Keith Richards unveils new Calftown fence

OK. My Saturday morning just got bettter (see previous post).

Keith is a great guy ....

No More BK

There are summer Saturday mornings when a greasy breakfast sandwich is not just an idea, it has to happen.

So this morning I hop on the scooter and go to the Burger King at Seventh and Broadway. I walk in and there is nobody in the place, save for a guy in the back eating breakfast and reading his paper. I yell and nobody, and I mean nobody, is there.

So I get back on the scooter and pull to the back and the two employees are standing there smoking.

Congrats, BK. You lost my business for good. Too bad, I liked the place a lot because it was usually quiet and you never had to wait long.

There might be reasons for that.

Old NBA

I'm home for lunch today and turn on ESPN Classic, and they are showing a Christmas Day 1970 NBA game between Atlanta and Phoenix.

ESPN Classic needs to do more of this instead of showing the dumb bowling and poker shows. For Phoenix, Connie Hawkins is tearing it up in the second half until Mendy Rudolph calls him for his fourth foul. For Atlanta, Pistol Pete Maravich has the high socks with the shorty shorts and he shoots it every chance he gets.

The scorer's table is just that - a table. The players are sitting in metal folding chairs. Keith Jackson is the announcer and the graphics are hilariously huge, with the score flashing once every five minutes.

And ... no obnoxious music or PA announcers annoying the crowd.

I vote for more of this. If they can dig up some old NHL games, well ... I'd be hooked.

Hot and Rainy Music Nights

Weekend started with a band with a tremendous Blues In The Park show by Laurie Morvan. This gal is an incredible guitar player, singer and her band is superb - loved the gal she sang with, the harmonies were awesome. Easily the best Blues In The Park band ever! If you thought it was too hot and didn't come out, man, you missed out.

The Tappe boys did sound and did a great job. A few weeks ago there was another act and I heard people grumbling about the sound - well, geesh, ask for a refund (free shows hoser). The sound many times depends on the band and making sure nobody is cranked to 11. The mix in the park Friday was clear and you could hear each part of band perfectly.

We don't sit right in front, though some people prefer it. Off to the side it's not nearly as loud and actually easier to pick out the band instruments and vocals.

Last night the Cheeseburgers played the Hancock County Fair in Augusta and it was easily our tightest show so far. Despite the fact it was raining sideways on our way up there (at one point we saw water running uphill from a culvert, I am not making it up) we had no issues since we were under a big picnic type roof. The rain probably kept people away but the crowd was decent and they were waaaaayyyy into it, especially after beer-30 came and kept coming.

Snapped a string on each of my electric and my acoustic guitars. Now THAT's a good gig.

We have a young guy named Brian who is our roadie/sound guy/string fixer, and he's the bomb. To start the fourth set he dresses up as Angus Young and plays a mean guitar on "Dirty Deeds" you have to see to believe ...

Anyway, getting better and still having more fun than should be allowed ....

Home Improvement - Fence me in UPDATED

So Shey Fey decides last week we are going to replace 52 feet of 6-foot wood fence in the backyard.

The old stuff was rotting and starting to fall apart. We have the hot tub right against that section and once more big storm, well, we'd all be falling apart.

We bought six sections of fence at Lowes. They wanted $500 plus to install it. GEESH. Racket city!

So we tore the old pieces down last week with her nephew, Brant, helping. Then Brant's big brother came by and dug the post holes (unfortunately a couple of them were in the wrong places). Rev. Dirk was here early in the week and he helped Shey Fey dig three new ones and measure the post holes correctly.

This morning we hauled the sections and leaned them against the posts, now we are waiting for Keith Richards (you'll see some of the old fence) to show up and give me a guitar lesson and lend us his electric drill.

Home improvement sucks. But it's almost done. And Shey Fey hasn't killed me. Yet.

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE: Stupid fence is in. It's vertically challenged. But so am I. At least it was only 120 in the shade when we finished ....

Rain and Fences

Putting in a new fence. The Rev. Dirk is here from Lew-ville, he had to help Shey Fey dig a few holes Monday morning before the rain.

