Road Trips

Who doesn't love a good road trip?  The sites, sounds, and smells.  I've take many road trips in my time, each one is a story on it's own, but as time goes by some of the finer details get lost in the mix.  In an effort not to lose them, here are just a few of my favorite.  As always, in no particular order

During my younger years, I was very involved with different church groups.  Between the highschool group, Maximum Security, and the church missions team, we took all sorts of road trips  I've driven to mountains, deserts, canyons, and even Canada.  From the multitude of trips, a few of them stick out.

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The Camper - It was a weekend to Bass Lake, at least I think it was bass lake, the trip itself is blurry, but the journey home cannot be forgotten.  I think there were 5 or 6 of us in the back of a camper.  I remember myself, Will, Susan, Jess, and either Gloria, or Irby.  (can someone please message me for verification?)  Behind the wheel was our fearless staffer named _____. (let's call her J, to protect the innocent).  Everyone is loaded up and we're off.  Being one of the kids in the back, we were in our own world.  I remember how we were singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in harmony (thanks to Will).  One of the girls thought the words were "We know nothing, we know nothing, ...." instead of "We Mo way".  We got a good laugh out of it.  Having fun, fun, fu....CRASH/SCRAP everything came to a grinding halt. Somehow we made a wrong turn and we found ourselves climbing up some narrow road mountain path towards Yosemite.  The loud noise we heard was the step of the camper being torn off my the low rock railing that separated the road from what can only be described as a long way down.  At this point we had been on the road for about 4 hours, it was dark and we had no idea where we were.  Cell phones were not available at this time, and I don't remember if we had a map.  Most everything else was a blur other than it took another 6 hours to get home, and we had a lot of fun at J's expense.

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Oh how Grand it is - At this point I was on staff with the youth group and had not planned on hiking into the Canyon that year.  I did however plan on visiting some friends in the Phoenix area.  Seeing as I drove a small pick up, I helped the group get to the Grand Canyon, dropped them off, and continued on to Phoenix.  Driving through the northern part of Arizona was beautiful.  Like something out of a movie, I was cruising down Interstate 40 between Kingman and Flagstaff.  I can vividly remember seeing a group of at least 50 horses in full stride running along the country side.  A plum of smoke followed in their wake as they ran along the green countryside.  Unfortunately they were running in the opposite direction so it was fairly short lived.  But it was a site to behold.
 
A few days later I was back at Supai hilltop to pick up the group.  It turned out that someone back home was not doing well.  Our youth pastor needed to get home ASAP, so the two of us took off from Kingman, AZ at a very early hour, while the rest of the group stayed behind and stuck to the normal schedule.  What would normally be a 10 hour drive, we did in about 9.  It was a good time watching the sun come up while heading north on I-5.  I've done that a few times since...

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Via con Dios - If I had a dollar for every time I drove to Mexico, I could get the Steak Tenampa plate from El Tenampa, with a drink!  During my younger years I was involved with Hope Center's Mission to Mexico.  These trips took us to a Ranch on the outskirts of Ensenada called Rancho Agua Viva.  Spending a week in Mexico and serving the people there was always a fantastic experience.  But anyone who was involved in the 90's knows that is was always the journey that made the memories.  We were famous for returning lender cars in better shape then we got them, usually.  We have had alternators go out, fan belts, A/C units, radiators, etc.  As the picture shows, we've even gotten hung up on the simple things. (You'll be happy to know both the station wagon, and utility pole survived)

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As the holiday season approaches and everyone is making plans to go see family, or stay home and family is coming to them.  Enjoy the time you share together, whether it is in a small compact vehicle, or a spacious SouthWest Flight.  Make the most of the time you have with your family and create those memories that will never fade.  My fondest memory takes me way back...

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It was usually around July that my parents would start dusting off the camping gear and make preparations for our annual trip to Pinecrest.  This is something family family has done for the better part of the last 35 years.  And when I say family, I mean family.  Imagine a Maltese version of "Big Fat Greek Wedding", without the wedding (that's another blog).

The day before we leave, we would load up the old pickup with our gear.  We had this down to a science.  She was a 1978 Chevrolet Pickup, complete with a shell.  What made it unique was the back window of the cab was taken out so we had access to the back of the truck.  Right beneath the opening we layered several foam mattresses for my brother and I to sit on.  The mattress stretched from one side of the truck bed to the other.  Behind you was all the camping gear stacked to the ceiling, but supported in a way that it wouldn't crush you.  From the perspective of a kid, this was AWESOME.  My cousin Eric would ride up with me sometimes, so we could "play" during the drive up.  As cool as it was, a 3-4 hour drive for a little kid without a DVD player or iPad, is pure torture.  What I remember most is when we finally made it to the mountains, and the further we drove, the more trees would populate the road sides.  All I could see staring out the little window of the camper shell was pine trees, and more pine trees.  We would open up those little windows and press our face against the screens and smell that scent of fresh pine.

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Happy trails.....to you.....

Planning

Today, tomorrow, yesterday, a week from last Thursday, April 15th, Canadian Boxing Day...next year?  All these things have something in common.  They are all a day that we plan on, regardless of what we are doing on Jan 25 (which is known as "National Voter's Day" in India) we are planning on doing something, right?  We wake up, we eat something, we may go somewhere.  Sometimes we may plan on something, but it doesn't happen because of something un-planned.  I really wanted to go see that movie tomorrow night, too bad I broke my leg and am in traction...maybe tomorrow I'll plan on getting some rest?

