Beach Bound

Sometime later this week, we'll be slipping off to the beach for a weekend of relaxation and who knows what else.

Since my large, whale-like, pale skin hasn't seen the sun in a while, I may even get out and try to roast myself.

But I worry about my nipples so maybe I'll just take some band-aids and put over them!

I look forward to a little peace and quiet with my beautiful wife - but since there will most assuredly be children involved, I guess all I can hope for is that no blood will be spilled!

I love getting away - but I hate to leave my new house already. Feels like maybe we're abandoning it too soon.

But I'm sure it will be there when we get back. If not, then I guess we can get another one!

So I hope everyone's week will be productive and profitable.

If not, there's always next week!

Peace

Mr. Mom No More

Well, my trial as Mr. Mom is officially over with the return of the real Mommy this afternoon.

But I did OK.

Not too many fits or problems.

I didn't even have to call AJ or anyone to come help me.

Our biggest concern seemed to be where, oh where do we eat TONIGHT!!!

Since mommy was out of town we got to eat out each and every night and it was wonderful.

We also got to go buy some new shoes last night.

She may be 8 - but she is at ALL GIRL!

There is nothing quite as sweet as a little girl that loves you. And this one does love me and that just makes me a lucky boy.

I always wondered about the difference between your "real" children and your "step" children - but as I figured out long, long ago - we all have an amazing capacity to love and once you figure out how to love, it doesn't matter who you love - you just love them!

And I do love this one.

It's really like doubling my children without having to watch the childbirth thing again. For those of you that haven't ever seen that stuff - well, Y-U-C-K. Plus, it looks like it really hurts.

As you can imagine, I am very happy my wonderfulest wife will be back today. I'm hoping for a "welcome home" party later this evening.

But I probably won't be posting about that since girls don't like you to talk about stuff like that on the world wide web.

See how much I've learned about girls already and I'm not but 46!!!

Peace.

TGIF

Anyone else out there happy it's Friday? I sure am - so throw up your hands and join me in a little dance.

I Miss You!

Well, the Beloved Wife is out of town all week at a meeting at a fabulous resort.

And you know what?

I miss her.

I miss her terribly.

She will tell me to get a grip. I have a grip. I just miss her.

I figured out a long time ago that I was born to love this woman. She fills a part of me that is empty in her absence.

There's just a hole where she normally is.

But on the bright side -she'll be back tomorrow!

I love playing Mr. Mom while she's gone. I'm sure she worries about all the child care stuff - but the truth is that stuff is really easy. For me at least. I can't speak for most dads but I can speak for me and child care is one of the easier things we have to do.

Anyway, this woman that is my life has been missing all week and I'm sure she's been busy and has had a great time - but I really want her to know that she is loved and missed and we all want her back home safe and sound!

On the bright side of things, our move is going very well. We're still unpacking but it's pretty much a home now. And we both just love it. I can't wait to get a bit more settled and start to entertain.

So that's all the news that is news.

Peace to everyone.

Wine Tasting and other Assorted BS

I love my new house.

I love that my family loves my new house.

First mortgage payment is due in June, I hope I'll still love it by August!!!!

We're still a-moving - and probably will be for another month or so but it's pretty good right now. We spend yesterday afternoon hanging pictures and other assorted "finishing touches" around the boxes we just haven't gotten to yet.

So it's even looking like home to me!

Every weekend I get ready to go out and do battle with my lawn, and then remember that I don't have one anymore. That's pretty cool. I love that we have woods all around us. There is just something about trees that are mystical.

Probably won't feel that way when they all start to shed their leaves and needles in the winter - but we'll see.

On Friday night, in the middle of a "Wrath of God" thunderstorm we went downtown to the beautifully restored old train depot for a wine tasting put on by the Purple Parrot Cafe and got to sample many wonderful wines.

It was a blast. You only get a taste, but if you get a taste of 60 or 70 wines then you have certainly got a belly full when you're through!!

They had some wonderful food floating around. Certainly not meal-type food but they had tray after tray of seared raw tuna and enough cheese and hummas to make a boy like me happy.

That certainly didn't stop us from leaving at 9pm and heading to the Mexican Kitchen for some grease afterwards though.

The Wine Expo is amazing. The actual vinters come from all over the world to show their wines and I think it's just wonderful that they do this every year in our little corner of the world.

As I try to remember the folks I visited with I find that it's all foggy - probably as a result of the 60 "tastes" of wine. You see, I'm not a spitter, I'm a swallower. But I do recall talking with vinters from Australia, New Zeland and South Africa (that takes care of all the English accent folks). Portugal, Spain, Israel, Italy, Germany and an entire herd of folks from California!

So it was a good weekend.

My love is going to a conference all week on the Gulf Coast so I'll miss her - but I will endeavor to persevere in her absence.

Probably means that there will be a party with strippers at my house one night this week. Well, probably not - but it sounds good anyway.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Peace.

Aqualung

Since my inspiration for blogging seems to be caught up and bogged down in all the crazy thoughts that moving and setting up house brings to me – I guess I should get back to basics and explore some music that moves me.

