the tonedef blog

Sunday Band Mom and I really slept in. We didn’t get out of bed and moving til about 11. By then, I had missed the McDonald’s breakfast window. We didn’t have much breakfast food in the house either. And Band Mom didn’t want to leave the house. (It’s frickin’ cold out) So we decided to order some take out from Bob Evans. Band Mom put in the order and about 15 minutes later I headed out to pick it up. I think everybody had a good breakfast.

The rest of the day was spent watching TV, doing a little cleaning and basically just lazing around. Things 1 & 2 went next door for a couple of hours to play. Finally around 6 I took Pooh to youth group, then Band Mom made some dumplings and soup for dinner. After dinner, Band Mom got the girls showered and ready for bed. Then their was more DVR before finally heading to bed.

Saturday was a slow starter. Everyone got up and did their thing. Eventually Pooh took Band Mom to work then went to Band Mom’s Mom’s to take her shopping and do a little cleaning. After they were gon I got myself showered and ready to go and got Things 1 & 2 ready to go. We then headed to Wal Mart. I needed to get some alergy medicine and the girls needed to pick out a birthday present for a party they were attending later in the day.

You’d have thought they were giving something away at the store. It was a mad house. It almost looked like Black Friday. But we got what we needed and headed out. I then dropped the girls at the party. After that I headed to my folks’ to pick up their DS charges that they left their forever ago. After that I headed up to the hotel and set up the PA. Then I went home and made myself some dinner and watched a little DVR. Eventually I headed back out and picked up Things 1 & 2. Then I brought them home and got them some dinner.

Pooh got home around 8 and then around 9 I headed back to the hotel for karaoke. It was a slow night with no singers. We hung out til close then packed up and headed home and to bed.

Friday was the first real snow of the year ’round here. Band Mom called me at work around 3 and told me that it was really snowing in town and I should leave early to make sure I could get the girls. Now I blew that off as over worry. Its not like this is the first time its ever snowed in Southwestern Pennsylvania. I know how to drive in the snow, and really how bad could it snow…

Well I was done working a little early and asked my boss if I could bug out early just in case. It was 4:10. I had to get the girls at 5. Normal drive time from work to school, about 25 – 30 minutes. I get outside and it doesn’t look like its snowed at all. A little wet, but not much else. I figure I’ll have to watch for slick spots and slow down a little, but 50 minutes will get me their way early…right?

I make the drive to the Interstate in the same time I would any other day. I jump on the highway and things seem to be going just fine. Until I’m about 3 miles out from an exit that is about halfway home. Then the Interstate becomes a parking lot. Oh well, I left early so as long as we’re moving, I’ll jump off at the next exit and take the back roads home and still get there on time. That’s how my thoughts started any way. And did I mention that my cell phone was dead so I can’t call to have someone else get Things 1 & 2? After over an hour I finally made it the 3 miles to the exit. Its now 5:30!

I get off the exit and head to the gas station right off the exit. They don’t have a pay phone and nobody is cool enough to load me a cell phone to call home. Finally the guy behind the counter says I can use a phone they have for emergencies and he felt I definitely had an emergency. I quick call Band Mom and tell her to get the girls. She already sent Pooh to get them, because she heard the Interstate was all FUBAR. Then she starts to blame me since she told me to leave at 3. Well, it wasn’t the weather that held me up, but crappy drivers.

It took me another hour to get from the gas station to the hotel. I turns out all of the town was backed up. Apparently there was multiple accidents in multiple directions on the Interstates, so All the alternate routes through town were also backed up. Recockulous!

My 25 minute commute turned into a 2 1/2 hour commute. I was annoyed. But Band Mom had already decided we were going to eat together at the hotel so at least I didn’t have to go home and figure out dinner on top of it all.

After dinner, I headed home. Pooh brought Things 1 & 2 home. I stayed for a little bit so that I could charge my stupid phone, then I headed back out. I went back up to the hotel to hang out and check out Bill Ali. I hung out till close then Band Mom and I headed home and to bed.

