The weekend Thread

[mainestratman]

Hey gang..

Worked on Friday... School on Saturday, then to camp and spent the rest of the day fishing and drinking beer.

Today was gran-monkey's birthday party, then jam session with a new bass player.. we've invited him back.

Rock on!

[Eric***]

Took a half day on Friday and went down to DC, where a friend was getting married the next day. As I'm in the wedding, I had to be there by 6:00 for the rehearsal. Rehearsal dinner and drunk relatives followed that.

Stayed out in rural VA that night with my wife's aunt, then back into DC on Saturday morning for the wedding. Did the groomsman thing, had the rented patent-leather shoes destroy the backs of my feet, and after the reception was over, hung out with some old friends who were also in town for the wedding. Drove back home that night.

Got up on Sunday morning to run the Broad Street Run, a 10-mile run going from north Philly to the southern end where the street ends -- one straight line the whole way. This year was the first year they had to cap registration, maxing out at 31 000 people. That's a lot of runners!

This was my 8th time doing the BSR, and this one was brutal. It was about 85+ degrees for the run, which was ~15 degrees hotter than it has been recently, and I must have been dehydrated or something; it was like I forgot how to run. I needed to walk by mile 2. The good news is that my wife was able to do it for the first time with no problems. Me, on the other hand? Well...1:45:13, so yeah...not so great.

Napped and then went to church in the evening. Seems like I didn't really have much of a weekend.

[Brian Krashpad]

To a certain extent my weekend began Thursday night, in that I had a show, but I did have to go to work Friday anyhow. Mrs. K was off in Mississippi at her grandmother's funeral, so I had the kids on my own.

FRIDAY

Friday night I was supposed to have 2 outdoor shows, one early @ about 6:30 to 8, and one late at 10:00. The first was at an art gallery, the second at a cafe several hundred feet away.

The first set went pretty well, with a pared down-version of Cinnamon Hill: no bass, grrl singer has quit, lead guitarist still off in the outback (this would be my 3rd show doing both mando and guitar). Lineup was: 2 main guy singers (one on keys, one on acoustic guitar), percussionist, and me. Had a good crowd of the art gallery people, who were receptive. One of the artists showing inside actually came outside where we were and moved our "tip jar" (actually, my mando case) closer to the crowd, saying that we were good and deserved as much as we could get! Artist solidarity!

Shortly after the set, before we had struck the "stage," the rains came. We managed to get everything in the back room of the gallery without anything being ruined. Spent the next half hour to 45 minutes drying everything off and coiling cables, etc.

Next, after some schmoozing in the gallery, we had to decide if we should chance doing the second show at the cafe. After much hemming and hawing, we decided to go for it. All the PA, instruments, and amps were moved over to the cafe, maybe 50 yards away from where the first set was done. PA was set up and we began hooking up speakers, instrument inputs, etc.

Then the thunder and lightning began. Second show plans were quickly scrapped as we made mad dashes to break everything back down and get it into our vehicles, without having played a note. To make matters worse, a female acquaintance of mine, another local muso, had had a table set up to watch us, consisting entirely of what she described as "rowdy women."

Sigh.

At any rate, it was a good thing we broke down, because within 5 minutes of driving away a torrential tropical downpour began. More than 6 inches fell in the next hour. I drove all the way home at about 25 mph due to very low visibility.

SATURDAY

Jack (13) had a flag football game @ 9:00 a.m., w/warmups at 8:30. Ugh. Plus, they lost, 7-6.

After, went and bought a present for a birthday party he was to go to. Went to party, arriving one-ish, and found out it was a sleep-over. Told hostess we would have to pick him up after church on Sunday,m since Hannah and I play in the late service.

That night Hannah (16) attended a play downtown with her friends, coincidentally at the theatre that was directly between the 2 venues I was supposed to have played at on Friday. I hung out at home.

SUNDAY

Church run-through at 9:30. Interminable practice since not only were we short several people, but the vicar's wife was singing and playing keys with us for the first time (praise band leader out of town, as was drummer) and was trying to get things perfect rather than go with the flow.

Actual service at 11:00 went fine, though I scared the aforementioned vicar's wife during my guitar solo, as apparently she had never been in close proximity to guitar face and spent a full verse thereafter trying to keep from laughing.

Picked up Jack from sleepover on way home. Took car for an oil change and bought daughter a ridiculously expensive graphing calculator for standardized tests. Hung out at home for the evening.

