Few Things I learned this week

I learned three important lessons this week:

1. If you are spending 5 hours watching a variety of bands and 100 feet to your right is the bathroom, 100 feet to your left is the beer garden and 10 feet behind you is the local medical center tent with free sun screen, it might be a good idea to visit the tent at least once. Especially if your legs have not seen the light of day in a long time.
2. If you are spending the day riding roller coasters it is NOT a good idea to put in a big dip of chewing tobacco just prior to getting on one that does numerous loops and corkscrews.
3. If you are in the basement playing your $2,000 Les Paul keep your eyes open and stay clear of the roller coaster your son has built on the table down there.

New Addition to the Family

Wow two posts on the same day, must not be much going on...





Stock Options Good


Guitars Even Better


Using Stock Options to Buy Guitar Fantastic





Added a new Acoustic Guitar to go along with the stable of:

1. 1984 Kramer Focus 3000


2. 2002 Ibanez GIO


3. 2000 Ibanez Acoustic


4. 2005 Gibson Faded V


5. 2006 Gibson Explorer


6. 2007 Gibson Les Paul Classic


7. 2007 Gibson Les Paul Classic


8. (New) 2008 Guild Acoustic
9. 2007 Yamaha Triumph Autographed Guitar

The Life of the Band

Just over a year ago "Still Breathing" was born from Old Men on the Music Gallery student listing, with me being the "baby" at 40. Since then the band has gone through a few changes (names have been left out to protect the guilty):

Singer Lead Gtr Rthm Gtr Bass Drums

Line Up 1 JK DH CP DS JM
Played one gig at a bar and the bass player left, he was too good a guitarist to stick at bass.

Line Up 2 JK DH CP DZ JM
DZ Joins on Bass. Every song we suggested learning he knew.

Line Up 3 JM DH -- JMS DZ
JM fires JK and decides he should be the singer. CP quits because of the firing of JK, who was a pretty good singer. JM's son joins on Bass. DZ switches to Drums, he is also a great drummer.

Line Up 4 JM/MM DH JMS2 JMS DZ
JM's wife joins on vocals. JM's other son joins on guitar. Fantastic Guitar player for an 18 year old kid but makes it clear he has no interest in sticking long.

Line Up 5 JM/MM/MZ DH JMS2 JMS DZ
DZ's wife joins on Vocals. Now we have three singers

Line Up 6 JM/MM/MZ DH --- --- DZ
JM's kids leave the band for various reasons....

Line Up 7 JM/MM/MZ DH DZ --- JC
DZ switches to Guitar as JC comes in as new Drummer. DZ is a Great Guitar player, JC is a Great Drummer...

Line Up 8 JM/MM/MZ DH DZ RK JC
RK comes in on Bass. Played in a previous band wth DZ, MZ, JC. Long time guitar player who switched to bass.

This line up sticks for several months. Progress is made by the musical part of the band, but RK and JC are dissatisfied with the singers. DZ is frustrated that the singers don't practice. DH thinks things are sounding OK, and when commenting to RK that things sound pretty good, RK responds with "Are you serious? Are you f'ing listening". Alrighty then.

Practice Practice Practice. Fights break out between the singers, JC is thinking of quiting, singers aren't getting better (although at least 2 of the three think they are fantastic).

Singers are all fired or quit depending on who you talk to.

Since we practiced at MZ & DZ's house and she is no longer with the band several weeks go by with no place to practice. Then DZ doesn't seem to be able to practice.

Search for new band members and a place to play starts. Crap hole rehearsal room is rented which is conveniently located behind a massage parlor and Tattoo shop and in front of some "private" mafia like club. Seems like a perfect place.

Line Up 9 JI DH RP RK JC

JI used to sing in a band with DZ, RK and JC. RP is a friend of JI and RK. So that is where the band currently stands, but changes are coming as we search for another guitar player at which point RP will shift around from Guitar, Bass and Keys as needed.

Hopefully this will work. Band name of Still Breathing is dropped and search for new band name is ongoing.

Current Options on the Table:

1. The Big Mierta ( I like this one so does RK but other band members not so)
2. Dead Center (this one seems to be most promising, because everybody sort of likes it and nobody is offended by it)
3. The Fellows of the Follower (Probably won't make it since most of the band isn't smart enough to understand it - hell we are a cover band)
4. Asperity (Got this one from the Word of the Day email. Describes us pretty well)
5. 667 The Neighbor of the Beast (I think this one is pretty Damn Funny, but other band members think the name should be a little more serious)
6. Hog Back Growler (apparently a German beer, not my idea and makes me think Broke Back Growler - not happening)
7. The Dead Mary's (two of the previous singers were named Mary - sort of mean)
8. Cheers for Beers (play off of Tears for Fears, but how does this make the list if 667 isn't serious enough, I ain't voting for it)
9. Rooster and the Speckled Hen (this one has possibilities due to it being a bit of an inside joke with the band - part of it has to do with two members having raging chewing tobacco addictions with the favorite brand being Rooster [DH and RK]. This one wasn't my idea but I'm warming to it.)

Then of course the 1,000's of suggestions that related to sexual acts, male anatomy etc. that although funny probably aren't appropriate.

If anybody out there has comments or suggestions anything is welcome...echo echo echo echo

Fishing

Well the season was going great until work go in the way AGAIN. Started the season up on Twin Valley Lake where me and my buddy put 8 in the boat over a day and 1/2. My biggest being a 41" and my buddies being a 43". What was great is we were catching Musky everywhere....and nobody else was. We were fishing ultra shallow, most just pounding the bank in a couple of feet of water.

Then went up to Hayward Wisconsin for a week with my boys and dad. First day me and the boys caught 6. The older boy got his first and second Musky. A 43 incher and a 40 incher. My younger boy got his first a 35 incher. I got a 40", 36.5, 36", 34" and a scrappy 25". We also caught a ton of crappy and northern. A typical day would be me hitting the water about 5 am, I would come back to the resort around 9 or 10 and see if anybody was up. Grab whoever wanted to go fishing. Fish until lunch then run into town for some go karting and just screwing around. Back on the water until dinner and then after dinner until dark. We had a great time. Obviously the best part was netting each of my boys first Musky. Not sure who was more nervous me or them.

The old man didn't catch any Musky which is typical, but he doesn't really fish that much. Gonna give him another shot on Monday on the Fox Chain.