Workin' [over] the Weekend

I am working on a brochure for small business banking. Emma is helping me.


My editorial review board...

we're ba-ack!

It's possible, of course, that you didn't even know we were gone. Don't feel bad about that--due to the large criminal element that comprises a large portion of my readership, I kinda kept it on the DL that we'd be out of town for a few days.

Mom and Dad did us the huge favor of herding the kids around last week while Deb and I got some much needed alone time. We spent 3 nights at the Tara Point Cottages in Grafton, IL.

While we were there, we took in some of the local sights, and ate a ridiculous amount of really good food. We also spent some entertaining minutes discussing our "five year plan," ultimately agreeing that any plan we had heretofore has been turned completely on its head by my recent job change.

And now we're back. Much refreshed. Deb to her next semester of school, and I to my copywriting. And one of these days--as soon as I get my bearings again--I'll start working on the music again.

Pterodactyl Like Me

Emma spent about 30 minutes this morning singing something that appeared to be a broadway musical called "Pterodactyl Like Me".

The theme was a soaring number culminating in the line, "How could you say 'no'... to a pterodactle like meeee?"

There was also quite a bit about dancing with rainbows, the sun shining on her sparkly skin, and not eating all of her friends--especially the ones that feed her. (apparently not with their own delicious flesh)

Really, it caused those who witnessed it to, I think, consider facets of the pterodactyl lifestyle that had simply never occurred to us before.

on a high note

I won't get a chance to update the blog again until sometime next week, so I thought I'd better leave it on a high note. Or at least not leave it set to "low note".

Dave gave me a monkey-kickin' link last week. I posted the link here. Then Brant picked it up and put it on his blog.

I have four comments--two of which were made by people who live in this house. One of which is Brant. Brant had, at last count, SIXTY-ONE.

That's just crazy.

My job is still awesome. But I haven't gotten as many things written this week as I hoped to. : ( I'm sure that's just part of it. You gotta learn how to work through the ups and downs. But I have a strong desire to be THE AWESOME!!! all of the time. (I know, I know.. but you just get used to it and then you start expecting it.)

I went to a new Chinese place over on Windsor today, in there behind Walgreens. It was pretty good. If you're in the neighborhood I recommend you check it out.

Now I gotta go pack my socks, Rescue Rangers! Dave & Amy, if I don't get a chance to say "hey" tomorrow.. "hey".

unspeakable horror

Okay, so.. if it's such an "unspeakable horror".. here's an idea:

STOP SPEAKING ABOUT IT.

No, of course I'm not suggesting that we bury this thing and never deal with it. Dialogue is good. People need to talk in order to heal. But don't you think that having a two-hour multimedia blabberfest on the day of the incident--before families have even been notified that their children have been killed--is just inappropriate?

And don't you think that turning human tragedy into a platform for your political and social agendas actually takes away from the gravity of the situation? Don't you think that comparing it to every other even slightly similar occurrence reduces it.. packages it.. makes it less than what it really is?

How ironic is it, that by erecting the big top, you overshadow the actual event?

Are you proud that you got to be there on the day of this historic happening? Will you publish it among your memoirs? Did the other talking heads sign your autograph book? Did you get the commemorative T-shirt?

Shut up. With your unspeakable horrors. Shut up and leave everybody alone.

whuping dave's monkey

Oh, and Dave..?

ONE kick.

That's how long it took my monkey to whup your monkey.

I also like how Monkey himself tells you, "It's all about the laws of physics..."

Yeah, like you're so smart, monkey!

the narrow world

What's happening in the narrow world?

Funny you should ask:

* Deb is done with school for the semester (Yay! Only three more to go..).
* Markus has started summer baseball (I got to be the catcher one night, and the coach called me "Mr." despite my scraggly hippy appearance).
* My new job is awesome (I've got a full week under my belt now, and am starting to feel more comfortable in the production-writing environment {Did anyone know that "it's" is not a possessive and you shouldn't try to send it to print if you don't really mean "it is"? that's just crazy!})
* Deb and I are going on vacation for 3 days (No kids, no phone, no internet, no agenda).
* Coffee from Peru rocks.
* My new job is awesome (The people are super-cool and we all got together for barbecue at the studio on Friday night).
* I've got the new guitar up and running (I have considered selling it, but I am also considering keeping it as a "kid guitar"--although it is hideously heavy).
* People appear to be flowing like water out the door of my previous employer.. it's weird, like I was the cork or something (I miss Dave & Amy, though {but Amy's keeping me in-the-know, and Dave's keeping me in-the-crazylinks).
* I love Brant and Greg (but not necessarily in that order {though they are allowed to compete for my affection}, and in a totally not gay kind of way).

Also, my new job is awesome.