What is better than that?

Music rocks my world – literally and figuratively.

This morning I was listening to a little Jethro Tull. A fav from way, way back.

I was listening to “Aqualung”, which is obviously (to me at least!) their best work – but it’s more than that – it’s a seminal piece of music which is alive with deep meaning and more food for pondering life than most.

It was released in 1971 but I didn’t come to it until age 14, which was when “Bungle in the Jungle” was playing in heavy rotation on the radio. I bought the album “War Child” and was so impressed, I went backwards in their catalog and got “Aqualung” and “Thick as a Brick” in quick succession.

Aqualung spoke to me. It was a “theme” album, almost. Not quite a cohesive theme but there were so many songs about man trying to make God fit into our box. And at that age, that spoke to me so very loudly because my bible-belt experience with religion was not very fulfilling.

It seemed to me that everything that had to do with organized religion was phony and so very self-serving.

And all of that is still going on, but my interpretation of it has changed so very much. Life has a way of doing that for you (and too you!)

“Aqualung” – “Cross Eyed Mary” – “Up to Me” and “Locomotive Breath” are great social commentaries and AOR rockers. Must say that the flute “solo” work in “Locomotive Breath" still makes me tingle at the hairline.

“Wind Up” is an indictment of the Anglican Educational System and what all “religious” education does to the faith inherent in all of us.

“Wondering Aloud” and “Slipstream” are very, very cool little acoustical ditties that take me to a happy place of memories of people no longer with us.

“Mother Goose” is apparently about nothing more than nursery rhymes or at least how Ian Anderson saw them in relation to a walk he took one day. The best kind of songwriting, in my humble opinion. Kind of like “A Day In The Life” which John Lennon wrote while reading the front page of the London Times one day.

“My God” and “Hymn 43” are full of rage at something related to God. Not sure what, but I will say that “Hymn 43” is one of my favorite all time songs.

Not sure what makes a favorite all time song but I was discussing this concept with a good friend of mine Sunday while we were driving to the House of Blues to see Shelby Lynn perform her new album of Dusty Springfield covers. We both agreed that our lists change often.

And if you aren’t familiar with Hymn 43 – I would encourage you to listen to it and see what you think.

If the line “If Jesus saves, then he’d better save himself - from the gory glory seekers who use his name in death” doesn’t grab you, then you’re just not living right!

Anyway, there is not a song on this album that I don’t like and I consider it to be a “classic”

Here are the lyrics to “Wind Up” – which for today, is my favorite on this album. But that may change by this afternoon.

When I was young and they packed me off to school
And taught me how not to play the game
I didn’t mind if they groomed me for success
Or if they said that I was just a fool
So I left there in the morning
With their god tucked underneath my arm
Their half-assed smiles and their book of rules

And I asked this God a question
And by way of firm reply
He said, “I’m not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays”
So to my old headmaster and to anyone that cares
Before I’m through – I’d like to say my prayers:

I don’t believe you
You had the whole damn thing all wrong
He’s NOT the kind you have to wind up on Sundays
Well you can excommunicate me on my way to Sunday School
And have all the bishops harmonize these lines…………

How do you dare to tell me that I’m my father’s son
When that was just an accident of birth
I’d rather look around me – compose a better song
Cause that’s the honest measure of my worth
In your pomp and all your glory
You’re a poorer man than me
As you lick the boots of death – born out of fear

I don’t believe you
You had the whole damn thing all wrong
He’s not the kind you have to wind up on Sunday’s



And it’s true, so very true that he’s not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays………..

Peace

Bad Blogger

I'm such a bad blogger.

But we've been so busy lately that it just sucks all the creativity from my bones!

Last night, I slipped away to New Orleans to see Shelby Lynn in concert at the House of Blues. I had heard her new album of covers of Dusty Springfield and was captivated - but nothing like the captivation I felt at seeing her live. She was amazing.

So if you're not familiar with Shelby, check her out. Her sister is Allison Moorer who is also very talented and married to one of my favorite poets, Steve Earle. It must run in the family.

Anyway, the house is looking better and better. My wife is amazing. We've pretty much spent all we're going to spend but it surely is wonderful to come home to such a nice house. Makes a boy feel good about life.

I'm so very thankful that we could work this out so I can supply my love with the digs that she deserves.

Now all I need to do is come up with her VW convertable to complete the deal!!!

I'll be taking donations on that one.

Hope everyone is well.

Peace

FINALLY!

Well, we got moved. Or at lease, we've got all our stuff under one roof.

I have no idea where most things are but all the furniture and stuff is where it is supposed to be!

I love, love, love our new house. It feels like a home already and I'm so very happy.

I would have never dared dream that I would be living with my dream woman in my dream house. And that's a lot of dreaming - even for a dreamer like me!

I haven't had much time for posting observations and stuff here recently but I'll try to do better when I get my life unpacked. The pile of empty boxes is much, much larger than the pile of packed boxes so progress is being made.

So pray for my sanity during this time and I'll pray for world peace. At this point, they seem to be on the same level for me.

Peace