the tonedef blog

Monday was Chinese New Year. So welcome to the year of the Ox.

Band Mom had to make an emergency dental appointment since she had chipped a tooth. I took off from work a little early to pick up Things 1 & 2 at the bus stop. Then we picked up Pooh from rifle practice. We headed home to wait for Band Mom. We ended up leaving before she got back and headed to Band Mom’s Mom’s. Band Mom met us there and we all headed to Wai Wai in Canonsburg for dinner.

After dinner Band Mom took her mom and Pooh home. I took Things 1 & 2 and headed to our house.

Click here to find out more about Chinese astrology.

Sunday. Pooh got up early and headed to work. Band Mom and I slept in. Things 1 & 2 were still at my folks. We finally got out of bed and lazed around for a little. Then Band Mom got a call from the hotel and I had to take her up there to fix something. Then we headed back home.

Pooh had to work past 2 so I ended up going to my folks and picking up the girls. We came home and lazed around some more. Pooh finally got home and Band Mom headed out to run some errands. I spent most of the day sitting around getting caught up on DVR stuff. Pooh’s Dad picked her up around 6. Band Mom got home from shopping and brought some dinner.

We started watching a movie. It didn’t impress the girls so they disappeared upstairs after they ate. Band Mom was actually bored by it as well so disappeared on the phone after she ate. I however enjoyed it so watched the rest of it. I dropped the kids in the shower and got them ready for bed. Then I headed back down and watched some more DVR before heading to bed.

This Saturday I got to sleep in a little. The little ones were at my folks. Band Mom, Pooh and I all got up at a reasonable time and hung out for a while. Around noon I was going to call the girls and see if they were ready to come home. But they beat me to it. The actually called to see if they could spend another night. Why not? So I had more time to do nothing. Everyone eventually got showered and ready to go.

A little before 3 Pooh and I took Band Mom and dropped her off at the hotel. Then I took Pooh to get her photo license. Then the 2 of us headed to Wal Mart to get some necessities and my lunches for the week and what not. After that we headed home.

I dropped Pooh off at home then headed out to Beast Feast to check out Rock’s new band Hammer Lane. I got there and found out that Rock had proposed to his girl friend. Who’da thunk it. Rock married. I believe there were snowflakes in Hell…Almost as good as when Chuck got married there.

Anywho. I got some good grub while there. Bear sausage, moose chili, buffalo sloppy joes, venison kelbassa, ostrich and noodles and a ton of other stuff. And the band was actually pretty good. Around 6:30 I bugged out of there.

I headed up to the hotel. I hung out with Band Mom for a while since it was kinda slow at the start. I eventually set up the PA and started DJing. Dorka and his wife came to hang out again. We were breaking in a new bartender. Early in the night it didn’t seem like he was going to get much of a test, but by 10 the place was busy. We got out of there at close and headed home…

Friday, for the second week in a row, Band Mom was set to get off work at 9 since she had to go in early. So, plans were made accordingly.

Pooh had plans. I had my folks’ pick the girls up from after school. Then after work I headed to Jer’s for an early practice. Scooter’s working midnights now so if we practiced it had to be early so he could get to work. He stopped at the hotel on his way to practice and picked up the PA. I then met everybody there straight from work. We actually had a drummer this week. Don’t know if he’s gonna be the drummer, but it was nice to have a drummer again. We ran through some stuff and started righting some new stuff. Around 7:30 though we had to get moving since Scooter got a call to come to work early.

He took the PA back to the hotel and I met him there. He then took off and I headed in. I quickly ran home to swap my car for Band Mom’s van. I headed back up an ordered some dinner. After I ate, Band Mom had to finish up some stuff. Then we finally headed out.

Band Mom, Cowboy and I headed up to Old Trails to check out Ruff Creek. We had a good time. Its been a long time since Band Mom and I have been out to see any bands and to see our friends in Ruff Creek was cool. Also we got to hang out with Double D and Sal again so that’s always fun.

Band Mom had to take off for a little bit to take Cowboy home since he had to go to work early in the morning. But she came back and we ended up staying until close. On the way home Band Mom decided she was hungry so we headed over to Denny’s for some late night breakfast. It was nice to have a night out not at the hotel for a change.

