Have a safe and happy New Year

cg

And got here.

More hysterical outbursts from the backseat. Several near misses with cars and four legged friends. Lots of stuff I was going to tell about but forgot.

I am just a tired aviator.

Speaking of…I watched that movie on the way back. Good flick.

cg

I fell.

I stepped across the threshold of commercialism hell today–the entrance to the Apple Store–to return a gift, a 2G IPOD Nano. I left with a 30G IPOD, a charger, and an FM transmitter doohickey. It holds pictures, videos, and songs and just about anything else in a digital format.

It should be worth every penny on the return trip to Kansas tomorrow. Wish me luck. We are leaving at 6AM and are only supposed to stop for gas, restrooms, and a casino break.

Good luck with your show on New Year’s Eve MP. I don’t think I am going to make it that far North by Saturday but melt their faces off.

cg

He’s also the production engineer for KPR. I love the internet!

Went to guitar center last week and got to sit down at a beautiful dw drum kit. This experience confirmed everything that I believed. I need more money! Damnit I hate being broke…………damnit I hate not being rich! Anyway, Aaron is coming to the party on New Year’s Eve to watch me make a damn fool of myself……….man, I haven’t played rock and roll in a long time and I am out of shape. My fat ass just about died last night at practice. More good news (and I need it right now), I was just asked yesterday to lay down the drum tracks for a wonderful musician that I know who just happens to be playing with Jeff "Chubby" Smith. No one probably knows him, I didn’t, but I guess that he made some headway in the business a while back and is semi-famous, locally at least. Either way, its nice to be wanted. Peace out.
MP

Always one of the highlights of my trips to Arizona is the meal at Rudy’s. Tonight was no exception. If you ever get to Queen Creek, Arizona, don’t hesitate to stop by for some friendly conversation and some authentic mexican food. None of that corporatized tex mex bull shit you find everywhere else.

cg

Well, I’m back from the south. Went home for Christmas and for the most part had a fantastic time. I got to see lots of family and really ate way too much. Then I went to see the inlaws……….You know, I was always in some sort of trouble when I was in High School but never anything like my brother-in-law. I ended up in the emergency room at 3:30 in the morning the day after christmas, sitting with a really screwed up kid (3 hours after christmas). I will not go into the details but it was really damn stupid and he may be going to jail. Happy Merry Christmas all around. I’m trying to get the image loader figured out so sit tight cause once its up…………..ooooooohhhhhhhhh daaaaaaammmmnnn!!!!

So I got to spend the day with my nine year-old cousin Christian. They assured me he wasn’t named after me. I think I am changing my name.

It wasn’t too bad after I wrestled the stockpile of rubberbands away from him and convinced him that he didn’t need to be in my personal space all the time. After that we had a pretty good time. We went shoe shopping and I purchased my first pair or non-Nike’s in about 13 years. He got some cool black tennies too.

Hating the 80 degree weather out here. cg

Close your eyes and picture this…actually, read this and then close your eyes…but don’t do either while operating machinery or driving a vehicle.

Crossing New Mexico on I-40 at 80 miles per hour in my father’s rap-mogul-wannabe Cadillac Escalade, I was listening to Houston Marchman on the Cross Country Channel on XM. The heated plush leather seats are gently soothing my back as the cool drink rests patiently, faithfully by my side. This is absolutely how long trips are supposed to be made.

Suddenly, a burst of laughter echoes from the backseat where my parents are watching comedy DVD’s.

I look around and nothing seems funny. I veer into the other lane peering back at them and they are smiling from wireless headphone to headphone. I cannot hear the DVD.

I regain control of the vehicle, my bladder, and the cold drink only to be restartled (hey I can make up words, damn-it., because I taught English for five years)by a second fit of ear-shattering laughter.

At this point I realize that the men with white suits are waiting up ahead somewhere and the calming sensation returns.

I heard the weather back there in Kansas is nice but nothing like AZ in the winter. Played a round of golf today under partly cloudy, 78 degree weather skies with my father and grandfather today. Needless to say the golf was bad but it didn’t matter.

I am not sure if AT remembers or not but I still have his Shure EC3 noise cancelling ear phones and I must say I am a believer. After 16 hours with my Mom, Dad, and dog brother Max in the car ride out here, I cannot say enough about these magnificent inventions. Somewhere along the way the mystique of family vacations has worn off. More to come on this topic.

Merry Christmas or happy whatever it is you believe in. cg