EVERY TIME I LOOK TO MY LEFT FROM THIS CHAIR IS A PORTRAIT OF PHIL LYNOTT
I think he's trying to tell me something.
Not really . that would be crazy thinking...But in a looser sense , every time I look at him in all his black Irish - pirate - afro glory I remember how it was back then.
Today I was talking to a swim instructor who is about my son's age and she was amazed that I had graduated from Westlake ( it was a very different Westlake back in the 70's ) which led to her saying she loved 70's music , which led to her telling me about her Mom...and her Dad...I am older than her Dad !
I didn't comment on that.
She is a very sweet kid...her parents raised her right. I get the chance to watch her teaching these toddlers how to swim...she's very good. Makes me smile that there are still good hearted people in the world.
When I was cleaning the pool today , I was picking up bug heads...a bunch of them , all the same,all around the pool (100,000 plus gallon deal...big ) and that is odd.
Swim instructor thought maybe it was birds that don't like the heads...I opined that maybe it was a budding serial killer...
Her responese?
"There are a lot of demon children in this neighborhood...I live here so I know. "
Wow...Back in the day , we may have pulled the wings off of fly's , but it didn't define us.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
OUT OF KINDNESS I SUPPOSE...
Steve Earle's homage to Townes Van Zandt has been in heavy rotation here. A labor of love to be sure.
But also a reminder...Steve Earle has been a favorite of the Wolves from the very beginning. Curiously enough , his more country , blue-grassy stuff.
It only helps drive it home that he is a Texas boy and a survivor.
Seen him twice...hope to see him again.
Steve Earle's homage to Townes Van Zandt has been in heavy rotation here. A labor of love to be sure.
But also a reminder...Steve Earle has been a favorite of the Wolves from the very beginning. Curiously enough , his more country , blue-grassy stuff.
It only helps drive it home that he is a Texas boy and a survivor.
Seen him twice...hope to see him again.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
PEOPLE SAY I'M A GOOD MAN
I'm a bit uncomfortable with that term , I don't disagree with it because at my core I am one of those.I love animals and I would never hurt anyone or anything unless they are trying to hurt me or mine...then look out.
I know who I love and I keep them close to my heart...it's as simple as that.
But does that make me a "good man" ?
I will protect my loved ones at the expense of my own well being...doe's that make the cut?
I don't get this good man thing at all...
I'm just me
I'm a bit uncomfortable with that term , I don't disagree with it because at my core I am one of those.I love animals and I would never hurt anyone or anything unless they are trying to hurt me or mine...then look out.
I know who I love and I keep them close to my heart...it's as simple as that.
But does that make me a "good man" ?
I will protect my loved ones at the expense of my own well being...doe's that make the cut?
I don't get this good man thing at all...
I'm just me
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
WARM MEMORY CHIPS...
I saw a commercial for a blatant rip off of the movie ET this evening and I was instantly transported back to an evening I spent with my Mom shortly before she died watching ET.
She sat in her chair , and I sat on the floor beside her , holding hands.
Little did either of us know at the time that I would drive her to her final stop at the hospital in less than a month.
Some memories I wish I could blot out , this is not one of them...it's been lurking around in the back of my mind , waiting for a trigger ( or two ).
No matter what goes down , you will always love your Mom...
I saw a commercial for a blatant rip off of the movie ET this evening and I was instantly transported back to an evening I spent with my Mom shortly before she died watching ET.
She sat in her chair , and I sat on the floor beside her , holding hands.
Little did either of us know at the time that I would drive her to her final stop at the hospital in less than a month.
Some memories I wish I could blot out , this is not one of them...it's been lurking around in the back of my mind , waiting for a trigger ( or two ).
No matter what goes down , you will always love your Mom...
Saturday, July 18, 2009
SATURDAY
Woke up at the last crack o' dawn...that would be 7 am. That's called sleeping in these days I guess.
Went to my start up pool only to find a shitload of empty beer cans all around it and cigarettes put out on the newly installed deck tiles.
I guess I should explain that a start up is a new pool or a re - plastered pool and the accepted method is to balance chems and brush for 10 days.
I might add that people should not get in it for 10 days and especially dogs shouldn't - regardless of the status of the pool - dogs fuck up pools.
This start up has all that and more . Lucky me.
