"Without people you're nothing"

I Have Officially Moved

2007-07-15T15:01:00.000-04:00

Yep, I am no longer a Beny, I am now a shore boy, No longer a boy of summer. I have only one thing to say and that is "MOVING FUCKING SUCKS!!!!". It really does suck. We have been in this house for ten years and the shit we have accumulated over the years has been mind boggling. I have been packing up boxes and moving boxes and throwing boxes away (recycling of course) for a week and a half now all the while working and leaving my old job then making the transition to a new job. I must be nuts. Well anyway it's basically over. I have a few things left at the old house that I have to pick up after work today. Yeah that's right, I said work, It's Sunday and I got suckered into working at the movie theater. Like I don't have enough shit to do. I don't know why I'm complaining, this guy Jason who is a great guy asked me to fill in for him and I said "Sure, No problem man, I'd be glad to work for you". I made my bed so I guess I'll just suck it up and sleep in it. I have to learn not to be such a pushover. That would be tough, it's just not in my nature to put myself first and say no when one of my friends or a family member needs a little help. I have so much stuff to do in the next couple of weeks that I feel like pulling my hair out. I need to take a deep breath.......excuse me for a minute.........aaaahhhhhhhh............that's better. Now, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I leave for a relaxing no nonsense vacation to our house on the lake in Maine in about three and a half weeks. I can't fucking wait. It will be a much needed break. My sister and her family and my folks will be there so it will be a blast. It's not often that we are all together in one place. My folks live in Maine, my sister in Minneapolis an I live in Jersey. I can't wait to hang with all of them.
O.K. listen to this, This might take a while so hang in there. A few weeks ago we went to Minneapolis to visit my sister and see The Police in concert (great fucking show by the way). Here's the scenario, we are flying out of Newark at 5:50pm but first we have to go to my daughters dance recital, she's four and she was so excited about it. The recital is at 1:00pm and is supposed to last for three hours so we were going to be cutting it close. My parents came down from Maine to watch the kids while we were away. So Saturday is going to be a busy day for us at least we thought, if we had only known what was about to happen. My mother comes into my room at about 3:30am Saturday morning and says "Dad isn't feeling well so I'm going to take him to the emergency room. Now my Dad is a minister and goes to see people in the hospital at least twice a week. But he is 72 and has never been in a hospital for himself. He was even born at home. Now I knew that something was up. We go to the emergency room and his heart is racing really fast. The beats are all out of sync. They give him some medication intravenously to even out his heart beat. At about 6:30 am I go home to get some things for him and my mother as he will probably be spending the night. While I was at home my wife and I both agreed with out even having to think about it that we were no longer going to Minneapolis. On the way back to the hospital I start to pray. Now even though my Dad is a minister and I have been around a church for most of my life, I'm not sure I believe in all that stuff. Let's say I'm conflicted. So anyway I'm saying to whoever or whatever is out there "Please let my Dad be O.K., and when am I gonna catch a break for crying out loud". I said that because lately it seems everything is going the wrong way. Nothing seems to be working out in my life lately. With work and moving and the band has been really slow lately and other things. So with all this in my mind I get back to the hospital and the cardiologist is there talking to my folks. My Dad's heart is back on track. the doc says he thinks it was atrio-fibulation(not sure if that's right) and that he can't explain why it happened. He said it could be caused by a number of things. They want to keep him there overnight just to make sure. My Dad says to me that If we don't go to Minneapolis he will feel horrible and basically orders me to go. So I don't know what to do at this point. I go outside and call my wife to let her know that he is o.k. and that he wants us to go. My wife says to me "On the bright side I have some good news, Pat called". Now Pat is our receptionist at work and I'm thinking that now I have to go to work on an emergency call or my boss wants to talk to me about the fact that I'm leaving the company after 12 years and he wants to covince me to stay or something like that. I am in a lottery group with Pat and four other people. So I say to my wife "What did she want?" and my wife says "She called and said that you guys won $250,000 dollars!". Now I don't know if you have ever seen "The Jerk" with Steve Martin but there is a scene when he cashes a check that he thinks is for $250 bucks but when he realizes that it's for $250 thousand dollars his head spins all the way around. That was me. Holy shit talk about a clash of emotions. I hang up the phone, now I am standing out in front of the hospital and I start to cry. I just couldn't control it, I was sad and happy and confused and at this point probably starting to get a bit tired. Looks like whoever or whatever I was talking to in the car threw me a bone. To make a long story short with a happy ending, My dad is o.k., we went to Minneapolis and saw the police, I won the lottery (that damn power ball, that would have been 78 million, hey beggars can't be choosers) and my daughters recital was absolutely awesome. I was so proud of her. So now life goes on and everyone is fine and I am so thankful for that. Tomorrow is another day.
Later,ROB

Viruses, Work and Police!

