Sunday, December 09, 2018
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Gig report: 8/9/18 Stereo Embers at the Tractor Tavern
Today is 8/12, 3 days later, and I'm still buzzing from playing the Tractor on Thursday! We had a great practice on Monday to get ready. So good that Tim was thinking about calling it, lest we jinx our performance on Thursday. But we kept going and I think the practice did us good!
We'd been hearing that the show was close to being sold out. Turns out, as the night progressed, they had to turn people away as, yes, it was sold out!
Cass, Tim and I showed up around 5pm or so for sound check, got dialed in, then went to dinner. Show started promptly at 8pm, with Kim Virant and her band (all Seattle music scenesters) putting in a sweet and soulful set.
Following Kim's band was Danny Newcomb & the Sugarmakers. A power-pop/rock trio, featuring more scenesters and Seattle legends on stage. They were highly entertaining and pro on stage.
This was my second show with the Embers. Usually when I play a show, I get on stage after the previous band, set up, strap in, we count off and we play. This band does things a little differently, as we get on stage, set up, then leave the stage. We headed off stage and then did a little pep talk in the green room. After that, it was go time.
We got up there, Tim started us off with Wagon, and off we went. For this show and the first show at the Sunset, I forget just how much energy Tim starts with. Any other band I've been in, it's always just us starting and we sort of ease in. With Tim, once he hits that big C chord, I better be ready. And I might have to start wearing my hair down at practice! When I play with it down, I can't see anything and some of those Cs and Fs at the beginning of Wagon are a bit off.
Wagon is the song that drew me in in the first place. I've always loved playing that tune and Thursday was no exception. The highlight is hitting that big 3rd harmony in the second chorus. Love that part. Check it out!
We continued with Pull, which we always butt up against Wagon as Tim plays both with a capo. This is a song I thought would need a backing vocal in the second half of the chorus. I tried a few times, but it's pretty unnecessary, as it turns out. The song is a slow burn and really highlights Tim's solo chops, as well as his delicate side during the verses.
The past few weeks at rehearsal, we were able to dial in two new songs! They are still evolving, but the basics are in place. Things like backing vocals and possibly minor arrangements still need to be done, but they're finished enough to play out. One of the songs, Things That Go Boom, is a barnburner, with a shuffle feel. It's always a crap shoot for me, as I gotta move my fingers fast, but under all the noise, precision isn't always necessary. Tim really tore this song up, but he did suffer some technical difficulties, with his guitar strap coming loose right before his solo. Luckily, our pal Brian (guitar tech for a lot of these Seattle scenesters!) was on the spot and able to swap Tim out with little delay. Take a look.
The other song we premiered is tentatively called Tom the Longboarder. Tim came in with a Tom Petty type riff and we built around that. A little alt-country, but with a little SE tag at the end of the song. Really love how this tune builds and we've really fallen in love with it.
We played a bunch of other songs, with one more newer one called Heavy, as well as standards like It, Wrong Way, Chimp, Sideline and Break This Down. We ended the night with a couple covers, Cheap Trick's Downed and Bring It On Home by Zeppelin. Check out Downed here.
Since the show, things have been blowing up on the Facebook page, and our newly created Instagram page. I've been curating the videos above as well as pictures taken by friends and fans. It's been a lot of fun "meeting" these friends via social networking. I was able to meet several in person at the show as well.
In all the years I've been playing around town, this is the first time I've been in a band with some juice. Sure, I've played in great bands before, but for the most part, we'd play to the other bands and a handful of people at the shows. With SE, (granted 2 show sample set) I've played to 2 sold out A-list clubs in town. People are loving what we're doing and everyone has welcomed me with open arms.
The love has been overwhelming and appreciated, both from the bandmates, their families, and the fans. I have had so much fun the past several months, even getting excited to sit in traffic to go to practice.
Moving on, I hope the momentum continues and we just keep trending upward. Can't wait until practice on Thursday and then our next show in September.
We'd been hearing that the show was close to being sold out. Turns out, as the night progressed, they had to turn people away as, yes, it was sold out!
Cass, Tim and I showed up around 5pm or so for sound check, got dialed in, then went to dinner. Show started promptly at 8pm, with Kim Virant and her band (all Seattle music scenesters) putting in a sweet and soulful set.
Following Kim's band was Danny Newcomb & the Sugarmakers. A power-pop/rock trio, featuring more scenesters and Seattle legends on stage. They were highly entertaining and pro on stage.
This was my second show with the Embers. Usually when I play a show, I get on stage after the previous band, set up, strap in, we count off and we play. This band does things a little differently, as we get on stage, set up, then leave the stage. We headed off stage and then did a little pep talk in the green room. After that, it was go time.
We got up there, Tim started us off with Wagon, and off we went. For this show and the first show at the Sunset, I forget just how much energy Tim starts with. Any other band I've been in, it's always just us starting and we sort of ease in. With Tim, once he hits that big C chord, I better be ready. And I might have to start wearing my hair down at practice! When I play with it down, I can't see anything and some of those Cs and Fs at the beginning of Wagon are a bit off.
Wagon is the song that drew me in in the first place. I've always loved playing that tune and Thursday was no exception. The highlight is hitting that big 3rd harmony in the second chorus. Love that part. Check it out!
We continued with Pull, which we always butt up against Wagon as Tim plays both with a capo. This is a song I thought would need a backing vocal in the second half of the chorus. I tried a few times, but it's pretty unnecessary, as it turns out. The song is a slow burn and really highlights Tim's solo chops, as well as his delicate side during the verses.
The past few weeks at rehearsal, we were able to dial in two new songs! They are still evolving, but the basics are in place. Things like backing vocals and possibly minor arrangements still need to be done, but they're finished enough to play out. One of the songs, Things That Go Boom, is a barnburner, with a shuffle feel. It's always a crap shoot for me, as I gotta move my fingers fast, but under all the noise, precision isn't always necessary. Tim really tore this song up, but he did suffer some technical difficulties, with his guitar strap coming loose right before his solo. Luckily, our pal Brian (guitar tech for a lot of these Seattle scenesters!) was on the spot and able to swap Tim out with little delay. Take a look.
The other song we premiered is tentatively called Tom the Longboarder. Tim came in with a Tom Petty type riff and we built around that. A little alt-country, but with a little SE tag at the end of the song. Really love how this tune builds and we've really fallen in love with it.
We played a bunch of other songs, with one more newer one called Heavy, as well as standards like It, Wrong Way, Chimp, Sideline and Break This Down. We ended the night with a couple covers, Cheap Trick's Downed and Bring It On Home by Zeppelin. Check out Downed here.
Since the show, things have been blowing up on the Facebook page, and our newly created Instagram page. I've been curating the videos above as well as pictures taken by friends and fans. It's been a lot of fun "meeting" these friends via social networking. I was able to meet several in person at the show as well.
In all the years I've been playing around town, this is the first time I've been in a band with some juice. Sure, I've played in great bands before, but for the most part, we'd play to the other bands and a handful of people at the shows. With SE, (granted 2 show sample set) I've played to 2 sold out A-list clubs in town. People are loving what we're doing and everyone has welcomed me with open arms.
The love has been overwhelming and appreciated, both from the bandmates, their families, and the fans. I have had so much fun the past several months, even getting excited to sit in traffic to go to practice.
Moving on, I hope the momentum continues and we just keep trending upward. Can't wait until practice on Thursday and then our next show in September.
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Wednesday, June 06, 2018
Tuesday, June 05, 2018
Getting excited
I am obsessed with this band I'm in. It's been almost two weeks since we've rehearsed and I'm so looking forward to it. Robb has ordered shirts and tank tops for merch to sell and they just came in and look great.
Since I officially joined, we've rehearsed several times and each time seems to just get better. I've been recording our practices with my trusty Lumia 950XL and aside from some distortion when the bass is too loud, it captures what we do pretty well.
For my birthday, I picked up a Rolls personal monitor box. I'm able to plug in my bass, headphones, mic, and line in from another source. By doing so, I hear and dial in what I want, instead of the usual. I tried it once and it was pretty cool, but I felt like a doofus setting it up, so I've left it alone. Maybe I'll revisit it this week.
Our show is next Friday and I expect it will be well attended. The other two bands are from Portland, and apparently are a big deal down there (Tango Alpha Tango and the Weather Machine). I think stylistically they're different from us, but they should have enough Indie Cred to draw people.
I simply can't wait to play with these guys. It's been a ton of fun and they're all super cool, as well. CAN'T WAIT.
Since I officially joined, we've rehearsed several times and each time seems to just get better. I've been recording our practices with my trusty Lumia 950XL and aside from some distortion when the bass is too loud, it captures what we do pretty well.
For my birthday, I picked up a Rolls personal monitor box. I'm able to plug in my bass, headphones, mic, and line in from another source. By doing so, I hear and dial in what I want, instead of the usual. I tried it once and it was pretty cool, but I felt like a doofus setting it up, so I've left it alone. Maybe I'll revisit it this week.
Our show is next Friday and I expect it will be well attended. The other two bands are from Portland, and apparently are a big deal down there (Tango Alpha Tango and the Weather Machine). I think stylistically they're different from us, but they should have enough Indie Cred to draw people.
