Lafayette

Happiness is ...

- Having a day off after working for Gus in another state.

- Driving a brand new Saturn rental care with XM Radio ... the comedy channels were really good and it made the drive to Lafayette go by faster. Also, I accidently pressed the OnStar button but the operator was cool when I told him it was by accident.

- Doing Dream Court games with Gus, more fun than should be allowed.

- Being a Cubs fan right now, if you are one.

- Watching Michigan somehow get a huge win in The Big House while sitting with ticked off Purdue fans in a Lafayette steakhouse.

- Hearing about YOUR Central Michigan University Chippewas somehow surviving another wacky MAC finish.

- A rainy Monday to get laundry done.

- A Calftown garage to turn the amp up. Preferably to 11.

- Not being a Rams fan, or a St. Louis Cardinals fan.

- A balky back finally starting to loosen up. FINALLY. There is nothing worse than tying to blow the whistle on a Macker youth court from Testosterone Hell and not being able to stand up.

- Trying to decipher a message from Tookie and finally just giving up without wondering just what he is babbling about again.

- A guitar student getting it.

- A Border Collie hiding in the bathroom during a thunderstorm. Well, it's not happy for her, just funny to me.

- Not being in the hospital.

- Watching the rain from the porch with a hot cup of coffee.

- Getting calls about the band and wondering if we're playing soon (we are, stay tuned).

Get Better Dangit

A big shout out to Shey Fey, who is battling The Bug. Get better dangit!

A long walk in Woodland last night with Brown Eyed Girl and it was beautiful. Maybe it was the tilt of the sun or something.

Predawn Hour plays a show tonight at Turner Hall. A long lost friend recently turned up for the singer and guitar player .... more in tomorrow's paper.

Kelly Wilson of The Whig is writing an awesome blog about living this week on just $25 for food. Our podmate, who is bigger than Charlie Weiss, spends $25 on lunch tips during the week. It's a good read so check it out.

Heading to Lafayette today for the last Gus Macker of the year. This is usually a good tournament, just wish it wasn't so far away.

Thinking about the national championship in California in two weeks too, but as usual there's too much going on around here.

Now this, friends, is assault with a deadly weapon. I'm thinking the gas chamber would be suitable punishment. This story really stinks and lends itself to a lot of bad jokes in passing.

Clay Who?

Somebody said something about Clay Aikens being gay and having a child.

Clay Who? Is he a painter or something?

Oh, wait .... wasn't he a cornerback for Notre Dame during the Gerry Faust dynasty era?

For some real dating advice from a real football guy, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, click here.

And Detroit Lions fans rejoice ....

Quiet Month

Not much new with the band lately, we've missed the past few practices due to Life Itself, which gets in the way all the time ...

So, hope to start back up this week. Next Funions show is Oct. 31 at The Elks, guests and friends invited.

CD project hopefully starts early October.

Too Much Fun, Go MSU, Bad PA

Tons of people having waaaaaayyyyyy too much fun in Marcelline last night. Waaaaaayyyyy too much fun ....

Normally I sympathize with people who are having a tough time getting around .... and I am NOT a Michigan State fan, but yesterday was the exception.

The Chippewas lost for the third time in a year to Purdue. Ironically, I'm heading to Lafayette, Ind., this weekend for the final regular Gus Macker of 2008.

The marching band did a great job at the QHS football game Friday night. I did not stay for the second half because the PA guy drove me nuts.

Announce the ball carrier, the tackler, the down and the distance. DON'T give a gibberish play by play the whole game. DON'T "count down" the clock. DON'T make a fan bus announcement sound like the final seconds of a Super Bowl going into overtime.

There. I feel better ...

Saturday Night Party

Hope to see up in lovely Marcelline tomorrow night as Carl Thomas and the folks put on a rock and roll bash.

Beautiful night again for another Calftown garage sale, football games, grilling, etc.

Get out and enjoy it, there aren't that many left!

Car rock

The world's cutest niece, and the last of the Hart grandchildren, Erin Youngsma, in all her Labor Day Phoenix glory ...

In a few days Erin's cousin turns 17. I'm driving back from Macomb with her tonight listening to her iPod plugged into the car stereo and there was the strangest music playing .... a lot of it sounds like bands that want to be like Coldplay or Smashing Pumpkins.

Then "Baba O'Reilly" by The Who comes on, and a little later a live version of "Under Pressure" by Queen, with the last song before hitting home "Super Freak" by Rick James.

Your cousin rocks, Erin.

Jamming with Logan

Enjoyed doing the PA at the Quincy High football game yesterday. Gotta give credit to the teams and officials, the game was played in the pouring rain and twice delayed because of lightning. There was some grumbling from fans when the game was delayed but the officials were only doing their jobs, and severe weather is nothing to mess around with.

Last night I'm home hanging with Em when I get a call from Logan Kammerer of Fielder. He's down at the North Side Boat Club and supposed to play with the band at the Callie Frese benefit .... but the band had issues and couldn't make it. So Shey Fey and I loaded up and headed down to Front Street.

It was a blast. Logan is an amazing acoustic guitar player and singer and has great songs. Geesh, more fun that you should be allowed to have!

Fielder plays tonight at the Jed's Brewhouse (18th and Chestnut) benefit, with Cheeks McGee and The Blue Healers.

Mud, ND-Michigan

There's a massive garage sale going on right now in the alley south of 11th and Monroe. Between airport gawking and garage sale observations, I have enough material for at least a month's worth of H-W columns.

