Just for Smokey McDrink!

The List....

Trena accuses me, at times, of having a never ending list of "wants" when it comes to music gidgets and gadgets... and while to a certain extent, thats not untrue... I mean there's innovations, and also chance opportunities to pick up a piece of history... But failing that, however, it is a list of "wants" with a relatively acheivable end point... When you add it all up, its less then the cost of a new Mini van... so its not entirely out of bounds.. but will likely take beyond my retirement to accumulate... but then, thats the point isn't it?? To retire from work... and play with your toys!!

Items may change, as newer more efficent stuff comes out, but essentially, its a fixed target... or list of targets rather.. that I'll be picking off one at a time, likely for a LONG long time... baring a lotto win or someother unforseen winfall...

Oh well.. without dreams/goals... what point would their be...


Until then, no complaints... not doing to shabby so far at all.. We've worked pretty hard, and had some good luck, but I'd like to think its Karma and try to pass it around when I can...

anyway.. nothing real interesting to share.. just another pointless brain fart...

Ill pay for this..... but its still funny...

Studio progress continues...

Not quite completely operational yet, but a LOT closer then i was last week...

I think painting may delayed, but at least were getting all set up..

Hope to get on a weekly schedule of writing/recording very soon..

Great weekend with friends..

We need to get out more..

We had a busy wekend, but it was both action packed, and relaxing all at same time..

good friends came to visit, and we got to go to a little going away / Pre-Wedding party for some other great friends..

in keeping with the "IS FACEBOOK EVIL?" question posed earlier, I'll keep the names and places private... but I'll post some highlight pics!
'



cheers all.. .







oh and "G"! I watched the Shortbus., as per your recomendation.. (in fast forward) and that is some SICK ASS SHIT man... Yuck!

supper at the mic mac beverage room

D36.... thats some Funny Shit man!




















Da boys are back in town

JD Clarke gig got rained out..

So I drive to truro in the rain... set up, record one song during sound check.. and they had to cancel it..

oh well.. it was still a lot of fun.. and believe it or not, i'd still say well worth the trip...

I got to met some industry folks, and its just good Karma... so all good..

Speaking of Karma, anyone know when the new Earl season starts up again?

Is facebook Evil???

we've had this debate several times amongst our friends..... I think I lost..

personally, I can see both sides... I mean it is kind of cool... its a neat way to connect with people you aint connected with for a long time, but on the flip side... maybe some of those connections are best left severed. .. lol

but seriously... it also can be a substitute for real contact? or at the very least... more fluff, less content..

Im torned between the "hey this is cool" as I post pics and Whats up.... but then I feel somewhat overexposed and toy with the idea of getting out of it alltogether.... I am, afterall, a mostly private person.. and Facebook is, but its very nature, exhibitionistic (not sure if thats word so cut me some slack, its late.. im sleepy)

I mean, who really needs to know that "Rob is __________" sometimes I make shit up.. but that little change of status gets broadcasted to all my "friends" as if they really give a shit what chapter of Harry Potter I'm on...

I think I'm gonna phase out of the facebook world... and come back to blogging... given that you got to seek it out deliberately to read this, and its not "broadcasted" at the very least I'll know Im not being intrusive...

besides, all those "pokes" have left me feeling dirty...

Everybody Wants Some

I want some too....

Ok... I'm offically PULLING my hair out...

While I enjoyed Elton, U2 and the Stones, just as an example, I'd Crawl over all of them to hear VAN HALEN/ROTH live...

With no disrespect intend to Sammy Hagar (he's good all on his own), but Van Hagar just didnt have the same effect/influence on me as Van Halen...

I grew into Pink Floyd and the Eagles, Liked KISS when I was younger (probably because my 1st album, Rock and Roll over, came with a Sticker I put on my lunch box) but VH were my first real rock HERO's the music just Grabbed me... and it was the first band for whom I saved up and bought EVERY SINGLE ALBUM....

I'd always aspired to see them live someday, but the combination of them with Roth again I'd never thought possible.... So needless to say, that I was sooooo excited when they anounced the reunion and tour..