Sunday morning Band Mom and I slept in but good. No kids in the house coupled with a late night allowed us both to sleep in. I was up first to let the stupid dogs out, but that was actually no biggie. Around 1 I headed out and picked up Things 1 & 2 from my folks’. We stopped at Wendy’s and picked up some lunch for us all. We got home ate our lunch and I watched some DVR. Then Band Mom and I watched the latest episodes of Heroes and House on DVR.

Then it was time for the Steelers game. It was a hard fought game. Although the stats showed our offense as awesome, the scoreboard didn’t. But still a happy ending with a 11-10 win over the Chargers.

After the game, I got the girls showered and ready for bed. Band Mom did her thing and I got caught up on some more DVR before heading to bed.

Saturday started slow. Everyone got up and got ready to go. Had some breakfast, and even some lunch. Around noon my folks stopped and picked up Things 1 & 2. Then around 2, Band Mom, Pooh and I headed up to the hotel. Band Mom had to work, Poohs dad was picking her up there around 3, and Scooter and Trav were meeting me there around 3.

Scooter and Trav showed up and I got the PA and we loaded up and headed to practice. Practice went well again. We finished up our 4th song and went over the other 3 just to keep them fresh. After we practiced for a couple of hours, we started talking about how we were going to start recording some of this stuff. Not professionally or for public consumption, but just for us so we can remember the stuff we’re writing. We kinda came up with a plan of attack to start next practice. Around 6:30 we headed out.

Scooter and Trav dropped me at the hotel. They weren’t hanging out tonight. Scooter had ordered the UFC fight and Trav was heading home to the fam. So I got set up for karaoke and then I went home to feed the dogs and let them out for a little bit. I headed back and sat down with Band Mom and had some dinner.

Finally we did the karaoke thing. We had a smattering of singers. Some from the film crew. Some new folks. We finally go the bar closed around 2 and got everything packed up and headed home.

Friday was Band Mom’s Mom’s birthday. Since Band Mom had to work, we had a birthday dinner at the hotel. After work I got Things 1 & 2 from after school. And around 6:30 we headed up to the hotel. Pooh had Band Mom’s car and with her boyfriend went and collected Band Mom’s Mom and Band Mom’s Aunt who came to visit for the weekend.

We all had a nice dinner and Band Mom opened her presents. Then we had some cake. Some of Band Mom’s coworkers and the owner of the hotel all stopped by during dinner to wish Band Mom’s Mom a Happy Birthday. (And I found out later that the owner actually picked up our tab…which was unnecessary but very cool!) After all of that Pooh took Band Mom’s Mom and Aunt home, and I headed home with Things 1 & 2.

After Pooh dropped Band Mom’s Mom and Aunt off, her and her boyfriend came back to our house. I then took Band Mom’s car and headed back to the hotel to see Tom Terling and have a few drinks. Some of the film crew were still around and they dug the shit out of Tommy. The majority of his final set was all originals and some I hadn’t heard before so that was cool. After the bar closed Band Mom and I headed home and to bed.

Sunday was Pooh’s 18th Birthday. Watch out…

For her birthday she wanted to take a trip to Dave & Buster’s. Well, who could say no to that. Morning rolled around and everyone got up and started getting ready. Band Mom and I were moving a little slowly after the last 2 late nights, but we were moving. Pooh’s boyfriend showed up a little after noon and we got on our way. We made it a couple of exits down the interstate when Band Mom realized she forgot her cell phone, so we turned around and went back for it. We finally got to Dave & Buster’s around 1:30.

Pooh and her beau headed off on their own, while Band Mom and I took Things 1 & 2 and started our gaming. The girls prefer the games that win tickets so they can get prizes so we played them for a while. Then Band Mom found her favorite game, Aliens Extermination. So we left her on her own for a while.

Eventually, everyone started getting hungry so we took a break and went to the restaurant for some lunch/dinner. After we ate we headed back to the arcade. Much gaming was done by all. Around 5:30, we decided it was time to get going. So we cashed in our tickets and Things 1 & 2 both got some little things. Then we headed home.

Once home, Band Mom took Pooh back to her dad’s and I got Things 1 & 2 bathed and ready for bed.

