Hey Krash, how you likin this FL heat, man? It has been HOT! I was sweatin my face off luggin in that new gear on Friday! Man, I hate it, but every freakin year I stay here...and complain! :rotflmao:

Thank goodness for a/c! The Long Hot Summer has begun, for sure. It rained most of last week though, so it's kind of nice having sunny days. The heat/humidity will get old fast though. Last year my son went to summer camp here in north FL with the Boy Scouts for a week-- totally miserable. Won't make that mistake again.

We don't have a pool at Casa Krashpad, but there's a nice local motel that has "pool memberships" so we got one of those; we can go swim in their pool any time. It's not a heated pool (except for some small hot tub-type things), but we can get a lot of use out of it. The kids went yesterday in fact.

bigoldron

June 1st, 2009, 09:39 PM

Well, we're "almost Florida" and it's been stifling hot here too. One of the bank thermometers was reading 96 this weekend. God bless a/c!

Brian Krashpad

June 8th, 2009, 10:38 AM

So, how was everyone's weekend?

Friday was the last day of school here, so Friday night we went out to celebrate at our fave Mexican restaurant, La Fiesta. I couldn't find a photo on the web of the restaurant, but I did find a pic of their food:

http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/4/9/9/1/ar121072283919941.JPG

Saturday morning I went to band practice at church, while the kids helped prepare decorations for Vacation Bible School this week. They'll both be serving as group leaders and/or drama characters all this week. The VBS is about the early church in Rome:

http://www.lifewaystores.com/lwstore/images/products_L/005188206_L.jpg

Saturday afternoon we cleaned up for an end-of-year party for my wife's adult English as a second language students, who came over Saturday night.

Sunday I played bass in church. The praise band leader snagged a high school kid who happened to be there to play drums with us, with just one quick run-through right before the service. We only do 3 songs per service (sigh) but they went off pretty much without a hitch. Man it sounds so much better with drums than without. One of the old church ladies who I refer to (out of earshot) as Crabby Helen even made a point of shaking my hand afterward and saying it sounded good, which was about the last thing I expected.

After church we decided to try and go to one of the world-class springs we have in north central Florida, so I put the extra seat back into the Rockmobile and we picked up one of Jack's friends and then Hannah's boyfriend Moose, and the 6 of us headed out to Fanning Springs, which feeds the Suwannee River. Unfortunately, because of flooding a month or two ago, it was closed to swimming. So we tried another nearby spring, Hart Springs, but got the same result. We ended up driving back to Gainesville and going to the pool (we have a "pool club" membership at a local hotel):

http://www.gatewaygrand.com/img/h_amenities.jpg

After swimming there for an hour or two, we took Jack's friend home, and Hannah's boyfriend Moose came home with us for dinner, after the 3 kids rode over to Publix on their bikes to pick up a couple things needed for dinner.

I missed dinner for a Crash Pad band practice over at the office. :( But at least practice went pretty well, we have a show on Wednesday night.

Now tell me about your weeknds!

bigoldron

June 8th, 2009, 08:41 PM

Friday night, we had the last night of VBS, themed "Boomerang Express", which was a take-off on Australia. I ran sound for that all week and put slide shows together each night with the pics for that night. After Friday night's finish, I spent about 45 minutes putting together the slide show for Sunday night (Commencement).

My girls were on a cruise all week and were coming home on Saturday. I spent Saturday, doing odds and ends around the house, plus I built a post to replace the one our front porch, which had rotted at the bottom. It's the upright post that holds the rail up. Finished, got a shower and got to sit down for a few before the girls came in. They were pumped, but exhausted, so they were chattering away, telling me all about their trip.

Sunday was church. The regular sound guy was out of town, so I had to run sound (includes sound, working the slide presenter, turning on the internet feed and radio) Sunday morning AND Sunday night for the VBS Commencement. After that, there was refreshments, but we left and went to Pizza Hut. Afterwards, it was home, crash a while and hit the hay for Monday.

sunvalleylaw

June 8th, 2009, 10:10 PM

I pretty much worked all weekend, doing some research/writing for some appellate stuff. But I did take a break each day, pictured here: http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=11904

I also took the boys to see that "Up" movie last night after dinner.

Brian Krashpad

June 9th, 2009, 06:12 AM

Ronnie Beth, where did the girls go? What'd they see?

Steve-- you shoulda had me do the research and you coulda taken the weekend off.

;)

Those are great pics. How'd you like "Up?"

bigoldron

June 9th, 2009, 08:24 PM

Ronnie Beth, where did the girls go? What'd they see?

They went on a 5 day cruise from Tampa. Originally, it was going to Cazamel and Grand Cayman, but with the swine flu scare, Cazamel was dropped and added another day in Grand Cayman.

They enjoyed it immensely! :D

street music

June 9th, 2009, 09:00 PM

We spent some time at the local flea markets looking at guitars and purses for the wife. Didn't find anything exciting, went home mowed grass and got a really bad sunburn on my shoulders. OUCH! So I spent Sunday playing on my new amp and staying out of the sun.:mad: :flamemad: :mad:

tjcurtin1

June 9th, 2009, 09:03 PM

sunvalleylaw

June 9th, 2009, 09:17 PM

Sounds like too much LDS in the '60s talking there TJ! ;)

(no offense to anyone intended, just a silly trek reference.)

street music

June 14th, 2009, 06:52 PM

bigoldron

June 14th, 2009, 07:29 PM

Sounds like too much LDS in the '60s talking there TJ! ;)

(no offense to anyone intended, just a silly trek reference.)

Wait a minute, WHO'S having the LSD flashback??? :rotflmao:

bigoldron

June 14th, 2009, 07:32 PM

We have been home all weekend.The wife had 15 teeth pulled on FRiday evening.She looks like a battered wife- bruised and swollen. It has just been giving me a chance to catch up on some needed practice and play nurse for her. We are having severe storms tonight and power problems are all around at this time. I may have to head out to work if things get much worse.

Hope everyone else has had a good weekend.

Good luck to you and your wife Street! I hope she doesn't have too much pain. We had a really good/bad thunderstorm blow through here earlier this afternoon. Lot of limbs and tree tops down. Even saw one dog pen flipped over.

I'm sitting here by myself. The wife and girls are gone with the church youth group on a mission trip. I was supposed to go with them this morning, but good old work screwed me up on my schedule once again. I'm HOPING that maybe I'll get to join them Tuesday night. They'll be gone until Saturday morning, so it's kinda quiet around here.

Take good care of your bride! :AOK:

sunvalleylaw

June 14th, 2009, 08:59 PM

Wait a minute, WHO'S having the LSD flashback??? :rotflmao:

Heh, heh, Ron, that's the joke. It is a line that Kirk delivers in SanFran in the present day, to explain Spock's behavior, and he messes up the initials. :D

Not much this weekend. It rained all weekend, and I worked. I did get out for a quick hike with the dog up that Quigley hill I posted pics of last week, and did a little road bicycle ride today during a weather break. Other than that, pretty quiet.

