Currently Listening Live Bootleg By Aerosmith see related

So last weekend was spent with TJ, Christina, Bob, Jake, Pam, Pierre, and Tara up in “Promised Land” campgrounds.  That morning we all met at TJ’s house between 7:30 and 9:00am.  I got there first and was invited in by TJ’s mom.  I helped him get his stuff together and brought it outside for him.  As more people showed up, we packed our stuff in Jake’s and Bob’s trucks. Then we hit the road.  I of course went with Bob because he has a brand new XJ-Cruiser. That thing is amazing and I had to be in it. We arrived at the campgrounds after almost getting lost at 11:30am and departed the vehicles.  TJ and I set up our tent while everyone else did the same, and waited for food time.  Bob meanwhile gathered some wood and started a fire.  We must have grilled a thousand pounds of meat those two days.  Being slightly intoxicated and hungry as heck (put 2 and 2 together to figure intoxicated type); we started grilling EVERYTHING we could find.  I found myself particular to Doritos on the grill with some Old Bay seasoning.  Jake brought Old Bay and we USED IT ON EVERYTHING!  Needless to say we made some weird concoctions that night. One in particular was “Bob’s Beer Potatoes”.  These were of course Bob’s creation.  He used his red potatoes he brought with him and while some he baked in the fire, the rest he put in his metal cup and filled it with beer.  The he put the cup into the fire and cooked them.  Wow! They were good!  Anyway, TJ and I were looking forward to fishing the whole weekend and asked Jake to bring his canoe. We were getting ready to go fishing on the boat that night to try getting more food, but the wind was relentless. After our failed attempt to launch the boat, we came back to camp and continued making food from fricken Mars.  After dark we all got TJ's and my tent and once again formed a circle to play "That 70's Show".  By that time I was so out of it due to that and being up sooooo long that I passed the heck out. 