If they'd had a Montreal Gig in the summer of 2008.. I'd have been able to save up enough by then to go...

But no... its this coming Oct 7 and 12 on Toronto... and with everything we've got on our plate this summer/fall... its just not an option...

Sometimes reality is just a kick in the nutz...

Real kicker? I'll be in Montreal Oct 10 and 11 so close but yet soo far...

WHY, Eddie... WHY couldnt you be in MONTREAL on one of those days....

but then who am I to expect them arrange their tour around my schedule and/or budget...

Oh well..

I'll buy the DVD, and maybe on the 7th, I'll get my old VH albums out, a bottle of rum, and have a little cry as I relive some of my favorite tunes....

on the upside... maybe they'll tour again, when I am able to go... and maybe, just maybe... if David and Eddie can reconcile, theirs also hope yet for Roger and David (Waters/Gilmour that is for those of you who didn't get that)

The remains of a day....

Someone just asked me…

“so you moved in almost 2 months ago, whens the house warming.".

and someone else simply asked…

“Where you been man, we miss you...”

and all i can say is... we've been busy...

First, moving takes a toil anyway... no matter who/where you are.. add to that the pressures of taking 4 COURSES and starting a NEW JoB, we've had a full plate to say the lease..

Here's a snapshot... of just a couple weeks, in review...
----------------------------------------------------------

Sunday: Family day trip to Shubie park

Monday: 1st day of a week long training program at work

Tuesday: Chiro for me in the am.. work event that nite.. home late

Wed Nite: Our Aniversary (Circ de Soleil)

Thursday nite: Chiro early am.. Dad was spose to drop by, but didn’t… so just a nite to relax whew!

Friday Nite: Just house cleaning, and misc “to-do” list things

Saturday: ran errands all day, and Chris’s B-Day bash in Bridgewater that nite

Sunday: visit friends/relatives, & drive back from b-water, assemble coffee table, break down boxes (theres still a lot of them) re-pack garbage, put to curb

Monday Nite: Move furniture, Remove Carpet, tacks, assorted carpet paraphernalia. Bring hardwood from van to house

Tuesday Nite: (TODAY) Chiro in am, Doc Appt for me after work, clean remains of flooring job

Wed Nite: Mow lawn, apply lime/fertilizer

Thursday nite: In Studio (tentatively) with Jon Matheson

Friday Nite: Truro for JD Clarke Gig

Saturday Nite: Jonas/Jane pre-nup party

Hectic eh? but I'm sure just about everyone, with kids... feels the same..

the whole summers been like that.. Non stop... between renovations, and family visiting..

Whew!!!

So this is not a complaint.... we are enjoying it.. but if you ain't heard from us... thats just a brief explanation as to why... and where we've been hiding.

Good news though, is things are progressing, pretty well on all fronts actually..Nothing earth shattering, just life, moving along at a decent pace I guess... ..I guess at a certain point you stop looking for the quick jump, or the Eureka moments, and just find contentment with the normal ebb and flow of things... Find a groove, and enjoy the groove I guess, and I'm cool with that...

The Studio/ Documentary projects are moving ahead.. slow, but forward and at a managable pace... and more importantly, I am really enjoying the new job.. and inspite of the "surprises" I do love the new house.... so while we'd all like "more time" things could sure as hell be a lot worst, thats for sure...

So the House Warming is delayed... but will happen eventually.. Promise..

Incidently, these pics in this post have NOTHING to do with my little blurb... Im just a fan of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mahem, and in the absence of anything relevant to justify posting pics of them, I just went ahead and did it anyway...

Just further Evidence of Jim Hensens Genious!

Xmas Party 2007..

for my few loyal readers... I'm sure you'll remember the party we had at the legion last winter..

Well I'm pleased to tell you, I've booked the hall again for DEC 29th..
I also have FULL PA with SOUND GUY to run it... ! complete with light show, smoke... etc..



So mark it on your calender..

More importantly, i fyou have a band, and want to play.. or just jam.. CONTACT ME..

more info to follow.. just had to say that before I forgot again..


