Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Gossip

I went to Jenks's tonight and we were sitting on the porch and Heidi and Lane walked by with their kids and I called out and she asked how Amy was, from having read the blog about the bonk on the head. I was sorry that I only could report that LAST night she was mobile.

Jenks had been at the bar where she discovered that Beckford has been tossed indefinitely for pool table abuse and that C. Tuna is in hospital for undetermined difficulty. Something about dehydratiom. Well, it HAS been hot. There was a third piece of gossip, but I disremember it.

I missed Bill Kirchen tonight at Grounds after exhorting you all to action about it. And no Southern Culture last night either. That first day back to work was strenuous enought without having stayed up til all hours before it.

This weekend there is the Taste of the Town, where plainly I am not that excited about 4 different pierogi places and 3 ice cream shops. And the bands are not like last year.

Fred and Sherry have gone to Wisconsin yesterday and will be back on the weekend. Please don't break into their house now that I have said this.

Also there is the Old West End Festival which I have always meant to go to and the weather will be beautiful. We'll see.

My daughter comments to say that she will be in the Small Town July 6 to 16. But she's having her wisdom teeth pulled the 12th, so there will be some recovery time. PLUS, my boss told me today that the web managers get to go to the hoity-toity September meeting in NYC so I will get a free trip to see the girl. Maybe we can trash a great hotel room together.

And the Good Guys are doing a summer tour of the U.S. so who knows what this means. Guess I better schedule a trip to see Tommy.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Mommy's babies

Sunday, I went to Marion, OH, to eat some bad food with my mom's family. Two out of the 9 adults had canes. My cousin-in-law Connie from Georgia asked me if I had any pictures of my kids. Who she hasn't seen in 20 years. I told her I could send her some off the internet. How about these 2?

Memorial Day

Well, it was damn hot. Everybody held up pretty well. Amy had fallen off a ladder earlier and took a blow to the noggin. Connie brought fans. There was general convivality and THANKS to all who brought sides because as you know, I was serving burgs and brats and chips. Period. Oh and pina coladas. Which I have PLENTY of left so they'll be goin to GNO next Wednesday at Sherry's (subtle reminder).

So the dentist's office just called at 2:50 to remind me of my 2:40 appointment today. Duh. They rescheduled for 4:20, an hour from now. It is blowing up some thunderstorm right now.

Here's Freewheelin' Frank who talked to me A LOT about the Rolling Stones. The greatest rock n roll band in the world.



Here are some wimmen attendees.


Sad Marky.


The honeymoon is SO over for these two. I hope they can move on.


Various other attendees.


Yow, let's eat.


I said, "Take a picture of the meat." This is what I got.


THIS is the meat I meant. Thank you, Fred the GrillMaster. The guy sat out there for an hour in the driveway, attending the grill but it was delicious.


Pasta salad, courtesty of Amy


Beans, beans, beans, beans. Also Annette brought some stunning beans, but alas, no photo. Chip.


Do these shorts make my butt look big?

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Monday, May 22, 2006

Let the summer begin!


Here is that mask I got at the humane society auction. It fits perfectly on that window on my front door.

First off, here's the scoop on the Southern Culture on the Skids show. It's May 30, a school night. The doors open at Vamp's in Toledo at 9, there's an opening act so who knows when SCOTS will go on. I went to Madhatter tonight but they close at 7 so I don't know how much tickets are and even though I am off that day, I don't know if I can make it. What about you? You know, this is NOT at that place that used to be Headliners where you saw Johnny Winter and/or Leon Russell. It is at some old Masonic Temple on Phillips Ave.

Bill Kirchen is doing a free concert at Grounds for Thought on May 31 at 8 p.m. This sounds doable.

So after Friday's fun-o-rama with Miss Oates et al, Saturday brought the mowing of the 9-inch grass, followed by a radio show I'm sure hardly any of you heard since we were locked out of the station for the Blues Breakfast and I got on at 2:20 when some yahoo showed up with the keys. This weekend, we ought to be able to hear all of us at our regularly scheduled times.

