This is my outlet, an opportunity for me to just rant and rave about things that interest me or things that upset me. Everything that is life, my daily grind, food, music, movies, stuff, food, ideas, etc...
It's early...as i write this, I'm sitting in a hotel room listening to my family breathing while they sleep. Another Christmas has come and gone, and we are headed feet first into 2013. Yesterday we began our trek across the Northwest with a destination of Roseberg, OR to see the In-Laws. And like clockwork, that is when mother nature decides to through a bunch of snow and ice in the way. Not wanting to take any chances, we watched the weather, and road conditions like any normal people would do. Our van is packed with blankets, chains, shovel, food and drinks as I like to be prepared for anything. As we got going the roads were pretty good. Snow was falling, but only small flurries, so we were making good time.
Good things never seem to last too long as the picture to the right, mutated to the picture below. Don't get me wrong. Becky was driving while I took these pictures. We were going at a nice slow pace. Despite the weather warning, snow on the ground, we passed several vehicles that had slid off the road. Ironically, there were all trucks. One of which was a full size P/U, probably with 4-wheel drive and a driver who was too over confident. No matter what you do, you can't beat physics. When you slide, you slide. I didn't stop to take pictures, but I did wonder if they had sufficient coverage in their insurance policies. Yeah, I have to do a plug as I'm now an agent for FARMERS. Let me give you a free quote!
"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads" - Dr E. Brown
As we chugged along, I finally took over driving and we pulled into Bend, OR around 6pm. Not wanting to drive over the mountain pass at night (again), we opted to stay the night at a hotel. Having been on this same trip multiple times, we are becoming quite familiar with Bend and some of the lodging/dining options available.
Once we had cell service, Becky jumped on her phone and began looking for deals. This year we ended up at the Shilo Inn. I'm actually very impressed with the features available considering the low price we paid. Centrally located, indoor pool (Isaac got to go swimming last night), restaurant (that will provide a free breakfast in a few hours), and free wi-fi that is letting me post this blog.
As for the dining option, this time I went to FaceBook to ask the locals as I do know some people that live here (ironically, non of them responded.) Most of the recommendations were for local breweries, however neither of us are beer drinkers. The first suggest was for a placed called "Taste of Thailand". Thai food sounded good so we ventured out to find this place, the only problem is that instead of Thai food, we found a Dry Cleaners. And as Gollum said, 'they don't taste very good, do they precious' (in reference to orcs, but you get the idea). With visions of Pad Thai on our brains, and armed with not one, but two smart phones, we quickly found ourselves walking into a little place called Angel Thai. The food was awesome! I ordered the Mongolian Beef (I know, not traditional Thai) with a spice factor of 3, from a scale of 1-5. It came with a mound of white rice. I needed 5 cups of water, and some more soup, and some of Becky's Pad Thai to put our the flames. My lips still burned for a good hour afterwards, but it was well worth it.
I made the picture bigger so you can see the flavor...and all the little red pepper flakes
You know, I couldn't tell you WHAT my last blog was...without looking, I couldn't even tell you WHEN my last blog was. But I do recall stating that I would be writing more, so here goes . . . .something.
Many changes have occurred over the last 6 months. My life went from a predictable 8-5 job, making enough $ to cover life's expenses. I was suddenly released from the predictable, and entered the "less than exiting" stage. I spent nearly two months looking for a new job. I had lots of interviews and lots of disappointments. My family had to re-evaluate how things were done. Thank God for the Dave Ramsey class we took that helped us become debt free and build an emergency fund for just such an occasion. As the money slowly disappeared, I started to look for jobs that weren't exactly in my field.
I thought sales would be fun, so I ended up in an interview with Farmer's Insurance and was very tempted by the possibilities of working in an industry that doesn't sell Insurance, but helps people become whole again after the worst situations. That was the bright side of the coin, the less shiny side said that I needed to get my own license, pay for courses, testing, and other fees. While we couldn't decide what to do, I found myself up in Fruitland, ID selling used cars. I found satisfaction in seeing good people drive off in a good reliable car. I enjoyed meeting new people and helping them meet their needs. Seeing the "under belly" of the auto business really left a bad taste in my mouth, and I knew it wasn't something I could do for a long time. So I started thinking about an exit plan. The problem I had was that when you are working almost 13 hours a day 5-6 days a week, there isn't much room to do anything else. Because of a blessing, I was able to go back to Farmer's and say that I was interested after all, and proceeded with the interview process, and began studying for my Licensing exams.
