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january twenty-seventh

2012-01-27T08:47:00.001-08:00

Five for January 27th:

Appliances. Our new faux-stainless steel kitchen implements are being delivered tomorrow morning. I’m crossing my fingers that the installation process will go smoothly and painlessly. We’ll see.

Rocking/rolling. Good practice last night. The new songs are really coming together nicely. Going to be some changes in our practice routine coming up- looks like we’ll soon be switching locales to Andy’s pad, where we can go longer and later.

Good thinking. “If you're an elected official that denounces evolution in the name of intelligent design, you should only accept votes submitted through prayer. Have faith that you'll win." -Some guy I don't know via the internet

Bum deal. A friend got screwed over by what was to be his new landlord last night- while he was on the way to pick up the keys- and now has to rush to find an apartment today. What a dick move.

Weekend. And not a moment too soon. Lots happening. Hope to see you out there.

january twenty-sixth

2012-01-26T08:57:00.001-08:00

Five for January 26th:

Comfort food. The barley stew at the Bottleworks is cheap, delicious, and good for frigid winter evenings. Plus it comes with a cheddar biscuit. You can’t lose.

Juice Magazine. Word on the ‘net is that the new issue is out. I think it only comes out once a year, which I can believe- it’s probably the most densely packed magazine currently in print. Each issue is like reading a novel.

Jason Potter interview. I dig a lot of what he’s saying in this interview with IWTAS. I also dig his artwork, and my apartment walls will attest to that fact. Read it, and go check out his opening tomorrow night.

Thursday playlist. This morning has so far consisted of Radio Birdman, the Buzzcocks, and the Knack. I like where this is going.

Band practice. Following a week off, it’s time to get back in shape for our show at the Firebird next weekend. It’s the Firebird’s 3rd anniversary show, and you need to be there.

january twenty-fifth

2012-01-25T09:26:00.001-08:00

Five for January 25th:

St. Louis 1963. If you live in St. Louis, are from St. Louis, or just want to see some amazing vintage footage, then stop what you’re doing and watch this immediately. This video gives me chills.

Powell swag. The new Powell-Peralta spring 2012 catalog came in the mail yesterday, along with about 6 or 7 various stickers that normally would’ve cost a buck or two each. There’s an awesome OG rat bones shirt in there that I want to get, but it’s not available online yet- which is probably a good thing, as I have no disposable income.

Moving has begun. We finally started moving stuff over to the house last night, starting with the basement. If we do a couple of carloads at a time, we’ll get it done quickly. Hoping to possibly spend our first night there this weekend, but that might be a stretch.

My desk. It’s a freaking mess right now. Usually I’m a lot more organized, but it’s been insane since I got back, and stuff is piling up. I’ll have to do a clean sweep on Friday and straighten up.

Baked goods. Lisa threw a bunch of orange-cranberry muffins in my bag this morning, and they’ve made my day. Score.

january twenty-fourth

2012-01-24T09:50:00.001-08:00

Five for January 24th:

NAMM show. Highlights included catching up with old friends, making new ones, attempting to eat a 5 lb burrito, and seeing tons of cool stuff. Nowhere but the NAMM show can you just run into Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden on the way to the bathroom. Lowlights included cold weather, sore feet, and long hours.

Skate videos. Shackle Me Not and Hokus Pokus both showed up in the mail just in time for the trip. I brought them along, but ended up not watching either of them. I knew that would happen. Also, the reviews coming back from Sundance on the Bones Brigade documentart are looking good. Can’t wait to see it for myself.

Flying sucks. This trip featured the worst turbulence I’ve ever been subjected to, plus the usual unannounced flight delays and hours of sitting around the airport thumb-twiddling. While it’s certainly a necessity, I actually sort of despise flying.

Henry. I was having some serious dog withdrawal over the last few days. It was awesome to see the little dude. Also, last night Henry discovered the wonders of the tennis ball, which he’s now big enough to get his mouth around. Just in time for backyard season!

Zero hour. Our new appliances go in this Saturday, and then it’s movin’ time. We’re going to start packing stuff this week. Anyone want to sub-lease an awesome apartment? Give me a shout.

january seventeenth

2012-01-17T06:32:00.000-08:00

Five for January 17th:

Elephant Jersey Devil. Mike V has released his latest Elephant video, and no shock- it’s killer. Tom Groholski tribute board. Extra points for the Minor Threat soundtrack.

Pseudo-spring. Yesterday got back up to 66 degrees, which apparently made for some pretty gnarly storms last night. People are talking about sirens going off and all sorts of craziness, but whatever happened, I slept right through it.

Closed for business. Went to the Barnes and Noble on Watson to get some magazines to pass the time on the way to California, and it’s all boarded up. Who knew? Diverted course to West County Mall, where my mom got me a $3 employee discount. Score.

La Pizza. Hadn’t been there for lunch in probably close to a year, which is crazy. Their pizza by the slice is the best in town. I just wish it was a little less off the beaten path.

Blog hiatus. There shall be no posts for a week starting today. Back Tuesday the 24th with a post-LA wrap-up.

january sixteenth

2012-01-16T07:53:00.001-08:00

Five for January 16th:

Yesterday. Breakfast and Bloody Marys downtown at Rooster followed by a quick hike to the RV show. This year, Mary and Keith came along, and as always, it was awesome. Saw some amazing stuff. Our goal is to get an R-Pod in the next few years. We’ll see if that happens.

The cats are away. All members of management are en route to, or already in California. This should make for a pretty chill couple of days at the office before I head out there myself.

House update. The post-carpet re-inspection was received, and we’re officially closed as of today. The house is ours. In other news, the front room was painted on Saturday and Lisa will be busting out the kitchen today. Only a little left to go.

SOPA. This bullshit bill looks like it’s on the way out. This is awesome news for anyone who, you know, believes in his or her freedoms as American citizens.

Hot tubbing in the ice. Braving the bitter cold- barefoot and in swim trunks- to get to the tub was pretty harrowing, but it was totally worth it. There’s no better time of the year to take advantage.

january thirteenth

2012-01-13T07:32:00.001-08:00

Five for January 13th:

Friday the 13th. It’s here, and not a moment too soon. Weekend plans include house painting, hanging out with friends, and making our annual trip to the RV show downtown preceded by breakfast at Rooster. It’s a tradition that cannot be broken.

New songs. We have about four new tunes in the works, including a brand new one from last night, that are all sounding really awesome even in their infancy. Excited to finish them up and get them out there.

Avail. Listening to “4 AM Friday” on Spotify. I used to listen to this album all the time. It’s still great, although definitely sounds dated. Ahh, the nineties. Maybe I’ll throw on some Propaghandi next.

California trip. I’ll be heading to LA soon for the annual music industry tradeshow. It’s a lot of work, but always a good time. Can’t beat sunshine and palm trees in the middle of January, plus I get to catch up with a ton of people I don’t get to see as often as I’d like to.

H-Street. Picked up the Shackle Me Not/Hokus Pokus combo pack (with bonus soundtrack CD) for a steal on eBay. Too good a price to pass up, and I really don’t think I could’ve lived without these videos on DVD any longer.

january twelfth

2012-01-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

Five for January 12th:

Snow day. Yeah, there’s some snow on the ground today. I refuse to gripe about the weather. This has been the best winter in history. It was 70 degrees out not one week ago. The way I see it, we've all had it pretty damn good. It IS January, after all. Drive carefully and everything will be ok.

“Ban This” Caballero. I’ve been waiting years for Powell to re-release the Ban This Cab graphic, and they've finally done it. I’m kind of bummed that they didn’t do it on the original shape, but what’re you gonna do? I’ll take what I can get. Hopefully that’s next.

House update. Carpet is finally in, and it looks great. Well, as great as carpet can look, I suppose. At last, we can close out our loan and have this whole process behind us.

First practice of 2012. Happening tonight. We have a lot of stuff planned for this year, and some really great new songs in the works. Looking forward to kicking things off in style at the Firebird on February 4th. It’ll be a party.

Yankee Racers CD release. Also happening tonight at Off Broadway. I heard a couple of tracks from this album while rehearsing for NYE and it sounds absolutely killer. Seth will be doing a tune along with a bunch of other awesome STL musicians. Be there.

january eleventh

2012-01-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

Five for January 11th:

Installation. As I type this, there are a couple of flooring installers putting in the carpet at the house. I’m glad they came early, and since it’s an all day job I don’t have to take any time off work. Everyone wins. Hopefully the end result is a good one.

Bad Religion. “How Could Hell Be Any Worse” was the soundtrack to my summer when I was about 18. Listening to it now brings it all back very vividly. Good stuff.

Schlafly. They hit it out of the park with the vanilla milk stout. It was like drinking a shake. The perfect way to toast a job well done. Also, it was cool seeing a ton of friends out at the Royale last night. South city rules.

Attention, bands of the world. The following rhymes have been outlawed, and to use them in any songs from here on out shall result in death: "black and white/wrong or right"; "school/ golden rule"; "down the street/ want to meet". No exceptions.

Oranges from Grandma. The girl that lived at the house before us apparently doesn’t know how to do a change-of-address, because we’re still getting alot of her mail- including a giant carton of fresh oranges from her Grandmother. Lisa was particularly excited about these.

january tenth

2012-01-10T07:27:00.001-08:00

Five for January 10th:

Band stuff. We received a couple of mentions in the annual I Went To A Show “top shows of 2011” feature that came out yesterday, which is really awesome and flattering. We also got an email from St. Louis Magazine asking for an interview, so look for that in the next couple of months, I suppose.

Tonight. Lisa and I will be tackling the final bit of painting in the back staircase and clearing the floors for the carpet to be installed tomorrow. Can’t believe we’re almost there. I’ll be putting up some before & after pictures soon. Celebratory pints of vanilla milk stout at the Royale to follow.

Crab legs. Hell yes we got them last night. Big thanks to my mom for the gift card that made it all happen. It’s the little things.

Elephant skateboards. Mike V’s new company. Their first-ever full lineup of product is online and it looks absolutely awesome. In my mind, this brand is the missing link. I’m excited to check one out when they’re available.

Plastic pallets. Perfect for keeping basement-storage items dry in the event of a flood, and you never have to worry about them rotting. Scored 3 of them in the alley the other day. Waste not, want not.

january ninth

2012-01-09T07:47:00.001-08:00

Five for January 9th:

Ultimate pet peeves. Toilet paper on the roll backwards, people asking to borrow a pen and putting it in their mouth, people leaving the water running in public restrooms after washing their hands.

Home stretch. After many long days, nights, and weekends of work on the house, the flooring upstairs finally goes in this week. Hard to believe it’s almost done- that phase, anyway. It’s impossible to overstate how much we appreciate the generosity of family and friends in helping us get this project finished.

Schlafly Vanilla Milk Stout. The Royale is tapping a keg of it tomorrow night and we’re going to check it out.

NYE photos. Some shots of the band(s) from New Year’s Eve courtesy of Kate McDaniel and I Went To A Show. Professionally-shot, hi-def video is coming soon, which I personally cannot wait to see.

Henry. According to our vet, who looks exactly like Kitty from Arrested Development, the lump on his ear is no big deal. He’s freshly aerodynamic following last week’s grooming, and has been having a blast hanging out in his new backyard while we work on the house.

january sixth

2012-01-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

Five for January 6th:

Going to bed early. Crashed at 9:30 last night. I’ve been battling a cold and headache for pretty much the last four days straight, and it caught up with me. Sure, I was in bed before many area grandmothers, but it felt good to get nine hours of sleep.

Dreams. Speaking of sleeping, last night I had a very short dream wherein Lisa and I had a cat named Harvey Beefprism (that was basically the whole dream). I woke up after the dream ended and forced myself to remember the name Harvey Beefprism. You can all thank me later.

Gmail's new look. I suppose that, theoretically, the redesign of Gmail could be worse, more cluttered, or more gaudy- although I’m honestly not sure how. And I’m not complaining just for the sake of complaining. It really is an absolute mess. It’s depressing.

Mint mocha coffee. A bag was on sale and we snagged it for $2.50. Frankly, it’s kind of awesome. The perfect blend of scent (pleasant) and taste (not overwhelming). I’d go back and get more, but we got the last one. Let the rationing begin.