2007-06-28T13:35:00.000-04:00

Man it's been a long time since I have posted in here. It's been a long few months chock full of good and bad shit. First off I am moving to south Jersey in a couple of weeks. I like it down there and we're moving to the safest city of it's size in the nation. Yes, the nation. Jersey is actually a great place to live, it's not all smokestacks and mobsters like the sopranos. That is a very small part of the state closest to New York City which is kind of where I live now. I'm moving "Down the shore" as we say in north Jersey. It's about an hour from where I work now so the commute......well......that's another story for a future post as I am typing this at work. Anyway, I think that it will be a good place for my kids to grow up. My wife's entire family lives down there so they will have lots of uncles, aunts and cousins to hang out with. My family members have all left the state in the past 10 years. My folks are in Maine and my sis is in Minnesota. Which leads me to my next story.

My wife and I (no Kids) are going to visit my sister in Minnesota this weekend. My brother-in-law works for some pretty big radio station out there so he got us all tickets to see The Police on the 3rd. Now if there is one band that I like almost as much as The Clash it's The Police. I basically learned how to play the drums listening to Stewart Copeland and copying every fill and beat. I have been waiting for this reunion for a long time. It could totally suck and it would still be great to me. I saw them once before Feb. 4Th 1984 at Syracuse University right before they broke up. My sister was going to Syracuse and slept out for two nights to get tickets for here and her little brother(me). I was in eighth grade at the time. That concert really changed my life. It solidified my desire to be a musician first and foremost for the rest of my life. Although I have a career in a totally different field I consider myself a musician. For example when someone asks me what I do I say I'm a musician or a singer. That really describes me. I know it sounds corny and hokey but my first love was music. Still is as far as I'm concerned. Don't tell my wife I said that. Family always comes first but music is next.
My sister and I are both really looking forward to the concert. I'm sure we'll have a blast. It will surely take us back 23 years to that last show. Holy shit did I just say 23 years. Man am I getting old.

Also we have had a couple of viruses take over our entire house hold. I hope that I never see a drop of puke again. I think I have payed my dues in that department. I have said this before many times in the past but I plan on updating more often now. I have a shitload of stuff to get off of my chest and hopefully I will have more time to do it this summer. I miss venting on here, it always feels good to get things out even if I'm pretty sure I'm just writing to myself.
Later,ROB

101 Things About Rob

2007-02-21T10:05:00.000-05:00

NICE SHIRT!

While reading another blogger's 101 things I was inspired to write down 101 things about myself so when I look back on this years from now I can make sure that I haven't changed at all. Actually I pretty much just copied an old 101 from my old diary (blog.....whatever) and I still feel the same way about everything. I'm pretty happy with the way I am today and comfortable with what I believe in. I can't say that I have made a substantial change in my personality ever and I don't plan to anytime soon. So here it goes.

1.SHIT! I'm stuck already....fuck.....sorry....o.k........let's try this again.
1. I'm very honest.....I never lie....even little white lies make me feel guilty.(Not to say that I have never lied before, everyone has.)
2.I am slightly overweight.....could stand to loose 30 pounds
3. I was once in great shape.
4. I used to jog 5 miles every day.
5. I have high cholesterol
6. I have high blood pressure
7. I have been high a number of times
8. I tend to set my goals too high
9. I can sing very high
10. I have a very low, calm, natural voice
11. I have low self esteem sometimes
12. I am very low maintenance, I have never sent back a meal in my life, I can sleep anywhere....I'm happy with just about anything.
I do require a good scratching/tickling from my significant other and a cuddle every once in a while but that's it. Oh and I like honesty. I'm a big fan of honesty. I havn't had much trouble with that, I tend to align myself with honest people, seems I'm a great judge of character. How you guage something like that I don't know but for some reason I can just tell what a person is like in the first few minutes. I'm usually right on.
13. I have a relative who is a total low life. I've known that all my life. The whole judge of character thing.
14. I love spicy foods.
15. I love to cook
16. I write the songs that make me sing
17. I hope I eventually write songs that make the whole world sing as well. (Props To Barry)
18. I love all kinds of different music. To say I like one Classical more than Reggae or Rock-N-Roll more than Jazz would be stupid. Music to me is all about the emotion it draws from you.
19. I play seven different instruments
20. I can make a fart noise with my ear and my eye socket
21. My favorite movie is probably Valley Girl(Great Soundtrack....Plimsouls Rule!)
22. I regret not getting together with Dawn
23. I regret cheating on Sharon (with Dawn)
24. I regret wasting four and a half years with Laura instead of getting together with Dawn.
25. I miss Sharon's Smile
26. I love my wife
27. I have no regrets when It comes to my wife. I can't Imagine my life without her.
28. Two of my kids look like me. (Poor Kids)
29. One of my kids looks like my wife.
30. I love my parents
31. I love my sister
32. I'm not very religious
33. My Dad is a minister.
34. I cry sometimes when I see him preach.
35. My dad is my role model
36. My Mom is my hero
37. I spent a summer in Germany/ Scandinavia when I was 17 with my friends.
38. I was with a hooker in Hamburg.
39. I drank 10 liters of beer at the Hofbrau Haus in Munich. When I finally came to I was in Denmark?
40. I love beer!
41. I like red wine
42. I can count the times I have smoked pot on two hands

