Haunted Practice

Happy New Year! We leave 2009 with a ghostly Funions practice story from last night ....

We practiced last night at Club Vegas and some really strange stuff happened. The practice itself was awesome and it was the first time all six of us played together since Halloween and we just had a freaking blast.

But ....

"The dead people always come out on New Years," Pat said.

We had just started when a really bad smell started drifting through the room. Normally we all own up to passing gas, especially because every toot during a loud practice qualifies as an ISBD (insidious silent but deadly) toot.

This smell wafted in and out, hovered along the floor, drifted all over the place. Nobody took credit and it was just awful, like something dead was in the room.

We were all looking at each other. Might One says, "I wasn't gonna say nothing." It was really, really, REALLY rank.

A little later we are cranking our way through "Rock and Roll All Night" when Pat's drum monitor, which wasn't turned on, suddenly comes to life and literally blows him off his drum kit.

A few minutes later, the effects on my amp died. I mean they just quit working for absolutely no reason. I turned off the amp, replugged everything in .... nothing. Then a few minutes later it comes back on, again seemingly at random.

Pat says a lot of weird things happen in the building, a former funeral home. I think a lot of this ghost hunting stuff is a bunch of hooey, but if Pat says the ghosts were out and having some fun with us last night .... who am I to disagree?

Slip Slidin Away

Be careful out there, Q-town.

The inch or so of wet snow can really make things slick. I'm going to my car at noon today and stepped off the curb and WHAM the next thing I know I'm down after going ass over tea kettle.

Whatever ass over tea kettle means.

You know it's a spectacular crash when the UPS driver stops the ugly brown truck and asks if you are OK.

Hey. Ever see 5-feet-19-inches crash and burn? It ain't pretty.

I think this is one of those deals that will hurt a lot more tomorrow.

Hot tub therapy and a beverage of choice might help after work. Band practice too! Gotta get somebody to carry all my crap ....

Still hoping ....

Gonna get real cold in the Q-town .... ice by the New Year?

Jane Morris was an awesome interview a couple of weeks ago when she was in town visiting her mom. Jane owns her own theater near Los Angeles and helped start the Second City e.t.c. in Chicago years back. She is funny because she doesn't try to be funny, she just is .... Jane has been in dozens of movies and sitcoms over the years.

Now she just added me as a "friend" on Facebook. I might need to sit down for a second.

Facebook has also helped me connect with my old Alpena buddy Anthony Rothman, who was the sports anchor for WBKB in my first years up there. I miss the fellowship with my fellow media brethren, it just doesn't happen here .... Anyway, Anthony is doing great as a sports guy in Columbus, Ohio.

Might need to make a road trip, AR ....

Fitness

For Christmas, Shey Fey got a three-month pass to a local fitness center.

We went this afternoon and I it will take some getting used to for her. We are used to walking the dogs in the great wide open, not walking around a track in front of a bunch of people.

It's an awesome place but it is sprawling and I can see why some people may be a bit intimidated at first. I've been there many times and it's no big deal to me.

Plus .... Rocky Cola, one of the few sane Web Warriors in this world, was there! HUUUUUGGGEEEE.

And no. I'm not playing roller hockey, Rocky .....

Lotsa iPod

Rev. Dirk just headed back to the Ville after a very nice four-day visit. If he can make it down the Eighth Street hill to Ill. 57, it should be smooth sailing the rest of the way.

Shey Fey got me a 16-gig iPod Nano for Christmas. I don't know what 16 gig means, other than "it holds a lot of stuff." It also has the coolest video camera and it should be fun figuring it out.

I am working this weekend and it was a little strange last night doing a story about a new way to make meth while blasting out Trans-Siberian Orchestra in the newsroom. Some had a merrier Christmas than others ....

This morning's Dirk Jr. Kitchen Catastrophe involved not snapping down the coffee filter and flooding four drawers and the floor with caffeine. Someday Shey Fey will simply snap, I swear.

