Life Update: 062510

I know, I haven't been keeping you up to date on a lot of things. I think it's just getting a bit mad over here. So let's start with some fresh stuff:

1. Remember that video I posted for my niece Meagan? (Pictured above... a favorite photo of mine.) It seems that a few things happened. Wet Seal wasn't ready for the idea of social media driving people to the videos in their search for their next model. So, they went through and cut 25 instead and are down to 75. To get to final 25 (of which a winner will be chosen by Wet Seal), Facebook members can vote "once per day per person" at this link. Oddly enough, there is a Megan there... don't be confused. Look for the color photo to the far left about 5 rows from the bottom. It also looks like you might have to click the "Like" above on the page to get the vote to count. I thank all of you that voted and helped her get this far. Voting ends July 5th.
2. Went to help my mother pack for a bit as she moves closer to my sister in Boulder City. Yes, I'm envious. Beautiful town and close to the lake. Her poor dogs were sick the whole time we were packing, so I think we got a lot less done that we should have.
3. One week away from what I've been calling our West Coast tour. Going to see 2 sets of in-laws and then my grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins in Sacramento before seeing Tracy in Reno and maybe visiting a few northern Nevada landmarks. Oh... and we are taking the dogs. We bought sedatives... for them (sigh.)
4. The next few shows will be pre-recorded for Talking 80s Music to allow me to travel (and not bring a huge collection of gear in tow.) I wound up sending a last minute email to our featured act this week, Jon Astley, and wound up with the best non-interview I've ever done. Might splice it together to put with the text interviews at 80s Music Central. Very nice of him to do that for us.
5. Bark Off. I know, you've seen the commercials and thought... that can't work. We decided to try it out. It took a few times but it definitely calmed the house down. Bella hated it enough to try to chew into it today. No fear we have 3 more ready and waiting.
6. I guess there will be stress involved with going on a stress-relieving (or is it reliving?) trip. I'll just be happy once we are on the road. Should be doing a show live from Coos Bay, Oregon.
   

I'm off to get some more news writing done for this week's show but I hope all is well over there with you.

Help Meagan: Wet Seal 2010

I know. Usually, I say... "hey, look into this band" or "you really ought to look into this." It isn't often that I ask you to view a video on YouTube (despite the fact that I've been posting more and more to the site.)

Recently, my niece Meagan was accepted as one of 100 contestants competing to be a spokesmodel for Wet Seal for 2010. Her chance of getting to the next round entirely depends on how many views her video gets. I don't ask for much but if I can help my niece get to the next phase... I will have done all I can to help her. Help me, help her. View this video. Send it to friends. Ask them to send it along.

The Bella And Tulip Show: BandT Park 2

We figured that it was time to bring in a few guest stars. Most shows have guest stars, right? We just stumbled on two other puggles that look identical (we would lose track of who was who.) Goes to remind us that even though most puggles look similar, there are always anomalies like Bella.

The Bella And Tulip Show: BandT Park

Since I'm going strong, here's our first episode of The Bella And Tulip Show: BandT Park. Who would have thought that documenting the regular goings on at a dog park could rank right up there with cutting your wrists?

David Tennis 053010

Remember when I said earlier that I felt bad about not posting anything recently? Well, I've been taking David out on the tennis court each week and decided to record a little of today's work out with you -- family and friends. It'll be good to give him something to look back on and say "I'm a lot better now, huh?"

Things Taking Shape

I often like to use the word 'projects' when discussing the future. Some of these projects in the past were the newsletter, website, show, blog and other things. Things have been so busy with the new projects that I've neglected you here. So, I'll mention just a few:
1. One of the biggest projects is learning how to use this thing pictured above. It's a fully-loaded 13" Macbook Pro. For someone like me, that has been around and put computers together for well... way too long, it's a major shift. Things aren't were they are supposed to be. You don't remove things the same way. You wind up hunting for items or options that are right in front of your face. It's getting better. Hard to assess the battery life as it keeps running down so much when I'm using it. May be something to address in the future. But, Kerry loves the thing. It requires her not being around to get a few moments alone with it. Yet, I now have a lot of the most important software installed.