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND: Party, party, party. The weather is looking muy excelente. I say we grill on the giant Weiser Char-Broil on Monday. I plan on laying in every kind of alcohol known to man (or woman), some burgers, brats or something and we'll start about 2 and go until falling down occurs. LET'S DO IT!!! I'm off Friday through Tuesday.

Saturday night, one incarnation of Blues Posse was at Nate and Wally's with Rod sitting in for the now-absent Terry Z. It was fabuloso. I got there late due to magazine reading --> nap. So I lied to Sal when I told her I was good Saturday. Forgot about that late night at the bar. Connie was amusing. I'm thinking she had a couple of drinks -- or ten.

Sunday, I was a ball of fire from about 8:15 a.m. til 2 and then I hit the wall. Went to see the house Jacqui and Kay remodeled and want to sell for $239,000. It's nice but..... It's out there on the bend by that cemetery on Union Hill. It's on a half acre, got 2, maybe 3 bedrooms (2 up, 1 down), all new floors and drywall, some new windows, some arty touches, very airy. Tell your friends.

Then we went to the Holloway benefit at the Heinous. It was well attended. In auction fun, I got a Spot's coupon and one for GFT. The Posse played with their new guy who plays a mean pedal steel guitar. Gotta love that. And the Rod's Collision tore it up in an unequaled performance. Dancing took place.

So I have just come home from the Monday night at Beckett's with Gus (whom we love). Donna moseyed in. Still having problems finding someone to put up her fence. Wynn and Steve were there.

I heard somebody bought 2 tickets to see Paul Simon at the Zoo and it cost $180!! Yikes.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Whine n cheez

We went to the Humane Society benefit, me and Sal and Carrie and Judy.
I bought $75 worth of chocolate and split it with Jacqui Nathan. This might sound like a lot, but it was 28 bars of organic dark chocolate plus some choco bites things and some mints and some cocoa bits in chocolate. So now I have 17 chocolate bars. Do the math: I spend $3 on a chocolate bar at Stimmel's about twice a week.

I also bought a carved wood African mask for $20. And we had wine and snackage. So all in all, the animals got about $105 of my hard earned cash.

This guy looked like Sal's spouse from the back except he didn't have as nice a butt.


This leopard microfiber chair went for like $380 in the live auction. Esther was bidding on it but ended up buying some vacation in Florida for $850.


Then we went to Beckett's. For one drink. Shuh, right. About two hours later, I am home.


Thursday, Annie and I had gone to Ann Arbor to see Fred Eaglesmith. Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines opened for him. It was a swell time.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Pepperwood Grove Syrah $8

A delightful wine. Yessiree. Especially when you drink an entire bottle.

OK, so I'm thinking this whole wheeling blues fest has become the battle of the haves and have-nots. If you want to pay $300, you can get a chair and food and beer and possibly a place to sit out of the sun. Or you can pay $55 and sit in your own chair and buy beer and food. Hmmm, isn't this what the whole Bush admininstration is about, them VS. us?

This Saturday, Rod will sit in with Blues Posse at Nate and Wally's. Be there. I'll be at the Humane Society wine and cheese Friday night. And Saturday is Amy's garage sale. Be there. Or be square.

And how about seeing Johh Hammond at the Lebanon Blues Fest on August 5? It's free. We need to talk.

I still have not reserved a room for the Madison Ribberfest. I'll get right on this. Oh wait, now I have booked a room at the Best Western for two nights, Aug. 18 and 19. Who's going?

Phil Parsons has told us of a house in Talley, ND, that can be had for $1,500 but you have to move it to a different lot. I think this might be the THING WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR. A bed and breakfast for hunters and birders 8 months a year, plus we open a convenience story in Talley and then we spend 4 months a year in Mexico. I don't see how this could be bad. Hmmmm I cannot find talley, nd or tally, nd on google. Where is it?

