Big Ol' Hyped Up Letdown

Looked around on Saturday morning to see how the rain from Tropical Storm Hanna was treating Raleigh and what I found out was...no big deal. It was a good ol' hyped-up letdown.

Here is a photo of Crabtree Creek at the Dunkin Donuts where it almost always overflows when it rains a bunch.

But nothing.

Just drove around and snapped a few...the Raleigh downtown is really something now...it didn't used to be lemme tell ya...I remember pulling into town in the summer of 1983 off of Highway 401 from Wilmington at 23 years of age in my Subaru Brat and thinking...."that's it?!!?" All there really was at the time was that jail building-I had thought Raleigh was a big town...just like Barney Fife thought. Well finally, now it is.

(what an ugly picture-this was Saturday morning)

I had applied to WQDR here which was a great album-oriented rock station in it's day from about 1974 until 1983. It was one of the first Album Oriented Rock stations in the nation, meaning...this station played album cuts off the rock albums of the time...they could basically play whatever they wanted and it was awesome! I could pick it up in Wilmington in the early '80's and I would listen in at night with my headphones and catch John Lisle...JT Austin...Young Bob Walton...and this overnight cat named Marvell Woods. Sometimes I would listen for over an hour and not hear him say a single word hahaha.

Anyway...I had sent a tape up to Bob Walton from WSHL in Wilmington where I was doing 10a-3pm on what they called a "rock-hybrid" which meant we would play "Rock You Like A Hurricane" but still play Al Jarreau "We're In This Thing Together." I will never forget when he called me to ask if I was interested in part time airwork...well you're damn right I was interested. At the time I was making probably 12k a year and my paycheck was about $307 every two weeks and I was so broke, always...sometimes I had to borrow money to eat, but I made sure though, to always have beer money for quarter draft nights at the Olympia at Wrightsville Beach so that Paul Jackson, Tom Williams, Chip Donnelly, Sam Massenburg and I could go to Lumina Ave and play pool in the bars and end up at someone's beach house later each night. My roommate at 305 Harbor Drive at Wrightsville Beach was Scott Blum-but he never really joined us in the bars...he had a "real job" and was a little further along than the quarter draft crew I hung out with. I think Scott now sells for WTVD in Raleigh.

I was going to Raleigh and I knew it, but I would have to endure a humiliating 30 minutes with Dave Foster, the Program Director of WSHL when I told him I was leaving.

School is back

There was no thrashing and planting of seeds in the fall last year because of the drought, but this year it can be done. Man, did the yard take a hit this past year-it needs a total redo. Across the street you can see that school has restarted...people park on my curb to let their kids out for school and they run all over my yard and I get pissed ahahahaha. I can't believe it's all happening to me just like they say.

It's normal for that to aggravate right? I mean...it's my property and all....please don't let me turn into that guy that yells at people to get off his lawn.

