the ice in boston is pretty

here we are, heading towards the end of january 2009, and already many changes. new president. that’s a big one here. i hope it all goes well.

but to get from the last post to right now, we gotta start last year. december ’08.

the 17th and the 18th – 2 nights of metallica in los angeles.

night one we took karen and rj with us, and it was fun. probably the most unenthusiastic crowd i’ve seen at this slew of metal concerts, but you know – it’s la. the cool kids here make all the jaded seattle hipsters look like overexcited teenagers.

night 2 was a little better, audience participation wise, but still – c’mon los angeles, bring on the rawk! we met up with paul, dave, ted and jenny, chatted a little with kirk, got to admire the new mark ryden guitar up close, and had a few drinks before heading home.

friday the 19^th, and it’s up to san francisco for the weekend to stay with audra and brennan in their nice little new home in alameda. coffee, taxidermy, hanging out with good friends, antiques, used records, waffles, and some metallica, san francisco style. back to la on sunday, back to work on monday, and we are heading into the christmas crush.

dec. 24^th we get out of work early and go have a nice xmas eve dinner at the valley inn with erin and lynn and anitra. steak and alcohol and good conversation. happy night all around.

the 25^th, and we drive down to hang out for the day with shelley’s family. a nice good food dessert filled football watching american holiday and we get home early enough to relax for a while, lazy christmas in pyjamas and hellboy 2 on the tv screen.

26^th and we meet up with amy for a fun dinner at barone’s, the 27^th and 28^th we just pretty much hang out and relax at home, managing to repaint the laundry room a nice shade of monster apple green.

a quiet last week of 2008. shelley cooks some damn fine dinners… which she should definitely do more often in 2009, and then a quiet night cuddling with the dogs on the 31^st. i make some nice bloody caesars to start us off, and then as midnight hits, we have some champagne, and slip off into dreamland… and we wake up into a whole new year.

jan 1 it’s a nice brunch at cha cha cha with paul & laura, and then we finally get around to watching the dark knight… sometimes things just take a while, but damn that movie was good. the 2^nd, we’ve got the day off work so we run some errands, make some new years cards, and then off to the tam o’shanter for steven’s birthday dinner.

a week of work and some little band drama, which i’m not getting into here (at least not yet) – a little tattoo touch up for shelley at paul’s shop, and then friday jan 9^th we meet up with karen and rj at the smoke house for a fantastic and long dinner, drinks, conversation, gifts, good times.

saturday the 10^th we meet up with tina and nathan at the laurel tavern, and run into debbie and grady – and olivia – so that’s a fun little lunch day, and then the holidays are pretty much done – business as usual.

go to daichan with nicki and sonia on the 13^th, always a great dinner there, and then shelley and i gear up for quick weekend travel mode.

friday the 16^th – philadelphia! we fly in, get out of the airport to take the train to our hotel, and… damn it’s cold! bonechilling winter night, and we were expecting cold, but that definitely took us by surprise.

we check in, dress up even warmer – i pretty much ended up wearing everything i had packed – 3 pairs of socks, 2 sweaters, etc… and we managed to take in a little of the city at night, the famous cheesesteaks, and then a hard rock dessert across the street from the hotel.

(that’s a johnny cash guitar up there on the wall, the blue one is iggy pop’s)

we turn the heat on in our room, bundle up, and go to sleep. saturday hits, a little bit warmer in the daytime, but still – cold! we head off to look for food, and find the reading terminal market and have a great little breakfast at the dutch eating place, and just enjoy watching the people, the neon signs, the old amish man selling candy… and then it’s off to the mütter museum, which is a little crowded, but still – fabulous.

a little excerpt from their website:

in 1858, thomas dent mütter, retired professor of surgery at jefferson medical college , presented his personal collection of unique anatomic and pathological materials to the college of physicians of philadelphia. our collection now boasts over 20,000 unforgettable objects. these include fluid-preserved anatomical and pathological specimens; skeletal and dried specimens, medical instruments and apparati; anatomical and pathological models in plaster, wax, papier-mâché, and plastic; memorabilia of famous scientists and physicians; medical illustrations, photographs, prints, and portraits.

