I've Got Nothing To Say...I'm Just The Drummer

Well, once again it's been FOREVER since I posted on here. Of course I can say it's the usual things...busy with both jobs, busy with the kidlet, busy with the wife, etc. but when even the wife mentions that I need to blog more, I figure I'd better get to it.

As most of you know already, I've taken a "lesser" role in the night gig and have left the stage show part of the Giggle Dam to become the drummer. Many people have questioned my decision regarding this and seem to be quite concerned that I won't be happy "just being the drummer". While it's true that I dearly love being on stage and making people laugh, my first love as a performer has always been, and always will be the drums. I started drumming when I was just a kid and played my first professional show when I was 14. It was my life until I turned 26 and decided I needed a real job and I've missed it ever since. That's why I would take the occasional weekend off and go play with a band for less money. It's in my blood. So when I was offered the chance to once again make it my job, I jumped at the chance and I have not looked back. It's better for me on so many levels. I no longer have to race from one job to another as I no longer have to do the pre-show part of it. I have time to see my baby and my wife and have dinner with them in between jobs. And I make more money on a per show basis. It really was a no brainer decision. So if you're reading this and you come to one of my shows, don't ask if I'm happy just being the drummer...the smile on my face should say it all.

On a completely unrelated note, IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS and I could NOT be anymore excited for it this year. We are heading off to Alberta to spend it with some of my family. We figure this may possibly be the last year we can do it as Bug still flies for free, I can get time off from the show a lot easier now that I'm "just the drummer" and I have the month of December off from my day job...with pay! I miss my family so much it's not funny. It's tough with us all being so far apart. I was lucky enough to see them in the summer but I was travelling for work and didn't have Cassie and Jovan with me. And as much as I love them and can't wait to spend time with them (read: play games and keep Budweiser and Miller in business) I think I'm more excited for them to hang out with Jovan for a week and for him to get to know them. I am so proud of him and the person he is becoming and yes, I know I'm biased being his father and all, but I honestly believe he is one of the cutest kids I've ever met. He has such a HUGE personality already and is definitely a born performer (as evidenced by his latest Facebook video) and I just really want my family to get to see it for themselves. In person and not online. I'm really hoping my brother and his wife can make it out as well as that would just be the icing on the cake!

I'm not going to promise that I'm going to blog more often because I've said it before and it just didn't happen. I'll try. And when I've got something to say, I'll say it. So, until next time...

Rock on.
J-Rock

Another Random Shoe

Eastbound exit to Allen Way off Lougheed Hwy, Pitt Meadows BC.

Left shoe.

Rock on.
J-Rock

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

A Heartfelt Thank You

Because of my job, I have to go to a lot of fires. My company rents security fencing. Fires require it to secure buildings to keep the copper wire thieves and other unwanteds out. I've been to a lot lately. Two this week alone. I'm thinking that if I go to anymore the Coquitlam Fire Department is going to think I'm starting them!! But that has got me thinking about firemen. I wanted to be one when I was a kid. My dad was one. A volunteer. I remember when our school burnt down...the fire started around 3:30PM and dad, having been at work all day didn't get there until around supper time. When he got home that night around midnight he let me hold his jacket which weighed about 70 pounds because it was soaking wet...and it reeked of smoke. That was a major fire. Reinforcements had to be called in from neighbouring communities to help put it out. I never realized just how dangerous it was for my dad to be a fireman until that fire. Or how proud of him I was. Now my brother, who is also my hero (and the one to report the school fire), is a volunteer with the same brigade our dad was part of. I am equally scared and proud of him as I was with Dad.

This week, while at a fire, I watched as a crew came out of the burning building...from a temperature hotter than we could even imagine...into 43 degree heat...these guys were exhausted, hot, sweaty and gasping for breath, which was almost impossible to get in the stifling heat Mother Nature laid on us this week...yet they quickly doused their heads with water, had a drink from a Slurpee stored in a cooler, put on a new air tank and went back inside to fight the flaming hell.

