the tonedef blog

Thursday night Band Mom had a meeting so I was on duty with the little ones. Everything started out pretty good. After work I came home and Band Mom headed out to her meeting. Then around 6:30 Thing 2 and I headed to Girl Scouts to pick up Thing 1 and our neighbor. The 4 of us stopped at McDonald’s and picked up a quick dinner. We got home and ate and later Things 1 & 2 got a bath.

After bath time…bed time. The girls went to sleep pretty easily tonight. Band Mom went out after the meeting with some of the folks from BPW. Cool that means the TV’s all mine tonight. So I get sucked into watching just about everything. Around midnight I decide to head to bed.

As I’m cleaning up the living room, Thing 1 comes down stairs pretty much covered in vomit. I get her in the bathroom and cleaned up. I ask her if she puked on the bed or floor or where so I can go clean it up. She says that she didn’t hit the bed and there is a little bit on the floor…HA! The bed is covered, and the floor….Well let’s just say I was surprised this much volume could come out of such a small child. So I take the dirty sheets down to the laundry and whip out the carpet shampooer. I know now that I would do no good in a hospital job. The smell of vomit sets me off. I pretty much thought I was going to yakk the whole time I was cleaning.

After it was all cleaned up Band Mom got home. She decided to sleep the night on the futon with Thing 1 for the rest of the night and I headed to bed around 2.

Thing 1 ended up taking Friday off from school and of course felt great all day!

Last night was the Black Label Society show. On my way home from work I stopped and picked up McDonald’s for the fam. I got home a little before 6, changed and ate. The show was at 8 and Keyz was meeting me at home to ride into the ‘burgh together.

As 7 came, I decided I should call Keyz to make sure he isn’t lost somewhere. Guess what…He was. He turned a bit early and was a few blocks from my house. I got him turned around and to my place. I drove from there. I can make the strip district in no time, so it looks like we’re gonna make it on time for the opening act, unless something unexpected or stupid happens…As we’re cuisin’ up I79 Keyz realizes he left his ticket in his truck…at my house…So I turn around at the next exit and jet back home. We get his ticket and are off again.

We hit the strip at about 8. By the time we get in to Club Zoo its about 8:15. Doesn’t look like the show has started yet so that’s cool. I can’t believe how many people they crammed in there It was pretty much nuts to butts from front to back in the joint. We found a little room near the sound booth on the floor and settled in.

The opening act, Sanctity finally hit the stage a little after 8:30. They were pretty cool. Played a bunch of songs from their soon to be released debut album. Then it was break time. It was getting pretty hot in there. Keyz decided he was going to go look at the shirts. I knew I wasn’t going to get anything, so I stayed put so we didn’t lose our spot.

BLS didn’t take the stage till after 10. (I just kept thinking work is going to come too early!) Keyz said it was a different set list than what he saw in Columbus on the last leg of the tour. They killed. The first half of the set was non-stop heavy stuff. They finally took a break and Zakk introduced the band. First was J.D. on bass. Then he intro’d Craig on drums. And finally, Nick on guitar. Nick of course got the biggest response being the hometown boy.

Then Zakk did a little acoustic guitar solo thing. Then played “Blood Is Thicker Than Water” just him on vocals and acoustic guitar. Then the band came out and Zakk moved to the keyboard for “Spoke In The Wheel”. Then they ended this mini set with the tribute to Dimebag song “In This River”.

After that they heavied it up again with “Fire It Up” followed by the extended Zakk solo. The band came back out and ended the show with “Concrete Jungle” and finally “Stillborn”. It was a killer show all around. The only thing either Keyz or I could have asked for is that they would have played “Superterrorizer”. But even without it the show rocked.

I got in about 1 and Keyz headed back to Ohio. If you ever get a chance to see BLS I would take it. Especially if it is in a venue as small as Club Zoo. I don’t think there was a bad seat (okay standing spot) in the house.