I simply can't wait to play with these guys. It's been a ton of fun and they're all super cool, as well. CAN'T WAIT.
Friday, March 30, 2018
YEARLY UPDATE
Let's be honest, this won't be an update of the past 12 months. More like an update of the past couple months. My memory isn't what used to be.
Work:
Still with Microsoft, still at Southcenter, the most horrible mall on the West Coast. Fights, shootings (fake, mostly), theft, homeless, we have it all! However, our little store is doing just fine. I am and have been in charge of business sales, and if I do say so myself, I've been killing it. Getting on people's radar and making a name for myself at SC. Loving what I do and seeing where it goes.
Music:
Still with the Navins. Still working on the recording we did last April. We played a show in November, then nothing until last week, when we opened for two punk legends, the Dickies and the Queers at El Corazon. That was highly entertaining. Not a lot of people there for us, maybe 30? But we played pretty well and they enjoyed it. The Dickies were pretty cool, just a 3/4 piece and it was PUNK all night. The Queers were an interesting crew, very diverse, but they came in to Seattle and SMASHED ALL OUR FACES. SUPER tight and just on top of it. I really enjoyed them.
I was asked late last summer to think about joining Gregg's band, Service Animal, as they were going to dump their excellent bassist, Jordan. As great a player as he is, i guess his personality was quite challenging. I started playing with them late last year at Andrew's house on Cougar Mt. Only about 15 minutes from home, but out in the sticks. Fun fact, his wife Amber manages an Instagram account for their awesome dogs, a husky named Ripley and a retriever named Ozzie. 300k followers!
I digress. I started playing with them: Gregg, Andrew, Emma and Justin. It was pretty cool. Music was very challenging, definitely trickier than anything I'd played in a long time and their musicianship was all top notch. Trouble is, as tight and polished as we got, the only shows we could get booked were for weeknights. As I played on, we got a gig at the Sunset (good) on a Tuesday (not good). Just this week, we played the Lo-Fi, with some up and coming bands (of which we are one). However, a few weeks ago, I just realized I wasn't into this band as much as I thought. They liked to rehearse on Sunday afternoons, and though I could make that work, it was cutting into family time. Plus 3 of them smoked and we'd end up taking 2 smoke breaks per rehearsal, which I wasn't super excited about. But mainly, it was the music. I didn't hate it, or even dislike it; I just wasn't feeling awesome about it. In the end, I broke up with them last weekend and we'll be playing one more show at the Sunset in early May, unless they have someone else lined up.
And in the meantime, I reached out to Robb from the Stereo Embers in February. Me and the Scheme played with them in 2017 and I thought they were really cool. I remember the guitar player, Tim, and what a stud he was. Just overall, a really sweet old-school ROCK band.
Anyway, fast forward to this year. I saw Robb mention that they would be seeking a new bassist soon. I hit him up on Facebook, thinking, "why not?" He got back immediately, saying he remembered me and thought I was a great player and he'd keep me in mind. About a month later, he asked if I could come out to his house in Lake City to try out with the guys. Before that, I went and checked them out at Slim's, with Stag and Surf the Pines. All 3 bands were excellent and there was a pretty full house there. I really enjoyed it and got to talk to Tim and Robb in person for the first time. Both dudes were quite nice and down to earth, easy to talk to.
The audition came up and I also got to meet Cass, the drummer. We started playing and even though (after listening to my recording) there were some rough spots, we all knew it was good. The guys were all generous in their praise and afterwards, I knew it went well. They were complimentary and excited.
The following days, Robb and I stayed in touch. We bro'ed out over FB messenger. He told me he was surprised at how different it was having a fingerstyle player vs a picker. It gave me pause, but in the end, he said to don't worry about it. Also, he mentioned they had some other guys that they wanted to try out.
After a week or so, he got back to me saying that they had tried someone else out, but that it wasn't great. He asked me to come out again, with a few more tunes. So I practiced, and then we hooked up last night.
I felt more in the pocket last night, for sure. I was focusing more on Cass' drumming and kick to try to lock in with him. I also overplayed a bunch, to see what they might say. Mainly, it was awesome! I think their previous bassist was solid, but not too flashy; there wasn't a lot of sizzle to compliment Tim's guitar. It was pretty evident after each song that the guys were pumped up. And, like last time, they were all super easy to relate and chat with.
After we finished playing, they asked me to join and we sealed the deal with handshakes and hugs. Super cool! So for now, we go on break. :( Cass and Robb will be going on vacation for a week or so, so we're not gonna get back together for a few more weeks. We've got a gig on the books in August playing the Tractor (!) in between Pearl Jam shows. We will be playing to full houses; these guys have people that come out. This is gonna be fun.
General life:
I decided this year I needed to go to the doctor. Had a physical for the first time in years. Everything checked out ok, but my blood pressure was high. Normal is considered 120/80. I was about 140/100. I started exercising and eating better. This was end of February. It's been a month now and I've lost a few pounds and been RUNNING of all things. Last week, I did 8 miles. This week has been less as my knees have been hurting, but I've tried to get Bella and Marci out with me regularly. It's been good for all of us. My BP is down, but I've been supplementing it with medication (I tried w/o but it was going slower than I and the dr. wanted). And it's cool to exercise, believe it or not. Running and/or walking (even at work), doing some push ups and planking. Nice to feel sore for good reasons. Though instead of walking this morning, I've been writing this epic blog. I will walk at work today!
Life of Riley:
Everyone is healthy. Well, except for Riley. He may have broken his hand. Again. This dude broke his hand on the last day of 6th grade. He was in a cast for like 6 weeks? Maybe longer. Then he broke it again in 7th grade. And now, he fell down at school the other day and may have fractured it yet again. This dude...
He is still a treat, though, and sometimes I think I give him too hard a time. He is eager to please, but we are on his case a lot because all he seems to do is watch tv and videos. On the plus side, he does help around the house (when we ask), he is compassionate and he is still quite loving.
He also decided to audition for next year's play at Newport. It's Jeckyl & Hyde, or something like that. He sang and "acted" and got a role being Man #3 or something. He's gonna be the only freshman male with a singing part. Pretty cool! He's dropping band, though, as he needs to take choir or drama. I don't know. But I told him he may not always play trombone, but he can always sing.
Current obsessions: saving money for a Switch; watching superhero shows (current fave: The Flash); Guy's Grocery Games; reading books. You know, boy stuff.
Life of Haley:
Time management. I think the biggest thing in her life right now is time. There simply isn't enough of it. She goes to school, then has 2 hrs of track practice. Sometimes she has double practice, with her club crew also. Then there's dances, pep band, band festivals, friends, homework, track meets, etc, etc. She's so busy. She stays up late, usually to midnight or later, and has to be up around 7-730 to get to school. Overall, though, she seems to be doing ok. Grades are good and she's getting the balancing act down.
She has turned into quite the little athlete. We went and watched her track meet this week and she was frickin' epic. She won her 400m sprint, then 4th place in the 200m, then on her leg of the 4x400m, she smashed and built up a big lead for her team. She got PRs in 2 events and is just doing so well! Love watching her compete and learn how to accept the accolades afterward.
I went to see a counselor last summer because Hay and I had a hard time last year at times. I had to let her grow up and come to me, instead of being the hand's on dad all the time. I had to keep emotion out of things and try not to micro-manage her so much. But there were also times I had to be able to be a dad and do dad things. I tried to get her to come with me to counseling, but she never would. Overall, though, it's gotten better and we do still have our moments, but it's clear we're maturing and progressing and getting through things better.
Marci update:
Last August at work, I was helping a customer of ours that runs a private school. I'd mentioned that Marci was a preschool teacher and he asked me if she was happy. Long story short, he needed a pre-k teacher and Marci got an interview the next day. She was offered the job a day later and started the following Tuesday. She wasn't looking for a new gig, but the $$ was double what she was making so we had to make the change. It has been a challenge, for sure, but she has been soaking up the knowledge and learning and is really impacting her kids, as well as our family as a result. Super proud of what she's done!
Her health is doing as well as it can be. She's been managing her MS with Plexus and eating right and exercising with me. MS is not progressing as her dr. thought it might. She's been doing her best managing her time at work, as it's more than she's been used to doing. Likely over 40 hrs, when we include the work she does at home.
Overall:
People ask me how things are. I say I can't complain. And I really can't! Unless it's about traffic? Or stupid stuff like that. Things are good and generally moving in the right direction. All right!
Work:
Still with Microsoft, still at Southcenter, the most horrible mall on the West Coast. Fights, shootings (fake, mostly), theft, homeless, we have it all! However, our little store is doing just fine. I am and have been in charge of business sales, and if I do say so myself, I've been killing it. Getting on people's radar and making a name for myself at SC. Loving what I do and seeing where it goes.
Music:
Still with the Navins. Still working on the recording we did last April. We played a show in November, then nothing until last week, when we opened for two punk legends, the Dickies and the Queers at El Corazon. That was highly entertaining. Not a lot of people there for us, maybe 30? But we played pretty well and they enjoyed it. The Dickies were pretty cool, just a 3/4 piece and it was PUNK all night. The Queers were an interesting crew, very diverse, but they came in to Seattle and SMASHED ALL OUR FACES. SUPER tight and just on top of it. I really enjoyed them.