Sunday I got up early and took Pooh to church. Then I headed home. By the time I got home Things 1 & 2 were up. Shortly after Band Mom woke up. Band Mom decided we should head out to brunch at the hotel. Brunch was good and after we ate we headed home. Things 1 & 2 started playing. Band Mom was going to take a nap. I watched Friday’s DVRed episode of BSG. Then I wanted to watch the Penguins game. I ended up falling asleep on the couch though.

When everyone was moving again Band Mom and I got showered and ready to go. JuJu came over to babysit Things 1 & 2 so Band Mom and I could head out and meet some friends and watch the Steelers play the Ravens in the AFC Championship game. We headed out around 5:30 and made a stop at Target. Then we headed to the bar.

We got there a little before game time and met up with Sal, KJ, and Double D. The game was really good. And the bar had some good eats for everyone. At halftime, Band Mom went and picked up Cowboy to come and hang out with us as well. The game ended with Steelers winning the AFC Championship and celebrations looking forward two weeks for the Super Bowl. We stayed for a little bit after the game and had a good time. We finally headed out, dropped Cowboy at home and headed home. I went straight to bed since it was already a little after midnight and I have to work on Monday.

Did I mention that Pittsburgh’s going to the Super Bowl!!!

Saturday was pretty lazy. We all got up and did whatever. Band Mom had to head to work around 1. Pooh and the girls were going to go shopping and then go to Band Mom’s Mom’s for a while to help her shop and clean. That meant I had the house to myself for a few hours. So I lazed on the couch and got caught up on my DVR watching. I finally got a shower an got myself ready to go.

Pooh and the girls got home around 6:30 and I headed up to the hotel around 7. I had some dinner and then set up the PA for the night. The crowd was slow but steady all night and it wasn’t a bad night. I spent the evening hanging with Cowboy, The Leprechaun, and Telly Smallvalis for the most part. Later on Dorka and his wife showed up. Nothing much exciting happened this week. Just a calm hanging out.

We closed around 2 and then headed home.

…Ended up at the hotel.

All week Band Mom has been getting me all ready to go out Friday night. For the first time since she started working full time at the hotel she worked it so that she got a weekend night off. She was supposed to get off shift at 9 and we were going to head somewhere, anywhere. I was told that us, and like 8 other people were going to go check out the scene somewhere else for a change.

So the other day I checked out all the listings for bands that were playing around the area. And there wasn’t one that I cared to go see. Then a bunch of the people that we were going to go out with weren’t going out. Oh and it was like Minnesota cold out around here. Literally. The temp was in the negatives and the wind chill put the temp at the I think my nipples could cut diamonds cold level.

So I got to the hotel around 6 and had some dinner. Then I started drinkin. I had given in to the fact that we weren’t heading anywhere. Bill Ali was playing at the hotel, so it wasn’t so bad staying since I really enjoy seeing him. Band Mom did get off shift at 9 so she got to have a little more fun than normal while hanging out though and we didn’t have to stay until close for a change and actually got out of there around midnight instead of after 2 for a change.

All in all it wasn’t so bad, but one day we will actually get to go out somewhere besides the hotel again, but it will probably be a while.

Sunday was like most…lazy. Band Mom and I got out of bed a little before noon. I was supposed to get the girls a little after noon from my folks’ following the sleep over. But I got a call from Thing 1 asking to change that to 3 since my mom allowed an extension of the party. I did head over and pick up Pooh though and bring her back home.

I watched some DVR for most of the afternoon. Then around 3 I did go get Things 1 & 2. We got back home and they tried to play for a little bit, but it was obvious they both stayed up way too late last night and got up way too early. They both napped. Then at 4:45 I put on the AFC playoff game between the Steelers and Chargers. I got a little scared early in the game since San Diego got a TD like 2 minutes into the game. The Steelers were ahead at halftime though.

I took Pooh to youth group at halftime. When I got back I watched the rest of the game. And yippee. The Steelers will be heading to the AFC Championship game. Soon after the game Band Mom finished dinner and the 4 of us sat down and ate. After dinner, I threw Things 1 & 2 in the shower and got them ready for bed.