Spudman

June 14th, 2009, 09:29 PM

I managed to get out for a hard road ride today too. I think I saw a small twister forming up on a ridge. Just about a mile from the house on my way back it started raining. Overall it was pretty good timing to get in a workout between storms. Unfortunately my bike looks way too messy for my tastes now.

Robert

June 14th, 2009, 09:59 PM

Our family went to Devon for an extreme cross-country running event. See www.5peaks.com

It was a good day, our 15 year old was 3rd in her age category and I was the overall winner. :) Almost 500 meters elevation gain over 7 kilometres, and we did 2 laps. :eek:

Next weekend we are running one of the most amazing relays in the world - the Kananaski 100 Mile Relay.

Today, the local music store had all the music students performing for parents and friends. I had 2 students perform and I backed them up on acoustic. They played awesome! Both are 11 years old, a girl and a boy. The girl did "Oh When The Saints", and performed it flawlessly! She is very talented, musically.

The boy did a tough tune - "Black Magic Woman", but he did great and everyone was mighty impressed. I was too. I was not that good when I was 11, that's for sure!

sunvalleylaw

June 14th, 2009, 10:18 PM

I managed to get out for a hard road ride today too.. . .

Unfortunately my bike looks way too messy for my tastes now.

Glad you got out there. Mine was not that long, but a good series of hill repeats, and I was strong and attacked well. I chose when I stood up, and stayed on top of the pedal stroke pretty well. Re: the bike messiness, I just don't care that much if there is dirt on my bike, but you know that. ;)

Brian Krashpad

June 15th, 2009, 04:33 AM

We have been home all weekend.The wife had 15 teeth pulled on Friday evening.She looks like a battered wife- bruised and swollen. It has just been giving me a chance to catch up on some needed practice and play nurse for her. We are having severe storms tonight and power problems are all around at this time. I may have to head out to work if things get much worse.

Hope everyone else has had a good weekend.

Yikes. Hope she's better soon.

Saturday I had a craigslist buyer flake on me in the morning so we decided to go to the beach. By the time we got all the stuff packed and a friend per kid rounded up, it was 2 pm by the time we made it to Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine. Just as we got out the beach, the lifeguard announced that lightning had been spotted "in the area" and "suggested" that everyone exit the water, then abandoned her post to clear the beach. We let the kids swim until we actually saw some lightning, about an hour later, then headed for the van. Just as we got to the parking lot the rain came down in sheets and we had quite a storm. Drove in rain most of the way back to Gainesville.

Sunday morning we wnet to church, it was the end of VBS week so we had a lot of non-members there. The church really blew it by not having more contemporary music in the service. Sigh.

Back home I mowed the front yard, and for dinner we barbecued some burgers on the grill out back. Did some work over the weekend, but not enough.

Brian Krashpad

June 22nd, 2009, 08:35 AM

Saturday I went into church and set up a 1x15 cab that I'm just going to leave there 24/7. Used the 15 so I could play either bass or guitar through it. Ran over the 3 songs we were going to do on Sunday and left all my gear there. For the summer at least I'm going to play every Sunday I'm in town, yay! The band director also wants me to play bass for him in his side band. I've never worked with just a keyboard before, should be interesting.

After returning home I mowed the lawn, after retrieving my gas can from the neighbor who borrowed it (with just enough in it to do the front yard). My son had a couple friends over and they made a "war movie" with a little video camera we have. They wanted me to be in it too since there was just the 3 of them, so I insisted on getting shot right quick because it was awful hot out and after mowing I was beat.

Sunday morning I had to go in to church early to run the songs with the band director and flautist, who hadn't been able to come out the day before. The band director decided in future at least for the summer to just scrub Saturdays and go on just a pre-service practice, which is fine by me. Played my Gretsch Special Jet on the first 2 songs and my Danelectro Hodad on the final one, which I had some short solos in, with a longer one as the outro.

While I was at church my wife told me that someone had run over our neighbors big brick mailbox post thingy and had driven away leaving the car bumper in the yard! When we got home some people were out talking to our neighbor, don't know yet but it seems like their teenager may've gone on quite the joyride. I was lucky my van wasn't hit as I had had to park it on the street the night before, when my son's friend's mom came to pick up her son and her car was in the driveway. Later the highway patrol was there too. Crazy.

After I got home I watched the USA beat Egypt in the Confederations Cup, followed by the replay of the Brasil-Italy game. The USA started the day at the bottom of their group, but by beating Egypt 3-0, and Brasil beating Italy 3-0 also, the USA got to second place in their group, and earned a spot in the semi-finals! I'll leave work early on Wednesday for that-- USA vs. Spain, current #1 in the world. That'll be tough.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and Father's Day. Let's hear about 'em!

sunvalleylaw

June 22nd, 2009, 09:58 AM

The weekend was rainy, again! See spring in Idaho thread for Spud's report. I worked again this weekend, as I am closing in on the end of a special appellate briefing assignment from the State Appellate Public Defender, and I punctuated work with some guitar, (got to play with my boy yesterday :AOK: ) a run Sat. and a MTB bike ride Sun. between thunderstorms, and a little yardwork moving some shrubs out of the way of a deck extension that is going in. At least the river bed and rock filled soil was soft for digging! Also watched my middle boy swim in his meet, in the rain. Also, had Father's day breakfast in bed, some handmade cards and gifts (some dough for some more git lessons from my MIL!! :AOK: ), and a Guiness with dinner!

My oldest and I had been scheduled for camping with his new Boy Scout troop and a zip line expedition, but with rain, thunder and lightning all weekend, the troop figured it would be better not to be out on a 1700 foot long steel cable in the weather.

Brian Krashpad

June 22nd, 2009, 10:36 AM

My oldest and I had been scheduled for camping with his new Boy Scout troop and a zip line expedition, but with rain, thunder and lightning all weekend, the troop figured it would be better not to be out on a 1700 foot long steel cable in the weather.

Those of Jack's troop that didn't go to NC for camping (got back last week) but wanted to camp closer to home (and cheaper) are out at Camp Shands this week, out in the sticks NW of Gainesville. Got a report that it was 112 F down by the lake yesterday. Jack went last year and it was miserable. Won't make that mistake again.

Robert

June 22nd, 2009, 04:51 PM

I ran the Kananaskis K-100, a 100 mile relay in the Canadian Rockies. Fantastic event. There are 10 legs, and I ran the hardest one, leg 5.

http://www.k-100relay.ca/leg_five_gif.gif

Our team ended up 2nd in our category, our best ever performance. I improved my time on leg 5 from 2 years ago - 1:13 this time. Sweet!

