Buenos Dias! Como Estas? Beuno? Muy Bien. Yo? No muy bien. Mi cabesa es malo.
Translation: Good day. How are you? Good? That's good. Me? Not very good. My head hurts.

Why does my head hurt, you ask? Okay, you didn't ask, so shut the fuck up and I'm going to tell you anyways. Why does the world always have to revolve around you? Sheesh! Fuckin' introvert. Anyways, my head hurts 'cause I had leaves in my yard. LOTS of them. So, on Sunday, from 10am till 6:30pm, I was out there blowing and mulching leaves. Wee! So of course, I have to wake up today with a headache, and it never went away. And it still hasn't gone away either. The light in the den is making my head throb, but I need to get my bills paid and that requires me to be online. I took a half day off work which I really didn't want to do, but oh well (oh hell). I slept from noon till 4pm. Then I woke up, finished mulching the rest of the leaves and mowed the lawn for what I hope is the last time. I figure that once it's November, the lawnmower is left to hibernate until around April when things start coming back to life.

Saturday was the 'All-Day Devilcake Party'. Ok, not really. The doors opened up at 8am (for fear of MCBD leaving a pile o dung on my porch). I laid there an listened to Anthrax and Leatherwolf till Todd arrived at around 9am. I think Gourley showed up next, then Ian, then Mike Chuck Bill Douglas around 10:30ish if I recall correct. We then piled into the cars to head off to Media Play. MCBD had broken a string at the last practice and if I was going to play his guitar, it was going to need a new B string (I think that's the one that broke.) I bought a Nuclear Assault cassette for 99 cents and the CD remaster of King Diamond's "Them". I don't know why I love that album so much. I think because it was more extreme than anything I was listening to at the time and it was a concept album to boot. KD and Merciful Fate rule (though I only own one album, that being "Them". I had a copy of KD's Conspiracy, but I haven't listened to that in a long time. Maybe later.

Back to the 'All-Day Devilcake Party'... it was at Media Play that I learned both Mikes had to leave at 2pm. Wha??? Yeah, that's what I said. We needed to record Gourley's solo album and I knew it was almost noon. DOH! So we left there, got back to my place and went straight downstairs and did our thing. It was amusing to say the least, me playing guitar and all. The first song was done in three takes, which meant my arm was already half gone. I bitched. I'm a big whiner sometimes. I like bar chords, but I can't play them for long periods of time. My arm cramps up and it feels like I have shin-splints in my forearm after a while. Well, we got two more songs recorded. I am sure that the last one had to suck badly. I barely could hear myself so I am sure that it stunk pretty bad. But it's punk. It all stunk. Don't read to much into it. I love punk. But punk was never about being musically adept, not that some punkers aren't good musicians, I'm just saying that it wasn't a pre-requisite. There's a big difference between of musicianship between The Sex Pistols and King Crimson.

Speaking of King Crimson, DC is going to be in the third row. Where the hell are you? BTW, as I am writing this blog, I am listening to the gargantuan MP3 King Crimson CD that Ian put together to prime us all. I have 3 albums, but they are not in heavy rotation, so I need to get boned up on all the shit that I might get to hear... get the ears ready for sudden time changes and shit like that.

So after the Mikes left, all that was left was me, Ian and Todd. I can't remember what the hell we did after that. At some point we all were hungry since we skipped lunch to record Gourley's album, so we headed off to eat. But first we went to a place called Giant Book Sale. That's the name of the place. It's on Sawmill and 161 where HomePlace used to be. After we went there, then we went to Chipotle... pronounced Chee-pote-lay, not Chi-pot-l, dumbass. Next time don't say it like an American you schmuck. So I got this fuckin mondo burrito for like 5.25. Fuckin awesome. This is a good replacement for the LaBamba's on campus. Now, when I get that hankerin' for a fuckin' huge burrito, I don't have to fret... it's just a five minute drive away. It sounds really fucking good right now since my dinner was for shit, but it's 10pm and they are closed and if I ate it now, I would gain 10 pounds overnight and that would not be good. But to reiterate, the burritos at Chipotle's fuckin rule.

