Can I Touch You To See If You're Real Cause In Nothing There Is Something I Feel Will My Heart Take The Strain Or Will It Break Down Again In Your Lips I Sense A Danger You've Got The Days Of A Stranger Have I Been Sleeping For All These Years Is It Magic That Makes You Appear When You Walked In The Room I Felt My Heart Race But Knew I'd Been Fooled When I Looked At Your Face In Your Lips I Sense Danger You've Got The Eyes Of A Stranger
Payolas
No Stranger To Danger 1982
ST PATTIES:
This adventurous post begins with the first Friday Night Bike Night of 2025. And from there , put a little hurtin' on the old liver.
Practically a hundred riders arrived and an exiguous amount took to the bike lights concept , the theme , or overall Friday Night Bike Night Shenanigans. The Blue Z , The Dude and Myself supported the St Paddies Day Theme and danm did the smiles from cheek to cheek shine. As we all gathered around , leaders bestowed their speeches upon us all , safety rules were briefly mentioned , and gifts were given to the best dressed in show. So we scored a totally righteous rear red USB rechargeable bike light that were donated by our local bike shop. That is correct , the three of us each scored a band new bike light for Best In Show. And Rechargeable Even
Obviously the next morning might have been a little rough and I was knees deep with my next house/dog/chicken sitting gig. I packed up a number of necessities , toiletries , and my pillow of course and over the duration of the next few days , I Fell In LOVE.
I am completely over the moon with these baby chicks. They are so dang cute and filled the room with little baby chicken sounds all afternoon. They bounce around without any direction in mind. Just like puppies , these dinosaurs only stay cute for a short window of time. And our few days shared were special. Delightfully Special
Sunday afternoon was a gorgeous western slope kind of day and I met up with The Dude for a quick round of disc golf which might have precluded out loud thinking to solidify our travel plans , meals , and other vacation randomness. And for some reason , maybe it was the baby chickens , maybe it was the sleeping owl in the owl box , maybe it was the overall excitement of life , I played incredibly well that delightful afternoon. Maybe Yes Maybe No
WEDNESDAY
The morning went well and work was just ok. Nothing flashy , just work. That golden afternoon , The Dude and I packed the car with coolers full of future meals , snacks for the road , veggies , yogurt , and maybe a few cans with plenty of outfits as well. As the auto fired up with life , I still crack up , the odometer reads 99009. Yup , a full house !!
This 7 hour drive was most uneventful , thankfully. We know the route to Vegas very well as we have covered this stretch almost every year and have for more than 25 times now. But this nonidentical trip would be tackled at night. No Construction Zones
Good news was navigating the minimal mundane traffic while scanning the world wide webbie for crucial tournament stats. And boy are they out there!! Good news was not observing desert floor after desert valley after more Utah desert landscape for miles and miles ahead under daylight conditions. What blew my mind was how many homes are lighting up St George Utah , Cedar City Utah , and Vegas that left me speechless. During our usual daytime trips , red stucco homes melt away into the landscape. But not at night. Sin City is Phuc'n repulsive from the highway!! We parked on the driveway ( here is last years post if you're interested in the details of the home , cat , disc , and late night escapades ) of our gorgeous accommodations , unloaded our gear , unpacked our coolers , and socialized with our host. My only complaint for the day was that I experienced horrible dreams all night that first night. Frustrating dreams , tossing and turning until the next wacky dream woke me up , and one completely dead left arm because I slept on it funny. So Bizarre
THURSDAY
My floating kidneys brought me from my room with a fully tingling left arm and my bladder was full with processed H20 from the night before. A fresh pot of coffee was in brew mode , minty fresh Tom's toothpaste across the pearly whites , and back to my notes for placing bets I went. Lucky for us , this beautiful home is located on the fairway of hole #6 inside a gated community. My cups of Joe never tasted better while witnessing the sunrise and early golfers were driving balls towards me. Thankfully No Slice
I prepared a standard plant based yogurt with fresh cut up fruits and homemade granola for us and by 9am we were at the Sam's Town sports book for placing our bets. No lines , no waiting , no mess , just easy walk ups for placing bets. Sam's Town flipping rocks.
We then drove for about 20 minutes West of the strip to meet up with Uncle Grubby. For those of you that are new here , allow me to enlighten you here , Uncle Grubby graduated high school with The Dude back in 1984 and he currently resides in Vegas.