BING!
I'm happy to say that I am now licensed in the state of Idaho, to market, negotiate, and sell auto, home, and commercial insurance on behalf of Farmer's Insurance. I am not license to say "BING" as part of a sales pitch, and if I ever do, please slap me. One of the top 3 Insurance Provider's in the Nation, with a District Manager who is one of the top 3 DM's in the company, not just Idaho, but the whole company! I am honored and humble to be working with this team of people. It's a far cry from the shark tank I worked at in Fruitland.
So today I had my first day of training and I now have an excellent handle on Auto Policies and how under-insured most people are, and I'm also super excited to get out there and start working with people. This is the beginning of a new career, and hopefully a new life for me and my family as the opportunity that is ahead of us is wide open.
It's been a while since my last post. Needless to say, life over the past couple months have been...interesting. I hope to start writing more in the near future, but for now, here is a quick tidbit of what's been going on...in no particular order
My employer of 13+ year decided to let me go, it's an interesting sensation being unemployed after so long
Still a foster parent
Sold cars for a while
Isaac is gonna be a movie star
got to meet an actress that we've watched on TV for at least 5 years
My last blog go me thinking a lot about the mind and how it works, I know each person would respond differently to what I am about to propose. I'm going to 'google' a phrase, and go to the first results, and see where that leads me. Before I begin I would like to point out the scientific research community is NOT in support of this and I am responsible for any outcome that may ensue here on out.
Random Phrase: 'Random Thoughts'
1st Google Result: www.randomthoughts.ws Page Entry: "Jealous of what."
On Your Marks
GO!!!!
When I hear the work 'Jealous' the first this that comes to mind is the song 'Hey Jealousy' by the Gin Blossoms. In that song there is a line, 'we could drive around this town, and let the cops chase us around'. Given I have never been chased by cops, I have spent time just driving around. One memory is back in my high-school days when we would hang out at 'Neon Lyons' and then go TP someone. A few of us would throw toilet paper all over Joan's house, while Mark would be in his little white truck with the bed open, and engine on....it was inevitable that someone would come out, we would bolt to the truck and take off before we could be identified. And these were my church friends...classic. (/br>
This one time I was out with another friend from school, let's call him Mason. A friend of ours was moving away and we through we would give them a send off with TP. It was S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedure) for this kind of activity, except for two small details.
This was is Clayton, CA. Small town with bored cops.
Our friends dad was a prominent figure in that city, and not a fan of exterior decorating.
We were teenagers, what did we care, right? Right?
Just as we were about to fling the tp into the trees a cop pulls up. You know TPing someone's home is an art. It not some Frat prank where you just toss paper wherever. Great care should be used, with an artistic flare. I learned how to properly TP a house from my parents. How many people out there can say that?
Have you ever been sitting at a table with a group of people and find yourselves talking about some random topic like the "size of duck footprints in the snow". During that conversation, have you ever stopped to think what got you there? It's the middle of May and a group of grown adults is in a deep conversation about the shoe size of a mallard who obviously lost his way and forgot to fly south for the winter. Maybe it went something like this....
While eating dinner you noticed the vibrations in the glass of water everytime someone 'bumped' the table. This was obviously an impact tremor. "Woooosh", you can see and hear Dr. Ian Malcolm talk about impact tremors and his 'Chaos Theory' that we all learned about back in 1993. Of course now that you are all on the topic of Jurassic Park, footprints would seem like a logical direction, however that would be too simplistic. "Woooosh" You focus on the word Chaos, which produces images of Captain Chaos, the alter ego of Victor Prinzim from the movie Cannonball Run. Played by the lovable Dom DeLuise, Captain Chaos was a classic super hero from a split personality. This movie had an extensive cast from Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Dean Martin, Terry Bradshaw, Jackie Chan, Jamie Farr, etc, etc. "Woooosh"
You know Weird Al has a song that mentions Jamie Farr. "And soon I was abducted by some aliens from space Who kinda looked like Jamie Farr" (1:37 you'll hear and see the reference)
I've always been a fan of Mr. Yankovik. The guy has been doing music for over 30 years, and no sign of stopping. He's covered the best, and also done a lot of originals. On his more recent albums he makes a point of putting one song that is at least 10 minutes long...that is a great feat of musical aptitude...even if it's about nothing, except going to the drive-thru, where his wife wanted a chicken sandwich instead of a cheeseburger, that's just crazy talk.