Last night I got a call from Keyz. He wanted to know if I was going to go to the Black Label Society show on Thursday. I got the OK from Band Mom and I’m in. After chatting with Keyz for a little bit, I jumped out to TicketMaster and got myself a ticket. (Keyz already had his. Its GA so doesn’t matter.)

I can’t wait. BLS usually skips Pittsburgh for some reason except on Ozzfest, which I never make it to. Keyz has seen them a few times when they were in Columbus.

Band Mom laughs at us because she knew The Evil Twin, Nick Catanese (BLS guitarist) when he was little Nicky in High Voltage back in the day. Band Mom learned everything she knows about marketing and promotion (well not everything probably, but a lot) from Nick Sr. in those days. (I’m just mad she couldn’t find the picture of him in pink spandex so I could take it to the show!!!)

Anyway, its hard to focus today, ’cause I just want to get to the show…

Sunday was the first day of the new Daylight Savings Time rules. So the clocks jumped ahead an hour at 2 AM. No big deal. It just meant I slept in a little later than normal. When I did get up Band Mom sent me out to get some donuts. After breakfast, I burned some new practice discs to take to practice today.

Practice was at 1. Everyone made it on time even with the potential for lateness based on the DST change. Today I took the mini-disc recorder to record practice for the first time. We practiced for a few hours then wrapped up in time for everyone to get home in time for dinner.

Outside of practice a pretty lazy Sunday.

Saturday, we all got up relatively early and got ready to go. Thing 1 had a Girl Scout event at the mall at 10. The plan for the day was to get her their, kick around the mall for a while and head to Band Mom’s Mom’s. Band Mom figured this event (which we had no idea what it actually was) shouldn’t take more than 2 hours…HA! It turns out the event was scheduled from 10 until 3. We (and as always by we I mean Band Mom) decided to let Thing 1 stay at the event until 1 or so, but we didn’t want to head to Band Mom’s Mom’s too late.

My folks came to the mall to see Thing 1. They decided to take Thing 2 and Pooh and do a little shopping in the mall. Band Mom and I went off on our own and kicked around the mall for a while. We found its hard to kill 3 hours at the mall when you don’t really need anything. We decided we go sit at Garfield’s so Band Mom could have a cigarette, and we’d get a drink and maybe a snack. We found my dad by himself and took him along with us. Then my mom, Pooh and Thing 2 showed up. So we hung out there for a while and then it was time to get Thing 1.

We rounded her up and headed to Band Mom’s Mom’s. Band Mom’s Mom wanted to try this Chinese buffet that a friend had taken her to in North Hills. So after we picked her up, we headed on up. It took a while to find the place as it was out of site from the road. I don’t think we’ll be heading back there anytime too soon. It was okay, but I think the one we’ve been going to in West Mifflin was better and for that matter Wai Wai in Canonsburg although smaller, is better as well.

After we ate we stopped at the Chinese grocery so Band Mom’s Mom could pick up some supplies. Then we took her home, stayed and chatted for a while, then headed home ourselves. The rest of the evening was spent getting some work done on my part.

This past Saturday was a busy one for Thing 1 and the rest of us for that matter. I got up early and headed out to BFE to pick up Pooh. She had a lock-in at her school overnight and her Dad picked her up from that. After I got her we stopped and picked up some McDonald’s breakfast for the fam. We all ate and started getting ready.

A little after noon Band Mom and I took Thing 1 to Giant Eagle so she could sell Girl Scout Cookies. While she was doing that Band Mom and I did some grocery shopping. Thing 1′s shift was up around 1:30 so we gathered her up on our way out of the store with our groceries. Then we headed over to Target so Thing 1 could pick up a birthday present for a classmate. We did that and then took her to the party which started at 2. After dropping her off, Band Mom and I headed home and put groceries away and everyone took a nap.