No, I did not break my leg, and no, I'm not in traction, but I do have plans.  Some I'll be able to achieve.  Others, not so much.  Here are a few things I am planning on....as always, in no particular order

• Clean the garage so I can get the Honda in there as winter is coming. I don't mind letting the car warm up while I scrap off snow and ice, but it does get old after a while.
• Leaves, leaves, and more leaves....i wish they would just leave me alone!  I hate this time of year.  Of course Isaac loves the big pile of leaves to jump into.
• Sleep
• Travel to Cali and spend some time with the family and friends
• Take Becky to Vegas for our anniversary
• Finish painting the kitchen/bathroom
• Take Isaac up the mountain and get some good sledding in this year (more snow required)
• A nice child free evening out to dinner with some friends.  (Preferably to Barbacoa)
• Christmas Lights
• Sleep
• Take that trip to Hawaii

So why make a big deal about this?  Plans are great, it's always nice to have a "plan of action".  I'm just saying that we can't rely on our plans to the point of rigidness.  We all need to be flexible to some point as we don't know what tomorrow will bring.

Growing up in suburbia, my mom always told me to save for a rainy day.  I was more of a "in the now" type of person.  That is till life caught up with me.  Marriage, family, credit cards, and stupid, stupid mistakes.  Needless to say it has been a bumpy ride after some courses from Financial Peace University, we finally learned that lesson. Other than our house, my family is debt free.  My mom (not sure if she reads this) was right.  If it's not in your hand, don't spend it.  Yes Mom, you were right.

I never planned on living debt free.  Heck before I heard of this class I didn't think it was possible.  It's like a diet, you can change the behavior for a little while and see some results, but you eventually fall back into it.  You need to make a lifestyle out of it.  Like Dave says, "live like no one else, so later you can live like no one else!"

I managed to get some extra sleep last night, not that I planned on it, but it happened.  Today I'm going to work, lunch provided, and then I don't know...I have nothing planned...except that list above.  Anyone want to help with Christmas lights?

The Pointer...

About a year ago I started blogging, and I blogged about my thumb, this year it's my pointer finger.  I figure at this rate in 5 years I'll finish with my right hand. Of course on the other hand, you have different fingers.  (please tell me someone got this...yes, it's a bad joke.)

So anyways, what happened to my finger this time?  Was it building a fence?  Perhaps it got shut in a car door?  A freak pruning accident?  Nay Nay.  The blame lays with the Zildjan company.  Zildjan is one of the top producers of cymbals, drums sticks, and other percussion equipement.  And since your going there, no, I did not drop a cymbal on my finger, but I did use their brand of "Dip Sticks."  These are drum sticks that are dipped  with a special adhesive that helps you hold on to your sticks.  The theory is, you don't have to hold them so tight that your hands get tired as quick.  As that might be true, which the music gets really fast and intense, the combination of sweat and the adhesive tend to rip your hands up.  I learned this the hard way.

As you know, I'm now a member of The Retreads, a local cover band.  As anyone in my position knows, when something like this happens, you suffer from G.A.S.  (Gear Acquisition Syndrome).  So while shopping for a cowbell/tamborine I thought I should try a new kind of drumstick before getting then in bulk. 
Musician's friend was more than happy to help me choose some sticks at a low cost, I just didn't realize the effects it would have....

So at our last rehearsal we go through three songs and I'm thinking I like these things, so I ask JD, who is also a drummer, if he ever used these.  His reply, "Yeah, they tore my hands all up".  I suddenly start to worry.  So the next song is a little ditty called "Whip It".  Those of you alive in the 80's know this song, and probably don't realize how fast it is...with a 16beat rhythm constantly through the whole song.  During those 2 minutes 40 seconds, these sticks decided to form a blister on my pointer finger, then pop the blister, and then remove any skin that decided to not hang around, as well as create a raw feeling on my thumb.  No, I won't post a picture.

Needless to say, I won't be using those sticks for any "fast" songs and my search for my stick of choice will continue...as my poor finger heals.  No one ever said that Rock & Roll was easy.

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What's really going on?

There is actually a lot going on right now.  First and foremost, it's almost Turkey day.  That means it time to start on those tasks you've been putting off for so long...

• Picking out your turkey, size does matter depending on how you cook it.  I'm sure I'll be cooking a turkey in the future, and yes I will blog on it.
• Perfecting your gravy recipe...drippings, fat and flavor, YUM!
• Calculating how much bacon you need to wrap your turkey with, j/k (unless you're gonna do it)
• Potatoes, sweet or regular?  Why not both
• Travel plans?  This way you don't have to cook at all.

Since I never plan too far ahead for my gravy, I'm not that concerned about it, and I have never, nor will I wrap a turkey in bacon, that is a big waste (unless you're gonna deep fry the thing).  You have to have mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes, it's the yin and the yang of turkey day.  As for travel plans, it looks like we're having turkey with the family
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I try not to get political in my blogs, mostly because I know squat about politics other than to not trust them in general, but this whole "Occupy ______" thing has me asking a lot of questions and not getting many good answers.  So today, Occupy Oakland is calling for a citywide walk off....they want everyone to walk off their jobs, classes, and any other type of job, so they can bring the city to a stand still.  Why?  I keep trying to figure out what the end game is and it keeps coming back to one thing.  But before I go there, I tried to get to the heart of the movement.  First of all, someone came up with the name 'Occupy Wall street'.  I went looking for an actual definition of Occupy and came up with two.