"Woooosh"
The other day I say a chicken crossing the road, no seriously, it was over on Pine and Locust Grove...oh wait, that may have been a duck.
"Woooosh"
Dude, that last snow storm a few months ago, I saw duck foot prints on my drive way....
There may have been a few variations in there, but this all happens in a split second, and that is how my mind works. Now there could be variations in there, say, I could have opted from Jamie Farr and leaned toward Jackie Chan, which could have left me wanting some Dim Sum.
We never know where the mind leads us, so just sit back and enjoy the ride. But please remember to leave breadcrumbs so you can find your way back.
-Brian
(no ducks were injured in the making of this blog)
An update on "Jack's Roommate"....Jack's Roommate had become deceased. Due to personality conflicts and the fact that awesomeness was too much to bear, the band formerly known as Jack's Roommate has been dispatched. During the grieving process (which lasted about 30 seconds), all former active members of the band formerly known as Jack's Roommate felt a surge of even greater awesomeness and took the name of "The Roxtar Project".
Why would anyone make such a drastic change? Why does anyone do anything? In this case we had our reasons...for one, no member of the band has a roommate by the name of Jack. We feel strongly about being truthful and honest, no sense in false advertising. Roc Treese has had 'ROXTAR' on his license plate for years and they always said that would make a cool band name. After extensive market research and random testing accross several Western States it was determined that the name ROXTAR on it's own resembled to closely a webdesign company, and an Alternative hair band of the same name in Wisconsin.
Then, without any warning, Roc said, how about "The Roxtar Project?"...and a band was born.
We got off to a really good start as a three piece doing mostly classic rock stuff like Cream, CCR, Kravitz, ZZTop. We wanted a 4th member to play keys, and possibly vocals....instead we got a choir teacher from Nampa, who ROCKS! Here's the final line up of 'The Roxtar Project'
Lisa Marie - She comes to us with 30+ years exp. She actually made a full time living fronting a cover band. Rumor has it, she's very popular in Germany. Her 'skills' include vocals, guitar, bass, keys, and drums. in R.T.P. she is our primary bassist and sings lead on most of our songs.
ROC - Our founder and guitarist. He keeps us in check, mostly tempo wise. He brings amazing guitar talent, vocals, and the license place that our band was named after. I don't think he's very popular in Germany, but rumor has it he still takes baths with his little rubber ducky. We still love him!
Cynthia - Not a lot to say about Cynthia at this point as I really haven't gotten to know her yet. I know she loves music, teaches a choir at an Arts school, and plays lots of instruments, including keys, guitar, bass, flute, and a lute. For us, she plays keys primarily, rhythm guitar, bass, and vocals. Seriously, how many people do you know that play a lute? Or know what a lute is for that matter...
Brian - I'm the rookie in the group, and the youngest of the bunch. I'm enthusiastic to say the least. Once I got the band name, I've created accounts in Facebook, Myspace, ReverbNation, and you can follow us on twitter @ProjectRoxtar. I guess I'm gonna be a Social Networking / Marketing guy. Besides that I play the drums and sing. I'll probably play the guitar and bass too, but that's not for today. I know, I'm singing, weird.
So for fair warning to you, this project is my new hobby and I'm sure I'll be writing more. If you want information on booking us for a party, that's what we do best, send an email to theroxtarproject@gmail.com
...it seemed like no time had past since they last say each other, except they have all grown a little. I was really a treat to watch these two play together. Running back and forth all day long. Good thing my brother has a big house.
We got treated to Pizza at Melo's in Pleasant Hill. I have to say it was nice having the good stuff again. Good Pizza is a luxury and not high on my priority list. But when Nana & Papa are paying, I'm sorry to say, I think I ate too much. Seriously, the pizza is on this lift things and it's right at eye level...to my left I had the Pepperoni, mushroom, black olive....and to my right was the Veggie, with artichokes, garlic, spinach, tomatoes...too good. Bonus: My Nana & Nanu were there too, and Nana got to ride home in the corvette.