I couldn't do it. But I'm extremely thankful for those that can...and do. Next time you see a fireman, thank him. Thank him for the countless hours of training he has endured...for the danger he puts his life in everytime that alarm goes off...for the security he gives by being a fireman. They don't get paid enough to do what they do. I know, I've witnessed it first hand.

Rock on.

J-Rock

DAM BBQ and (Special) Olympics

Today is going to be a great day!! We are holding the 1st Annual Giggle Dam Family BBQ & (Special) Olympics. The venue has changed three times now due to fire restrictions in parks and is now being held in Mark and Sheila's backyard...and on their new deck...Mark has a large "Man-B-Q" where there will be steaks, Tandoori Chicken breasts, wings, hot dogs and Lord only knows what else a-cookin'...I've made a pasta salad and Cassie has made a cake...the food will be a-plenty as will the drinks I'm sure! Employees and family/friends have been divided into 3 colour-coded teams and there will be all sorts of "games" as each team garners points and works toward being the first to be awarded the soon-to-be-much-coveted "Beaver Cup".

I have no idea what the games will be but I will give a full report and post results (and hopefully some pics) soon. I do hope there isn't Lawn Darts though....as Jeff Foxworthy says "you catch one of those with your head and you'll be getting colouring books for Christmas for the rest of your life"...

Rock on.
J-Rock

M.I.A.

Wow. It’s been way too long since I’ve blogged. It’s not that I haven’t had anything to say…those that know me know I’ve pretty much always got something to say…it’s just that I just haven’t had the will to sit down and actually write anything of any relevance. I really need to take my friend Michelle’s advice and just blog something small every day. Even if it’s just a list of things I am doing that day. It keeps the mind fresh and will satisfy the need to write. Easier said than done Michelle…but I’ll try.

The day job has been keeping me increasingly busy. I’ve made 2 trips to the Okanagan recently and will be making at least one more in the next two weeks. I’ve also been over to Vancouver Island twice. I haven’t been there since 1988 and now I’ve been twice…in 3 weeks! And what is with the ferry prices? Holy shit they’re expensive. And why do they charge separate fares for cars and people? Shouldn’t the car fare include one person? It’s not like the car is going over alone…”Just one today?”…”No, just the car. I’m staying on the mainland.” Give me a headache. The events this year have been pretty fun though I must say. I’ve done 3 music festivals so far and have 2 more coming up. I only wish I could actually stay and attend some of these festivals and enjoy the music…and I “took the summer show off” so that I could do just that. Which brings me to the night job, and as you just read I have taken the summer show “off”. Yeah right. The “regular” drummer at the theatre also plays with one of Canada’s premier classic rock groups and they tour extensively in the summer which means he has to find a replacement. I said I’d fill in for the odd nights the replacement couldn’t do. Turns out I’m actually playing more than the replacement!! Then, one of the actors decided he wanted a holiday and I ended up doing 2 weekends on stage for him. So by “taking the summer show off” I am actually performing every weekend in July and 2 of the 4 weekends in August. Hardly a break if you ask me! But it’s fun and I am totally loving playing the drums regularly again. I’ve missed it!!

Rock on.
J-Rock

Congratulations Megan and Jason!

My niece got married last weekend in Alberta and I couldn’t go. Turns out my wife’s work screwed her out of 6 weeks of work right after her mat leave ended so the funds just weren’t available. We were so looking forward to seeing everyone again…and of course, showing off our adorable son ;) but it was not to be. So we’ve ended up missing both of my eldest sister’s kid’s weddings…and all because of money…and neither time has been our fault.

Rock on.
J-Rock

I hope he's living with Elvis somewhere

Did you hear that Michael Jackson died? I almost missed that. Was it highly reported? Seems he died the same day as Farrah. All kidding aside, I am surprised at how sad I am about it. He was a weird one for sure. And there were a lot of allegations against him…and I’m a firm believer of the “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” saying. However, he was never convicted and the courts did prove that the family that accused him were only after a payday. But again, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. But he was, IMHO a musical and marketing genius. He took his talent and totally exploited it using the new media that was MTV. He took the simple idea of a rock video and totally used it to his advantage and he succeeded. Boy did he!! It’s strange to know already that no one album will ever outsell “Thriller”. In today’s day and age, with P2P filesharing it just won’t happen. I think at last count “Thriller” has sold something like 4 hundred-thousand-bazillion copies. And it is one of only 3 albums that I know of to ever achieve “diamond” status for sales in the US. The other two are the Bee Gee’s soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever and Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet. RIP MJ…there will never be another like you.