• Engage - This makes sense as generally when people are protesting, they want their voice to be heard.  They want to "engage" in dialog and achieve a set of goals.  The problem is that since this is a leaderless movement, everyone wants something different depending on who you talk to. 
• Take Possession - This sounds a lot like stealing.  Basically, the rich guy has too much money, so he needs to give it to the rest of us, or we take it away and distribute it, thus tax the rich so we can distribute it.

Please correct me if I'm wrong....it's exhausting trying to keep up with it all...  In the mean time, here is a good article
how-do-you-measure-success-for-occupy-wall-street-movement?

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On a seperate note, I'm having a real craving for some snickerdoodles.  Fresh baked is preferred, not that processed packaged junk....

A Sauce for All Seasons

A few weeks ago someone asked me about homemade tomato sauce.  Got me thinking about it, so I thought I'd share it.  Please keep in mind this is a variation of Alton Brown's "Seeing Red".  Yes, there is an exact recipe, which I followed the first time, but since then I just shoot from the hip.  Measurements are not exact, but rather to taste...

"Mr. Brown I presume"

Ingredients:

• 2 White Onions (diced)
• 6 Stalks Celery (diced)
• 6 carrots (diced)
• 7 cloves garlic
• three Large cans whole tomatoes
• 1 tsp dry basil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp dry oregano
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 tbsp capers
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cube butter
• olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 brown sugar
• salt
• pepper

Open up cans of tomatoes and pour contents into a strainer over a pot (you want to keep all the juice) Try to remove all the seeds from each tomato, this is a time consuming task, but seeds don't taste good so...discard.

Place all the juices along with seasonings into a pot and reduce liquid by half over Med-High heat.

In a large oven proof pan, sweat the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic with olive oil...about 10-15 minutes until tender...then add the tomatoes and capers.  Mix it around so everything is incorporated and then  

Place in oven under your broiler.  When things start to brown five them a stir every 4-5 mintues...do this for about 15-20 minutes.  Watch carefully as they can burn fast.

salt 'n' pepa

 Remove from oven and de-glaze pay with the white wine...move everything to a large pot, add reduced liquid, butter, and brown sugar. Hit it with a blender stick until smooth.  add Salt and Pepper to taste. 

This can be used for just about anything italian, pasta, lasagna, I use this to simmer my meatballs, pizza, etc.  I also have used this as a base to make a tomato cream sauce, the ideas are endless, or at least have a slight potential to be endless...you can even make Chili?  Really?  Yes...really...but that is another blog ... did I mention it freezes well.  Once batch will last us a long time.

So caught up...what happened?

Life goes by fast, sometimes faster than we would like it to.  It was just the other day that Isaac was just a little peanut that feel asleep on my chest.  Yesterday the little guy, who is getting bigger, started kindergarten and loves it.  So what happened to the last 5 years?

I joked the other day that now Isaac is in school, he will be graduating from high school soon.  I know it's still 13 years away, but that time will be here before we know it.

A comedian that I used to listen to, had said, "Do you know what life is? Whether you are a believer or you're not a believer life is life - life is a series of emotions. Life is a mountain after a valley. A wife to feed, a husband to clothe, children to raise, a boss to put up with, car notes, taxes, April 15th. Life is life." You can read the whole thing here

I hear that phrase in my head all time time.  Life is "a series of emotions".  It's up there with death and taxes, it's gonna happen, there's no way to avoid it.  Everyone will have highs and lows, some may argue that the lows outnumber the highs, or visa-versa.  My advice, is to just ride the waves, eventually you'll reach the shore.  A good friend of mine always talked about those "Mountain Top Experiences".  Everything is good, you're 'high' on life.  You feel like you're on top of the world. 

I'm losing my train of thought, oh yea, Isaac...This past weekend we have reached another milestone.  I admit that it was way back in June that we finally took off his training wheels, but it wasn't till Saturday that we have had a successful ride on just two wheels.  The video below is just the beginning, approx 3 hours after his first attempt, he is now starting on his own with no assistance.

The next day we took our first bike ride around the neighborhood....tomorrow I'll teach him to ride backwards while standing on the handlebars....juggling.

Life is going by too fast, so how do you slow down?

Sappy emotional mess...

Have you noticed, that when you are tired you have a tendency to react more emotionally to things than you normally would?  It really doesn't matter how you answer that question, but I do know that we all have some type of emotional response to different things.  If you type "emotional response" into google, it will auto-populate:

 

Anyone know who Paul Oakenfold is?  Me neither.  But I digress....here are a few videos that should provide some type of emotional response, if you feel nothing, you must be a cold-hearted rock, why are you reading this?

 

 

 

That's all I got, have a great evening....

Random thoughts

Has this happened to you?

....you're headed towards the bathroom, and you have about 8-10 feet before you get to the door, which swings in (that means you push it)...you've been here before so you know it's a multiple stall/urinal type, the door won't be locked.  As you approach you see the door open up and someone walks out.  There are different scenarios to this event, sometimes they will hold the door for you to enter, and sometimes they- won't.

Today I experienced the latter, the door was not held, as I was still the previously mentioned 8-10 feet away.

I had options on what to do, everyday we all have choices and we live with the consequences, whatever they may be.  This day and this choice was no different.

