Question of the Day:
You ever have a feeling you're being watched?
Bonus question:
You ever wanna do something just to give that person watching something extra special to see?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
I wanna be a rock star
What a weekend.
A friend and I went to go see a local band this weekend, the Dirty Americans. A talented band and an over all great group of guys, they rocked the house at the Blind Pid in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Following in the footsteps of Aerosmith, Guns n Roses, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Van Halen, amongst countless others, Dirty Americans have developed a strong and growing local following. A true blue rock-n-roll band, they seem to be helping in bringing back one of musics almost forgotten genres. Jammin originals and a better-than-the-classic cover of Alice Cooper's '18' made for a remarkable show.
The stage presence of these guys is undeniable. Lead singer Myron Kozuch was all over the stage, giving the show his best while passing out free cd's and getting up on the equipment to high five every audience member he could reach. Even using my shoulders to balance at one point in time, but I didn't mind. (wink) As Freedom Piper plays his guitar, you can tell the man loves what he does and rocks his heart out. Jeremiah Pilbeam on drums stands out with his talent and charisma while
Patrick Bever on bass ties it all together with his rhythm.
After their set, they came off the stage to hang out and posed happily for pics with my friend and I. Like I said, a great group of guys. Seeing them perform, it's obvious they are on their way to becoming huge. I encourage everyone to go out and support your local bands/singers. You never know, you could have bragging rights saying 'I saw them back when', like I do!
Please feel free to leave me a Rock Star story, I'd love to hear about it.
A friend and I went to go see a local band this weekend, the Dirty Americans. A talented band and an over all great group of guys, they rocked the house at the Blind Pid in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Following in the footsteps of Aerosmith, Guns n Roses, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Van Halen, amongst countless others, Dirty Americans have developed a strong and growing local following. A true blue rock-n-roll band, they seem to be helping in bringing back one of musics almost forgotten genres. Jammin originals and a better-than-the-classic cover of Alice Cooper's '18' made for a remarkable show.
The stage presence of these guys is undeniable. Lead singer Myron Kozuch was all over the stage, giving the show his best while passing out free cd's and getting up on the equipment to high five every audience member he could reach. Even using my shoulders to balance at one point in time, but I didn't mind. (wink) As Freedom Piper plays his guitar, you can tell the man loves what he does and rocks his heart out. Jeremiah Pilbeam on drums stands out with his talent and charisma while
Patrick Bever on bass ties it all together with his rhythm.
After their set, they came off the stage to hang out and posed happily for pics with my friend and I. Like I said, a great group of guys. Seeing them perform, it's obvious they are on their way to becoming huge. I encourage everyone to go out and support your local bands/singers. You never know, you could have bragging rights saying 'I saw them back when', like I do!
Please feel free to leave me a Rock Star story, I'd love to hear about it.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Occupational Therapy
Sometimes I think bar tending was the perfect job for me.
Where else could somebody like me work and be able to be myself? I have a bit of a mouth on me. Sarcasm isn't just a noun, it's a way of life. I like to think of it as finding the humor in every day happenings. Really though, I'm just a straight up smart ass sometimes.
Bar tending let me run rampant when it came to saying what was on my mind. It's always said that there are two things you don't bring up in conversation at the bar: religion and politics. Ya think people always listened to old rule? Hell no.
I was never usually able to share my own views on the subjects, I was too busy telling people to shut the hell up when tempers flared while talking about their own beliefs. I got to say though, things to customers that normal occupations don't allow you to. It was especially fun when I got to kick somebody out. It was the size of bar where there was usually only one person bar tending. I was bartender, waitress and sometimes bouncer. So what I said, went. If I said enough, you got no more. If I said get out, you left. If I said shut up your annoying me, you were quiet. In theory anyway.
I worked in the type of bar that Toby Keith sang about in his song "I love this bar". There really was every type of person you could imagine that walked in the door to hang out. It was a good lesson in sociology. I would be willing to bet I got a better education on that subject there, than I could at any college that I couldn't afford.
We had the factory workers. From the small plant operations to the Ford worker guys. Business owners, Union reps, cooks, waitresses, lawyers, hookers, car dealership owners, even the occasional homeless. The bar had it all and oh the stories I could tell about them.
Of all those people, there wasn't anyone who I didn't unleash the sarcasm on when it was called for. Yes, even the owner of the bar. My boss. He made it so easy I couldn't resist. Like the time he was going on and on about something he was selling (an ATV, I think) but the buyer was resisting the price. He said the guy told him, "its so small it's not even worth it". So of course I had to ask "Wow, do you hear that very often?" He didn't like it very much but he got over it. Heh.
