Happy Mothers Day…

Good Morning…

So my house had some visitors yesterday.  This is Connie, I think.

And this might be my dad and Ronnie.

I am positive this is my mom.

Yep, see that was Ronnie.

And my mom getting ready to put the phone to her ear as she called me and asked if I could “See Her”.  They didn’t go into my house, just hung out around the back yard on their way by my house.

They just got home from a cruise to Alaska.  They only had an ok time.  Cruising might not be hereditary, since I LOVE IT.  You know what I don’t love…

I am into total chaos, but things are getting ridiculous.  I do love playing find Gabe in the photos.  See the girl dead center wearing the white dress.

It is easier to see her in this photo, since Maya has moved closer to her, but the very next second, she got bumped from behind and went head first off the stage.  Luckily my buddy the security guard, in the center of the photo above, was able to catch her.  I am getting sick of this shit.

I do still like this.  Can you see me enjoying it?

After dealing with Chicago, it was off to the sleepy college town of Columbus, OH.  Man I hate college.  Dann was having a great time though.  Dann loves a sunny morning walk around town.

Can you see Dann?

Beautiful downtown Milwaukee.  It wasn’t a bad place to spend a Sunday.

If you want it done right, do it yourself.

“people read my blogs alot” - m.g.

Good Morning…

I am not boasting, that is Mike speaking. Remember how much I love Mike Gravel. Check this guy out. He learned the Soulja Boy dance.  MC Gravelecopter in the hizouse.

Speaking of Soulja Boy, we shall see how good he is live, when he plays with M.I.A., I am excited. I am not sure about you. I am going to wear my bling’d out 206 earrings.

Let’s get it on.

Good Morning…

Well it was a good morning, but this

Plus this

Equals this

Which isn’t so bad, when that equals winning a poker tournament. It was the first time I have got to the money at a poker tournament that was not at a friends’ home game, so it was really exciting. From the point that there was 6 people left, everyone wanted to chop the pot up equally. I said that I was still having a good time and people seemed to be bummed, but I was having fun, so whatever. I didn’t even know what places paid, nor did I care. I wanted it all.

At Goldie’s the top 5 places pay, so I figured it was something like that. When we were down to 4, everyone started talking about guaranteeing 4th place they get their buy-in back, so I figured only top 3 paid. I agreed and the guy next to me, who was short stack got super aggressive. I was able to knock him out and then we were all in the money. The next guy went out to the other player, and we were about equal in stacks, and he asked if I wanted to chop. Again, I said no. Difference between first and second was about 50%, so I wanted first. I started getting super aggressive, and taking his blinds. When I was in the big blind with 8 - 2, he just called, so flop came 2 - 10 - 8. I checked, he went all in, I called. He flipped over J - 8, I had two pair, which held up, and I won my first tournament. This has been a very good gambling month for me.

I know there is a ton of outrage about horse racing right now, and I am not sure where I am politically on the issue, I don’t really know enough about it, but if I look into it, and don’t get too offended by the Sport of Kings, I now will focus my energy on the ponies. Emerald Downs is one of the reasons, I am missing Seattle. It is not the number one reason. Or number 2, which is Nate and Jenn’s new daughter that I can not wait to meet. Or number 3, which is this place… We have a date to get work done.

I am not going to complain about my house being rundown any more, because Detroit has been hit hard since the 70’s and still has not recovered. This whole building is stripped and laying vacant. It is beautiful, I think it used to be the train station.

I am not sure which of these are unoccupied, but it is getting dark right now, and I can not see any lights on in most of the buildings.

Pepe is a mother fucking GENIUS.

At the Hotel Yorba, I’ll be glad to see you later.

Good Morning…

I am not sure what happened, but my beard is doing something weird.  I feel like maybe somebody braided it while I was asleep.  Nothing is happening at my house, the tv is off, people are learning.

Some photos from Coachella, the ever amazing Cherry.

Cisko has joined the tour as a dancer, he was drinking Red Bull and Rum and Coke and Vodka last night.  Not sure why, he isn’t either, he said he won’t do it again.

The Causeway to New Orleans.

For how pretty that was, the venue was a rude awakening.  When you see the name Trash House, you don’t think that the venue will actually be the garage for a garbage disposal company.  BUT IT WAS.

They got the diesel tank out of the venue about 1 hour before doors.  They then filled all the holes with QuickCrete so people wouldn’t trip and die.

The nicest backstage ever, part 1.

And part 2.

Looking better.

Chris not sure what the hell he is going to do at front of house.

Dann not sure what he is going to do at monitors.

Andrew also confused about his role for the night.  We didn’t hit the stage until 2:45am.  What a longggggggg day.

After show we went for drinks, I made everyone get a frozen drink in a stupid glass.  It was the only thing that might have saved us.

Today we are in Detroit, home of The White Stripes and Leslie.  I have been to Detroit maybe 60 times, and somehow never seen the Hotel Yorba, but there it is.

Not sure what the inside of the Hotel Yorba looks like, but my room at Motor City Casino is insane.  It is bigger than my house.  From entrance to the living room.

The sitting area.

From desk to kitchenette and dining area.

The bedroom into the dressing room.

The bedroom, I want a headboard.  I hate not having a headboard.

The bathtub, I like the towel storage area.  I am going to sit in this thing all day tomorrow.