• continue at the same pace, because of the exiting party there could be an awkward moment where you may need to take evasive action to avoid collision.  The door will not fully close, and you'll be able to enter with less force to open the door.
• slow down to give a wide birth to the exiting party, this will usually cause them to take evasive action to avoid collision considering the location of the doorway.  This may result in the door fully closing which will require you to open it fully to enter.
• increase speed to catch the door before it closes, this may allow you to squeeze through the doorway without having to touch the door (Lord knows how much bacteria is on there)  Considering your surroundings, this may be a dorky move.
• Take caution as someone may be exiting the Ladies room at the same time, this can cause a major incident.

So having these three options, I took several factors into account.  Who was exiting, how much time did I have, with the sudden rush of speed use more energy then it would take to push open the door?  This got me thinking which way was more efficient.  Force vs inertia.  wind resistance, the weight of the door, the weight of me...my current velocity...what to make for dinner...

...I really hate math....

so I ended up with option three, and did a little hop through the door...no one was injured

If anyone can tell me the correct calculation to determine the answers to these kind of questions, I'd appreciate it.

Duck....Two Ways

So as you may have heard, or may not have heard, Becky and I enjoyed an incredible dinner at Barbacoa last week.  The cornerstone of this meal was my main entree, "Duck Two Ways".  This was my first real experience with fine dining, and it impacted me so much I had to write about it.  On the menu, it's described as...

Duck Two Ways

Duck Two Ways: Crispy honey roast duck fanned breast and confit of leg and thigh served with cranberry sherry and sweet potato risotto.

What attracted me to this dish was the risotto; a dish I've never had.  I've had duck twice before. Once when my brother-in-law was successful in his hunt, and second at a little place called Va de Vi, ironically WITH my brother.  Both times it was good, however the Va de Vi experience was better because the dish was called "Duck confit (con-feet)" which is basically a duck poached in duck fat.  (I would like to say, there are several great things in this world when it comes to culinary gold, it's duck fat.)  So seeing 'duck' and 'confit' in the same sentence ignited my salivary glands.  Strangely, the confit wasn't the best part of this dish.

About ducks:  Duck meat is considered to be a "white" meat, like chicken, even though the meat is considerably darker than it's poultry counter-parts.  This is because ducks are more active than chickens who spend more time sitting and walking.  Ducks get up and fly around, avoiding my brother-in-law during hunting season, using up more oxygen.  The extra oxygen in the body of the duck gives their meat a darker red color.  This darker color gives their meat a stronger richer flavor.  This distinct flavor and taste allows the duck meat to be cooked with fruits or other sweet and spicy ingredients to get a delicious and exotic tasting meal.

Risotto, a type of rice dish I see cooks screw up all the time on Hell's Kitchen.  Under-cooked, over-cooked, not enough salt, too much salt, it seems like a really difficult dish to make.  Wikipedia defines it simply as "rice cooked in broth to a creamy consistency".  The risotto in this dish was more firm than creamy.  However, the addition of small cubes of sweet potato added a mild sweetness that made it a delicious foundation for the duck to sit upon.  Additional cubes of sweet potato were scattered on the plate for presentation purposes.


A cranberry sherry was drizzled over the whole plate.  How this was made and what was in it is a big mystery to me, and I don't care because it brought the whole thing together.  Each bite was required to have a little bit of everything on it.  


These flavors all worked together so well that each bite caused your eyes to roll to the back of your head while your body just slumps and all your senses focus on that fantastic collaboration of flavors playing the anvil chorus in your mouth. At a price of $25, I would say each bite is well worth it.  As the flavor matches the presentation, this is a dish I would definitely order again.  I can't wait to go back to Barbacoa and try another creation.


www.barbacoa-boise.com/

-Brian

Note: I'm not a food critic, and I'm not a writer, I just love food

What a Summer

Flourless Belgium Chocolate Cake (I did not make this)

 
Summer is finally just about over and so much has happened in the past few months...it's all so scattered, I don't know where to begin.

We took a trip to Tahoe and stayed in a friend's cabin, I got to play several shows with my band before they decided to move on without me, we're going camping next weekend, Isaac lost his first pair of teeth, we made our annual trek to the fair, I haven't blogged once the entire time...so lets get to it!

Last setup with my cousin Ryan

Last time I blogged it was all about the band, so let's start there.  First of all, bands and band members are a finicky bunch.  Especially you are trying to integrate yourself into a group that has played together for so long, and are roughly 10+ years older than you, it's a different generation all together.  With that in mind, we played a few good shows, I got some good experience, and made a little money.  But in the end, my playing style wasn't exactly what they were looking for, and our personalities didn't mesh the way we hoped.  So once again, I'm drummer without a band.  But that's ok since I was diagnosed with tendinitis in both hands, I can use the rest.  (If by chance you became a fan of the retreads because you knew the drummer, you can (un-like) them now. I did!)

We took a trip to Tahoe with the family.  When I say family, I mean my parents, and my brother's family.  This was our camping alternative, which turned out to be a whole lot more fun than we imagined.  First of all, it only took us around 8 hours to get there.  Coming all the way from Idaho,  it was much nicer, not to mention there was no campsite to setup once we arrived.  Instead it was welcoming hugs from our family whom we haven't seen in a while.

Early morning fishing trip, it was COLD!

So what sets cabin life different than tent life?  It can all be summed up in two words, "Hot Water".  Having the ability to take a hot shower everyday without having to heat up gallons ahead of time, not just for you, but for your family at well is such a blessing.  Yes, there is something to be said about roughing it, but right now, I could not tell you what that is.  We spent a lot of time just sitting around on the deck talking, while the kids played.  Had some awesome meals that my mom made ahead of time.  Can't beat momma's cooking!