Some people may ask, if I was such a smart ass I couldn't have made very much, could I? I did pretty good. I wasn't going to be rich by far because of it being small and in this town where I am, but the people seemed to appreciate a break from the norm. I don't follow the 'customer is always right' rule and I think there is always a bit of honesty along with the sarcasm. I have been known to be polite on occasion, but hey, everyone has an off day.
All in all, I would have to say I only remember one time where a customer to offense to something I said in jest. I don't even remember what it was that I said. I only remember that the guy looked like a kicked puppy dog and he left shortly after. Ah well, can't win em all.
I don't bar tend anymore, and I miss it. If anything, it was a great way to socialize with all the walks of life and get paid for it. There were some downs to go with the ups but it was a great ride. So as I head to my job interview on Monday, a job where I will have to mind my P's and Q's, I will drive past the old place and tip my hat. Fondly remembering the days when I worked at a place where being un p.c was acceptable, where I could be myself.
Where else could somebody like me work and be able to be myself? I have a bit of a mouth on me. Sarcasm isn't just a noun, it's a way of life. I like to think of it as finding the humor in every day happenings. Really though, I'm just a straight up smart ass sometimes.
Bar tending let me run rampant when it came to saying what was on my mind. It's always said that there are two things you don't bring up in conversation at the bar: religion and politics. Ya think people always listened to old rule? Hell no.
I was never usually able to share my own views on the subjects, I was too busy telling people to shut the hell up when tempers flared while talking about their own beliefs. I got to say though, things to customers that normal occupations don't allow you to. It was especially fun when I got to kick somebody out. It was the size of bar where there was usually only one person bar tending. I was bartender, waitress and sometimes bouncer. So what I said, went. If I said enough, you got no more. If I said get out, you left. If I said shut up your annoying me, you were quiet. In theory anyway.
I worked in the type of bar that Toby Keith sang about in his song "I love this bar". There really was every type of person you could imagine that walked in the door to hang out. It was a good lesson in sociology. I would be willing to bet I got a better education on that subject there, than I could at any college that I couldn't afford.
We had the factory workers. From the small plant operations to the Ford worker guys. Business owners, Union reps, cooks, waitresses, lawyers, hookers, car dealership owners, even the occasional homeless. The bar had it all and oh the stories I could tell about them.
Of all those people, there wasn't anyone who I didn't unleash the sarcasm on when it was called for. Yes, even the owner of the bar. My boss. He made it so easy I couldn't resist. Like the time he was going on and on about something he was selling (an ATV, I think) but the buyer was resisting the price. He said the guy told him, "its so small it's not even worth it". So of course I had to ask "Wow, do you hear that very often?" He didn't like it very much but he got over it. Heh.
Some people may ask, if I was such a smart ass I couldn't have made very much, could I? I did pretty good. I wasn't going to be rich by far because of it being small and in this town where I am, but the people seemed to appreciate a break from the norm. I don't follow the 'customer is always right' rule and I think there is always a bit of honesty along with the sarcasm. I have been known to be polite on occasion, but hey, everyone has an off day.
All in all, I would have to say I only remember one time where a customer to offense to something I said in jest. I don't even remember what it was that I said. I only remember that the guy looked like a kicked puppy dog and he left shortly after. Ah well, can't win em all.
I don't bar tend anymore, and I miss it. If anything, it was a great way to socialize with all the walks of life and get paid for it. There were some downs to go with the ups but it was a great ride. So as I head to my job interview on Monday, a job where I will have to mind my P's and Q's, I will drive past the old place and tip my hat. Fondly remembering the days when I worked at a place where being un p.c was acceptable, where I could be myself.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Quirky Michigan Sports
Switching it up a bit....
With Football season in full swing and the Michigan/Ohio State game less than a month away, I felt the need to wear my colors and stand behind my home teams. Living so close to the Michigan/Ohio border, we get a mix of maize and blue intermingling with scarlet and grey. While shopping at the local Target yesterday, a guy was walking down the isle with his loud Ohio State jacket on. A Target employee walking past said to him "nice jacket". The guy looked at the employee with a guarded expression and asked him "seriously?". He must have thought it was meant to be a joke being he was in Michigan territory, a small price you pay during this time of year here. However the kid said "Oh yeah, I went to Ohio State my freshman year." They started to go into where and when they both attended...blah, blah,blah. I couldn't resist. I wasn't disrespectful, mind you. This is Michigan though and I felt the need to remind them of that fact.
As I was passing by I called out "Go Blue!", and kept right on walking cause you never know what you will face with an opposing teams fanatic! Much to my chagrin, they took it in stride, laughing and saying "boo hoo". It could have been much worse.
The rivalry is believed to have begun with the 1835-1834 Toledo war. It was a boundary dispute between the state of Ohio and the territory of Michigan, ending with Michigan surrendering the desired land of Toledo in exchange for it's statehood and the Upper Peninsula. Turned out to be a pretty good deal, but I guess both sides never really kissed and made up.
