the tonedef blog

I know I did. After last weeks battle with whatever bacteria or virus invaded my system, this weekend was a great time. The weather was great and health for the whole family was good.

Friday evening, Band Mom, Pooh, Things 1 & 2 and I went out to dinner. After dinner, we stopped at Blockbuster to pick up some movies for the long weekend. When we got home Things 1 & 2 went upstairs and watched their Bratz movie while Band Mom, Pooh and I watched Pooh’s pick…Memoirs of a Geisha. Damn that movie was long. It wasn’t bad, but wow. After the movie, I played some poker on the PS2 for a few hours before calling it a night.

Saturday, we (and like always by we I mean Band Mom) decided we should take the kids and her Mom and Aunt to the Aviary. This did not seem like a day of excitement for me, but who knows. It turned out to be pretty cool. The National Aviary in Pittsburgh is actually really nice. I’ve never been there before. The kids had fun trying to locate all of the birds in the natural enclosures. Also its not so big that you get overly tired wandering around.

After the Aviary, we headed down to the Strip District and had dinner at The Spagetti Warehouse. This was Pooh’s idea. She loves the place. I, however, was not all that impressed. Maybe it was my selection of dinner. I won’t rule out going there again, but I also wont go out of my way. On the way out of the Strip we stopped at the Chinese grocery so Band Mom’s Mom and Aunt could get some supplies.

We dropped Band Mom’s Mom and Aunt home and then headed to Robb’s for a Memorial Day party. There were a few people there including Sal. Sal kills me. I spent the next few hours just sitting around and cracking up with Sal. After a couple of hours at Robb’s we had to take Pooh to her Dad’s. Then we headed home. Things 1 & 2 were beat by then. It was a pretty long day. They headed to bed and I stayed up and played poker on the PS2.

Sunday, I cut the grass before it got too hot out. Band Mom was on a cleaning kick and Things 1 & 2 played with the neighbors in a kiddy pool that Mr. P set up for the kids. After I cut the grass and took a bath I helped (and by helped I mean did what I was told and stayed out of the way) Band Mom clean up our office a bit. After that it was a lazy night that ended with me playing more poker on the PS2.

Monday, my folks decided to have a little bar-b-q. In the morning, I worked on some code, while Band Mom planted some flowers. My Dad came and got the kids around 1 to take them over to my folks’ house to play in the kiddy pool. Around 3 Band Mom and I went and picked up her Mom and Aunt and headed over to my folks. We had a nice Memorial Day dinner of burgers and dogs and other grilled treats. We hung out there till around 6:30 or 7 then Band Mom dropped Things 1 & 2 and me off at home so I could get them bathed and ready for bed while she took her Mom and Aunt home. I got the kids all settled then finished the code I was working on earlier. Then since Band Mom decided to stop at WalMart on the way home to pick up more flowers I ended another night with some PS2 poker.

All in all it was a nice relaxing weekend.

Saturday was Community Day. Band Mom has put a ton of time into this event. She and Councilman Matt organized the whole day. Its a great idea that they had to bring a bing community festival to Washington on Pike Days weekend. Too bad I still felt like a giant sack o’ crap! Band Mom got up early Saturday and headed to the park, while I slept on the couch some more. About 11:30, I got moving and loaded the kids up and headed over to the park. The band was there already getting things set up for the days entertainment. We were supplying the back-line for the day with drums, guitar amp, bass amp and PA. First up was the Washington Middle School Jazz Band. They did a nice little show.

At 2 the Battle of the Bands started. These were all high school kids. I wish I felt better, because I would have liked to actually pay attention to what some of them were playing. The bands were, Republic Nudity, The Mondays, Steelwater (Pooh knows these guys from Avella), The Swedish Fish Experiment (Pooh’s cousin Bob), and Riff Raff. Bill, Rock, Ken, and Corey (former Altered State guitarist) were the judges. Riff Raff won the batttle and SFE was the runner up. SFE won the peoples choice.

After this the guys from Backburner came out and played a little set. Then we played. Somehow, I managed to sing a few. I’d rather have been on the couch asleep, but it worked out okay. Then Judge John DiSalle and a portion of his new Washington Swing Orchestra played for us. Again, I wish I felt better, because I think I would have enjoyed them. Bill sat in on drums with them and Donnie Cameron played bass for a few songs. Donnie Cameron was the next act of the evening doing his new country thing. Finally the Mayor of Washington did his Elvis tribute leading up to the fire works.