I'd never do that would I?

~~~~

A waterbug/roach (don't know the difference-both gross) crawled across my guest room floor last night and it captivated Ted for about 45 seconds-he swatted it once and then looked up at me and that was it. Come on Ted. You can do better than that. You gotta earn your keep.

Pet Peeve:

"Hope all is well." I remember thinking it was a nice thing to say about three years ago the first time someone said it to me in an email, now everyone says it and it means nothing. It's something the mindless sheeple would say. My old friend Kevin Silva said that to me in an email last week and believe me, he would normally NEVER say that in a real life conversation...he'd probably say something more like..."talk to you later and go f*** yourself" which I would like better. Maybe it's just an email thing...you'll never catch me saying "hope all is well" even though I really do hope that.

: )

Unmanageable Again

"Admit that you are powerless over golf-that your life has become unmanageable."

Three day weekends are great because you can get caught up on all the stuff you haven't done all week at the house.

Not.

Saturday 86 (Heritage)-Saturday game with Ron Klinc, Mike Whittemore, Jack Merrill.
Sunday 80 (Heritage)-Greg Duffy, Chiaki Hiruta, Brian Lane
Monday 76 (Brier Creek)-Frank, Bill Berning and a guy named Roger who uses a belly putter.

Ummm...we don't use belly putters.

BOOOO!!!! DOWN WITH BELLY PUTTERS!!

Man you should see all the stuff I did around the house and in the yard this 3-day weekend. Not a g****** thing. I am powerless over golf. My life has become unmanageable again. It's all because I am playing well...so the better I play the more I play so I can enjoy it, and the worser I play, the more I play so I can get out of the funk.

Frank isn't playing very well lately.

We see that pose after his putts a lot more than usual as of late.

What's wrong with this picture?

This is some unbelievable footage of my driver swing that Bill Berning took. In terms of photography and videography and just having the vision before you shoot of what is compelling and dramatic...this clip is special. See if you know what I mean.

More Charges Against Me

I was looking at my criminal record and the funny thing is the things that are on there that you have totally forgotten about. For instance:

• stopped in Alamance County in 1988 and was charged with no operators license. WHAT??? I suppose I didn't have my license that day. Big f***ing deal.

• operating a vehicle no insurance-that was 1992 and I remember that one. I was coming back from a trip to Pittsburgh with Mike Magee for the Minnesota Vikings game with Bubby Brister at QB in the snow and at 12 midnite that same night at RTP a cop stopped me on suspicion of DWI but I wasn't drinking but had let my insurance lapse. The problem was the KFC in Pittsburgh we had eaten at earlier. Magee kept passing gas the whole trip and I had to keep opening the window in the 20 degree temperatures. I told him that if he did it one more time in the car I would roll down both windows and leave them down for the rest of the trip and that's what I did. Froze our asses totally off. I'll never forgive him for that.

• driving & consuming a malt beverage passenger area-I was driving in Carter-Finley Stadium in 1990 for the Paul McCartney concert with a can of Budweiser in my lap and a cop looked into the car and motioned me to pull aside and I handed the can to Paul "Stonewall" Jackson. The cop saw me do that of course and when he looked into my glove compartment he found a pair of hemostats but he let that slide.

The years of 1983 through 2000 were Bob The Blade's heyday. Believe me-there are more charges where those came from.

: )

My Criminal Record and Tom Guild

I checked my criminal record yesterday just to see what what was on there. I guess employers and future employers have access to your whole personal life and criminal activity as they should...it's what they call a "background check". When I was in New Bern last year I believe I got three speeding tickets, an "unsafe movement" ticket and various other things...I was on a roll.

I have 14 items on there, meaning I was ticketed or arrested 14 times in my life and the first time was in 1983 for an expired drivers license and the next one was in 1984 for a worthless check. Believe me, there are at least 5 speeding tickets and other things that do not appear on my record on account of expensive attorneys, but that worthless check was definitely a rent check from when I first moved to Raleigh from Wilmington. I was living with two other guys at Sumter Square near NC State and I had no money at all. That time in 1983-84 was when I was the brokest ever in my life...I was working part-time on the air at WQDR when it was a rock station and also at the Raddison Hotel downtown and my Subaru Brat had no reverse gear, plus the water pump was broken so I had to put water in it each time I drove it and had to carry a gallon or two of water in case it ran out in transit. Holy sh**.

I lived with Rich McTighe and Tom Guild at the time-I remember Tom was separating from his wife and he was having a pretty tough time of it too...I was working fill-in and weekends and Rich was on air doing middays but died in 1995. I believe it was a heart thing, but I never really was sure what that was all about. I hear from his daughter Meaghan from time to time, she likes to hear stories about her dad and I write her one every now and then. Guild was doing afternoon drive then...man he was good. One of the best I've known in afternoon drive.

I'll say it again-Tom loves The Who and I love anyone who loves The Who.

: )

Saturday Downtown Live

This was from the stage at about 5:30 for the Puddle Of Mudd show at Downtown Live over the weekend at Moore Square but the place was mobbed by 7:30-so much so you couldn't walk around without bumping in to someone.

These two had a seat on the wall just high enough up to see and high enough up to avoid the masses.

This guy has a set of those kangaroo jumpers on...and he was bouncing around Downtown Live all day...really annoying-it would startle you if he came up behind you...it sure looks like it could wear you out-this guy was doing this all afternoon.

Damn

I walked into my room and whew!

Damn Ted.

The days are getting shorter and it's bumming me out. I played with Jay Thomas this morning and he was saying how he needs to get out and take advantage of the summer days while he can because when it gets winter, it's gonna suck being inside and not being able to play golf. I thought to myself how, if anyone is taking advantage of the summer days, it's yours truly. How about playing golf 6 days a week? Is that taking advantage? You're ******ed right it is.

Life is short man. They'll never say what a great work ethic I had or what a blue collar mentality I had. I believe in doing as little as you can in this life...I am not working my life away...I will not do it.

The other guys today on the course were Greg Duffy and some guy who had a weird last name. Gazinya or something. Peter Gazinya. That's right.

Jay 76

Greg 78

Blade 82

Gazinya 83

