I swear I am blessed to have some absolutely amazing people in my life! I don't understand it, but I'll take it.
This blog will likely be everywhere because my head kind of is right now. You've been warned! ; )
Anyhooo ... Grandma died last Moday. This has affected me in odd ways at odd times, and still does.
Grace was the sweetest person. She lived up to her name to say the least. I could go on lauding that woman ad nauseum ... as could anyone who had the privilege to meet her.
The plan was to hold her service on Saturday. There was no way I was going to be able to go.
Between cash flow and unreliable vehicles that we just hope get us to work and back daily, there was just no way! Conversely, there was no way we could not be there.
Megan and Melissa started searching for a deal on a car rental. They landed a weekend rate in Knoxville for an economy car that was manageable. However, Enterprise did not wish to pick Megan up in Jefferson City. ; )
It was arranged that she would pick it up Thursday night at closing, That way we could leave for Massachusetts early on Friday.
Meanwhile, Sean and I, were set to go see a band called Nothing More on Wednesday night. It was an early show, so I planned on going straight home after work, shower, eat, and head out. PLANS! HARUMPH!!
I did good. I rolled right past my local bar without stopping (which was packed already). About two miles from home, the bike .... quits! WTF?!?
The KLR only sputters when I need to switch the gas from "on" to "res"(erve). Otherwise, it just putts along. (Sigh!)
I coast to a safe spot to look at it. This entailed hitting the starter button a few times. NOTHING!
Alright! I break out tools, strip off tupperware, and start looking at wiring. Wiggle, pull, caress, looking for bare or broken wire. NOTHING!
I bump the starter and BAM! had power. By now, I had called Melissa as it is getting late. She had just showed with a cold drink. I wrap stuff up, start up, and it quits again 300 yards up the road.
ARGGHH! There was a church there so I coasted it into the back and got in the Jeep. The Jeep is not happy, and is now, not charging!
REALLY!? DOUBLE ARGH! or something.
I get home call Sean (Sean is one of those amazing people in my life mentioned above) and tell him what is going oñ and he offers to come get me. I told him I'd be walking. He told me there was no need, but I told him I NEEDED to walk!!
He showed with a cold bottle of water for me because he figured I was too upset to think to grab one myself. Whatta guy!
The rest of the night went great. Always enjoy the time! and Nothing More always puts on a great show!
I couldn't get to work Thursday because of vehicle problems. I determined the alternator wasn't charging and pulled it.
I called another buddy to see if he could come get me and drag my sorry ass to Auto Zone to get it tested. Ron, is also one of those reasons for the name of this post.
He shows up, we head over, get it tested, only to find out the alternator is good. Yippee! now I get to put it back on and keep searching.
I had asked Ron if we could stop by the church on the way back to see if the bike would start. He agreed and understood the impotrance of getting it home that evening.
It wouldn't turn over, so we rigged a tie strap and piece of rope together and he pulled me the two miles to the house. YAY! At least the bike was home ... because of the efforts of an amazing friend.
I slapped the alternator back on, cinched up the belt, and started it. All of a sudden it was charging. Huh?
I didn't "fix" anything, but ... YAAYY! again. I went to bed smiling.
Had a brand new Toyota to ride until Sunday. It was nice to turn the key and not have to wonder what may happen. LOL
We spent Friday night at my Uncle David's place. He fed us well and gave us crash space fo' free, but what was great was a chance to catch up.
After dinner, Megan and Melissa headed upstairs while David tuned his TV to Velocity. Perfect gear head fodder for car guys. He has been restoring (read as "collecting") old cars longer than I've been breathing.
It was nice! I don't think I've ever had that much one-on-one time with him. Good stuff.
He fixed us French Toast for breakfast which allowed us a little more time. Sadly, it passes all too quickly. We had to say our good-bye's so we could get to the funeral home.
It was a nice service. Afterwards, there was a get together for food and visiting. I've never been good in those mingling type settings, but I muddled through.
Grandpa died four years ago, and after all the "obligated" stuff, some of us headed to the closest bar and raised a glass. We just had to repeat this honorary gesture for Gram.
I guess a tradition has started. We now have archived footage of how Rockefellers observe a passing. Laughs can help balance the tears from earlier.
We closed the night at Teo's for more family time because that is an old favorite for us. More memories and smiles, I'll take it.
The drive home went fine. I got up Monday and didn't feel like going to work. it would be excused, but not paid, yet I stayed home.
Melissa went to therapy in the Jeep. It quit charging on the way home. UGH! I unplug the negative and put the battery on charge. I will need headlights in the morning.
Or not! After being on charge overnight, the battery is dead. Two revolutions and ... CLICK. Wonderful! Just fuggin wunnerful! I can't stand it!
I text Sean explaining the way things are, I don't think I'll be able to make it to the rock festival we were headed to this weekend because I cannot get to work now and money will be tight.