Back downstairs and Band Mom and I snuggled on the couch and watched some TV. She fell asleep on my lap and I watched some DVR. She woke around 11 and I took out the trash and headed to bed.

Thing 2 wanted a sleep over this year for her birthday. My mom offered to host the event. Well, more power to her. So it was going to be this Saturday.

Band Mom let me sleep in pretty late on Saturday morning. I eventually got up and got some grub and watched a little DVR. I took Band Mom to the hotel around 2 and dropped her off for work. Then I headed back home. While I was gone Pooh got Things 1 & 2 ready to go. I then took the 3 of them over to my folks’ for the sleep over party. We took our Wii and a few games over for the girls to play at the sleep over. I set that up and then I headed back home.

I got a text from Scooter telling me to not worry about practice. He had some shit come up. There was a possibility that we were going to audition a new drummer today, but not now. So I lazed around and watched a little more DVR. Band Mom gave me a call around 6 and said I should get ready and head up early and have some dinner before DJing since I didn’t have practice.

I got ready and headed up. As I was leaving the house I got another call from Band Mom and she asked me to stop at the state store and pick up a few bottles of stuff that they were running low on for the bar. I did that then headed up. Band Mom, Cowboy, and I sat at the bar and had some dinner. After dinner Cowboy took off for a little bit and I started DJing around 9:30.

A little later Cowboy and his buddy who we’ll call The Leprechaun came back to the bar. The 3 of us sat at the end of the bar having a few beers and bullshitting. The crowd was pretty slim most of the night and we were thinking it may be an early night. Around midnight some folks from a wedding that was upstairs came down to the bar. These 2 older guys (one turned out to be the grooms father) came in and the grooms father was a little drunk. He was mouthing off and we just sort of wrote it off as innocent drunken banter. Then out of nowhere he grabs The Leprechaun and chucks him out of his chair across the room. This was honestly completely unprovoked and out of the blue. Well Cowboy and I were having none of that and we jumped up and grabbed this cat. We got to kind of a draw just holding this dude who outweighed the 2 of us put together, when people from the wedding started pouring in the door. The first thought that went through my mind at that point was that Cowboy, The Leprechaun and I were going to be fighting the whole wedding. Luckily they all realized that this dude was the problem and pretty much an ass hole and they helped us get him out of the bar then they took him away with no further incident for us.

The adrenaline rush was insane. It was tough to calm down for a while. Band Mom got the 3 of us, and another guy, a shot for handling it without bloodshed and clearing the bar for her and to calm down. The other guy was just this dude that was sitting at the bar with a girl on their first date who didn’t know us but saw the potential of the 3 of us battling the wedding and he jumped up to help. Gotta appreciate that dude…

Later some calmer folks from the wedding came into the bar. One of them being the groom. He came up to The Leprechaun and apologized for his fathers actions. We thought that was pretty cool of the dude. He didn’t need to say anything and since it was family it would have been easy for him to side with his old man. But he was really apologetic and cool about the whole situation. Hopefully he had a better wedding night after he and his new bride left the bar and headed upstairs to their hotel room.

We finally closed the bar a little early and got everything torn down and headed out. Band Mom and I dropped our pal B off at home and the bartender D off at the club. Then we got a phone call from security and our boy Cowboy locked himself out of his room and couldn’t find his key. So we headed back up and tried to help get him into his room. The security guard finally found the right master key and let him in and Band Mom and I got to head home.

What fun…

Friday night I picked the girls up after school. Pooh had been dropped off at the hotel and picked up Band Mom’s van and was back home when we got there. Things 1 & 2 and I hung out for a while. For Christmas Thing 2 got a kit that lets you make your own lip balm and decorate a little tin to put it in. So I helped each girl make their own container of lip balm.

Around 7:30 I left and Pooh was on babysitting duty for the night. They were going to order pizza. I was heading up to the hotel to hang out, get some grub and have some drinks and listen to Tom Terling.

After I ate Dorka’s wife showed up. Then later she left and went and picked up Dorka and they came back up. They’re tying to mend things, I guess…??? We hung out all night and enjoyed Tom. Band Mom had an eventful evening having words with her immediate supervisor. Eventually we got out of there at closing time and headed home.