Cool sink and toiletry area.

Welcome gift of chocolate covered strawberries.

Fruit and water basket.

CANDY SELECTION!!!

Dann and I ordered room service, as a snack.

Onion Rings. A+

Sauted Mushrooms, in oil. A+

Steak Fries.  A+

Steamed Asparagus. A+

Careful what tools you use.

Careful what you wish for.

Dallas, Texas

Good Morning…

I can not go to Dallas, TX without thinking of Prince Buster.  That is some good ass music.  And hey loved to yell Dallas, Texas.  Well maybe he hated doing it, but he did it.  I can tell you that.  And he could make a train sound with the best of them.  No trains or parties at my house, looks like they are remembering to turn the TV off as well.

This is not working smarter.  Sometimes the simple solution is the ACTUAL solution.  K.I.S.S., keep it simple stupid, is a motto to live by.

What a long strange trip it has been.

Good Morning…

So I know I have not really been posting much, but it doesn’t mean I haven’t been doing stuff.  Just no internet access and spending time with friends both on tour and before I left.  This might be the first tour where in 3 of the first 4 cities I was able to visit friends, usually I feel like I don’t get to see anyone.  Well here is how it went down.  I started in LA.

We stayed at a hotel I have never stayed at, right off Melrose Place. The rooms were huge.

I meant that was looking from the kitchen to the bedroom, and here is from the bedroom to the deck.

The deck was great to sit out and enjoy the sunshine.

Although on Saturday at Coachella it was 95 degrees before 11am.  I was already depressed and not at all excited about what was coming for me.  Maybe it wasn’t the best day to wear a suit

But the show went ok, if by ok you mean totally nuts and on the verge of chaos.  For some reason Coachella decided that 4 security between the stage and 20,000 people was enough.

It really wasn’t.  There were so many people on stage they were falling off the front of the stage, and there was nobody to catch them.

Here I am getting ready to tackle Maya into the crowd.  The heat had gone to my head.

We went back to the hotel for Sunday, and while I did get to see this guy… (hint his name is dog the bounty hunter).  Sorry the photo wasn’t better, didn’t want him to “get me”.

It still wasn’t the same to spend Sunday away from my friends and my renton breakfast spot.

Then off to El Paso, where we got to hang out with Kristine and Jim.

Their cat Fender really really was showing off to make sure she got on the blog.

My parent’s dogs are white trash, hanging out on the couch in the back of the truck.

Work smarter…

Not harder…

I TOLD YOU IT WAS NOT HIS KID!!!!

Good Morning…

See…

I am ready, if spring ever gets here.

Good Morning…

You know what, fuck it.  I am taking my new summer hat and going to the desert.  It will be 100 this weekend at Coachella, and I will be sitting in my chair with my hat on, having a beer if you need to find me.

Sometimes you can do the minimum of the work, and just hope you get lucky.

And sometimes you do too much work, and it bites you in the ass.

I don’t want to hear it…

Good Morning…

So yeah, I have not been doing much, and strangely enough, the less I do, even though I have more time, the less I want to put up anything up here. Friday was opening day, where you ask…

THE PONIES ARE RUNNING AT EMERALD DOWNS.

I am right at the beginning of my development of a STRATEGY for betting.

You can’t tell it from this photo, but it was 30 fucking degrees out. It is hard to be a gentleman at the track when you are freezing your ASS off.

It is also hard to be a gentleman when you are eating Nachos at the track. The lack of a high quality dinning choice really surprised me.

So it was time to head over to a classy restaurant for some real food.

That is right, we barely made it in time to celebrate Outback Steakhouse’s 20th birthday, if you go tomorrow, it will be too late. Chocolate Thunder from Down Under.

It is a dangerous, dangerous world out there.

Careful what you look at and where you sleep.

And make sure you dreams are worthwhile.

Worst Barricade EVER!!!

Good Morning…

I am back from tour, it was the longest three day tour I have ever been on.  Luckily my brother was able to stay at my house while we were gone.  But look what he did.

That’s right, he left the TV on again.  But he didn’t do my taxes.

A barricade at a concert is not only supposed to keep people off the stage but keep people in the crowd safe.  It should not cut off the fingers or crush their feet.  This one didn’t do that, but it came close.  It also almost crushed all the security staff.  If you ever have a barricade being brought in by Atomic Pro Audio out of Boston, get a different barricade.  See the gap below along the bottom edge of  vertical part of the barricade, that could have taken someone’s foot off.

Man, the houses out by JFK Airport are so cool.  Not sure the exact time period, but so much great stone work.

Back to Providence, where Spike’s Junkyard Dogs is.  I remember going here on a Murder City Devils tour, and wanting to eat enough dogs to get on the wall as the Big Dog.  It was something like 16 hot dogs.  Leslie’s dad helped me train for it.  I was so excited to get a hot dog, but what a disappointment. The dogs had almost no flavor, the buns were kind of doughie and soggy.  I was completely BUMMED.  And in 10 years, they have only upped the record by 1 dog, so it is now 17.  Whatever, a big ,,|, to Spike’s Junkyard Dog.  Didn’t even bother taking a photo of it.

See Pepe is just like Jesus, walking on water.

Juggling runs in the family, his sister taught him how to juggle.