He tells me I can owe him later for gas and hotel so I won't have to miss out. To top that off, he loaned me his truck for the rest of the week so I can get to work. WOW!
AMAZING, absolutely AMAZING! I am blessed, lucky, undesrved, stunned.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Feed the Machine
Mindlessly, we are marching on
To the rhythm of the machine.
Day after day
Serving the master.
Make no mistake
Money rules all.
We all play the game
To the tune of the change in someone else's pockets!!!!
To the rhythm of the machine.
Day after day
Serving the master.
Make no mistake
Money rules all.
We all play the game
To the tune of the change in someone else's pockets!!!!
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Tellico or bust
Hey is this thing on? Hello? Hello? .... Echooo, Echooo .....
It's been a while since I've done one of these (8/14 wow!). I'm a bit rusty, so go easy on me. ;)
I HATE typing on my cell phone, but here we go ....
It's mid-April, so that means another Tellico SME. I still have yet to miss a Tellico event in the 12? years I've been a maggot.
Due to bald front and rear tires and the expense of moving, I haven't really rode much since the October Tellico SME. The week of the SME , I was able to get a rear sneaker but couldn't afford the pair.
You could barely see the wear bars on the front, but they were visible. The plan was to slab it to Knoxville, play a little on the Dragon and the Cherahola, then park Saturday if need be, and baby it via interstate the whole way home.
Again, the bike has been parked since late October. In that time, the tag has expired.
I headed over to pay that before leaving town only to find that there is a financial hold on it. The lady said it likely has to do with my license. I know what it's about and it amounts to a clerical error, basically.
Meh! I'm not fighting city hall today, I'm Tellico-bound! sketchy front tire, expired tag, suspended license and all. I did my equivalent of a hail Mary and pointed the bike to I-40.
While slabbing across 40, I felt what seemed to be a consistent tapping on my left shoulder. I'm riding solo ... WTF?!?
I check the mirror, and see it is the wind pushing against my suit. It didn't look like the material was being pushed in much, but I really felt it on the skin.
It was odd. I remember musing that it was my guardian angel patting me on the shoulder for not causing any undue stress.
I get to 129 and turn south and am fine until I get into Maryville. Then I see a cop coming off the entrance ramp,.
There was no time to slow down and get behind him and there are traffic lights ahead. Yippee!
At one of them he was within sight of that tag. I promptly pulled into the Foothills Mall parking lot to for a .... safety check. I should check my tire and ensure my gear was still fastened well.
With that took care of, Cloud9 and I are rollin' with no sight of Johnny. After that, my guardian angel wouldn't be tested again until much later.
The ride dowñ 129 to the Dragon was a bit crowded. I was thinking that help me behave.
However, by the time I got to the bottom of the mountain, there was no other southbound traffic ... ALL THE WAY to the store.
Yeah, you're damn right I let that beast breathe a little. I should've clocked the run. (grin) That was good stuff.
There are pictures here if I can figure out how to do it on this device ...
http://xtremesportsphotography.photoreflect.com/store/Orderpage.aspx?pi=0QAK028X050860&po=860&pc=1786
http://killboy.photoreflect.com/store/Orderpage.aspx?pi=04RK02O00C0136&po=435&pc=954
If you looked that front tire still seems to be holding up. I continued to feed her a little down through the stretch along the river. You can just lay into those curves forever.
I had to stop for a splash of gas before crossing the Skyway. While stopped, I checked that front tire. It was still holding up okay. Yay!
Again, once I got to the fun stuff, I had a clear run. This is unreal.
I tore through the twisty bits by the Santeelah. By now, I was totally dialed in.
I was hitting the marks, just totally in tune with the bike and the road. It was amazing.
For context, the Skyway is 45 miles or so long. Playing a little on the Dragon, or along the river as I had been don't put as much heat into a tire as, oh I don't know .... a spirited run across the Skyway.
For whatever reason this bit of logical thought eluded me while I was in the act of doing just that. Uh Oh!
I DOO love that road though, and find it hard to behave up there. Remember that comment about not testing my guardian angel again until later? It's later!
I've just started coming down the mountain on the TN side, entering a hard right and the front skittered out for a moment. It's happened before, but it's always scary.
It washed and I instinctively pused that thing over more and it found traction. Either that, or the guardian angel that was with me pushed us over.
I hit that next left and it did it again. Same reaction, same result. It just happened ... twice. As Mr. Spriinger says, as you pull from that luck bag you better add to the skill bag.
It really wasn't until I got to Hunt's Lodge that I realized that my guardian angel really earned its wings today!
I have already awarded the dumbass to myself, but I know I'll (deservedly) get more.
As it turned out Jack had a front tire that was the same brand and size tire as what I had ... and with about the same amount of tread as when I left the house. Maggots rock!
I decided to wait and change the tire Sat. while everyone was out riding that afternoon.