43. I have never done any other drugs
44. I got a DUI twelve years ago
45. I have never been in jail
46. I Have only been in three fights my entire life.
47. I took karate(tae kwon do, ju jitsu) for a few years
48. I love to fish, only for sport. I don't eat em, I throw em back. (Except Trout......tastes like chicken).
49. I would move up to our lake house in Maine at the drop of a hat if my wife would agree to it.
50. I have a wave runner and I am very Respectful to my fellow boaters.
51. I'm a pretty good water skier
52. I'm a big fan of Reggae Music
53. I'm a huge New York Jets fan
54. I'm a huge New York Rangers fan
55. I love my kids more than anything
56. My kids are by far my best friends
57. I can't hula hoop worth a shit
58. My nose is a little too big for my liking.
59. I'm 37 and I don't have a single gray hair.....Yet
60. My hair is very thick.....no chance of baldness here baby!
61. Though I have very little bodily hair
62. I only need to shave twice a week
63. I can't touch my nose with my tongue.
64. I'm a night person though I love the mornings.
65. I look like my Dad
66. I have had three really serious relationships in my life. One of them ended in marriage.
67. (Removed to protect the innocent).
68. I am totally heterosexual.
69. I believe gay and lesbian couples should be able to get married.
70. I am attracted to more natural beauty.
71. I'm a breast man, the large natural ones, not the large fake ones. I like the small natural ones too. Natural Natural Natural. Although a nice set of fake ones is nice too. Ahhh who am i kidding....I Like 'Em All!!
72. I love a sense of humor in someone of the opposite sex.
73. I think I have a pretty good sense of humor.
74. I try not to take things too seriously.
75. I'm almost impossible to piss off
76. I love giving "oral" to a woman. I like that just as much as the sex I think.
77. I drive a ford escort. It's reliable.
78. I once was on the Howard Stern Show.
79. I received a standing ovation from 15,000 people. (One of the highlights of my life)
80. I was on the Gong Show and Won!
81. I was on the Uncle Floyd Show(Jersey thing)
82. I was on The Joe Franklin Show.
83. I was on Scott and Todd WPLJ
84. Places I have performed, Continental Airlines Arena, Nassau Coliseum, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, Shae Stadium, PNC Bank Arts Center, Waterloo Village, Hollywood Roosevelt, Stabler Arena, Melody Tent Hianus, Resorts A.C, Taj Mahal A.C., Harrahs A.C., Tropworld A.C., Trump Plaza A.C., The Sands A.C., The Mirage Vegas, Kapalua Bay Hawaii,etc. Toot your own horn why don't you Rob.
85. I love music, all kinds
86. My Dad has over 10,000 video tapes in his library. About 6,000 DVDs and a whole shitload of laser discs. And a ton of 16mm and super 8 films (Too Many To Count)
87. My mother doesn't collect anything. Thank God!
88. I can't drive 55. At least not in Jersey
89. My best friend and I are like Harry and Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber.
90. I love dogs
91. I have a Jack Russel named Marley
92. I also have a dalmatian named Petey(After Petey in the little rascals of course though he is not a dalmatian). He moved to Maine with my folks
93. I used to have a skunk for a pet as a kid
94. I love winter and spring and fall
summer is too humid in Jersey. I love the summer when it's not so fucking humid.
95. I'm not one to be emotional or show emotions that easily.
96. I eat too much crappy food
97. I have about 10 fillings.
98. All of my wisdom teeth are in. Though two have recently been removed
99. I care about the environment and do what I can to be conscious of it.
100. I'm not a racist
101. In the words of that crazy old sailor "I am what I am and that's all I am" oh and " I eats me spinach "
Phew!!!!!

Later,ROB

O.K. I'm Back

2006-11-15T12:20:00.000-05:00

O.K. I'm Back
It's Been A while. It's been a long and extremely busy five months. I had a great summer with the kids and the wife although I worked more than I played. In late September we took the kids to Disney world. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge which was friggin' Awesome.

