The year was 1978.
About the time I met the woman that would ultimately change my life.
And I met my wife . . .

I’m sorry but they don’t write stuff like this these days.
A pop song with a #11 chord?
Questions about the above observation are welcome.
Though you may not understand the answer.
I used to play this song and loved the chord changes . . .
As always, headphones are highly recommended.
The sound is great.

Our Mom would have been 81 today.
It was on my mind from the minute I got up today.
For her wake, I made a CD with a slew of tunes that I thought she would like.
This was one of them.
Unfortunately, the audio quality on this is real sub par for Take Six.
Get out the headphones.
It helps.
Whoever was mixing them that night needed to boost the ‘soprano’ vocal.  Helllllooooo?
That said, my mother would have loved these guys.
Happy Birthday, Mom.
Maureen and I miss you every single day.
Dad will be there when he’s ready or until you at least yell, “Wally! Get here! I’m lonely!”
Hope they have YouTube up there in heaven.
Miss you and love you every single day.
Dad does, too . . .

There is a quiet place
Far from the rapid pace
Where God can soothe my troubled mind

Sheltered by tree and flower
There in my quiet hour
With Him my cares are left behind

Whether a garden small
Or on a mountain tall

New strength and courage there I find
Then from this quiet place
I go prepared to face
A new day with love for all mankind

From those wonderful folks at Guinness:

“Last year, Guinness® started Proposition 3-17, the campaign to make St. Patrick’s Day an official holiday in the US. While we gained a lot of your support, we still need one million signatures.
When you and your friends support Proposition 3-17, you have the opportunity to make a difference. To make history. To make official what we already know is the greatest holiday of the year.”

This is something that is near and dear
to me Irish heart.
Click on the Guinness banner above and cast your vote!
My dear daughter Sarah sent this link to me but failed to buy me a pint.
Oh, sweet Mother McCree, kids these days . . .
If you feel so inclined to purchase me a pint, click on the Guinness glass below.
All will be explained.
(michael@badsneaker.net)
But at least sign the petition!
btw- I’m making “Steak & Guinness Pie” this year for the Irish holiday. (thanks, J0j0!)
Stay tuned for the review.

“No man ever wore a scarf as warm as his daughter’s arm around his neck.”
~Old Irish saying

Pour yourself a pint!!!!!!!!

I made it through the holiday, y’all.
Christmas Eve found me a bit crazy though (as my wife will attest)
What can I say, Maker’s Mark bourbon makes me silly.
Go figure.

But, I had fun, ‘kissing-my-brother-in-law on the cheek’ fun.
Yeah, I don’t think he liked it though.
My sister did give me the holiday hat of my dreams though.

We had all kinds of wonderful food to eat, music playing, inspired conversation, barrels of laughter, Rum Swizzles on ice, wine, beer and we were comfortably surrounded by family;
everything one needs to make the season bright.
You can probably tell from the picture at the top of the post which book I’m currently reading
(a present from my 3 wonderful girls)
I love Wally Lamb but his books do take some perseverance to get through.
Not that I’m complaining.
As a Patriots fan, after yesterday, I have lots of time to get my nose stuck in a book anyway.

I have realized that I’ve been seriously slacking in the reading department, something that changes today, not on January 1st.
To write, you have to read.
And today, it started with no conceivable end in sight.
As far as writing goes, reading helps me and pushes me in a forward direction.
I have no doubt that 2009 will be a great writing year for me.
As far as the blog goes, I won’t be very far away but I’ve made some serious creative promises to myself and will try like hell to keep them. (or Laho will kick my arse)
Damn these New Year resolutions.

Will I give up Guinness?
Yeah, right.

Will I give up blogging?
Don’t think so.

Will I cook less Risotto?
Not if my daughters have anything to do with it.

Will I stop smoking cigars?
Puuuhleeese.

It’s a new year and a fresh chance to chase my dreams.
Many will come true this year.
I just have to keep on believing and praying.
Catch all of you in ’09.
I wish all of you the very best that this life has to offer.
The candles are lit and the prayers waiting to be whispered.
Please let me know if you need one.
Happy New Year, folks.
And go easy on the MSG, okay?
My pen is ready.
It’s time to rock, folks . . .