So the three of us met up here at the Mountain Crest Park Disc Golf Course. What I began to notice was that every single tree was a memorial. Some of these shrines were elaborate and others offered simple plaques with a deceased name and dates. Like Every Tree
And because the trees have yet to burst with springtime color in full shade trees , a verity of lines appeared for each hole from the appropriate tee-pad. Definitely not the case during Summer months. So for some reason , who knows why , I played so well. I ended the 18 hole round with 4 birdies and no ugly bogies. All because of my longer well placed drives with approachable birdie options. Thanx Vegas
Again , my only complaint was that I spaced grabbing my GARMIN before heading out. I was concerned with my picks , my bets , my water bottle , my glasses , my hat , my disc , but totally spaced on the technology aspect. For me , I enjoy tracking new courses and I dig checking the elevation gain/loses on STRAVA. So that was a big Phuc up in my eyes. Oh Well
Good news is that I nailed my bets for the day. I am not a "big" bet kind of guy as I am more of a bragging rights type of bettor. I spent one Benjamin Franklin spread over 10 separate bets. I went 7-3 on the day and that included my ONE for sure bet of a $20 spot with a Michigan cover over UCSD. Nice little one forty two payout because 42 is always the answer. Yes , I dropped $100 to receive $142.70. Those first 6 payouts were $10 bets and the $28 payout was on my $20 bet. Four of these bets were placed on the OVER/UNDER as I predicted the over. That means that the combined score of two teams equals a number that Vegas posted and do you believe it will be less than or greater??? Two of those winning bets were placed on the favorite team to NOT cover the point spread at the half. Allow me to describe the feeling as the "bookie" peals off a C-note , two twenties , two Washington's , and 70 cents in coins. For me , it doesn't matter if it was a thousand dollars or two dollars , I felt indestructible. My pulse was racing , I know that I wasn't breathing while he was counting out the money , and my smile was ironed onto my face. It was all that I could muster up to hold my phone steady for the picture below. Day #1 And I Am On Top Of The World Baby
FRIDAY
Don't know why but woke up way A$$ early and flopped around until my bladder said ," HELLOOOooo" Didn't have any funky dreams as I was exhausted from the three previous dog/chicken sleeplessness , driving all day Wednesday, zero sleep the night before , walking the course , collecting the emotional wins , and a belly full of goodness.
During our first full day , the cat was pleased to have humans around during the day. This cat's owner works Mon-Fri in the surgical department so this cat sleeps a good 19 hours a day on normal days. So the cat was happy with the attention that first day but by day number two , the cat was totally annoyed by me. This cat would be happier in a tiny cardboard box by this point.
After another standard deliciously healthy breakfast with coffee out back , off to place another $100 dollars worth of bets for the day. Basically the same format with 10 $10 bets. But my Phuc-n ego got the best of me. Instead of going with what worked , I decided that I was such a rock star that I would totally bet opposite of what works. When you win , you believe you know all.
After placing bets , the freeway we drove once again. What became crystal clear is that there are some wicked accidents on these freeways. There were numerous tire skids that calculate well over 120mph / 193kph as control was lost and those skid marks traveled across multiple lanes and up onto the center wall dividers. Or skids that create three and four complete 360's before impacting with something along the way. You know , big city driving at its finest. Yahooo0000000
We met Uncle Grubby once again and his buddy Mike for another 18 holes. We have played this particular course a total of three different times now and The Dude & I really enjoy its feel. This course follows a drainage behind million dollar homes with a beautiful walking path as well. This course is a must during Summer months because of the humidity from the grass and all the mature shade trees. It also happens to be a dog walkers dream route. Moms with baby strollers , joggers , and normal random walks of life out for a lackadaisical scenic tour.
The guy teeing off in this photo above is a cameraman for The Vegas Knights professional hockey team. During our brief encounter , he was a super cool chap. Him and his boss caught our group of four , we played one hole together , I birdie that hole , everyone threw par , and on ahead they walked. My tee shots were just ok to average but my putts were remarkable. Almost all of my tee shots hit the nearest tree.
Now , did I mention shade trees? Trees , like trees , excellent course but damn you trees. I walked away with about 7 birdie chances but only claimed one out of that entire round of 18 baskets. A number of par putts hit the basket , top of the basket, or the base of the pole for a terrible bogie. I managed to finish 3 over par but owned the three boys on the day. Not in a chump dickheaded way , just out played the boys on the round. And if I fashioned all of those birdie attempts , could have finished with an 8 under par or maybe half the course under par. So , did I mention trees?