[sunvalleylaw]

I drove my son (and my mother in law who wanted to come along) up to Butte, Montana, for a Tae Kwon Do tournament. My wife and other two kids stayed home for their own stuff, and my daughter's first track meet. She is 6 and did a 25 and 50 yard dash and the long jump. I got to talk to her on the phone for that.

Back to the trip. It was about a 5 hour drive plus or minus. We were on roads I had never travelled before, and at this time of year, was a beautiful drive. Big valley, big mountains on either side, variable spring mountain weather with snow, rain, sun, etc. Everything was sparkling and glistening. The terrain went from between Rocky Mountain alpine to high desert with sage. Grasses overtook sage as we moved north into Montana. Saw a great fly fishing river (the Beaverhead), and a lot of cool rock.

We passed the small town of Rocker, which boasts the Rocker Inn. I wondered if each room came with a guitar and amp. "Sir, you are in the Marshall suite with a half stack and a 60's strat." Just past that was Butte. It is an old, old mining town, and the primary physical feature is old mining structures, and a historic old town full of irish bars where the largely irish population of miners would go drink and get in fights. There were other ethnic groups too, but Irish is a big thing. Also churches. Lots of them. I like local and cultural type history, so that was fun to check out.

Derek's Tae Kwon Do tourney went well, and he picked up a couple medals for forms and sparring. He is not a hugely aggressive kid, but he held his own and stayed in his matches, giving it his best. TKD is his deal. None of my other family has done it, and he picked this sport for himself. It is cool to watch him pursue it.

Got back on Sunday, in time to get my first mountain bike ride of the season in out at Lamb's Gulch, then went to my acoustic jam. It was a fun one. We were having fun with "Trouble in Mind" some "Harvest Moon", and some others.

[Eric***]

Took car for an oil change and bought daughter a ridiculously expensive graphing calculator for standardized tests.

Back when I was in school and actually needed a powerful calculator, my favorite of all time was the TI-89. Such a wonderful beast, the slimmed-down and as-powerful cousin of the mini-laptop known as the TI-92.

[Brian Krashpad]

Back when I was in school and actually needed a powerful calculator, my favorite of all time was the TI-89. Such a wonderful beast, the slimmed-down and as-powerful cousin of the mini-laptop known as the TI-92.

This'un was a TI 83+, iirc. I was looking for an 84, but that was as high as they went at K-Mart, haha.

I know nothing of such matters. The last time I took any kind of math course was my junior year in high school, '74-'75. And I'm good with that.

[Katastrophe]

Have a three year old under the weather today. She did the ol' "let's projectile vomit at 1:30 am" thing. Kept her home from daycare so I could keep an eye on her.

I'm hydrating her slowly, with clear liquids for food right now (broth, etc.), and keeping an eye out for fever. She's about to take a nap, and is keeping everything down.

Mrs. Kat is coming home from a week long trip out of town.

[player***]

Hey that looked like fun, Warren! Too bad about the camera... I wish I can visit that area some time. I've never been to Florida.

Yes real Bummer losing the camera.places here you can Do that But I would rather be there after living there for almost 15 years

From Chicago no less
talk about extreme changes

[player***]

Have a three year old under the weather today. She did the ol' "let's projectile vomit at 1:30 am" thing. Kept her home from daycare so I could keep an eye on her.

I'm hydrating her slowly, with clear liquids for food right now (broth, etc.), and keeping an eye out for fever. She's about to take a nap, and is keeping everything down.

Mrs. Kat is coming home from a week long trip out of town.

sounds good Katastrophe in as much as her getting better

Now that
Mom's coming home should do wonders

[Brian Krashpad]

FRIDAY

Had 2 different cars come and park in our "posted no parking" parking lot at work today. Neither had any business there, both were trespassing. Both were also parked backwards (backed in) so as to face our office, and each had a person sitting inside.

The first was a big black truck. I discovered I was in the office all alone (everyone else at lunch, etc.), so I went out and asked the driver if I could help him.

"No, I'm just waiting for a friend."

I pointed out that the parking lot was posted and he could park 50 feet away legally on the street, and even have a shadier spot. He rolled his eyes and moved...

To illegally park in someone else's lot around the corner.

A half hour later, a second vehicle is trespassing, again, parked backwards facing us and with a person inside. As one of my partners returns from lunch, she goes out to see what's up before I can.

The guy flat refuses to move his car when she asks him to. In fact, he dares her to call the cops. I should mention that this woman is about five feet nothing and as sweet as pie.

So I go out and write down his tag number. He asks me if I'm an attorney. I say yes. He claims he is too. I say good, then you'll realize you're trespassing and have now been asked to leave twice.