This would allow me more time with my maggot family as they filtered in. The night passed way too quickly as I laughed with CMac, Paige, and Tim most of the night. Always a good time with them, I haven't laughed that hard for a while. Good stuff!
I have no idea how late I was up. Funny how that statement comes up when Christopher and I get together.
I slept in .. late ... like waaayyy after breakfast kind of late. I must've needed it. I know I felt rested when I finally did get up.
I mulled around a bit, then got motivated and pulled the front wheel. Jack led me through mounting it.
I put the wheel back on and went up to Tellico Beach to get some lunch. Did a quickie shakedown run up to the Bald River Falls turnoff and went back to camp.
Laughed a bunch more with great people that I just don't get to see often enough. The Saturday night fire tends to die early as most folks head out on Sunday.
On Sunday, I had the bike packed rather early (for me). I left a little before noon. I did baby it and the tire, bike, and rider made it home just fine.
Thanks again to Jack, Lori, and the group. These events are therapeutic for me.
It's been a while since I've done one of these (8/14 wow!). I'm a bit rusty, so go easy on me. ;)
I HATE typing on my cell phone, but here we go ....
It's mid-April, so that means another Tellico SME. I still have yet to miss a Tellico event in the 12? years I've been a maggot.
Due to bald front and rear tires and the expense of moving, I haven't really rode much since the October Tellico SME. The week of the SME , I was able to get a rear sneaker but couldn't afford the pair.
You could barely see the wear bars on the front, but they were visible. The plan was to slab it to Knoxville, play a little on the Dragon and the Cherahola, then park Saturday if need be, and baby it via interstate the whole way home.
Again, the bike has been parked since late October. In that time, the tag has expired.
I headed over to pay that before leaving town only to find that there is a financial hold on it. The lady said it likely has to do with my license. I know what it's about and it amounts to a clerical error, basically.
Meh! I'm not fighting city hall today, I'm Tellico-bound! sketchy front tire, expired tag, suspended license and all. I did my equivalent of a hail Mary and pointed the bike to I-40.
While slabbing across 40, I felt what seemed to be a consistent tapping on my left shoulder. I'm riding solo ... WTF?!?
I check the mirror, and see it is the wind pushing against my suit. It didn't look like the material was being pushed in much, but I really felt it on the skin.
It was odd. I remember musing that it was my guardian angel patting me on the shoulder for not causing any undue stress.
I get to 129 and turn south and am fine until I get into Maryville. Then I see a cop coming off the entrance ramp,.
There was no time to slow down and get behind him and there are traffic lights ahead. Yippee!
At one of them he was within sight of that tag. I promptly pulled into the Foothills Mall parking lot to for a .... safety check. I should check my tire and ensure my gear was still fastened well.
With that took care of, Cloud9 and I are rollin' with no sight of Johnny. After that, my guardian angel wouldn't be tested again until much later.
The ride dowñ 129 to the Dragon was a bit crowded. I was thinking that help me behave.
However, by the time I got to the bottom of the mountain, there was no other southbound traffic ... ALL THE WAY to the store.
Yeah, you're damn right I let that beast breathe a little. I should've clocked the run. (grin) That was good stuff.
There are pictures here if I can figure out how to do it on this device ...
http://xtremesportsphotography.photoreflect.com/store/Orderpage.aspx?pi=0QAK028X050860&po=860&pc=1786
http://killboy.photoreflect.com/store/Orderpage.aspx?pi=04RK02O00C0136&po=435&pc=954
If you looked that front tire still seems to be holding up. I continued to feed her a little down through the stretch along the river. You can just lay into those curves forever.
I had to stop for a splash of gas before crossing the Skyway. While stopped, I checked that front tire. It was still holding up okay. Yay!
Again, once I got to the fun stuff, I had a clear run. This is unreal.
I tore through the twisty bits by the Santeelah. By now, I was totally dialed in.
I was hitting the marks, just totally in tune with the bike and the road. It was amazing.
For context, the Skyway is 45 miles or so long. Playing a little on the Dragon, or along the river as I had been don't put as much heat into a tire as, oh I don't know .... a spirited run across the Skyway.
For whatever reason this bit of logical thought eluded me while I was in the act of doing just that. Uh Oh!
I DOO love that road though, and find it hard to behave up there. Remember that comment about not testing my guardian angel again until later? It's later!
I've just started coming down the mountain on the TN side, entering a hard right and the front skittered out for a moment. It's happened before, but it's always scary.
It washed and I instinctively pused that thing over more and it found traction. Either that, or the guardian angel that was with me pushed us over.
I hit that next left and it did it again. Same reaction, same result. It just happened ... twice. As Mr. Spriinger says, as you pull from that luck bag you better add to the skill bag.
It really wasn't until I got to Hunt's Lodge that I realized that my guardian angel really earned its wings today!
I have already awarded the dumbass to myself, but I know I'll (deservedly) get more.
As it turned out Jack had a front tire that was the same brand and size tire as what I had ... and with about the same amount of tread as when I left the house. Maggots rock!