We also had a private beach, and a private dock for almost the whole trip.  All but one day at the lake, we were the only ones there, and the 2 minute walk to get there wasn't to shabby either.  I will say the dock was a lot of fun, as we would jump off the end and swim back to shore.  Even Isaac did this several times, despite the frigid temperatures of the water.  It was on the last day that we finally got Becky to take the plunge.  An early morning fishing excursion was a nice though, but not well planned out as it was too cold to stay our very long, even with hot cocoa.   But the sunrise, was beautiful and provided a nice backdrop to fishing from the pier.

The only thing really missing was the campfire.  We hope to make up for that next weekend.  In all, it was a great time!  Maybe we'll do it again.

Speaking of great times, we had a hallmark event this summer.  My wife turned the big 35.  For such an occasion, we celebrated like never before.  OK, it wasn't completely original, but I convinced her to try a 'new' place.  After years of watching shows like Hell's Kitchen, or Next Food Network Star, we've seen all this "fine dining" stuff, but never experienced it.  Living in Idaho, the selection isn't too great, so I picked a place to try, Barbacoa's.  The menu looked very expensive, but I convinced her to go anyways, and OMG!  The food was incredible, far surpassing anything we may have tasted before.  I'm not saying there is no other good food around, it is just that this meal was on a whole new level.  Without going into great detail, here is a brief description of our adventure into fine dining...

• Trio of Ceviche
• Crab Mojito
• coco rum infused crab with sugar cane and mint
• Tuna Tartare
• with avocado, capers, red onion, and mango sorbet
• Ceviche of the day
• Red Snapper ceviche
• Grilled Ceasar Salad
• Grilled Ceasar Salad wedges with smoked polenta croutons
• Sweet Corn & Crab Bisque
• Dungenous crab with jalapeno pancake
• Mixed Seafood Grill
• marinated shrimp, scallops, fin fish, with coconut rice
• Duck Two Ways

• crispy honey roast duck fanned breast and confit of leg and thigh served with cranberry sherry and sweet potato risotto

I won't even get into the deserts, needless to say they were "FABULOUS!"  One of the best things about this place, was the water.  The serve all their water was filtered chilled water, sparkling or plain, in glass bottles.  Their water is not, I repeat, not from tap.

There is so much more to say and talk about, but no sense in putting it all here, right?  Keep an eye open for more blogging from yours truly.  I imagine it will involve food in some way.  I think I may devote a blog specifically for that duck dinner I had...yes, I want more.

Peace out, and God bless

-Brian

BUSY, Busy, busy

Life just gets going sometimes, and before you know it, it's passed you by.  Obviously, life hasn't passed me by yet, at least not completely.  I'm amazed it's already the end of April.  Where does the time go???

So your probably asking yourself, what have I been doing?  I've been asking the same question...sadly my answers are very fragmented and may or may not make much sense.  Anyways, in no particular order....

I-HAUL -Why do you need a trailer?  We'll, there are a multitude of good uses for a trailer, especially when you don't own a pickup truck.  As my family only has a small SUV, and a Honda Civic, it really makes some parts of being a home owner difficult.  So we welcome the newest addition to our tool shed.  She's a little 4x8 trailer that needs some TLC.  

Again, why a trailer?  We have a lot of debris that has been accumulating, mostly because it's too big for the trash, and we have no way to get it to the dumps.  We're also camping later this summer, and fitting everything into the Explorer is near impossible.  This way, we have lots of space and will be able to include things like Isaac's bike, or a wagon, our own firewood, and 50 lbs of potatos!

So when I'm done working on her, she will have a nice glossy black frame, bars on each corner, new flooring, new walls, and possibly a removable top for added security.  Not to mention everything will be modular so we can change it up for what's needed.  Now I have a project....don't forget about my hobby.


is still a lot of fun.  Our first show is in two weeks.  I'm really excited, but I'm also a tad nervous...who wouldn't be, right?  I know everything is gonna be fine and once we start playing it's gonna be a ton of fun.  It's my first time out with a live band in this type of venue, but I couldn't ask for a better group of guys to go play with.  Each of them got "mad skills" and the drive behind it to turn out some great music.  Our line up has variety that rivals any radio station out there.  Where else are you going to hear Georgia Straight, Billy Idol, Bryan Adams, The Clash, and other random groups on the same night?  Bring on the Rock!  

Of course being a part of a working band has it's down sides too, you have a tendency to develop what's known as G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)  Hey, I could use some new cymbals...how about that new in-ear monitor system....should I get that new drum set for practice purposes....more cowbell...how about a drum stage, I'm feeling short!  Of course finances prevents any type of serious GAS outbreak, but the 'want' is still there...all in due time.  


Sleep -I need more...what else can I say?

CATS - I admit it, I've never seen the musical Cats, but I am familiar with a few of the tunes.  Sadly, this has nothing to do with Andrew Lloyd Webber.  This past month we had to say goodbye to a member of our family.  Misty was our first baby.  It was a week after Becky and I had been married that she woke up on a Saturday, came into the living room and said, I'm going to get a kitty.  Before I could respond, she had already walked out the door.  Misty was very special.  As a kitten she literally played fetch with her toys, also ready and willing to show affection to those she loved, namely Becky.  She would perch herself on Becky's shoulder and be content.  As Misty grew up, she took her place as the rightful queen of her castle, with only Nali (our Aussie) to pick on.  Misty would sit on the arm of the sofa and wait.  Nali would walk by minding her own business when Misty would reach out and 'POP' Nali on the back of the head.  Apparently she wasn't allowed to walk by without permission.