 The next morning TJ and I both woke up at 6:00am dying of thirst.  We came well prepared but the coolers were outside in the trucks and it was toasty and comfy in our sleeping bags inside the tent.  Well, we had to do what we had to do!  We both ventured out in the cold to retrieve a Gatorade.  We rushed back in the tent and got right back in our bags.  Pam, who was sleeping next to me, asked me for some of my refreshment.  Of course I shared.  A few minutes passed and all were back asleep except for me.  A little later I heard in the distance, a honking from a goose not 30 yards away,   right above my head in the side of my tent was a little tiny doggy-door window.  I slowly opened it and saw the monster heading right for our tent!  I quickly closed the tent window and prepared for infiltration.  The wandering bird just walked along our tent’s perimeter and continued to honk all the way around.  I saw the beast's shadow all the way around the right side of the tent.  Christina awoke to its rustling and shrieked.  I told her to calm the hell down, it was just a goose! The stranger just passed through our cold fire pit and moved on down the woods. For some reason I could not fall back asleep.  After five minutes of tossing and turning I decided to say "Screw it!"  I turned over on my back, pulled the sleeping bag up over the tip of my nose to keep it warm, put my hands behind my head, and started to stare at the tent ceiling in hope of thinking of something to occupy my time.  Not two minutes later I was asleep.  It’s funny how that works sometimes.  Due to everyone starting to move, I got up at about 10:30am and headed outside.  It had warmed up nicely and I was more than refreshed.  Christina and Pam just stayed in the tent claiming it was still too cold.  Yes, it was still chilly inside the tent without any fresh warm air in there.  Meanwhile Bob was lying in his lawn chair with his shirt off.  Later on they realized it was much warmer OUTSIDE the tent, and crawled out to join the rest of us.  With the wind calm, TJ and I went out on the boat in search of some fine fishing.  Man, we found it!......kinda.  The wind was down so we had an easy time paddling out and finding a semi-stationary point on the lake. Along the way we snapped pictures of the scenery as well as each other. The music from Jake’s truck came across the lake real well form the shore so TJ and I had a clear ear of tunes while fishing.   We got about 150 yards out and all of a sudden we started nailing pickerel like mad!  TJ caught the first one and of course we both forgot our camera!  Not knowing we were going to be catching pickerel, which is a cool fish, we didn't think about it really.  A few minutes after TJ caught his first, I caught my first one. They were both beautiful looking fish and measured roughly 10 inches in length.  He and I both caught two more each that hour but never managed to get them in the boat!  That became the theme of the day for us.  After about one hour we paddled back to shore to get some grub.  We were both hungry and wanted to get our cameras anyway.  Bob and Jake had built a fire while we were gone. They built it out of the wood I structured in the pit to build a fire for TJ and me, but I didn't care.  It was lit. We grilled leftover hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken, Doritos, and of course had OLD BAY on everything!  After a hearty meal, TJ and I grabbed our cameras and headed back to the boat and on to the lake in search of some more unique catches.  As we got out to our spot, we had no trouble finding good bites and bringing them in. Well, to the edge of the boat at least. We both caught two or three more that day but only got ONE in the boat!!  It was frustrating but really funny at the same time.  TJ was the guy out of the both of us to get one in the boat.  It was a yellow perch.  His perch was a big one as well, but I think the only reason he got it in the boat was because he hooked it through the gills!  (His other catch from earlier that morning was hooked right through the stomach!!)  I found this hilarious that both of his boat-making catches were snagged horribly.  He immediately started laughing at the situation but with frustration as to his luck about it.  Of course now we had our cameras, so I snapped a pic of his wounded perch as he tried to yell "No don't take a picture of that!” over his laughter.  We got the hook out of the poor thing and let it go.  Not five minutes later I had hard bite.  I started to reel it in, keeping my rod tip up and the line tight.  Then I saw it.  It was a pickerel. A large pickerel!  I got it to the side of the boat and as it stretched out I could see it was at least 15 inches in length, well worthy of a fantastic picture!  It was at the side of the boat. I yelled to TJ to get the camera!  This was a catch worthy of a frame!  He was ready and so was I. I pulled the rod tip up to hoist it out of the water and began to reach for the biggest pickerel I have ever caught in my entire life and!...Splash!  The beast from beneath in the 2 seconds I had it out of the water shook itself of the hook and crashed back into the water!!!  I stared in disbelief for two seconds while running through my head what I could have done differently and then I let it out.  "AHHHHHHHHH!!!!”   I was so pissed.   Then after a few seconds I calmed down and saw TJ laughing at me.  Rationality then hit me and I lost it too.    So out of 6 to 8 fish caught that day, three made it in the boat and one made it on camera...hooked through the gills.  Oh what a day!  There were other high points about being on the lake. For instance, while traveling around the lake looking for another hot spot, we could see a father and his kids loading up in their canoe. As they departed the shore I heard the father yell to his young ones, "Catch a big one for Mama!"  TJ and I both looked at each other and laughed at the hickish comment.  Then about 5 minutes later we heard the mom who was back on the campsite, yell at another child who remained on land with her, "If you drop that I am gonna hit you!"  The kid must have been like 4 years old.  As you know, sound travels well across water.  So we heard it all.  Quite a nice family!   Once back on shore, we told our stories to the rest of the crew and ate some more. Eating was the theme of that trip, let me tell ya. In fact the night before there was a point where for 4 hours straight I didn't put my economy sized bag of Doritos down once. Anyway we all sat around the fire pit just picking things up and throwing them in.  Jake was a lazy bastard that day. He would ask anyone to pick up a stick laying 2 feet from him, or ask someone to grab him this or that while sitting his ass in his two lawn chairs like a damn pimp!  We would all just tell him to get it himself and burst out into laughter at his effort.  Then while we were all sitting and talking, I felt and heard a low-toned, fast buzzing at my ear.  The first thing that came to my mind of course was a bumble bee.  But no. this thing sounded HUGE!  I realized that it was not a bee and jumped the hell out of my chair.   Jake started bursting out laughing.  "What the fuck was that?!” I yelled.  Jake, amidst his crying/ laughing squeaked out, "That was a hummingbird!”  Holy Shit!  That was nuts!  What are the odds of that?  I guess he was looking for nectar in my ear.  Shortly after, we had to go.  The day went fast and so did the trip but it was a full trip indeed.  On the way back we stopped at a little diner. This place was pretty neat. It had a 50’s type feel to it and it was very clean.  Oh!  The waitresses were damn hot too!  Bob and I sat at the bar-counter while the rest sat in the booth behind us.  I ordered and grilled chicken sandwich and a large chocolate milkshake.  The main theme of this place was grilled items and frozen treats. We all sat around and ate until it was time to go.  We headed back out and on the road again.

All in all it was a great weekend.  From hiking around, to finding a beach, to fishing, to the sweet sounds of Bob Dylan, The Moody Blues, and The Allman Brothers via Jake's truck, the weekend was full of thorough enjoyment. Of course the drive there and back in Bob's brand new XJ-Cruiser was so sweet.  I look forward to doing it all again real soon. Definitely another great reason to be alive! 