Unfortunately, there was a sad incident where a guy in his 30s had a heart attack and didn't make it. Happened right in front of our eyes, and it is so sad.

bigoldron

June 22nd, 2009, 09:10 PM

We had an unusual weekend. Last week, our youth group went help our former music minister's new church have a "Sports Camp". Their church did this instead of the traditional VBS that most churches around here do. It was a great success with over 200+ attendees each day and 43 professions of faith. But, that's not the unusual part.

The camp ended Friday afternoon and we stayed over until Saturday morning to leave as it was late and we had a 5 hour drive. Well, the transmission on the bus had been acting up and sure enough, when we left on Saturday, the bus had gone about 15 miles and quit. My wife and kids and I were on my daughter's Camry, because I couldn't go to join them until Tuesday because of work issues. We made some calls and the people at the church we had spent all week working at were nice enough to loan us their bus to get the kids home.

The youth minister took the kids and my older daughter and left. We stayed behind to meet the tow truck and make sure the bus was situated and going to be repaired. The truck was SUPPOSED to be there at 9:30, but didn't show up until almost 11 a.m. We followed him to Aamco and left the contact information with them and left around 11:15.

By this point, the bus and kids were 1 1/2 hours ahead of us and had stopped for lunch. We began driving home and before we were 20 miles down the road, the youth minister called and said our preacher and his wife were stranded on the interstate too. I assumed he meant I-75 as that's where the bus was headed down and we were headed toward. I called the preacher and he thought he had it taken care of, so we kept trucking.

About 5 minutes later, the preacher called and he DIDN'T have a ride. We were at I-75 at this time, so I said "no problem, we'll pick you up." When I asked where he was, he said "Hogansville, GA", which is on I-85. They are about an hour ENE of us. So, we stopped, had a bathroom break, re-programmed the GPS and took off across the state of Georgia. We finally got to them about 2 p.m., had some lunch and headed home down I-85, I-185 and Hwy 27. We finally go home about 5 that afternoon.

Here's what our route looked like:
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd81/bigoldron/GATour.jpg

Were we finished? No. After going to church Sunday morning, we loaded up and went back to Macon, GA (3 hour drive) after lunch, spent the night and went to my daughter's orientation at Mercer University. We finally got home about 7 p.m. tonight. I do hope we're through traveling for a while. My butt's getting tire of car seats... :D

Brian Krashpad

June 23rd, 2009, 05:00 AM

bigoldron

June 24th, 2009, 02:16 PM

Wow Robert, great run, too bad about the other runner.

Ronnie Beth, holy cow, that's a lot of driving!

My wife drove my son up halfway to the inlaws up I-75 yesterday and my mother-in-law came down halfway to meet them. He'll be hanging out with them for a few days this week up near Peachtree City/Fayetteville.

We flew right by Peachtree City on the "Stay and See Georgia Quest". Even halfway from where you live is a loooong way. I'm about driven out...

Brian Krashpad

June 24th, 2009, 02:34 PM

We flew right by Peachtree City on the "Stay and See Georgia Quest". Even halfway from where you live is a loooong way. I'm about driven out...

I bet you are. But halfway to my inlaws from Gainesville FL is only 2 hours 15 minutes, total 5.5 hours.

sunvalleylaw

June 28th, 2009, 06:12 PM

This weekend was the re-scheduled trip from last weekend, where we went camping with Derek's new Boy Scout Troop. We left yesterday morning early, went to Stanley Lake area and did a 7 mile hike out to Bridal Veil falls and back, then on to camp in Garden Valley, where we took over a sand bar island in the middle fork Payette river, and did Scout camping things like tell dumb jokes, make s'mores and such.

Then today, we went to Idaho Zipline, and went ziplining. Easier to show pics than explain so here is a link to Derek's pics. (he went first of all the scouts, though being the youngest and lightest by far.)

http://gallery.me.com/sunvalleylaw#100110&view=null&bgcolor=black&sel=3

I zipped too, and it is very fun! The last run is a dual, where you can race. I kicked the other dad's butt in my race! :D

Here is a link to some vid from Idaho Zip line if you want to check it out. http://www.zipidaho.com/video

Very fun weekend for Derek and me!

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/sunvalleylaw/IMG_0195.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/sunvalleylaw/IMG_0197.jpg

bigoldron

June 28th, 2009, 08:46 PM

Looks like you had a really good time SVL! So, did you kick his butt by beating him or did you literally kick his butt? :D

Had a good day today. Friday was work, after hours computer work. Saturday was grass cutting and more computer work. Today was better.

We got a little earlier and go to church early, because it was our turn to do breakfast for our Sunday School class. Then we left church early because it was Miller Family Reunion time. Ran up there, ate WAY too much and headed home. Had about an hour or so to unwind/rewind and back to church at 3:30 to set up for our newly formed Adult Praise Band. Practiced 4-5, had Youth Praise band practice, then church at 6.

Don't want to brag or sound conceited, but we really rocked it! It was our first performance and we went over like a bang! We'll be playing every Sunday morning in July and, hopefully, we'll get more opportunities on an on-going basis. We've got 2 really good keyboard players, a good drummer, bass player and me (holding my own) and 8 good singers (plus one of the keyboarders sing too). It was our maiden performance and we're still working on tweaking our sound system, but overall it went really well.

We're excited and looking forward to Sunday morning! Wish us luck and keep us in your prayers! Afterward, a bunch of us hit Pizza Hut and sat around talking for a couple of hours. Overall, a really good day! :bravo: :AOK:

sunvalleylaw

June 28th, 2009, 09:44 PM

LOL! Carl is a nice guy, I wouldn't literally kick his butt. Sounds like you had a great successful one too! I am a bit envious you have found a regular group. But glad for you!

Spudman

June 28th, 2009, 10:03 PM

That looks like fun. Glad the weather was nice for you guys too.
I guess I'll have to start calling you "Zippy" from now on.:D

Brian Krashpad

June 29th, 2009, 07:34 AM

Great pics Steve! That's some serious ziplining! Our scout troop has made just real little ziplines themselves, the kind where you climb a laddder and then go 30 or 40 feet.

Ronnie, that's great to hear about your band. Prayers and good wishes for your musical ministry! I have some news in that area as well, but I'll go chronolgically.

Friday night my daughter had dinner with her boyfriend and his dad. I had to drive her over to the restaurant. Then she called when I needed to go pick them up, but when I got there, they weren't there! Grr. I was driving the Mommobile since my wife had borrowed the van to go up to ATL, and since she recently had it cleaned there wasn't a cent in change in it to make a pay phone call to my daughter's cell. Tried to make a collect call but for some reason that doesn't work with our cells. So I figured maybe her boyfriend's dad had driven them back to our house, and I somehow misunderstood her call, or they changed their plans. So I drive all the way home. No one there. I call her cell, they had gone into the hobby store next to the restaurant! Grr.

So I drive all the way BACK to the restaurant and pick her up. "Dad, can Moose [yes, her boyfriend is "Moose"] come over to the house for awhile?" So Moose comes over and they watch a movie while I watch a different one ("Snatch") on the set in another room. Then another round trip to take Moose home.