Went to the QND game last night, stood in the mood by the end zones and sidelines, should have worn my West Quincy Levee galoshes.

Great game, tremendous win for the Raiders.

I'll be at the QHS game this afternoon. Not a big fan of Saturday high school football, but when you are playing at team from another time zone .... gotta do what you gotta do. You might not see me there, but you will definitely hear me!

Michigan vs. Notre Dame is at the same time, and the game is kind of flying under the radar because both teams are struggling. That makes it all the more of a crucial contest. Michigan turned its season around after an emphatic win last year.

I hate Notre Dame. To you-know-where with you, Charlie.

And, tonight, USC will dismantle Ohio State.

New Time

The U2charist service is now scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 2. See previous post for more details.

More U2charist

The next U2charist service is Sunday, Nov. 2, at First Union United Methodist Church in Quincy, 7 p.m.

We'll be playing a few more songs and streamlining the service a little bit. Some local residents are heading to Liberia for a mission trip in January, and the theme will be missions no matter where you live or where you choose to serve.

We'll learn a few more U2 songs but we do have some really cool surprises lined up, some songs you'd never expect us to play in a church service, that's for sure!

Can't wait ....

Old (Young) Drummers

Got a call yesterday from former Funions drummer Justin Busen, doing well and going to school in Florida now.

Justin is living with his mother, Funions Hall of Famer Julie Lane, and playing drums with a buddy. They are hoping to recruit a bass player and singer and start playing.

It's hard to believe it's been four years since Mark and I hooked up with Justin and guitarist extraordinaire David Stegeman. Many of the songs eventually recorded two years later were started during Vermont Street basement jam sessions. We only played a few shows, sadly, including several incredible shows at The Hawks Nest, Turner Hall and the cafe inside The Crossing, now closed.

The young guys were a great influence on old farts like Mark and me. Well, me, maybe.

Continued success to Justin and his mother.

Healing In The Rain

The Blue Healers again rocked it out Saturday at Smoke On The River.

First of all, a big thanks to the Quincy Exchange Club for putting on the BBQ and utilizing our riverfront. It takes a ton of work and effort and the Exchange Club guys always pull it off, just like for Gus Macker.

The Cheeseburgers sounded really good at the Dock's outdoor stage in the afternoon. The Healerstook the stage and it started raining which kept the crowd down, but they guys still had fun and everybody who was there, wet or under the tents and porch roofs, did too.

Didn't stick around for Scott Boy Daniels .... if anybody saw them let me know how it was.

With the rain coming down, we bailed on the idea of going to The Grove to see Slick Woody, hope they had fun, inside or out.

Check out UMR's take on Oprah, the most dangerous woman in the world.

College football Saturdays ROCK. Now comes the Michigan-Notre Dame game, two struggling teams looking to make a statement.

And ... my Chips fell flat on their faces in Athens, but that's OK. Other MAC teams like Ohio and Miami did the conference proud.

Carl's Still Rocking

Carl Thomas called today and said his new band will be playing in Marceline Sept. 20.

Carl was the bass player for the Slink Rand Band, but apparently they had some issues and have called it quits.

Always thought Slink and the boys should have played classic blues and rock and roll, not the harder stuff they started doing, but to each his own. There's no denying Slink, Randy, Carl and the singers they went through could rock it out.

Anyway, Carl is now playing guitar in this band. Can't think of the name but we'll have more details soon.

Big music day Saturday, with Cheeseburgers and Blue Healers at the Smoke On The River event. They play at The Dock, Cheeseburgers at 3 and Healers at 6.

Slick Woody plays tomorrow night outdoors at The Grove Inn, another good time for sure, so get out there this weekend and enjoy!

Practice, Smells

Funions practice again was a blast tonight. We have seven or eight songs I think we can pull off right now for the CD project, plus a couple more we hope to learn.

Good to see Jason and Warren from SevenD2 or however they spell the name now ... the alphabet police arrested them recently I believe. They have a show at the Kix Club Sept. 20.

Late during practice we were starting a song when Pat stopped it and started gagging before sticking his head out an open window. The practice space at Vegas Music is fairly tight and it's never a good thing when gas is passed, especially the insidious SBD (silent but deadly) type.

Nobody is sure who passed the gas but it accusations were made it had something to do with the singer and guitar player who ate at the 18-Wheeler this evening after coming back from St. Louis. All lies! Unfortunately Jack Inghram was not at practice, but he'll be hired first thing tomorrow morning to defend the singer's honor.

Being falsely accused .... stinks!

Dirty Harry

A big welcome home tomorrow for Shey Fey, who had her Labor Day Weekend extended a few days, not by choice. Home Sweet Home tomorrow ....

I'm watching the Dirty Harry movies on AMC this week. The Enforcer is on right now and it's an amazing movie, they just don't make em like they used to. The soundtrack, the photography, the great Eastwood one-liners .... fun to watch!

Fall Ahead

Back from AZ, where it wasn't 115 in the shade but just plain glorious.

Fall is here and I'm wondering where the summer went.

Time to get on the wagon again, more later.

Michigan might win five games this year. Might.

But low and behold, look who YOUR Central Michigan University Chippewas play Saturday - the No. 1 team in the country! They better not overlook LeFevour and Co. ... and unfortunately, they won't, because the 'Dawgs have one of the best coaches and staffs in the country.

Glad you are as fired up about going back to the office as I am ....