The we went back to my house and ate and watched this British DVD that Ian brought back from England on a TV series called Alan Partridge or something like that. I am not one for most British humor, but this was okay. The cute little cleaning-girl/ receptionist chick was cute enough to get me through the 3 episode we watch. Then Ian an Todd left and the rest of the day was a blur.

Well, I've babbled long enough to make my own self go brain dead (the headache is almost gone) and so I shall stop torturing you. Till next time...

Yo! Sorry it's been so long. I just get caught up in work and shit and I just don't get to my blogger every day. I've been reading "The Real Frank Zappa Book". Mike Chuck Bill Douglas let me borrow it. I have to say, it ain't too bad. While reading it, I've been listening to my collection of 78s. A weird combination, I know, but let's face it, I'm killing two birds with one stone and it works for me. I'm too the part where he's all music philosophy and how he thinks classical music and modern music is all crap because it never invents anything new (or that's at least how I read it). Now the funny thing to me is, that through out the book, he talks about how he takes the stupid elements of rock and puts them into his music. I guess he's doing it for the humor of it all, inside joke kinda thing. Well, that's Frank for ya. Quite frankly, I wish he'd get back to his life story... it's more interesting than hearing him bitch about shit when he's dead. Tell me about your life Fucker! I wanna hear how screwed up you really are from playing with those big globs of mercury that your Dad brought home for you.

So, we had practice tonight, and for the first time in a long while... we all were there. Todd is finally moved into his house, so he can now devote a little more time. Wee! And I have to admit, I think it was one of the better practices that we've had in quite a long while. We went through mostly new stuff. In fact I think it was all new stuff. Blody Red Steak? Check. Frankenstein's French Fries? Check. Shit Down Your Neck? Check. Flesh Feast? Check. I think that might be all we practiced. But damn, it was fun. I don't think I've had that much fun in a while. I've been stuck in a practice rut for a little while. We'd practice the same song 3 times and then we'd quit. "Well, we're done here." and that would be it. Today, before Gourley got to the house, Todd, Ian, MCB and all hung out and laughed at the magazines that Ian brought back and talked about getting together on Saturday for an all day kinda thing, putting together ideas for Gourley's solo album (oops... cat's out of the bag now!) Then we practiced and after we went through all the shite I talked about above, we all hung out a little and talked and shit. And it was cool.

After they left, I started watching Junkyard Wars. About 9:45pm, right when they were about to compete against each other... the power goes out. I had the TV up loud enough that I didn't hear what was going on outside. And there it was... the howling of the train. I've been through a couple of rough storms in my house, but this is the first time I was genuinely concerned. With the lights out, I fetched my little safety flashlight that blinks when the power goes out and headed for the basement. I've never heard a tornado, and I hope I never have to, but this sounded like one and I'd be damned if I was going to wait upstairs and be sucked out the front window. I went down stairs and checked the sump pump. Shit. Fuller than hell. I was at the point where it should have gone off, but needed just a little more water. Great. What the hell do I do if it floods? What the hell happens if a tornado does hit? Do I have enough pictures of the shit I own to claim it to the insurance company? What about all the shit I have from everyone else? Ian's Marshall amp? Todd's P.A. system? My drums? Then the lights came on. I first set off the sump pump. Bye bye water. I then ran upstairs, go the camera and took pitcures of all the shit I own. The computer, the CDs, the records, the appliances, all the shit in the practice room, the washer and dryer. The storm had calmed down considerably.