2. Been working on taking Talking 80s Music mobile using the aforementioned laptop. The show is hard enough to get through sometimes with the technological unpredictability of using the software and hardware I've been using for the last 3+ years. You may then understand my trepidation... no, fear of changing to something that could be even more unpredictable. It has to be done, though. We'll make the attempt during the episode after this one.

3. Picked up a video recorder a bit ago. Had 3 to 4 ideas for video series that I wanted to create. (Which has me considering placing almost everything I've been doing under the umbrella of a self-formed media group.) I'm expecting the first of these to launch after we convert to mobile.

4. We stopped publication of The 80s Nuts Newsletter after 12+ years. Kind of... You see, spending that long focused on cooking doesn't make you stop watching cooking shows or fiddling around in the kitchen. The passion for the news continues and may not always pop up on the show. So we created a blog (hahaha... kinda fitting isn't it) that will collect all those articles as they get posted. The good thing about it is that when I mention a video coming out... I can show it to you. When a free download is available, you can just click a link to it. It's the step we should have taken 5 years ago.

5. Been spending more time on the tennis court. (For those that know me, you are probably shaking your heads.) I've found a renewed passion for teaching while working with my son. Looking at doing some charity work utilizing these tools and have a few ideas lined up for later this year.

....oh, there are more but I won't bore you with them. I also didn't want to leave you out of the loop so long. Everything is going well over here and I hope all is good there with you.

Saying Goodbye To A Decade's Work

Busy day tomorrow, but I wanted to take a moment and express my thanks to all those that followed the 80s Nuts Newsletter in its more than decade-long journey celebrating the music of a decade. Today, I announced an end to that journey. Not easy.

Maybe it's a sign of O.C.D. but when you start doing something weekly that people enjoy (and in your own head think: depend on and expect), you keep going. My problem is that I create ongoing projects. I do that very well, in fact. But, one has to expect an end in there somewhere. And after more than 520 issues of the newsletter, I'll be putting it to rest on Apr. 23rd.

It's not easy. It's letting go of an obsession for covering the information better and more extensively than anyone else. I also have to re-evaluate 80s Music Central and Talking 80s Music. The latter could still have a purpose as a series focused on specific recording artists each week -- sans the news.

The problem with having so many ongoing projects is that the new ones that I'd like to start are held back. There are a few new video series that I have in my head. I have a few charitable projects that I'd like to launch. Each take time and effort but won't be the same solo effort. Any of these future endeavors will be team Hennessy or nothing. It's going to take some time to adjust as it feels like I'm grieving but I see a bright future ahead.

Time To Make An Adjustment

Got a lot in my head right now. Been looking at my multitude of project ideas and my limited time to implement them. Some of it is because other ideas blossomed and took over big chunks of time. I'm not unhappy about that... and oddly enough, neither is the wife. She turned to me the other day and said, "You are always going to have a hobby." From the statement, it doesn't seem like much but, in the context of the conversation, she understands that I'll always have a project in my head that I want to take to the next step. Like a hobby, it keeps me busy through most of my free time but not enough to ignore family.

So, as I work out the logistics this month, I'll be shutting... well, probably more like changing the door on one of my longest running projects. Passions must continue but the also have to evolve some. We'll see how it all works out shortly.

In This Corner

I was thinking about it yesterday. I was looking at David and thinking about what kind of turbulent love life he's going to lead. The crushes, the cold shoulders, the love notes and the less than amicable partings. They all take you somewhere though.

I say that because we all have a journey to find ourselves. (No, not in that existential or emotional retreating phraseology.) Some of us know early on and are literally blessed with self knowledge. For me, it was coming to terms with who I am, what I want and who I need to surround myself with and put in my corner for the biggest fights of my life. I chased, I flirted, I teased and I begged but, each time a parting came, I discovered a bit more of who I was. I'd look back and wonder, "What the heck was I thinking?" I started to try to make myself happy and not believe my happiness was the water that overflowed from my filling the empty vessel belonging to someone else. You can't go blindly throwing everything you have into a relationship hoping it will yield the same force back. That is... unless you find your cornerman or cornerwoman.