I was asked late last summer to think about joining Gregg's band, Service Animal, as they were going to dump their excellent bassist, Jordan. As great a player as he is, i guess his personality was quite challenging. I started playing with them late last year at Andrew's house on Cougar Mt. Only about 15 minutes from home, but out in the sticks. Fun fact, his wife Amber manages an Instagram account for their awesome dogs, a husky named Ripley and a retriever named Ozzie. 300k followers!
I digress. I started playing with them: Gregg, Andrew, Emma and Justin. It was pretty cool. Music was very challenging, definitely trickier than anything I'd played in a long time and their musicianship was all top notch. Trouble is, as tight and polished as we got, the only shows we could get booked were for weeknights. As I played on, we got a gig at the Sunset (good) on a Tuesday (not good). Just this week, we played the Lo-Fi, with some up and coming bands (of which we are one). However, a few weeks ago, I just realized I wasn't into this band as much as I thought. They liked to rehearse on Sunday afternoons, and though I could make that work, it was cutting into family time. Plus 3 of them smoked and we'd end up taking 2 smoke breaks per rehearsal, which I wasn't super excited about. But mainly, it was the music. I didn't hate it, or even dislike it; I just wasn't feeling awesome about it. In the end, I broke up with them last weekend and we'll be playing one more show at the Sunset in early May, unless they have someone else lined up.
And in the meantime, I reached out to Robb from the Stereo Embers in February. Me and the Scheme played with them in 2017 and I thought they were really cool. I remember the guitar player, Tim, and what a stud he was. Just overall, a really sweet old-school ROCK band.
Anyway, fast forward to this year. I saw Robb mention that they would be seeking a new bassist soon. I hit him up on Facebook, thinking, "why not?" He got back immediately, saying he remembered me and thought I was a great player and he'd keep me in mind. About a month later, he asked if I could come out to his house in Lake City to try out with the guys. Before that, I went and checked them out at Slim's, with Stag and Surf the Pines. All 3 bands were excellent and there was a pretty full house there. I really enjoyed it and got to talk to Tim and Robb in person for the first time. Both dudes were quite nice and down to earth, easy to talk to.
The audition came up and I also got to meet Cass, the drummer. We started playing and even though (after listening to my recording) there were some rough spots, we all knew it was good. The guys were all generous in their praise and afterwards, I knew it went well. They were complimentary and excited.
The following days, Robb and I stayed in touch. We bro'ed out over FB messenger. He told me he was surprised at how different it was having a fingerstyle player vs a picker. It gave me pause, but in the end, he said to don't worry about it. Also, he mentioned they had some other guys that they wanted to try out.
After a week or so, he got back to me saying that they had tried someone else out, but that it wasn't great. He asked me to come out again, with a few more tunes. So I practiced, and then we hooked up last night.
I felt more in the pocket last night, for sure. I was focusing more on Cass' drumming and kick to try to lock in with him. I also overplayed a bunch, to see what they might say. Mainly, it was awesome! I think their previous bassist was solid, but not too flashy; there wasn't a lot of sizzle to compliment Tim's guitar. It was pretty evident after each song that the guys were pumped up. And, like last time, they were all super easy to relate and chat with.
After we finished playing, they asked me to join and we sealed the deal with handshakes and hugs. Super cool! So for now, we go on break. :( Cass and Robb will be going on vacation for a week or so, so we're not gonna get back together for a few more weeks. We've got a gig on the books in August playing the Tractor (!) in between Pearl Jam shows. We will be playing to full houses; these guys have people that come out. This is gonna be fun.
General life:
I decided this year I needed to go to the doctor. Had a physical for the first time in years. Everything checked out ok, but my blood pressure was high. Normal is considered 120/80. I was about 140/100. I started exercising and eating better. This was end of February. It's been a month now and I've lost a few pounds and been RUNNING of all things. Last week, I did 8 miles. This week has been less as my knees have been hurting, but I've tried to get Bella and Marci out with me regularly. It's been good for all of us. My BP is down, but I've been supplementing it with medication (I tried w/o but it was going slower than I and the dr. wanted). And it's cool to exercise, believe it or not. Running and/or walking (even at work), doing some push ups and planking. Nice to feel sore for good reasons. Though instead of walking this morning, I've been writing this epic blog. I will walk at work today!
Life of Riley:
Everyone is healthy. Well, except for Riley. He may have broken his hand. Again. This dude broke his hand on the last day of 6th grade. He was in a cast for like 6 weeks? Maybe longer. Then he broke it again in 7th grade. And now, he fell down at school the other day and may have fractured it yet again. This dude...
He is still a treat, though, and sometimes I think I give him too hard a time. He is eager to please, but we are on his case a lot because all he seems to do is watch tv and videos. On the plus side, he does help around the house (when we ask), he is compassionate and he is still quite loving.
He also decided to audition for next year's play at Newport. It's Jeckyl & Hyde, or something like that. He sang and "acted" and got a role being Man #3 or something. He's gonna be the only freshman male with a singing part. Pretty cool! He's dropping band, though, as he needs to take choir or drama. I don't know. But I told him he may not always play trombone, but he can always sing.
Current obsessions: saving money for a Switch; watching superhero shows (current fave: The Flash); Guy's Grocery Games; reading books. You know, boy stuff.
Life of Haley:
Time management. I think the biggest thing in her life right now is time. There simply isn't enough of it. She goes to school, then has 2 hrs of track practice. Sometimes she has double practice, with her club crew also. Then there's dances, pep band, band festivals, friends, homework, track meets, etc, etc. She's so busy. She stays up late, usually to midnight or later, and has to be up around 7-730 to get to school. Overall, though, she seems to be doing ok. Grades are good and she's getting the balancing act down.
She has turned into quite the little athlete. We went and watched her track meet this week and she was frickin' epic. She won her 400m sprint, then 4th place in the 200m, then on her leg of the 4x400m, she smashed and built up a big lead for her team. She got PRs in 2 events and is just doing so well! Love watching her compete and learn how to accept the accolades afterward.
I went to see a counselor last summer because Hay and I had a hard time last year at times. I had to let her grow up and come to me, instead of being the hand's on dad all the time. I had to keep emotion out of things and try not to micro-manage her so much. But there were also times I had to be able to be a dad and do dad things. I tried to get her to come with me to counseling, but she never would. Overall, though, it's gotten better and we do still have our moments, but it's clear we're maturing and progressing and getting through things better.
Marci update:
Last August at work, I was helping a customer of ours that runs a private school. I'd mentioned that Marci was a preschool teacher and he asked me if she was happy. Long story short, he needed a pre-k teacher and Marci got an interview the next day. She was offered the job a day later and started the following Tuesday. She wasn't looking for a new gig, but the $$ was double what she was making so we had to make the change. It has been a challenge, for sure, but she has been soaking up the knowledge and learning and is really impacting her kids, as well as our family as a result. Super proud of what she's done!
Her health is doing as well as it can be. She's been managing her MS with Plexus and eating right and exercising with me. MS is not progressing as her dr. thought it might. She's been doing her best managing her time at work, as it's more than she's been used to doing. Likely over 40 hrs, when we include the work she does at home.
Overall:
People ask me how things are. I say I can't complain. And I really can't! Unless it's about traffic? Or stupid stuff like that. Things are good and generally moving in the right direction. All right!
Monday, April 03, 2017
Today is my Saturday
What did I do?
I went to the dentist for the second time in a month, or, more accurately, the second time in the past 5 years or so. I finally caved to the pressure last month, figured it was time to get my mouth checked out (planning on mouth, then eyes [they are getting worse], then perhaps a dreaded physical), so I made an appointment with the family dentist.
Marci and the kids have been going to see Dr. Ryan (last name, Chiang; no relation) for some time now and kept bugging me to go. I finally went and it wasn't all bad. They had told me that he is reminiscent of Knight, which, after seeing Dr. Ryan, I have to agree.
Anyway, during the first appointment, he told me that for 44 year old teeth, my teeth were in excellent shape.
TAKE THAT!
But I did have a little cavity, which, fast forward to today, I had filled. Then I had my mouth cleaned. Took about 2 hours and it reminded me how unfun going to the dentist is. The people were great, but the process is never fun.
Today is also Opening Day for the MLB. I'm a casual fan. I enjoy baseball. The past few years, I haven't had cable to watch the Mariners, but this year I do. Gonna check them out today. I'm buying into the hype.
Later tonight, I'll return to a new obsession of mine, playing Tom Clancy's The Division on Xbox One! I got this a few months ago with my Xbox One S and let it sit for a bit. I tried it out and got hung up on a boss. Then a few weeks later, I tried it again, and now I can't stop playing it. I'm in love with the New York setting. The graphics and immersion are fantastic. It's difficult enough without being too awful. My handsome character is at level 17 and I'm really enjoying the journey.
Ballgame is about to start. Go M's!
I went to the dentist for the second time in a month, or, more accurately, the second time in the past 5 years or so. I finally caved to the pressure last month, figured it was time to get my mouth checked out (planning on mouth, then eyes [they are getting worse], then perhaps a dreaded physical), so I made an appointment with the family dentist.