Now he dares me to call the cops.

So I go in, and in the front office, where he can see me in a full-length window, slowly and methodically get out a phone book, look up the number, and call the sheriff's department.

Mr. Tool, Esquire, sits in his car for another 20 minutes, after (pretending to?) take down our tag numbers, then leaves. So I call back the sheriff and report that he's gone.

Sheriff comes out anyhow. Says we were right to report someone who wouldn't leave our property after being asked twice. Dunno what will happen from here, but the cops now know who this clown is, and have asked us to immediately call them if he should ever show up again. Dumb *ss. Need to be careful what you ask for, Einstein.

Saturday

Jack's flag football team got trounced by a much bigger team, everybody with one exception was about a head taller. Stopped off on way home and checked out a skate park that has been added to a county park across the street from where he plays his football games. It was pretty cool, but he's never skated anything but flat before, and even that only for a month or so. He saw some friends from school, who were very cool to him despite him being a novice.

Got home, had lunch and actually washed my van. The roof in particular was pretty disgusting. I'm not very tall, so I need to use a ladder to get the entire roof clean.

Am almost done, when my wife comes out and tells me she got a call from our daughter (16) who's been in a minor auto collision. Clear on the other side of town. So, I put down my beer, turn off the hose, and drive to the scene. The other driver is nice, I give her my insurance info, and I bring my daughter back in the van. Fortunately, they didn't call the cops, so I felt no compunction to do so either. They had been on the phone to their insurer for the whole half-hour I was en route, and I figured if they needed to call the cops, the insurance company would have made sure they did.

My wife was going to dinner at a friend's house, so she and I drive all the way back across town a second time in Mrs. K's car, I bring home the car my daughter was in, and my wife goes to dinner from there.

Hang out for the evening w/los Krashpaditos while Mrs. K is at her friends.

SUNDAY

Pack up the gear and my daughter and I head off to church for pre-service run-through. Get there and plop a couple guitars down in the lobby and the Music Director laughs and says "Didn't anyone tell you you weren't playing this week?"

Uh, does it look like anyone did?

I had read that this week (Mother's Day) the choir/bells/trad people were doing a special music service, and that the next week the contemporary band would. I figured each would happen during it's respective service. Nope. The choir/trad people get BOTH services on MOTHER's DAY (a big attendance Sunday) while the praise band gets both services on the following non-holiday nothing Sunday.

Funny how that worked out.

I know Mrs. K is going to be pissed, as she is sick of traditional music, and moreso of the fact that we don't have an actual contemporary service here, so rather than have her show up and be mad (on Mother's Day no less), I call her from church and suggest this is God's way of directing us to play hooky and go to brunch.

So my daughter and I go to a restaurant and meet up with Mrs. K, who has come from home, the restaurant being about midway between church and Casa Krashpad. Our son is MIA, having accepted an invite from a friend to go to lunch and see Ironman 2 at the movies. The three of us have a pleasant brunch and go home, with Hannah and I stopping on the way home and picking up Mrs. K's present, a copy of the DVD "It's Complicated."

We watch the video that afternoon, and it's very entertaining, not a boring "chick flick" at all. When my son gets home he and I spend a couple hours struggling through his math homework, then everyone to bed.

And you?

[Brian Krashpad]

Saturday

Took Jack to his early flag football game, trounced again. Had to leave early to go to praise band practice at church (wife came to game to take Jack home). After praise band we went over to the Fellowship Hall and practiced in my "church" side band (me, church drummer, and praise band leader) for a club show at the end of the month. Hadn't played those songs in ages! Fun to play a little bass for a change.

Stopped at office after 2nd band practice, and got the library incoming receipts sorted and everything logged in. Went home for a mellow evening. Jack was at a friend's post-football, during the afternoon, and Hannah Beth (almost 17) went to the beach with her friend, and then to a party back in town that evening.

Sunday

Praise band was to play both services, since this was the 2nd of two "Music Ministry Celebration" Sundays. The preceding Sunday had been one as well, but the Praise Band was not asked to be involved with the first one. Sigh. Played a whopping 3 whole songs in the service. Both services were exactly the same: songs, sermon, etc.

Just before the end of the second service the drama came.

Some choir singer, who has been rude to both my wife and my kids in the past, came stomping up the stairs to the choir loft and started reading the kids the riot act because some of the kids had been swaying and "dancing" (while seated) during the choir's mangling of what once had no doubt been a lively spiritual, although the choir managed to basically suck all the soul and swing out of it.