So tonight was good. This past week Matt and I got a the new song done,  Right now we just call it "Heavy Song: A"  Don't have titles yet.  So tonight John came in and laid down some great bass for it.  So as of right now we have 2 songs complete, a mellow one and a heavy one.  Of course they may change a bit when lyrics come in, but for now they are set. Ahhh progress!  What else?

I gotta get working on my paper for Poli-Sci. I have to debate the argument of gun control in the USA. Fun Fun.  That class is FULL of liberals, which is fine cuz I'm a lil of both, but they are radical...some of them.  Better bring a helmet that day Haha!

I can't wait until summer hits finally. If you look at my xanga entries from last November I was already bitching about the "cold, wet and dampness".   I like all seasons I guess.  It's just that everyone's home and I am never bored or alone with nothing to do.  I just love going through the summer routine of MayFair, Musikfest, Celtic Fest and Renaissance Fair in early fall.  The one thing that I do hate though, is the fact that I look forward to them every year and hope they come faster, but when they do I know I have gotten a year older......and no further..Haha!  I guess I really just find contentment in the advancement in my musical career/education.  I mean I already have a career in mind besides the pro-musician one.  Making it happen is something else. We'll see.....

I think I am going to go pick out a recipe for me to try tomorrow and then go to Wegman's to grab the ingredients.  Have a great day!

-TQ

Currently Listening Stone Sour By Stone Sour see related

Good times!

So Saturday was a good night to have after my accident.  John called me and wanted to talk a bit.  I had just gotten back from the gym so I was HUNGRY.  I told him to meet me at Ollie Shakewell's.  We got there and sat down.  John was gonna bring his Sadowsky bass but thought nah who brings them to a restaraunt??.....Well then like 2 minutes later a band showed up and sat down next to us.   They were playing there that night.  Something  new. I didnt think Ollie's did that??  Anyway, they were called "The Five Percent".  John and I talked to them a bit and John got to fiddle on their guitars and bass while they set up.   He showed me alot of cool Metallica, Pantera, and Ozzy riffs. 

Oh man!!  Our waitress looked so much like Ally and we both immediately noticed it. We just looked at eachother and were like, "Woah!"  Then we of course started talking about her wishing she had come out.  Then the band started playing some good tunes and that didn't help at all.  John sent her a text to let her know we were thinking of her. We miss ya Ally!

 Speaking of John....today he is coming out the drum shop for his first practice!!!  He's got like the best set-up of any.....ROCKSTAR!   Seriously, $3,500 Sadowsky Bass, Ampeg Amp, and a full stack.......two 410's I believe. Yea watch the fuck out.  Coming to a town near you. that shit breaks wndows right now.  Friggen awesome. 

Then I met up with Christina and the gang.  We sat and hung out a bit.  Then Christina, Gina, and I went back to Christina's and watched Saw 2. Amazing storyline those movies have.  OH! by the way, on the way to her house I pulled up along side of a stock 5.0 Stang and kicked its ass..TWICE with my Stang!  Poor bastard never had a chance. I should be getting my Subaru back in 3-4 weeks.  Basically needs a whole LEFT SIDE of the car. Yea... At least I am alive!  Thank you Jesus!That's all for now.......

-TQ

Currently Listening Brandi Carlile By Brandi Carlile see related

So WOW!  I went to Philly last night with Matt to go see Brandi Carlile.  SHE WAS AMAZING!  I managed to get some pictures of her as well as some video..shhh teehee!  The best part???  I got to meet her and get a picture AND an autograph with her!  Her performance was amazing!  She played my personal favorite, "Happy", and played a few I haven't heard yet.  The song entitled, "My Song" was so awesome!  I loved that one. Her stage presence was truly something I could not compare to anyone else.  She really does have her own unique style and that's so cool.

Foe those of you who don't know her, Brandi Carlile is a 23 year old from Washington state. She plays folk/folk-rock music. She sings and plays guitar with "The Twins" who play guitar and bass for her.  Her newest addition is her drummer whom she refers to as "Coach"  She is truly amazing to me and relatable.  It's so cool that I get into her and meet her shortly after.  I can not wait to see her again.  She played at "World Cafe" in Philly which is a high class, non-smoking, clean, bright and fancy venue.  If you want to check out her site go to  (www.brandicarlile.com)  She also has a MySpace as well. I can seriously get lost in her music.  She is simply wonderful.  .