I loved it there. Very peaceful and sort of different from the whole Disney thing. It was very relaxing there. The rooms were nice and it sort of had a slight hint of the whole Overlook Hotel (The Shining) vibe. I could almost see two twin girls in little blue dresses at the end of the long hallways saying "Come and play with us Danny.....Forever....And Ever.....And Ever". I could have been drunk and it was just one Alice Character standing there with my blurred vision. Anyway, It was a great time. Ten days of fun and sun. Now it's back to reality and the only vacation I have coming up is a few days around Christmas time. The Band has been pretty busy lately. You Wouldn't know it from our website though. We hardly ever update it. I have to take control of it and update it more often. We're playing at the Community Theater in Morristown N.J. on New Years Eve. It's a really great venue and I'm really looking forward to it. We have played there in the past a few times and it was always a good time. I have to get back to work but I intend to update more often.
Later,ROB

Our Last Road Trip

2006-06-27T14:51:00.000-04:00

Here are just a few pics of our last road trip up to Hershey PA. We had a fun weekend and the crowds were really into it. We played at Chicks on saturday and at the giant Center for the Culder Cup Finals (AHL) which was won by the Hershey Bears by the way. Anyway here are the pics.
One of my drums
More drums
In front of the Giant Center
Good Ole Mickey B.
Mickey B. and Meat
SOme of the chicks at Chicks
Jimmy looking very blue
Billy getting ready to play
Inside the Giant center before the game.
That's all for now. I have some shit to get off of my chest but have no time right now to do it. I have been working like a mad man this week so far. Three 18 hour days in a row. DO I still have a family? Couldn't tell ya, I havn't seen them. Well......Back to fucking work

Go Go's

2006-05-18T10:21:00.000-04:00

So we saw the Go Go's on monday night. They were really good. Jane rocked. Here is a really bad pic of the concert. You can see Belinda on the left and Jane on the right. I have to Remember to take my camera next time. Anyway we had a great time. It was just nice to get out with the wife alone for a night. It kind of felt like we were dating again or something. It was a fun night. They have a big video screen thta sort of acts like a curtain and they show videos before the show starts. They had Clash videos playing the whole time before the show started so I was in heaven. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a huge Clash fan.
Here is another bad pic of the video screen, looks to me like the "Rock The Casbah" video.
Well this weekend is going to be busy. We have a lot of stuff going on and as luck would have it I got a cold today. I feel pretty shitty right now. I hope it goes away by saturday.
For now it's back to work for me.
Later,ROB

Back to the concerts

2006-05-12T10:04:00.000-04:00

It's been so long since I have been to a concert that I forgot how great it is. I saw Live the other night with a buddy of mine. The were fucking great. I have always liked them and their songs , at least for me, still hold up today. They really rocked and rocked hard. We saw them at a place ( as I mentioned in my last entry) called the Starland Ballroom. It's a pretty small venue and it's standing room only. They have bars in every corner of the place so it's real easy to get a drink. We had a blast. We got there early and had a few beers in the parking lot and then a few more inside. Caught a little buzz and just had a great time listening to a great fucking band. We were right behind the monitor mixer so we were real close to the stage.

Ed Kowalczyk, the lead singer, kept coming over to the side of the stage I guess because our area was pretty rowdy and full of hot girls. My buddy is recently divorced so naturally he picked this area of the club for that very reason ( the hot girls that is). I took a few shots with the old camera phone. They came out alright.

Anyway, I liked the place so much that I am taking my wife there on Monday night to see The Go Go's. I love Jane Weidlen. I had such a crush on her in the early eighties when I was just a young lad. She's so friggin' cute.

There are so many good concerts there I can see myself going very often this summer. Well for now I have to get back to work. Hey, at least it's Friday. We are going to a birthday party for a friend on Saturday night. These friends live up in Hershey Pa. Now so I don't see them that often. It will be fun to see them and party.
Well, Back to work.
later,ROB

A long hiatus

2006-05-08T08:01:00.000-04:00

It's been a long while since I have written in here. Not for any particular reason. I guess I haven't had much time lately. It seems like my life gets busier every day. Things have kind of slowed down a bit and I feel the need to document some things. Life is pretty good right now. We went up to Maine over Easter to visit my folks. It was a really nice time. The kids love to go and see the Portland Head Light. They have a park there and they love to run up and down the paths that line the coast. And a beautiful coast it is.
Spring has definetly sprung here in Jersey. The cars here are all the same color this time of year. They are all green from the pollen. You take your car to the car wash one day and the next it is totally covered with pollen. Thank god I'm not allergic. I have a great love for spring. The weather here has been absolutely beautiful this past week or so. I wish it would stay like this all summer. It's like 75 and sunny. Perfect! It gets so hot and hummid in the summer. Another great thing about spring is the feeling of rebirth. Everything is growing and the smell of new grass and flowers fills the air. I love walking outside and smelling the lilacs growing near the house.

And so do the bee's.