I decided to wait and change the tire Sat. while everyone was out riding that afternoon.
This would allow me more time with my maggot family as they filtered in. The night passed way too quickly as I laughed with CMac, Paige, and Tim most of the night. Always a good time with them, I haven't laughed that hard for a while. Good stuff!
I have no idea how late I was up. Funny how that statement comes up when Christopher and I get together.
I slept in .. late ... like waaayyy after breakfast kind of late. I must've needed it. I know I felt rested when I finally did get up.
I mulled around a bit, then got motivated and pulled the front wheel. Jack led me through mounting it.
I put the wheel back on and went up to Tellico Beach to get some lunch. Did a quickie shakedown run up to the Bald River Falls turnoff and went back to camp.
Laughed a bunch more with great people that I just don't get to see often enough. The Saturday night fire tends to die early as most folks head out on Sunday.
On Sunday, I had the bike packed rather early (for me). I left a little before noon. I did baby it and the tire, bike, and rider made it home just fine.
Thanks again to Jack, Lori, and the group. These events are therapeutic for me.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Kashing in on Karma?
Sooo ... the day went along rather well -- it wasn't agonizingly long nor amazingly fast to come to a close. However, it was the after-work that made this day special.
Instead of going straight home, I felt like grabbing a beer somewhere prior to going back to Hell ..... ummm, I mean the house.
So I stopped at a no-fee ATM, withdrew some cash and headed out to find a bar with a somewhat decent selection of beer. Not an easy task here in NASCAR country! ; )
Oddly my choice of route took me southward, as I could not think of any bars on the way home with any decent selection. Knoxville has some (which was the direction I headed), but outside of that, I was drawing a blank.
I was just poking along, in no hurry, along US 11-E southbound when I saw the sign for TN-139. Wait! there is now an Applebee's or Ruby Tuesday's .... or one of those that offer a bar with *some* beer selection over in Dandridge (which was only about 8 miles from where I left the ATM). My ride was closer to 30 miles. Ah well! I had "extra" gas in the tank and the skies were blue. Any saddle time is good, so no loss!
Anyhow, I finally arrive at the restaurant and belly up to the bar. I check their taps and only one is a light beer. YAY! The other four were Yuengling (that's okay), two Samuel Adams offerings (again drinkable), and a local Knoxville-based hoppy brew that I have had before. SCORE!
I order that and check the phone to make sure nothing has happened at home. I see a missed call from .... my sister. UH OH! She NEVER calls me! EVER!! .... even when I try calling her. SHE ... CALLED ... ME!!
UH OH! something must have gone wrong. I no sooner get my beer than I return her call. No worries, she just wanted to chat ... to ... ME!! I was glad I was sitting down!! I was tickled for the opportunity, though.
We spoke for a very enjoyable 40 minutes or so getting caught up some. I tell you it made my whole day!
It has been waaayy too long and I had given up on ever talking to her again unless it was in person (which is hard to do considering the distance between us). I have tried calling and texting, but never get much of a reply, and NEVER a phone call!
I felt like a bit of a hypocrite as I sat there in the bar like one of those ignorant a$$hole$ that sit there on their phone ignoring the world. However, I wasn't going to pass up the chance to talk with her and I smugly smiled from joy that I was talking to my sister, in spite of myself. Special thing indeed!
On my way home, I needed to stop at the grocery store to grab some beer for the next few days Megan works right next to the Food City and I circled the parking lot and noticed her car. I circled again looking for a parking spot.
No sooner than putting my kickstand down, Megan comes rolling out (doing carhop duty on roller skates tonight) and says "I thought that was my Daddy" and lays a big ol' hug on me. Can you say "heart melt"?
Yeah! it did! I asked when she was due for her break. She went back inside and her gracious boss allowed her to take one .... NOW.
I was already late getting home and knew it, but fuggit! time with my daughter is rare and more than precious! We spent 30 minutes enjoying each others' company.
First, a rare phone chat with my sister, to be followed up with nearly as long a face-to-face visit with my daughter. It ... doesn't .... get ... ANY .... better!
I got to spend time with two of my favorite ladies in the whole world tonight. Well, three of them, once I got home. I'll take it! (color me happy) I should've called Mom to make it all four!
Instead of going straight home, I felt like grabbing a beer somewhere prior to going back to Hell ..... ummm, I mean the house.
So I stopped at a no-fee ATM, withdrew some cash and headed out to find a bar with a somewhat decent selection of beer. Not an easy task here in NASCAR country! ; )
Oddly my choice of route took me southward, as I could not think of any bars on the way home with any decent selection. Knoxville has some (which was the direction I headed), but outside of that, I was drawing a blank.
I was just poking along, in no hurry, along US 11-E southbound when I saw the sign for TN-139. Wait! there is now an Applebee's or Ruby Tuesday's .... or one of those that offer a bar with *some* beer selection over in Dandridge (which was only about 8 miles from where I left the ATM). My ride was closer to 30 miles. Ah well! I had "extra" gas in the tank and the skies were blue. Any saddle time is good, so no loss!