Marci and the kids have been going to see Dr. Ryan (last name, Chiang; no relation) for some time now and kept bugging me to go. I finally went and it wasn't all bad. They had told me that he is reminiscent of Knight, which, after seeing Dr. Ryan, I have to agree.
Anyway, during the first appointment, he told me that for 44 year old teeth, my teeth were in excellent shape.
TAKE THAT!
But I did have a little cavity, which, fast forward to today, I had filled. Then I had my mouth cleaned. Took about 2 hours and it reminded me how unfun going to the dentist is. The people were great, but the process is never fun.
Today is also Opening Day for the MLB. I'm a casual fan. I enjoy baseball. The past few years, I haven't had cable to watch the Mariners, but this year I do. Gonna check them out today. I'm buying into the hype.
Later tonight, I'll return to a new obsession of mine, playing Tom Clancy's The Division on Xbox One! I got this a few months ago with my Xbox One S and let it sit for a bit. I tried it out and got hung up on a boss. Then a few weeks later, I tried it again, and now I can't stop playing it. I'm in love with the New York setting. The graphics and immersion are fantastic. It's difficult enough without being too awful. My handsome character is at level 17 and I'm really enjoying the journey.
Ballgame is about to start. Go M's!
Sunday, March 12, 2017
5 months later
Well, I never got around to posting pix, did I?
I'm still using that phone from the last update, so there's that.
Christmas came and went. Big whoop. I finally got an Xbox One S and have been enjoying that.
Today is Daylight Savings and we lost an hour. We're all exhausted.
I've spent a lot of time recently on Twitter reading about politics, of all things. I follow the president and enjoy/get scared about his almost daily rants and ravings.
Applied for two more jobs at work and got turned down for both, though there may be one more interview for another position soon.
Playing music with the Navins still, and just finished another show with the Scheme last night. At the start of the show, I broke my E string about 30 seconds into the first song. I proceeded to finish the song trying to transpose the E string notes an octave higher, sing, and stay locked in with Gregg. It sounded rough to me but the people that came said it sounded pretty good.
The bassist from the last band, Jeanette of Dany Laj and the Looks, loaned me her Fender Mustang for the rest of my set. It is a short scale bass and it took me about 2 songs to get comfortable playing it. I didn't adjust her strap as I didn't want to mess it up for her, so it felt like I was playing with a Rock Band guitar.
Today I ended my many year relationship with T-Mobile. Due to Haley breaking her last iPhone, we wanted to find a carrier that would finance a phone on my dealer plan. It seems that TMO wouldn't do it, so we switched me and Haley over to ATT. It'll be nice to get reception in the house now, after so many years without it.
I guess I'll blog again in August, at this rate.
I'm still using that phone from the last update, so there's that.
Christmas came and went. Big whoop. I finally got an Xbox One S and have been enjoying that.
Today is Daylight Savings and we lost an hour. We're all exhausted.
I've spent a lot of time recently on Twitter reading about politics, of all things. I follow the president and enjoy/get scared about his almost daily rants and ravings.
Applied for two more jobs at work and got turned down for both, though there may be one more interview for another position soon.
Playing music with the Navins still, and just finished another show with the Scheme last night. At the start of the show, I broke my E string about 30 seconds into the first song. I proceeded to finish the song trying to transpose the E string notes an octave higher, sing, and stay locked in with Gregg. It sounded rough to me but the people that came said it sounded pretty good.
The bassist from the last band, Jeanette of Dany Laj and the Looks, loaned me her Fender Mustang for the rest of my set. It is a short scale bass and it took me about 2 songs to get comfortable playing it. I didn't adjust her strap as I didn't want to mess it up for her, so it felt like I was playing with a Rock Band guitar.
Today I ended my many year relationship with T-Mobile. Due to Haley breaking her last iPhone, we wanted to find a carrier that would finance a phone on my dealer plan. It seems that TMO wouldn't do it, so we switched me and Haley over to ATT. It'll be nice to get reception in the house now, after so many years without it.
I guess I'll blog again in August, at this rate.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Out with the old, in with the new
A few months into my stint at Microsoft, I was told I qualified for a discounted phone plan. I was on T-Mobile and looked into it. I was able to get an HTC Radar for free and I was off and running. Over the years, I had that phone, an HTC 8X, a Lumia 900 (briefly), a Lumia 800, and then a Lumia 925.
That 925 I had for the past three years. In that time, I got Marci a Lumia Icon on Verizon (now it's Riley's), another 925 for Haley (which became my backup when she got an iPhone), and Marci a Samsung Galaxy S5 on AT&T.
All that time, I was pretty proud to use the 925. I loved the size of it, as well as the camera. Plus, it did what I needed it to do: make calls, send texts, stay connected, etc. And it did it pretty well.
However, over the past several months, it started to show its age. I had put a developer's preview of Windows 10 Mobile on it as the phone didn't support the actual W10 software. It worked enough to use as a daily driver, but it did have some quirks.
I couldn't always attach photos to texts or emails without the app crashing. Some apps simply wouldn't open unless I tried two or three times. The camera button would trigger the camera (good!) but take about 10-15 seconds to open (bad). And the battery was starting to show its age, which, after 3 years, wasn't too big a surprise.
Worst of all, I couldn't make phone calls reliably. At home? It was a 50/50 proposition. I could call you, but it would probably drop. Or not even dial out. At work? About the same. I'd use wifi calling at either place and it would still be a crapshoot.
It got to be bad enough that the kids at work joked that they were gonna get me a new phone for Christmas, because they know how cheap I am.
Last week, my boss Monique said she had a surprise for me. The next day, she dropped her old Lumia 950XL on me. In other words, Microsoft's flagship phone! Unlocked, dual sim, with SD card storage, wireless charging and iris recognition. I went to T-Mobile to have my sim cut and put it in the phone.
We were off and running!
This phone is bigger than my last, and a bit thinner. I have a 64GB card in with all sorts of tunes! No more shuffling music on and off! The camera triggers within a second or two and takes superb pictures. Calls have been a pleasure to make, and all the apps and functions seem to work great!
I've had the phone for a week now and I am still stoked to have it. The iris recognition is cool, though I still feel like a dork staring at my phone to open it up. The battery lasts all day. I took it off the charger at 6:15 this morning and at 9:00 right now, it's still at 29%.
I've recorded the Scheme the past few days at rehearsal and it sounds pretty dang good for what it is. I'm excited to record some video tomorrow at the Scheme's show, and hope to have someone record us as well.
I'll post some pix and video soon.
That 925 I had for the past three years. In that time, I got Marci a Lumia Icon on Verizon (now it's Riley's), another 925 for Haley (which became my backup when she got an iPhone), and Marci a Samsung Galaxy S5 on AT&T.
All that time, I was pretty proud to use the 925. I loved the size of it, as well as the camera. Plus, it did what I needed it to do: make calls, send texts, stay connected, etc. And it did it pretty well.
However, over the past several months, it started to show its age. I had put a developer's preview of Windows 10 Mobile on it as the phone didn't support the actual W10 software. It worked enough to use as a daily driver, but it did have some quirks.
I couldn't always attach photos to texts or emails without the app crashing. Some apps simply wouldn't open unless I tried two or three times. The camera button would trigger the camera (good!) but take about 10-15 seconds to open (bad). And the battery was starting to show its age, which, after 3 years, wasn't too big a surprise.
Worst of all, I couldn't make phone calls reliably. At home? It was a 50/50 proposition. I could call you, but it would probably drop. Or not even dial out. At work? About the same. I'd use wifi calling at either place and it would still be a crapshoot.
It got to be bad enough that the kids at work joked that they were gonna get me a new phone for Christmas, because they know how cheap I am.
Last week, my boss Monique said she had a surprise for me. The next day, she dropped her old Lumia 950XL on me. In other words, Microsoft's flagship phone! Unlocked, dual sim, with SD card storage, wireless charging and iris recognition. I went to T-Mobile to have my sim cut and put it in the phone.
We were off and running!
This phone is bigger than my last, and a bit thinner. I have a 64GB card in with all sorts of tunes! No more shuffling music on and off! The camera triggers within a second or two and takes superb pictures. Calls have been a pleasure to make, and all the apps and functions seem to work great!
I've had the phone for a week now and I am still stoked to have it. The iris recognition is cool, though I still feel like a dork staring at my phone to open it up. The battery lasts all day. I took it off the charger at 6:15 this morning and at 9:00 right now, it's still at 29%.
I've recorded the Scheme the past few days at rehearsal and it sounds pretty dang good for what it is. I'm excited to record some video tomorrow at the Scheme's show, and hope to have someone record us as well.
I'll post some pix and video soon.
Saturday, October 01, 2016
Fall update
It's fall and I hate fall. I've already cleaned the driveway, winterized the deck and climbed on the roof to clear the gutters. Inevitably, the gutters will be filled in a week and the driveway will be carpeted with pine needles. Add in 8 months of darkness, wind and rain, and it's 8 months of being a grump.
In other news, get off my lawn.
With regards to music, the Navins are on a mini-break as we have no shows coming up. We plan on going to Easylake to do some recording, but turns out Easylake is on hiatus as Corey is moving to West Seattle soon. We can still practice and write, though. Recording will have to wait.