Over the past few weeks, Misty had stopped eating, all she would do is sleep.  After some medication she perked up for a little while but then soon digressed again.  She was laid to rest a few weeks ago and will soon have a garden erected in her honor.  She was loved, and will be missed greatly.  

Every emptiness needs to be filled, that's what led us to www.simplycats.org.  This is where we met Lily, she has been welcomed into our home and provides us entertainment and companionship as most kittens do.  Still adjusting to our new home, not all of our pets have totally agreed to the new addition.  But they will in time.   

Yes, we have 4 pets.  It seems like a lot, but it's just right.

My Free Time...

So far it's been a busy day.  8 AM this morning we had a Men's Breakfast meeting at "The Egg Factory".  It was  mostly a chance to hang out with the guys, but also an opportunity to say goodbye to a good friend who's heading off to serve in his families ministry out in the Philippines.  The name of their ministry is "Mercy In Action", and they have been providing free birth centers for poor families in the Philippines since 1992.  It's a very specific, but very cool ministry.  (Here's a very cool story about them, at 37,000 ft)


Anyways, I had the Corned Beef hash Spudsation.  It was basically country style potatoes topped with corned beef hash (which has no corn in it), covered in melted Monterey jack cheese, then two eggs over medium.  It was very delicious.

So after breakfast, it's off to church for rehearsal.  At church we finally got a church drum set.  Since I'm playing all the time now, I needed to get my drums home.  So after a lot of research, we got a really good deal on this kit.  It still needs some tweaking to get it sounding good, but it's not too bad.  It'll take a few weeks to get it right.  At least I don't have to haul my drums back and forth anymore, though I think I'll probably be bringing my drum throne with me as the seat is really lacking in comfort.

Now that everyone is asleep, I have some time to myself, and I've been spending some free time as a beta tester for this cool (at least I think it is) game called "World of Tanks".  It's a relatively mindless game that involves three goals.  1.  Don't get shot.  2.  Shoot the other tanks  3.  Capture the enemy flag.  Depending on what kind of tank you have there are different strategies to use, but teamwork is definitely involved.  This is not a game you want to go rogue in.

My other free time, usually late at night, is what I call a truly love-hate type of thing.  I'm doing a marathon of LOST.  If for some reason you haven't seen lost and are planning on doing what I'm doing now, skip this paragraph.  All six seasons on Netflix.  I'm currently on episode 3 Season 4.  It's a great show, but each episode is like a cliff hanger, so I gotta watch the next one.  Before I know it it's 11:30pm and I'm tired.  I'll be happy when this is done.  I remember how stressful it was watching it the first time, when we had to wait to see what happens next.  Every commercial you get up off the couch and say, "WHAT?!?!? ______?!?!?!?   As I'm watching all these episodes back, they tell you everything that is going to happen, you just don't believe them. Clear as day, "No one survived Oceanic Flight 815"...don't believe the hype.  It's cheap entertainment so what else am I gonna do?  Oh yeah, did I mention, "I'm in a band!"

"The Retreads" has got to be one of the funnest things I've done to date, and we've only had two rehearsals.  Look at it like this.  Yes, I've been playing drums a long time, and I've played lots of different styles with lots of different people.  Just never this loud, and apparently I'm still not loud enough.  I have till May 6th to 'get my rock on' as that's our first show.  I have my drums at home now so I'm hoping to get out there as much as possible.   (There are a few riffs I'm having trouble with.)  Oh and speaking of practice, I think I got roped in to sing the chorus of "Living on a Prayer".  Should be interesting.



with that...good night and good luck.  Maybe it'll snow tomorrow?

What a week it's been!

So as you may or may not have heard, I've gone through some changes in the past 7 days.  Most significantly is becoming the full time drummer to a local rock band called "The Retreads".  If this sounds familiar it's because it is.  This is the band that was auditioning with before that opted to go with the other drummer.  (who ended up quitting due to scheduling conflicts)  But how you ask??? Well, this is how it went down....

On two weeks ago I met with a guy about auditioning with his band.  Since at this time, I wasn't part of 'The Retreads', I kept looking for another group.  Still new to the local scene, I emailed the guys from "The Retreads" to see if they new this other band.  I did this for two reasons

1. It good to keep communications open, especially when you get along so well with people.  No need to burn bridges.
2. I didn't want to get involved with less than desirable people, so it's good to check.

Turns out they never heard of them, so I went ahead and auditioned with them the following Monday.  It was good to play some music, definitely not as loud or as polished as 'The Retreads', but a good group.  I went home with some expectations, but nothing too far fetched as I wanted to keep myself in check.  The next morning I get an email from Pat (Bass/vocals of 'The Retreads') asking how things were and if I had gotten into a band yet.  Initially I thought it was cool that he was checking up on me, but then my wheels began to spin and I thought to myself..."how cool would it be if the other guy quit and they wanted me to join?!?"  Again, I reached too far.  The other guy quit, but they were not at a point to ask me to join, but interested.  An hour later I got an email from the band I auditioned with the night before offering me a spot in their band.  I didn't answer that email till the next day.

So last Wed, I was at home in the office and my phone rings.  It's Pat.  He's at a local pub with the other guys and wanted to know if I could come down for a little bit?  I walked into the bar about 8 minutes later.  No, I didn't speed, it's not that far from my house.  Within the hour, I became a member of one of the greatest Rock & Roll Cover Bands in the WORLD!  (ok, I might be exaggerating, a bit) 

Within the hour, I became a member of what I think is one of the best Rock & Roll Cover/Dance Bands in the area.  Each member brings a unique gift to the table, except for one, who brings a whole lot of gifts, he's got serious skills. 