Saturday Band Mom had to work as usual. Pooh also had to work the event at the hotel. Before noon Things 1 & 2 went next door to play with JuJu. That left me alone in the house for most of the day. I ran a few errands, did a little cleaning and got caught up on DVR watching. I had talked to Band Mom earlier in the day and asked if she was going to get a chance to sit down to dinner with me and she said yes so I headed to the hotel a little early.

When I got there it was busy as fuck. Band Mom was runnin’ all over. She didn’t have time to sit down. But I ate anyway and she had eaten earlier when she had a break so…There was a big event going on in the hotel so the bar was getting some folks from that. But they were using our PA for the event so I couldn’t set up for karaoke until they were done with it. So after I ate I sat in the bar and had a couple of beers. Also as any employee walked by I had them sign a birthday card for Pooh.

Then Band Mom walked through with Corey Haim and his fiancee Tiffany Shepis. Corey’s in a movie that’s filming at the hotel and is staying for a couple of days. Band Mom was giving them the tour and getting them some dinner.

After they ate they came over to the bar for the karaoke and to hang out. I have to admit that Corey was a pretty cool guy. He talked to everyone there, posed for pictures, whatever. I was kinda expecting him to be an ass. I don’t know why…I guess that’s the way he’s portrayed in the press, or maybe I just expect any celeb to be an ass on general principle. Either way it wasn’t the case.

The crew from the film had been at the hotel for a while, and I had met some of them last week after our party. So a bunch of them were in the bar as well. We had a good crowd between them and the event crowd and some regulars. A dude from the crew and Tiffany sang a bunch of karaoke.

I got a chance to chat with Corey and Tiffany for a little bit, and they were totally cool. They thanked me for letting Tiffany sing. First off, I will let anybody sing sometimes to my own regret. But why wouldn’t I let her sing, but… Also they both thought Band Mom was the shiznit for giving them the VIP treatment. To Band Mom, she was also just doing her job.

Also, the folks from the film were thrilled that the hotel had a smoking bar. They are all from Cali and there is no smoking anywhere. No exceptions like in PA. I think they all had a good time.

The bar finally started to clear out around 1. We closed up around 2 and headed home.

Friday night we were going to practice again. But Pooh had plans already to take Band Mom’s Mom to the store and to dinner so I wouldn’t have a sitter until later. So we planned on Scooter and Trav to head to practice and then I would join them after Pooh got back. They decided to meet up at the hotel to take a single car and ran into Band Mom. Band Mom then called me and said I should drop the kids off to Pooh and head out with the guys. Gee that Band Mom is smart. I never even thought about the girls going with them.

So I dropped the girls off to Pooh at Giant Eagle and headed to the hotel. I got the PA and we loaded it into Scooters truck and headed out to practice.

Even though we got there a little later than planned, practice went well. We put some polish (including my newly finished lyrics) to the 3 songs we’ve been working on and started work on a fourth. The nice thing about the fourth is that Jer already had some lyrical ideas written down, so I don’t have to write all the lyrics, I just need to tweak them and put a melody to them. We practiced for a few hours then headed back to the hotel.

Scott didn’t hang out since he had an early morning. Trava hung for a quick drink then headed out. I stayed with Band Mom til close then we headed home.

Sunday was pretty laid back like most Sundays. I got up to take Pooh to church. However, Pooh tried to get me up way to early since she forgot to roll her clock back. I got up at the correct time and then took her to Church. I stopped at McDonald’s and picked up some breakfast for Band Mom, Thing 2 and myself. We ate and then Band Mom got ready to go.

She was heading out to go gown shopping for Jen’s wedding. Band Mom is the matron of honor and Miss K is also a bridesmaid so the three of them were out for a day of wedding and bridesmaids gown shopping. That left Thing 2 and I home alone for a while. We goofed off some. Played some Guitar Hero World Tour. Watched a little TV. Then a little after 2 we headed out and picked Thing 1 up.

Thing 2 was thrilled to have her sister back home and wanted to play. They headed up to their room to play and Thing 1 quickly fell asleep, much to Thing 2′s dismay. Eventually Band Mom got back from her shopping trip and she took a nap. Thing 2 eventually nodded off for a nap as well. When everyone was up again, Band Mom made some dinner for us. Then we all just kinda lazed around for the rest of the evening.