The Scheme is shaping up nicely. Brett is Brett and an awesome addition to the lineup. We have a super show this month, with Stereo Embers and the Boss Martians at the Lo-Fi. Don't know what a little pop band like us is doing with some heavy hitters like them, but I'll take it.
And then last week I got an email from James, who is the force behind Shake Some Action! He's wanting to get back together for a few shows and new tunes and possibly recording, so he hit up me, David B. and Drummer To Be Announced. I suggested Gregg A. from the Scheme and Gregg seems interested, so we're all gonna meet on Monday to talk it out. Should be fun!
Work is... work. I love the team, I'm getting uninspired at the job. However, I'm changing roles TODAY and with my manager back on the team, I think I'll start feeling better with the new challenges and support. Part of it is my own lack of drive. I'm so caught up in the day-to-day stuff that I'm not finding time to look or explore other avenues of work. I love the company, but I need help finding out what I could do and/or what's available to me.
Pumped about the Seahawks. Pumped about what the Huskies did to Stanford last night and really on the Mariners' bandwagon now that I have Root Sports again and can watch them nightly.
Ok, see you later.
In other news, get off my lawn.
With regards to music, the Navins are on a mini-break as we have no shows coming up. We plan on going to Easylake to do some recording, but turns out Easylake is on hiatus as Corey is moving to West Seattle soon. We can still practice and write, though. Recording will have to wait.
The Scheme is shaping up nicely. Brett is Brett and an awesome addition to the lineup. We have a super show this month, with Stereo Embers and the Boss Martians at the Lo-Fi. Don't know what a little pop band like us is doing with some heavy hitters like them, but I'll take it.
And then last week I got an email from James, who is the force behind Shake Some Action! He's wanting to get back together for a few shows and new tunes and possibly recording, so he hit up me, David B. and Drummer To Be Announced. I suggested Gregg A. from the Scheme and Gregg seems interested, so we're all gonna meet on Monday to talk it out. Should be fun!
Work is... work. I love the team, I'm getting uninspired at the job. However, I'm changing roles TODAY and with my manager back on the team, I think I'll start feeling better with the new challenges and support. Part of it is my own lack of drive. I'm so caught up in the day-to-day stuff that I'm not finding time to look or explore other avenues of work. I love the company, but I need help finding out what I could do and/or what's available to me.
Pumped about the Seahawks. Pumped about what the Huskies did to Stanford last night and really on the Mariners' bandwagon now that I have Root Sports again and can watch them nightly.
Ok, see you later.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
I played the IPO last night, here's a recap.
The Scheme 2.0 played the Skylark Cafe last night as part of the International Pop Overthrow. We were slotted second on a bill with 5 other bands. Here's how it went.
First up was Jason Berk. He was solo, with an electric guitar and some hooky, melodic tunes. Really nice voice and talented guitar player. He came up from LA to play the show. I would have liked to have heard him with a full band; I'm not sure if he plays with one in LA or not, but he was really really good.
The Scheme went next and it was a blast. Getting on stage with my old pals Gregg, Brett and David was fantastic. All three guys are excellent musicians and performers and I loved all of it. We started with a song that David, Gregg and I recorded (Brett added vocals and guitar recently), called Met With The World, and booked right through it.
I was playing through a Yamaha amp that I couldn't really get dialed in. It was distorting hard and I had a hard time hearing it on stage. I was told it sounded good out front, though, so I'll just have to trust that it did.
It was a ton of fun singing David's old songs again, and playing alongside those guys. The set was over way too fast!
Following us was Stay Up, a little trio from Portland. The Navins had played with them a few months ago at the Funhouse. They were OK. I think more seasoning will do them well. They could also use a second guitarist and some backing vocals.
David and Brett's other band, the Pop Cycle, played next. They were on fire! I've seen them several times and I think it was the best they'd ever played. All songs, vocals, instruments sounded great! Jim was on point with his bass playing, and Paul was simply excellent on drums. I really enjoyed David's new songs, New Band and Comeback, as well as Brett's oldies that I remember from the Starchief days. Both David and Brett said playing in the Scheme earlier warmed them up for the PC performance.
After Pop Cycle was a quartet of hipsters called Colorworks. They had shorts on, trendy hair and glasses, and if I based it on looks alone, I would have disliked them immensely. However, as they started playing, they won me over. They were SUPER TIGHT and they were all excellent musicians. The bassist was a tiny little dude on a yellow Jazz bass, with uncomfortably short jeans shorts on, but he was a MFer on the bass and he sang great as well. The other singer played his giant hollowbody guitar right under his armpit, and he was also excellent. The entire band was great, sang impeccably and played some wonderful songs. I really liked them a lot.
Closing the night was a 5 piece with the strange name of General Mojo's. Four guys and a girl. I was gonna leave, but the frontwoman had a floor tom with Indiana Jones on it, so I had to stick around and listen.
I'm so glad I did.
Heather fronted the band, played percussion and shared vocals with the bassist (on a Thunderbird!) named Dune. They did some proggy, funky stuff and they were incredible. The band was tight, the musicianship was incredible and the harmonies were so, so sweet.
Heather and Dune had really awesome stage presence and they played off each other well. The percussion Heather added was so good and timely and really on point. Dune played bass and sang like a champ. And the rest of the band (guitar, keys/sax and drums) was simply excellent. I can't say enough about how great this band was.
It's rare that a 3 band bill has 3 great bands. In a case of 6 bands, I'd think it was even more rare. However, last night at the Skylark, David Bash of IPO did a really nice job of putting together an excellent bill. Here's hoping the next two nights are just as good.
First up was Jason Berk. He was solo, with an electric guitar and some hooky, melodic tunes. Really nice voice and talented guitar player. He came up from LA to play the show. I would have liked to have heard him with a full band; I'm not sure if he plays with one in LA or not, but he was really really good.
The Scheme went next and it was a blast. Getting on stage with my old pals Gregg, Brett and David was fantastic. All three guys are excellent musicians and performers and I loved all of it. We started with a song that David, Gregg and I recorded (Brett added vocals and guitar recently), called Met With The World, and booked right through it.
I was playing through a Yamaha amp that I couldn't really get dialed in. It was distorting hard and I had a hard time hearing it on stage. I was told it sounded good out front, though, so I'll just have to trust that it did.
It was a ton of fun singing David's old songs again, and playing alongside those guys. The set was over way too fast!
Following us was Stay Up, a little trio from Portland. The Navins had played with them a few months ago at the Funhouse. They were OK. I think more seasoning will do them well. They could also use a second guitarist and some backing vocals.
David and Brett's other band, the Pop Cycle, played next. They were on fire! I've seen them several times and I think it was the best they'd ever played. All songs, vocals, instruments sounded great! Jim was on point with his bass playing, and Paul was simply excellent on drums. I really enjoyed David's new songs, New Band and Comeback, as well as Brett's oldies that I remember from the Starchief days. Both David and Brett said playing in the Scheme earlier warmed them up for the PC performance.
After Pop Cycle was a quartet of hipsters called Colorworks. They had shorts on, trendy hair and glasses, and if I based it on looks alone, I would have disliked them immensely. However, as they started playing, they won me over. They were SUPER TIGHT and they were all excellent musicians. The bassist was a tiny little dude on a yellow Jazz bass, with uncomfortably short jeans shorts on, but he was a MFer on the bass and he sang great as well. The other singer played his giant hollowbody guitar right under his armpit, and he was also excellent. The entire band was great, sang impeccably and played some wonderful songs. I really liked them a lot.
Closing the night was a 5 piece with the strange name of General Mojo's. Four guys and a girl. I was gonna leave, but the frontwoman had a floor tom with Indiana Jones on it, so I had to stick around and listen.
I'm so glad I did.
Heather fronted the band, played percussion and shared vocals with the bassist (on a Thunderbird!) named Dune. They did some proggy, funky stuff and they were incredible. The band was tight, the musicianship was incredible and the harmonies were so, so sweet.
Heather and Dune had really awesome stage presence and they played off each other well. The percussion Heather added was so good and timely and really on point. Dune played bass and sang like a champ. And the rest of the band (guitar, keys/sax and drums) was simply excellent. I can't say enough about how great this band was.
It's rare that a 3 band bill has 3 great bands. In a case of 6 bands, I'd think it was even more rare. However, last night at the Skylark, David Bash of IPO did a really nice job of putting together an excellent bill. Here's hoping the next two nights are just as good.
Saturday, August 20, 2016
The Scheme, 2.0!
Many moons ago, I played in a power trio called the Scheme. 3 mid-thirties guys playing power pop once a week or so, with an occasional gig thrown in for good measure. Over the time we played, 3 babies (all boys) were born and life went on.
We never broke up, but sort of petered out as the lives within the band did indeed go on. David had 2 sons, Gregg had a son, and I was just me (already had the kids).
I think we hooked up in 2007 originally, and just practiced and played. As our lives went on with our jobs, the band started taking a back seat.
In the meantime, the Lund Bros sort of died quietly and I started playing with the Navins. David moved on as well and hooked up with a band called the Pop Cycle, fronted by an old bandmate of mine, Brett Richards. Gregg started playing with a band called Service Animal and we were all back in the game.