So over the last 7 days, I've been integrated into this band.  I've taken over all "Social Media" aspects, mostly because I'm the one who uses it the most.  I've also worked to develop our own line of gear/swag.  Clothing for our fans who are known as "Tread Heads".  But tonight I finally get to play some music, which is good since our first show is in just under 2 months, and I have a TON of music to learn before then.
 
So in the mean time, you can follow the band in several ways.  I'd suggest visit the website first to get the most information about the band.  We're also on FaceBook, and MySpace, and even have a blog!

• The Retreads 
• The Retreads - Blog
• The Retreads - FaceBook 
• The Retreads - MySpace 

I hope to see you at one of our shows!

-Brian

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Killing Time...

That's such an interesting phrase..."killing time".  It sounds very angry on paper, but when spoken it's very laid back...."Hey Brian, whatcha doin'?"...."What does it look like I'm doing?  I'm KILLING TIME!"  But when you think about it, time cannot be killed, at least not in the hear and now. 

I understand that if you are part of a bomb squad and staring at a device that has less than 60 seconds on it, time can be very precious.  But if you look at it in the big picture, there is a lot of time our there.  There's about 525,600 minutes in a year (not including 02/29) 

I've been married for over 302,054,400 seconds!  (And loved every single one of them)

But as you sit and read this, time is moving by.  It's not infinite, we all have a limited amount of time in our lives...regardless of how young we might be, let's use them well.  Time cannot be killed, but it can be wasted...make the most of it.

You got a gift so you best start using it
Cause if you don't your going to wind up losing it
Busy like a school boy making an A
Cause time my brother is tickin away

Lunch with Isaac

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BLOG TEST

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Waiting...

Since I've become so used to "waiting" lately, I thought I'd compose a list of things we wait for...have waited for...or still waiting for.

In no particular order

1. The light to turn green
2. Your feet to warm up
3. 5:00
4. Hugs
5. Oil Change
6. Trip to Disneyland
7. the rain to stop
8. first snow
9. last snow
10. FaceBook to load
11. The next version of iPhone, or any other mac product
12. That perfect first bite of sushi that makes your knees week
13. the next big movie
14. next kiss
15. the water to boil
16. Justin Bieber to cut his hair
17. to be forgiven
18. that perfect game of bejeweled blitz
19. the next Star Wars film
20. Hot water in the morning (this can be for coffee, tea or shower)
21. the next diaper to change
22. taxes
23. is it lunch yet?
24. next mortgage/rent payment
25. an alarm clock that is always "too early"
26. Not making the band...not because your not good enough, but there was someone better.
27. Did I mention a hug?

ok, now I'm a little bummed out....but at least I'm not waiting anymore.

Too much information?

So here is my situation in regards to the band.  They like me, but I lack experience.  It will take at least a few months to get me up to speed.  The other guy is a professional musician, has toured nationally with all types of bands.  He has connections that a working band can only dream of.  With him, they could start playing this weekend.  They would be fools not choose this guy.  The only thing is this other guy has several offers on the table and hasn't decided yet.

As much as I want this, I can totally understand where they are coming from.  I'm in the same situation.  An opportunity to play with someone of such a higher caliber, it's an opportunity that you can't pass up, as it will open so many new doors.  The only question here is who's doors are opened?  Mine or theirs?

(I would like to clarify to the peeps that I play with at church.  I love you guys, and you are professionals in my book.  Please don't take this the wrong way)

So he was supposed to call them today, but as of 7:00, he had not.  They are giving him till Friday, if it's a no, then it's a YES for me.  That's good right?  Being the second choice?  Knowing that there was someone better?  If you have an opportunity to do something that you love, you don't question it, you just do it.  There is always someone who's going to be better than you.  In this case, before they met me, all the good ones worth having were already playing in another band.  I was their top choice.  If that gives me the chance to build these relationships and play great music...that's good enough for me.

The guys in this band are truly men of integrity.  They don't want to be fake, and keep secrets.  How can you not respect that.  They have my respect regardless of their choice.

I appreciate their honesty, and it will probably make the rest of the week drag till I get an affirmative yes or no, but the experience has been worth it.  I got to play "Whip It" by Devo with a live band and discovered that's it's a deceptively simple song...meaning it sounds simple, but it puts you through your paces...

Till next time...

Sunrises...It's a new day

Lately I've been taking pictures of the sunrise, either before I leave for work, or on my way.  Whenever I see the sunrise, I'm reminded of a song by one of my favorite bands, Guardian, which I'm sure most of you have never heard of...

When I'm sad

I feel you smile and whisper to me
Every little thing will be alright
Like the sun
Comes shinin' through my window
Breaks the darkness in the early morning light

(Complete lyrics can be found here)

When a new day comes, you never know what to expect, seriously anything can happen from the time you wake up to when you head hits the pillow.  This week, a lot has happened that I hope I can tell you about without breaking off into too many tangents.  (I should rename my blog the rabbit trail, since I follow it so often)

So as you already know, I'm trying to break into the music industry? business? scene? none of these really apply, at least I don't think they do, but then again, maybe they all do.  I'm seeking an outlet to express myself musically, make some new friends, and play LOUD...more on that later...this week started like any other, with the exception that my 2 o'clock I discovered that we may have 2 more foster kids coming into our home.  Since our last child left us two weeks ago, after a 14 month stay, I thought it was pretty quick, but who am I to say no to someone in need.  I am prone to put others before myself.  Most of the time that's can be a good thing, but there comes a time when I need to do for myself.  That's part of what this whole music project is about, but see, I'm getting off topic again.  So we now have 3 very energetic boys in the house, I truly believe that Isaac feeds off the energy...he's my boy!