And the best news of all .... Rev. Dirk has started his prostate cancer treatments and is feeling good. He announced that a new study shows caffeine and beer are good ways to prevent and treat prostate cancer.

Maybe I have a shot against this thing, after all.

Kansas For Christmas

The 6-2 freshman gave me the coolest present ever last night.

She got all the members of Kansas to sign a sheet of music. When it's framed it will hang prominently on the wall in the Man Cave of Doom!

Listening to Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Let me know if there is better Christmas music, though you will lose the argument.

Rev. Dirk made a fantastic meal last night. The 6-2 freshman says, "Man, you are so lucky." She is right as she always is.

The dogs are soaked but happy after a Woodland walk, Shey Fey slumbers peacefully in an afternoon nap, and I'm watching the Christmas Eve rain drive steadily down.

But. Snow. Is. On. The. Way. So we are told.

Rain on Christmas

Blechhh. Just give me a little bit of snow. Please?

My father is here from Louisville making a big dinner tonight. 

Merry Christmas to everybody. Even the bad lawyers out there. Really. It says so in the Bible, you know.

Prayers for ....

Steve Eighinger and family. His father in law passed away from a heart attack Monday.

Tom Miller and family. His sister finally found peace after a long battle with ALS. The Funions played a memorable show at her benefit last year. 

Let it snow

Oh the weather outside is frightful ....

— Gotta love all the Facebook comments about bad driving when it snows.

— Shovel? What shovel? Do we have a shovel?

— Had fun hanging out with Dave Chastain and the Lake Trash Band at The Club last night. Dave and the boys tore it up as usual. I just wish I wasn't so dang old and could stay out later.

— Nice to see Jim Dennis and The Crossing getting things done at the old Calftown church near Ninth and Monroe. 

— Yesterday was one of those hellacious days that never seemed to end but went by quickly at the same time, if you know what I mean. I think this gal was one of the worst to come through Quincy in a long time, ranking up there with the Richard Carr's of this world.

— In much more positive and more important news, Bella The Destroyer likes the snow.

— Supposedly the dish gets set up today. 

— Bowl games start, as well. I will forget about coaches who couldn't care less about loyalty and enjoy the games.

— Be safe on this last weekend before Christmas!

Comcast fired

Shey Fey fired Comcast today after yet another rate increase.

I believe we are looking at DirecTV and another Internet provider.

That means a new email address and some other changes are on the way ....

Perfect Peace

Remembering my brother, Gregory Klaas Hart, on the seventh anniversary of his passing.

I think it was a brave thing. He found peace he'd been longing for. 

He joins his Aunt Anita Hart, who died today near Toronto after fighting cancer. The end could not come soon enough for her.

Aunt Anita and Greg are probably walking along the Georgian Bay shoreline tonight and laughing their heads off.

In tribute, the sun was out all day. Peace to them on a dark December day.

New Baby

Here she is .... the new Epiphone Les Paul Studio.

Melts my amp and purrs on the lower settings. 

More here ....

Kids In The Hall

I just watched a bunch of Kids In The Hall sketches, and it's another reason why Mike Provine's blog is the best in Quincy. No hot air, no anon web warriors, no pictures of old hockey gear .... just some really funny stuff.

Click here to see classic Kids In The Hall sketches. Kids In The Hall was a Lorne Michaels (Saturday Night Live) creation out of Canada and several, Dave Foley especially, became well known later.

The French Canadian skit is especially funny, though you might have to be from Canada to really get the humor. Excuse me, humour ....

No loyalty

Notre Dame hired Brian Kelly to be its next football coach. Click here for more.

Rats. Now a team I despise is coached by a guy who I really liked. But that was a long time ago.

Cincinnati should have known what they were getting into when they hired him away from Central Michigan University three years ago. I was at the last game Kelly coached for the Chippewas. Scott McNeal (Gus Macker) and I high-fived him on the field after CMU beat bitter rival Western Michigan. A month or so later he was the new coach at Cincinnati.