We've seen each other at our respective shows and always kept in touch. Back in 2011, the Scheme had done some recordings at Johnny Sangster's studio, but they were just rhythm tracks. David finally got around to finishing them and said he'd like to get the band back together, do a couple of shows.
For the past few weeks, I've been meeting the guys, David, Gregg and Brett, up in the Northgate area for rehearsals. They've been going quite well. We're doing 8 songs or so, and with Brett in the mix to spice things up, the band sounds great. Gregg is such a different drummer than Corey; he plays with power and chops. He's loud, too. When I went to Navins practice the other night, Corey was so quiet, it seemed like he wasn't there.
We're playing the good ol' International Pop Overthrow in a week at the Skylark. Been there, done that, but it's gonna be a lot of fun with this band and playing some oldies but goodies. We have another show lined up and I'm sort of hoping we can keep it going for a bit. This is a good band and I think people would love to hear it.
We never broke up, but sort of petered out as the lives within the band did indeed go on. David had 2 sons, Gregg had a son, and I was just me (already had the kids).
I think we hooked up in 2007 originally, and just practiced and played. As our lives went on with our jobs, the band started taking a back seat.
In the meantime, the Lund Bros sort of died quietly and I started playing with the Navins. David moved on as well and hooked up with a band called the Pop Cycle, fronted by an old bandmate of mine, Brett Richards. Gregg started playing with a band called Service Animal and we were all back in the game.
We've seen each other at our respective shows and always kept in touch. Back in 2011, the Scheme had done some recordings at Johnny Sangster's studio, but they were just rhythm tracks. David finally got around to finishing them and said he'd like to get the band back together, do a couple of shows.
For the past few weeks, I've been meeting the guys, David, Gregg and Brett, up in the Northgate area for rehearsals. They've been going quite well. We're doing 8 songs or so, and with Brett in the mix to spice things up, the band sounds great. Gregg is such a different drummer than Corey; he plays with power and chops. He's loud, too. When I went to Navins practice the other night, Corey was so quiet, it seemed like he wasn't there.
We're playing the good ol' International Pop Overthrow in a week at the Skylark. Been there, done that, but it's gonna be a lot of fun with this band and playing some oldies but goodies. We have another show lined up and I'm sort of hoping we can keep it going for a bit. This is a good band and I think people would love to hear it.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Monday, August 01, 2016
The Jetta: one week later
I think this new car is a hit. I feel like my favorite part of my day is when I get in the car to go to work, or when I get in the car to go home. I am looking for a new radio online, maybe one that can do navigation, but the OEM one is upwards of $1500.
NO THANKS.
There are some OEM looking radios on eBay and the like, and have bluetooth, but they don't offer satellite radio. Now that I have my free XM, I'm loathe to not have it. However, if and when the previous owner cancels her sub for me, maybe I'll look into it. The cracks on the radio knobs are annoying me.
I keep forgetting to bring a Sharpie with me to see about "painting" the window buttons and the bezel around the shifter. Apparently you can replace the MKV shifter bezel with one from a MKVI. Hmm.
Everything seems to be running great. Mileage is excellent so far. Power is strong, especially when in Sport mode. In reading VWVortex.com, I found something about an inaccurate speedometer on the MKVs, so I tested mine today. GPS app on phone, drove 60 on the car and the phone indicated about 56-57mph. I've been feeling like I've been driving fast in the GLI, like 75 or more, only to be passed by everyone else.
Evidently it's a known thing, called a speed buffer, that VW did to their cars. I guess there's a hack on the climate system that will show me the true sped reading. I'll mess with that tomorrow.
I just love this car. I love how it sparkles in the sun. I love how the flat bottom steering wheel feels in my hands. I am gonna look into getting the LILDRGN plates back on it tomorrow, with a visit to the DOL.
In the meantime, here's a picture.
I'm hoping to get the windows tinted, fix the cosmetics inside (window switches, shifter bezel, radio buttons) and maybe upgrade the radio. That's about it. We'll see how it goes.
NO THANKS.
There are some OEM looking radios on eBay and the like, and have bluetooth, but they don't offer satellite radio. Now that I have my free XM, I'm loathe to not have it. However, if and when the previous owner cancels her sub for me, maybe I'll look into it. The cracks on the radio knobs are annoying me.
I keep forgetting to bring a Sharpie with me to see about "painting" the window buttons and the bezel around the shifter. Apparently you can replace the MKV shifter bezel with one from a MKVI. Hmm.
Everything seems to be running great. Mileage is excellent so far. Power is strong, especially when in Sport mode. In reading VWVortex.com, I found something about an inaccurate speedometer on the MKVs, so I tested mine today. GPS app on phone, drove 60 on the car and the phone indicated about 56-57mph. I've been feeling like I've been driving fast in the GLI, like 75 or more, only to be passed by everyone else.
Evidently it's a known thing, called a speed buffer, that VW did to their cars. I guess there's a hack on the climate system that will show me the true sped reading. I'll mess with that tomorrow.
I just love this car. I love how it sparkles in the sun. I love how the flat bottom steering wheel feels in my hands. I am gonna look into getting the LILDRGN plates back on it tomorrow, with a visit to the DOL.
In the meantime, here's a picture.
I'm hoping to get the windows tinted, fix the cosmetics inside (window switches, shifter bezel, radio buttons) and maybe upgrade the radio. That's about it. We'll see how it goes.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
This is it: 2007 Jetta GLI
Well, I got myself a new car today. I think I may have gotten the cleanest, nicest, most pristine 2007 car ever gotten.
Blue Book says this car should have upwards of 100k on the odometer. When I took it home, it had 50002. There are a couple minor things that would be expected on a 9 year old car. Most are cosmetic and not really a big deal.
The tires look new. The engine is clean. The seats are fantastic. The trunk is like new!
I saw a few scuffs on the rear bumper. I saw about a thumb sized spot by the right front foglight that's missing the paint. The left rear vent is missing its adjustment lever. The driver's side window buttons are peeling. There are spots around the shifter that are peeling as well. Nearly all 6 knobs for the radio (bass, treble, mids, etc) are cracked.
It looks like the previous owner had subwoofers in the trunk; there's some screwed in wood blocks that hang down from the top of the trunk. They're far enough out of the way, though, that it shouldn't matter.
Also, the previous owner apparently subscribed to XM (and still does) as I am currently enjoying me some XM radio.
The gray color of the car really sparkles in the sun. The headliner is not sagging. The engine and exhaust sound really nice when I step on it. The car has xenon headlights and foglights!
The previous owner kept her window sticker. The car was for sale at $29000 or so. I was able to get it for 1/3 of the original price!
Overall, fantastic first impressions of this car. So clean, so well taken care of. I think it's nicer than my GTI ever was. About the only thing that might need help soon are the brakes, but even then, I'm not sure. It doesn't stop as tight as the GTI did, but, then again, I used the transmission to brake often on that car.
I am super pleased with this GLI. I just noticed when I tried to post at the VW Vortex, that I'd been a member there for 15 years to the day! Which made me remember that I'd bought my original GTI from Chaplin's right around this time 15 years ago. I thought that was pretty cool.
I took a few pictures today before I brought it home. Here they are.
Blue Book says this car should have upwards of 100k on the odometer. When I took it home, it had 50002. There are a couple minor things that would be expected on a 9 year old car. Most are cosmetic and not really a big deal.
The tires look new. The engine is clean. The seats are fantastic. The trunk is like new!
I saw a few scuffs on the rear bumper. I saw about a thumb sized spot by the right front foglight that's missing the paint. The left rear vent is missing its adjustment lever. The driver's side window buttons are peeling. There are spots around the shifter that are peeling as well. Nearly all 6 knobs for the radio (bass, treble, mids, etc) are cracked.
It looks like the previous owner had subwoofers in the trunk; there's some screwed in wood blocks that hang down from the top of the trunk. They're far enough out of the way, though, that it shouldn't matter.
Also, the previous owner apparently subscribed to XM (and still does) as I am currently enjoying me some XM radio.
The gray color of the car really sparkles in the sun. The headliner is not sagging. The engine and exhaust sound really nice when I step on it. The car has xenon headlights and foglights!
The previous owner kept her window sticker. The car was for sale at $29000 or so. I was able to get it for 1/3 of the original price!
Overall, fantastic first impressions of this car. So clean, so well taken care of. I think it's nicer than my GTI ever was. About the only thing that might need help soon are the brakes, but even then, I'm not sure. It doesn't stop as tight as the GTI did, but, then again, I used the transmission to brake often on that car.
I am super pleased with this GLI. I just noticed when I tried to post at the VW Vortex, that I'd been a member there for 15 years to the day! Which made me remember that I'd bought my original GTI from Chaplin's right around this time 15 years ago. I thought that was pretty cool.
I took a few pictures today before I brought it home. Here they are.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Car Fun: Narrowing it down
I've been driving the Hyundai the past two weeks since selling my GTI. The Hyundai is a perfectly acceptable car. It holds all my stuff, it looks great, it gets good gas mileage (on regular, no less), it gets me where I need to go reliably, and it's a big hatchback.
Trouble is, it's leased and it's up for turn in/purchase in a week or so.