Actually , the trees made the day bearable as the temperatures hovered around 80F / 26c but that sun felt searing to my winterized soft A$$. And everything was so colorful and beautiful and those aromas swiftly moved through the park like grandmas fresh hot apple pies cooling in the window frame. The landscaping around this course is spectacular and this is why we always play this course here in Vegas. Plus , it is so peaceful and so far removed from the hustle and bustle of the strip.
After parting ways with our friends , short drive , The Dude & I landed in Korea Town for some supplies that we just don't have here in Junktown Colorado. This market flipping rocks and leaves hidden surprises around every corner. And of course we were serenaded by overhead speakers with foreign musical riffs thumping who knows what. Music Just The Same
The two surprises that I didn't remember from previously shopping experiences here was that GMO's have infiltrated the ingredients nowadays. SUCKS. The other that bummed me out was all the pork infused items. Take simple pot stickers. There were about a dozen verities of pot stickers but only ONE package was pork free. It was The Dudes turn to cook dinner that night and we struggled to find meals that were meat and GMO free. Never used to be like that in this here market.
The photo above , all dried mushrooms! Below , a beef hoof , oof. So after loading up our basket with goodies , checked out , back in the car we drove to the house. While The Dude was cooking up dinner , filled the whole house with savory delights , I hung out back and watch all the bats hunt during sunset. Hundreds of bats were feasting along fairway #6 and I totally dig bats. The bats were not out last year as it was still too chilly but this year we scored with out timing. Holy Golfing Bats
And now for the bad news. Vegas gave me the biggest swift kick of reality. I went a dismal 3 for 7 for the day. YIKES!! I'll pass on the details but the overs that I did not bet on went over. The seven games that I lost were super close but still a capital L. Talk about bummed!! Talk about the feeling of defeat. Talk about the mind of second guessing and what was I thinking. Talk about What The Flock Of Seagulls
SATURDAY
Saturday morning brought morning route normalcy. My coffee in the backyard was splendid. While The Dude and I were sharing our morning thoughts , I wasn't completely hungover , informed him that I would collect my depressing wins , lick my wounds , and pass on betting for the day. As him and I piled back into the car , the Odometer reads 99595 , yet another Full House. Coincidence
After collecting my measly $38 dollars , walked back to the seat next to The Dude , and waited for him to finish up his strategy, my uncontrollable mind spiraled wildly. While I was sitting there and staring at the ODDS Board in front of me , my mind racing with scenarios , Tennessee could cover the 5 points , Houston could cover the 5 points , and TexA$$ Tech could easily cover the 7.5 point spread over UCLA. So what did I do?? I decided to walk up and play with house money. You see , I spent that $100 the day before to collect $38 , I placed that same $38 dollars on a three game parlay , and walked out of the casino. In my mind , I already lost the hundred dollars , so why the Phuc not. House $$$$$ My Friends
We then drove the rowdy 50 lane highway to meet up with Uncle Grubby and throw some plastic at course #3 in three days. This also happens to be a rather long course and I was well aware that my arm wouldn't last all 18 holes. So I pulled the veteran move and eased way back on my tee-off drives. This blueprint was aces!!! I threw pars on the first 5 holes and then birdied holes #6 and #7. The whole course was butter in my hot skillet before pancakes. The back nine dotted numerous trees throughout the park and I went into creative mode. Example: Hole #12 has a row of trees down the right side just off the tee pad. Grubby and The Dude both threw left of the trees to set up an easy second shot and then a makable putt for par. I on the other hand went to the right of the trees , missed the first tree to the left , between the second and first tree my driver screamed , and that natural flight of a hyzer drive landed my disc within 10 feet of the basket for a birdie attempt. Grubby couldn't believe his eyes as this is his home course. " I have never seen anyone throw that line before." , he tells us. Classic
The photo above is when The Dude found out that his bracket was a bust as St. John lost and he had them winning the whole enchilada. oops. Like A Big OOPS. After successfully throwing our last round of disc golf in Vegas for 2025 , we shot back to the house , showered , ate , loaded up the cooler with brews , and headed over to Fremont Street for a daytime hangout. Fremont totally rocks during the day!! And that would be when I captured this moment above.