So, feeling good about practice, I plunked in the Devilcake BBQ night tape. This is the kinda thing that, if the band does become famous, you'll see this shit on Before The Were Stars on VH1. It's us just goofing off. We took the camera into the grocery store when we bought all the shit, we filmed ourselves cooking and planning for the DC movie (that has yet to occur). We filmed ourselves eating and goofing off, watching some hilarious Iron Maiden video. And then, the acoustic set... candles and all. It was the most fun all. And it was cool. We all were having a good time... such a good time that after we finished the 'set', we plugged in the camcorder and watched ourselves. Yeah, it's weird, but it was cool. All the guys, just hanging out and making fun of each other and shit.

Well, I have (another) long day waiting for me tomorrow, so I'll leave it on that note. The guys in Devilcake are cooler than shit and they're my buds. And that's all I have to say about that.

G'night! Peace!

:D

Well, well, well... three holes in the ground.

Nothing new today really. I just don't feel like sleeping right now.

Looking to refinance the house. When it comes to finances, I really don't know what the fuck I'm doing. I am all about instant gratification. If I want a car, I want a car NOW. And I want THAT car. Not something similar and maybe a little more practical, I want THAT car. If I want a house, I want a house NOW. I did shop for a little while for the house, and I was proud of that, but that's cause I really didn't know what was out there. But once I found the house I am living in, I wanted it NOW. Rates? Fuck'em. Just give me the bills and the paper that says I will be broke for the next 30 years. So I'm refinancing to try to do something about it. But here's the funny thing. I decided that it was a good time to get into a fixed rate load... but guess what... I want it NOW. No shopping. I found a person, he had a rate cheaper than what I am paying now, assures me that it's a fixed rate, that it's all in the bag and it's done. But do I owe more money to buy down points??? Will I encure fees for getting out of an FHA load early??? Will there be a floating period where I might be able to lock in at a lower percentage later??? How much will my new mortgage be for??? I have no idea what I am doing. But I want it NOW.

One day, I saw Liz Phair on Sessions @ West 54th (or something like that). And I heard a song of hers. But of course, I didn't catch the name of it. But I wanted it NOW. So I bought all of the albums that they had at Media Play... and guess what... it wasn't on ANY of them. So I went to CD Warehouse and found the only other one that I didn't get at Media Play, 'Exile In Guysville'. And it was on that. So now, I have all of Liz Phair's albums... and I still don't know if I totally like her music or not. There's a few that I can absolutely say I like... Chopsticks , 6'1'' (the song I was looking for) , and What Makes You Happy. Strange.

Oh well. I really need to get to bed. Getting into work late drives me nuts, cause heaven forbid I make myself work later than 5pm on a Friday (or any weekday for that matter).

Catch ya on the flip side. Go Bucks!

The thing I hate about being a musician is that you either have to be 1) fucking depressed, 2) on crack or other upper or downer narcotic or 3) both. Why can I only be creative when things in general suck? Work is slow. I haven't played with the band for two weeks. The leaves are falling and I have a big backyeard with a ton of big trees. I'm a lonely man. The rest of the world is out to get the country I live in. My 401k has earned -30% so far this year. The living room needs cleaned and painted.

So of course with all this shee-ot bearing down on the middle toe of my left foot, I had to write a new Devilcake song. It has a Halloween tinge to it which honestly was by coincidence. And I like it alot. And Todd likes it. And Ian likes it. And hopefully the Mikes like it. And hopefully if we get a gig before the end of the year, you too can hear it.

Other than that, I'm just glad that Ian-dude is back in town and that Todd is finally moved into his house. I miss the Mikes too. We're having practice tomorrow. Hopefully all of us haven't forgotten the songs we've spent the past 8 months learning, or even worse, have forgotten how to play our instruments. Aw shit!

Well, tis late and I have to go to that hell-hole that funds my nasty habit of musicology.

Later 'Gator!

Yo ho ho folks. Yep, I'm still alive. And now, a year older. Well lah-dy freakin' dah!