After the fire works we tore everything down. Things 1 & 2 went home with my folks. I went home and slept on the couch again.

I really wish I didn’t feel like poop today. This could (should) have been a really fun day. Band Mom busted her ass to put on a great first year event. Next year should be an even bigger, better event.

Wake up to a phone call from my doctor’s office today. It turns out the radiologist finally looked at my chest x-ray from Wednesday’s ER visit. Oh…I have pnemonia (sp?). yeah! They called in a script for Zithromax! A pretty hefty antibiotic that I know sits okay as I’ve takent it before. At least I know what’s what now right?

Thursday, my doctor fit me in at 2 in the afternoon. I spent the morning time sleeping on the couch again…surprise. Then Band Mom took me to the doctors. He confirmed that all the blood work and other tests were good from the ER. His only addition: lets not take any antibiotics and let my body recover…yippee…Back home and to sleep on the couch…

So Wednesday, was spent on the couch…And in the bathroom. Biaxin and my digestive system do not mix. Explosive diarea is an understatement. Oh then I passed out again. Band Mom decided I needed to go to the ER. I spent a good 6 hours in the ER Wednesday night. They ran blood work, took chest x-rays, gave me IV fluids. What the hell is going on. Well, it looks like nothing. All tests are negative. EKG is good, chest x-ray is clean. Follow up tomorrow with family doctor…One good thing, I got the ER doc to prescribe amoxicillan instead of Biaxin. As soon as I got home it was sleep on the couch…again.

After a half day of work, I decided I was finally sick enough to make a trip to the doctors. So I left work at lunch time and headed to MedExpress to get looked at. While I was there I proceeded to pass out. The docs there decided I had some kind of sinus infection or bronchial infection. and set me up with an antibiotic (Biaxin) and a decongetant spray. Hope this helps. I dropped off my script and went home and proceeded to sleep the day away.

Band Mom went out later and picked up my scripts. I started the Biaxin before bed. Wow, I feel like crap.

Went to work on Monday. Maybe, I shouldn’t have. Feel like crap. Doctors are for wusses. Sleep will cure me.

Since we celebrated on Saturday, Sunday was just for Band Mom around the house. First I headed to Krispy Kreme for some doughnuts. Then it was time for outdoor stuff. I cut grass, and took apart the broken parts of the swing set. Pooh got Band Mom the new Nickleback CD and Things 1 & 2 got Band Mom a hanging plant for the back porch. My present was ordered via Target.com but hadn’t come in yet. oh well.

Suddenly, in the evening I started to get massive chills. That doesn’t seem like a good thing…More to come…

We decided (as always by “We” I mean Band Mom) that Mother’s Day would be celebrated on Saturday this year. We were going to take my folks, Band Mom’s Mom, and Aunt to Phipps Conservatory for Mother’s Day. Band Mom went out late Friday night to last minute gift our mom’s for Mother’s day. I got up early and proceeded to piss Band Mom off causing a big blow up. I have the ability to stir the shit on any day that should be a nice relaxing day for Band Mom…You know like birthdays, Mother’s Day, any holiday pretty much…Its a curse…

We finally get past all of that and head to get Band Mom’s Mom and Aunt. We load them up and head to Phipps. We get there about the same time as my folks so noone is waiting around for long. Its a little early in the season for Phipps, so the flowers are okay, and the butterflies haven’t peaked yet. But I think everyone had a good time. Things 1 & 2 found all of the owls I think (40) which kept them occupied while we walked around.

After Phipps, we planned on going to dinner near Century III on the way home. Band Mom found this buffet that looked like a cross between a Chinese buffut and Old Country Buffet, so we headed there next. We get there and inform them that we have a party of 9. You’d of thought we said something more along the lines of ‘we are here to rape your women!’ because they didn’t seem all that happy to have a party of 9. Now the place is not super crowded, but it is dinner time. For some reason they decide that it would not be a good idea to move 2 tables together so we could all have dinner together. I thought Band Mom was going to kill someone. We finally left out of pure frustration at the fact that they would not do anything to make dinner in their facility even remotely enjoyable for our party.