I like it enough, but it just doesn't speak to me. Not like the GTI did, which I miss quite a bit.
Sure, the GTI had it's quirks, but I understood it. I knew how to get the electrical to work at the touch of a prong. I knew the driver's side door would squeak upon opening. I knew that the cupholders wouldn't eject unless you pressed on it *just right.*
Even with all those problems, I loved that car. I had it for 10 years, longer than I'd had any other car. But it's gone and there's nothing to do about it.
I've been looking around since selling the GTI. I've been looking on Craigslist, thinking I'd just hand over the $2300 I sold the GTI for to the next guy for a reliable car. However, after a few days of searching, it appeared that $2300 would buy me a scam, or something not good. Marci advised me not to do CL, to spend more money on a dealership used car or something.
What?? Spend more money? Well, OK.
I started looking on Cars.com and CarGurus.com and Autotrader.com. I started at about the $8k range, figuring that with a $2300 payment, it would reduce said car to $5700 or so, on which we could make small monthly payments.
I began by targeting price, then started looking at VWs of course. I found some Passat wagons, of the 2004-2005 era, going for $7k to $8k. I headed over to check one out last week, and it was gone. However, I saw a listing for a 2007 Jetta GLI, with about 48k on the odometer, going for $8998. I asked about it, they said it was sold. But it got me looking at the GLIs.
CarGurus.com showed a white one in Tacoma. I had a morning off this week, so I trucked down there to take a look. It was sort of a mess. Missing center caps on the wheels, spray painted taillights, big stain on the back seat, cracked windshield, it was a mess. It was hard to see all the detail in the pictures on the website, but needless to say, though I drove it, I didn't buy it. I also test drove an 07 GTI as well as a Mazda 3 hatchback, both of which were not great.
Fast forward to later this week and I come to find a nice little A4 Avant (2006) on BMW Seattle's website going for $12k (see how my price went up??). I was all excited about it, plus Knight said his boys there would hook me up, so I made an appointment to go see it on Sunday (tomorrow).
Then, after checking out this A4, I get a note about the first GLI going for $8998. Turns out they have it and it was getting cleaned up to be put out for sale. I took a look at the pictures and was pretty excited about what I saw. The car was in great shape and was in Bellevue. I talked to the sales guy a few times today and ended up going to Mercedes Benz of Bellevue to check it out.
I got there, ogled some AMG MB wagon, and then met with the sales rep, Evan. He brought me out back to see the Jetta and I was very pleasantly surprised. Dark gray, with nice 17" wheels. No major cosmetic defects other than some scuffs on the rear bumper, which for a 9 year old car, were to be expected.
I had a seat in the driver's seat, leather, and took a look around. Everything seemed to work. It had the moonroof package, leather seats, bi-xenon headlights, DSG automatic transmission, all the goodies! Inside had some wear and tear on the window buttons (peeling paint) and around the shifter (same), but nothing some black touch-up couldn't fix (maybe a Sharpie?).
He let me take it for a drive and it drove very well. Nice power (200HP) and that steering wheel felt great in hand. I only wish it was stick, but I'm sure I could live with it. He told me the previous owner had it shipped from Boston, where she went to Harvard. I'm not sure how accurate that is; Carfax tells me the car was bought in Boston, the relocated to CA, then up to WA in 2012. Regardless, the car is in better condition than my GTI was and I'm excited.
After driving the GLI, I was pretty much sold on it. We got back to the dealership and I had them put a 48 hour hold on the car. In other words, it's mine to buy or not; no one else can get it.
So, I want it.
And now I have to wait on the funding. I'll have to talk to Evan tomorrow to negotiate pricing. I'm looking to get him down to $8k or so. Then I'll slap down my $1900 ($400 has to go to Hyundai as the disposition fee for turning in the Elantra) and finance the rest.
Sounds easy for now. But a few things have to fall into place on the money side of things. I have the next two days off, but the banks aren't open until Monday. I'm hoping I can talk to Evan tomorrow, get him down to $8k, pay for the car, and have it by Monday. Then we just have to turn the Elantra in, and I'm back on the VW wagon!
Or, maybe not. We'll see what happens. Here are a few pictures the dealership took.
Trouble is, it's leased and it's up for turn in/purchase in a week or so.
I like it enough, but it just doesn't speak to me. Not like the GTI did, which I miss quite a bit.
Sure, the GTI had it's quirks, but I understood it. I knew how to get the electrical to work at the touch of a prong. I knew the driver's side door would squeak upon opening. I knew that the cupholders wouldn't eject unless you pressed on it *just right.*
Even with all those problems, I loved that car. I had it for 10 years, longer than I'd had any other car. But it's gone and there's nothing to do about it.
I've been looking around since selling the GTI. I've been looking on Craigslist, thinking I'd just hand over the $2300 I sold the GTI for to the next guy for a reliable car. However, after a few days of searching, it appeared that $2300 would buy me a scam, or something not good. Marci advised me not to do CL, to spend more money on a dealership used car or something.
What?? Spend more money? Well, OK.
I started looking on Cars.com and CarGurus.com and Autotrader.com. I started at about the $8k range, figuring that with a $2300 payment, it would reduce said car to $5700 or so, on which we could make small monthly payments.
I began by targeting price, then started looking at VWs of course. I found some Passat wagons, of the 2004-2005 era, going for $7k to $8k. I headed over to check one out last week, and it was gone. However, I saw a listing for a 2007 Jetta GLI, with about 48k on the odometer, going for $8998. I asked about it, they said it was sold. But it got me looking at the GLIs.
CarGurus.com showed a white one in Tacoma. I had a morning off this week, so I trucked down there to take a look. It was sort of a mess. Missing center caps on the wheels, spray painted taillights, big stain on the back seat, cracked windshield, it was a mess. It was hard to see all the detail in the pictures on the website, but needless to say, though I drove it, I didn't buy it. I also test drove an 07 GTI as well as a Mazda 3 hatchback, both of which were not great.
Fast forward to later this week and I come to find a nice little A4 Avant (2006) on BMW Seattle's website going for $12k (see how my price went up??). I was all excited about it, plus Knight said his boys there would hook me up, so I made an appointment to go see it on Sunday (tomorrow).
Then, after checking out this A4, I get a note about the first GLI going for $8998. Turns out they have it and it was getting cleaned up to be put out for sale. I took a look at the pictures and was pretty excited about what I saw. The car was in great shape and was in Bellevue. I talked to the sales guy a few times today and ended up going to Mercedes Benz of Bellevue to check it out.
I got there, ogled some AMG MB wagon, and then met with the sales rep, Evan. He brought me out back to see the Jetta and I was very pleasantly surprised. Dark gray, with nice 17" wheels. No major cosmetic defects other than some scuffs on the rear bumper, which for a 9 year old car, were to be expected.
I had a seat in the driver's seat, leather, and took a look around. Everything seemed to work. It had the moonroof package, leather seats, bi-xenon headlights, DSG automatic transmission, all the goodies! Inside had some wear and tear on the window buttons (peeling paint) and around the shifter (same), but nothing some black touch-up couldn't fix (maybe a Sharpie?).
He let me take it for a drive and it drove very well. Nice power (200HP) and that steering wheel felt great in hand. I only wish it was stick, but I'm sure I could live with it. He told me the previous owner had it shipped from Boston, where she went to Harvard. I'm not sure how accurate that is; Carfax tells me the car was bought in Boston, the relocated to CA, then up to WA in 2012. Regardless, the car is in better condition than my GTI was and I'm excited.
After driving the GLI, I was pretty much sold on it. We got back to the dealership and I had them put a 48 hour hold on the car. In other words, it's mine to buy or not; no one else can get it.
So, I want it.
And now I have to wait on the funding. I'll have to talk to Evan tomorrow to negotiate pricing. I'm looking to get him down to $8k or so. Then I'll slap down my $1900 ($400 has to go to Hyundai as the disposition fee for turning in the Elantra) and finance the rest.
Sounds easy for now. But a few things have to fall into place on the money side of things. I have the next two days off, but the banks aren't open until Monday. I'm hoping I can talk to Evan tomorrow, get him down to $8k, pay for the car, and have it by Monday. Then we just have to turn the Elantra in, and I'm back on the VW wagon!
Or, maybe not. We'll see what happens. Here are a few pictures the dealership took.
Monday, July 11, 2016
And it's gone
Surprisingly enough, there are some good looking cars out there in the 2k range, as long as I adjust my expectations. Trouble is, I have contacted about 5 people and none of them have gotten back to me. The cars look good in the ONE PICTURE they have, and there is hardly any info about the cars.
It's like they don't want to sell the cars.
Or, the deals were so good, they've already been sold. I guess that's Craigslist for you.
Sunday, July 03, 2016
My basses: the adult years
After high school, I tried playing bass in college. I took some sort of class. I can't remember if it was a general music class or theory or what. I do remember taking bass lessons (Peter Vinikow, the name comes back to me) and attempting to learn music theory. Luckily I could read music through high school. Otherwise, everything else was done by ear.
Anyway, I ended up not pursuing jazz in college because of the competition (I'm a wuss, I guess), so it sat on the back-burner for a bit.