Then it looked like this.

I wish fences, especially big heavy wooden fences, could install themselves ....

Help me I'm melting ....

Yeeeeeeshh ... 120 heat index. In the shade. Even Lu and Bella could only do one leg around Woodland tonight. Had to dunk em in the South Park pond (where the freshwater comes in, not the icky green slime parts).

"NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER." Bad TV on a hot night, too hot to go outside.

I'm in Burger withdrawal, and no Weapons around, either ...

I hate Internet banking. Or banks that can't make Internet banking easy.

I'm ready for college football NOW.

I'm hearing that a Burger is playing at the St. Francis picnic this weekend. Gotta work. Crap.

Aha! Billy The Exterminator is on. Buh bye ....

Setting Stuff On Fire Is Fun!

If you don't believe me .... well, you just don't understand.

What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrEyG98ol2A

Don't Cry

C'mon. Dare you not to cry when you watch the Abba clip here.

See you at Blues In The District tonight!

Farewell, Probie

Bob Probert died yesterday. Not a big story around here. Back in Michigan and Chicago, well, huge.

Click here for more.

Bob Probert was a feared hockey player for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. He was a rare combination of goon and goal-scorer. When he and Stevie Yzerman helped the Wings back to hockey respectability in the late 80s, he was all the rage.

His demons halted his career for a while but he always seemed to come back. In the early 1990s, he came up to Alpena, Mich., where I was the sports editor for the local paper, and played in charity golf and softball events.

I remember being completely intimidated by him, but all he did was talk with fans, sip water while his teammates hit the beer, scratch his sunburned nose and generally charm everybody in town.

Somewhere I have a newspaper that he signed. Can't believe that's creeping up on 20 years ago.

There was no middle ground with Probie. And it's a sad day for hockey fans, in general.

It's the flight and landing that counts

What I learned a long time ago about playing in bands is that the takeoff is important, but it's the flight and the landing that really count.

Friday night in Hannibal, we had some sound system issues. You know what? It happens. My wireless guitar setup was acting up on the first couple of songs, the main speakers shorted out and we sort of stumbled through the beginning of the set.

I can actually hear myself sing in the Cheeseburgers, now I gottta work on the guitar monitor mix. All in good time, inner monitors and other things will come.

After a little bit we hit our groove and had the place rocking. Remember - we are NOT responsible for our behavior! These mud volleyball people are nuts .... Click here if you are on Facebook for pics.

This whole recovery after playing for four hours things is still taking some used too. In my short acceptance speach, I would like to thank the academy, Ibuprofen and my hot tub.

A couple of weeks off after three straight weekend shows, then back at it toward the end of the month.

You can't legally have this much fun, can you?

Muddy Start (updated with links!)

The annual media mud volleyball challenge Thursday night kicked off yet another exhaustive weekend of activities. That's me, getting taped up before our matches by team captain Tommy VanNess, while Rev. Ryan Reed waits his turn. More Shey Fey pics here.

Classic H-W slide show here, more blog love here.

The Herald-Whig let a TV station win this year. But I got to shower with Rajah Maples. Let me explain ....

The mud volleyball pits are right by the levee in downtown Hannibal, part of Tom Sawyer days, and thousands flock to the area for the weekend tournament. This year we let KHQA win because we dominated last year and felt sorry for them.

We weren't able to jump into the Mississippi River to "clean off" like last year, so we used the community spigots on the north end of the pits. Rajah, I love you. Even if you serve like Chris Duerr.

Ever sink your feet into three feet of gooey Mississippi River mud? Bud Light Lime really helps take the edge off. That's all I'm saying.

We are right back at the Y Men's Pavillion by the courts tonight for a Cheeseburger show, 7 bells sharp and it's gonna be HUGE. Predawn Hour plays right up the street starting a few hours later. I've been told the bring the A game cause it's a big party.

Thankfully we have Saturday to recover at the O'Brien annual 3rd of July party, and Sunday fireworks with mom and dad Mays at Spring Lake. I'll need a vacation from my time off AGAIN.