Rock on.
J-Rock

Callous? What callous?

Farrah Fawcett died. So sad. She was my first ever celebrity crush. And I had it bad for her. Posters and pictures on 3 of the 4 walls of my bedroom when I was a kid (the 4th wall was for KISS). I think one of the walls of that room in my Mom’s house still has “JAL + FFM” written on it. She was, as my friend Steve says, my first callous. RIP Farrah. Love the hair. Hope you win.

Rock on.

J-Rock

Who Am I Again?

Have you ever felt like you didn’t matter? Like if you weren’t somewhere, no one would notice? I’ve felt like that a lot lately. Not at home. At home I matter. If I wasn’t at home I’m pretty sure my wife and son would miss me. In fact, my wife told me she missed me yesterday because I’ve been working so much lately we’ve hardly seen each other. I’m talking about work mostly. It seems when others have a great week they get congratulated like crazy and some pretty crazy bonuses too...trips to Vegas and that kind of thing...yet when I have a great week it takes a co-worker to point out that it was my best week ever and only then did I get “a round of applause”. That’s it. And only because it was pointed out to my bosses. They didn’t even know for themselves.

Then there’s the other job. Lines I’ve been speaking have been completely ignored and others have completely spoken over top of me and taken the focus. Ad libs I came up with that rocked the crowds and became a part of my nightly routine have been taken and spoken by others so now they get the laughs and once again I’m just “the other guy”.

And then this week my step-daughter graduated from college. And I wasn’t invited. It was noticed that I wasn’t there....by my ex-wife...who just couldn’t wait to mention to me how proud SHE was of her. I realize that kids are only allowed a few tickets to these kinds of things...and I am only the step-father, but at least a call to say “I would like you to be there but...” would have been nice. After all, she is the one who says I’m not allowed to call her my step-daughter and that I am her only Dad and she is MY DAUGHTER...

Maybe I should just quit my jobs and stay home. At least there I matter.

Do I sound like I’m whining? I suppose I am. But I’m not sorry. I’m pissed off and I needed to get it off my chest. Thank you for listening.

Rock on.
J-Rock

Sorry for the delay

It's been almost 3 weeks since my last post. I apologize. I said I was going to blog more but I guess I lied. I've been very busy. But not really any busier than I normally am. And I am about to get alot busier...during the day. My nights will be freeing up in 2 weeks when I'm done my night job for 3 months.

But I have things on my mind that I need to get out. And this blog is where that's gonna happen. Do I make it sound a lot more exciting than it will actually be? Probably. But know it's coming.

Eventually.

Rock on.
J-Rock

Another season done too soon...

Rock on.

J-Rock

Random Shoe

Side of the highway in Oyama BC. I think it's a left shoe. Some sort of moccasin type of shoe.

Rock on.

J-Rock
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

More Shoes

A random pair of shoes in a corner of a stairwell leading to a parking garage at Hamilton and Georgia, Vancouver.

Rock on.
J-Rock

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

The Things You See While Driving

And I thought having "Toilet Rentals" on my car was bad lol!

Rock on.
J-Rock

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Douche

Rock on.
J-Rock

My Life In A Song

I got this idea from Rachael...it looked like fun...so here it goes...