There were a few bands here and there. I met a guy in the dorm cafeteria once. Somehow he heard that I played bass so I ended up going to his house in the Bothell area and played some Metallica covers (Fade to Black is one I remember). I don't think I ever went back.
Another group I played with was some oddball jazz combo. I don't remember how I hooked up with them, but it was me on bass, an old black guy on sax, a couple horns, a drummer and a keyboardist. We rehearsed in the Laurelhurst neighborhood off of Sand Point Way and it was just as awkward as it sounds.
Through all that crap, I played the Soundgear and the Hohner. And then I stopped playing for awhile.
A few years later, I hooked up with a guy at work and we started playing music together. I played in a few bands with Jason, but I don't recall which bass I had. Probably the Ibanez. It wasn't until I started getting more serious about it and hanging with Jason that I stepped up my game. I'll see if I can remember them all.
Sometime around the turn of the century, I picked up a G&L L-2000. Recent research on talkbass and viewing my old threads show that I got it from Bass NW. It was dark blue and had a rosewood neck. Below are a stock picture with a maple neck, and then a shot of me playing mine on New Year's Eve one year with While Away.
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| G&L L-2000. Not my actual bass, but that was the color. The one on the right I found on an old While Away video. Pardon the graininess. |
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| Fender American Jazz Deluxe with While Away at the Rainbow. 1998? |
The Jazz worked out for a bit, but I don't think I was ever comfortable with the sound it made. I was experimenting with pedals (compressors, chorus) and effects (I had a Bass POD for a while) and the things never added up. I ditched the Jazz and moved onto the Sterling (I think).
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| Ernie Ball Music Man Sterling recording with Ethyl at Musicworks NW. Picture from 2001-2002? |
I had it on a guitar stand in my basement in the wintertime. Every winter, I turn on a space heater as it gets chilly down there. Somehow, I left the heater on once, blowing right across the neck of the bass. For a few days. Needless to say, that neck dried out and became unplayable.
I called Mike Lull, a local guitar tech WHO WORKS MIRACLES and he told me to put it in a bathroom with lots of steam. I ran the shower super hot and tried to let that neck soak up some moisture. Unfortunately, that didn't do much. He ended up working on it and $300 or so later, that neck was good as new. A little slimmer due to some planing, but it was great.
I had this bass was my #1 for years to come. Until one day I was watching the Today Show and Kelly Clarkson, of all people, was on to perform. She had a bassist on who was playing a yellow P bass with a black pickguard and that was it, I was in love. I wrote about it here.
At this point in time, I had a Fender Geddy Lee Jazz and an Ibanez ATK-300 along with the Sterling. The Sterling was still my #1. I wanted the GL to be it, but the funky J body and my inability to get it dialed in led me to put it up for sale. After seeing that P bass and doing research, I fell in love with an SB-2 on eBay and, after selling the GL, the SB-2 was mine. Here's a picture I took shortly after taking delivery of the SB-2.
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| From L to R: EBMM Sterling, Ibanez ATK300, G&L SB-2 |
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| G&L SB-2 Tribute |
Up above I mentioned the Ibanez ATK300. That was a big, beefy bass. It was Ibanez's take on the MusicMan Stingray. Big body, big ol' humbucker pickup at the bridge. I played that at a few shows and ended up ditching it after a year or so. Just too big, and anytime I played it out, I felt like I was cheating on the SB-2.
 |
| See what I mean? |
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| Me and a huge Geddy Lee Jazz. And a swell hat. |
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| G&L SB-2 on the left, Lakland Duck Dunn on the right. |
Until I saw this bass on a TalkBass classified ad:
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| Lakland Duck Dunn Skyline. Seller's pic. |
I loved how this bass looked. The mother-of-pearl inlays, the rosewood fretboard, the red matching headstock! Loved it all. When I looked into the ad, I saw the seller lived in Bothell. I offered him a straight up trade for the Sterling! I ended up meeting him up at the Northshore YMCA parking lot and we made the deal.
I remember that the neck had quite a bow in it, that the strings pretty much laid flat on the neck. After the trade I ended up back at Mike Lull's and he did more magic to it, running it through a machine called a PLEK, which trues up the neck and stuff. When I got it back, the bass played like a champ. I wrote about it all here. As much as I loved that Sterling, I thought this Lakland would take its place.
That wasn't the case, though, because of this bass. The G&L SB-2.
I wrote about it here almost 9 years ago: LINKY. 9 years later, including last night, that G&L is still my number one gal.
Selling the GTI
For a while now, I've had this GTI that I recently wrote about. The plan was to keep it for Hay when she turned 16.
Well, we just leased a Mazda CX-5 for our big car and now we have the GTI and the Hyundai Elantra GT (for the next month, anyway). We were gonna turn in the Hyundai unless we could come up with a way to get another car for cheap. But likely, we were gonna keep the GTI, warts and all.
Marci started thinking about things and felt uncomfortable about letting Haley drive the GTI even though it was 2 years down the road. For me, the GTI is fine. I get all the quirks and know how to handle them. It has never not gotten me to where I need to go. But for a first time driver, as well as a first time stick driver, Marci thought it wouldn't be great for Haley.
So we started thinking about what to do. Enter the 4th of July ads for Hyundai of Kirkland. They showed a 2016 Elantra GT, with $1499 down and a $99/month payment! Sure, we'd be leasing 2 cars and owning none, but from a monthly financial perspective, it would work out for us. Trouble is, we don't have the down payment.
Unless...
I put the GTI up on Craigslist this morning right before 11am. I listed it at $2599. At about 11:10, I received 2 phone calls. One guy asked about it, then wanted to talk to his son. The next guy asked a few questions and basically said he wanted it. He was nearby and got to the house by noon. We took it for a drive around the neighborhood and he was sold. He drove up in a MKIV Jetta (same vintage as the GTI) and was a self-proclaimed VW guy, so that made me feel good too. He offered to buy the car right then and there.
I was pretty excited and started getting everything together, including what I thought was the title. But it wasn't. We looked around and couldn't find it. This guy, Daniel, said he still wanted it but we needed the title, so he left while Marci and I tore the house apart looking for it.
Needless to say, we never found it, so we filled out a lost title affidavit, which, once notarized, acts as as a temporary title. But we had to find a notary that was open/would work on a Sunday. We were able to find a local woman who did it, so we went over to her place tonight and had the affidavit notarized.
I've contacted Daniel in the meantime, let him know I'm ready for him, and... he's gone radio silent. Texts, phone calls, etc. I'm not ready to write him off yet; he seemed like a solid guy, had cash in hand this morning, but now I'm wondering if he found something else. He said he'd been looking for a car but was always the last caller. Today, he was the second caller.
I did take the GTI for a quick goodbye drive to get gas today. I stomped on it getting on the freeway and then took it on some twistys on the way back home. This is such a fun car to drive! But now I'm starting to feel like it's time. Sort of depends on Daniel, I guess.
Well, we just leased a Mazda CX-5 for our big car and now we have the GTI and the Hyundai Elantra GT (for the next month, anyway). We were gonna turn in the Hyundai unless we could come up with a way to get another car for cheap. But likely, we were gonna keep the GTI, warts and all.
Marci started thinking about things and felt uncomfortable about letting Haley drive the GTI even though it was 2 years down the road. For me, the GTI is fine. I get all the quirks and know how to handle them. It has never not gotten me to where I need to go. But for a first time driver, as well as a first time stick driver, Marci thought it wouldn't be great for Haley.
So we started thinking about what to do. Enter the 4th of July ads for Hyundai of Kirkland. They showed a 2016 Elantra GT, with $1499 down and a $99/month payment! Sure, we'd be leasing 2 cars and owning none, but from a monthly financial perspective, it would work out for us. Trouble is, we don't have the down payment.
Unless...
I put the GTI up on Craigslist this morning right before 11am. I listed it at $2599. At about 11:10, I received 2 phone calls. One guy asked about it, then wanted to talk to his son. The next guy asked a few questions and basically said he wanted it. He was nearby and got to the house by noon. We took it for a drive around the neighborhood and he was sold. He drove up in a MKIV Jetta (same vintage as the GTI) and was a self-proclaimed VW guy, so that made me feel good too. He offered to buy the car right then and there.
I was pretty excited and started getting everything together, including what I thought was the title. But it wasn't. We looked around and couldn't find it. This guy, Daniel, said he still wanted it but we needed the title, so he left while Marci and I tore the house apart looking for it.
Needless to say, we never found it, so we filled out a lost title affidavit, which, once notarized, acts as as a temporary title. But we had to find a notary that was open/would work on a Sunday. We were able to find a local woman who did it, so we went over to her place tonight and had the affidavit notarized.
I've contacted Daniel in the meantime, let him know I'm ready for him, and... he's gone radio silent. Texts, phone calls, etc. I'm not ready to write him off yet; he seemed like a solid guy, had cash in hand this morning, but now I'm wondering if he found something else. He said he'd been looking for a car but was always the last caller. Today, he was the second caller.
I did take the GTI for a quick goodbye drive to get gas today. I stomped on it getting on the freeway and then took it on some twistys on the way back home. This is such a fun car to drive! But now I'm starting to feel like it's time. Sort of depends on Daniel, I guess.
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