Springtime in January. It’s going to be 66 degrees today. This is awesome, because I hate winter, but a bummer because I can’t be out enjoying it. That, and the whole global warming thing.

january fifth

2012-01-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

Five for January 5th:

Nice weekend. The beautiful weather trend soldiers on into January, and we’re looking at a sunny and warm weekend coming up. Going to try to move our basement while the getting is good. Lots of other stuff happening as well. Should be a good one.

Spotify. I know I’ve mentioned this already, but it’s worth reiterating: Spotify has been pretty much life-changing, especially when it comes to passing time at the office. I’ve discovered and re-discovered a ton of music since I started using it. I can’t recommend it enough.

Customer service. It's hard to be mad at a dude who sounds like Boomhauer even if he is calling you out.

Board games. I think 2012 will be the year I finally start my “Fireball Island” league. Who’s in?

Schlafly. It was announced yesterday that Schlafly was sold to a capital investment group. I really hope that this turns out well for everyone involved- but the term “capital investment group” automatically engages my cringe reflex- and for good reason. I went through such a buyout, and it wasn't pretty.

january fourth

2012-01-04T08:21:00.001-08:00

Five for January 4th:

Old school reissue wish list. Sims Kevin Staab “genie”, Santa Cruz Claus Grabke “exploding clock”, Vision Tom Groholski “robot handplant”, every Powell deck from 1985-1990. There’s a lot more than that, believe you me.

Television. What else is there to do when it’s dark and freezing? People said Friday Night Lights was cool, and they were right. Not my favorite show ever, but it’s pretty easy to get sucked in. I’m digging it. Also finished season 1 of Portlandia, which, ehh. I like it, but it’s not the answer to everything.

Hanging out. Met up with Keith, Mary-Kate and crew at Milo’s last night. The true bocce fanatics toughed it out in the frigid, tarp-enclosed outdoors, but we stayed inside, because that’s how we roll.

Henry tune-up. Groomin’ time. He’s the shaggiest he’s been in ages, and tomorrow he’ll get clipped and brushed out. There’s a Schnoodle in there somewhere. He also has a weird bump in his ear we need to get checked out.

Bad Brains. Listening to "Rock for Light" is both inspiring and depressing. Inspiring because it's one of the greatest albums of all time, and depressing because nothing you do will ever be this awesome.

january third

2012-01-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

Five for January 3rd:

Back in the saddle. Following a short New Year’s break, I’m back. Another year has come and passed. It seems impossible that 2002 was ten years ago, but here we are. Last year was epic and this year is going to be epic-er. Just wait and see.

New Year’s Eve. Our show at Off Broadway was, to put it lightly, beyond awesome. I have to give an immense thanks to the hundreds upon hundreds of people that chose to spend their NYE with us. It seems like everyone had a good time, and I know we did, so everyone wins. I had a blast rehearsing and working on the set with the KKF dudes for the last couple of months, and I’m looking forward to next year already. Check out the set list here!

House party. Tackled some much-needed housework head-on this weekend and made a mountain of progress, due in large part to the generous time and effort pitched in by friends and family. The upstairs is almost totally painted and it looks amazing. Can’t wait to get moved in there.

Illness. Kicked the year off with a sore throat and a massive headache. I think I pushed myself a little too hard and it caught up with me. Luckily the fever broke, and after a day or so of recuperation I was good to go.

Firsts of the year. Breakfast eaten: pancakes at Chris’ Pancakes. T-shirt put on: black “Thrasher” shirt. Text sent: Steve Marshall. Shoes worn: green Chuck Taylors. Album listened to in its entirety: Husker Du “Warehouse: Songs & Stories”.

top five for 2011

2011-12-23T13:26:00.001-08:00

Top Five for 2011:

Getting engaged. I’m the luckiest person in the world for one reason alone, and that is that I get to marry Lisa. This summer I got engaged on a tropical beach in the BVI to the coolest, smartest, most beautiful, inspirational, and supportive person I’ve ever known, hands down. Can’t wait until September 29th when we make it official.

Henry. He’s the coolest dog of all time, and it’s been great watching him go from being a scared, timid rescue that couldn’t even walk on a leash to the smart, confident, energetic, and totally awesome dog he is today. We often say, “Can you remember life before Henry? Those were dark times”. And it’s true.

Buying a house. After months of searching and looking at probably a hundred houses, we finally found the home of our dreams, which we’re getting for an unbelievable price in one of the most amazing neighborhoods in the city. Even though the process of buying it was a harrowing one, it’s ours as of today, and we couldn’t be more excited.

Traveling. Did a bunch this year. As usual, not as much as I would’ve liked, but enough to satisfy. Started out the year in LA, went to New Orleans with Lisa and family, and traveled out of the country for the first time to the British Virgin Islands with our best friends for one of the most ridiculously awesome vacations I could have possibly imagined. Also went to Toledo, Columbus, and a few other spots for some rock shows, and hit up the Lake of the Ozarks for a long weekend with Henry in tow.

The Blind Eyes. This was a good year for the band. We finally released “With A Bang”, and it has far surpassed our expectations, especially on a local level. We played some of our best shows ever and had the privilege of playing with some of our favorite artists. We started out the year as a 3-piece and are ending as a 4, with the addition of Andy on guitar. This year will be a tough one to top, but I think we’re up for the challenge.

december twenty-second

2011-12-22T07:23:00.001-08:00

Five for December 22nd:

Home stretch. After a week of postponement, we’re finally closing on the house tomorrow morning. It’s been a long, strange trip. I’ll say no more on the subject until the keys are in hand.

Hanging out. What do you do when you have no disposable income? Hang out with friends, take a winter dip in their hot tub, play Farkle, and have a few drinks, that’s what.

NYE Posters are up. I hit up various spots on South Grand and a few other select spots in South City, Seth is tackling the CWE, and the Knife Fighters have the rest. As a side note, how did I not think to have posters printed at work sooner? It’s free and saves me an annoying trip to Kinko’s. Sometimes, the thing you’re looking for is staring you right in the face.

Weekend plans. House work whenever possible, various family events, gift exchanges, hanging out with friends, and trying not to eat a metric ton of horrifyingly bad food.

Blog Hiatus. I’m taking next week off from this blog, which means tomorrow’s entry will be the final one for 2011. While I know this saddens all of you, fret not- 2012 is on the horizon.

december twenty first

2011-12-21T07:44:00.001-08:00

Five for December 21st:

Crow’s Nest. Trekked to Maplewood last night to have a drink and check out the Crow’s Nest, the new bar owned by the Bleeding Deacon crew. It’s a cool spot, in the old (old) Atomic Cowboy space, and it’s super close to our new pad. We’ll definitely be back.

Cookies. There’s nothing quite like coming home to a bunch of homemade cookies, especially when they’re your favorite cookies ever. And no, you can’t have any.

Wednesday evening action. Getting NYE posters printed after work, putting up as many as possible, and then hanging with Lisa, Mary and Keith. What are we doing? That remains to be seen, but needless to say it can’t cost anything.

Elephant Skateboards. So, Mike V is rumored to be starting a new skate brand, and those rumors appear to be true based on some pics that surfaced online yesterday. That red Jeff Phillips “tribute” deck looks amazing, and I can’t wait to check them out.

"Updated" Blogger interface. I use the term "updated" loosely. The new interface for this blog is sloppy, ugly, and cumbersome (you have to manually insert breaks between paragraphs?). What a joke. A huge step in the wrong direction.

december twentieth

2011-12-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

Five for December 20th:

Spotify playlists. Are they this generations mix tapes? Lisa’s “2002” playlist features- among others- The Weakerthans, Murder City Devils, and Drive Like Jehu. I’m marrying the coolest girl ever.

Be careful. A good friend of mine got robbed at gunpoint on Cherokee last week in the middle of the day. It’s important to remember that behind the bustling veneer of the main drag, it’s still a rough neighborhood. Park on Cherokee, be smart and stay safe.

Deep Purple. In the epic battle of “In Rock” vs. “Fireball” vs. “Machine Head”, “In Rock” has prevailed. All hail.

NYE show poster. Nate from Knife Fight finished them up last night and they’ll be going up around town this week. They’re awesome.

House closing. T-minus four days until I’m once again a homeowner. Totally excited to have this process over with, and start on phase two. Also excited to have parties, more than one floor, and more than one bathroom.

december nineteenth

2011-12-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

Five for December 19th:

Rocked out. Put in about seven hours of practicing at Utopia last night for NYE. I’m feeling good about the songs, but that might have been the longest straight practice session I’ve ever done. Needless to say, I’m burnt.

Unseasonably warm. Once again, it was in the mid fifties this morning. It’s the week before Christmas, and you could’ve camped out last night. Crazy awesome. Didn’t even need a jacket yesterday. I dig.

Closing week. I’m remaining optimistic that this week will pass without any issues arising and we will be able to close on the house on Friday as planned. Of course, at this point, nothing will surprise me.

Mondays. They’re much more awesome when you get to meet your fiancee’ at Mi Ranchito for lunch.

New stuff. Leather bound notebook and coffee mug (compliments of Martin strings), new issue of TW Ride BMX, bag of Turkish coffee, two awesome kites.

december sixteenth

2011-12-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

Five for December 16th:

House inaction. We were supposed to be closing on our house today, but due to circumstances beyond our control, it’s now next week at this time. What’re you gonna do? At least it’s Friday, and this week zoomed by.

Weekend. Weather is supposed to be sunny and warm-ish. Lots of stuff going on- Pat’s annual Holiday party, skating, rock practice, and more.

Lisa on vacation. I’m jealous of her whole “ten days off” thing. Again, a bummer that it can’t be spent working on our new house, as was the plan, but a vacation is a vacation.

Barack Obama. The good news? The Iraq war is over! The bad news? You can now be indefinitely detained for no reason without a trial, your rights as an American citizen be damned. Obama shan’t see my vote again.

The Strokes. “Room On Fire” is a much better album than I remember. I’m glad I gave it another chance. Also, Spotify rules.

december fifteenth

2011-12-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

Five for December 15th:

2011 Personal Property Taxes. Paid. Big ups to the collector of revenue for actually sending me my bill this year! Can’t pay a bill you never receive, Gregory FX Daly. You may want to make a note of that.

Top spins. I’m still floored by yesterday’s KDHX end-of-the-year lists. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d be at the top of either- let alone both of them. I can’t really adequately express how much I appreciate it.

Minor Threat. This morning’s soundtrack via Spotify. While it seems most people prefer the first album, I definitely tend to lean towards “Out of Step”- although they’re both awesome.

STL in December. Yesterday saw spring-like temperatures complete with a thunderstorm. This morning it was in the mid 60s. Never underestimate the weirdness of Midwest weather.

Updated Netflix. Despite that getting it to work initially was a massive headache, the updated version is a thousand times faster and better.

december fourteenth

2011-12-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

Five for December 14th:

Cookies for breakfast. Probably not the best idea, but there was a table full of them at the office today. What was I supposed to do?

Closing date. Looks like it’ll be early next week now instead of this Friday. Can’t say I’m shocked. It’ll all work out, but I’m bummed not to be able to spend this weekend working on the house. That said, maybe it’s a blessing in disguise, as we have a holiday party on Saturday night and an epic, 8 hour NYE practice on Sunday.

The weather remains the same. I stepped outside to walk Henry this morning and almost did a double take. Is this spring? I seriously could’ve got by with a light jacket.

Press. “With A Bang” is officially the #1 played album on KDHX for 2011 in both the national and local categories, and has made more than one DJ top ten list. Additionally, Seth talks about recording the album in today’s issue of the RFT. Thank you to everyone in the local music media community from the bottom of my heart.

Metallica measurements. I figured out this morning that a standard, 8-hour work day can be measured in approximately 57 spins of “Master of Puppets”.

december thirteenth

2011-12-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

Five for December 13th:

Spotify. Downloaded it onto my work computer yesterday and it’s changing my life. The staleness of my iPod was beyond depressing, and listening to fresh music all day is making a difference. Discovered some new stuff, as well.

Your mother jokes. 34 years old, and still making/laughing at them every day. Some things never get less awesome.

Red Lobster. I want it, yet cannot have it. Crab legs and cheesy biscuits will have to wait until June. This whole “having no disposable income” thing kinda blows.

Bones Brigade documentary. Looks like there'll be some showings at Sundance in January, which gives me hope that it'll be available on DVD sometime in 2012. Really, really looking forward to seeing this.