We decided to try the Red Lobster up the road. HA! there are people wrapped around the building waiting to be seated. So the other direction on 51 I saw a Hoss’s. Everyone likes Hoss’s. They find it wonderful that we have a party of 9. So dinner is had at Hoss’s. After dinner, we take Band Mom’s Mom and Aunt home and the kids fall asleep in the car. So home we go.

All in all after the morning blow up, a nice Mother’s Day celebration.

Saturday was a busy day…

We (and as always by we, I mean Band Mom) planned a birthday party for Thing 2 for today. She decided on having it at Deer Ridge Golf & Sports Complex. This is a new (actually reopened and renovated) facility in Washington. Its a driving range/miniature golf course facility. So The party was at 1 o’clock. Band Mom had invited my folks, Miss H and crew, Bim and Bo, Beck and Jas, Robb Jules and A, and a few other neighborhood kids.

Running late as usual, we got there at just a couple minutes before 1, at the same time as my folks and Beck and Lil J. Bim showed up shortly thereafter and so did Robb, Jules and A, and one of the neighbor kids. Miss H and crew were late (what a surprise!) but not that late. The folks at Deer Ridge (related to Miss H, by the way) were real cool. They set aside a little area on the back deck for the party. Then they took our food orders and hooked all the kids up with balls and putters and laid out the basic rules for the mini golf course. Then the adults who wanted to play got their gear, we broke up into small groups (with at least one adult with each group) and headed onto the links.

The course was really nice. It features a lot of water; fountains, water falls, ponds… Its not an easy mini-golf course. But its also not one that is so hard the kids don’t have fun either. Its laid out really well, and was a lot of fun. (Okay, it was more fun because some of the adults kept score and I won!) After we finished our round of golf, we headed back to the deck and ate. After the meal, we ate some of Band Mom’s famous Monster Cupcakes and had some ice cream. Finally, Thing 2 opened her presents. All in all, I think all the kids had fun, and it wasn’t too taxing on the adults, the way some 3 year old birthday parties can be.

After the party, my folks took Pooh, Thing 1 and Thing 2 with them. Band Mom and I needed to be at Rock’s around 5 to get the gear for the show at Acacia. We were running a little late because of the party, but were still the first to show up. Bill got there next and we got the gear loaded into the two vans. Keyz got there at the last minute looking about dead. Remember, we played Friday night and he had to work early this morning.

We loaded up and headed down to CalU. On the way there Kenn called to let us know he’d be late. He got tied up in Pittsburgh. No biggie, we’ll get everything set up and when Kenn gets there we’ll just plug in his PA and get going. Then as we’re getting set up theres a phone call from Kenn. No real problem just, well, you know…HE RAN OUT OF GAS!!! So Band Mom takes me and Keyz to where Kenn is thinking we can push him down the hill to the party. Unfortunately the cops didn’t like that idea….So we grabbed Kenn and headed to the gas station to buy a can and some gas.

We got Kenn hooked up, but he still had to run to his house to get the PA. No biggie, there’s nobody really at the party yet anyway. Kenn finally gets back and we get rolling around 8 or so. Since the crowd was pretty small early on we decided we’d just play whatever the folks wanted to hear, and try some things that we’ve been toying with as kind of a playing practice. Kenn, still wasn’t feeling all that well, so I sang a few more songs than normal. We pulled out some stuff we did last week, like Smokin’ in the Boys Room, Word Up and Catscratch Fever. And to give Kenn a break we brought back Killing In The Name Of…with me singing it. That was different and fun. Around 11 Kenn was starting to run out of steam and we planned on ending then anyway so we played a few more and called it an night. Some of the Acacia brothers were offering up any kind of incentive they could to get us to play longer, but we kinda had plans too…

So we quick broke down and headed out. What did we have planned you ask? (even if you weren’t asking I’m telling you anyway!) Our pals Lady And The Tramps were playing halfway between Cal and Rock’s at The Crazy Horse. And last night Band Mom said we’d come out if the waited till after midnight to play “I Touch Myself” by The Divinyls. We rolled into the Horse a few minutes after 12, and the band was on break.

When they got back up, they played a few, and then threw out The Divinyls song to Band Mom! They held it for her. She was so tickled. They played a great final set and I’m glad we decided to go!

Next week, Shot:30 is taking a week off for the first time since Kenn joined the band! We’re all gonna do the Mother’s Day thing with family or just get some much needed sleep! We’ll be back on the 20th at Community Day at the Washington Park, so we look forward to seein’ you there.