Met Joel for lunch at Opal's Penn Field , it's always good to see him and visit.He brought me a CD...Goatwhore. Ugly music...very nice.
Meanwhile , Annabelle is on the phones working...I have a choice on Saturdays.Stay at home and be really quiet (yeah...) or go somewhere . I go somewhere.
A friend of mine lost his Mom this week...he didn't really lose her , she died.
I missed the funeral , but went and saw him today with flowers and a card and a novena candle.He said it was a comfort to him (the candle). I've been in his shoes...I was in them today. I'm glad I could bring some comfort.
I forgot to mention that I lost my knife...so I went a got a new one. While I was at walmart I got a decent aquarium for our fighting fish...who I call Jefferson because he keeps movin' on up.
Then it was time to feed the dogs , and after the prerequesite wait time , they took me for a drag.
I made some magic sausage and beef ravioli for dinner , with garlic toast.
Life is not so bad these days...
Woke up at the last crack o' dawn...that would be 7 am. That's called sleeping in these days I guess.
Went to my start up pool only to find a shitload of empty beer cans all around it and cigarettes put out on the newly installed deck tiles.
I guess I should explain that a start up is a new pool or a re - plastered pool and the accepted method is to balance chems and brush for 10 days.
I might add that people should not get in it for 10 days and especially dogs shouldn't - regardless of the status of the pool - dogs fuck up pools.
This start up has all that and more . Lucky me.
Met Joel for lunch at Opal's Penn Field , it's always good to see him and visit.He brought me a CD...Goatwhore. Ugly music...very nice.
Meanwhile , Annabelle is on the phones working...I have a choice on Saturdays.Stay at home and be really quiet (yeah...) or go somewhere . I go somewhere.
A friend of mine lost his Mom this week...he didn't really lose her , she died.
I missed the funeral , but went and saw him today with flowers and a card and a novena candle.He said it was a comfort to him (the candle). I've been in his shoes...I was in them today. I'm glad I could bring some comfort.
I forgot to mention that I lost my knife...so I went a got a new one. While I was at walmart I got a decent aquarium for our fighting fish...who I call Jefferson because he keeps movin' on up.
Then it was time to feed the dogs , and after the prerequesite wait time , they took me for a drag.
I made some magic sausage and beef ravioli for dinner , with garlic toast.
Life is not so bad these days...
Friday, July 17, 2009
SO THE POOL WAS FULL OF SANDBLASTING BEADS AND OTHER ADVENTURES
One of my customers has this incredible looking pool with lots of features , and one of those is the decorative tile . Lots of 1x1 " glass tiles. He had them sandblasted the other day and I got to vac out the beads . I pulled it off , but it was only with herculean effort.
He was home at the time and saw me do it , I won't bore you with the details but it was a challenge . He was impressed.
But the coolest thing was when I rolled up on his place there was an armadillo rooting around in the neighbors yard. I sat and watched him as he rooted his way to within 2 feet of my truck - armadillos rely mostly on scent as they have been short changed in the vision department. I revved my engine a bit when he started coming out into the street and he boogied off back into the yard.
I haven't seen a live one in years...just road kill.
Very cool.
I managed 11 stops today...only one was kind to me , the others were full on cleans. My shoulders hurt.
I thought I could get away with not letting the grrrls take me for a drag , but they prevailed.
Tomorrow I can sleep in ... I bet I wake up at the crack o' dawn.
One of my customers has this incredible looking pool with lots of features , and one of those is the decorative tile . Lots of 1x1 " glass tiles. He had them sandblasted the other day and I got to vac out the beads . I pulled it off , but it was only with herculean effort.
He was home at the time and saw me do it , I won't bore you with the details but it was a challenge . He was impressed.
But the coolest thing was when I rolled up on his place there was an armadillo rooting around in the neighbors yard. I sat and watched him as he rooted his way to within 2 feet of my truck - armadillos rely mostly on scent as they have been short changed in the vision department. I revved my engine a bit when he started coming out into the street and he boogied off back into the yard.
I haven't seen a live one in years...just road kill.
Very cool.
I managed 11 stops today...only one was kind to me , the others were full on cleans. My shoulders hurt.
I thought I could get away with not letting the grrrls take me for a drag , but they prevailed.
Tomorrow I can sleep in ... I bet I wake up at the crack o' dawn.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
15 YEARS IS A LONG TIME
To be in the same band with the same 4 people. We don't get together much these days as the heat and divergent schedules tend to limit the time we can be at the practice space.