My kids are flourishing. They are so great. They are the very best part of my life. It's hard for me to imagine a time in my life when they were'nt there. My oldest is doing great in school and constantly suprises me with how smart he is. He just gets stuff. He is in preschool and is reading books to his class. He actually sits there and reads to them. He goes to Kindergarten in september and he is totally pumped up for that. And his younger siblings are following in his footsteps. They all have such different pesonalities but they are all so smart. I know I'm here gushing about my kids but how can I not gush. I am so lucky to have not one or two but three smart well behaved and friendly little kids. We went to church yesterday for a cousins first communion and after the service was over the two women sitting behind us said that they couldn't believe how well behaved they all were. I guess I didn't really notice it because they have always been like that. It really made me think how lucky I am to have them. I feel very blessed.
I can't wait to see them tonight after work.
On tuesday night me and a buddy of mine are going to see Live. He got some tickets so we are going to check them out. They are playing at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville. It should be a good show. I'm looking forward to it. Well I have to get back to work as much as I don't want to. Hopefully I will find the much needed time to get back in here and write.
Later,ROB

It's the most wonderful time....

2006-01-06T10:24:00.000-05:00

What a great holiday we had this year. I had the past week and a half off from work so that just sweetened the whole holiday pot. This is a picture of my three great kids watching a movie in their grandfathers(my father) home theater. That's my half nekkid foot in the bottom corner. I had a lot of trouble uploading pics to this site yesterday so I missed the HNT. FUCK!!!! Anyway that theater kicks ass. Complete with lobby and projection booth for 16mm films and a sound system that fucking rocks. I have yet to hear one equal to it's power and clarity. My Dad really did it right. We spent Christmas with my in-laws and on the Monday after took the five and a half hour ride up to Portland Maine to visit with my folks. Maine is great. I really miss living there. Here is a view from my parents back door. They put out deer feed and the deer come to eat in big groups. There will be as many as ten there eating.
Anyway, back to the theater. He has a lobby with a popcorn machine and a nacho machine and shelves full of DVD's covering nearly every available wall. He has a few lighted poster boxes that really look nice. I'm thinking about taking all my friends up there for a long weekend to watch the superbowl down there. That would be a blast. Today I'm back at work and totally ready for the weekend. I need another vacation. We have a long weekend coming up mid February without the kids at some Ski cabins. We try to do that every year but haven't been able to swing it the past couple. A bunch of us go and rent these cabins and do very little skiing. It's mostly drinking and playing cards and partying. I can't wait. Well I need to get back to work. Happy Friday and a belated Happy HNT.
Later,ROB

HNT VIVA JOE STRUMMER!!!

2005-12-21T20:33:00.000-05:00

Well it just so happens that today is the anniversary of Joe Strummers death in 2002. The guy was and still is one of the most influential people in my life. Though I never actually met him (seen him live a bunch of times) he made a big impression on me at a very young age. He is one of the biggest reasons for who I am today. I know that sounds kind of hokey and corny but it's true. When I was growing up the kids in my school wanted to be firemen or doctors or lawyers or teachers. I wanted to be Joe Strummer. Nothing else. And I really tried. I come from a family of very educated people. My dad is a minister so church played a very big part in my early life. My parents knew what I wanted to be and they were totally supportive. They were always good like that. I love them for that. They really let me be what I wanted. They gave me the freedom and support to make decisions on my own. Now I was a punker but not in the total physical sense. I didn't have a mohawk or anything like that. For me it was a state of mind and it was really all about the music and the emotion that was drawn from it. The raw intense emotion that comes only from that one little place. For me there is no other way. So instead of finishing college I pursued music for one reason and that was to be Joe strummer. I don't mean actually become joe strummers alter ego or some shit like that. I just wanted to be able to express myself with music and on stage the same way he did. I wanted to make people feel the same way I felt everytime I heard a Clash song or heard Joe speak his mind. For me it's a hard feeling to describe but I think you get the idea. Anyway this HNT picture is of me and A buddy of mine Tommy standing in front of the Joe Strummer Mural at the bar Niagara in the east village sort of looking somber. That's me with the hat. Tonight me and my buddy Tommy and his sister Veronica (who actually got to meet him at an album release a few years ago) will sit at my house and drink some beers and watch some videos and listen to some favorite songs in his honor. It's one of my favorite nights of the year. It's not a sad time it's more of a party. There are a few more people coming this year so it's starting to pick up every year. At this time tomorrow I'll be jumping up and down to "White Man in Hammersmith Palais" or "Complete Control" or "On The Road To Rock And Roll" in my Brigade Rossi shirt and loving every minute of it. VIVA JOE STRUMMER!!!
Oh and check out my HNT for last week. I know it was really late but fuck, I tried.
Later,ROB

I Suck!!!