Anyhow, I finally arrive at the restaurant and belly up to the bar. I check their taps and only one is a light beer. YAY! The other four were Yuengling (that's okay), two Samuel Adams offerings (again drinkable), and a local Knoxville-based hoppy brew that I have had before. SCORE!
I order that and check the phone to make sure nothing has happened at home. I see a missed call from .... my sister. UH OH! She NEVER calls me! EVER!! .... even when I try calling her. SHE ... CALLED ... ME!!
UH OH! something must have gone wrong. I no sooner get my beer than I return her call. No worries, she just wanted to chat ... to ... ME!! I was glad I was sitting down!! I was tickled for the opportunity, though.
We spoke for a very enjoyable 40 minutes or so getting caught up some. I tell you it made my whole day!
It has been waaayy too long and I had given up on ever talking to her again unless it was in person (which is hard to do considering the distance between us). I have tried calling and texting, but never get much of a reply, and NEVER a phone call!
I felt like a bit of a hypocrite as I sat there in the bar like one of those ignorant a$$hole$ that sit there on their phone ignoring the world. However, I wasn't going to pass up the chance to talk with her and I smugly smiled from joy that I was talking to my sister, in spite of myself. Special thing indeed!
On my way home, I needed to stop at the grocery store to grab some beer for the next few days Megan works right next to the Food City and I circled the parking lot and noticed her car. I circled again looking for a parking spot.
No sooner than putting my kickstand down, Megan comes rolling out (doing carhop duty on roller skates tonight) and says "I thought that was my Daddy" and lays a big ol' hug on me. Can you say "heart melt"?
Yeah! it did! I asked when she was due for her break. She went back inside and her gracious boss allowed her to take one .... NOW.
I was already late getting home and knew it, but fuggit! time with my daughter is rare and more than precious! We spent 30 minutes enjoying each others' company.
First, a rare phone chat with my sister, to be followed up with nearly as long a face-to-face visit with my daughter. It ... doesn't .... get ... ANY .... better!
I got to spend time with two of my favorite ladies in the whole world tonight. Well, three of them, once I got home. I'll take it! (color me happy) I should've called Mom to make it all four!
A perfect trifecta?
I have seen Filter perform live twice now and seen Robert Patrick (lead vocalist) when he was with Army of Anyone. Each and every time I have walked away pleased.
They had a show scheduled for Knoxville this past Wednesday night. I had to be to work at 7 AM the next day. We'll see if Ed can hang after this for sure!
We (Sean and I -- due to our work schedules) knew we would miss the opening local act. At the same time, we were both in agreement that we wished to catch the rest of the bill.
Local H was the first band up (for us). They had one hit in the late 80's and it was a two-man band. This intrigued me. Yeah, I loved the music they put out (at least that one song I had heard),
but,
WOW! I had no idea!!
The vocalist/string guy had an either 7 or 8 stringed "guitar". I don't really know, because the dude didn't stay still long enough to count them. I DO know that the two top ones were waaayy lower than a low E string. Additionally, he had what looked to be bass pickups on his "guitar". There was no doubt that there was something additional than the standard guitar because of some of the deeper (toned) notes he was pushing off that thing.
The drummer was .... just .... nuts! Man! he pounded the f*ck outta those drums! I mean almost violent strikes every 2 nanoseconds! He, too, was great.
It was really amazing the fullness of sound that those two put out. The set was really tight and they didn't engage in trivial chatting with the crowd to ensure they could play as much as possible. What a great set and a fine way to kick off the show.
Next up was a band called Helmet. They have been around forever and I had heard one of their songs on the radio before. Sean has been a fan of theirs for a long time and I think he was most looking forward to seeing these guys live (again).
They rocked it! I was really impressed with them. When they hit the song that has had some air time, a mosh pit broke out. Sean and I were just outside of where this started. We are usually further back, but since we were not in the midst of the melee, we stayed there to enjoy the rest of the set.
Well, these four guys all fell at once. The general "rule" is the pit stops to get everyone up so no one gets hurt. I was close by, so I stuck my nose in there (so to speak) to help out. Just as soon as I had, one of the dudes flailing around had his arm make contact with mine and knocked my beer out of my hand.
SPLAT! went that bottle of Sierra Nevada that I just had taken two sips from. DAMMIT!
Luckily, no one got cut when that happened and I tried corralling all the glass to prevent folks from being hurt. One of the guys that worked there came over when the pit started, saw what happened and was quick to go get a broom and dustpan and some towels to sop up the mess.
Sean gave me a hard time for being dumb enough to take a beer bottle into a mosh pit. "what did you expect would happen?" he queried. LOL Anyway, the rest of Helmet's set was great and no further incidences occurred.