But Saturday we got together - late - and didn't get home til after 3 a.m.. Easy when your in your 20's & 30's...not so much these days as we cruise into middle age. ( One of us is already there ;) ).
I'm not sure what's going to happen to us Wolves in the future...as we splinter off into new projects and ( for me anyway ), more solo stuff.15 years is a long run for a local band ... something to be proud of I think , considering that while we have lots in common , we are very different personalities.
With a long ( most of it recorded ) history that is a document and a testament to friends with a common interest.
Long may we run.
...end edit...
To be in the same band with the same 4 people. We don't get together much these days as the heat and divergent schedules tend to limit the time we can be at the practice space.
But Saturday we got together - late - and didn't get home til after 3 a.m.. Easy when your in your 20's & 30's...not so much these days as we cruise into middle age. ( One of us is already there ;) ).
I'm not sure what's going to happen to us Wolves in the future...as we splinter off into new projects and ( for me anyway ), more solo stuff.15 years is a long run for a local band ... something to be proud of I think , considering that while we have lots in common , we are very different personalities.
With a long ( most of it recorded ) history that is a document and a testament to friends with a common interest.
Long may we run.
...end edit...
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
THE ARCHITECTURE OF INSECTS
I see lots of insects on my daily travels...sadly , some of them are dead spinning around in skimmers , which is sad , but most are around pools or in them getting water or needing to be rescued . and rescue them I do. I don't discriminate ...if your a bug in distress I'll help you out of a jam.
In my travels I have observed a lot of insects and spiders and ( as D liked to call them "stingin' lizards" or scorpions ) . I have netted out scorpions from pools who were prone on the bottom for god knows how long (at most a week) and were still alive.
The variety of armor and specialized appendages and shells and wings are amazing to me.
At one of my regular stops there is a huge wolf spider that lives behind where I stack the chemicals in the equipment room.I look forward to seeing him (or her)on my twice weekly visits. Giant emerald green beetles and giant rhinoceros beetles are common as are those fucking stink bugs or assassin beetles I despise that can give you a nasty bite , but if they are in peril I rescue them.
It's like mini karma points...:)
I see lots of insects on my daily travels...sadly , some of them are dead spinning around in skimmers , which is sad , but most are around pools or in them getting water or needing to be rescued . and rescue them I do. I don't discriminate ...if your a bug in distress I'll help you out of a jam.
In my travels I have observed a lot of insects and spiders and ( as D liked to call them "stingin' lizards" or scorpions ) . I have netted out scorpions from pools who were prone on the bottom for god knows how long (at most a week) and were still alive.
The variety of armor and specialized appendages and shells and wings are amazing to me.
At one of my regular stops there is a huge wolf spider that lives behind where I stack the chemicals in the equipment room.I look forward to seeing him (or her)on my twice weekly visits. Giant emerald green beetles and giant rhinoceros beetles are common as are those fucking stink bugs or assassin beetles I despise that can give you a nasty bite , but if they are in peril I rescue them.
It's like mini karma points...:)
Sunday, July 05, 2009
A MONSTER IS BORN
A while back , me an LT traded guitars...he got my tobacco sunburst telecaster and I got his black Les Paul. Well , my tele had some electronic issues and LT took it upon himself to correct them , including a transplant of the bridge end pick up.
It now sports a mini double humbucker...killer sound.
I drove Annabelle out of the house (!) and caused Irene to howl (!!)...
A while back , me an LT traded guitars...he got my tobacco sunburst telecaster and I got his black Les Paul. Well , my tele had some electronic issues and LT took it upon himself to correct them , including a transplant of the bridge end pick up.
It now sports a mini double humbucker...killer sound.
I drove Annabelle out of the house (!) and caused Irene to howl (!!)...
AND NOW...HEADLINE NEWS
* 1.6 million seek 8,750 Jackson memorial tickets
That is a headline from CNN. It's like that movie Idiocracy come to life.
What's wrong with people ?
Nigga's dead...nuff said.
I guess it's easier to focus on the death of a junkie ex pop star alleged kid dick smoker than it is to focus on whats really happening in this country. Fucking sheep.
And the media is feeding it. Fucking media.