I'm up looking at the clock thinking... 2 years ago today, I made an amazing acceptance. I found an amazing woman. Her heart is open, loving and tender but it's ready to put itself into harms way for a select few. She strives to do better for her family. Her worries of letting people down prods her to go above and beyond. She would give up her own happiness to make her son, her husband or any member her family happy. And... she's much much more.  I can't express everything that she is to me but there is no need to catch overflowing water when your vessel is also being filled. There is also no blindness when you see the active force of love coming back at you. I'm blessed to have found you, sweetheart, and you make me all that I can be.

Only Garth

I know that it looks like I'm starting to promote Las Vegas concerts. You may be partially right there. My wife is a huge fan of Garth Brooks. I'm a fan but never saw him live before. She's such a big fan that she woke me up, from a dead sleep, excited with the news that Brooks would start performing at the Wynn in Las Vegas at the end of last year. We couldn't afford the tickets early on and waited. Our tax return and the timing of our anniversary made tonight's performance a must.

She had the purchase of the tickets all worked out. She would wake up early, set up a few computers and two phones with the intention to get through and get tickets. The excitement faded after a few hours. The venue had just launched their anti-scalping policy which pretty much locked up their servers and phone lines. The phones were busy and the window applet that said she was 'in cue' would just time-out. Frustrated, she told me that she was done and was going to her mother's house to feed the dogs. When she returned, she tried again... and got through. The smile on her face when she came to tell me "Guess what?" had replaced the tears from earlier. We were to go with our friends Jennifer and Ryan (but that is a long story that, to protect the names of the innocent, must be saved for my memoirs -- due out July 26th 2041 via Simon & Schuster.)

Getting the tickets there was a breeze and they even had refreshments if the lines got bad. The solitary guitar sitting on its stand on the stage, viewed when walking into the Encore Theater, tells you right-away that it was going to be an intimate show. It was. As you may know, I'm first and foremost a fan of music history more than a particular artist. Brooks takes you along his personal history and I'm sure more than half of the audience went home to Google the likes of Merle Haggard, George Jones, James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, Gladys Knight And The Pips, George Strait, Reba McEntire and Chris LeDoux (among others.) He teased with renditions of those songs -- laying the basis for what would become his own sound. Personal, laugh-out-loud humorous and thoughtful, you get to see a side of Garth that few do. He didn't let fans down that wanted to hear his songs either... you might have thought that from the description. He ripped into several classics, tested himself with a few songs the audience threw at him and brought out his wife Trisha Yearwood for a duet and her own hit single before winding down the show himself.

I have seen a lot of concerts. I don't review them often because the recorded medium and live arena are so different yet many just want to hear 'the hits' played just like on the album. That's not the way to judge a live performance. Of all the shows that I've seen, Garth Brooks' current low-key (a man and his guitar) set was quite possibly the best that I've ever seen. If you weren't a fan, you became one. If you were a fan, you got to know the man. And, I don't think that you can put a price tag on that.

Do You Want Another One? -- Happy Anniversary, Tulip

I figure that it's time to tell a dog story. This one takes us back to just about this moment a whole 365 days ago. It had been an interesting 4 months with our puggle puppy Bella. She was chewing on everything and excreting about anywhere she could. When we went to pick her up for David's birthday, Kerry and I discussed dog names and she said, "I've always wanted to call a dog Tulip." I told her that there was no way I would call a dog that. So, Twilight fan that she was... she had another name set aside. So when we put the puppy in the car, I asked David what he wanted to call her. He asked his mom what she thought was a good name... hence, Bella came into our home and vocabulary.

So it was now 4 months or so later and I'm sitting at work. My friend Corey came up to me out of the blue and asked, "Do you want another one?" Of course, my reaction is, "Another what?" So he goes on to explain that his wife has a bad habit of scanning the LIED Animal Shelter dog listings every night and she found another puggle. I didn't know what to think. If you asked me a year beforehand if I'd wanted even one dog, I'd have said that I didn't have the time, energy or room to devote to one. Now, I was entertaining the idea of a second dog. So, I told him that I'd check it out online and see if it was still there.