Next up was Filter. I have seen these boys play a few times before and they always put on a great show. Tonight was no different.
Robert Patrick saw one guy filming their set and grabbed his cell phone took it around the stage to each person playing (to give a close-up) and then panned the crowd and handed the phone back to the dude. Class act!
He has an amazing vocal range, and really hits some high notes. He's quite a professional, too.
They had equipment problems, in that, his guitar started making feedback and crackling noises. The sound guy came out and they tried to get it to work to no avail. Robert finally said they would do the next song without the guitar and apologized to the crowd.
This was ongoing. The sound guy, bless his heart, kept on trying to get the guitar fixed. After each song, he would come out and try something else.
Robert, was very cordial and respectful to the dude and said "It's not his fault! It's not his fault" (which we all knew but it was gracious of him to make a point of that). They eventually got it fixed.
They were kicking into the song "Picture" as I had my phone up to do just that ...
sometimes, timing is everything. Then there are times, when it doesn't go so smoothly.
He did some crowd surfing and came out amongst us. As you can see, Sean and I still were rather close to the stage. Robert had worked his way close enough I could have touched him, but I wasn't quick enough to draw out my phone, turn the camera on, and get a picture of him in time.
Oh well, here are a few more pics anyway ...
They played for about 80 minutes. Such a great show!
All three bands were great. As we were walking back to the truck, Sean said "Every one of those bands were worth the price of admission alone." and I was in complete agreement.
Sean and I have been to this venue to see a show plenty of times now. We used to get slightly lost going there. We no longer do that, but when he listened to me to take a left when we are leaving we managed to get lost on the way home. There's always a first for everything, I guess.
We soon found our way back onto I-40 and I got home a little before 1 AM. Of course, I couldn't go straight to sleep, so it was nearly 2 when I fell asleep. I still managed to get up at 6 and make it to work on time, so I guess I ain't "old" yet. (grin)
They had a show scheduled for Knoxville this past Wednesday night. I had to be to work at 7 AM the next day. We'll see if Ed can hang after this for sure!
We (Sean and I -- due to our work schedules) knew we would miss the opening local act. At the same time, we were both in agreement that we wished to catch the rest of the bill.
Local H was the first band up (for us). They had one hit in the late 80's and it was a two-man band. This intrigued me. Yeah, I loved the music they put out (at least that one song I had heard),
but,
WOW! I had no idea!!
The vocalist/string guy had an either 7 or 8 stringed "guitar". I don't really know, because the dude didn't stay still long enough to count them. I DO know that the two top ones were waaayy lower than a low E string. Additionally, he had what looked to be bass pickups on his "guitar". There was no doubt that there was something additional than the standard guitar because of some of the deeper (toned) notes he was pushing off that thing.
The drummer was .... just .... nuts! Man! he pounded the f*ck outta those drums! I mean almost violent strikes every 2 nanoseconds! He, too, was great.
It was really amazing the fullness of sound that those two put out. The set was really tight and they didn't engage in trivial chatting with the crowd to ensure they could play as much as possible. What a great set and a fine way to kick off the show.
Next up was a band called Helmet. They have been around forever and I had heard one of their songs on the radio before. Sean has been a fan of theirs for a long time and I think he was most looking forward to seeing these guys live (again).
They rocked it! I was really impressed with them. When they hit the song that has had some air time, a mosh pit broke out. Sean and I were just outside of where this started. We are usually further back, but since we were not in the midst of the melee, we stayed there to enjoy the rest of the set.
Well, these four guys all fell at once. The general "rule" is the pit stops to get everyone up so no one gets hurt. I was close by, so I stuck my nose in there (so to speak) to help out. Just as soon as I had, one of the dudes flailing around had his arm make contact with mine and knocked my beer out of my hand.
SPLAT! went that bottle of Sierra Nevada that I just had taken two sips from. DAMMIT!
Luckily, no one got cut when that happened and I tried corralling all the glass to prevent folks from being hurt. One of the guys that worked there came over when the pit started, saw what happened and was quick to go get a broom and dustpan and some towels to sop up the mess.
Sean gave me a hard time for being dumb enough to take a beer bottle into a mosh pit. "what did you expect would happen?" he queried. LOL Anyway, the rest of Helmet's set was great and no further incidences occurred.
Next up was Filter. I have seen these boys play a few times before and they always put on a great show. Tonight was no different.
Robert Patrick saw one guy filming their set and grabbed his cell phone took it around the stage to each person playing (to give a close-up) and then panned the crowd and handed the phone back to the dude. Class act!
He has an amazing vocal range, and really hits some high notes. He's quite a professional, too.
They had equipment problems, in that, his guitar started making feedback and crackling noises. The sound guy came out and they tried to get it to work to no avail. Robert finally said they would do the next song without the guitar and apologized to the crowd.
This was ongoing. The sound guy, bless his heart, kept on trying to get the guitar fixed. After each song, he would come out and try something else.