Cheers for now..

Oh, and how could i forget

as you may already know, Full Circle, the band I play bass for opend for trooper last month..

Well, since then, I've been exchanging a few emails with the Keyboard player, Gogo about my documentary I've been working on for the past 2 years (off and on)

Anyway... He Loves the idea, and connected me with a Killer band from BC who would love to be a part of it.. called 33rd rail... I hope to fly out there in the spring to set up some interviews..

party on!!!



Also...

My Studio got a little break... Were gonna be recording J.D. Clarke perform LIVE in truo this coming Friday when he opens for Michelle Wright.... We 'might" also be able to record Michelle herself.. but that part is up in the air for now..

Fun Stuff!!!

Chuck Bachman's gonna give me hand during the show, then its a long overdo reunion beer at my place, in preparation for Mr. Smokey McDrinks Pre-Nuptials celbrations on Saturday!!!

Busy Busy summer...

How much is enough, and at what cost.....

Since the car accident, life's certainly been different... Lots of changes...

I was just recently reminded how much things have changed tonight...

My father--in-law is coming up tomorrow to lay hardwood... A job I'd normally help with... But not anymore... As much as I try, there are just certain things I can't, or at least, shouldnt do anymore... Technically speaking, I can do anything I want... it just comes at great cost (aka pain) later on...

so tonight,
- moving furniture.... hmmm, not great, but did ok...
-Rolling back carpet... little toughter, (all the bending) but ok.
-Pulling up underlay... Not so bad... easier to tug on at least..
-bending over to hook/pull out all the staples.... NO GO..

I think it was the bending/posture required, but I got imediate spasms and shots of pain.. just wasnt' gonna happen..

But, shit's gotta get done.. So I change gears.. Lugg the wood from the van to the house, pop to tylenol 3's (Im out of the other "really" good stuff) and hit the couch with the icepack...

Still lots left to be done.. Remove staples and that strip of nail stuff on the edge... roll carpet and move to basement (cant chuck it, its gonna be evidence) and Trena's probably a little dissapointed I can't do more.. But I do what I can... then hit the ice pack... and its been that way for about 2 years now..

oh well..

So... "Sorry Richard" that I couldn't get more of the pre-work done, but I'm all out.. and I have Chiro tomorrow at 7:30am... so oh well.. but thanks for doing it all the same..



In other news...
Scored a WICKED deal on a Vintage Synth today...

F--kers 20 years old plus, but not often you come buy them... They've gone for as much as 400 on EBAY, and I got mine for 80bucks!!! I'll never sell it.. its here now.. and With this and my Juno-106, there not much 80's stuf I can't cover!


In "other-other news" I'm going to court..

In short.. we buy house... We inspect house... We move into house..
We think the hosue is messy, lots of soot on the walls, carpets.. but chalked it up to maybe they were just not clean people... We were dissappointed, but they were fairly reigid early on over a well cap, so we figure let sleeping dogs lie, we move in.. we scrub walls..

Then.. in the process of getting ready to do our roof, we discover this..


In between inspecting house, and moving owner, we believe that we can prove that the previous owners had a Chimney Fire...

this would better explain the state of the house when we moved in.. It was NOT in this condition at inspection, as the cleanouts were all good at that time, and as a matter of fact, there was a fire in the oven...

Our WETT certified guy said that had we NOT known this, and used that stove as it was... We'd have likely burnt the place down and/or died of smoke inhalation at least... Crazy..

Long story short, acting through a lawyer, we got the P.F.O. letter today.. there defence? ... that they had no idea, and its buyer beware... (I'm paraphrasing of course)

Well, I asked the pros... and while, in theorey, it is "Possible" to have had such a fire and not know it, its unlikely, and even less likely, given SMOKE coming BACK in to the house getting picked up and disctributed by the hot air furnace that a reasonable person should have known something was not right...

Anyway.. Not gonna tip my whole hand here.. Suffice to say, I have more evidence, and Im almost done the documents, were going to sue... and I'll let you know what happens..