Kerry woke up when I got home early the next morning (as I usually do.) I was checking it out online and told her the story. We then both looked online and saw a very small photo. We talked about how another more mature dog could calm Bella down and keep her company when we weren't there. We decided that I'd go to the shelter the following morning and check out the dog just for kicks. I woke up early on March 5th and walked through the area looking at all the dogs. I didn't see this puggle anywhere and was heading back towards the car when I decided to ask someone.

When I asked about the dog, the man at the desk's eyes lit up. "You've come to check her out? She's such a sweetheart. We have no idea why she's been here this long. Here, let me get someone to show you where she is." She was there for well over a month (or about 3 if I remember right.) I guess, there is a viewing area and an area in back where dogs can go potty and sit in the sun a little... so I didn't see her. I used my cellphone and took a few photos of this shy little dog and sent them to Kerry. She quickly responded, "Get her! Get her now!" So, I didn't protest. We went to a little fenced-in grass area to see how she'd get along with me. She kind of kept to herself but was very calm. She would even hide behind the worker's leg. She'd been abandoned and that can't do well in the area of trust. "I'll take her," I said.

I sat there filling out the paperwork at LIED and it really hadn't hit me yet. The same man that called her a 'sweetheart' told me that because she'd been there so long, they'd let her go for... $25. Yes, that's right. After I got my jaw off the floor and handed him the money, he had me resume the paperwork. That's when he said, "You can wait to name her if you want and send the rest of the papers in later." If you know me by now, I don't do well with loose deadlines so I wanted it out of the way. That's when I remembered how Kerry really wanted a dog named Tulip. I started biting my nails. Was I going to break any manly oath that I'd made to myself to not name a dog after a flower and please my wife? You bet.

We were still a little concerned as to if she'd been fixed as she didn't have any scars or stitches but we'd later find out that she just healed really well. We hadn't told David and he was even more excited than before (as he'd been avoiding the little chew-monster Bella.) It was when I raised my voice at Bella, my heart first broke for Tulip. She peed right where she stood. Then she slowly went to the other side of the house. She thought I was upset with her and it worried me that this dog had to have gone through some really hard times. Never again! Never again without a home. Never again not knowing she belonged. I had to work later that night, but all I could think about was her adjusting to her new home. Kerry went shopping for a crate and extras on her way home from work.

So, this dog, that hops on our bed in the morning to snuggle near one of my legs, mini-howls when she's excited (usually around food) or licks me just because my hands are near her, has changed me more than I ever expected. We've always thought of Bella as Kerry's dog, as she follows her wherever she goes and snuggles up with her on the recliner at night. Sure, she's David's dog but emotionally, there is a bond there. And I have my own bond with Tulip. She makes me smile for some of the silliest reasons but she also has a piece of my heart that I will never get back. So, I'm thankful that one year ago today, a friend asked me, "Do you want another one?"

Happy New Year's.. Eve

You didn't think I'd post it in the morning did you. I'll be sleeping til at least noon after drinking strawberry daiquiri's and Arbor Mist Blackberry Merlot tonight with my beautiful wife, obstinate son (cider only), mother-in-law and father-in-law.

It has been quite a year. My wife has headed back to school (yes, she's just now learning how brilliant I know she is) for her next career. Our son got his second set of braces (yes, I had no idea straightening teeth needed more than one set.) Our dogs learned the 'down' command... (as long as I'm holding food.) The show is going great and this week starts its 4th year. I am nowhere closer to completing the book but I'm reading tons of them (so many, that I really need to update the reading list on the site.)

May this new year be the start of something special or a renewal of good things for you and yours!

Christmas 2009

Haven't been posting as much as I'd like but I wanted to wish all of you a very merry Christmas. It's been a great year for our family but I can say that nothing has filled our hearts with as much love as the two little girls you see above (Bella on the left, Tulip to the right.) We've even started taking them to the dog park daily as we do our walking.