yeah – good times!

then a little more philadelphia wandering, coffee, the liberty bell, and then back to the hotel to warm up and relax before heading to the concert. thankfully our timetable was set in a way to completely avoid all the political craziness that was happening right up the street – obama was stopping by on his little train ride to washington, so while we didn’t see any of it, it was kind of cool being there in the same city during it all. then it’s time to rock again, take the train to the stadium, and man – philly is right up there with vancouver in terms of crazy fans. insane! it definitely makes for a better show, i think. we had some drinks, had good seats, wandered around the floor a little, then after the show we met up with some old acquaintances – so we chatted with them and kirk, said goodnight – and off to bed.

sunday the 18^th and we take the amtrak to boston. we had thought about driving, renting a car, but when we heard about the snow warnings, we decided the train would be easier and much less stressful.

good thing too – as the train took us from philadelphia, through the eastern states – passing connecticut, new jersey, new york, and into massachusetts, the snow was coming down outside more and more, and by the time we hit the boston station, it was pretty close to a blizzard. it’s been ages since i’ve been in that much snow, and it wasn’t as cold as philadelphia, but it was a bit of a mess getting around. we took a taxi to food – lunch at the parish… with my favorite massachusetts beer.

then through more snow to our last minute hotel, since staying at jamie and angie’s wasn’t going to be a possibility, and then just sat in our warm room and watched the snow fall outside before heading out to the boston show.

and it’s another great show, meeting some new people, rocking out, and boston is full of life and enthusiasm, even in the snow. drinks, popcorn, and rock. how metal can ya get.

more drinks, hang out a little, and then back to the hotel. monday morning it’s off to the airport, fly to denver, then from there to la – get some lunch (burgers, quick!) – and then cuddle up and lie around with the dogs.

tuesday – back to our regular work schedule, and updates on life as it happens to follow at a later date.

metallica, madonna, mayhem

Time flies when you’re, you know, busy doing stuff….

It’s almost the end of November, and I thought I’d get some words and pics up here, now, before this holiday season hits too hard.

October 17th Shelley and I drive up to San Francisco to meet up with Audra and Brennan and hit the Cow Palace for the official Metallica friends & family rehearsal show. On the way, we drive through smoke, then fire on both sides of the highway, then a road full of carrots from an overturned truck.

So after that – it was smooth sailing, right?

Actually -after that, a passing truck threw a pebble from underneath one of it’s tires, which flew up and hit our windshield with enough force to cause a quarter-sized star-shaped crack, which slowly started to spread across the glass as we drove. So Shelley was driving carefully as I was trying to contact some windshield replacement people we could meet up with in SF.

after that, it was pretty smooth… for the most part.

we got to the show, met up with our friends, and then – it was time to rock.

Great show, and for a Metallica concert, pretty darn intimate. We said farewell to A&B, and then went off to meet up with Kirk, and then out into the San Francisco night to drink Champagne at Bubbles, then off to the SF house to crash, before waking up early to meet the windshield replacement people, and drive back home, after a failed attempt to have lunch in Carmel, ’cause everything closes there way too early.

A couple of days later, it’s off to Arizona to see the first official show of the tour – it’s pretty much the same, but a lot bigger… and a whole lot more lasers and fire and crazy people. Rawk… what can i say.

We get up to the stage for a little bit, but for most of the show we watch from above it all – at the light board – which gives us a nice unobstructed view of all the Metal that’s going on below.

We fly back too early on Wednesday morning, slightly hungover after hanging out all night with Mark, Eric, and JB at some strange Arizona middle-of-the-desert mall, eating and drinking and talking… and go straight to work.

thankfully there’s a couple of days of quiet before Halloween hits. We get our wonderful portrait from Natalia on the 28th, which is also my dad’s birthday (Happy Birthday there!) – and hopefully I’ll have an image of the portrait to put up here soon – before Christmas. Really. I think.