Henry. He drives me crazy sometimes, but he looks damn good in his blue sweater. Excited about being able to just let him out in the mornings.

december twelfth

2011-12-12T09:10:00.000-08:00

Five for December 12th:

Weekend action. Keith’s birthday at Bottleworks, awesome daytime weather (skateboarding at the banks), dinner with Lisa at Dressel’s, epic rock practice at Utopia, getting more house stuff in line (continuing into this week).

Diet root beer. Second only to Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi, diet A&W is at the top of the heap for sodas. I was binge-drinking it yesterday (i.e. I had two bottles), which is weird, because generally I don’t drink a lot of soda. Just sounded good for whatever reason.

House prep. This is the last week to get stuff in line before we close on Friday. Mostly making calls, signing papers, and making sure everything is in place. Luckily, this phase is almost over, and the fun stuff is around the corner.

Great weather. It’s worth mentioning again: it’s mid December- almost Christmas- and it’s still pretty amazing outside. Cold at night, sure, but the daytime has been sunny and warm. Hoodie weather. No snow, no ice. Other states are buried already, and we’ve had a dusting of flurries at worst. I’ll take it for as long as it wants to stick around.

Rolling Stones. Is there ever a bad time to listen to “Exile on Main St”? No, there isn’t. I could listen to it every day, all day. Case in point: now.

december ninth

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Five for December 9th:

Half marathon. Lisa officially signed up for the 2012 Go! St. Louis half marathon in April. I’m considering it, but right now, with everything else going on, I can’t quite commit. I’ll probably end up feeling better about it once the house stuff settles down. Speaking of, we close a week from today. Psyched.

Netflix. After a couple of weeks of non-functionality and about ten phone calls, we finally got our Netflix online back up and running. Who knows what the issue actually was, but it’s working. Bonus: How I Met Your Mother is now streaming.

Weekend action. This week blew by. Got a bunch of stuff planned for this weekend, including more house stuff, Keith’s birthday brewery crawl, rock practice, and more.

Rick Santorum is a douchebag. Like the lotus, his douchebaggery continues to blossom again and again.

Skate Videos. Andy gave me the hookup on a couple of burns last night, including the epic “Stay Gold”. Probably my favorite non-old school skate video ever.

december eighth

2011-12-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

Five for December 8th:

Pho Grand. We had to get out of the house last night, as stir craziness was setting in. Luckily, Pho Grand is cheap, close, and awesome. Their Jasmine tea is rad.

Sunshine. It’s cold, but the sun is out, which is good by me. Skated a bit in front of the apartment before leaving for work today. I’ve still got the pop.

Band practice. The amount of drumming planned for this month is a bit absurd. In addition to normal Thursday practices, I just got an email requesting a marathon, 8-hour practice for NYE at Utopia next Sunday.

Albert Pujols. That’s a level of sheer greed that I don’t- and won’t- ever be able to understand. Don’t let the doorknob hit ‘ya where the good Lord split ‘ya.

This morning. It’s only 10 am and already a bunch of lingering questions about the house closing next week have been answered, I nailed down some details on the trip to LA next month, popped some sweet ollies, and received an unexpected call from Greg Cartwright of the Oblivians.

december seventh

2011-12-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

Five for December 7th:

Everything is coming together. Slowly but surely. Yes, it still feels like the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, but we close on our house in nine days and I couldn’t be more excited. Keeping my fingers crossed that stuff just goes as planned.

Yesterday. Shit got crazy with the whole Blind Eyes/ Yokohama thing. It’s all water under the bridge now, but still. Can’t believe what that turned in to. Being in a band can sure be zany sometimes.

Powell Peralta holiday stuff. VCJ-designed Ripper greeting card? Check. Limited edition Christmas deck? Check. Not actually getting either of these things, but I’m glad they exist.

Pro tip. If you see a picture or post on Facebook prefaced with the term "Too funny NOT to share!!”, there's a 100% chance it's not actually funny.

End of the year lists. They’re starting to trickle out here and there, but the majority of them are still on the horizon. As you can probably guess, I’m somewhat of a fan of random lists, so I’m excited to check more of them out.

december sixth

2011-12-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

Five for December 6th:

Flurries. Yeah, it’s starting to snow outside. Flurries are no big deal, obviously, but I think the honeymoon is over. Thus begins the long, slow trudge toward spring.

New gloves. Lisa hooked me up with a pair of brand new Gore-Tex gloves and they’re changing my life (see above post). The gloves I had been using for the last five years were literally purchased in the dollar bin at Target. The new gloves are warm, waterproof, and stylish. Score.

Mondays with Mike V. The entire webisode lineup finally got posted online. Mike Vallely has always been one of my favorite skaters and seems like a pretty awesome all-around dude. Whatever the case, this series is cool and fun to watch.

The Blind Eyes and Yokohama. Apparently a bunch of our songs have found their way onto a series of Yokohama videos recapping portions of the 2011 LA Auto Show. I suppose any press is good press. Where’s my free Scion?

Weird dream. I had a dream last night that I was auditioning for Metallica, but we never got around to actually playing anything, we just hung around some weird house all day. It was Lars, James, and Jason Newsted, but no Kirk, so apparently I was auditioning to be their guitar player. I realized I hadn’t practiced any of the songs and panicked, which woke me up in real life.

december fifth

2011-12-05T08:25:00.000-08:00

Five for December 5th:

Grocery stock-up. Loaded up with food for the week and snacks for the workplace. Also, saw a woman leaving the store with a cart filled with nothing but heads of iceberg lettuce.

Skating. Got a session in at the banks- a totally awesome and seemingly undiscovered spot on the Hill- with Andy on Saturday afternoon while it was still pleasant outdoors. The best part about this spot is that it’s literally in walking distance from what will soon be our new house.

Realistic children’s drawings. This could be one of my favorite things I’ve come across in many years of using the internet. Totally fascinating.

Pricing out. Lisa and I went on the hunt for appliance and flooring deals over the weekend, and they are definitely out there to be had. Doesn’t sound like that great of a time, but actually, it was really fun.

Sushi night. First one of the winter at Mary and Keith’s on Saturday. It doesn’t get much better than fresh sushi, saké and beer followed by a dip in the hot tub for an awesomely inexpensive evening.

december second

2011-12-02T09:20:00.000-08:00

Five for December 2nd:

Rocking. Good practice last night. Actually worked on a couple of new songs, both of which are sounding great. Between playing shows and releasing the album in 2011, we hardly wrote anything new, so it’s cool to be pounding out some fresh original material.

Friday. And not a moment too soon. Dinner/hanging out with Como friends tonight. Trip Daddys EP release party tomorrow. More practice on Sunday. What else is happening?

Mi Ranchito. Hitting it up with Tom today for a late lunch. Their soup rules and it’s totally cheap. No better way to kick off the weekend.

Schlafly Coffee Stout. Is there any better beer in the world? The answer is no. This year’s batch is the best it has ever been.

Two weeks. Closing on our house and it still feels like we’re chasing our tail on everything. It’s driving me slowly insane, but I’m confident things will work out.

december first

2011-12-01T08:41:00.000-08:00

Five for December 1st:

December. Where did this summer go? Where did this year go? I can’t believe it’s already December. That doesn’t even seem possible. That said- this month should be totally awesome for a number of reasons.

House stuff. Another wrench has been thrown following the appraisal that may require a bit of work over the weekend to take care of in order for the loan to go through, but it’s cool. Not stressing it. Not stressing it.

Rock show. JD McPherson killed it at Off Broadway. The album is full of horns, pianos, and other instrumentation, but they completely pulled it off as a three piece of guitar, bass, and drums. Mark of a good band, if you ask me.

Band practice. Our first actual practice of our own material in a long time is happening tonight. We’ve been spending every practice for the last few weeks rehearsing covers for NYE. It’ll be cool to play some of our own stuff.

Café Americano. Had to happen this morning. Paid for by change I found in my car. Hope you like pennies, Starbucks.

november thirtieth

2011-11-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

Five for November 30th:

Must have at all times. Skateboard in the trunk, emergency dental floss, Vans slip-ons, multi-tool/Maglite, to-go coffee mug.

JD McPherson at Off Broadway. “Signs and Signifiers” was one of my favorite albums I heard this year, so it’ll be awesome to see him live, and in an amazing venue no less. Check out this video, and I’ll see you tonight.

Chap Stick. Finished my second-ever tube of Chap Stick yesterday without losing it. This may not mean much to you, but I’ve had (seemingly) hundreds of tubes of Chap Stick in my life, and only managed to get to the bottom of two of them.

Lily’s Mexican Restaurant. Good fish tacos and salsa bar, and the family that owns it is so immensely nice that it’s hard not to grin the entire time you’re there.

Winter is here. With a vengeance. I can’t complain, though. The Indian summer stretched out longer than anyone was expecting it to. It will be December tomorrow, after all.

november twenty-ninth

2011-11-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

Five for November 29th:

Home buying. The great comedy of errors that is the act of attempting to purchase a house from the US Government reared its ugly head again yesterday when- gasp- something that should have been simple didn’t go as planned. Luckily I stepped in and ninja’d that shit and it was done on time. December 16th can’t get here soon enough.

Best breakfasts. Oatmeal with bananas, pecans, and brown sugar (home), breakfast pizza (Benton Park café), chorizo pot pie (Local Harvest).

John Lithgow. Is there anything he has been in that isn’t awesome? Even his cameos are great. Lithgow rules.

Red Dead Redemption. For replay value alone, this is quickly becoming my favorite video game ever. Still haven’t played the “Undead Nightmare” version. Who wants to lend it to me?

Henry. He is now spending nights in bed with Lisa and I, under the covers, right between us. Trying not to make a habit out of it, but on cold nights, it's pretty awesome. Henry is the raddest dog ever.

november twenty-eighth

2011-11-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

Five for November 28th:

Long weekend. Unseasonably warm weather. Good times with Lisa’s family at Thanksgiving, “How I Met Your Mother” marathon, hot-tubbing in the rain with Mary and Keith, setting up the Christmas tree, and practicing with Knife Fight last night at Utopia.

RIP Bleeding Deacon. One of my favorite bars apparently closed up shop as of last night. Rumors are swirling about what happened and whether or not it’ll reopen somewhere at some point, but whatever the case, I’m going to miss that place.

Spring cleaning. The great purge of crap has begun. Tons of stuff to the trash/curb and more to charity in advance of the move to our new house. While I’ll always be somewhat of a collector of stuff, it feels good to wipe my hands clean of some things that were just taking up space.

Saturday skateboarding. In addition to an early morning old-school boardslide session on the curbs across the street, I hit up Kingshighway park, the Hill banks, and JB with Andy in the afternoon. My No Coast shop deck is killer.

Dear Netflix. If you offer an upgrade to online viewing, and the apparent function of the aforementioned upgrade is that your Netflix no longer works in any way, shape, or form, that is actually NOT an upgrade. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Get your shit together or you've lost a customer.

november twenty-third

2011-11-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

Five for November 23rd:

Wrenches and hoops. You know, I thought it had been conspicuously long since the whole “buying a house” thing threw a wrench at us, or at the very least provided us with a few good solid hoops to jump through. Alas, that was remedied yesterday. Whew. Good to see people are staying on their game.

The Colony. Started watching it last night. 2 episodes in, it’s pretty amazing. That said, I don’t think I’d cut it in a post-apocalyptic world.

Voltron vs. Optimus. While I appreciate the sentiment here, these are technically both wrong. Voltron’s actual (original) name is Golion, and Optimus Prime originated as Battle Convoy. Sorry, but I cannot by out-nerded by many people when it comes to Japanese toys.

Holiday woes. I feel sorry for those that have to take part in traveling during the holidays. I also feel bad for those that are made to get to their shitty jobs at Toys R Us at 9pm on Thanksgiving night so idiots in tents can buy their “Apples to Apples” games before anyone else.

Time out. In keeping with tradition, this blog goes on hiatus on weekends, long weekends, holidays, Arbor day, Festivus, Lady Bird Johnson’s birthday, and pretty much any other time I’m not going to be sitting at a computer all day. This will be the case starting tomorrow. See you all on Monday.

november twenty-second

2011-11-22T09:09:00.000-08:00

Five for November 22nd:

Den mother. Denise brought in some sewing supplies and got my recently de-buttoned peacoat re-buttoned. What is it with peacoat buttons always falling off? One of life’s great mysteries. Thanks, D.