I need to arrange a couple musical equipment purchases--if I ever figure that out, I'll let you know what I'm up to. And I think I need to mow my lawn. The lawnmower runs like a muscle car now, thanks to a friend of a friend, so that should be fun.. I hope all the chrome doesn't frighten the squirrels...

In celebration of Deb being done with classes, and me settling into the new job, we're cleaning the whole house. This makes me tired. Although, really, I was already completely pooped. It's like this whole last 2 - 3 weeks has gone by at lightning speed. I'm not sure why that is.. I guess probably just the whole "changing careers" thing, coupled with the "finals week" thing for Deb.

Oh, and for anybody who doesn't know, our health insurance stuff all turned out fine. Looks like we're going to have plenty of financial margin to save up against the day when we may need to go through a period of not having full coverage.

We lost our last, almost-finished game of Myst IV when I had to turn in my old ThinkPad--but getting to play the whole thing again on a brand new MacBook Pro makes it OK. Here is a picture I just took with the MacBook...

Unavailable

We're sorry; John Caparoon is not currently available to take your call.

He is too busy learning how to use the espresso maker.

And ruling.

Okay, it's been a week.

So I had best update this blog. Else people will think that I have died.

I have not (at the time of this writing) died.

(would that make me a ghost writer, then.. if I had?)

However, it shouldn't be long, as these jokes are killin'!

(I'll be here all week folks! ..at least at this rate..)

My new job rocks. My new job-people rock. My new workplace rocks.

The new amp that Yan gave me rocks.

Rock, rock, rock. That is a lot of rocking.

But I can handle it. Because that is what I do best.

That, and worrying about not really being able to. (I know. Fun, isn't it? It's like if Richard Lewis and David Lee Roth had a love child..)

That's the end of the update, kids. It's after 11pm, and Daddy needs him some sleeps.

later.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!!

LIVE, AT THE STATE FAIRGROUNDS, IT'S.. ROCK FOR TURKEY!!!*

Okay, so it wasn't at the state fairgrounds, and it wasn't ROCK FOR TURKEY.. but it did, in fact, rock. And it was on Sunday.

Two of four ain't bad.

Dan, Henry, Rachel, Bryon and I did, I think, a pretty decent job. It snapped together. The kids seemed to enjoy it. I was very pleased.** Most people shorter than 4 feet danced. A few taller than 4 feet danced. There was alt-country, there was alt-bluegrass, there was rockabilly, there was rock, there was alt-rock. There was flute. And it was good. My deepest thanks to everyone foolish enough to get involved. Seriously.

Prior to our set, there was music by Kati and Henry, both in tandem and as separate entities. They were both very, ridiculously, good. Then a guy named Bek played a Turkish thing that looked like Tupperware with a stick in it. He was ridiculously good. (other Turkish features of the evening included praying palms up and baklava, both of which are worth trying again)

Then us, then Rachel--also ridiculously good.

Then Hubris (Wes, Jeremy, Henry) played. Riotous! Uproar! Jeremy ran sound for the whole deal and did a superb job, then fronted with abandon. Shades of Jack Black. John Belushi kills and eats the other members of the Blues Brothers, then hires two more guys and forms a face-blasting, fuzz-drenched party band. The rare and wonderful combination of a.) guys with great chops, and b.) guys who have decided not to let taking said chops seriously get in the way of a good time.

Rarely do you go anywhere*** and see 6 acts without there being at least one stinker.. or at best, a couple performances that are pretty okay but occasionally cause you to grip the edge of your chair in embarrassment, pain, anticipation of the end, etc. But I think this really was one of those events. Wish you had all been there; thanks very much to those that were.


* WITH SPECIAL GUESTS, RRRAATT!! "..RROUND AND ROUND!!" (okay, two of five...)

** "very pleased" = "goofy happy". All became right with my personal universe for several shining moments. Sorry, that's just how I am about the rock and roll.

*** Well, maybe you do, but I don't.. either go anywhere, or see 5 acts, or not grip my chair. Certainly not a combination of all of those.

Sudden random outpouring of joy

Things have been going good. Stupid, crazy-good. And it just kinda hit me in the chest when a friend who's moving just gave me the guitar and amp I helped him find/purchase several years ago.

I GET A NEW JOB! I GET TO PLAY ROCK AND ROLL! I GET FREE GUITARS AND AMPS AND A BRAND NEW MACINTOSH LAPTOP! WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS!?

And then I get to go on vacation! Just me and my wife! and nothing else! for three days!

It's like putting butter on your cinnamon rolls!

AWESOME'ED!!!!

not time now

Not time now to put up a summary post of last night's show. In the meantime, please amuse yourselves with this.

It's sort of on a copywriting theme. Let's take advantage, shall we!?