Whew!

Saturday morning we bug-bombed the house since the other half of the family was up in ATL. My daughter, I, and the devil dog went over to my office for the morning to wait out the fumigation. Left those 2 there while I went to church band practice. After practice I played some of our music director's original music with him, since he wants me to play bass in his band when he finds a drummer. I'm not sure he'll like my style of bass though, as I play real simple and I think he may want fancier. We'll see.

Went back home and opened up Casa Krashpad to get all the fumes out, no further doings of note on Saturday.

Sunday morning I played guitar in church. We did 3 songs, and talked a drummer who was originally only going to play one pre-service song into playing on 2 of ours.

One song I basically solo'd all the way through (we had an acoustic guitar for rhythm, plus piano and drums). It's the first time I've come close to really cutting loose in that church so I was a bit nervous. The song wasn't really a rocker but more one of those "slow burn" type deals where I laid off a bit, playing clean and working off the melody, in the verses, and busting loose with some gain and more free-form rocking in the choruses. I played it better in the pre-service warmup, but at any rate 4 or 5 people from the congregation thanked me after the service, so I guess it went over OK.

Plus, I found out that in the Fall when we do football parking at our church (fundraiser for our youth group made possible because our church is a few blocks from Florida Field at UF) I'll probably be playing on home game day Saturdays as well. That will be especially cool because my daughter will be playing bass. Plus, the people who park in our lot aren't necessarily our congregants (although many are), so it'll be nice to do some musical outreach and not just "preach to the choir."

Sunday afternoon I really enjoyed the first half of the USA-Brasil football match, only to have Brasil come from behind to win. Big downer. Sunday night I went over to the office for band practice but nobody showed, and I was too tired to start calling people and trying to track them down. At least when I got home Mrs. K and el Krashpadito were back from ATL safe and sound.

bigoldron

June 30th, 2009, 09:39 PM

Brian Krashpad

July 1st, 2009, 08:50 AM

Sounds like a typical busy weekend at my house. Good luck on the home games gigs, Big B! We tried to do a "5th Quarter" type thing on Friday nights at our church a couple of years ago, but it was too hard to do with not enough help. Sounds like yours will be fun though!

Thanks, hopefully it will work out. My main concern is noise ordinance compliance; although hopefully on game days people near Florida Field who want peace and quiet will either leave town or turn on the A/C and lock up tight inside.

Back in law school I used to live 4 blocks directly north of the Swamp; we sold parking in our yard and watched the games on TV with the front door open, so we could hear the crowd noise from the stadium.

Brian Krashpad

July 6th, 2009, 05:05 PM

Friday: took afternoon off work since I suspected I had bronichitis. Soonest I could get in to docs was the evening. Yep bronchitis.

Saturday: skipped church band practice due to bronchitis, but did mow the front lawn. Kids and Mrs. K went to see fireworks but I stayed home. When they got back we did our own fireworks.

Sunday: played guitar in church and, for the first time, mandolin (see my "Ich bin ein Mandoliner" thread)

Today: had day off for a late Fourth holiday. Mowed back yard, layed around all day. Rock band practice with side band cancelled by singer since drummer unavailable.

And you?

street music

July 6th, 2009, 05:41 PM

Brian, I mowed grass, and worked in my Blackberry patch on FRiday, Saturday morning played a round of golf and SAturday evening went to listen to some local music at a cruise in but got rain at 5pm till dark on Sunday, so Sunday was TV and guitar day for me and the wife. Not a horrible weekend but could have been better.
Hope you are feeling better.

just strum

July 6th, 2009, 05:43 PM

And you?

Starting Friday:

Cut grass - played guitar

Saturday: Worked on one of the cars and played guitar - watched some fireworks.

Sunday: Maore work on the car and played guitar.

Today: start of vacation - Took one of the dogs to the vet for annual check up. He never leaves the house and we figured the car ride would be challenging - just the opposite. Now, whenever he goes outside he runs over to the car door. Played guitar and putts around in the yard.

the rest of the week - vacation. Not going anywhere, just kicking back and mildewing.

sunvalleylaw

July 6th, 2009, 10:52 PM

Other than going to the 4th parade and helping out with the Cub Pancake Breakfast the boys always serve at the Grange on the 4th, and a bike ride yesterday, I painted all weekend (interior house painting, rolling primer, then ceiling white, and a got to some of the wall paint. The project continued tonight after work. We should be done this week, and my wife, who painted all day, will likely knock out most of the rest tomorrow, and I can help sweep up later this week.

Brian Krashpad

July 7th, 2009, 03:07 PM

sunvalleylaw

July 7th, 2009, 03:21 PM

What exactly is a Grange again? I've heard of them in the Midwest, but I don't think they have them down heah. I had to go check to make sure I had it right. But I did. Out in the rural/agricultural portions of the west, the term fits this Webster's subdefinition here:

An association of farmers, designed to further their interests, and particularly to bring producers and consumers, farmers and manufacturers, into direct commercial relations, without intervention of middlemen or traders. The first grange was organized in 1867.

The local Wood River grange is the charter org. for the boy's Cub Scout pack. The Boy Scout troop Derek is joining is chartered by the Wood River Pres. Church.

bigoldron

July 8th, 2009, 04:18 PM

Friday - finally got a day off was going to lay around and relax. A friend called and his server at his store was hit with a nasty virus, so I spent all day cleaning that up.

Saturday - Had lunch at in-laws, went swimming with family and older 'Beth's "friend" (happens to be a boy), went to eat supper at new place (got crappy service), went to see fireworks (were disappointing compared to past years - tough economy).l

Sunday - Newly formed Adult Praise Band played Sunday morning, had practice and played again Sunday Night. (We're running songs as prelim on Sunday night and play for real on following Sunday mornings). Rode over to Dothan to check on wife's grandmother in hospital.

Monday - back to work. SOS... :whatever:

Brian Krashpad

July 13th, 2009, 10:23 AM

Saturday: Itchetucknee with the combined Youth Groups of my current and former churches, here's a stock shot:

http://www.english.ufl.edu/ego/guide/tubing.jpg

Sunday, played guitar and bass at church (see my "I pulled a Nielsen!" thread for deets), picked up a new bathroom vanity from Lowe's. That evening I ran outside into the rain to put my van windows up and caught a chill, like they describe in old novels. Very weird. I started shivering and running a slight fever and felt like my bronchitis from the week before was coming back. Yet today I feel fine.

What about y'all?