Monday, May 15, 2006

Halfway through May already

Update: Rod is playing in the Terry Z spot with Blues Posse at Nate and Wally's this Saturday night. And the May 26 Blues Posse date has been CANCELED. I don't know how this impacts the Holloway Benefit for which both Rod's Collision and Blues Posse are supposed to play. And I hear Joe Baker will be in England May 21, so that puts the kibosh on the Tony and Joe Duo. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Overheard at the bar: "I've been fishing so much this spring, my wife thinks I have a girlfriend and my girlfriend thinks I have another girlfriend."

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Briefly

Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers are Friday night in Wheeling. And now I think I might just go to Indiana for the one night, Friday, to see Roy Rogers and come back the next evening after some festival bbq eating.

And Southern Culture on the Skids is at Vamp's (formerly the Underground, formerly that place Johnny Winter played at whatever it was called then) on Phillips Ave. in Toledo on May 30.

And I see Roomful of Blues will be at the Toledo Jazz Fest on June 17.

And here's the Zoo lineup:
Sun 07/02/06 Paul Simon

Tue 07/25/06 Ashlee Simpson
Tue 07/25/06 The Veronicas

Tue 08/08/06 Guster / Ray LaMontagne

Fri 08/11/06 "Laserspectacular Feat. The Music Of Pink Floyd"

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Calendar girl



For your convenience, your May commitments. Other months to follow. Click on the calendar to see a larger version. That's Southern Culture on the Skids on May 30. I'll keep you posted on ticket sales.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

A comment! I have a comment!

My daughter points out that I have not included the dates of her summer arrival in Smalltown. These are July 6 to something. Not clear. I DO know she leaves for New Orleans Thursday to see her brother. I have bail money at the ready.

Also she apologized for the pictures of her on myspace. Like this one that has a caption that says: "and then I smoked a joint in a telephone booth next to Bloomingdale's."


Who's mommy's little baby?

Missing photos


We saw this sign on the bike trail we walked the dogs on. Hmmm, you don't see a lot of that Danger: Hill kind of warning here in the flatlands.


Here is Tim at The Outpost, smoking an uncharacteristic cig. I am a bad influence. Or maybe it's just the first step towards my new career: relaxation counselor.

Just the facts, ma'am


First, let me start with the updates. The Holloway benefit has been rescheduled to May 21, as this Sunday is el dia de las madres, as Mr. Sonnenberg said.

Also, the heritage music fest in Wheeeeeling says on the website that a lineup will be posted May 15. I checked pollstar.com and by golly, 4 acts are already lined up, including Anthony Gomes at noon on Saturday. So we'll be checking that.

Furthermore, Donna has signed on for GNO for September. This leaves August open. Any takers?

Last night, we went to Beckett's and Donna was there going on about having hired drug addicts to install a new fence, drug addicts who felt that, after one day of hard labor, they were too pooped to participate any further. So now she has bags of concrete sitting around and no fence posts.

Then some guy inserts himself amongst me and Jenks and Donna and strikes up conversation and finally Donna leaves (after identifying herself as Susan on the second round of introductions) and then this guy just INSISTS that I accompany him to Uptown to dance. I am in a mood. Jenks can tell. She leaves, I make this guy buy me another vodka tonic, the bar is rocking with drunk youth singing along to Led Zeppelin Gus has on the stereo. We watch the end of the Indians game and I agree to go to Uptown. In the meantime we have conversed:

Me: Ever been married?

Guy: No

Me: Why not?

Guy (taken aback): I don't know

Me: Ever killed anybody?

Guy: WHAT?!@!?!

Also we arm wrestled. He claimed he was 43. I told him how old I am. He said At least I'm not 21. I said, My view is: you're old enough to buy me a drink, you're old enough.

Also, he said I was "good-looking" and had "a nice shape." This guy has to get some better lines. Because, as we know, I have heard them all.