I was totally livid and shot the lady a look that must have made her realize that she was not only causing a scene, but had stepped waaaaaaay over the line, because she immediately started talking about plans for Vacation Bible School instead. Then she skedaddled downstairs.

By now I'm so ticked off I can't see straight, but realize I better calm down before saying or doing anything. And oh yeah, we still had a song to play. I hit clams all over the place because I couldn't concentrate.

Meanwhile, I'm packing stuff out, and unbeknownst to me, my daughter (who had not been swaying or any of that to begin with) goes up to choir lady and says "I think you owe Logan (our soundman, one of the kids that choir lady had been haranguing) an apology." So the three get into a heated discussion outside the church. Now I come back by on my last trip to the van and Hannah tells me about it and wants to go talk to the vicar, so both of us go discuss it with him. He recommends going over his head to the pastors, as he is ending his vicarage with us anyhow and doesn't really have any clout.

So we go home and I discuss it with my wife, and each resolve to e-mail the pastors about the incident. Kim sent hers last night, I sent mine this morning. In both cases the senior pastor e-mailed us back very quickly and said he would handle it.

Oy vey.

Low-key rest of Sunday-- mowed lawn, took Jack to Home Depot to find a plant for his science project at school.

And you?

[mainestratman]

Worked on Friday. Got off work, ran home, tossed some stuff into the car, and the woman, dog and I went down to my Dad's camp. We pitched a tent and enjoyed from frosty adult beverages.

Saturday: Fishing. Fishing. More fishing. Everyone caught their trout limit, which was awesome. Frosty adult beverages that evening.

Sunday: Broke campe, scampered home in time for band practice... first official practice with our new bass player. The dude is AWESOME. Can't wait to hear what he can do when he's had more than a week to work on material. :-)

Today.. back at work.. working on band stuff.. lol

[Eric***]

Saturday: Finally finished building a trellis for some pumpkin-farming this summer after weeks of good intentions. De-rocked and weeded part of a plant bed in the yard, mowed, and set up for a party.

Had a few people over for burgers and what not. It was one of those Saturdays where everyone was busy and not many people showed up, but it was still pretty good.

Sunday: Played in church. Did a reasonable number of interesting songs, but since we didn't have practice on Thursday, everyone was just trying to execute properly and we couldn't do much in the way of interesting or creative parts. Had a few riff-based jams after services, which were pretty fun.

I decided to donate my 335 clone to the church and brought it there on Sunday. I'm selling my Fender acoustic to a college-aged kid there who plays keys on the music team, so that'll be gone in another week too. The ever-present struggle to thin the herd.

I think I *actually* recognized that one of the songs we did was in the mixolydian mode, which was very cool for me. I'm still having trouble figuring out how to frame everything when it comes to modes and song structure, but I considered this to be a minor epiphany.

Also talked with our sound guy about going direct to house to reduce stage volume. We've always had a real low signal in the past when I've DI'ed, but I'm going to try it again soon to see if we can figure it out.

Took a huge nap in the afternoon and then went to real church in the evening.

[Brian Krashpad]

Ah, two nice drama-free reports!

Mainer: I can't remember the last time I went fishing.

Eric: I wouldn't know mixolydian if it bit me on the tuckus. Srsly.

[Spudman***]

I gigged Friday and Saturday at a wine serving establishment. It was a WAY different environment than the smoky road houses I'm used to. The folks were friendly and although nobody danced they all stayed and did the chair boogie thing. I'm pretty keen on seeing toes tapping too.

Came home Saturday and had time to watch some SNL and to see the new Tom Petty song which was pretty kick as*. Then watched The Box with Cameron Diaz. That was a strange movie but it made me think quite a bit nonetheless.

Sunday was a long hard road ride on the bicycle with the gang. Lots of climbing and a tailwind on the decent. I got up to 49 mph.

[Robert****]

Gigged with our new rock band! See report here.

I also put in a laminate floor in Amalia's room. I'm sore all over from doing that.

[Katastrophe]

Came home Saturday and had time to watch some SNL and to see the new Tom Petty song which was pretty kick as*.

Apparently, ol' Tom was supposed to be playing a show near Houston at the same time he was booked for SNL. Quite a few folks were wondering why their tickets were no good.

BTW, 49 mph is way freaking fast for a bike.

[Robert****]

Spud, were you taking that photo while moving at 49 mph? hope not...

[Brian Krashpad]

Spud: is it safe to take a photo of your speedometer at 49 mpg on a bicycle?

Just sayin.