Spudman

July 13th, 2009, 10:49 AM

Another day eating in Paradise for me.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/July10006.jpg

See the Sleeping Indian?
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/July10009.jpg

I cooked the ribs.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/July10014.jpg

The Trout Unlimited fundraiser. $9,000 boat and trailer - bids were $3,000 - only 2 bids and the guy that actually wanted it won. THe other guy was going to flip it.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/July10016.jpg

Next weekend - meeting Willie Nelson

Brian Krashpad

July 13th, 2009, 10:53 AM

Dang Spud, that looks great. I bet it wasn't terribly hot like it was here, too.

bigoldron

July 13th, 2009, 11:37 AM

Spud and Brian, looks and sounds like you both had good weekends! I went swimming with girls Friday after work. I spent Saturday riding with College Bound Caraboo to Macon and back to give her some long-range and interstate driving experience and to show how to get to Mercer. Got home in time to stop by a friend's 40th B'day party. Then went home where my wife cooked me a steak supper for my birthday.

Sunday, went to church, played a song with Adult Praise Band, had a birthday lunch w/cake at in-laws. Installed a computerized cash register for a friend's restaurant, had Youth Praise Band practice. Then we had church service "at the creek" at a member's house, where we baptized 4 youth. We had hamburgers and hotdogs to celebrate that and to say goodbye to one of our families who'll be sorely missed. Afterwards, went over to my brother's house for a late evening swim.

Monday, back to the grind! Overall, a pretty good weekend!

FrankenFretter

July 13th, 2009, 01:54 PM

bigoldron

July 13th, 2009, 02:26 PM

I changed the strings on my acoustic this weekend. I suppose it may have had something to do with friends telling me strings aren't supposed to be black. Big improvement, though. Perhaps I won't wait two years next time around...:thwap:

Reminds me of a friend who religiously changed his strings once a year, whether they needed it or not! :rotflmao:

Brian Krashpad

July 20th, 2009, 12:36 PM

OK, Monday morning quarterbacks, tell me of your adventures!

Saturday: Morning: went to church band practice in the morning. Our singer for this week was one of the elders, nice lady who nevertheless felt compelled to pass along that some of the old f*rts thought the music was too loud, particularly during communion. (I say this as an old f*rt myself: we're not too loud. Srsly.) The complaints are no doubt all coming from the people who normally go to the "traditional" music service during the rest of the year and are unused to (and flat don't like) the whoping 3 or 4 contemporary songs per service we do during the summer "combined" service (since we're a college town, we only have one service during summer). Sigh. Only one more combined service to play though, and then anyone who doesn't like modern music can go to the other service again. I'll be glad of that. I hate walking on eggshells. Other than that, though practice went well.

Afternoon: demo (as in demolish) master bedroom's bathroom: took out vanity and sink, and toilet.

Sunday: Morning: played in church. I played my cheapo Peavey Strat, with my Schecter Tempest in reserve. For 4 songs, anyhow. Leads on two of those. We did a fifth song (normally we only do 4 max, but we did the first and last communion song, with us scurrying off the stage, back to the pews, and through the communion line in between, where usually we only do one communion song, typically the first), and I played mando on that. This is the third week in a row I've played a song on mandolin (those being the first 3 times I've ever played mandolin in public); so far no real disasters, but it's a challenge to think in terms of different chord shapes sometimes.

My daughter had a migraine, so la Familia Krashpad skipped church.

Afternoon: In all the demo mess, after church I mislaid my keys. Mrs. K got really ticked off and we had a huge argument, after tearing up the house, cars, etc. for several hours without finding them. They're still MIA.

Evening: I borrowed the spare key to my car and went to the office for practice with both my bands. The side roots rock band practice went fine, I played bass and we played as a trio. Unfortunately both bands' joint drummer had told me his girlfriend was going home that evening and she changed her plans and made him dinner. He had to leave before the Crash Pad kids could arrive. But we really needed a practice as both bands are playing this Friday night, so we had a drummerless practice. As the kids were finishing off their coffin nails in the parking lot before leaving, I brought out a guitar and showed them a new (actually written a long time ago, but out of the setlist for years before they ever joined) song of mine I want to add. They actually insisted on going back inside and rehearsing it a few times. They're good kids, those two. I dunno if we'll be brave enough to try to play it this Friday though.

We're planning on another practice Thursday night, so hopefully I won't blow my "voice" out the night before the show.

You?

Spudman

July 20th, 2009, 05:13 PM

My weekend was a little on the decadent side with some hard work thrown in as well.
First we had a little party at the digs in the pictures. Buffalo tenderloin that melts in your mouth and fresh trout were on the menu. The house is right on the Snake River.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/July18009.jpg

The groom was rowed across the pond while standing. Our party tent is in the background.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/July18010.jpg

Nice place eh?
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/July18011.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/food/July18012.jpg

just strum

July 20th, 2009, 05:36 PM

I was wondering who used my house while I was out of town.

street music

July 20th, 2009, 07:48 PM

Spud that is one nice looking condo! I really would like some of those ribs.:pancake:

Spudman

July 20th, 2009, 08:11 PM

Spud that is one nice looking condo!

Condo? Good one SM. You almost had me with 'condo'. Can you see the suit of armor through the window?

bigoldron

July 20th, 2009, 09:10 PM

Spent Saturday building a drum shield for the church. Knocked off about 3 and took the rest of the day off.

Sunday, the adult praise band played 2 songs in the morning service. The youth band played 2 that night. Our regular youth drummer and her family are moving, so we wanted to play yesterday, so that she could be there. Of course, she didn't show up, so our bass player in the adult band played drums for the youth. This guy is one of those talented musicians who can sing, play bass, play drums and who knows what else. He's actually a better drummer than he is a bass player. The kids were LOVING it. (So was I!).

Anyway, I actually got the kids recorded, so here's the 2 songs they did:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/B1KQX1N-yPo&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/B1KQX1N-yPo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8SAK4VDuV60&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8SAK4VDuV60&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Happy Day is new to the band. We've only practiced it 2 or 3 times. My baby girl played the keyboards on Revelation Song. She just started taking lessons about 2 months ago. (Can you tell I'm proud?)

Anyway, it was a pretty good weekend!

MichaelE

July 20th, 2009, 11:13 PM

I work every Saturday and Sunday so I can get off two days during the week when no one is home.

Monday & Tuesday has been my typical days off, but has not been regular for several months now.

Any two day's off together NOW during the week is a blessing.

Brian Krashpad

July 21st, 2009, 06:18 AM

Spud:wow, those were some nice digs. A suit of armor? :rolleyes:

Ronnie Beth: man it is great to see people getting into music in church. Some Lutherans have been known to tell Baptist jokes on occasion, but frankly I wish Lutherans were a little more like Baptists in some ways. It would be great to play music in a church where the reaction to music was so immediate and palpable.

Yes, that was a sigh you heard under my breath.

Spudman

July 27th, 2009, 09:34 AM

This weekend Mrs Spud and I did a 10 hour motorcycle tour of Idaho. It started out looking like this - high Camas prairie

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Motorcycle/Idahotour7-25-09004.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Motorcycle/Idahotour7-25-09020.jpg

Then it eventually turned into this. We were careful to avoid the afternoon thunder showers.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Motorcycle/Idahotour7-25-09072.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Motorcycle/Idahotour7-25-09147.jpg

We made a little detour to Mesa Falls. If you look closely in the center of the falls you can see the hawk playing on the thermals.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Motorcycle/Idahotour7-25-09130.jpg

Brian Krashpad

July 27th, 2009, 10:25 AM

Great pics Spud!