Skateboarding. Hooked up with Andy at Ramp Riders last night for a bit. I feel like I haven’t set foot on my skateboard in forever. The BMX dudes there were insane, hitting the vert wall like 20 feet up. Good times. Got home and set up my No Coast deck. I’ve been bumming on that Anti Hero lately.

Fox News. Is there anything they can’t spin? Apparently not. That said; the comments at the bottom of the article are great.

Thanksgiving. Lisa’s favorite holiday is mere days away. I have to admit, I’m looking forward to it as well. As an added bonus, the weather is looking good for the long weekend.

Housecleaning. We’re doing a big one this weekend, getting rid of as much unnecessary stuff as possible in preparation for the move. What will be uncovered? It'll be interesting to see.

november twenty-first

2011-11-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

Five for November 21st:

Holiday weekend. Three days on, four days off? I could get used to that schedule. Especially when awesome food is involved.

Pigs and pepper spray. Do the world a favor and go kill yourselves.

Trivia night champions. Scored 90/100 for the win on Friday night. Two weeks in a row, two first place victories (granted, the week before we lost by a tiebreaker). Congrats to the rest of the team, and to Lisa for putting on an awesome event.

Closing date. Creeping ever closer. Still have plenty of things to nail down, but it looks like everything is coming together.

Quality viewing. New South Park episodes, Rock n’ Roll High School Forever, Tron: Legacy, SK8 TV on Youtube, season 1 of The Walking Dead.

november eighteenth

2011-11-18T07:41:00.000-08:00

Five for November 18th:

Rocking. Got some more stuff for New Year’s eve knocked out over at Kevin’s last night. Feeling pretty good about how everything is coming together.

Friday. Finally. Tonight is Lisa’s College Bound trivia night at New City School. The crew will be in full effect, and we’re planning to actually win this time around. Also, Herm will be in town tonight, which will be cool.

High fashion. Busted out the peacoat this morning. It’s getting to be a little too cold for the t-shirt-and-hoodie combo. Which sucks.

Weekend. For the first time in forever, we basically don’t have any concrete plans for this weekend, which is nice. No papers to sign, no house stuff fret over. And, of course, this precedes an upcoming 4-day weekend, which is going to be even more awesome.

PBS DVD. Finally got a copy of our little documentary piece they did for PBS. Too bad I look like a total goof during the entire interview. At least we sounded good.

november seventeenth

2011-11-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

Five for November 17th:

Band practice. A couple of the Knife Fight guys will be joining us at Kevin’s tonight for an abbreviated run-through on some tunes for New Year’s Eve. Should be a good time.

Japan in the 1950’s. Amazing photo gallery from an American businessman who apparently traveled there often. Check it out.

Thrasher. Skate Rock deck finally came in the mail yesterday, and it’s amazing. One of only 100 made. It rules.

Home brew. Congrats to Tom for successfully brewing a totally rad beer in his basement. His first go-round was amazing; super tasty, and not overly hoppy like most home brews tend to be. I’m impressed.

Black Sabbath. PopMatters just published a list of the 15 most essential original lineup Sabbath tunes. Leaving “Iron Man” and “Paranoid” off the list takes cojones, but I don’t know that I’d bump anything on this list for those. Good, but overplayed. I concur.

november sixteenth

2011-11-16T08:30:00.000-08:00

Five for November 16th:

Teen Wolf. Still a great movie after all these years. Deep down, all of us want to be Stiles. Or at least, hang out with him. Also, Boof is way hotter than Pam.

Being responsible. The temptation to go out to get food and drinks last night was at a very high level, yet we resisted, stayed home, and threw something together. We need to get used to doing this, as disposable income for the next few months will be at an all-time low.

Songs. The list of tunes for NYE has been pretty much completed, and it’s going to be “off the chain”, as the kids say. Now I just have to learn them all.

Skate and Annoy. Their “eBay watch” feature is probably one of my favorite things on the world wide web. The newest one just went online. Dig it.

4-day weekend. Coming up next week, and it cannot get here soon enough.

november fifteenth

2011-11-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

Five for November 15th:

NAMM. Looks like I’ll be heading to sunny southern California at the end of January for what must be my hundred thousandth NAMM show. I'll send a postcard of the palm trees and green grass.

Rock videos. Speakers in Code posted a couple of videos from Friday’s show online yesterday. I think they came out pretty rad. Check ‘em out.

Chupacabra. Missouri delivers the goods. Or a diseased coyote. One of the two.

Indian summer. Yesterday we rode to lunch in the Loop with the windows down, no jackets/hoodies, and sat outside. In the middle of November. I’ll take it, for as long as it feels like sticking around.

Home brew. Tom brought in some APA that he brewed in his basement. Looking forward to checking it out. I can’t believe he actually pulled it off.

november fourteenth

2011-11-14T08:10:00.000-08:00

Five for November 14th:

Practice for NYE. Loaded into Utopia last night our first of many rehearsals with Kentucky Knife Fight for New Year’s eve at Off Broadway (free, folks!). We banged out 4 songs that all sound killer, so we’re on the right track. I’m glad to have a practice under our belt. Playing with all those guys is incredibly fun and challenging. The level of musicianship is top notch.

House stuff. Made some major headway into our house purchase over the last few days. Home inspection went great, and we got some more papers signed on Saturday. There is a seemingly never-ending amount of crap to do, but at least we put a dent in it. Also, our neighbors have about 7 chickens living in their backyard, coop and all. Awesome.

Trivia night. Once again, so close, yet we couldn’t clinch it. We were in first the entire game, but totally blew it in round 10. We actually tied for first, but lost with the tie breaker. Disappointing, but it was for a good cause.

Rock show. Rad time Friday night at Firebird. All the other bands killed it. Andy did great. Good turnout, despite three other big shows that night. Fun was had. Thanks to everyone who came out.

Skateboarding. Weekend weather was insanely amazing. Hit up JB with Andy and crew on Sunday morning. Got to take advantage while the getting is good.

november eleventh

2011-11-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

Five for November 11th:

Rock show. Our first local show as a 4-piece is tonight at the Firebird. It’s a completely rad lineup- the Jump Starts, Nee, the ACBs from KC (one of my favorite bands), and us. It’d be awesome to see you all there. You only get one 11/11/11. Do it in style.

Home inspection. Happening this afternoon. Fingers crossed that everything goes well. I’m remaining cautiously optimistic.

Weekend action. Busy one on the horizon. Rock show. Trivia tomorrow night. Possibly skating, weather permitting. More meetings with house-related people. The list goes on.

Penn State. The Onion nailed one out of the park yesterday (no pun intended), and on a more serious note, this article sums things up nicely.

Contacts. Now that we’re entering the gloomy season, I’m going to do my damndest to stretch my one remaining pair of contact lenses out through winter. I wear them mainly so I can wear sunglasses, and there won’t be much sunglass-wearing starting very soon.

november tenth

2011-11-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

Five for November 10th:

Grand Theft Auto V. New trailer up now on YouTube, and holy crap does it look amazing. To quote my brother: “that flushing sound you're hearing is the hours of your life you'll never get back.”

Yesterday's notable ass clowns. Rick Perry, David Gregory, and everyone in the upper echelon of Penn State for the win!

Sleeping with the dog in bed. On the upside, he’s like a space heater that doesn’t require electricity. On the downside, space heaters don’t wake up with the sun and need to pee.

Buffalo Killers at Euclid. Hoofed it to Webster Groves and caught about 6 songs from their in-store last night. They were awesome and as tight as could be. It was cool catching up with Zach as well. We’ll probably be playing a show together next year in STL.

Always in threes. Joe Frazier, Heavy D, and Bil Keane. Yeah, I guess that makes sense.

november ninth

2011-11-09T07:57:00.000-08:00

Five for November 9th:

Girl Scout Cookies. One box of Tagalongs and one box of Do-Si-Dos just got deposited on my desk. Peanut butter overload. My day just got about 4 sleeves of cookies more awesome.

Thrasher Skate Rock board. OK, this is killer. One of the best old school shapes ever, one of the coolest Thrasher logos ever, silk screened (as opposed to heat transfer), and only 100 made? Count me in.

Ryan Nyquist. This video is a must see for any BMX fan. To each his own, but Ryan is one of the few guys who hasn’t given in to the slammed-seat, no brakes, no-pegs, no-gyro style of the day, and just rides his bike how he likes it. Function over fashion.

Buffalo Killers. Playing a show today at 5 at Euclid Records. I’m going to be booking it there as fast as possible after work to catch as much of their set as I can. Great band, made up of dudes that were in Thee Shams, another great band. I suggest you go if you can.

Nervous wreckage. The task of arranging all the details of our impending home inspection on Friday has fallen to me, and as a result I’m going to be more or less freaking out over the next two days until I’m sure everything that needs to be done has been done. Laclede Gas, Ameren UE, and STL City Water division, I’m looking in your direction. Don’t let me down.

november eighth

2011-11-08T08:48:00.000-08:00

Five for November 8th:

Last night. Our apartment resembled a real-life episode of the 3 Stooges. Frying pan grease flying, full wine glasses crashing to the floor, cut fingers, animals running wild. This is just what happens when it starts getting dark at 4:30. No use fighting it.

Houseness. More of the same this week, capped off with the home inspection Friday. Went by the water department yesterday to get that sorted out, and of course it was a debacle (nothing is easy, we’ve come to find). But it’ll all work out. Fingers crossed.

Freestyle decks. A whole slew of them have popped up on eBay over the last couple of days. Is someone selling off their collection?

Dear Gmail. There is a difference between innovating and just making a bunch of useless arbitrary changes. The sooner you learn this, the better off we'll all be. Thanks for listening.

New article. A cool writeup just popped up on Metromix about the band and our show on Friday. Dig it! I'm glad this came across on my alerts, because I was really struggling for a fifth thing to write about this morning.

november seventh

2011-11-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Five for November 7th:

Skating. Saturday was all about it. Checked out the (very cool) Belleville skate park with Andy and a few others and skated it for about 3 hours, followed by a trip to Jolly Roger, the Belleville skate shop. The people there were extremely awesome and hooked us up with a bunch of free stuff. Plus, the new issue of Thrasher was in the mail when I got home. Skate overload.

Weekend. Good weather and good times. Got a bunch of stuff done, hung out with friends, took Henry to the park, met some cool new people, and ate a veritable ton of good food (India’s Rasoi, breakfast pizza at Benton Park Café, and early Thanksgiving feast with Lisa’s coworkers earn top rank).

This week. Packed to the rafters. In addition to normal work crap, there’s a slew of house stuff, home inspections, practicing, shows, trivia nights, and general craziness.

Furniture. Lisa is currently obsessed with getting a sectional couch for our new house, the sole reason basically being that it will be easier for both of us to fall asleep on it. Can’t really argue with that.

Christmas crap. It’s too early for Christmas trees, decorations, and horrifying holiday music everywhere you go. Do you hear me, world? It’s too f*cking early.

november fourth

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Five for November 4th:

Skool days. Dear striking SIUC teachers: You'd have a better chance of being taken seriously if you spell-checked your protest signs. "I want to be heared"? Really?

Rock practice. Kicked out some excellent jams last night, ate some pretzel M&Ms, and had more than one laugh. We’ll be playing a few previously un-played tunes from the new album next Friday. Be there.

Daylight savings time. The party’s over. Get ready to set your clocks back and the deep freeze to set in. Next week, it’ll be dark and cold by the time you get off work. It’s around this time each year that I ask myself- again- why I still live in the Midwest.

Mi Ranchito. The secret to getting in and out quickly at lunch is as follows: 1) Go in 15 minutes before the noon rush. 2) Order your food when you order your drinks. 3) Order the soup, which is already, for the most part, prepared. 4) When the waiter brings the soup, immediately request the checks. 5) Pay up and get the receipt back before you’re done eating. There it is. Ranchito in a half hour. Dig it.

St. Louis Department of Public Works. Guess what? It’s 2011. Going on 2012. May want to look into some basic 21st century technology. Just a suggestion.

november third

2011-11-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Five for November 3rd:

House stuff. It’s starting to stress me out, in a big way. There’s so much to do and too much red tape to cut through to do it. If you’re looking for a good deal, buy a house from the Government. If you’re looking for a low-stress transaction, do not.

Band practice. Tonight. Really looking forward to playing some music and not thinking about house-related insanity for one evening.