Read the comments from his players. He tells them one thing, but does the other. Nice message sent, coach Kelly. Also, nice little PR move by the school, banning media from attending the team banquet last night.

It's a bidness, obviously. Notre Dame is getting a Catholic guy with an Irish name who has done nothing but win. Maybe he'll turn the Bighting Irish around.

Sorry, coach Kelly. I'll be rooting against you, hard. 

It's just bidness.

Ready!

When it's cold like this, I say .... bring it on!

Unfortunately it's supposed to warm up into the 40s next week. The Pond is still three or four days away from having good ice ... rats.

BTW, those are my old blades in the pic, new ones being sharpened as we speak.

Had a lot of fun at Fuji last night, really cool concept and I highly recommend going. 

Also got icicles in my hair while sitting in the hot tub, a new experience.

Working on some cool Christmas carols for Sunday.

Oh, and yes, the newest member of the family will be officially unveiled soon, so stay tuned.

ccccccccooooolllllddddd

So we got lucky Wednesday and today. Still don't like the cold. 

Going to do the guitar lesson thing and check out the new Fuji restaurant tonight.

Saw the legendary Jeff Rabjohns, former H-W Sports Writer, last night. Took some of his money playing cards, too, and didn't feel a bit bad about it. Hope he has enough gas money to get back to Indy ....

Bella The Destroyer ate our Christmas tree. You might read more about this in print soon. 

Wait a second. Too cold for the hot tub?

Now THAT'S cold .....

Waiting Out The Cold

— A few more days of this weather and there might be a phone call make to the boys on South 24th ...

— Dear Coach Kelly, please don't take the Notre Dame job. Then I will have to despise you. You are OK right now, even though you bolted on my beloved Chippewas three years ago.

— The Hart Family College Football Bowl Challenge is about to begin. New this year is the pet entry, and I'm putting my money on Bella The Destroyer.

— It's nice to have a Christmas tree in a house once again.

— Air Specialists did a good job with our furnace issues. With a tax credit and rebates, it won't hurt quite so much for a new furnace.

— And you think you had a bad Monday ... click here.

Puppy Eyes Upstairs

Bella The Destroyer is looking at me with big puppy eyes as I sit in the Man Cave. "TAKE ME TO WOODLAND NOW DANGIT" is what she is howling.

Hang on, Destroyer. Go chew up some hot tub test strips or something for a few minutes. Wait a second, you already did that this week .... well, you know what I mean.

One of our two furnaces died Friday afternoon. Goodbye, $2,300. Hello a much more efficient furnace. And hello upstairs of house, since downstairs feels like Narnia when the Bad Witch made it winter all year long. It gets installed Monday so we'll be OK. I'll just sit in the hot tub for two days.

How About Them Chippewas? Quick, name the quarterback who has set significant NCAA records this season. I knew you could ....

We had a great Funions jam last night at Club Vegas, first time since October we've gotten together. I have a new addition to the family who I will introduce later, and she sounded glorious last night.

Finally .... it is cold outside, and I'm torn. On the one hand I am doing the Rice Crispies walk (Snap, Crackle and Pop) every time I stand up. On the other .... bring on the ice!

Be safe this weekend .... check out Warren and Jason from SevenD2 tonight at the Blind Pig if you are out and about.

Hacked

Somebody hacked into my Facebook account and sent emails claiming I had dirty pictures.

Shey Fey says it's probably not local, probably a professional dirtball who figures out passwords by keying in on specific words.

Password changed. If you did get an email via Facebook with such a message, DO NOT open. It caused at least one person I know to have a computer meltdown.

 

Kansas, Macomb style

Great show last night in Macomb ... click here for more.

I'm proud of the 6-2 freshman!

Snow, Kansas

HOLY CRAP. First snowflakes of the season this afternoon ....

Heading to WIU to see the 6-2 freshman. She's in the starting lineup as the WIU Orchestra plays with Kansas tonight! Carry on, my wayward son ....