Lunch at El Faro is a given and almost a requirement....no trip to California is complete without it.
Those of you at Hope Center that I had a chance to run into, but not a lot of time with, it was good to see you...just a quick shout out to Jess, Scott, Dean, Tammi, Tom, Carol, Dave, Bill, Jeanne, Danger, Sharon, Karen, Hannah, Marco, and many others. Thanks for being part of that extended family that always welcomes me when I'm there.
The trip home was much less uneventful then the journey there. To be honest, I started this blog a month ago and because I didn't keep up on it, I lost steam...sorry about that. On the bright side, only 7 months and 13 days left.
So now that the "Standby flights" are done, and I'm back from that quick vacation, I can tell you all how it went...
Mmmm, a bagel from Boise...
My first experience of flying standby was a little nerve wracking, especially when the terminal was as full as the one I was in. Before I went to the airport, I had to pick up my travel buddy, Isaac. He had no idea we were taking a trip to see his cousins. When we finally told him, he was kind of in shock, no real reaction. When we showed him the packed bags in my car, the squealing began. Needless to say, he was very excited. So off to the airport, hoping to get on a 5:30 flight to Seattle.
It turned out that another flight had been cancelled due to weather, so they were re-routing people that had connecting flights. As a "Standby" flyer, all I could do was stand by and wait. Turns out we didn't make that flight, then panic ensued. I stood in line for 15 minutes before getting some help. Turns out they were in the process of boarding another flight that was also going to Seattle, but it was connecting through Lewiston. She asked me what my "final" destination was...I first thought eternal life with my Father up in Heaven, but then I knew that wasn't so soon, so I said Oakland. She then told me that if I made this flight (which I did), they could get me on a connector that night to Oakland. Please keep in mind I'm running on 3 hours of sleep and a 5 hour energy from 8 hours ago. I just wanted to get to Seattle, go to the hotel, and get at least 6 hours of sleep. We got on the 6:20 connecting flight and we're off.
Almost there...
After we left Lewiston, I kept thinking about the connecting flight to Oakland, so I asked Isaac what he would rather do. Of course he wanted to see Nana and Papa as soon as possible, so I knew once we hit the ground in Seattle, it was going to get complicated. I quickly put together a mental 'to-do' list.
contact parents and confirm they can pick up from OAKLAND airport at 11:00
contact AlaskaAir to make sure we could get on the 8:30 flight to Oakland
contact hotel in Seattle to confirm that reservation can be cancelled
contact hotel assuming reservation can be cancelled
contact Becky to cancel reservation since I could not locate number to Expedia
contact Becky to contact parents to confirm pickup since they did not answer their phone
try and find some food before getting on the plane (FAILED)
Aside from the food, all the above tasks were completed within 10 minutes...we got on the plane and relaxed a little. Turned out we could order some food on the plane, once we took off...we landed in Oakland around 10:40, picked up at the terminal by both my parents, and it was time to relax...sort of.
(Public Service Announcement: If you travel with your child, and he has a tendency to kick in his sleep...make sure he sleeps in some other location not occupied by you.)
The next morning we went to "Nana C's" to see my Aunts, my Nana, and Nanu. The one thing you can always count on when you go to "Nana C's" is being fed. It's almost like she's not happy till you're eating some of her delicious food. In this case, she had some in the oven when we got there. I don't want to offend, so I had to say yes...to my cousins who may be reading this, you know exactly what I mean, but how could you say no?
I found it very entertaining when my aunts said, no thank you, they didn't want any...at least till the plate hit the table, then it was the in home kitchen version of a feeding frenzy once the Għaġin il-Forn hit the table. It was good to see the family though.
Finally made it to my brother's house and Isaac couldn't of been more excited to see his cousin Addison. We ended up having lunch at a bakery called Boudin's in a local shopping plaza. The food was good and the weather was nice so we ate outside, and it was 'LOUD'. We managed, we always do. It wasn't till later that day that Isaac's other two cousins, Olivia and Josh finally made it home...they the fun really started.
Since it's late, I'll finish this up in "Standby, Part 3". Till then... goodnight, and only 8 months and 18 days till the HOBBIT.
