The weekend Thread

[deeaa*]

Xmas eve now...it's -30 outside. We drove yesterday for 7 hours to granny's and it was -28 to -30 all the way. Used small roads so as to not have to drive in line & holiday traffic. Several cars had died on the roadside. Ours only died today, when we realized we have to visit a store and I tried to start it up dead cold in -30, no go, and the battery just died. Got it running with help of another car though and now it's fine. But, below -25 it really does need some warming up with the engine warmer to start :-) normally I heat up the oil pan for 2 hours with the warmer affixed to bottom before I start it up.

In Finland we have the xmas dinner & the giving of gifts already in the eve night, not xmas morning as in Britain etc. so the boy is very eagerly awaiting Santa. Legos await...us adults ate the ham and traditional casseroles with food already, next it's xmas sauna and some beer, and then the kids get their presents and we start eating chocolate and drinking cognac and glow-wine :-)

Happy holidays!

[Duffy]

Happy Holidays to all!

I know what you mean Dee. I am from Northern New York and Northern Minnesota historically. I remember, not too many years ago, when it was this time of year and I was in Luzerne, New York, near Lake George, in the North by the Vermont border and Lake Champlain; it was -26 F below. I went out in the morning to start my "brand new" Ford pickup truck up and pushed in the clutch pedal. The pedal stayed on the floorboard because the hydralic fluid was so cold and thick. Brand new battery, chunk . . . chunk. . . . . . chunk - bupity boom boom . . . boom. Rum, rum, rum, etc. until it reluctantly found a steady idling speed and the clutch slowly, as if in slow motion, returned to its disengaged place. The day before I was at my camp in the wilderness. It was also near minus twenty six and one in the morning. I started a fire in the woodstove in my camp and put some water out for the dogs. I kicked the water bowl slightly by the woodstove and it spilled excessively on the lineoleum plasticy floor and froze instantly in mid flow, not making it far, freezing about a quarter inch thick, all in less than a second. It took a couple hours to warm up the camp and I fell asleep. I woke up and it felt like it was 200 degrees in there - I opened a couple windows and proceeded to fall asleep again, waking up to it again being very cold inside but it warmed up almost instantly once I closed the windows. That was Christmas time several years back. It is the type of cold you have to experience to understand, but it is fun and sort of represents the ability of a person to overcome the extreme harshness and adversity that Mother Nature can place upon us. This is definitely something you have to be prepared for and understand the challenge of because it is potentially very deadly.

I liked the pictures of the salted ham you made. I could almost taste it. We are having smoked ham. I don't drink alcohol, but celebrated many a Christmas very cheerfully with plenty of alcohol being imbibed, more, of course, than my share most of the time, plus differing amounts of this and that.

This Christmas in North Central Pennsylvania will be relatively mild with possibly some light snow and temperatures going down only to around +15F.

Your story of your long, cold, trip were interesting and brought back clear memories of times gone by and probably foretell times yet to come. Thanks for the story and have a great Christmas.

[Brian Krashpad]

Sunday:

After the service, I was checking out the interim leader's new Pod HD400 and running through just the basic amp models. I wanted to see how the JTM45 model worked with a representative songs, so I played the first few chords of "All Right Now". About 15 second later, someone comes out from the back and yells at me that I need to quit it right now and that his wife is offended. He looks like he's about ready to punch me.

Later, he comes back and apologizes for yelling at me, and says that's just how he is. I guess his wife didn't like the lyrics of "I took her home to my place, watching every move on her face", etc.

I understand how familiar rock riffs probably don't have much of a place in church, and I do need to watch what I play when, so it's a point well taken. However, when I basically get cussed out like a small child, it's hard to have an immediate mental response that's as mature as I would like. I know I was probably doing some immature by playing a classic rock song in church, but there's something about the whole interaction that's really demotivating to me.

One thing I'm unclear on, were you actually singing those lyrics, or did the person just associate the chord changes with them?

[Brian Krashpad]

And Dee and Duffy, y'all can HAVE that cold! I'ma go run out to the van in my socks and be back inside Casa Krashpad before I can get cold!

Yay Florida.

[Duffy]

True, Krash, true. I love Florida and would LOVE to hug a palm tree right now.

[deeaa*]

Thanks Duffy, great story :-) me, I like cold for a while fine...but, I'd prefer it to be vice versa - 3 months of winter and nine summer...

[Eric***]

One thing I'm unclear on, were you actually singing those lyrics, or did the person just associate the chord changes with them?

Just the opening/main riff on guitar a couple of times. I've mostly come to terms with it, but it still annoyed me a little bit.

[Brian Krashpad]

True, Krash, true. I love Florida and would LOVE to hug a palm tree right now.

I'll hug the one in my backyard for you.

[Brian Krashpad]

Just the opening/main riff on guitar a couple of times. I've mostly come to terms with it, but it still annoyed me a little bit.

Naw, that reaction just to some chord changes is dumb.

Grr. I feel yer pain..

[bigoldron]

[B]I understand how familiar rock riffs probably don't have much of a place in church, and I do need to watch what I play when, so it's a point well taken. However, when I basically get cussed out like a small child, it's hard to have an immediate mental response that's as mature as I would like. I know I was probably doing some immature by playing a classic rock song in church, but there's something about the whole interaction that's really demotivating to me.

