March Money Madness

Before we get into this week's post, let me address last week's.  The rocking did not happen.  My lungs would not permit it.  But, on the up side, the rest has done me some good.  My cough is about gone & my voice is almost back to normal.  So, by next week, I should be able to get back behind the kit & make some noise.  We're shooting for late April to try the recording thing again.  I'll let ya know how that goes, when it finally does.

Now, back to the topic at hand.  This past month has been a good one, financially speaking.  We've had some pretty good things happen for us.  I got a raise.  Liz got a raise.  We filed our taxes, & we both are getting returns.  This couldn't come to us at a better time.  We've decided that we'd like to buy a house.  We're hoping to be able to take advantage of the down market.  Our credit is good, & our debt is under control.  Right now, we're trying to see how much of a loan we can pre-qualify for.  After that, it's diving head first into the housing market.  Wish us luck, & if any of you home owner friends have any advice, we're listening.  Thanx!

BTW, my bracket sucks, so don't even bother asking.

The Time To Rock Is Nigh!

I'm still getting over my cold.  I'm coughing so violently, that I sometimes throw-up.  Also, that combination, has also destroyed my throat & voice.  I hate going to the doctor, but I hate this cough even more.  I may hafta break-down & go.  Especially, since I have pretty big plans next weekend.

Like my profile says, I play drums in a band.  That band would be Two Left Over (I've got a link to our MySpace page, if ya'd like to check us out).  And next weekend, we're heading back into the studio to do some recording.  We do this, mainly for ourselves.  To make a permanent record of our creative process.  Not really to sell them.  Because, honestly, who's gonna pay us for them?

I'm gonna take this opportunity to talk about the band.  We've been together now for about 5 or 6 years (I think, I can't quite remember).  It's myself on drums & backing voclas, Brian Tiller on guitar & lead vocals, & John Torres on bass.  It started out as just Brian & I.  We were originally in another band, called Overview.  It started as a 4-piece, became a trio, & eventually just the two of us.  Hence the name, Two Left Over. John came along about year after Brian & I decided to keep making music as a duo.  We played one show that way, before John rounded out our sound.  I describe our music as Alternative Rock/Pop.  Our influences include Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, The Beatles, to name just a few.  We've played a few shows, but grew tired of trying to make that work.  None of us like to do bookings & none of us like to promote.  So, our show's attendance reflected all of that.  But, the lack of live shows have had an adverse affect on the band, in my eyes.  It's grown stale.  It's no longer as much fun as it used to be for me.  It's no longer something I always look forward to doing.  I'm hoping the recording session will reinvigorate my love for this thing I helped create.

So, with all that said, I'll let ya know how it went.  And when it's all done, I'll point ya in the right direction to hear it yourself.  Until then, I hope ya head over to our MySpace page, & let me know what ya think.

Best Part Of St. Patty's Day!

I feel like crap today.  Caught some kind of chest cold.  My head hurts.  My throat hurts.  My chest hurts.  I'm ready to take some Ny-Quil & pass out for the night.  But, before I do that, I wanna talk about something that makes me feel good.

I've never been one to really take part in what I call "The Excuse To Drink On A Weeknight Holidays."  Cinco De Mayo & St. Patrick's Day, are always filled with people who feel like it's not celebrated properly until they're puking their guts out, passing-out somewhere they may or may not be familiar with, then having some douche-bag, who calls themselves "your friend," write all over their face with a Sharpie.  No thanks, I'll pass.

With all that said, St. Patty's Day does hold a special place in my heart.  I am of Irish descent, so it's a day I can celebrate that.  It's also my Mother-In-Law's birthday.  But, most importantly, it's the one time of year that I get to enjoy one of my favortie treats.  Shamrock shakes!  Green, minty goodness, from McDonald's.  SInce I was kid, they have been something I've always looked forward to. I even loved the ad campaign that they had back then.  Grimace was my favorite friend of Ronald.  Or at least he was tied with The Hamburglar for that top spot.  But, what made the commercials great was the appearance of Uncle O'Grimacey.  A green Grimace!  How awesome is that!?!  I'll tell ya how awesome, really freakin' awesome!  This past Friday, I made my first McDonald's trip in maybe close to year, and treat myself to something my makes me feel like a kid all over again.  Mmmmmmm....  Shamrock shake.....

Not Quite The Happiest Place On Earth, But Right Next Door

What do ya know?  It's the weekend, & I'm actually making a full-blown post.  Who knew it was still possible?

Last month, Liz & I went to Disneyland.  One of the perks of being a Southern California resident, are the special deals you're offered.  The past couple of years they've done 2fer specials.  Buy admission to one park, you get to go to the other park for free, within the next 30 days.  In my opinion, this is only way that the admission price for visiting California Adventure is worth it.