For many people a feeling of nostalgia overcomes them when they hear the words, "Standing by". For myself, when ever I hear these words, I immediately place "Red 5" in front of it. And sometimes, "Lock S-foils in attack position" afterwards. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, please stop reading this post. If you know what the Battle of Yavin is, you may punch your geek card, and continue.
Of course, this blog has nothing to do with Star Wars, I'm just a sucker for rabbit trails and will tend to sway of course during my thought process. This blog will be dedicated to the many travelers in the sky who choose to not commit to any specific schedule. Those that live on the edge and can depart and arrive at any time. Those individuals that see the lines in the road, not as bright yellow, but faded shades of grey. People that see a STOP sign as a suggestion, and not a rule. People that throw caution to the wind as they stand in line at CINNABON. Someone who has heard a weather report and believed it. (you know who you are). Very soon, for the first time in my life, I am flying standby...
Flexability is the key. It all started off that we would leave on a Thursday and come back on a Sunday. Because nothing is guaranteed, except I need to be at work on Sunday we chose to book flights home on Sunday evening, leaving the trip there, to chance. All flights Thursday were booked, only one flight on Wed available...for several days it was 'good to go' with 9-12 seats available. That number dropped sharply so we seeked alternatives, as I don't like travel to be uncertain. After a couple hours of research and comparisons, contemplating a car rental and driving one way (which is still an option), the following solution was created.
BOI - SEA - several flights leaving Tuesday night, some have more seats available than others, so it is highly likely we'll get one one...
because it's a late flight, accomidations have been made for a night stay (close to the airport)
SEA - OAK - first flight leaves at 6:15AM, we'll be there by 5AM to assure that we can get on the plane, if not, there are several other flights that day, but the next one isn't till after 3PM, so that means an afternoon in Seattle (not a bad thing)
Still, I prefer knowing that I have secured seats on a plan, but for the price, you really can't beat it...assuming your 'flexible'. If this trip does pan out as planned, I owe a big thank you to a friend who made it all possible. I'll post a follow-up blog on how the trip really went.
Till then, may the next 8 months and 25 days be peaceful and relaxing, till the HOBBIT comes to a theater near you.
I find myself thinking about things a lot...it's a dangerous pastime, I know. I saw a headline today that said, "New iPad". I'm thinking to myself, didn't they just release a new iPad a few months ago? Or was that the iphone? or the new, iWasher (finally a mac product that does the dishes. I would personally wait for the iWasher2, that model has the "no-spot rinse"!)
Why do I pick on mac, simple...I'm a PC. So I'm thinking that every other month there is a new Mac product and all my "Mac" friends are running out to buy it. (Lemmings) Even if there isn't that much difference from the previous model. So here is my theory.
Sometime after Apple took the idea of a tablet from Mr. Gates (he came up with it back in 2001). They sat down and came up with this big laundry list of features. But being the marketing genius that they are, they only put a few of them in on the first launch. Why? Why? Why? My theory is the 'lemming' factor. Knowing that they can do a new version every 1 or 2 years, they can keep pushing out new 'improved' models. Thus a guaranteed stream of income. Brilliant!
....This is just a theory....
Don't get me wrong, I have an iPad and I love it...yes, it's version 1. And my friends who are mac users, no hard feelings. You know I got nothin' but love for ya!
...and there is 9 months and 7 days till the HOBBIT hits the theaters....as you were citizens
So with the new year, everyone makes some kind of 'New Year's Resolution'. Quit smoking, drink less, lose weight, eat better, run a marathon, get that tattoo of your ex removed, get to bed before 2AM, etc, etc, etc. Some of these are global, others are more specific to certain demographics. I keep it simple, "Have more Aspirations to becoming Healthier and Happier"
This can simplify any resolutions, because when you aspire to something, you don't necessarily have it already. You simply have a goal of obtaining it, which I believe in my cases to be better than the instant gratification wanted by so many of the "NOW" generation. Our parents grew up in a time where they had to work hard for what they had. It was earned, and therefore more appreciated. I'm sad to say that my generation was handed more things than we probably deserve. Because we didn't earn it, it wasn't appreciated and sometimes mistreated, abused, or broken. In all honesty, I have no idea why I'm saying this as it really doesn't have anything to do with this blog. Guess I'm just 'free-stylin'.
But back to changes and resolutions....