At work, my computer has been updated from a dinosaur relic to a new "slightly used" machine running Windows 7.  I'm the first one in the office to get the new platform...I know it's nothing spectacular, but it's a change, and change is good....right?  Lots of little things that are different, mostly good, but there are some features I miss.  (the problem with blogging on the run, is I usually don't get a chance to complete all my thoughts at once, thus I'm scattered)

So Friday has rolled around finally...last night I got to hang out with one of the guys from the band.  Let's call him J.D. (that's what everyone else calls him).  He's a really cool guy that runs his own music studio called CatWerk.  Hey plays it all, guitar, bass, keys, drums, vocals, and he's really good.  We talked a lot about music, gave some back-story about how we got to where we are today, hung out in the studio for a couple hours after having some "Los Betos".  He has literally hundreds of songs that he's written, recorded, and produced, that are actually on TV.  If you watch Man vs Food, you've heard his stuff, as well as some other TV shows.  Being in a band with several guys that play multiple instruments would give me and them the opportunity to switch things around on a couple songs.  Give me a chance to come out from behind the skins and maybe rock a little guitar.  (wish I still had my Fender)

So as the sun sets, we look back on our day and realize everything that has transpired in the last hours of day light.  Our foster boys have gone home to their parents.....I'm still waiting for a call to hear if I made the band or not....taking my wife out on a date tomorrow....quality time with Isaac..worship rehearsal in the AM...another basket of veggies and fruits...and maybe some sleep.

Good Night, and God Bless!

Hobbies - part deux

So when I wrote Hobbies part one, I decided that the best course of action for me is music.  Playing at church is great, and I love being able to worship with resounding cymbals (Psalm 150).  But sometimes you just need to rock.  So my journey began...

If your a musician and you want to join an existing band, of course you go to Craig's List or Guitar Center.  Since I didn't feel like driving to G.C., I chose Craig's List because it's easier and I'm less likely to spend money.  So I respond to an add of a guy looking for a drummer, there are a few out there, but mostly looking for Heavy Metal or something like that.  This add was looking for someone older.  Anyways, after a few emails back and forth, we decided to meet at a local club that basically did an open mic blues night.  To make a long story short, they chose to go with a different drummer because he was closer.  (turns out later that he quit because they didn't play enough Beatle songs.  I know this because they called me the other day to see if I was still interested.)

So finding out I got the boot, I went back to Craig's list a few days later to see if there was anything new...that's when I saw this:

http://boise.craigslist.org/muc/2183977050.html

I emailed them on Friday, right before heading to the dentist.  They emailed back later that night wanting to talk, having had some dental work done, I was still numb and not able to talk well, so I said i'd call the next day.  Saturday was a busy day, and went something like this....

8:00 AM - Wake Up
9:00AM - Worship team rehearsal @ CGC
10:30AM - Head to McDonald's for Isaac's BD Party, Call Patrick en route.  During the conversation, we managed to setup an "audition" that evening.
12:00PM - not having any drum sticks (there were all at CGC) I ran to G.C. and bought a pair of my favorite Dave Weckl sticks  and some guitar picks because I was out.

7:00PM - Head over to the audition....play my heart out, apparently I don't play very loud...but I do now.
10:15PM - Leave, very satisfied, and excited.

During those three hours, I realized several things.

1. These guys have there stuff together.  They are professional, a very tight sound, and extremely loud.
2. I need some more sticks since the pair I just bought broke.
3. I love playing rock songs, having just rocked out to the following
1. Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind
2. White Wedding - Billy Idol
3. Money - Pink Floyd
4. Somebody - Bryan Adams
5. and several others, but it was a blurr....
4. Gotta figure out how to play more and get my chops back up to speed.

so the question was posed to me, how can you learn new songs, when your drums are at church?  I responded with a challenge of "give me three songs, and I'll come back next week and play them".  The next several days have been spent listening over and over and over and over and over to:

• Life is a Highway - Rascal Flatts                                                                        
• Middle - Jimmy Eats World
• Wall - Pink Floyd (a medley they play often.  Almost 8 minutes long)

Tonight, I just got home after my second audition, having played the three songs above (several time to work out some kinks) as well as a bunch of other songs I couldn't even begin to tell you, but rang from Bryan Adams, Billy Idol, Foo Fighters, Smash Mouth, briefly touched Spinal Tap and Rush, and others.  We all had a real fun time.  Of course my butt was a little sore as the drum stool was a bit firm.  But i got to play with a double bass pedal, which was a first (gonna have to work on that).
I left that garage tonight with high hopes.  Was I perfect, no.  Can I improve, of course.  I believe that I can contribute a lot to this working band.  They play locally, but they have also done gigs in Redding, CA, Walnut Creek, CA, and even as far south as Los Angeles.  Playing in an actual working rock band has always been a dream of mine, but so far fetched that I've never pursued it till now.

Even though they didn't know "Dreams" by Van Halen (not that any of us can sing it anyways), these guys can rock.  Regardless of the outcome, I had a great time playing with them.  I just hope I can do it on a regular basis...

...stay tuned sports fans, I should be getting a call tomorrow...