Detroit is also known as "Hockeytown". Duh. Recently I have been hearing a lot of ribs about Al the octopus. Some people have a problem with tradition and good luck charms I guess. I couldn't tell you how many times I have heard "what's up with the octopus?" or much worse.
Briefly, back in 1952, it took 8 playoff wins to claim the cup. Two brothers who owned a store in the Eastern Market downtown Detroit first tossed an octopus onto the ice, an octopus having 8 arms, symbolizing the wins needed for the cup. The wings swept up the victories all the way to the cup and the next two of three championships. A tradition and mascot was born.
Now, The Lions are not the most stellar team in the NFL, however, you do have them to thank for the Thanksgiving Day football games you'll be watching in between your extra helpings. This November will be the 70th edition of the Thanksgiving Day football tradition. It was the Lions first owner in 1934 who started the whole turkey day idea and the team has had a game on that day ever since. We don't need to go into the stats though, it's all about the tradition!
Sigh...Anyhow, these are my home teams and I'm behind them, win or lose.
With Football season in full swing and the Michigan/Ohio State game less than a month away, I felt the need to wear my colors and stand behind my home teams. Living so close to the Michigan/Ohio border, we get a mix of maize and blue intermingling with scarlet and grey. While shopping at the local Target yesterday, a guy was walking down the isle with his loud Ohio State jacket on. A Target employee walking past said to him "nice jacket". The guy looked at the employee with a guarded expression and asked him "seriously?". He must have thought it was meant to be a joke being he was in Michigan territory, a small price you pay during this time of year here. However the kid said "Oh yeah, I went to Ohio State my freshman year." They started to go into where and when they both attended...blah, blah,blah. I couldn't resist. I wasn't disrespectful, mind you. This is Michigan though and I felt the need to remind them of that fact.
As I was passing by I called out "Go Blue!", and kept right on walking cause you never know what you will face with an opposing teams fanatic! Much to my chagrin, they took it in stride, laughing and saying "boo hoo". It could have been much worse.
The rivalry is believed to have begun with the 1835-1834 Toledo war. It was a boundary dispute between the state of Ohio and the territory of Michigan, ending with Michigan surrendering the desired land of Toledo in exchange for it's statehood and the Upper Peninsula. Turned out to be a pretty good deal, but I guess both sides never really kissed and made up.
Detroit is also known as "Hockeytown". Duh. Recently I have been hearing a lot of ribs about Al the octopus. Some people have a problem with tradition and good luck charms I guess. I couldn't tell you how many times I have heard "what's up with the octopus?" or much worse.
Briefly, back in 1952, it took 8 playoff wins to claim the cup. Two brothers who owned a store in the Eastern Market downtown Detroit first tossed an octopus onto the ice, an octopus having 8 arms, symbolizing the wins needed for the cup. The wings swept up the victories all the way to the cup and the next two of three championships. A tradition and mascot was born.
Now, The Lions are not the most stellar team in the NFL, however, you do have them to thank for the Thanksgiving Day football games you'll be watching in between your extra helpings. This November will be the 70th edition of the Thanksgiving Day football tradition. It was the Lions first owner in 1934 who started the whole turkey day idea and the team has had a game on that day ever since. We don't need to go into the stats though, it's all about the tradition!
Sigh...Anyhow, these are my home teams and I'm behind them, win or lose.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Songbird
So the song is finished. Originally she had asked for a "women kicking ass" kinda song...her words, not mine :) However, when ever I tried to write, the only thing I could think of was our daughters. How she had talked about her little girl and of course how I felt about mine.
What came from those thoughts was a story of what it is like to be a woman raising a woman. Now, the both of us have sons too. Sons that as far as we are concerned, hung the moon. Being a mom though, you just don't have that same perspective as your boy. When my girls grow up, I will know intimately what it's like to face what they are going to face. The challenges and struggles that happen out in the world and inside your heart. I grab and kiss their baby faces right now as much as I can because I know, all too soon, that time is going to come where I won't be able to do that without something getting thrown at me or worse....hearing an ewww, gross mom.
I kept thinking of how we would like our daughters to see us and just how they effect our lives, the decisions we make. That when we raise a girl to be a woman we come full circle. Almost as if we are raising ourselves, providing for them what we were lacking in our own childhood. Here are a few verses:
What I want her to be tomorrow
Is what I have to be today
The choices I make right now
Will help show her the way
With one foot in front of the other
Nothing can keep you down forever
Your life is yours to make
The world is there to take
So when life can seem impossible
With no simple way to make it through
I ask myself just one question
What would I want my daughter to do
Shown the way because of my love for you
In time as we talk woman to woman
And your own little one has come along
I'll let you know what to ask yourself
For in that answer you can't go wrong
With innocent eyes watching you'll be strong
My friend said she liked it. Okay she gushed about how she loved, but she's a good friend. That's what they're suppose to do!