We usually hit Fremont during St Paddies Day and the evenings are dicy. That is a polite way for saying seeding as all get out. We would enjoy a cold brew , walk back to the car , crack another cold one , walk into a casino to catch an update on the games , and back onto the street to people watch and all while catching the live bands play cover tunes. Back to the car for another can and our pleasant afternoon continued with that trajectory of happy trails to us.
We casually strolled into the Circa Resort for the first time and that place is amazing. Their sports book is impressive and check out all those screens. The place was packed and so full of life with college basketball fans. It is exactly why we travel down to Vegas for March Madness. Everyone is there for the same common denominator. Beat Vegas
After a few cold craft beers , after the important afternoon games concluded , we headed back to the house for dinner. During our first full day , still rocking the vegan thang , I served up a three bean burrito dish with two secret ingredients of grated jicama and crushed cashews. Obviously with avocado , tomatoes , lettuce , and plant based cheese. Everyone at the house raved how these burritos exceeded all expectations and how QDOBA couldn't compete with these beauties. And tonight , I dialed up one of my better veggie and garbanzo bean coconut curries. This of course was spread over Jasmine Rice and all parties were pleasantly surprised. Loaded with protein and fiber with a mild curry flavor. Oh Baby
After dinner , it was a perfect time for a Saturday Night field trip on the strip. This was an unforgettable night !!
We exploited our host's MGM Premier Card and parked for FREE at the Bellagio and that worked like the cats meow. We booked it straight for our first fountain show of the evening and our timing was everything. First of all , this was the first time that we have witnessed smoke/fog before a show. Dynamite
That fog brought out a whole element and let the games begin. Instead of walking from casino to casino , we camped out and people watched from inside the Bellagio. We bellied up to two ideal chairs with a view of the main walkway between Caesars and The Bellagio. YES
We laughed , the staff loved us , we laughed some more , and we had the time of our lives just hanging out and watching the world in motion. The other surprising revelation was dog walkers inside the casino. Seriously , dog walking is a thing in Vegas. Dog owners figured out that casino blast AC and dogs dig walking. Woman were walking around with oversized fanny packs and those contained tiny little dogs in them. It was so funny to see those dogs heads poking out while the ladies were playing slots right next to us. We Laughed All Night
When we mustard up the energy , back for a fountain show we dawdled. When we were tired of standing , we sat and people watched. When we desired a change of pace , over to the observatory we loitered. When we witnessed something , we laughed some more. Raw Belly Laughter
I offered to snap numerous photos for folks that where in the observatory area. I got a big kick out of it because those phone screens were wild. iPhones are so big now and the detail is amazing. But I captured the moment for couples , families , and anyone that politely asked me to do so. And of course folks asked The Dude & I for a photo as well. Cheese
And while we were ruminating on the strip outside of the Bellagio and patiently waiting for another illuminating water show , that was when a whole new unscripted world slithered our way. We laughed , people laughed at us , and so many people coming and going that you forget what a city of 3.5 million people is like. Like ALL walks of life. Like ALL races of humans. Like languages from afar. Team Human
And speaking of languages , the most classic event of all , I know the The Dude and I are on the WW dot Web for sure. Two hispanic kids walked up to us with a lady filming behind them. The one guys say to me with a fluffy microphone in hand," If you can say ten words in Spanish then I will give you ten dollars." Now I am in no shape to chat , was oblivious to watch they were pulling , and I basically didn't take them to heart. I gave them two made up words. The first word was Archie-ben-knog-o-woggy and they didn't know what to say with their eyes as big as silver dollar coins. The first guy again says ," How about a Spanish word?" So my second word was Hose-r-whop-o-zanniac. The second guy says," That is good that you are trying." So they direct their attention to The Dude for 10 Spanish words for $10 dollars. Each word in Spanish that he gave them they jumped like children skipping rope with joy. His first word was Cervesa and they clamped and gave hoots and hollers. With each correct Spanish word , their excitement grew ten folds. The Dude gave 9 excellent words in Spanish and then froze. The two kids and the lady were like," Come ON!! One More Word!!" I learned in and said," Numero Ocho." The Dude said Ocho and those kids went ballistic!! You would've thought that they won the flipping lottery. They were high five'n us and yelling and just acting like carefree kids. They went on their way down the strip towards The Aria Casino and what a night. A quick glance at The Dude and he is holding a ten dollar bill. They actually paid him the ten dollars for the ten words in Spanish. Well Done
The entire evening was full of entertainment, our guts hurt from laughing all night , and we have at least another twenty stories that played out that night. Just another non typical Saturday Night on the Strip. We Live On
SUNDAY
Sunday morning was spent packing up , loading up the auto , coffee by the pool , breakfast , and showers. We were out the door by about 9am and heading for Sam's Town to cash out.