So then it’s Halloween, and Shelley and I are Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett – and we feel good, look good, and win a prize at work.

Then, still all dressed up, it’s off to the Halloween Haunt at Karen & RJ’s – which is a blast – thousands of kids coming through, and great people to hang out with….

Then November hits…

November first Shelley and I head over to the Hollywood Forever for the Day of the Dead celebration, wander, looking at graves and altars, taking lots of pictures (which aren’t edited yet – soon, i think…). Then it’s Miceli’s for dinner, and off to the Egyptian to see a screening of “Curse of the Werewolf” – which is Excellent.

A very spooky weekend, which is all we wanted.

November 3rd, Lunch at the Counter with Shelley & Stuart, the 4th – I had my Canadian fingers crossed, Shelley went to vote,  and we witnessed a historic moment in the evolution of the United States of America.

Thursday November 6th – the Black Kites play at the Scene. small crowd, but it’s still a great place to play.

The night after, dinner with Audra & Brennan… and Pie!. They’re heading off to SF soon, so it’ll suck not being able to do our Daichan dinners, but – on the plus side – it means people we can visit in San Francisco.

Saturday November 8th, it’s quick travel time again, Driving to Vegas to meet up with Karen & RJ and have a nice dinner…. and hit the Madonna concert – we got soundboard seats – so it should actually be alright…

And we had a blast. First, it was an old school steak dinner at Hugo’s Cellar in the 4 Queens Casino, and then off to the show….

Then Alcohol, Vegas, Hotel, Sleep, Hangover, Home…. and lie in bed for the rest of the day.

November slides along, band practices, work, and then Friday the 14th we meet up with Carl for a nice sushi dinner (Cafe Sushi) and then we all head to Molly Malone’s to see Paul Freeman play – or i guess it’s just “Freeman”… it was fun, good to hang out with Carl – and Paul’s getting some good songs into his set.

Sunday the 16th the Black Kites do the practice thing, and then head off for some quick photos to be used in an upcoming video – created and designed by Kathryne Layne Paxton. It should be pretty interesting when it’s all done and together…

Wednesday the 19th, Shelley and I have a nice just-the-two-of-us dinner at Lawry’s. I’ve been living in LA for just over three years now, and that’s pretty crazy…

November 21st, and the Black Kites hit Spaceland – playing with some other interesting bands and surrounded by a strangely into-it Silverlake crowd. It was us first, followed by the Human Value, and then Shiloe and the War Tapes were playing as well. Spaceland. It can go either way there, but i think we pulled it off nicely.

Then Saturday night, Shelley and I, along with Peggy and Patrick – were out with the stars – hanging at a bungalow at the Chateau Marmont for Lucy’s birthday party. It was actually quite fun – i felt a little awkward, but a few drinks – and i was dancing alongside everyone else. Go with the flow, y’know, and i ended up with a good story to tell, and Shelley got to talk to Danny DeVito, so – it was definitely a night to remember. maybe that’s just the kind of place it is – only been there twice, but both times were pretty intense.

Then, slightly buzzed, slightly star-struck – it was a late night sushi bite, and then off to home.

Now – it’s now. Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday with Amy & Ben, and then off to see my parents (and, again, Metallica), and back to work.

Onwards we go…

A long week before a long weekend that isn’t long enough

Just past the halfway thru February mark – and the last week has been overflowing with – well – stuff. good stuff fun stuff and things we did after work stuff.

I guess it started on Tuesday the 12^th – Shelley and I met up with Amy for a nice dinner at Daichan – (always a good place for a great dinner) – and then hit 4 ‘n’ 20 for Pie… I like pie! Normally Tuesdays are a band practice night – but the other 3 had to figure out some new song structural dynamics – and I guess they figured I should sit it out instead of sitting around. It’s not that I don’t contribute to the writing process – but sometimes when a guitar / keyboard line is being figured out and being played a hundred different ways – there’s not much for the drums to actually do. I’ll hit my part later.