I don't understand why birthdays are such a big deal. Now here's the funny thing. I get all bent when someone doesn't remember mine. I don't know why. It's weird. I think in the back of my head 'Holy Shit! It's so easy to remember mine! 10-10. Fuckin' simple.' And then after spewing that fact from my mouth, I come to the realization that the friend I am talking to, I have no idea when their birthday is. None. Sometimes I get the right month, but not too often. Man, I hate being a dumbass like that. It took me YEARS to finally get my Mom's and my sister's birthdays right. They're both in the same month which almost makes it harder. My Dad's is easy, same month as mine. And one of my friends has his birthday a few days after mine, so I remember that one too. And the one person who has theirs on Groundhog Day. And my one friend in April. But the majority of the friends I see like 2 or 3 times a week??? Not a friggin' clue. It's totally bizarre. I don't understand it. I've been getting a little bit better, but still. Damn. It's one date that you have to associate with a friend and I can't seem to get it right so save my life. But I guess I suck like that sometimes. So be it.

Oh yeah, in case you're wondering, the bathroom is finished. Yeah. For the most part, it was done well. They didn't clean up after themselves, but you get what you pay for. I need to fix the vanity cause either 1) they dropped it or 2) it was broken and they installed it anyways. I don't know which it is cause I wasn't smart enough to look at it before they installed it. My fault. I think I have a way to fix it though, so, we'll see.

And why the hell do I get choked up over a stupid ass show like Dawson's Creek. I dunno. At first I connected with the dorkiness of Dawson. I was a big dork in high school myself and took every glance from a female WAY too seriously. I thought if she looked at me, she liked me and if she didn't, she hated me. Hmm... insecure.... well, maybe a little. But now they are in college. This is likely the last year. The plots last year were laughable, but it was almost guaranteed that I would get choked up at least once an episode. What the hell is my problem??? Quite frankly, I think I got some deeply buried shit... and I wish it would just stay there. Maybe if I try to clear my mind it would all go away. Courtney, I'm sorry. I was wrong. ... There. I said it. Lord knows we haven't talked in almost 10 years. And it's not cause I haven't seen her either. I'm not even sure if she even acknowledges my existence. And honestly, I don't blame her. I really don't. So Courtney, if you're reading this by the grace of some higher being... "I'm sorry."

=======================

In other news... well, you're going to be disappointed, but there is no other news. I have to leave it all on a sad, pathetic note. But guess what Charlie, life isn't always roses. You live which what you're dealt and how you play that hand. Some of it's good and some of it's bad and you have to learn to live with them both. Something that I am amazingly getting better at.


Take care of yourself! PEACE!!!

I'm not sure why I'm writing in my blogger right now. I have a pile of bills sitting next to me, all overdue, and then some. I need to renew my drivers license and tags. The bathroom is still not finished but coming very close. I am supposed to be project engineer for the project that has been sitting stagnant since May. I think the lawn needs mowed. Another summer has gone by and I still haven't stained the deck. Thw world is coming apart at the seams. I'm out of groceries. The laundry is still downstairs waiting to be folded.

And yet, I am writing in my blog instead. There's something very wrong here. So I will leave with a few small comments:

1) I got a splinter in my hand when moving a dresser into Todd's new place and it hurts like hell. I took a needle to it, but that didn't help.

2) Xanadu was a great movie. Olivia Newton-John in a tiger-print outfit is 'totally hot' (pun completely intended)

3) I have a cold and I am pissed off.

4) I still haven't figured out what exactly I need before going on my cruise.

5) What the hell am I doing going on a cruise.

6) I think I might be out of stamps.

7) I missed my friend's sister's wedding. The invite was misplaced for an entire month. I found it tonight when going through all the bills (that I haven't paid).

8) The new Ben Folds album is very good and I like it alot.

9) My one friend has YET to bring in the two DVDs I've asked for: The Gift and Body Shots. I have a thing for Katie Holmes and Tara Reid. Or something like that.

and finally...

10) There is no such thing as 'too many CDs' or 'too many albums'.

I guess I'll pay bills now considering it's past midnight.

yodel yodel yodel