Remember that $38 dollar bet??? Remember that one bet with house money?? Remember how I wasn't going to place a bet because I was wearing my big boy pissy pants?? My ticket hit for a ridiculous $262.20!! I wish that you all could have been a fly on the wall when that bookie counted off two hundred and sixty-two dollars. This means on this trip , out of pocket , I dropped $200 out of pocket , played with 38 dollars of house money , and departed Vegas with my $42 + $24 equaling one hundred and sixty six crisp dollars in hand. Boom Shakalaka Boom
The drive back was beautiful because I was driving on cloud nine. Nothing was going to stop me from enjoying this entire day. We started off towards a brutal headwind but I camped behind a BMW X5 that was following a red GMC suv car thing. While we rolled to St George as a trio , The Dude and I analyzed everything from upcoming events to work schedules to dynamics of family life to this Summers travel ideas. The miles effortlessly pealed back through the rearview mirror and our car was filled with chatter. One of the better 7 hour drives for sure.
The return trip was all for this guy. Yup, returned from Vegas for another week long dog/house sitting gig. Yup , another week in a foreign bed. Yup , another week of packed up clothes. Yup , another week of making another animal miserable. Classic
And to end this trip like we started the trip , FRIDAY NIGHT BIKE NIGHT BABY!!!! The Blue Z , The Dude And Myself were back in action. Friday Night Bike Night is that carrot dangling out there at the end of the work week. So Worthy
I now leave you with a time lapse from the backyard overlooking the 6th fairway in Vegas. This is were I sipped my cup of Joe every morning. Peaceful Easy Feeling. During this time lapse , The Dude was making his morning calls , I am enjoying my coffee , and golfers are hacking away. All in a days work my friends. And would you all do my a huge favor , please drop a comment on this video and let me know where to hail from. That would be most appreciated. Seriously , Much Appreciated
Until The Next Installment , Dream It , Achieve It , And Enjoy Another Fabulous April
Sometimes It Is Hard To Be A Woman Giving All Your Love To Just One Man You'll Have Bad Times And He'll Have Good Times Doing Things That You Don't Understand But If You Love Him You'll Forgive Him Even Though He Is Hard To Understand And If You Love Him Oh Be Proud Of Him Because After All He's Just A Man Stand By Your Man Give Him Two Arms To Cling To And Something Warm To Come To When Nights Are Cold And Lonely Stand By Your Man
Tammy Wynette
Stand by Your Man 1968
NUMBERS:
Registry from an exciting February. Somewhat
26 hours
255 miles / 410km
1 PR
About the only aspect from these stats that I can be proud of is that I was on a bike everyday but two days in February. Thats right , a 28 day month and I rode some sort of a bike for 26 of those 28 days. Stylin'
BANDS:
Today , I share with you all that I have observed this Winter. Stereotypes
I auditioned with three separate "bands" over the Winter and I quickly discovered that lead guitar players are alcoholics. Not all but damn. They also carry a brilliant trait of an ability to talk from both sides of their mouth. Meaning , they say one thing but within an hour they protrude a full 180 from what they boasted earlier. And the biggest red flag that seems to be the common denominator is that all these band "leaders" lack the ability to follow through. Weird
A dear friend of mine gave me a promising referral and I was under the impression that I was auditioning with a sober , well mannered group of older gents. Well , they were old alright. These guys are happy to camp out on BUSH Light "beer" and ONLY play 70's rock. Our first meeting , not realizing exactly or grasping the whole picture with this first take , these boys mention all the "venues" they can't play at , raw deals with former bandmates , and other ridiculous high school like stories between every song. Never once did they paint a scene of possibilities. Second session showed promise , silly me. We played an acoustic set and the drummer was fantastic. The idea that this band leader presented was reviving the MTV Unplugged Acoustic Sets and I was totally hooked for sure. See That Butt Below
Our third "practice" went like this. As I drove up , the leader was in the process of crushing an empty Bush Beer can. This means that he is on at least his second before we played a note , opens AND knocks over his full beer , and after gathering himself and his electric guitar and says dreadfully," Let's play Twilight Zone by Golden Earring." I should have departed right then and there as a warm up song with 16th notes is beyond lame. Of course , while we are playing , he stops and says to me ," You are not playing it like the record. We are a cover band and we need to sound like the record." He was obviously pissed and I am pretty sure that he was upset with me before I even arrived. Who Knows. The three of us agree to play the song LOW by Cracker and after that song he says to me ," You haven't ever listened to Twilight Zone have you?" We just played LOW but he is clearly festering on the previous song or who Phuc N knows. He tells us that he is NOT interested in learning songs and these practices are only for tightening up. As he rambles on , I turned off the amp , unplugged my cord , and walked over to my gig bag. " I am not trying to be a dick but you should learn like 5 or 6 of these songs and come back and play with us." he says with that goofy tipsy swagger. I pleasantly looked past him and made eye contact with the drummer. " Wasn't my intention to waste your time today." and then stared right at the lead guitar player. Gathered my belongings and walked on out. Chump