At Uptown, a vodka tonic was $1. Quality liquor. So we danced to You Drive Me Crazy by the Fine Young Cannibals, a song I actually like. Then I went to the bathroom and when I came out, I slipped out the back door, past the pool players, onto the street and home. Luckily, I had my cloak of invisibility on. I was home in bed with toast and milk at 11:20.

I don't know what gets into me. The only thing I regret is that Gus saw me leave the bar with this lunatic loser. I would like to see those drag queens at Uptown again sometime though. Maybe the night before Amy's birthday. What say, girls?

Sunday, May 07, 2006

La tee da

Remember, you can click on a photo and see a larger version. This is important for the blue herons picture below.

So I set these blocks in around the garden.



Here's the new Mohican virurnum.


And the new sandcherry.


We had GNO Thursday at Deb H's.


Here's Maralyn and Lisa.


It was Maralyn's b-day month.


I went to Tim's Saturday. Here are his dogs as we prepare for walk in nature.


We had tacos outdoors on a bar patio. I had a sweet potato black bean one. It was beautiful out there sunny, blue skies.


We visited the Kent State May 4, 1970 memorial.


We don't want this to happen again.


Here are some Cuyahoga River falls.


Also we saw these nesting blue herons. It was amazing. There were dozens of them in these nest, feeding their young.



Later we went to see Ani de Chant at a bar called the Outpost.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Quick dates update, more later

Girls Night Out, as usual, brings lots o talk about upcoming events. Please note, your October is almost completely booked what with the Harvest party on Oct. 7 for which the Harvest moon will have been full the night before, the Sonnenberg Halloween affair on Oct. 21, and no doubt some other Halloween bash the weekend of Oct. 28.

The only viable summer blues show now looks to be the Madison, Indiana, Ribberfest, which takes place Aug. 18-19. Features Roomful of Blues, Roy Rogers, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and MORE!! For $20, included with which is $10 worth of food and drinks tickets.

Don't forget Ana Popovic with Simon Carter on July 21 at Mickey Finn's. This is also the weekend of Tunafest, which Tuna (national treasure or nutcase?) says will take two days this year to accommodate all the bands. And the Pittsburgh Blues Fest is that weekend but the lineup is marginal in my view. Also on July 21 at Rally by the River is Jimbo Mathus who appears the next night in Pittsburgh. Rally BTR is 5:30 - 9:30 so you can go there and then zip over to Mickey Finn's for Ana P. Rest up.

July 29 is Rock Rhythm and Blues for which the lineup is lame. Here is the Citifest website where RBTR and the RRB info is but it sometimes crashes my Internet Explorer. Be warned.

July 7 Chubby Carrier is at Rally BTR.

That Taste of the Town we went to last year is June 1-4. I think we saw Billy Mack and the JJJ's last year there. And the original Riboff in Toledo, unlike the one Citifest (who can't even keep up a decent website) is having Aug. 4-6, is at the Lucas Co. fairgrounds on Aug. 10-13.

May 20 is a big biker benefit/poker ride/fun time in Grand Rapids at the Sportsmen's Club. I'll get more info up on that tonight. May 19 is the Wood Co. Humane Society whine&cheez for which I still do not have a ticket. May 18 I'll be seeing Fred Eaglesmith at the Ark and the Conneaut garage sale is that weekend.

Is it July 23 that GNO has the pond party on Oil Center Rd.?

I'm pretty sure Blues Posse's final performances in the current configuration are May 20 at Nate and Wally's and May 26 at Grumpy Dave's.

I return to the radio airwaves on May 13 for the rest of the summer 2-4 p.m. Saturdays.

Girls Night Out for June is at Sherry's. July is Chez Weiser. I didn't hear any takers for the other warm months....

I believe I need to prepare a calendar with all these dates on it for you.

Sherry said last night Fred is a task kind of guy and by golly when I passed their house this morning before 8 a.m., ladders were under the trees as were cut-down branches.