Cool shows. Lots coming up. Neil Hamburger, Buffalo Killers, Judas Priest, JD McPherson and more are all on my radar.

Show posters. Kristin did some amazing posters for our show next Friday at the Firebird. 4 different prints for the 4 bands playing. Check ‘em out around town.

Occupy Oakland. Shit, as they say, just got real.

november second

2011-11-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

Five for November 2nd:

Chesterfield Mall. My old stomping grounds as a kid is a ghost mall these days. Maybe it’s just because it was a Tuesday night, but it was absurdly empty. Got my jeans and got out of there. I can still remember where everything was- Camelot Music, the arcade, K-B toys, and the earring store where Ray Barbee’s girlfriend worked.

Los Angeles. Even though I haven’t formally been asked yet, looks like I’ll likely be going to LA for the NAMM show again in late January. I’m not really sure how I feel about it, as it’s usually a lot more work than it’s worth. But, an expenses-paid trip to southern California in January is hard to complain about.

Uncontrollable Urge. It’s Wednesday, and there’s only one thing to listen to.

House crap. Meeting with the mortgage guy tonight. Working on getting the utilities turned on and the inspection scheduled. The clock is ticking to get stuff done, and we’re planning on staying ahead of the game.

Fro-Yo. I can’t help but make it as unhealthy as humanly possible whenever I get it. Case in point: last night. Just topping it with fruit and nuts seems like such a waste.

november first

2011-11-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Five for November 1st:

November. Creeping ever closer to the dreaded winter and the changing of the clocks. Pretty soon it will be dark at 4:30. Trying to remain in a good mood about it, though. No sense complaining.

Mystery Science Theater 3000. The classic episodes never stop being awesome, even though the show itself lost its luster in its later years. Watched the “I Accuse My Parents” episode last night, which has one of the best Joel/Tom/Crow/Gypsy cutaway scenes in the history of the show.

Tonight. My only free evening this week will consist of driving out to the Gap at Chesterfield Mall to buy a pair of jeans. Fail? Yes. Unfortunately, the situation is dire, and I don’t like anything else. Highway 40, here I come.

Henry. He’s helping Lisa out at work today in his Halloween costume. Hopefully people won’t be too traumatized by a skeleton schnoodle wandering the office.

Lint rollers. There aren’t enough of them in the world.

october thirty-first

2011-10-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

Five for October 31st:

World Series champs. Downtown with friends on Friday night for the Cards victory was nothing short of insanity. People everywhere. We walked down to the stadium to take it all in. Everyone was going nuts. It was a giant, citywide party.

Skateboarding. Skated JB park with Andy and a bunch of other dudes, all of who are in or were in the music scene in STL, yesterday morning. It was fun as hell, and cool to meet and skate with some new people who are as terrible as I am. Brought my old school Vallely along, and those guys were freaking out on it.

Meetings and paper-signings. Realtor yesterday. Insurance people this morning. Realtor again tonight. Mortgage guy tomorrow. Working out the inspection. Buying a house is not easy.

Total Halloween failure. We bombed it this year, big-time. No costumes, no pumpkins, no Hershey’s miniatures, no anything. Too much World Series and house-buying craziness/penny-pinching. Next year, we’re going all out for Halloween, and you’re invited.

New jeans. I need them in a bad way. It’s getting ridiculous. Both my pairs of Gap jeans- the only ones I like- are basically falling apart. Of course, I’ll have to go to Chesterfield to get them, or order online, as the Galleria doesn’t have my size.

october twenty-eighth

2011-10-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Five for October 28th:

Game 6. What can you say about last night’s comeback to take us to game 7 that hasn’t already been said? Everyone delivered, and it was nothing short of epic. Has to be one of the most amazing games in baseball history.

Civil Life brewery. Pretty awesome little microbrewery in south city where we watched the game. It’s like a little cabin built inside an old industrial building, with rad beer and sandwiches. I didn’t even know it was there, and I’ll definitely be going back.

Band practice. Excellent one yesterday evening. Even our terrible freeform blues/jazz jam to warm up sounded good. Well, maybe not “good”, but you know.

World Series. All comes down to tonight. Looks like we’ll be heading to someplace close to downtown to be close-ish to the action if we win. Tap Room? It was a fun ride either way.

Weekend. Tons happening. Game tonight (obviously), costume-shopping, Halloween partying, skateboarding, more paper-signing, dinner with mom. What else?

october twenty-seventh

2011-10-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

Five for October 27th:

Last night. Went by the realtor’s office and signed a bunch of papers on the new house. There’s a lot left to do, but we’re going to approach it one day at a time and not stress. That’s the plan, anyway. Followed up with a celebratory cocktail at the Royale, which will probably our last for a while.

Band practice. Tonight. Working on a set for the Firebird show on November 11th, and ironing out songs for New Year’s Eve. There are a lot of songs I’m going to need to nail down between now and then.

The next couple of months. I know I mentioned this a few posts back, but it’s worth reiterating- they’re going to be nothing short of insane. That said, buying and moving into an amazing house with my beautiful fiancée while preparing for a packed-to-the-rafters NYE rock show are total white people problems and I should probably just shut the hell up.

Coming soon. Bones “Ripper” t-shirt, DVD of the Steve Rocco documentary The Man Who Souled The World via Netflix.

Winnebag Man. Watched it the other night, and it was actually much better than I had imagined. I wasn’t really sure I wanted to see it, but I’m glad I did. Like every documentary ever made, it takes itself a little too seriously, but it was still really good and in no way diminishes the awesomeness of the original Winnebago Man. It’s online, so check it out.

october twenty-sixth

2011-10-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

Five for October 26th:

Signing papers and other grown-up stuff. Meeting with our realtor tonight to get contracts in order for the new house. This will undoubtedly involve signing things and writing checks, but we’ll be that much closer to being done with it.

New pins. The Blind Eyes “bomb” pins (black on yellow) will be done this week along with another batch of the “girl covering her eyes” buttons. We should really come up with a name for her. Anyway, they’ll be available at the next show along with our sweet new shirts (American Apparel!) and, of course, “With A Bang”.

Cardinals home stand. It’s do or die for the next two games, which will luckily be played at home. We’re going to need more than a bunch of stuffed squirrels to rally from Monday night’s disaster of a game.

Ann Curry. She will make you cringe. It doesn’t matter what she’s talking about or who she’s talking to- you will cringe.

Breakfast quesadilla. What? I’ve never heard of such a thing until today, but it sounds life-changing. Where do I get one?

october twenty-fifth

2011-10-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Five for October 25th:

Home ownership. Well, not yet officially, but the offer on the house was accepted and we’ll soon be homeowners! We got the deal of a lifetime (and when I say that, I cannot stress it enough) on an amazing house in Clifton Heights. The key to buying a house? Get it from the government. No emotional investment on the part of the seller equals insane deals for the buyer. More as it develops.

Facing reality. The amount of stuff we’re going to have to take on in the next few months- buying a house, moving, doing some work on it, etc., is sort of daunting- but that said we’re excited as hell, so it doesn’t matter.

Hanging out. Good times and good pizza at the Bottleworks last night with Mary and Keith. Too bad the Cardinals blew it. At least we get home field advantage for the next two games.

Halloween. Looks like we got our costume idea worked out last night. Now we just have to go put it all together. This marks the first time in the last 3 years that we’ve actually had any sort of jump on our costumes.

Today. The last day of amazing weather, for awhile anyway. It’s criminal to have to be stuck in a windowless office all day.

october twenty-fourth

2011-10-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

Five for October 24th:

Rad pad. Keep your fingers crossed, but we found an amazing house that we put an offer on last night. Not saying anything else about it until we get something back, but I will remain, as always, cautiously optimistic. We shall see.

Rock show. The first show with Andy was a resounding success, despite the sort of weak audience. As has been the case for a number of weeks now, postseason baseball is destroying people’s ability to do anything but watch postseason baseball. Still, Andy played great and the set sounded as tight as it could have- and it was certainly not a bad show turnout-wise by any means.

Great weather. This weekend was about as good as it gets on the weather front. Absolutely perfect fall days. Can’t beat it.

On TV. The Blind Eyes PBS segment came out surprisingly well. I don’t have a link to post yet, but hopefully will soon. The Pearl Jam documentary that aired before it was really interesting as well, and sort of gave me a new respect for them.

Required reading. Thrasher’s Insane Terrain (on loan from my brother). New issues of Skateboarder and Transworld magazines. Fall edition of the Eddie Bauer catalog, which we apparently get because I like their socks.

october twenty-first

2011-10-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

Five for October 21st:

Rapture. Today is the second end of the world this year! Here’s hoping it goes better than the one in May did.

Band practice. Excellent one last night at Kevin’s. The songs are really starting to sound good with the second guitar. I think we’re ready for Edwardsville on Saturday night. The question is- is Edwardsville ready for us? Probably.

TBE TV. The Blind Eyes segment for the PBS Arts lineup will be playing tonight. It will be part of the Cameron Crowe-directed Pearl Jam documentary, beginning at 8pm. KETC channel 9. Tune in. Word on the street is it came out well.

We Are Skateboarders. I’m giving this video another shot, and it’s much better the second time around. I think the key to watching skate videos is to not watch them with your fiancée. They’re less embarrassing when you’re flying solo.

Halloween. Another Halloween is almost here, and once again, we have put absolutely no thought or effort into getting costumes together. We’ll do it next week, maybe.

october twentieth

2011-10-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

Five for October 20th:

New interview. Seth did an interview with the St. Louis Beacon leading up to this Friday’s PBS Arts Festival segment on- you guessed it- us. It came out great. Go check it out, and tune in/Tivo the special on Friday night. As a side note, we really need to get a better band photo.

Atomic ranch. We saw an amazing house last night that we’re both digging heavily on. Weirdly, according to the pictures on the shelves, a girl I went to high school with owns it. Small world. We’ll see what happens.

Banana walnut bread. Picked up a slice at Starbucks on the way in to work today- and calories be damned, that thing was delicious. Also rad on the food front: Dogtown pizza. There is really no reason to get anything else, if you’re going the “frozen” route.

World Series. Game one is a winner for the Cardinals, and thankfully we can actually watch the games at home now it’s switched back to regular (non-cable) TV.

Space heater. Is the space heater mankind’s greatest invention? Quite possibly. It’s pretty life-changing, especially when you’re not quite ready to commit to turning on the heat.

october nineteenth

2011-10-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

Five for October 19th:

Last night. Hung out with a few of the Knife Fight dudes plus the rest of the band, sans Andy, at the Deacon. Good drinks, good times. The girl that was tending bar has the exact same tattoo on her left forearm as I do, in the exact same spot. Spooky.

Iron Maiden’s “Piece of Mind”. I determined today that this would be my number one desert island album, topping the Clash’s “Give ‘Em Enough Rope” and Elvis Costello’s “This Year’s Model”, but just barely.

In the mail. That vintage 1988 Variflex John Warren signature model showed up yesterday, and it’s awesome. Variflex did a few “legit” models in the eighties, and this is one of them, for this semi-well known New Zealand pro. I got if for next to nothing on eBay, as it was mislabeled. Winner? Me. I guess.

Mi Ranchito. Cold, rainy days are the perfect backdrop for some Ranchito lunch action, as will be the case this afternoon.

Republicans. Along with the Tea Party, they're simply a horrifying group of people.

october eighteenth

2011-10-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

Five for October 18th:

Fall sucks. Saturday was 80 degrees and sunny. Flash forward 3 days; it’s miserably cold, grey, and pissing rain. At least it’s supposed to be nice again this weekend.

Band jam. It was cool finally seeing Tom’s family band play at the Atomic Cowboy open mic night last night, even if the set was only about 20 minutes long. I guess that’s the nature of open mic nights. Good stuff.

Lisa is a rad cook. She can put the most amazing stuff together out of seemingly nothing. Yesterday evening’s fajita concoction was a steaming bowl of awesome.

Free beer. Denise’s husband works for AB, and every once in awhile she shows up with a Jeep full of beer for everyone. Not my favorite stuff, but free is free. Got a case early this week that we’ll probably be done with sometime in the next two months.