Friday: show w/both bands, separate thread w/pics here:
http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?p=143648#post143648

Saturday: unloading van, mowed front lawn, showed son how to edge but he's small and had a tough time w/it. He came in with a blister and I heard thunder rumbling, so ran outside and finished up the edging so I could get the edger and power cord back in the garage before the rain. Watched the movie Iron Man for the first time, w/Krashpadito.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005JPS8.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Sunday: played guitar on 2 songs, mandolin on one in church. Music Director (not our praise band leader, the organist/choir director head honcho) comes up right beforehand to tell me the guitar was too loud on one song last Sunday. Thanks pal, only one out of 4? That's pretty good. Better than being too low on all of them, which is what had been the case. He volunteers to tell me when to turn down during the service, from up in the choir loft.

I don't have the heart to tell him I'm nearsighted and need to have my glasses off to read my music, meaning he will be a tiny fuzzy blob up in the choir loft from our position at the other end of the church.

Packed up and went to lunch to celebrate my daughter's 16th birthday, just the 4 of us and her boyfriend. Back at the house we had cake and ice cream.
Mrs. K unintentionally used trick candles on her cake that kept relighting!

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs190.snc1/6380_1212921123090_1230650648_627265_7236941_n.jpg

Then she got the Peavey Foundation bass I bought for her about a week ago:

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs170.snc1/6380_1213490177316_1230650648_629340_517124_n.jpg

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs170.snc1/6380_1213490217317_1230650648_629341_5133723_n.jpg

After taking her boyfriend to his job, we came back and watched "The Pink Panther Strikes Again!" which is a real slapstick classic.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a8/Pink_lobbycard.jpg

We rented it (along with Iron Man that we'd watched the preceding evening); we own a copy of "Return of the Pink Panther" which is the other high point of the series imho.

pie_man_25

July 27th, 2009, 10:54 AM

My weekend was good, my (ex-)girlfriend and I broke up, so I've been getting over that, the weekend's band practice went REALLY well, they liked the lyrics I've come up with, I went to assassinate the following's CD-release partty, I threw my cap at the guitarist/vocalist, and he wore it, I then got the cap signed by the whole band. I also auditioned to be a zombie-extra in an indie zombie-flic called windsor zombies, I got in! All in all a good weekend.

Spudman

July 27th, 2009, 11:34 AM

I also auditioned to be a zombie-extra in an indie zombie-flic called windsor zombies, I got in! All in all a good weekend.

Sorry about the GF but you just opened the door for a lot of hot babes to come your way.:AOK:

It's great having a potential Zombie on board. I'll be excited to see the movie to see if I can spot you. Congrats on the part.

marnold

July 27th, 2009, 03:31 PM

It's great having a potential Zombie on board.
Good thing I'm a cleric, just in case . . .

Brian Krashpad

July 27th, 2009, 04:13 PM

Good thing I'm a cleric, just in case . . .
So what you're sayin is, that, me being a card-carrying Lutheran and all, when PM25 goes all zombie on our collective asses, I can use you as a human shield?

Because, that's what I heard anyhow.

pie_man_25

July 28th, 2009, 10:36 AM

WOW guys, that's hilarious :rotflmao: , it's no use if marnold is a cleric, we're VIRAL zombies, your best protection is to not let me bite you, and also the zombie survival guide- available at your local bookstore, or here if you're too lazy ( http://www.thinkgeek.com/books/humor/7838/ ).

Ps. krash, your daughter's pretty good lookin' :drool: , sucks that she's taken and I'm in the great white north:canada: ! Her bass is pretty nice too, I've never played a poorly made peavey (I haven't played many peaveys to begin with, but the point still stands).

bigoldron

July 28th, 2009, 09:36 PM

Brian, sounds like a good weekend. Your daughter looks really excited about the bass! I know she'll enjoy it. I can appreciate your "critic" at church. We've got plenty of them here too.

Pie, good look with the zombie part! Just don't bite anybody!!! Sorry about the girlfriend, but there's plenty to go around.

Rev, I'm not sure what good a cleric would be with zombies, vampires maybe, but don't know about zombies... :rotflmao:

marnold

July 29th, 2009, 08:06 AM

Rev, I'm not sure what good a cleric would be with zombies, vampires maybe, but don't know about zombies... :rotflmao:
We're quite effective against all manner of undead.

sunvalleylaw

July 30th, 2009, 07:58 AM

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/sunvalleylaw/Horsehead-1.jpg

I am just back from vacation to the Puget Sound area, an annual family trip to leave the mountains and visit my homeland and family. We started and finished with a stop at my folks house at Horsehead Bay in the Gig Harbor area (pic showing the view above). It is one of my favorite spots I know in the world. Then on to a week at Seabeck Christian Conference Grounds for a YMCA type group sponsored family camp (with about 235 campers, all family and family friends) I have gone to since I was a child. Seabeck is a former mining town on Hood Canal (naturally formed inlet off of Puget Sound) that in the 1880's was bigger and more successful than Seattle. The mill burned a few years later, and the property was purchased and turned into a conference grounds. Pic of part of the grounds and part of the view below, with rocket day in the foreground. A link to a great webcam showing the view from the area is below that.

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

Webcam link: http://www.drdale.com/cam/

It was hot, but not too hot. Now it is very hot over there. It was nice when we were there and great to be back on the water, and to get some family time, waterskiing on the Sound with my brothers, lots of beer drinking and guitar strumming, and etc. :AOK: :AOK:

With extra work this year and a re-model underway where we are doing a share of the work, it was a much needed break.

pie_man_25

July 31st, 2009, 07:23 AM

/\ cool story bro!
http://images.starcraftmazter.net/4chan/for_forums/cool_story_bro.jpg

no really, It's always great to have some time with the family, and if the place looks like the pics you're showing, even better!:AOK:

Brian Krashpad

July 31st, 2009, 08:18 AM

That does look nice Steve. Thanks for the pics/link.

Spudman

July 31st, 2009, 06:50 PM

Oooooo, ahhhhh! Rockets!! I LOVE ROCKETS! That's one of the best ways to burn up dry pasture ever invented. Don't ask :o

Lovely looking place SVL. It's good to have you back.

street music

July 31st, 2009, 07:02 PM

Spud, that sounds like a real life experience??? Tell us more!:beer:

sunvalleylaw

July 31st, 2009, 10:40 PM

bigoldron

August 1st, 2009, 09:40 AM

The rockets are dang cool. As is the place. Note the "Blue Room" rocket. I always thought they should give the thing the ability to drop a Baby Ruth when the parachute pops out, or maybe make an engine for it that sounds like a Whoopie Cushion. ;) :rotflmao:

The sophistication of my humour knows no bounds.