I am: always waiting, endlessly hoping
I think: the world is going to hell in a hand basket . . .
I know: I’m not the only one that thinks so
I want: just enough
I have: a sad heart . . .
I wish: it weren’t so
I hate: Winter . . . (it’s coming)
I miss: Summer
I fear: things I have no control over
I feel: tired, like always
I hear: conversation, the rustle of a newspaper, a train on the tracks
I smell: like a fine cigar . . . (that nobody likes)
I crave: anything but
I search: for ‘the’ words . . .
I wonder: exactly what they mean
I regret: so very many things, so many mistakes, wrong turns and unfulfilled dreams
I ache: daily
I care: deeply
I always: keep ‘hope’ somewhere very close
I am not: a brain surgeon, but I’m pretty freekin’ smart
I believe: in my three wonderful daughters (my 3 hopes)
I dance: like an epileptic underneath a manic strobe light
I sing: rarely these days, which is sad
I cry: behind locked doors (not often enough)
I don’t always: shave my head
I fight: for what I truly believe in
I write: to simply stay sane
I never: feel that life is fair
I stole: a nice four-wheel dolly from a ritzy Hotel in Boston many years ago
(actually, I just ‘forgot’ to return it)
I listen: to those that truly need to be heard
I need: something
I am happy about: the fact that the dung-slinging elections are almost over.
And I could give two sweet shits about them.
Politics suck. Period. Amen.

Feel free to tag yourself on this.
No tagging here.
I borrowed this from Moe.
Great Meme . . .
Maybe too much information?
Ah, well, it had to come out sooner or later . . .

Won’t be around much this weekend.
Gig tomorrow night will keep me far away from this place that I love.
But Lord knows, I need some extra green stuff every now and then.
I’m playing a wedding for the children of two people (mother & father of the bride) that used to come and see me twenty some odd years ago.
We’ve told these folks that if it gets down to gigging for their grandchildren, we’ve all retired.
20+ hour day staring me in the face.
I’m going to bed.
My 49 year old body just can’t handle it like it used to.
See you guys next week.

I felt a need to post something funny tonight.
Here ‘ya go.

ps. the post didn’t seem quite complete without this:

A couple of gals have some funky stuff going on over

HERE!!!!!!

I visited there tonight and a post reminded me of an old musical nugget I used to love.
Check it out below.
Anyone remember The Brothers Johnson?
Classic stuff.
I found a Quincy Jones video that has Ray Charles singing the lead vocal. (Chaka Khan, too!)
How hip is that?
Please visit the GIRLS and tell them I sent you alright?
They’ll be good to you.
If you have headphones, plug ‘em in a watch this wonderful video.
The sound is frickin’ awesome with cans.

Back in the late 70′s and early 80′s I was gigging on a regular basis. (gigging = playing music i.e., weddings, night clubs, festivals, frat parties)
For a working musician, the times were good.
Actually, that’s wrong, they were the best.
Although things have changed dramatically and DJ’s continue to unjustly monopolize the wedding industry I still have rather fond memories of the good old days.
I read this short post at FFE’s blog and the wheels began turning.

Back in ’79 I got into a very popular cover band and was told I needed to purchase a specific wardrobe to be worn when we played various nightclubs in the area.
It didn’t seem like a big deal to me at the time until I found out exactly what I would need to purchase.
Alright, I’ll describe it.
And if you laugh, you’re freekin’ dead.
Here goes: tight, hip-hugging, white bell-bottoms (the widest bb’s I’d ever seen with a red silk insert on the outer seam), a red silk shirt with lapels that came down to my nipples, a white and tres skimpy white vest that rode somewhere near the bottom of my rib cage and a pair of (God help me) hideous ruby red platform shoes ala Elton John and the Yellow Brick Road.
You want to put me out of my misery already, don’tcha?
I would wear this ‘manly-gear’ mainly at nightclubs.
After the band finished the night (@1:45 -2:00am) I’d be hungry and would venture into Worcester to a tex-mex place called “The MidHeaven” for a few tacos or enchiladas.
The eating part doesn’t strike me as strange but the fact that I still had on my stage clothes deeply disturbs me these days.
Go ahead.
Ask me.
Michael, what in God’s name were you thinking? You’re lucky you’re alive you stupid bastard.
I must have looked like some bizarre Elvis wanna-be, incarnated and twice removed.
Dear God, please someone shoot me . . . uh-huh-huh
Maybe that’s why no one ever bothered with me.
They thought I was dead.
I’m alive to tell the tale so . . .
God damn, I looked goofy.
But I got babes.
Go figure.
Must have been the hip-huggers.
I saw the video below and thought, “This video deserves a post.”

Most memorable line from the video?
The really memorable line from the video?

” . . . my blue jeans is tight
so onto my love rocket climb . . .”
Is that frickin’ poetry or what?

I love Dave Barry.
This is a list of 14 things that took him 50 years to learn.
Hysterical.

~m

• Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

• If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be “meetings.”

• There is a very fine line between hobby and “mental illness.”

• People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

• You should not confuse your career with your life.

• Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.

• Never lick a steak knife.

• The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

• You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

• You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

• There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.

• The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.

• A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)

• Your friends love you anyway.

ps.
thanks to all you folks that have checked out “Cats that look like Hitler”
You’re making my blog stats go crazy! I love that!