Animal abuse. There’s really nothing in the world that makes me more angry or sad.

october seventeenth

2011-10-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

Five for October 17th:

Skateboarding. Skated for about 3 hours with Andy on Saturday, hitting up Kingshighway park, followed by a bunch of cool and seemingly undiscovered spots on the Hill, including an amazing long and perfectly sloped bank. Getting out for a real skate session instead of just dorking around in the parking lot for 20 minutes feels great.

Cardinals. We stomped the Brewers and are going to the World Series. Again. Rad time watching the game on Amsterdam’s frigid patio on Friday. Had to miss most of the game last night, but Keith kept me up to speed via text messages, and I managed to catch the last inning after dropping Kevin off.

Band practice. Good one at Andy’s pad last night. The set is starting to sound really good, and it’s cool to be able to practice for a good long stretch instead of having to wrap it up by 8. Playing this coming Saturday in Edwardsville.

Green acres. Went to Lisa’s dad’s huge farm in Swiss, MO yesterday with Henry. He loved it, of course. Had some great food and took a tour of the farm’s vast acreage, which included tearing through the woods knocking down everything in our wake in the ATV. Good times.

House hunt. It has sort of ramped up again after a little lull. We found a rad place, but in order to not jinx it, I won’t get into any details. I’ve already said too much.

october fourteenth

2011-10-14T08:50:00.001-07:00

Five for October 14th:

The Morganford strip. It is the place to be for the playoffs, apparently. Watched game 4 last night at 3 Monkeys with Lisa and Laura, and rumor has it Amsterdam is happening tonight for game 5.

Occupy Wall Street. Confused about what they’re angry about? Well, so are a lot of people. Here’s something to spell it out for you, and if this doesn’t make your blood boil, then you should probably reevaluate your life.

Weekend. Almost here. Hanging out with people tonight. Skating with Andy tomorrow, and checking out some houses. Nate’s reception tomorrow night at the Waiting Room followed by some potential bowling. Lisa’s dad’s place for lunch with Henry in tow Sunday afternoon, followed by band practice. I’m sure some other stuff will find its way in there.

The coolest picture of anything ever. Here you go. It’s all downhill from here on out.

Iron Maiden. I can easily, and without looking, skip over every song on “Killers” on my iPod to land straight on “Where Eagles Dare”. That album should've just been a 4-song single.

october thirteenth

2011-10-13T07:31:00.001-07:00

Five for October 13th:

In the mail. New issue of Thrasher (worth picking up just for the “world’s worst parks” feature alone), Skate Mental shirt, Rat Bones cap that doesn’t really fit. Coming in the mail: vintage (complete) Variflex John Warren “pro model”.

Pledge to KDHX. Can you imagine life without KDHX? I really can’t. Lisa and I both threw down some dollars yesterday, and I suggest you do the same. Call in this week and support.

Girl Scout cookies. Just ordered the obligatory box of Tagalongs and Do-Si-Dos from a coworker. However, had to say no to the Samoas this year. I think I’m still sick of them from last year. As a side note, good to see they went back to the old names for the cookies. The new ones were bumming me out.

Laundry. 2012 will finally be the year that my “One Year of Dryer Lint” coffee table photo book comes to fruition. Mark my words.

Cardinals. Two down, two to go. To quote my brother; “I don't want to jinx this shit, but do you guys realize that there's a very good chance that the Cardinals could be in the motherfucking World Series? And not the World Series of Poker, but the one for baseball?”

october twelfth

2011-10-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

Five for October 12th:

New deck. Picked up a new Anti Hero price point deck after work yesterday, so I’m rolling again. Too bad it’s supposed to rain all day. Props to No Coast for the last-minute, quick and professional grip tape job after my botched attempt.

Trader Joe’s. Going tonight, come hell or high water. We need our lemon-oil encrusted organic sugar wafers and black licorice Scottie dogs, and pronto.

Getting hitched. It’s all coming together. Everything has been finalized for the venues, which is a big load off. Now we have to start getting the minute details laid out. Luckily, we have almost a year to do so. It’s going to be awesome.

House hunt. Checked out a few places last night with our realtor. The last one was pretty cool upstairs, but featured the most amazing basement tiki lounge I’ve ever seen, with bamboo-covered walls, a full, built-in tiki bar, and all manner of vintage lighting and furniture. It blew my mind. The only issue is the location- too far south.

30 Rock. Getting back into watching this show. I never picked up after season 4 ended for whatever reason. Totally one of the best shows ever.

october eleventh

2011-10-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

Five for October 11th:

Man or Astro Man? About 17 years ago, Kevin Schneider and I stood outside what was then Cicero’s basement in the Loop trying to get in to see Man or Astro Man, but could not, as it was a 21+ show. Last night, I finally got to see them in the spot that once housed Cicero’s basement- now the much larger and more professional Blueberry Hill Duck Room. Of course, it was a great show.

Dead deck. My Blind Eyes deck bit the dust last night. It’s totally sagging and will crack within the next few ollies. It’s been a good run.

Apollonia. Went there for dinner with Lisa last night for the first time in a couple years. Man, that place is totally amazing and cheap. I won’t wait 2 years before going there again. Also, we finally figured out the key to eating out on the cheap- don’t drink.

Tonight. Skateshop, checking out a house, going to Trader Joe’s. In that order. Maybe cocktails outside at Royale? It’ll be nice out, and not for much longer.

Cardinals. What happened last night at Miller Park can only be described as a slaughter. Sweet retribution, and not a moment too soon.

october tenth

2011-10-10T08:04:00.001-07:00

Five for October 10th:

Sunny days. Talking about the weather is admittedly boring, but I would be lying if I said this past week or so of sunshine and clear skies hasn’t done wonders for my overall mood.

Weekend. Hung out with lots of people, checked out Matt and Katie’s sweet new grown-up house, saw the Cardinals at their defensive best and worst, went to a couple of parks, got some lunch at Pi with Henry in tow, skated, barbecued, hot-tubbed, and generally had a bitchin’ time.

Wedding plans. So, the date is set, and the deposit on the venue for the reception has been put down, and locations for the wedding itself have been thoroughly scouted. Just a few more things to firm up and we can breathe a little easier. More soon.

Netflix drops Quikster. Not to be all like, “I told you so”, but I totally called this one.

New wheels. Picked up some 54mm Spitfire bigheads at No Coast on Saturday. They're not quite as soft as I wanted, but have a wider diameter, and they won’t get chewed up as quickly as those crappy generic wheels did. So far, so good.

october seventh

2011-10-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

Five for October 7th:

H-Street soundtrack. Andy hooked me up with a CD of all the best tunes from “Shackle Me Not” and “Hokus Pokus” last night- 30 some tracks total. I have to admit; driving in to work blasting “Dollar on a Platter” was pretty awesome. Timeless stuff.

Steve Jobs, Part 2. Jobs worship got a little out of hand yesterday. This Gawker article puts it into perspective, and I agree wholeheartedly. Time to settle down, people. Also: just when you thought the Westboro Baptist Church couldn't get any dumber.

Weekend action. This weekend is going to be awesome, just by virtue of the fact that the weather will be amazing. What’s happening? Housewarming parties, playoff games, rock shows, bike rides, skateboarding, and general hang-outtery. See you out there.

New gear. Just ordered some dirt-cheap closeout stuff on CCS. Hey, whatever. It’s payday.

Wilco. I guess I just don't get it.

october sixth

2011-10-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

Five for October 6th:

Steve Jobs. While I’m certainly not the world’s biggest Apple fanatic, there’s no denying Steve Jobs. As I sit here typing this, my iPod is blaring away as it does every day, and as always, I’m considering upgrading to an iPhone. There you have it.

Go Cardinals. Will they finish off the Phillies? We’ll know tomorrow. Also, being somewhat of a squirrel fan, I think the whole rally squirrel thing is awesome.

Tonight. Gear hauling/loading, band practice. Getting a set together for our first show with Andy on October 22. May have to stop at Starbucks for an Americano beforehand. St. Vincent at ORH afterward?

Sunshine and clear skies. The weather forecast for the next seven days is unbelievable. Hope to take advantage with a couple of rides in to work next week, and some skating this weekend.

Bachmann “bad lip reading”. This video is probably one of the most awesome things I’ve ever seen. Watch it immediately.

october fifth

2011-10-05T07:10:00.000-07:00

Five for October 5th:

Junior High. The best thing I learned while in junior high was that “Reebok” stood for "run each (and) every Blood off Kingshighway". Unfortunately, I'm not sure if the Bloods ever developed any decent retaliatory footwear-themed acronyms.

Rolling Stone. Dudes, just because something says “Metallica” on it doesn’t mean you automatically have to give it 4 stars. Or maybe it does- because there’s no way that godawful Lou Reed mashup deserves even one.

Last night. Hung out with Lisa, Mary and Keith at Milo’s. Probably one of the last really great nights we’ll have this year to sit outside. The veggie pizza was amazing as always.

To-go cups. Finally picked up some new ones. As we are dragged unwillingly toward several months of increasingly colder mornings, walking Henry with a cup of coffee in-hand will be life changing.

BMX. I’ve been itching to ride, so it's time to dig the old Performer out of the basement. Even though I suck at it, I can still bang out some boomerangs and tailwhips. Besides, sucking at stuff hasn't stopped me yet.

october fourth

2011-10-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

Five for October 4th:

New band member. As you probably heard yesterday, the Blind Eyes are now a four-piece. Exciting stuff. I did a short interview about it for the RFT which you should check out. Prepare to have your face melted.

Car crap. Took the party Yaris in to Dobbs to get the serpentine belt replaced about a week ago, and it has been squealing worse than ever since they supposedly “fixed” it. They got to it pretty quickly this morning after I voiced my displeasure in no uncertain terms, and it seems to be repaired. We’ll see how it holds up.

Dressell’s. Beet salad, soft pretzel with rarebit, and a Newcastle? You can’t “beet” it. See what I did there? But seriously, it’s awesome.

Downtown STL tonight. The President of the United States, the Cardinals playoff game, and Wilco for the Peabody grand opening. Note to self: avoid downtown this evening.

Bocephus. Really? People are surprised that some inbred right-wing hick compared Obama to Hitler? Really?

october third

2011-10-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

Five for October 3rd:

DJ Spin at Royale. Thanks to everyone who came out on Friday night, we had a blast. Everyone spun some rad stuff, and it was funny to see how many of the same records we all brought along. Big thanks as well to Steve for asking us to do it. We’d love to do it again sometime.

PBS interview. I think it went really well. Hopefully we formed enough complete sentences to make a feature out of. It was cool seeing the PBS building and studios- we filmed our segment directly across from the “Donnybrook” set. Airing Friday, October 21st. Check it out.

Midtown Alley Street Fest. We played a great set to a great crowd Saturday night. Sounded amazing and the audience was digging it, despite the late-ish hour and chill in the air. Totally great time.

Taking it down. After the craziness of Friday and Saturday, I literally did nothing yesterday except hang out with the dog and watch a bunch of “Deadliest Warrior” on Netflix. Sometimes being lame is the name of the game.

Blueberry bagel. Along with what is probably my 5th cup of coffee, it’s pretty much ruling my life this morning.

september thirtieth

2011-09-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Five for September 30th:

So long, September. With the exception of the cold and allergy mania of the last few days, it’s been a good month. I can’t believe we’re already into October. Where did this summer go?

Weekend. Nearly here, and it’s a packed one: spinning records with Kevin and Seth tonight at Royale, playing the Midtown Alley Street Festival tomorrow, and filming an interview for a PBS segment that’ll run later this month. And that’s not even counting Sunday.

Jimmy John’s fail. My lunch plans for yesterday didn’t come to fruition after all. The half hour extra time I would've had to make up at the office was not worth the $5 savings of standing in a block-long line for a one dollar sandwich. Alas.

Band stuff. We have a big announcement coming down the pike. Well, big for us, anyway. We’ll spill the beans on Monday. All good stuff, so worry not.

Junk food. Came in to work to a box of donuts, and now they’re making popcorn, which smells really good. The fact that I’m hangry isn’t making things easier.

september twenty-ninth

2011-09-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

Five for September 29th:

The Cardinals are in the playoffs. Wow. Didn’t think that would happen. Here’s hoping they can keep the momentum going.

Tissues. I’m fairly certain that I might have extolled the virtures of Vicks-scented & lotioned Puffs Plus facial tissues on this blog in the past, but I’m doing it again. If you’re not using these when you have a cold, you’re selling youself short.

Breaking Bad. About seven episodes in, and it’s getting better and better. I have a feeling I’m entering the first phase of addiction with this show.