2005-12-20T11:18:00.000-05:00

I really suck. I missed the HNT so here is a very late post. It's one for the imagination. I won't say what it is. See if you can guess. I'll just say that it was taken at my friends Christmas party outside. We had a lot of beer and at the time we were laughing our asses off. I put a close up and the original pic for your viewing pleasure. Here are a few pics from our gig at the Bergen performing arts center on fri. That was one for the books. The show was great and I thought that we sounded very good but the ride there was the ride from hell. We got a flat in the middle of route 80 around exit 70 in the eastbound express lane. This was around 5:00pm too so the highway was pretty full and cars were flying by at around 75 mph. That was not a fun place to change a tire let me tell you. We arrived at the show unharmed however and the rest of the night went perfect. It was fun to hang with the guys in the dressing room and just talk about shit. We get pretty silly when we're all together so it was a total blast. The next big gig is at the Baker Theater In Dover New Jersey on New Years Eve with The Duprees. That should be fun as well. The only thing that sucks is that I will have to spend it alone. My wife won't be able to go. No Babysitter to be found that night. Looks like I'll be kissing one of the guys in my group on new years. Anyway I hope everyone has a great Christmas.
Later,ROB

Glory Glory Halleluiah!

2005-12-13T14:39:00.000-05:00

Christmas for kids was great! It was pretty crowded and the amount of toys and gift cards we recieved was phenomonal. I forgot to mention in the last entry that we have a group of kids from the Peter Smith School Of Irish Dancing come and dance every year. These young kids are so talented and they really kick the whole event up like 20 notches. They come all dressed in the traditional garb and put on such a good show that it always prompts a standing ovation. These kids must put so much time into thier routines. We can't thank them enough for dancing at our event every year.Here are a few pictures from the event. Stupid me forgot to take a picture of all the toys and gift cards we recieved. There was so much stuff and I hope it was enough to help all these kids have a happier christmas.
The gig on saturday was really fun. A bunch of our friends made the trip out to hershey to go to the gig. We all had a blast. Drank some beers ,they danced, we played but we all had a good time.
I only have a few pics from that show so I'll post them at a later date.
I'm trying to think of a good HNT for this week. Last weeks came out pretty good, at least I thought so. I got a couple of nice comments about it and that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I'm not sure I can top last weeks though. Anyway, I have a really busy week and weekend coming up so I'll end it here and try and get some rest.
Later,ROB

A late HNT

2005-12-09T13:06:00.000-05:00

I have really been slacking off lately with this whole blog thing. Here is a late HNT. Sorry. I have been so busy and I can't seem to get a second to relax and breathe. Work and home life have both been crazy with christmas just around the corner...oh sorry...."the holidays" just around the corner. You can't say Merry Christmas anymore. A kid in New York got suspended for saying Merry Christmas to another kid in school. If my kid ever got suspended for wishing someone a merry christmas I'd flip my fucking lid. I'd be down at that school and believe me I wouldn't be spreadin holiday cheer around. Someone would have a fucking foot up their ass. sorry, I had to get that off of my chest.
Anyway, I am really looking forward to the holidays. We're going up to Maine the day after Christmas for some much needed relaxation with my folks. That is if we don't get too much snow. It snowed like a bastard here today. I don't really know how a bastard snows but if one did it really did it here today. This is a picture outside of my building. Pretty huh? I think so. I really love the snow. As much as it's a pain in the ass I still love it. My wife thinks I'm nuts but she's one of those people that is cold all the time in the winter. The cold doesn't bother me. I knd of like wearing sweaters and shit like that anyway so I'm always comfortable with the cold temperatures. man this is a boring ass entry.
Tonight we (the band) are throwing our annual "Christmas for Kids" party at the local parish center. There is no charge to get in all you do is bring a toy or a gift card to the party and you're in. We play all night and there is beer and wine and food all donated by local businesses. Last year about 350 attended so we hope this year is as good with the snow and all. We collect the toys and gift cards and give them to the needy children is our town. Believe it or not there are needy children in almost every town in the U.S.. You may not see them but they're there.I was never aware until we decided to start this benefit every year that we had so many needy kids in our town. The thought of these poor kids getting nothing for christmas really breaks my heart.I mean to me christmas is really special and not because you get presents. It's special for personal reasons and beliefs now, but when I was a kid it was mostly about the presents. So I hope that we bring a little joy into the hearts of these kids this year and every year from now on. This year the local politicians are trying to get into the act seeing as it's been such a big hit since we started doing it. We have always done it through the local elementary school where one of the band members wife is a teacher. It works really well that way, no strings. The presents go directly to the kids who are supposed to get them. Now the mayor wants to get in and it's really complicating things. We're not going to let that happen though. It's too important to us to watch someone else fuck it all up. I hope it gets bigger every year for the sake of these kids. I have met several of these kids and they are all such sweethearts. Even the older ones in high school. What they lack in finacial stability they make up for in sheer kindness and optimism.
Tomorrow we are playing up in hershey again so it's going to be a busy weekend as well. I NEED A FUCKING VACATION.
Time for me to get back to work as much as I don't want to.
"HAPPY HOLIDAYS"
Later,ROB

Wwhheeeewwww!!!!