We'll see what happens.
What came from those thoughts was a story of what it is like to be a woman raising a woman. Now, the both of us have sons too. Sons that as far as we are concerned, hung the moon. Being a mom though, you just don't have that same perspective as your boy. When my girls grow up, I will know intimately what it's like to face what they are going to face. The challenges and struggles that happen out in the world and inside your heart. I grab and kiss their baby faces right now as much as I can because I know, all too soon, that time is going to come where I won't be able to do that without something getting thrown at me or worse....hearing an ewww, gross mom.
I kept thinking of how we would like our daughters to see us and just how they effect our lives, the decisions we make. That when we raise a girl to be a woman we come full circle. Almost as if we are raising ourselves, providing for them what we were lacking in our own childhood. Here are a few verses:
What I want her to be tomorrow
Is what I have to be today
The choices I make right now
Will help show her the way
With one foot in front of the other
Nothing can keep you down forever
Your life is yours to make
The world is there to take
So when life can seem impossible
With no simple way to make it through
I ask myself just one question
What would I want my daughter to do
Shown the way because of my love for you
In time as we talk woman to woman
And your own little one has come along
I'll let you know what to ask yourself
For in that answer you can't go wrong
With innocent eyes watching you'll be strong
My friend said she liked it. Okay she gushed about how she loved, but she's a good friend. That's what they're suppose to do!
We'll see what happens.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Support System
This past weekend I went to go see my friend, the one who asked me to write her a song, sing in a local talent show. She did a wonderful job. Naturally. Despite the music not being on cue and her mic going out half way through the performance, she rocked. To watch her, you couldn't see anything but a cool as a cucumber performer. Girlfriend actually did better vocally after the mic went out. She pushed her voice out and continued on with the show. She was a true inspiration. A lesson in class.
I can tell you honestly I would have stomped off the stage crying and cursing the fates for my rotten luck had that happened to me. I guess that's why I'm better off behind the scenes writing, and that's where I'll stay thank you very much. I'm a person who is ever suspicious, just waiting for something to go wrong. So when something finally does go wrong it's like I put my hands on my hips and yell "see" really loud. I can't help it. Like Popeye said...."I ams what I ams".
Juvenile behavior aside, I am lucky enough to have friends that show me a better way. Like Girlfriend and her classy disposition. Then there's Cali Girl. This lady is a truly enlightened being. You gotta question, she's got an answer. You gotta problem. She's gotta solution. One of the most intelligent persons I've ever met in my life. Why she ever became friends with this clueless, lost soul, I'll never know, but I am glad she did. Last but not least there's Plucky. The only other girl I've known who can be just as goofy as I can be. If not more so. That's saying a lot too! It's nice to have someone you can be downright foolish with and not feel self conscience about it in the least. However, for as nutty as we can be, we have been know on occasion to have adult conversations. Talks that have actually been productive in lighting a path on this journey that is life.
I have been throwing some pretty crazy stuff at these ladies lately but they haven't so much as batted a pretty eyelash at me. No matter what I have ever confided in them, they looked at me like I had just told them the sky is blue. Their expressions almost saying....And? They're my support. My friends. My family.
Like the Beatles sang, I get by with a little help from my friends. In my case, more than just a little.
I can tell you honestly I would have stomped off the stage crying and cursing the fates for my rotten luck had that happened to me. I guess that's why I'm better off behind the scenes writing, and that's where I'll stay thank you very much. I'm a person who is ever suspicious, just waiting for something to go wrong. So when something finally does go wrong it's like I put my hands on my hips and yell "see" really loud. I can't help it. Like Popeye said...."I ams what I ams".
Juvenile behavior aside, I am lucky enough to have friends that show me a better way. Like Girlfriend and her classy disposition. Then there's Cali Girl. This lady is a truly enlightened being. You gotta question, she's got an answer. You gotta problem. She's gotta solution. One of the most intelligent persons I've ever met in my life. Why she ever became friends with this clueless, lost soul, I'll never know, but I am glad she did. Last but not least there's Plucky. The only other girl I've known who can be just as goofy as I can be. If not more so. That's saying a lot too! It's nice to have someone you can be downright foolish with and not feel self conscience about it in the least. However, for as nutty as we can be, we have been know on occasion to have adult conversations. Talks that have actually been productive in lighting a path on this journey that is life.
I have been throwing some pretty crazy stuff at these ladies lately but they haven't so much as batted a pretty eyelash at me. No matter what I have ever confided in them, they looked at me like I had just told them the sky is blue. Their expressions almost saying....And? They're my support. My friends. My family.
Like the Beatles sang, I get by with a little help from my friends. In my case, more than just a little.
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