Band practice. Working on a set for the Midtown Alley street festival tonight. Looking forward to hitting some drums. Speaking of the band, check out this review of “With A Bang” on PopMatters.

Jimmy John’s. Today is “customer appreciation day”, or something, and apparently all regular 8” subs (1-6) are a dollar. Sounds like my broke-ass lunch plans are dialed in.

september twenty-eighth

2011-09-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

Five for September 28th:

Best-of STL. Found out yesterday that we won "Best Pop Band" in the 2011 RFT "Best of St. Louis" issue, along with Reader's Choice nominations for "Best Male Vocalist" (Seth) and "Best Local Album of the Past 12 Months" (With A Bang). The issue comes out in print today. I appreciate it immensely. Cheers to you all.

CCS. New catalog showed up yesterday and, in stark contrast to its usual “peruse on the toilet and throw in the garbage” nature, it’s stuffed with good deals on cool items. Might have to pick some stuff up.

Last night. Impromptu chili cook-out, compliments of Lisa, followed by a band hang-out at Friendly’s, where some pretty massive decisions were made regarding the future of the band. Big announcement coming soon. All good stuff, don’t worry.

NYC pigs. Any police officer involved in this should lose their job and be immediately turned over to the crowd for a little bit of good ol' fashioned mob justice while their children look on in horror.

Successticles. I came up with this word the other day and it’s catching on, although I’m still not sure what it means. At least 4 different people have used it on Facebook since then. Successticles!

september twenty-seventh

2011-09-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Five for September 27th:

RIP Bob Cassilly. The City Museum is one of the greatest places on Earth, and I have about a hundred million great memories from there. I always greatly admired Bob Cassilly, even though I never met him. Huge loss for this city.

Cocktails at Royale. They really are the best in town. Swung by there for dinner and drinks last night with Lisa. It was cool seeing my name on the board. If you’re not doing anything Friday, come by for my co-DJ spin with Seth. It’ll be a blast.

Tonight. Taking Henry to the park. Possibly going to Milo’s for bocce and veggie pizza, followed by a band meetup.

Aldi wins. We’re through with third-world Shop n’ Save. It’s all about the Aldi for the bargain shopping in south city.

Sly Stone. Wow, this is a bummer. One of the greatest artists ever, in my book. Here's hoping he can pull himself together.

september twenty-sixth

2011-09-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

Five for September 26th:

New shoes. Picked up a new pair of Vans classic checkered charcoal slip-ons, which I’m enjoying immensely. They’re comfortable, stylish, and I don’t have to worry about destroying my laces while skating in them.

Weekend action. Despite Lisa being a bit under the weather, rad weekend. Highlights included Seth’s birthday/dance party at Deacon, checking out some wedding locales, and going to the zoo for hippo and elephant viewing. Plus, the weather was amazing.

Car repairs. In the last week I’ve had an oil change, serpentine belt replacement, and a slow leak in the back tire plugged. My tires are nail magnets. Thankfully it didn’t all cost an arm and a leg.

Local artist spotlight. Seth did an interview for a Blind Eyes spotlight on KDHX that is airing for the next week or two. You can stream or download it here.

Lou Reed and Metallica. This might be the most depressing thing I’ve ever witnessed.

september twenty-third

2011-09-23T09:05:00.001-07:00

Five for September 23rd:

Band practice. It freaking killed last night. Best one in a month or so. Some new stuff is really coming together. Excited about playing next weekend.

This weekend. Almost here. Old school BMX show at Ramp Riders, Seth’s birthday party at Bleeding Deacon, possible skate session with Andy on Sunday. Breakfast pizza and bloody marys. What else do you need?

Henry. Freshly groomed for fall, and newly aerodynamic. He’s digging his new ‘do.

Wipe down. Gave my entire office area a complete Clorox bath from top to bottom yesterday for the first time since we moved over to this building two years ago. Feels good to not be swimming in dust, I’ve got to say.

Peanut butter & banana sandwich. I’m weirdly excited about my incredibly dull lunch today. Sometimes it’s the little things.

september twenty-second

2011-09-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

Five for September 22nd:

King and I. Sometimes, Thai food is just what the doctor ordered. Case in point: last night. Make sure you get the vegetable potstickers. Too bad we skipped out on Gelato.

Early bird special. If you’re getting your oil changed, the only time to go is in the morning before work. It’s dead, and super cheap if you go early. Seriously- $27. Plus, I got to see a thug dude in the lobby with a shirt that said “I don’t need a tractor to pull hoes”. I love south city.

Midtown Alley Street Festival. We’re headlining it this year, and our set is being taped for a short PBS arts documentary. Full list of bands and performance times here.

Tonight. Picking up Henry from the groomer, rock rehearsal, skate DVD swap, possible late trip to the gym.

Hip bruise. It’s definitely getting better, which is nice. It’s good to be able to sleep on my right side again. Hopefully it’ll be gone for good in a week.

september twenty-first

2011-09-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Five for September 21st:

Facebook. Yes, the new format is obviously terrible and ill-conceived, but complaining about Facebook changes is sort of like crashing on your friend’s couch rent-free for a year and then bitching when he decides to rearrange the furniture.

Breaking Bad. Started watching it the other night, and am currently about 3 episodes in. So far, digging it, and I hear it just gets better and better.

5K #3. Happening tonight. My legs were just too strained yesterday to run another one last night. As much as I wanted it to happen, I didn’t want to hurt myself in the process. Also, I was crazy exhausted last night after work. Picking it back up this evening. Maybe “every night” was too lofty a goal.

Fall 2011. Offically begins in a few days. This summer flew by, and it bums me out that it’s coming to a close. Really want to try to squeeze a camping trip with Lisa and Henry in before it gets too cold during the nights.

Cheap gas. Filled up for $3.07/gallon at the QT by my house this morning. It was like $3.39 last time I filled up. Get it while it's sorta cheap. Or something.

september twentieth

2011-09-20T07:08:00.001-07:00

Five for September 20th:

5K #2. Did it last night, and my legs are currently sore as a result. Also, Lisa now has a trial membership to the gym, which is cool. It’s always more fun to go with someone. It keeps me from getting restless and just leaving early out of sheer boredom.

Netflix. It’s painful watching themselves commit blunder after public blunder, all the more so because I genuinely like Netflix. Why are they doing this? My advice would be to just cut your losses, take it all back, and issue a worldwide apology for your stupidity.

Weezer. I was thinking this morning- If I went to your room and read your diary after you just told me you'd "never heard of Green Day”, and it said, literally; "watching grunge leg drop new jack through a press table" and some nonsense about listening to Cio-Cio San, I'd immediately conclude that you were the most pretentious person to ever live and want nothing more to do with you.

Video action. Shooting a Blind Eyes live video for the Post-Dispatch and an interview plus live show for the PBS arts festival series, both in October. Ours will be airing after the Cameron Crowe-directed Pearl Jam documentary. More info forthcoming.

Car repairs. The party Yaris currently needs a belt checkup, oil change, interior/exterior cleansing, and some gas.

september nineteenth

2011-09-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

Five for September 19th:

Battlestar Galactica. Finished the series yesterday morning. What a long, strange trip it’s been. Defintely one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, and I was totally happy with the ending. Now I can finally read about it on Wikipedia and not worry about spoilers.

5K a day. A bold declaration for a Monday, but my goal for this week is to run a 5K at the gym every day. We’ll see if that actually happens, but that’s the plan. I did the run last night in about 27 minutes, and I don’t see any reason why I couldn’t do it every night, as long as I can keep the chafing to a minimum.

Indian buffets. I’m done with them. Yes, they’re incredibly tasty, but I am through wasting entire days doing nothing but sleeping off Indian food and feeling like a bloated sloth.

Bugs on a log. Ever since I had a brief Twitter conversation about them this past week, I’ve been craving them. I think I could probably make them a reality, if I put my mind to it.

The Disposable Skateboard Bible. Probably the single most awesome book ever printed. Just when I was getting sick of looking at the first version of Disposable, this comes along. A must have for any fan of skateboard art. Thanks mom. I've also been reading the super-lengthy Chris Miller interview in a back issue of Juice that is incredibly awesome.

september sixteenth

2011-09-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

Five for September 16th:

Birthday. 34 today. Luckily I'm a firm believer in "age is nothing but a number". Good day so far. Got an awesome new hoodie from Lisa and had some cinnamon rolls. What else do you need?

New license. It’s slightly less terrible than my last one, but this is license #5 for me- I think- and so far I’ve only had one decent picture out of all of them. Also, while the Clayton DMV is definitely better than S. Kingshighway, it’s still depressing and miserable.

Digital converter box. Am I shocked that the digital converter I (and everyone else in the US) was forced to buy 3 years ago is already starting to malfunction? Unfortunately, no, I’m not. Currently it takes about 10 minutes for the thing to kick on and find a signal in the mornings. Luckily, we don’t watch much TV.

My hip. Still bruised, but the black and blue is all cleared up. Considering going to see a doctor about it, but it feels fine for the most part. The interweb tells me hip bruises after a fall are common for up to 6 weeks, but maybe I should err on the side of caution.

Henry. He’s all about the rawhide bones. Trust me on this.

september fifteenth

2011-09-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

Five for September 15th:

The oatmeal at Starbucks. It’s actually really good and is sort of changing my life this morning. What can I say? It’s getting cold outside.

DMV. While I'm not looking forward to going to the DMV today, I *am* looking forward to having a license photo that doesn't look like a third-strike child molester's mug shot. I’m also sort of looking forward to checking out the one in Clayton. Anything has to be better than the Kingshighway DMV, which has all the charm of a Siberian forced labor camp.

House hunt ’11. The rain stopped and we checked out a few places last night, and really, all of them were pretty good except for one. Two of them, we really liked. One of them, we super really liked.

Sarah Palin. If the allegations that she slept with an NBA player, smoked pot, and snorted cocaine off a 55 lb oil drum while snowmobiling are true, it will mark the first and only time I’ve ever been able to view Sarah Palin as an actual human being.

My last day as a 33 year old. That seems insane to me, but hey, I still feel like I’m 18, which is all that matters.

september fourteenth

2011-09-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

Five for September 14th:

South City. Ran into a few random friends from different circles last night at an impromptu dinner with Lisa at Shaved Duck. South City is just a small town when you get right down to it.

Biking. My plans to ride in to work again today were quashed by the ongoing rain, but hopefully I can get another ride in on Friday.

Tonight. Checking out some more houses after work. Quite a few cool ones on the list, and I feel refreshed on looking at them now that we’ve had a couple of weeks off. I was getting a bit burned out on it, truth be told.

Records. Need to start getting some tunes together the first ever Blind Eyes DJ spin at Royale on the 30th. Joining me will be Mr. Seth Porter, who has actually done it before and has some idea what he’s doing. I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it. 10 pm to close. More on this later, to be sure.

Lance Mountain Sidewalk Surfer. I totally want one of these.

september thirteenth

2011-09-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

Five for September 13th:

Riding bikes. “What the Hell”, I said this morning, and rode my bike in to work despite my lingering allergies. It was an amazing ride, and despite the fact that I’ve hardly rode all summer, I made it in 45 minutes as usual. The ride home, which is mostly uphill, might be a different story. Also, I love having those BMX pedals back on.

Fun fact. A pumpkin spice latte and slice of banana walnut bread at Starbucks comes out to exactly $6.66. Satanic victory.

Dental work. That was the shortest dentist visit of all time: in and out of there in about 15 minutes. Now I have to figure out a time to get my two remaining wisdom teeth pulled. Do not want.

In the mail. Santa Cruz “screaming hand” t-shirt, Wild Zero DVD from Netflix. That movie is amazing, and if you haven't seen it, remedy that immediately.

Laundry. Note to self: I need to stop washing my clothes and Henry’s torn-up towels in the same load. My shirts are covered in white towel shards.

september twelfth

2011-09-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Five for September 12th:

An Undercover Weekend. Tight Pants Syndrome as ELO and Union Tree Review as Marvin Gaye were among some of the best AUCW sets I’ve ever seen, but everyone was great. Another successful year.

Crown Valley Winery. Good wine and a nice view, but definitely not going to be the spot for our wedding. Too many negatives, including inadequate space indoors and terrible cover bands that go till 6 every Saturday night. No thanks.