The party was done at 5 so I went to pick her up. We came home and got everyone else up and moving. We all then headed out for dinner. Band Mom and I were watching Food Network while we were laying down so we were hungry. We decided to head to Red Robin since Band Mom and I hadn’t been there yet. The kids have gone there with my folks, but we had never gone. If you haven’t been there and you like burgers, you gotta go. The burgers were excellent. I had their 5 Alarm Burger…Mmmm beef…

After dinner Band Mom decided she would let me shop for a new TV (yeah HD). We dropped the kids home so we could look without them bugging us. We started out at Sam’s Club. They had some nice tv’s but the ones I really liked were way to big for our house. The ones that fit our entertainment center just weren’t as nice. So next we headed over to Wal Mart. Band Mom liked this 32 inch Samsung, but I thought it was too small. It doesn’t sound small but from 10-15 feet away (about how far our couch is from the TV) it just seemed smaller than our current standard 27 inch. So we both kinda liked this Magnavox 37 inch. We would have gotten it, except they didn’t have any in stock.

Okay, so now off to Target. They had a similar Magnavox 37 inch, except it was silver instead of black and had the speakers on the side instead of under the screen, and was physically too wide to fit our entertainment center. DAMN DAMN DAMN!

Now what? Well, lets see if good ol’ Big Lots has any tvs in…NOPE. Okay, lets try the only crappy electronics store in this God-forsaken town, Rex TV at the mall. The malls open ’til 9 right? Yes it is, but stupid Rex closes at 8 on Saturday! What a crappy store…Now I’m starting to get a little pissed. See, when Band Mom is in a mood to buy, you have to do it. If we put this off until tomorrow, the mood will pass and it will be months (possibly years) before I get this chance again.

Let’s take another look at Sam’s again. Last time, I was so stuck on the recockulously huge Sony Bravia, that maybe I didn’t look closely enough at the other models. But Noooo, they close at 8 frickin’ 30 on Saturday. What kind of shit is that?

Okay, last chance…Let’s go look at the Magnavox at Target again, and see if there is a way to make the thing fit in our entertainment center…Maybe take the speakers off the sides (they just screw on, its not like they are molded in or anything). As we’re looking Band Mom notices that there is a 42 inch Magnavox plasma that is physically not as big as the 37 inch LCD, and only slightly more money…YES YES YES. We get it and head on home.

When we get home we enlist the use of our neighbor to help me get this monster in the house. We get it unloaded and put it on the entertainment center…Its a little bigger than we thought. Note to anyone shopping for HDs: The physical dimensions they give DO NOT INCLUDE THE SIDE MOUNTED SPEAKERS ON THE DISPLAY! Without the speakers it is a little big for our entertainment center. But not big enough to worry about. It still fits, so its in! Holy cow is it huge…After a little bit of rewiring the entertainment center and setting up the TV we are watching big ass TV. We don’t have the HD cable box yet, but size alone is cool.

I ended up breaking the thing in by watching Die Hard With A Vengeance. Then Band Mom checked out how the PS2 would look by playing a little bit of Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows. Freakin’ Sweet! I can’t wait to get the HD box on Monday and really see what this bad boy can do.

[UPDATE: Stupid Comcast doesn't have any HD boxes available and won't for a few weeks, according to Band Mom's call to them on Monday.]

Friday night after work, the fam ordered some pizza for dinner. After I finished eating, I got ready and headed to Bill’s to jam with him, Sal and Jimmy again. Sal and I both got there about the same time around 8. Jimmy was late again, but not as late as last time. He got there about 8:30. We jammed for a few hours and finally I got out of there around 1:30.

On the way home I had to stop at Wal Mart to pick up some stuff for Thing 1 for Girl Scouts. Tomorrow she is selling cookies at Giant Eagle. She had been using a sash that was my sisters from way back and it was quite faded. So we decided to get her a new vest. I also got her the patches that it needed. After, I got those things and headed home. Band Mom then applied the iron-on patches and we headed to bed.