Robert, was very cordial and respectful to the dude and said "It's not his fault! It's not his fault" (which we all knew but it was gracious of him to make a point of that). They eventually got it fixed.
They were kicking into the song "Picture" as I had my phone up to do just that ...
 |
| "Picture" |
He did some crowd surfing and came out amongst us. As you can see, Sean and I still were rather close to the stage. Robert had worked his way close enough I could have touched him, but I wasn't quick enough to draw out my phone, turn the camera on, and get a picture of him in time.
Oh well, here are a few more pics anyway ...
 |
| "Hey Man! Nice Shot" |
They played for about 80 minutes. Such a great show!
All three bands were great. As we were walking back to the truck, Sean said "Every one of those bands were worth the price of admission alone." and I was in complete agreement.
Sean and I have been to this venue to see a show plenty of times now. We used to get slightly lost going there. We no longer do that, but when he listened to me to take a left when we are leaving we managed to get lost on the way home. There's always a first for everything, I guess.
We soon found our way back onto I-40 and I got home a little before 1 AM. Of course, I couldn't go straight to sleep, so it was nearly 2 when I fell asleep. I still managed to get up at 6 and make it to work on time, so I guess I ain't "old" yet. (grin)
A picture is worth a thousand words right? Here are a few thousand words then.
I got to do the kayak/camp thing last weekend. I tried to do a write-up on it but was just not inspired to. Nor have I had the time with the work schedule to devote to composing and editing. So in lieu of that, here are some pictures instead ....
(and, as always, if you wish to see more detail in the pictures, click on them and they should enlarge)
Great times with some great people. Thanks Larry for the loan of the kayak. Thanks to the rest for the company.
(and, as always, if you wish to see more detail in the pictures, click on them and they should enlarge)
 |
| my view outside my tent. not too shabby! |
 |
 |
| Gavin |
 |
| Nick |
 |
| love the patterns in shale |
 |
| Okay (top flame) |
Great times with some great people. Thanks Larry for the loan of the kayak. Thanks to the rest for the company.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Rollin' Down the River
Julie (my mother-in-law) put on her bucket list a whitewater rafting trip for her 60th birthday (ten years ago). We tried to make that happen, but couldn't.
This year she reached 70 and refused to let ANYthing get in her way. She was doing this.
We had planned to do this last weekend, but the logisitics of the situation pushed it back a week. Considering that last week was the Fourth of July weekend, the re-scheduling, planned or not, seemed to be genius, in retrospect.
So anyhow, we did it this past weekend. One of megan's roomates' ex-boyfriend worked at a rafting place nearby so it was all set for him to be our guide. I like Fletcher, he's a nice guy
Heh. all the well-laid plans of mice and men .... two days prior Fletch sprained his ankle and his boss would not allow him (smartly) to run the river, despite how much he begged. Heal well, my friend.
We got signed in, and then Melissa remembered that she had forgot her shoes, so Megan who drove them to the site of the rafting place from their campsite, was commissioned to go back to the campsite to pick up what was forgotten.
It took an interminable amount of time and we were close to being bumped to another bus because she still had not returned as we were prepping to leave. Luckily, she showed just before the bus took off. While we missed Fletch, our guide, Fuller, was friggin' awesome!
We go through the normal liability dissertation of don't be stupid out there, you could get hurt, and after getting out of the bus are reunited with Fuller who shows us the proper way to sit in the boat without getting launched into the water (remember this point).
Amongst that dissertation is the explanation of the different classes of rapids. Six is insanity and those people just are adreanaline-junkie nut-job types. Five is really crazy, really fun. Four is more manageable. Three is rather mild. Two is almost boring and one is flat water, followed by a hearty "BOOO!"
We were the last raft in the water The transport bus carries six rafts per trip. Fuller was great. She is living the life as she spends her summers as a raft guide and her winters as a ski/snowboard instructor. I just wished I was half as smart when I was her age.
That gal is living the life and getting paid to do so. Awesomeness!!
We *finally* got in the water and within about 5 minutes (not even) we hit our first of four class 4 rapids. The following pictures were taken here. Sean and I (up front) learned quickly to not have your mouth open unless you wanted a mouthful of Pigeon River down your throat.
What a great introduction to what to expect! Already I'm liking it! This was good stuff!
The stretches of rapids were rather brief and we spent most of the trip floating from one section to the next with brief moments of exhilaration tossed in. Just prior to arriving at the second class 4 rapid section, you could see the group up ahead doing "doughnut" spins in the rapids.
That looked fun. Fuller said we could do the same and told one side to paddle backwards while the other paddled forward. We did and mid-turn Fuller and Isaac were ejected into the water. Julie almost joined them but between her grabbing Sean and Melissa grabbing her leg, she managed to remain in the boat.
Fuller couldn't believe she fell out. She was regretting getting back to base and the hell that the other guides were going to give her for such a rookie move.