I wonder if those guys that got killed in Afghanistan the other day were in mourning for sir dance a lot and just got so wrapped up in the thrall that they didn't see it coming through their grief. Billy jean don't want my -BAM!-erk...something like that maybe.
It makes me sick.
* 1.6 million seek 8,750 Jackson memorial tickets
That is a headline from CNN. It's like that movie Idiocracy come to life.
What's wrong with people ?
Nigga's dead...nuff said.
I guess it's easier to focus on the death of a junkie ex pop star alleged kid dick smoker than it is to focus on whats really happening in this country. Fucking sheep.
And the media is feeding it. Fucking media.
I wonder if those guys that got killed in Afghanistan the other day were in mourning for sir dance a lot and just got so wrapped up in the thrall that they didn't see it coming through their grief. Billy jean don't want my -BAM!-erk...something like that maybe.
It makes me sick.
Friday, July 03, 2009
SAMARITAN ?
I was pulling a pool cleaner out of one of my pools the other day , and about a third of the way out , on a part of the hose that floats on the surface was a clutch of little black eggs encased in an adhesive gelatinous blob. Probably frog eggs , maybe toad , or...could it be something else?
I think a lot of people would have just wiped them off and discarded them as so much flotsam and jetsam ... I transferred them as gently as I could into a container , brought them home and put them in my former Beta bowl.
Hopefully the will hatch out into tadpoles and I can release them in the creek behind our house. Then in a year or so , when I see a toad hopping across our porch I can wonder..."Hey...is that one of mine"?
:)
I was pulling a pool cleaner out of one of my pools the other day , and about a third of the way out , on a part of the hose that floats on the surface was a clutch of little black eggs encased in an adhesive gelatinous blob. Probably frog eggs , maybe toad , or...could it be something else?
I think a lot of people would have just wiped them off and discarded them as so much flotsam and jetsam ... I transferred them as gently as I could into a container , brought them home and put them in my former Beta bowl.
Hopefully the will hatch out into tadpoles and I can release them in the creek behind our house. Then in a year or so , when I see a toad hopping across our porch I can wonder..."Hey...is that one of mine"?
:)
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
THE WEATHER CAN CLOSE THE WORLD WITHIN IT'S HAND
Clouds followed me this morning...I raced to get pools done before the sky opened up on me...I got 3 out of the way and the sky opened up on me at #4 , and it rained and rained...with thunder and lightning.
You don't want to be pushing a metal pole around in water in an electrical storm.
I had some important stops ahead of me , so I went home and dried my clothes and ate lunch and then headed back out.
I haven't been out in the rain cleaning pools since I was at Hines...You know , it's kind of cool being out in it , an adventure of sorts...until you are soaking wet.
Then it sucks.
I got to my important stops and only rolled over one stop that I'll hit on Friday...I may hit it tomorrow , we'll see. This particular stop has a very mean dog that needs to be contained. I don't get these mean dogs...I'm a dog person - dogs love me.
The dogs I should be afraid of on my route love me. I have one customer with 2 pit bulls. Pit Bulls mind you , and they love me.
I have another with a pit mix and we are the best of friends.
Go figure that one...or two.
Lot's of dead and bloated toads this week...in skimmers and auto fills...Gotta be the rain...Bums me out . How do you make the route and give a decent burial?
Clouds followed me this morning...I raced to get pools done before the sky opened up on me...I got 3 out of the way and the sky opened up on me at #4 , and it rained and rained...with thunder and lightning.
You don't want to be pushing a metal pole around in water in an electrical storm.
I had some important stops ahead of me , so I went home and dried my clothes and ate lunch and then headed back out.
I haven't been out in the rain cleaning pools since I was at Hines...You know , it's kind of cool being out in it , an adventure of sorts...until you are soaking wet.
Then it sucks.
I got to my important stops and only rolled over one stop that I'll hit on Friday...I may hit it tomorrow , we'll see. This particular stop has a very mean dog that needs to be contained. I don't get these mean dogs...I'm a dog person - dogs love me.
The dogs I should be afraid of on my route love me. I have one customer with 2 pit bulls. Pit Bulls mind you , and they love me.
I have another with a pit mix and we are the best of friends.
Go figure that one...or two.
Lot's of dead and bloated toads this week...in skimmers and auto fills...Gotta be the rain...Bums me out . How do you make the route and give a decent burial?
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