If you've never been, I'll summarize the park for ya.  It's about half the size of Disneyland.  Which means, only half the attractions.  But yet, the price of admission, is equal to the main park.  How the hell does that make sense?  There are some fun things to do there though.  In the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, "The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror" is freakin' awesome.  Something to look for, once you enter the basement portion of the line.  If you get to go through the upstairs portion of the line, look for a chalk outline drawn on the wall.  This is from "The Twilight Zone" episode "Little Girl Lost."  If you touch the wall, you can hear the girl crying & asking for help.  Also, in the lobby of the hotel, sitting on one of the couches, is a doll.  This is none other than Tina, from one of my favorite episodes, "Talking Tina."  Creepy stuff.  If ya need to get off yout feet for awhile, "Muppet Vision 3-D" is a lot of fun. Over in the Paradise Pier section, "California Screamin'" is a fun little roller coaster.  And "Soarin' Over California", in Condor Flats, is a wild experience.  Other than that, the only other thing that it has going for it is, you can buy beer, wine & other adult beverages, in the park.  Disneyland can't say that.  But, what it can say, is that it gives you your money's worth.  California Adventure, definitely cannot say that.  You can do the entire park in about half a day, & not really skip a whole lot.

If you've never been to California Adventure, it is worth a visit.  But, if you're not from So Cal, & you've only got one day, here's what I'd recommend.  Spend the extra $20, & get a Park-Hopper pass.  You can do all the good parts of California Adventure, & still have plenty of time to enjoy the main event, Disneyland.  Hope this helps.  See ya next week.

Book Review - "Born Standing Up" by Steve Martin

Let me start this book review by saying, there is no way I can objectively review this book.  For those of you who know me well, know that Steve Martin is my Gawd.  I worship at his altar, & (sometimes reluctantly) support all that he does.  I own all 4 of his stand-up albums, on vinyl.  That includes the very hard to find "The Steve Martin Brothers."  One side being stand-up, the other being orignal songs he wrote, featuring him on the banjo.  I own, & have read all his books. "Cruel Shoes" still being one of my favorite comedy reads. Since "The Three Amigos," I have seen all but two of his movies in the theatre.  The first one being "Novocain." This is mostly because it was an independent & by the time I was able to get out to Pasadena to see it, it was no longer showing.  The other being "Cheaper By The Dozen 2," & I don't think anyone can blame me for that.  But, it is in my NetFlix queue.  And yes, I plan on seeing "The Pink Panther 2," so don't even bother asking.

If you find me to be a funny guy, you can thank the almighty Steve for that.  I discovered him in Junior High, by watching SNL reruns that were aired late night, by a local channel.  My best friend at the time (the one & only, Mr. Dave Crow), would tape these episodes on this contraption called a VCR.  Wathcing them over & over, we would memorize the sketches.  Later, to act them out for our other friends.  Steve Martin, with his unique style of comedy, stood out to us as genius.  We scoured thrift stores, looking for his albums, as that's the only way we knew how to find them at the time.  We mimicked his style, his timing & his movements.  We didn't always understood the jokes (some I literally did not get until I was in college), but we knew they were funny.  Eventually, all that worked its way into our own humor & mannerisms.  Steve made me funny.  And I thank him for that.

But, since this is supposed to be a book review, I'll touch on some of the basics.  He was born Stephen Glenn Martin in Waco, Texas, in on August 14, 1945.  His family moved to California when he was five, eventually settling in Garden Grove.  He started working at Disneyland, shortly after it opened, at the age of 10, selling guidebooks.  They went for 25 cents, which he earned 2 cents for every one sold.  Here, he got his first taste of performance comedy, by watching the vaudeville acts performed at the Golden Horseshoe.  While working there, he also learned rope tricks, & magic.  In his teenage years, he worked at the Magic Shop, in the Magic Kingdom.  Many of the things he learned, he later used for many years in his stand-up act.  Later, his career would take him a few a miles down the road to Knott's Berry Farm.  He performed at the Bird Cage Theatre, in a variety of different acts.  Permorming magic, short skits, & songs.  His first writing credits came from television. Most notably "The Smothers Brother Comedy Hour," & "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour."  This is also the time, that he would start performing outside of theme parks, trying to discover what kind of act he was. He built his act, & his name, by numerous television appearances on shows like "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," & hosting "Saturday Night Live." But mostly, his name was made by being a road dog.  As his name grew, so did the crowds.  Eventually playing to rooms seating numbers that no other comic has ever matched.  The constant pressure of performing & traveling, eventually took its toll.  In the early 80s, he walked away from stand-up & never looked back, to concentrate on his new venture, acting.  In fact, the first time he even looked through his props & notes from that time, was when he needed to start researching to write this book. Though after doing so, he found a fondness for his past, that he didn't think he had.

How would I rate this book?  How else would I rate it!?!  This is a must read, must own, must buy for everyone that you know.  Believe it or not, I actually found a new appreciation for Steve after reading his biography.  Deeper & more intelligent than I ever knew.  This is someone I feel proud to call an personal icon.

Well, That Didn't Take Long

After all the hype of last week's filler post, of fulfilling my promise to myself. What happens the very next week? I miss my self-imposed deadline. No excuses, though some could be made. I screwed up. And, if ya notice the posting time of this one, you'll see I'm doing it at work. Which means, this is just another filler. Hopefully, I'll get a full post up tonight. See ya then.