Wednesday after work we headed down to the Egyptian Theatre – and saw the new Zombie flick – Diary of the Dead. Not bad, I say… not bad at all. George Romero was in attendance – to say a few words before the film began – and to do some zombie Q&A afterwards. He kinda reminded me of Stan Lee – but with longer hair and crazier glasses. He even put himself in a little Stan Lee like cameo within the film.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect – it’s been years since I’ve seen Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, and I don’t think I ever even saw Land of the Dead. Day of the Dead – I might have seen – I’m actually a little unsure about that one… Anyhows – instead of being a full-on new zombie film, Diary of the Dead is almost a reworking of Night of the Living Dead for a new generation – the shock and horror and discomfort of the 1968 Black and White film has been switched out for the shock, horror and discomfort of the slightly shaky hand held video camera angle. With social commentary on the proliferation of media – from myspace to youtube to everyone has a camera and a blog – and with so many voices shouting, which one is shouting the truth? Interesting – and it makes sense if you don’t think too deeply. It’s a zombie movie, dammit – go and have fun – it makes you laugh, it makes you cringe, it makes you jump in your seat – ‘Nuff Said.

So, then…. V-Day. Feb. 14^th. It’s very nice being able to share Valentine’s Day with someone who appreciates romantic gifts like “Spider Baby: The Director’s Cut” on DVD, a lobby card from “the Bad Seed”, and an autographed Murder Ballads poster. Chocolates too, of course… and I got a nice black t-shirt with a green Absinthe design and some brand new pairs of Trash & Vaudeville black stretch jeans – so yeah – I’m ready to rock. Then we flew thru a day of work so we could leave early and get to Lawry’s in time for a Valentine’s Day dinner double date with Karen & RJ.

Now that’s a good meal – spinning salad, prime rib, lobster tail, yorkshire pudding, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, horseradish, a couple of cocktails, and dessert – oh so good. Good food, great friends, good conversation – and a birthday party for a 93 yr old woman right behind us. Good times! And we looked good too – RJ and I in nice jackets and red ties – I had on my white duckies – Shelley and Karen looking prom date elegant – and Karen & RJ even had the red flower corsages going on. Then back home, where we were so full that we barely made it through an episode of Mary Hartman before we passed out.

Friday – finally – February 15^th. What does that mean? It means Hockey Night In LA! Another night out with Karen and RJ  but this time, instead of fancy foods and old school manners – we get all grunged out and go for the beer & pretzels and watch the LA Kings and the Calgary Flames get it on. I never really liked the hockey thing before I met Shelley – but now – hell – it’s a damn fun time, and the tickets were free, the seats were good, and it’s always fun watching them Canadians play.

I think Shelley and I are good luck for the Kings – ‘cause they don’t seem to be doing that good, yet every time we see them – they kick ass (unfortunately for them – we’ve only been to like 5 games in the past couple of years) – this time was no exception – taking on the Flames and putting on a very animated show for us. Lots of spinning and falling down and body slamming and penalties – there was even an actual fight that broke out – which I hadn’t seen before – It’s strange watching a hockey game – you just have to let yourself become part of the audience – part of the game – and then all the kicking and screaming and yelling and crazy mascot dancing and strange fans with pink wigs freaking out in the bleachers and beer and pretzels and hot dogs and sports jerseys and zamboni drivers and flying t-shirts and tribal sports drummers all kinda make sense in one big slice of a popular cultural snapshot. It’s not my scene, it’s not my life, but it’s a lot of fun to just slip in and visit sometimes. And the game itself – it’s like some strange blend of sports, ballet, figure skating, and the Three Stooges. Or maybe it’s just a mix of the Ice Capades and George of the Jungle. Not quite sure. Either way, it’s kinda fun.

So then – that being our week – our weekend was spent pretty much recuperating – laying low. Some goulash at Solley’s, some Chinese Food with Amy, a little band meeting with the Video Director to scout out the shooting location of the Black Kites vid that’s happening next week and a few episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer on DVD…  and then it’s Monday – and while all the banks shut down for President’s day, Shelley and I are at work – moving once again towards another weekend.