Yesterday. Breakfast with Lisa at Mud House (rad), Grandpa’s 90th birthday party (or, as I called it, his 15th sixth birthday party), finally got those pedals on my bike replaced (thanks Josh), cleaned Lisa’s car from top to bottom (because I’m nice), and did 4 miles at the gym (which felt great, except for the chafing).

Clue. Bought the “classic” version of Clue the other night, which includes a vintage board, wooden playing pieces and actual metal weapons. It’s awesome, even though I didn’t win a single game.

Dentist. Getting a filling tonight after work. Do not want.

september ninth

2011-09-09T08:48:00.001-07:00

Five for September 9th:

Practice. Great one last night. Everything felt really good, and we have a new tune that’s coming together nicely. Also, I feel like I didn’t play like absolute crap, which is always nice.

This morning. Checking e-mails, listening to the Who’s “Live at Leeds”, and drinking a cup of terrible coffee.

Weekend. Glad it’s (almost) here. Lots happening. The Safes at El Lenador tonight, checking out a potential wedding spot with Lisa tomorrow followed by an Undercover Weekend, birthday party for the gramps on Sunday, and whatever else comes along.

Real Genius. Watched it last night for the first time in probably 10 years. It wasn’t as good as I remembered it, and there were way more musical montages than I recall there being. Did that weird looking kid that played Mitch ever do anything else?

Darkness. It’s starting to get dark early, heralding my least favorite time of the year. At least the weather is pretty nice. For now.

september eighth

2011-09-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

Five for September 8th:

Dentist. Of course, I have the beginnings of a cavity and need to get a filling, which is happening on Monday night. On a positive note, my blood pressure is apparently excellent, and I got a bunch of free dental floss.

Royale. Late dinner and drinks with Lisa last night was just what the doctor (dentist?) ordered. Had to skip the KDHX interview, but sounds like Seth pulled it off ok. Should be airing in a couple weeks; I’ll make sure everyone is well aware of the times.

Tonight. Band practice, and maybe a trip to the gym afterward, if I’m feeling up to it. The chances of being too wiped out/hungry are high, but you never know. Stranger things have happened.

My desk at work. It’s pretty gross right now. I haven’t properly wiped it down in I don’t even know how long. Need to bring in some Clorox wipes and take care of it. I’m pretty sure this giant dust buildup isn’t helping my allergy issues.

Priorities. The fact that President Obama's speech tonight had to be moved to an earlier time slot so it wouldn't interfere with the Packers game is one more step in America's swift descent towards Idiocracy.

september seventh

2011-09-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Five for September 7th:

Tonight. Dentist appointment after work, immediately followed by an interview at KDHX at 8. If I can’t make it in time, Seth is going solo.

Powell “Winged Ripper” Jacket. Wore it out today for the first time, now that jacket weather is upon us, at least for the time being. Pretty rad, although as always, my abnormally long arms make the fit a little weird.

Working out. Went to the gym last night for the first time in a month or so to run. The one by our house is a lot better than the one in the loop, and much closer.

Jacked up. I have a giant lump on my hip from slamming the other day. On the upside, the black and blue is starting to go away.

La Vallesana. While I still love La Vallesana, I can't help but feel that a big part of the unique Cherokee street landscape is now gone, replaced by a building that looks like a Chevy's or something. To me, it's kind of a bummer.

september sixth

2011-09-06T07:34:00.001-07:00

Five for September 6th:

Cool down. It was 100+ degrees and sweltering on Saturday, but by Monday morning it was down into the low 70s, probably colder. I had to wear a hoodie while walking Henry this morning. Fall is coming on quick and wreaking havoc on my sinuses.

Tower Groove Records carnival. Checked it out with Kevin for a bit on Sunday. Lots of people were out, I saw a few bands, and the weather was amazing. Also, it’s going to take a long time for me to adjust to Off Broadway’s downsizing of their once epically long bar.

Local Harvest. Lisa and I broke out the bikes and rode to Local Harvest for breakfast on Sunday morning. Their food is amazing, and it felt great to get a (short) bike ride in. Planning on riding in to work sometime this week, if I can muster the motivation in the morning.

Folk music. Not exactly my favorite, generally speaking, but the backyard folk school jam at Tom’s birthday party yesterday was impressive as hell.

Short week. The next best part of a 3-day weekend is a 4-day work week.

september second

2011-09-02T08:01:00.001-07:00

Five for September 2nd:

New Ringtone. An audio recording of Keith imitating a frustrated Jimmy Stewart asking for a fictional beer called “Lobsterbräu”. It is indeed as amazing as it sounds.

3-day weekend. Starting in mere hours. Aside from playing a wedding reception at Mangia for one of Kevin’s friends on Sunday night (the bride to be is apparently really likes our band), I don’t have much in the way of firm plans, which is fine by me.

Last night. Good band practice, but too short. We need to find a new place to practice that we can use past 8 pm. Only being able to play drums for an hour and a half a week certainly isn’t making me any better.

eBay. I don’t understand how a seller can demand immediate payment for an item via Paypal, and then take over a week to ship the item out. That’s what I call a massive fail, and a sure-fire negative feedback. It doesn’t take 8 days to put a t-shirt in the mail.

Bloody Mary. I want one, right now. Extra olives.

september first

2011-09-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

Five for September 1st:

September. My second favorite month of the year. It’s worth noting that my birthday is in sixteen days, so, you know. Get me stuff.

Free skate session. There’s a 30 and over “old man” mini ramp session at No Coast every Thursday night from 6-8, which, naturally, is exactly the one time during the week that I have band practice, down to the hours. This is actually ok, for now, given how much I would likely embarrass myself on the aforementioned mini ramp.

Mad Men. The first four seasons just showed up on Netflix Instant. If you haven’t watched it yet, now is the time to get started.

Contacts. I think it’s officially time to get a new pair going. I have had my current pair alive and kicking since before our trip to the BVI. Surprisingly, they’re still quite comfortable, but they’re starting to dry out pretty quick. Just trying to get as much life out of them as I can before I have to go fork over a ton of money on another year’s supply.

Don’t buy it. Didn't this whole "Apple employee leaving new a iPhone prototype in a bar" publicity stunt happen last year? Steve Jobs is not amused.

august thirty-first

2011-08-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Five for August 31st:

Vans. Both the vehicle and the shoe are things I currently want. Add ‘em to the list. Speaking of the vehicle, I just threw down a few dollars to help Kevin Seconds get a new set-up, and you should too.

Bad moods. I realize that I’ve been getting in too many lately, and it’s bumming me out. I blame work, because I’m never in a bad mood in the morning. Starting today, I’m going to focus on not taking work crap home with me.

Voltron. As a fervent supporter of my city and lifelong Japanese toy enthusiast, I can’t help but dig this article. Ironically, this isn’t the first time Voltron has had some roots in St. Louis- the Trendmasters Voltron: The Third Dimension toys from back in the late 90’s (early 2000’s?) were designed in their downtown office before they were bought out.

Jack White. OK, kids. Mark it. As of August 31st, 2011, he has officially lost his fucking marbles.

House buying. We’re getting closer to making a decision, or at least an offer, on this house in Shrewsbury that we really like. More on this soon, I’m sure.

august thirtieth

2011-08-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Five for August 30th:

Summer. Is it really almost over? Jeebus. Fall is going to be here in no time. I don’t know that I’m really ready for that just yet, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t sort of looking forward to jacket weather.

Last night. Walked Henry, skated with Andy at Kingshighway for about an hour and a half, helped my brother move a couch to his new apartment, got groceries, and watched Reno 911 with Lisa on the couch. Decent Monday, all said.

Metal Gear Solid. I’m not sure I’d like it as much now as I did when it first came out, but I’ve been jonesing to play that game again. May have to hook up the old PS1 sometime soon and give it a shot.

My iPod. I’m sick of every last track of every last album on there. It’s in serious need of some new material. Anyone out there have a Mac with a ton of good music in your iTunes library? This is getting serious.

Sending out albums. It’s exhausting, and hard to figure out where to begin. However, the first barrage has gone out with a lot more behind it.

august twenty-ninth

2011-08-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Five for August 29th:

Road trip to Columbia. Headed west on Saturday for Oliver’s first birthday party. It was great hanging out that night with Como friends. I sorta miss going there every weekend. Also, Rob and Stefanie’s new pad is awesome.

Houses. Looked at a few places yesterday, all of which were pretty craptacular. Still trying to formulate a plan on this whole “house” thing. We’ll see what happens, but we have some decisions to make, for sure.

Skate spots. Going to the Kingshighway park tonight for a short skate jam with Andy, it’s going to be awesome outside weather-wise. You should come out. On a somewhat related note, they completely re-paved the parking lot across from our apartment over the weekend, which rules, as that is my #1 default skate spot. It was pretty tore up.

Best of STL poll. There’s still time to get online and vote for “With A Bang” as the best local album of the last twelve months! Come on, you know you want to. Voting ends today.

Riding bikes. Lisa and I are planning to go hit a trail some night after work this week. It will be the first time either of us has rode our bikes basically all summer, which is absurd to even think about.

august twenty-sixth

2011-08-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

Five for August 26th:

Skateboards. That Nicky Guerrero deck is so rad. Just have to get some hardware, as my old t-bolts don’t seem to want to work with it. It’s amazing these boards are still available in such large quantities, but they were made at a time in the early 90’s when Powell didn’t see the writing on the wall and was still producing decks at the volume they were in the 1980s. Now, thirty-somethings in 2011 get to reap the benefits.

Band practice. Good one last night. Next show is October 1st at the Midtown Alley Street Fest with a bunch of awesome bands.

This weekend. Lots of stuff happening. Cleaning the apartment (needs to happen) and potentially my car (also needs to happen), Hanging out with Mary and Keith (dog party), Oliver’s first birthday party (kid party), checking out houses (house party), potential skate session at Kingshighway with Andy.

Rolling Stone. I’m no prude, but there’s some stuff in the new issue that, if I had seen as a kid, would have given me nightmares- pictures of Decapitated victims of Mexico's drug wars hanging from a bridge and a shirtless, mustachioed Anthony Kiedis among them.

Today. The Cramps' “Bad Music for Bad People” playing now. Left my messenger bag over at Kevin's last night, and I feel helpless without it. Came in to work and there was a bagel and cream cheese on my desk. Good way to kick off a Friday.

august twenty-fifth

2011-08-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Five for August 25th:

Steve Jobs. Even though I’m not much of an Apple user, I have nothing but respect for the guy. That said, did Apple stock/shareholders think he was just going to be around for eternity? At some point, he's out, one way or the other. If Apple is only good so long as Steve Jobs is around, that company is in big trouble.

Juice Magazine. Potentially the best skateboarding magazine ever. It’s like Thrasher on steroids. Got two back issues in the mail yesterday, and they’re amazing. I didn’t even know about this magazine till recently, but I’m hooked.

Last night. Put together a bunch of press kits to mail out, followed by a late post-yoga dinner with Lisa at Sandrina’s. Hadn’t been there in a few months, and it was awesome.

Tonight. Band practice at 6, and hopefully I’ll have time to pick up that Nicky Guerrero deck from UPS beforehand- unless they drop it off at my pad, which is unlikely.

Some things never change. Saw a bit of an interview with Dick Cheney on the Today Show this morning. It's somewhat comforting to know that he’s still Satan after all these years.

august twenty-fourth

2011-08-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

Five for August 24th:

House party 2. Checked out the house in Shrewsbury last night with Lisa’s dad, and with the exception of a few little issues, everything seems to check out ok. We’re still not dead set on anything, but we could be getting close. Exciting stuff.

Nicky Guerrero. My NOS Guererro should be showing up in the mail tomorrow. Can’t wait to set it up and ride it, and finally retire my ’87 Gonz once and for all. New old stock Powell stuff is a total bargain right now.

Artwork. My friend Greg texted me a picture of a drawing I did when I was about 18 of a small monster reciting the lyrics to the Descendents’ “I Like Food”. He apparently liked it so much that he kept it for 15 years (and counting), and made several copies so as never to lose it. If we’re Facebook friends, you can see it here.

New Blind Eyes shirts. We finally got them. They look awesome, AND they’re printed on really sweet American Aparrel shirts for extra cool factor. Get one.

Dentist appointment. I guess it’s been awhile since I had one, but it doesn’t really seem that way to me. Either way, finally have one on the books for early September.