In the meantime, if you have any cause to have any business deallings with Joe and/or Barb Seiler, well... nothings been proven in court yet, so I'll just say "caveat emptor" and leave it at that...


in OTHER other news... Past my first exam (work stuff) I got a 73%!!! Not bad since I'd left out a good 10% of the questions (took too long)

where'd summer go already?

Jeepers.. its almost september?

Well.. what can I say.. its been one WILD ride... I been so busy actualy doing stuff I've had no time to talk/blog about out...

that said... must go sand some dry wall...


later...

Anyone Know a good Lawyer?

Ok... so we had the house inspected... checked out ok...

We knew it needed a new roof... Check..
We knew it needed some minor re-pointing of the brick.. Check...

But sometime between the inspection and our taking ownership.. the previous owners (then current owners) had a Chimney Fire... Yup..

Weather or not they knew how f--king serious it was... or how lucky they were they didnt burn the fucking place down, or worst..... They HAD to know there was something wrong..

A. they LIVED by that woodstove.... so they knew all the idiosyncracies that come with it..
B. That Chimney was sooooo full of Fucking Creosote that NOTHING was getting out... It would have been bellowing right back in the house...

in hindsight, a lot of things now make sense..

First.. bear in mind that were complete fucking morons when it comes to wood burning... never done it before...

So we take possession.. the house smells like a camp fire.. in JUNE, and the carpets, walls, blinds, ceilings.. are all dirty dirty dirty full of soot...

Niave, as we were... thought... They must just be a couple of dirty people who just didn't clean house for like 10 fucking years....... it happens...

Should we have questioned it? I dunno...

Should we have made them clean the place?? yeah.. sure.. but we treat others as we like to be treated... took the highroad... and resolved to clean the place ourselves.... and sucked it up...

So we move in..

We Scrub...

We scrub..

.."man.. this place is dirty.. didn't they know they sell mr. Clean at sobeys?" said my mom who was helping..

" they must have been growing potatoes in their curtains" said Trena's mom...

and other jabs at their expense ensued....

was it furstating? yes..

Did it slow us down.... yes...

but just dirt right??? No...


we finally settle on a roofer and mason..

The masons were spose to do some "light" repointing... and add new caps to keep the rain out... No biggie...

then I get the call at work..


"Mr Crewe, you got to come home and see this... "

Now, bear in mind...Two generations of Masons are on my roof..... and for Two Generations before that... they've been into this...

Yet they said... "We have NEVER seen a Chimney in this bad a shape!... If you had tried to light a fire... She would have went up in smoke"


that I didnt keel over in a heart attack is a miracle..


Anyway... 4 days and 4 Grand later.. she's fixed....

Its my belief the previous owners MUST have known "something" was wrong.. and didnt tell us...

Regardless... it represents a significant and material change in the condition of the property that was NOT disclosed to us... and they ARE most definately liable....

Then.. I check the furnace.. cause it was whistling........

and the filtre was CLOGGED TIGHT...


Now, bear in mind.. the nearest return for the furnce to the woodstove is a good 20 ft away, and in the next room at that... yet that furnce sucked in all that creosote, threw it all round the house and cloged that filtre till it looked like someone pours cold tar all over it...

had we lite that stove... we'd all be dead, and my executors would be suing them for negligent homicide or some shit like that..


That said... For now, at least... I've taken the highroad...

I've given them the benefit of the doubt, emailed, called and sent a registered letter inviting them to step up and do the right thing......

Failing that.... I'll Release the fucking hounds baby...

Yep... I'll sue.. and I'll go for fucking blood...


hey.. I think this is the first time I've ever said FUCK in here... instead of F__k...... Well.. Im pissed... but I'll wait..

i'm gonna give them a week... then we bring out the big guns...

I Dont care id I spend MORE in legal fee's then I'll get back..... As a matter of principle... they will Fucking pay...

So if you know a lawyer.... Not a nice guy... I want a MEAN DIRTY NASTY Son of a Bitch lawyer...... Ruthless... and relentless... drop me a line...

If I have no resolution come thursday.. I'm going for blood...


Whew...

time for a rum..

Nite..