BIG SWIG:
This was a two year project that I haven't filled you in on in awhile. I never really felt compelled to share any of this but I have been questioned a lot. It used to be a bummer explaining it months ago when someone would ask me when we are playing again. My hope is that this imaginary monkey will lift off my shoulders if I elaborate my story here. If I think it out through black and white typed words. Maybe Yes , Maybe No. Allow me to process my thoughts and keep in mind that I am not and will never be the best musician ever. And for perspective , I know that bands don't need me to succeed. It's just that it used to bother me that Nathan and I don't play anymore. For those of you that are new here and do not know , I was playing Bass as a trio , we no longer speak. Fine With That
Big Swig's inception was just the two of us and Nathan would be the first person that I ever played with. At that time , he was teaching me his originals. Well , he was teaching me all of it as I knew ZERO about song structure or progression or chords for that matter. We were enjoying our time together and playing very simple songs. Then , after about 6 months of that , we brought in a drunken lead guitar player. Early on , we tried to "put up" with the antics. Just as we entered the Summer season with booked gigs , Nathan asks me while we were standing in his driveway ," Do we fire John today or not?" Again , silly me , I explained to Nathan that we are three months booked out so let's make the best of it. All round this time , my tribe noticed the difference with the band's undertone , a big red flag waved after my tribe realized that Nathan and John no showed my birthday party. I knew Nate & John wouldn't attend because they were worried about a DUI and I definitely hadn't counted on them in months for anything. Their lack of sobriety is basically why we never booked gigs in Junction and just camped out in Palisade. That's my guess now that I am reflecting. But when your friends ask you what is up with your bandmates , kinda sucks having to cover for them. When your friends mention what's wrong with John when he bumbles his way through a show , gets old quick. When John asks Nate and I what day were are playing every time we practice , Sh*t gets real old. Repeating myself gets annoying fast. Nathan even hung a dry easer white board calendar with all the upcoming events and John would consistently ask about the next gig and dates and where is it again. Baby Sitting Adults Totally Blows A$$
Throughout last Summer , I never knew what to expect when I walked in for a practice session. John owns all the gear and somedays we had gear and other days we didn't. It wasn't like he would communicate or shoot us a text to bring our own gear. One July show , John was a royal dickhead and Nathan was pissed. Nathan wanted to Sh*t can his A$$ but Nathan was also concerned about all the PA equipment and the booked shows for August and September. Me personally , wish we had dumped John back in June and I shouldn't have talked Nate out of firing him back then. Nathan invited me over for drinks and talked about what to do with John. One thing that stood out to me was that Nathan felt we should keep John and his PA system until the end of September. I told Nathan look ," I made a mistake in my youth that was solely based on money. Don't make this decision because of the Ol Mighty Dollar Bill. Let's just cut John loose and move on. You and I can preform as a duo and maybe find another guitarist down the road." I even mentioned to Nathan how many times John stifled out creativity and how many times have you noticed him missing cues during our gigs. Now , and soon after that meeting , I realize that they are both amateurs and all along I was under the impression that I was the rookie of the group. So Lame
Something shifted shortly after that "band meeting" because those two defaulted into teenage mode after that. They both became unpredictable, they both would say sh*tty things , and they both lacked the ability to practice or play live without getting ripped before , during , and afterwards. They simply sucked the life out of the whole project. We were supposed to play for Nathan's birthday and they were both so hungover that day that they were nothing better that two lethargic middle school clowns. I socialized with the neighbors that came over but none of their "friends" came by. The whole vibe was depressing for sure and compared to Nate's previous birthday the year before , writing was on the wall. My plan was to chat up Nathan and gather a little clarification later that week. Both him and John were dodgy after that "party" for sure. Now I understand their plot as we were a few weeks before our last schedule gig. Oh Well