Sorry about you having to deal with this Eric, but some people are "offense sensitive" and looking for a reason to complain. I know classic rock and church doesn't always go together, but if it's after the service and everybody's pretty much gone, I see nothing wrong with hitting a familiar riff or two. Sometimes it actually helps you connect with someone who might otherwise not get too worked up about your praise song music. I've seen it happen first hand.

And Brian, I honked, but I was going so fast, you probably didn't hear it! LOL
Now, that's not saying you should tear out into some heavy death metal, but like the old Brill Cream commercials used to say, "a little dab will do you."

[deeaa*]

Was icy driving home from seeing the family. Pretty hard to see where the actual road was :-)

[deeaa*]

Once you get into wooded areas it's much better, but the visibility isn't the best due to snow lingering in the air. BTW it's midday in these vids; best drive only during the day when there's a few hours of 'sun' available, although it stays so low it's almost like evening all the time.

[Brian Krashpad]

Yikes!

Stay safe and warm, Dee! Same for all those of you dealing with weather!

Should hit high 60's F here today.

[bigoldron]

Yikes!

Stay safe and warm, Dee! Same for all those of you dealing with weather!

Should hit high 60's F here today.

We actually had a few flurries of snow flakes here. South Georgia and North Florida saw a few flying around, but nothing that stuck...

[Brian Krashpad]

We actually had a few flurries of snow flakes here. South Georgia and North Florida saw a few flying around, but nothing that stuck...

Yeah, there was some blowing snow Sunday morning but just in the air. Too warm out for any of it to stick at all.

Played 3 songs in church on Sunday. All Christmas carols. 2 were with the congregation, on those I played my electric 12-string:



Played mandolin on the third, done as the anthem, so just our lead singer sang it. He played acoustic and my daughter played bass, on "Mary Did You Know?" Went over real well, a bunch of people came up to him after the service and said it was good.

Music Director came up right before the service and told us to turn down. Grrr. On the little thrown-together PA I'd made for the front of the sanctuary there wasn't a master volume that included bass, so I had to guesstimate and then we had to do the service with no sound check for the new settings. I am so sick of him pulling that shit. Even though it probably sounded roughly OK (my daughter said she couldn't hear herself the whole service, I could just barely hear the 12-string, the mandolin came through because it's in a different register than guitar), afterward he sad the levels were "perfect," only problem is I really don't trust his ears for modern music. If he wants to make adjustments he needs to do it during SOUNDCHECK, not 2 minutes before the service.

Merry freaking Christmas!

On the upside, for Christmas I got probably the ugliest Snuggie in existence. Like this'un:



I love my inlaws!

[bigoldron]

On the upside, for Christmas I got probably the ugliest Snuggie in existence. Like this'un:



I love my inlaws!

You're right. That IS probably the ugliest snuggie ever.... LOL (Go 'Noles!!!)

Hate that you're still having to deal with your jerk Music Minister. I'm thankful that mine is easy to deal with. Like Eric, the main ones we have problems with are some of the congregation. But we keep on playing and let them deal with their dislikes!

[Brian Krashpad]

You're right. That IS probably the ugliest snuggie ever.... LOL (Go 'Noles!!!)

Hate that you're still having to deal with your jerk Music Minister. I'm thankful that mine is easy to deal with. Like Eric, the main ones we have problems with are some of the congregation. But we keep on playing and let them deal with their dislikes!

That's what I'ma do, just keep on keepin' on.

[Duffy]

Church music has traditionally been hymns, etc. Many of the songs are from the 1600's, written in a different time and resonating to a different drummer - oh yeah, they didn't have drummers in church normally back then. The whole vibe was way different than electric music.

Combine this tradition with the fact that most churches are composed of people from an older demographic group that didn't resonate to the vibes of the Beatles, Grateful Dead, Hendrix, Stones, Metallica, Pearl Jam, etc. - name your band, and you have a listening audience that is composed of a lot of people that have a long personal history of listening to music in church that is played on piano and organ, arranged very traditionally and falling nice and neatly into the age old boxes. There is no mutual respect for a diverse social group, but rather a narrow expectation that everyone should be just "another brick in the wall".

This makes it difficult for modern electrified muscians to safisfy everyone.

You guys that are rearranging church music and trying to bring in new musical vibes are doing a great job and should be congratulated. I would probably talk back to the director and other smart a@@es. I used to play a nice set of conga drums in church a couple years ago, and never got anything but compliments. The pastor actually wanted me to hammer it and wanted to get a definitely more modern music program going in church. I should call him and see how things are going in his growing church.

[NWBasser]

Brian, that stinks that your daughter couldn't hear the bass. When I'm told to turn down by people outside the band, I'll turn my amp off and pretend to play. Invariably that brings a smile to the requestor and I'll hear something like, "that sounds so nice now." Arrgh.

Since I don't play in church, this is usually the key to put the bass down and get to the beer.

Maybe I'm a bit sensitive on this, but it seems there are lots of musicians that seem to want a bass player....but don't want to actually hear the bass.