She explained that she will now have to buy "swim beer" for the Thursday night meeting they hold. She said it is usually the rookies that have to do that. It seems that if you go swimming you need to bring a case of beer to the meeting. She won't live this one down anytime soon.
Anyway, we got the raft over to the bank and Fuller and Isaac swam over to us. We all got back in the boat and continued on.
At the next rapid section she wanted some redemption, so we did more spins and this time everyone stayed in the raft, followed by a high five where we all hold our oars over our heads and touch them together. She was fun.
We hit one other class 4 and then it was mostly just floating along. That was nice as well. It was rather peaceful and beautiful to just slowly move along. We got to one area and the guides told us we could get out of the boats and swim if we wanted. Melissa took her up on it, but was the only one from our raft to do so.
After the swim, and all the boats had all their rafters back in, we had found ourselves ahead of one of the others. They in turn, came up behind us and started a splash fest, to which we returned the favor. We probably looked like a bunch of children. ; )
It wasn't long before we had gotten back to the place and the trip was over. What a great way to spend the day, though.
Additionally, it has been a long, looong time since we have done anything as a family. That was nice/
This year she reached 70 and refused to let ANYthing get in her way. She was doing this.
We had planned to do this last weekend, but the logisitics of the situation pushed it back a week. Considering that last week was the Fourth of July weekend, the re-scheduling, planned or not, seemed to be genius, in retrospect.
So anyhow, we did it this past weekend. One of megan's roomates' ex-boyfriend worked at a rafting place nearby so it was all set for him to be our guide. I like Fletcher, he's a nice guy
Heh. all the well-laid plans of mice and men .... two days prior Fletch sprained his ankle and his boss would not allow him (smartly) to run the river, despite how much he begged. Heal well, my friend.
We got signed in, and then Melissa remembered that she had forgot her shoes, so Megan who drove them to the site of the rafting place from their campsite, was commissioned to go back to the campsite to pick up what was forgotten.
It took an interminable amount of time and we were close to being bumped to another bus because she still had not returned as we were prepping to leave. Luckily, she showed just before the bus took off. While we missed Fletch, our guide, Fuller, was friggin' awesome!
We go through the normal liability dissertation of don't be stupid out there, you could get hurt, and after getting out of the bus are reunited with Fuller who shows us the proper way to sit in the boat without getting launched into the water (remember this point).
Amongst that dissertation is the explanation of the different classes of rapids. Six is insanity and those people just are adreanaline-junkie nut-job types. Five is really crazy, really fun. Four is more manageable. Three is rather mild. Two is almost boring and one is flat water, followed by a hearty "BOOO!"
We were the last raft in the water The transport bus carries six rafts per trip. Fuller was great. She is living the life as she spends her summers as a raft guide and her winters as a ski/snowboard instructor. I just wished I was half as smart when I was her age.
That gal is living the life and getting paid to do so. Awesomeness!!
We *finally* got in the water and within about 5 minutes (not even) we hit our first of four class 4 rapids. The following pictures were taken here. Sean and I (up front) learned quickly to not have your mouth open unless you wanted a mouthful of Pigeon River down your throat.
What a great introduction to what to expect! Already I'm liking it! This was good stuff!
The stretches of rapids were rather brief and we spent most of the trip floating from one section to the next with brief moments of exhilaration tossed in. Just prior to arriving at the second class 4 rapid section, you could see the group up ahead doing "doughnut" spins in the rapids.
That looked fun. Fuller said we could do the same and told one side to paddle backwards while the other paddled forward. We did and mid-turn Fuller and Isaac were ejected into the water. Julie almost joined them but between her grabbing Sean and Melissa grabbing her leg, she managed to remain in the boat.
Fuller couldn't believe she fell out. She was regretting getting back to base and the hell that the other guides were going to give her for such a rookie move.
She explained that she will now have to buy "swim beer" for the Thursday night meeting they hold. She said it is usually the rookies that have to do that. It seems that if you go swimming you need to bring a case of beer to the meeting. She won't live this one down anytime soon.
Anyway, we got the raft over to the bank and Fuller and Isaac swam over to us. We all got back in the boat and continued on.
At the next rapid section she wanted some redemption, so we did more spins and this time everyone stayed in the raft, followed by a high five where we all hold our oars over our heads and touch them together. She was fun.
We hit one other class 4 and then it was mostly just floating along. That was nice as well. It was rather peaceful and beautiful to just slowly move along. We got to one area and the guides told us we could get out of the boats and swim if we wanted. Melissa took her up on it, but was the only one from our raft to do so.
After the swim, and all the boats had all their rafters back in, we had found ourselves ahead of one of the others. They in turn, came up behind us and started a splash fest, to which we returned the favor. We probably looked like a bunch of children. ; )
It wasn't long before we had gotten back to the place and the trip was over. What a great way to spend the day, though.
Additionally, it has been a long, looong time since we have done anything as a family. That was nice/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)