2005-11-22T13:57:00.000-05:00

Time to take a little breather from everyday life. I have been so busy lately that I haven't even had time to do much of anything. It all started a week or so ago when I started to remodel our bathroom. I replaced everything from sheetrock to plumbing and it was no easy task considering I did it all myself. My brother-in-law helped me hang the new sheetrock but the rest I did alone. It all came out very nice and I feel such a sense of accomplishment that it made all the hard work worth it.
So now it's back to real life. No spackling until 2:00 in the morning after working all day. And it's a long weekend this weekend. Hooray!! I am going to do as little as possible too. We (the band) are playing our annual thanksgiving eve bash at this little local pub calledFeuersteins in our hometown tomorrow so that will be loads of fun. It's always a drink fest if you know what I mean. For some reason people really get all fucked up the night before thanksgiving. Hey, all the better for us. I'm sure I will partake in a few drinks myself. The wife won't be there, she is taking the kids to see The Incedibles on Ice that night along with one of my close buddies wife and their kids so My buddy will be hangin and partying at the pub with me that night. Lookout! I'll try and post some pics from the gig. I'll see if I can get the most fucked up person in the bar and post the pic here. I'm going to make my second attempt at an interesting HNT if I have the time. Anyway, I must get back to work.
Later,ROB
Oh and happy thanksgiving everyone! Gobble Gobble

"36"

2005-11-08T09:01:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday and not only is it my birthday, I get to go out and vote. Most people are reminded of times on their birthdays. Like someone who has a birthday in August is reminded of hot summer days and warm summer nights. Or in December their reminded of snow and the holiday season full of cheer. I'm reminded of election day. My birtday always falls on or around election day. I'm o.k. with that though. I think it's so important for a person to exersise their right to vote in this country. So you know what I'll be doing today. I'll have to go between jobs today. I work at "Warrens Paints" all day and then I work tonight at the movie theater. For those who don't know, I work at a movie theater. Yup, I have worked there since 1987 but only one night a week. I do it as sort of a hobby. My Dad worked there for years as well so we kind of did it together. It was a nice thing for both of us. He is a minister so he was always at the church or attending seminary to get his doctorate. When I was old enough I got a job at this theater and later convinced him to work there as well since we both have an equal love for movies. His love for movies is a little stronger than mine but I'll write about that another day. Anyway, it was and has been a great bonding tool for us. I am a manager there as well as a union projectionist so basically I'm the guy you complain to when the picture is out of frame or focus and instead of me telling the projectionist to get his act together and fix it, I'm the one who fixes it. I really love working there and will continue to work there as long as I possibly can. So as you can see my night is already planned. Nothing like working on your birthday. I can't complain though. We are going to celebrate next Friday night as this weekend I get to completely remodel our bathroom. And I'm talking the entire thing from sheetrock to fixtures, All of it has to be replaced. That should be fun. Life just gets more and more exciting each and every day. Can you sense the sarcasm.
Later,ROB

HNT I think

2005-11-02T14:38:00.000-05:00

O.K. I'm here with my first HNT picture. It sort of looks like some wheat field or the pelt of a very large animal but it's either. It's my god damn head. I think it's about time for a haircut don't you? It's starting to look very Heat Miseresque. I mean I can't complain. At least I still have all of my hair. Most of my friends are either bald or balding so they look at my rapidly growing hair with envy. I just had it cut a month ago and pretty damn short too. This shit grows like weeds. I guess I have my grandfathers hair. He had a mop on the top of his head his entire life right up to his death. His hair was really thick and white. I don't have any gray yet which to me is not really a bad thing. I think gray hair adds a little character and the sense that the person is a little older and a little wiser. Any way that's it. Thats my first HNT. Pretty lame I know but I wanted to get in on this whole thing and today is the only time I had to do it.

On thursday We are going to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in New York with the two oldest kids. The youngest is staying with the neighbors. He is 1 1/2 years old so I don't think he would be too into the whole sitting down and watching a broadway play thing. I'm looking forward to it. I remember the MGM movie from my childhood so it will be fun to share that with my kids. Happy HNT!

