Beat and the Heat

Today is one hot example of a day to follow, but guess what, it is supposed to get more hot as the next few days pass. I am going to have to install a grease catch on my ankles to catch all the grease being cooked out of me every day. I could make diesel out of it. Bleh..... The best part is the humidity. You'd think 100 degree temps would cook a piece of bread so it become dry and brittle but that is not how it is here. Anything left open with any sort of crispy food inside turns into a sort of dehumidifier. Everything turns soggy and mushy just like you will if you sit outside for a while. If you do anything more than sitting you will become drenched in your own sweat. There are pros and cons to living in the southern cooker just like everywhere else. I'll keep calling this area home.

Speaking of home I sure love coming home to the wife and kids. You could say there are pros and cons to that too but it's so lopsided I not sure there are cons when the considerations are completed.

It was always a dream for me to become someone in music and especially to learn the piano. I learned at an early age that different folks have to learn differently. My style would be to learn music I wanted to learn and master a song at a time. I was never afforded that style from any musicians. As I have become "older" I have revisited my desire to learn music and have been slowly picking out Moonlight Sonata but progress is slow and the piano needs a couple hundred dollars worth of work. I got this 12yr old girl that is really gaining ground on the piano. She is running ahead of me learning Beethoven and is actually having to show me how to play it! How do ya like that?? She'll be a good teacher. My 14yr old is gaining ground on the guitar too. He is learning guitar the way I should have learned. He takes one song at a time and learns it. Now he has a bit of a play list and is learning cord progression and classic ques from his own perspective not that of a boxed in teacher. It's pretty awesome from where I stand.

In the meantime I am learning more tricks on the drums. I have played for years and had opportunities to follow my old friends to the big time. God has other plans though and I'll stick with that. My latest little learning episode happened as a result of watching this kid that plays and amazing drum solo on youtube. The one handed drum roll has evaded my scope for years. I had sort of chalked it up to not even being in the same realm of talent as these other "cats". I had even forgotten about it. This all due to my old friend, who tours with Shania Twain and many other greats, telling me he could not do that either. I suppose he might be able to now but I don't know him anymore. In the meantime this kid reminded me of the cool chops and I began looking around for how to guides. This age of the internet produced the good and in ten or so minutes I was doing the very one handed drum roll I never thought I could!

Here I sit in the air conditioning appreciating the fact I am stuffed inside where I might find something to do like learn I can climb this mountain. My family along the way giving me the lift I need to finally make my dreams come true.

Holiday Crew

Well things are certainly better than they have been in a while. Work is still ticking along with a few interruptions but that is to be expected. I have just replaced the cradle pins on the f68 which was long overdue. The Independence Day holiday is coming through right now so mills are doing various shutdowns and that is a slight hold up but all in all it's still good.

Misty and I finally got the chance to take the kids somewhere after nearly three years of near nothingness. We took them to Santa Claus, Indiana where there is arguably the greatest theme park in the world. Holiday World/Spalshin' Safari has the greatest wooden roller coasters on earth and many other great attractions. The most notable parts are the kid areas and rides scattered around the park, free refreshments all day, patronage that is levels above those who attend any other park I have been to, and last but not least the overall cost of taking such a huge family on vacation. The Hotel stay was MORE than general admission for two days! It is also not far from home relatively speaking. The water park side is real big, full of slides and rides and they have this really cool water coaster. If you ever want to ride that thing ya have to be willing to wait in line because, even with the smaller crowds, everyone wants to ride that coaster again and again.

I recommend anyone with a family to check that place out. We went three years ago and had to come back. We plan on going again someday too. This time I got Misty a shirt with "Holiday Crew 2011" at the top with all our names across the shirt and of course at the bottom the last name just says "And...?" and you know why.