~~~~

I burned this album out bigtime when I was a teen. America's first album. You can't judge the group by their singles over their career...the rocked out real nice in the early 70's. I always identified with them because they were all three sons of Air Force guys in the '70's...just like m'self. This very well may be the most listened to album of my life. I bought it when I was 13 and I still love it to this day. About music-if you loved it then, you'll love it always.

Smashing Pumpkins

Warm night last night in Raleigh...the Smashing Pumpkins were in town and they played Memorial Auditorium in front of about 2200 peeps. That is one band that has what it takes if you know what I mean...meaning there is NO doubt this is a professional rock band. What a drummer-he was unbelievable and so was Billy Coorigan. Foster and I let the girl hang with us in our seats...she told us she has "been in love with Smashing Pumpkins since I was 13".

She had ditched her date and was trying to get as close to Billy Coorigan as she could. That friends, is what it's all about. Each time she would jump up to the front of the stage, security would bring her back to our seats...what an effort. She gets an A+.

I love girls like that. Wouldn't want to date one though.

~~~~

Sunday morning round at The Heritage:

Greg Duffy 74
Craig Williamson 73

Blade 79
Eric The Swede 84

~~~~

Brother Brandon is doing real well for now-he and my sister Holly hung out at the pool in Kernersville Saturday afternoon...Brandon loves being around us and vice versa. He's such a fun guy to hang around-he's a total sweetheart.

Russ Thompson

Last night I dropped by one of those social media evening "mixers" mainly to watch Russ Thompson play...media guys and girls from the Raleigh area were there to just have a beer and network.

I believe this guy Russ Thompson is special-I think he has what it takes.

Russ Thompson plays the Media Mixer @ Deep South Bar

I walked around at Downtown Live a few weeks ago and when I first heard him sing it just totally grabbed me...I walked closer to the stage and saw a couple of girls with tears watching him play and I'm not quite sure what that meant...but I get it pretty much. This song "Leaving" is really something else.

He plays at The Blue Martini Monday nights. Might go down to The Big Easy and catch a show real soon too.

Frank Sinatra said...

Frankie Sinatra said the best part of your day was the first toke off your smoke and the first sip of coffee and Bob The Blade says the best part of the day is 6:45pm when you are delicately sliding that first piece of Pizza Hut thin crust pizza out of the delivery box and catching the aroma of melted cheese with pepperoni and spicy sausage, and then you take that first bite.

The angels sing, trumpets blare and the heavens part.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Pizza Hut thin crust. And with the new Sporting News right by my pizza box and a turvis tumbler filled with ice and Tahitian Treat beside that...life cannot be beat. It's nirvana I tell ya.

You eat about 3/4 of the pizza and then throw the rest away because Pizza Hut pizza doesn't keep for "cold pizza"...it just dries out too much. You can save Papa Johns for leftover because it's not so dry. After a full pizza belly I'll watch the Bucs game and hopefully they'll win. But they probably won't-it's not as fun now that Jason Bay and Xavier Nady are gone.

~~~~

My family is all mad at me because I leave family events without saying goodbye to anyone. I don't say goodbye because it takes 30 minutes to do that. I know that's not the southern way.