Sounds like a cool idea to me. Anything that drops Baby Ruth's is OK in my book! :AOK: That's a beautiful location too. Don't see to much of that in SW GA.

Tonight's my 30 year class reunion. For once, just a calm get-together. I haven't been since the 5 year reunion, because of disagreement with my fellow classmates over various issues. But, they apparently have decided to grow up and quit acting like they're still in high school. So, since we're not getting any younger and their are some people I haven't seen in 30 years, the wife and I are going. Should be interesting...

Brian Krashpad

August 1st, 2009, 12:01 PM

Have fun Ronnie Beth!

I've found reunions to be extremely mixed bags. Went to 10th and 20th, missed 30th.

35th in in 2 years if anyone survives that long.

PS-- don't even get me started on my 10-year law school reunion. I'm still in the doghouse for that'un-- and it was in 1993.

street music

August 2nd, 2009, 04:35 PM

I heard on the news that a woman was found dead while attending a class reunion. She had fallen from a motel balcony and wasn't found till this morning.
Hope it was not at the same reunion.

bigoldron

August 2nd, 2009, 06:40 PM

I heard on the news that a woman was found dead while attending a class reunion. She had fallen from a motel balcony and wasn't found till this morning.
Hope it was not at the same reunion.

Nope, wasn't us. Everything was ground-level because we're getting too old and too lazy to climb stairs. :D It was a pretty good time. We had a decent crowd, but there were several locals who could have attended but chose not to. Oh well, too bad for them.

Anyway, we had church this morning, with the instruments all running through the sound system. I felt the whole time like I was too low, but there wasn't a whole lot I could do about it. Had youth band practice this afternoon and apparently I was a too firm with the kiddies, because my 2 daughters read me the riot act when I got home.

What I consider firm is apparently considered "being a jerk" as my daughters so eloquently put it. Oh well, some days it's like herding cats... :thwap:

Spudman

August 3rd, 2009, 09:06 AM

Got in a little live music this week and fed a bunch of hungry people.
This is Music On Main (schedule (http://www.tetonvalleyfoundation.org/music-on-main.php))
The first event was just a couple local acts. The first one, Jet Black Ninja Funkgrass Unit (http://www.myspace.com/funkgrassunit), was really good.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Jackson/08-31-09005.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Jackson/08-31-09014.jpg

Then more people showed up
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Jackson/08-31-09016.jpg

Most everyone local showed up later - maybe around 1,000

The next day was Teton Valley Land Trust auction fundraiser. Just a bunch of wealthy folks eating in a barn in a hay field
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Jackson/08-31-09037.jpg

sunvalleylaw

August 3rd, 2009, 10:01 AM

I walked down to a yard party next to a park where the Northern Rockies Folk Fest was being held, and listened to the Blasters (folk?) over the fence. Then on Sat., I bicycled to the top of Bald Mountain for the second time in three days (did it thurs. with my bike group too, but a different route for descent and slightly different climb). Phew! Then it was yard work and more painting on the remodel project for the rest of the weekend.

Brian Krashpad

August 10th, 2009, 10:29 AM

I've been remiss over the last couple weeks. We've been doing renovations to the bathroom off the master bedroom. We pulled the vanity and toilet ourselves, then had pro's come in and do the tiling and some minor drywall repair.

Yesterday I installed a toilet, pretty much by myself, for the first time ever.

Unfortunately I didn't know about tile floors that aren't perfectly smooth. So even though I installed the thing correctly and it works, because I didn't know to shim under it, it can "rock" ever so slightly, which is turn means the wax seal inside it now leaks.

Which means I have to uninstall it and do it all over again.

Besides renovations, both weekends I've played in church, one song on mandolin and a few on guitar. Yesterday, just as I got there for pre-service run-through, I was greeted with "You missed it, some guy just came up and said the guitar was too loud."

Man I am sick of that. On the up side, it wasn't me since I wasn't there yet (must've been the acoustic-electric). But always having to worry about offending some coot is getting on my nerves. There's a traditional service for people who want to hear pipe organ instead of a band, but that is one big-*** pipe organ and I guarantee we're no louder than it is. I am becoming sorely tempted to use the line "If it's too loud, you're too old." At any rate, people who have never even heard a live band with drums before have no business playing junior sound man and informing the band a given instrument is too loud, especially right before the service. If it hurts their ears, they need to contact the pastor and let him know; there is nothing that will mess with your head more than someone trying to tinker with you mix right before a performance.

On the "up" side, probably for the first time since the "blended" service began, the first song actually began with guitar. Electric guitar, and just electric guitar. Like 8 bars of me just going through the progression and then the rest of the band and the congregation singing. It's stupid, but I was nervous as heck, and the little tete-a-tete before the service I that I heard about didn't help one bit. Fortunately I didn't mess up, although I couldn't hear my outro solo at all.

In other related news, the praise band leader writes his own material, and we'll be doing some songs at a college-student "welcome back" thingy in a few weeks. I'm playing bass and we have a drummer, he plays keyboards. It's pretty challenging for me as the style one I'm not at all used to. Hopefully it'll come together, so far, so good. We've practiced a few times so far.

And you?

PS- Spud those pics are cool, looks like fun.

Brian Krashpad

August 18th, 2009, 05:35 AM

Friday: got an unexpectedly large profit-sharing on Friday and found this in a pawn tagged at $250, talked the pawnbroker down to $175:

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/3112/superchamp.jpg

More deets about that purchase in the Amphs forum:
http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=12621

Saturday: got up early and bleached the front side walk, which was getting pretty grungey. Went to church for a band practice. We have this guy who wants to volunteer to play congas. I think he may have an ever so slight developmental disability. At any rate, the problem is, he is not very good at congas. On one take he would be close to getting it right, and the next run-through he'd be a train wreck. Losing the beat entirely, changing tempo. At least we had a full-kit drummer to keep the beat and drown him out a bit.

I played my one song on guitar through the new Super Champ as my stage monitor, lined out to my usual rig. Still need to tweak it, but I know that system will work. For guitar, I played my electric 12-string for the first time, with a bunch of delay.

I played two songs on mandolin. I had already chosen one based on the easy chords in it, and run through it that way, when I noticed that our third song was a traditional Celtic melody, so I figured I should play mando on that'un too. Then the band director suggested that the song start with like 8 bars of just mandolin chords-- no other instruments. Now this is just 2 chords back and forth, but I've been playing mandolin for maybe 2 months now, so that was kinda a big deal.

But it went OK.

On the way home I stopped at a different pawn and bought a couple DVD's, Bob Dyan's "No Direction Home" and the 60's spy spoof "In Like Flynt." Then a stop at Home Depot for toilet installation shims and a new wax ring, and at the auto store to pick up a headlamp for the Mommobile, and home for the evening. Flipped the toilet to drain and set it into the shower with re-installation the next morning.