The final straw for me was Porchella. I was fired up and involved myself with all aspects of this event. Such as , hanging posters , calling the kitchen sink to spread the word , and meeting with the 6 board members regarding logistics , port-a-potties , conforming bands , etc. John made it clear that he wasn't about to lift a finger. I didn't add too much merit into it because that was just him all summer with his jackA$$ attitude. But about two weeks out , John informs us that he booked a Poker Run gig the same day as Porchella. Wrong , and of course he transformed into an immature little bitch and pouted all practice long. So again , John showed no interest in Porchella and lost the ability to track our own calendar of events. After his booking try , in a professional format , I sent the two of them an itinerary for the day of Porchella. Included was a packing up check list for the gig , lunch time , set up time , soundcheck time , tequila shots time , dress shirt change , performance schedule , setlist , breakdown , dinner that I was preparing for us and our "groupies", and the bike route downtown to catch the rest of the festival. John sends a snarky reply email 'that's too much information' as his way of trying to be funny I guess. The night before Porchella , during Bike Night that Nate and John NEVER attended once , he sends me a text at 9:30pm explaining how we need to set up in the driveway because standing on grass and playing sucks. If I presented an idea , totally closed minded. If they half cock a plan , oh , it is the greatest plan ever. Phuc U
So of course John shows up in a t-shirt and maybe he was already drunk. He was in typical form of couldn't care less about anyone but himself. He made childish comments about any and all of it and I thought that Nathan was giving me the 'what a Phuc nut' look. Up until then I just assumed that Nathan and I were on the same page. But that was not the only reason that there was an elegiac theme to the event. When we actually played our set , we rocked the Sh*t out of it. We nailed all the mash up medley of tunes and The Dude lost count at 109 attendees and 11 dogs. In between songs I offer the audience trivia questions and rewarded them with Big Swig t-shirts and stickers. Unfortunately , after the show , John split and Nathan says to me," Well , we fulfilled our obligations." Not good job. Not showing any emotions of excitement. Not even a simple Thank You. Neither one of them were continuing on with the rest of the festival. Never Made Mention To My Floral Arrangements. Couldn't Careless About The Gnomes In Front Of Their Mic Stands. No Nothing. No Gratitude. No Karma. Nothing. Those two blew it and passing on mingling with friends that supported us all summer , friends that printed our Big Swig shirts , and friends who wanted to just chat and share a brew with us. But it was their useless MO over the past few months so I blew it off at the time and the rest of us enjoyed the sh*t out of the festival. On our bikes we rode , shared cocktails with friends , and caught up and visited with a number of folks that we hadn't seen in awhile. Here ( http://dumpingcrackbookblog.blogspot.com/2024/10/porchella-2024.html ) is that drama free post from the weekend. What I wasn't able to ever share with Nate and John is that we made $410.oo in tips!! What I never shared with them was our dear friends offered us $500 to play at their anniversary party in May. What they will never know , how many folks sot me out during the rest of Porchella to show appreciation , accolades , and pats on the back. Most of the Porchella performers were folk singers or singer song writers but NOBODY rocked it like we did. Until the very last band that were the mainliners. They blasted the volume and rocked the cover tunes for sure. After all, they were the "headliners" of Porchella. Way Cool
So Friday after Porchella , Nathan sends me a text that reads ...
I do miss performing with these guys but I certainly don't miss the dynamics with childish personalities. Bands are chemistry based and totally looking forward to gelling with a new tribe. They are out there , just need to seek them out. I mean , there has to be light at the end of the tunnel , right?? I gotta believe that here are good humans everywhere. New Beginnings
BIKE NIGHT:
Even though this article is piss poor and claims Friday Night Bike Night begins March 31st , We ride tomorrow night with the obvious St Patties Theme. Stoked !!!!
And I just happen to be in the top banner photo during the theme Bubbles. I wrapped my self in LED Lights and then wrapped myself up with bubblewrap and I was glowing all night. And I made an appearance in the bottom two photos as well. Definitely surprised they printed the photo with me holding a well earned brew. I flipping love Friday Night Bike Night!! Sun , Rain , Wind , Snow , Or Theme , doesn't matter , I am all in and ready to play nice. Yahooooo0000000