So now that we are in the new year, and our tax return as been received, we have purchased a used treadmill from one of Becky's friends. TreadMills are seen in different ways. Some call it the door to weight loss, others look at it as another place to hang towels. I'm all for weight loss, Lord knows I could use to shed a few. But that is not my goal. I'm looking at it as a conditioner, to keep my hair silky smooth. Sorry, bad joke. I started off walking 2mph for 20 minutes, each day increasing just a bit. Today, I'm up to 3 mph. Physical conditioning, to give my body the ability to do more. As I walk more, and walk faster, the weight loss will come naturally. Being obsessed over it is a recipe for disaster. At least that's my opinion.
My goal is to "run" around the lake this year. Preferably without dying of exhaustion at the end. 5 months and counting...
It will help having a hot tub to soak the sore muscles. Did I mention that? Perhaps that will be another blog.
"...and I believe with all of my heart that it is a contributing factor to our Juvenile delinquency of today. I ah hundred percent believe it. Why I believe that is because I know how it feels when you sing it. I know what it does to you. And I-I know the evil feeling that you feel when you sing it. I know the-the lost position you get into, and the beat... well ah, if you talk to the average teenager of today and you ask them what it is about Rock and Roll music that they like and the first thing they'll say is the beat, the beat, the beat." -- Elvis Presley
The first time I heard this quote was part of an into to an old album/record/tape/CD I used to listen to. I believe the artist was Dime Store Prophets, but I don't remember the song it was attached to. It was 'the beat, the beat, the beat' that caught my attention and ran through my head constantly. It got me thinking a lot about society and what songs say to people. I love a song that has a good beat, a great hook and something that is memorable. (ie, you find yourself humming the melody without even knowing it) At the same time, it's a bit scary when you actually see the words you are trying to sing but fumble through what we can.
A good example of this is when I auditioned for the Retreads last year, we played the song Semi-Charmed by 'Third Eye Blind'. I knew how the song went, but I only knew half the lyrics (if that) from listening to it on the radio. It's a very catchy song, has an upbeat melody and a great hook, what's not to like? Of course the words go by very fast, when you slow them down, or actually read them, it's a very dark song dealing with Meth Addiction.
I won't go into much detail, but here's one line from the song...what do you think it means?
The sky was gold, it was rose I was taking sips of it through my nose And I wish I could get back there, someplace back there Smiling in the pictures you would take Doing crystal meth, will lift you up until you break It won't stop, I won't come down I keep stock with the tick-tock rhythm, I bump for the drop And then I bumped up, I took the hit that I was given Then I bumped again, then I bumped again
Perhaps drug hallucinations from cocaine mixed with Meth, a drug high that eventually crashes, so keep taking more and more resulting in heart palpitations or arrhythmia, but take another 'hit' and keep your high anyways...of course that's just one opinion. It could mean something completely different.
I would advise you to keep your overhead down; avoid a major drug habit; play everyday, and take it in front of other people. They need to hear it, and you need them to hear it.
--James Taylor
I figure the counter to Semi-Charmed Life would have to be James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend". Since James Taylor is classfied as a folk singer, this song lacks the upbeat rhythm and hooks that Semi has. The Lyrics in this song are inspiring, and encouraging, especially considering how cruel or unfair the world can be sometimes. In most cases, no one is ever completely alone. If you are reading this, then I hope you know that I am your friend, and may not come knocking on your door, but will do what I can to help. I know I have a few friends who will do the same.
If the sky above you should turn dark and full of clouds and that old north wind should begin to blow Keep your head together and call my name out loud now and soon I'll be knocking upon your door. You just call out my name and you know where ever I am I'll come running to see you again. Winter, spring, summer or fall all you got to do is call and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Please don't get me wrong, I would have loved to have Semi-Charmed in my old band's line up, but it just didn't sound right so we dropped it. With my new band, Jack's Roommate, this song isn't even on our radar, but neither is James Taylor. It's the audience that the songs are geared towards. I find it a bit disturbing when I see girls under 10 singing Kate Perry, don't you?
I'ma get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight
Let me put your hands on my in my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight
***Shudder***
Lyrics and meaning aside, the true heart of any song is the rhythm, which makes me understand why Elvis said what he did. It is the pulse, that makes a song move. That uncontrollable drive that makes you unconsciously tap your toe, or get up and dance. It provides an emotional effect. And rhythm does not just mean drums...