Sunday: got up and re-installed the toilet bowl, knowing to shim it this time. Got the tank on but didn't have time to tighten it down, besides, didn't want to try to fill it with water and then head out for church, in case it leaked.

At church, the songs went well except for the conga player. In pre-service run-through he was a total train wreck, and only a bit better in the actual service. To make matters worse, our full kit drummer was sick and our back-up guy, who'd been there earlier, left before the late service (before we found out that the scheduled drummer was sick). At least I didn't mess up the mandolin intro. Had a long conversation with the band director about the conga sitch after.

Returned home and finished the toilet and turned the water on. No leaks! Yay! Then a quick trip to Publix so there'd be food in the house, and of course flowers (la familia had been up in Atlanta at the in-laws' all week). Family got home about 6, I ran out for pizza, ate with the family, then off to practice with Crash Pad at the office. We did a no-drums practice to work on a new song, so I just used the little Super Champ again. It worked fine for that.

And you?

Robert

August 18th, 2009, 08:36 AM

I went camping with the family and I ran a 10 km trail race, which I won. Our 5 year old girl placed First in the under-9 category in the 3 km race! Unreal. Our 15-year old girl was 4th in the under-19 category in the 10 km race, very good too. It rained a bit, but we have a new tent and it performed very well. It was cold at night, but we had a nice weekend!

Brian Krashpad

August 18th, 2009, 08:41 AM

Brrr rainy and cold at night does not sound like a good weekend to me Robert.

At least the tent worked and you did well in your races. Congrats!

Spudman

August 18th, 2009, 09:14 AM

I hung out near this for the weekend and did my first 5K running race. Running is hard!
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/scenery/InternationalConference2009036.jpg

Robert

August 18th, 2009, 09:16 AM

Awesome Spud! What was your time, and where is that thing located?

warren0728

August 18th, 2009, 09:24 AM

friday:
me and the kiddos had a pajama day (at their request)....we stayed in our pj's all day, watched movies, made brownies, ordered pizza....

saturday we went to jessie's art exhibit opening....she attended art camp this summer and they each have one piece of art in a show that runs through the middle of september....

here are the 3 of us at the opening....
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/family/crealde-us3.jpg

and jessie with her piece of art....
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/family/crealde-jessie.jpg

sunday we went to wet n' wild water park (we have season passes)....had a blast....didn't leave until the park closed at 9pm!

here is conner chillin' in the wave pool at wet n' wild....
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/ww0728/family/wetnwild-conner.jpg

a fun weekend with the kiddos....

Spudman

August 18th, 2009, 11:35 AM

Awesome Spud! What was your time, and where is that thing located?

That's the Gateway Arch in St. Louis Missouri. I took the photo. It's a national park and I talked to one of the bike rangers and they have to wear bullet proof vest as 2 of their crew have been shot. Bummer.
My time was between 18 and 19 min. I didn't check because I went straight to the bathroom at the finish. I barely held in the extra 3 pounds I was carrying and it was wanting to come out pretty bad before the end of the first kilometer. Otherwise I would have had a better time.

deeaa

August 18th, 2009, 01:41 PM

I don't like camping.

It's strange, because like so many Finns, I love & must have a summer house/cottage. And at the cottage there may be no running water and no electricity, and there must be no traffic or town within a dozen miles the least. There shall be a sauna by a lake and a jetty and a nice boat, and fireplaces and a grill hut and enough room for friends too. It must be close to nature but still get to sleep in a warm log cabin. Have lots of beers with friends.

Going there this Saturday w/2 friends...a dozen beers for each& a vodka bottle, lots of sauna and driving a waterjet&maybe some waterskiing.

Brian Krashpad

August 19th, 2009, 09:31 AM

That's the Gateway Arch in St. Louis Missouri. I took the photo. It's a national park and I talked to one of the bike rangers and they have to wear bullet proof vest as 2 of their crew have been shot.

I have some net-friends from "Da Lou."

Apparently it is a very dangerous city in a lot of places.

Congrats on your race!

Brian Krashpad

August 19th, 2009, 09:44 AM

Warren, that looks like a great weekend with the kids.

Every now and again we go down to Wild Waters at Silver Springs in Ocala. I think that's the nearest water park to us. Although we have lots of natural springs, and tubing on the Itchetucknee for a bit more natural water recreation closer by.

Speaking of artistic daughters, mine e-mailed me this cartoon she did of me and our dog, Sadie, this morning:

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/4161/listendog.jpg

Brian Krashpad

August 19th, 2009, 09:47 AM

deeaa

August 19th, 2009, 11:07 AM

That sounds like fun.

I like camping, but in good weather when it's cool out but not cold. A lot of the year, and basically all summer, it is too hot for me to go camping here in Florida, and be anything but miserable.

Yeah, I understand...here it's basically NEVER too hot. We get maybe like 10 day maximum per year when it _is_ a bit too hot in the city & I need to sleep downstairs near the A/C unit too...but by the lake it is never too warm....or if it gets that way, just go out on a boat and it's breeeeeeezy again.

I don't really enjoy too hot a weather; when it's just sunny and warm enough to wear shorts and a T it's perfect; 20-21C or so. That I could have all year round :-)

deeaa

August 19th, 2009, 11:20 AM

Here's my cottage&son and then boating w/the family in our small boat. This is last spring though; kid is much bigger already.

edit: Aww this is too hard to get photos attached...don't have the energy to edit them again or post to web elsewhere and link 'em...this sucks.

Brian Krashpad

August 19th, 2009, 11:27 AM

deeaa

August 19th, 2009, 11:31 AM

Hm, okay this is rather handy, thanks! Takes minutes though it seems...but still easy.

I'll try that now...so:

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/4228/20087017.jpg

Okay, so now this shows the other doesn't and it says I have no images stored on imageshack. Oh well...

sunvalleylaw

August 19th, 2009, 02:03 PM

I had a long weekend up at Payette Lake in McCall, Idaho for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary celebration. It was family only. They did not want a formal in town party, so my brothers and I all got together up there.

If you want to see a bunch of family photos that include some views of the area while, look here at a bunch of pics I took on my iPhone. Some turned out pretty good for cell phone pics. You can see the view from Brundage ski resort that we mountain biked back to town from, and some of the lake.

http://gallery.me.com/sunvalleylaw#100126

There was a bad boat crash on the lake a few days before we got there where a man ran a ski boat with 12 folks in it up on some rocks at night. Two died. Pretty tragic. http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-aug1409-mccall_boating_accident.dbc7a10b.html

We brought our boat and did some boating, but stayed well away from the marked rocks in the waters. We also took over a local restaurant called "Lardos" for a big family dinner. My Dad loved it and wanted a hat from the place, so I got him one. LOL!! Not very classy 50th gift, but he loved it!