Pick Your Artist: Bon Jovi

Are you male or female: Always

Describe yourself: All About Loving You

How do you feel about yourself: Someday I'll Be Saturday Night

Describe where you currently live: Dry County

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Lost Highway

Your best friend is: Born To Be My Baby

Your favorite color is: Good Guys Don't Always Wear White

You know that: You Give Love A Bad Name

What's the weather like?: Summertime

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called?: Social Disease

What is life to you?: Bed Of Roses

What is the best advice you have to give?: Keep The Faith

If you could change your name, what would it be?: Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars

Your favorite food is: Woman In Love


Rock on.
J-Rock

Listing the Lists of Listings

You've all (both of you) probably noticed that I haven't actually posted a blog in quite a while. It's not that I have nothing to say, it's just that....well, okay I have trouble thinking of topics to blog about...so in those cases, I guess I have nothing to say. Nothing anyone would want to read about anyway. Now, those that are friends with me on Facebook know that I love lists. Top 5 Albums of all time, 100 Things About Me You Never Knew, 25 Firsts...things like that. I love them and I love to read others lists as well. So I have decided that when I have nothing to blog about, I will write a list on here. They could range from meaningful, ie: 15 Things I'd Do If I Were Prime Minister, to completely silly, ie: 1,000 Reasons I Collect Penguins..(there's only one reason: they're frickin' cute!).

So you have been warned. The lists are coming.

Rock on.

J-Rock

More shoes

Just there to the left of the orange traffic control...two shoes tied to fence that's blocking the new entrance/exit to the new Golden Ears Bridge from Maple Meadows Way in Pitt Meadows. Were they tied there by the workers to say "Hey!! Don't drive through this ugly grey fence that you can't see because we were too stoopid to rent pretty blue fence!" or were they tied there by some unknown passerby? My guess is option 1...but it'd be sweet if it was option 2...

Rock on.
J-Rock

Happy Easter Bunnies!

Hoppy Easter everyone! Have a great weekend :)

Rock on.
J-Rock

What up chuck?

Age is a funny thing. When I was 15 I went to a party and my girlfriend got drunk and threw up on me, so I broke up with her.

Tonight my son ate his bedtime bottle and then threw up on me and I hugged him and told him that I loved him.

Is that funny to anyone but me?

Rock on.
J-Rock

More Random Shoes

These were found separately, in two different spots behind 20202 66th Ave in Langley. Both right foot.

Rock on.
J-Rock
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Whale Oil Beef Hooked!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! May the luck o' the Irish be with you and yours, today, tomorrow and always.

Rock on.

J-Rock

Happy Second Friday The 13th In Two Months!

As I said one month ago...I'm not really superstitious about the number 13 or Friday the 13th.

It should be a good night as my sister is in town from Alberta and so is coming to my show with my wife and a bunch of our friends! I love it when my wife is in the crowd :)

Anyway, have a happy Friday the 13th (again)!

Rock on.

J-Rock

Let The Music Play On...And On...And On...And On...

Everyday I wake up with a song stuck in my head. It's usually one from the current show that I'm doing and it usually is gone within a couple hours after I've started about my day. It's no big problem. However, some days I wake up with a very obscure song stuck in my head and when that happens I usually can't get rid of it until I actually hear the song. They're usually from the 60's or 70's. Songs that have impacted my life in some way. Thankfully, with technology being what it is these days I can usually fire up LimeWire and find the song, download it and listen to it and presto, the song is gone out of my head for another 10 or 12 years. I actually ended up with quite a nice collection of these songs on my computer and have since made an mp3 CD of them.

The bad part of this is when LimeWire fails me and I can't find a particular song. Like yesterday. I awoke with "Moody Manitoba Morning" by The Bells stuck in my head. Not a huge band and definitely not a big hit. I tried at home and I tried at the office but I couldn't find the song on LimeWire at all. I was getting so frustrated. It was playing over and over in my head and I just couldn't get rid of it. I listened to talk radio on the way to work (I love BMac and Rintoul by the way!)...I played Amanda Marshall on my laptop at the office to try and get a different song playing in my head. I listened to talk radio on the way home (not a big fan of Rick Ball by the way). It was all for naught. I woke up this morning...after a very strange dream about forgetting my lyrics while singing a duet with Ryan Kesler...yes, both Idol and the Canucks were on last night...and I'm still singing "It's a moody Manitoba...mornin'.....and I like it that way" over and over in my head.