Getting Sirius

2005-11-01T11:29:00.000-05:00

Yup, I decided to get in on the whole satellite radio thing and I'm really glad that I did. There is such a wide range of programming and the options are endless. They have a great uncensored comedy channel on there that I can't get enough of. I love the fact that there are absolutely no bleeps. I can't stand the fucking bleeps. And I've been a Stern listener since like 1985 back in the NBC days so I'm looking forward to his contribution to the whole satellite thing. With all the censorship going on with his show it's sad to hear how it has changed the show. We (the group that is) met Howard back in 92. We did a song parody accapella for the show. He is such a down to earth nice guy. I actually feel bad for him the way the FCC comes down on him. He really has to be careful about the content on his show. My philosophy has always been If you don't like it , Don't listen. It's so easy to not tune in. I mean plain and simple Just don't listen. I could never understand that. But hey, Now I don't have to worry about it. I'll pay my 12.95 a month and listen to whatever the fuck I want. Fuck you Radio. There are too many fucking commercials anyway. Who wants to sit there and listen to 15 minutes of commercials every half hour. Not me.
Halloween was great. The kids had a blast and so did we. Now if you know me you know that I'm not a big fan of halloween. I don't really know why that is, I'm just not. But this year it was fun. It was fun like it used to be when I was a kid. Although it's a lot different now. My folks would get me a costume, hand me my spider man pillow case to use for a bag and send me out into the night to go trick-or-treating. We would walk for miles without the fear of being abducted or kidnapped or anything like that and my folks wouldn't worry that their children would be taken away from them for being unfit parents because they let us wander the streets at night without any parental supervision. There was more of a sense of community back then. People in the neiborhood looked out for eachother. I don't even think we locked our doors back then. I can't even imagine letting my kids go out by themselves now. Of course they are still very young but can I say that it wouldn't bother me when they are the same age as I was to let them go out alone go out alone? No, I can't. Society has become so untrusting. I miss the days when you felt safe all the time. The only time a tragedy happened was because of an accident. Now you can't breath without being sued or something like that. It really sucks. I wish things could be like they were. Simpler times, just simpler times. Oh well enough babbling for one day. Maybe I'll try the HNT this week.

Long day

2005-10-27T19:16:00.000-04:00

I work for a company that is owned by the charming billionaire at the left. I have to stay late tonight and I am dying to go home. I'll be here until about 9:00pm and back on friday at 6:30am. I decided to take a few minutes to update this little page. In the process I started looking around and reading some other pages. Added a couple of favorites to my page. It's funny but I noticed that all three of my favorites are women and ones that are very comfortable with their bodies. Hey what can I say, I'm a dude. So as I'm looking through some of these sites I'm listening to this 80's Station that I like and realize that "I know what boys Like" by the Waitresses is on. Suddenly I'm thrown back to 1982. I was 13 and me and a few friends of mine snuck into Cinema 10 to see The Last American Virgin. My life was forever changed. I was like " is this what I have to look forward to in High School. Naked chicks, parties, hookers, booze. I just gazed at the screen in awe of what I was seeing. And here I am listening to the same song and staring at these beautiful women here on my computer. God will I ever change. Thirty Five with the mind of a thirteen year old.
I look at it this way, It keeps things spicy with the wife. I think that's a good thing.

Drums and Snow

2005-10-19T08:59:00.000-04:00

This is a view from above of my specific tool of trade. I feel most creative and alive when I'm sitting down with these in front of me. There are a couple of drums missing in this pictue. We play at this bar chicks in Hershey Pa. every so often that has a very small stage so I have to eliminate the two floor toms. That's official drummer language by the way. I never really considered myself to be all that technical about music. For me it is more about the feeling but the technical aspect is important I think as well. Enough of boring drum pictures.

It's starting to get pretty cold here now and I am kind of looking forward to winter. I can't believe I just said that after last year. It snowed so fucking much here last year that I hoped I would never see snow again. How can I say that looking at this picture. Look how beautiful everything looks and to be honest the cold really doesn't bother me that much. I am a naturally warm person. It could be 30 below out and I would still feel warm. Not so good to be that way in the peak of the summertime heat. I have bored myself and anyone who would read this drivel enough for now. I will write something a little more interesting later. I am actually thinking about getting in on that whole HNT thing. Look Out!! I promise not to show anything gross. I think I'll try to get creative or I might just start with the obligitory eye picture first. It seems like everyone has at least one of those. I am fascinated by all the pictures that people post. I think it is such a great idea.

2005-10-13T12:23:00.000-04:00

Just starting out here, I have had a diary at diaryland for a couple of years now and thought I would try it here as well. I keep getting forwarded to this blog space more and more each day by people who have changed from diaryland. I figured what the hell. Oh by the way , that's me on the left singing the national anthem at Shae for the Mets with my best friends who just happen to be in a band with me. I like this site so far. It's nice to have the option of posting pictures for nothing. Yeah I know, I'm a cheap bastard but hey, I just want a little journal to look back on later in life and in the process of doing that, meet(not in person) other people who are doing the same.

Blog on.

2005-09-16T13:35:00.000-04:00