Expecting a great day with my side of the family as we kind of gathered with Kerry's side a few days prior. (David had a fever, so I stayed home with him while Kerry was there in our stead.) The best gift we can hope for this holiday is the health of our family.

Oh, Sh...Shampoo

With Thanksgiving only days away, Kerry and I took her mother to Costco to do a little shopping. Found some goodies that we had been wanting to pick up. Anyhow, upon our return, we saw what you see in the above photo... all over the house. Now, Bella (our young little puggle) has had some previous potty training issues in the last year that we've had her but we thought things had massively improved. But, something about this looked strange. This was a big area with a lot of these spots.

So, as we wandered through the house to assess the extent of the damage, we breathed a sigh of relief. Then a little fear set in. Chocolate and dog stomachs don't exactly play well together. Bella had gotten into the pantry and broken into a box of Jello Chocolate Pudding mix. It does seem that the amount of chocolate is small (and most wound up on the carpet) so we may be in the clear. (For some reason Jell-O would not tell us how much cocoa is in a box as it is a proprietary measurement. Yeah, I laughed at that too.) Now, the fun part is trying to clean it up and getting the dog to vomit. I sound excited don't I?

Update: She heaved, she pooped, she barked... and repeated the process all night. Tomorrow will be better, I expect. That is if our nerves hold out.

12 Is A Magic Number

Today my son, David, turned 12. It was at the end of the day that I made one of those mental leaps that leaves me lost in thought for hours on end. I've often told people that my favorite year for music was 1983. I've looked at it over and over again but some of the music just connected for me. That was the year that I turned 12.

What makes it more interesting is that, just the other day, David did something he's never done before. He asked his mom if they could stay in the car to listen to the end of a Taylor Swift song. Usually, he just asks us to turn the music down or off. Now, he's enjoying Swift, Carrie Underwood, Rodney Atkins (especially "Watching You") and a few oldies that we've slipped in.

So, I'd like you to take a moment and do some math for me. When were you 12? How close was that to when you first really started to appreciate music? You see, some people believe 12 is a magic number. But, I wonder if our listening habits finally come into their own. Do we understand the lyrics more? Just thoughts to ponder for the next 12 years or so.

People Waiting For Us

Forever is a big word. I used it twice when I said my vows to my wife because I didn't feel it was big enough. When I married Kerry, I inherited an even larger family than my own. Kind of daunting when you gain 3 father-in-laws that each give you the long stare, considering if you are worthy of their little girl. One of those men was Fred Sicks.

There are always things you hear within a family about how 'so and so' aren't speaking to each other or how 'so and so' weren't the nicest of human beings in their past. Since I didn't have a past with this new family, I didn't have anything to compare the present with. But what I did know is that after a long absence in my wife's life, Fred and his wife Sandy moved to Las Vegas to be closer to his family. Fred had been dealing with type 2 diabetes and heart issues.

The Fred that I knew was jovial, smiled wide when he shook your hand and had a twinkle in his eyes during the holidays. He enjoyed politics and was active in his community. Of course, this is the side I will remember most of him. Fred lost his life yesterday. My promise to watch over his little girl is fresh on my mind. His family is hurting but one thing is assured... he will be one of the people waiting for us, greeting us with a warm smile as we enter heaven.

Walking The Family

Kerry and I have been working on getting more exercise in and have come up with a plan. We are 3 days into our program already. We are walking for 30 minutes around our complex every day. We plan to add 5 minutes every month to build up to 45 minutes a day. The 30 minutes that she walks the dogs in the mornings is too stop-start to get any cardio out of it but we're trying to include the dogs in the walk. Bella has made it through the last two and Tulip made it about 15 minutes before we had to drop her off at home (but did so without delay.)

I keep thinking back to Lora and her late night walks and how it has helped her. I don't have the nights free but currently Kerry and I have daytime together and are using it appropriately. So far so good. I want to stay around as long as I can. B)

Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats - Meet The Meatbats

It isn't often that a respected long-time member of a band to start looking for side-projects. It's not often that they release albums by two projects in one year in different genres. One such project, Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats, which takes the Red Hot Chili Pepper into the area of jazz. Can a funk drummer make a smooth transition into the technical genre?