Back in my High School days our drum line entered several Winter Percussion Ensembles and did really good. For me the most memorable section was when we used no instruments and just our hands. Clapping in various ways to create different pitches and rhythms. It definitely turned a few heads....kind of like these guys below
I guess all I'm trying to say is...."I HATE SAUERKRAUT"!
speaking of which...here is a true musical genius...
-Brian
"People are flowers. Music is water. Musicians are the hose."
-- Carlos Santana
As previously mentioned, I am back in the music business, or at least the business of making music. Ok, so not really making music per say, but at least duplicating music that has already been made. I'm doing this with two other local musicians in the Boise area. Together, the three of us are a group called "Jack's Roommate".
When I joined the band and I heard the name, I was a bit puzzled as to the title and tried to figure it out. There are so many Jacks out there. Initially I thought Jack in the Box, maybe someone was his college roommate? (I could go for a couple tacos right now) Jack Frost? Jack Black? Jack Nicholson? Jackie Chan? The Jack that no one knows....from "You don't know Jack"? As it turns out, our guitar player Roc does know Jack. Last December the band had a "Naming Party". Basically, it was a house party, where everyone put a potential band name in a hat, and then the band later went through the list and picked one. Since this part was at Jack's house, and Roc is Jack's roommate, well, I think you can figure out the rest.
Because Jack's Roommate was an existing band, the initial playlist was already in order, so of course I have some catching up to do. The list contains mostly Classic Rock, including artists such as Jimi, Tom, Lenny, Eric, the other Jimmy, Bob, Stevie, Joel, and others. We will be adding more songs, and more artists, as well as some of our own takes on fan favorites. (Everybody loves a re-make)
Unlike the last band I was in, I'm getting in with this group on the ground floor. Lisa has been in this industry so long that she is pretty much the musical director of the group. She likes the fact that we all play different instruments and we will be using that. I'll get our from behind the drums, starting next week, I'll have a mic (scary, I know) btw, only 9 Months and 28 days till The Hobbit.
The pictures I've put up are taken in our rehearsal space is known as "Studio 10". This is Lisa's private studio. Only a handful of people are aware it even exists. I'm blessed to be one of them as it has everything a band needs, lots of space and a fridge.
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So it's been about 6 months since I last "ROCKED" as the drummer of Retreads. For various reasons, including tendinitis, that journey came to an end. I started playing at my church about a month ago, and the hands feel good, so I decided to check out Craig's List again to see what was out there.
After a few e-mails back and forth, an audition was arranged. The following songs were requested to be played
So I wasn't familiar with all these songs, but thanks to YouTube, I became familiar enough to duplicate the songs. A few things to note at this point, I haven't done "serious" practicing in a while so I was a bit nervous going in, but I convinced myself to just do the best I could and be myself. Long story short, I'm in the band!
I believe the group will be called "Jack's Roommate", however I'm not %100 sure about that. It is currently a 3 piece cover band, with guitar, bass, drums, and possibly adding keyboards in the future. Our front-man is actually a woman who has played with various bands over the last 25+ years, plays multiple instruments...toured Europe, etc, etc. The kicker is that they (she) have their own studio. Since she is a "professional" musician, meaning she makes her living from playing music, she has her own place. All the gear is setup and ready to go...I won't have to lug my drums around
Since they have only been together about 2 months, I'm getting in close to the ground floor. I'm excited and looking forward to what the future holds. When I know more, you'll now more.
-Brian
(btw, only 10 months, 7 days till "The HOBBIT". (one has to keep track of these things))
So it's the new year..and January is already over. Only 10 months and 12 days left before Part 1 of "The Hobbit" comes out on the big screen. 10 months and 12 days....that's about 317 days, or 27,388,800 seconds...give or take a few hours. What are we supposed to do with ourselves? I suppose we can watch the trailer, over, and over, and over again. If you haven't seen it yet...behold your eyes, and be sure to turn up the bass on your speakers....those Dwarves can carry a tune...
So while we wait for that, I guess I'll go audition for another band. My hands feel good and I've been playing drums at church the past few weeks with no problems, so let's see what happens, shall we? And yes, I'll be writing more...must write more...after all, I have 10 months and 12 days before....we'll you get the idea...
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