If there was a song to lead this set with, it could only be "Need Strange" as it is almost a frenzy of Schroder playing the Peanuts theme and the theme from Sanford and Son. Each instrument has a showcase and there is something more than fusion jazz here. There are many other highlights including the musical journey of "The Battle For Ventura Blvd." with enunciations, lulls and tensions that take you for the ride. "Oh! I Spilled My Beer" touches on some rock guitar in some flourishes but is dominated by a keyboard groove that can be inebriating. "Death Match" starts with a little posturing and a struggle develops midway with a triumphant conclusion. All starts casually with "Night Sweats" with a few nightmarish moments, some relief, tossing and turning and the rhythmic beat of your heart as you awake. Great to see the Latin-feel of "Lola" amongst the set adding to a very diverse album.

Is Meet The Meatbats a casual album for any Red Hot Chili Pepper fan?  No.  This is what I would put in your hands if you told me you wanted to stretch your musical palate.

3 out of 5

Alias - Never Say Never

There are some things that never see the light of day. Artists get funded by a label to record an album and if the label isn't happy with the finished product, it can sit on a shelf gathering dust. This happens. The rise of grunge affected many rock releases in the early 1990s including Alias' Never Say Never which through fan fanaticism and bootleg copies has become a veritable 'holy grail.' So the album finally being released after nearly 18 years is well worth reviewing.

Alias' potency bursts out of the gate with the machismo challenge of "Woman Enough" and passing the torch to the Steve DeMarchi guitar-heavy yet chantable "XTCOI." This really does set an energy level for the release heading into the plaintive "How Much Longer Is Forever" which is one of many stand-out songs on the disc. Instead of just back-to-back rock tracks they interject the feel of a Victorian waltz on the ballad "Give Me A Reason" which also makes the next transition to the swaggering "Wild Wild One" more perceptible. "Pleasure And Pain" starts sultry in a David Coverdale delivery yielding into a few Black Crows-like moments -- vocally, this is a Freddie Curci highlight reel as well as a band that can merge genres and deliver solid songs. I could go through each of these 13 (as well as 4 assorted bonus tracks depending on which version you are purchasing) songs and inundate you with too much information.

What you need to know is Never Say Never is a bold rock album that is as diverse as it is deep. No song sounds alike or dated and each shows Alias as an act in their prime. It's a shame the album didn't get released when it was ready but maybe it took some time for people to recognize a good album for what it is. The only negative to the delay is the lack of a follow-up.

4 out of 5

Master And Servant

I enjoy watching NBC's The Biggest Loser. I'll admit it. I think there is no show like it that at the end of each episode you see someone that has fought to make changes in their health for the better. That being said, trainer Jillian Michaels kicks butt. I currently picked up my DVD of her 30 Day Shred workout and started sweating again. Yesterday, it was the whole family. So, after seeing Jillian talking about her new book about a month ago on a morning show... it wound up on my reading list.

What needs to be said is that Master Your Metabolism isn't a workout. She 2 has books on that already. This one talks about her battle with her weight and clarifies the misunderstanding of 'metabolism.' Think about it for a second. How many friends have you commented about having a 'high metabolism' and that they couldn't put on weight if they tried? We've come to believe that metabolisms are high, low or inbetween but don't talk about the hundreds of hormones in our bodies that affect our metabolisms making them effective, ineffective or stable. This book does just that and a lot of it is what we are feeding ourselves. It does read more like a science text book but well worth pushing through.

After reading the book (and reading certain sections with my wife), we decided to entirely remake our shopping list. We started by pulling foods out of the pantry. We started shopping for items that had fewer ingredients (meaning less preservatives and other byproducts.) We then broke the news to our son that certain ingredients would not be in the house and that if he found an alternative, we'd consider it. So far, we are doing great with the change and feel some of the benefits already. Every great journey begins with a step.