So I Googled it. There's a ton of info on the song...first released in 1968...again in 1971...first hit for the band...etc. There's also a ton of info on the band...originally called The Five Bells...original keyboardist was replaced by Frank Mills (I better not wake up tomorrow with Music Box Dancer in my head!)...name changed to The Bells when one member got pregnant and had to leave the band...

And then there it was...just 4 posts down...YouTube: Moody Manitoba Morning - The Bells...OMG I totally forgot about YouTube! I couldn't click the link fast enough and before you can say "Frank Mills played for The Bells?" I was sitting back, coffee in hand watching images of a beautiful Manitoba morning play across my monitor while that old, familiar song played in the background and memories of Mabel Lake and a much more carefree time bounced around in my head. Ah yes, life was once again good.

Now the baby is crying, and work is calling so it's back to reality for our hero.

But at least that song isn't stuck in my head anymore!

Rock on.

J-Rock

I heart coffee

What more can I say?

Rock on.
J-Rock
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Why Spelling Bees Are Important

This is in Port Coquitlam. I took a picture of it a few months ago for a laugh thinking they'd obviously change it, but they haven't. Surely they must know.

Stay in school. Learn how to spell.

Rock on.
J-Rock

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Doing Shots With My Son

I did something this winter I have never done before. I got a flu shot. I always thought that flu shots were for the aged. Seniors. OAP's. You know, the blue-rinse crowd. Plus, I never get the flu. I can't remember the last time I had it. I think I may have been in elementary school. But times have changed and I have a baby now...and babies have to have flu shots...and so do their parents and caregivers...and seeing how I work with the public and come in contact with about 300 people a week, who knows what I'm packing home with me. Needless to say, I don't want my baby getting sick because dad didn't get the free shot. So I got one. And so did my wife. It was no big deal. I didn't even feel it. I felt good knowing that I had done something to protect my baby. Yes, I was being responsible.

That was right before Christmas.

Monday night around 11PM I started to feel sick. I went to bed and tossed and turned and felt worse and worse and worse. I started throwing up at 1AM. It must be food poisoning thought I, as we had been out for dinner the night before, but my wife and I had the same thing and she was fine. The only difference was I had mussels for an appie and she had only had a couple of them. That had to be it. I went to the doctor that afternoon and after the standard blood pressure cuff, look down the throat and in the ears, listen to the chest and lungs, urine test and questions she let me know that it was either the flu or food poisoning. If it was the latter, it would be gone in 24 hours and if it was the flu there was no telling how long it would last.

I'm still sick today.

And now my wife has it too.

That's the last time I get a flu shot.

Rock on.
J-Rock

It's official...I'm a night owl

It's true. I hate going to bed early. It makes me crazy. There are times...like tonight...where I should be going to bed but I'm just not tired. I got up early today so I didn't get my normal Saturday morning sleep in. And I have to get up with the baby tomorrow as it's my day...and I have a rehearsal at noon...yet, I just can't make myself go to bed. Oh, I could...but I know for a fact that I would just lie there.

Part of the problem is that we had a really great show tonight and there were some good friends and some old friends from school in the crowd...and when I am pumped after a show, I just can't go to sleep early.

The other part is that I suffer from SIMS...Scared I'll Miss Something. It's the thing that makes me the one who shows up early for everything and is usually the last to leave...but what is there to miss at 1AM?? I don't know. But I can't make myself go to bed.

So I sit here...in the mostly dark, sipping my Jack Daniels and Coke and knowing that I'm going to be exhausted tomorrow. And knowing I'm going to hate it. But I can't do anything about it, for I am a night owl...

Rock on.

J-Rock

Random Shoes

2100 block St. John's Street, Port Moody BC

Left foot

We've all seen them. Random shoes that are just lying, all alone in an intersection or on the side of the road. Where did they come from? What are their stories? And why is there always only ONE? Where did the other one go? Are we to believe that Steve Fonyo just happened by and decided to discard the one shoe he didn't need? Maybe someone was cycling and got it stuck in the pedal and it ripped off but they didn't notice because they were concentrating so hard on not being hit by a vehicle. Maybe someone decided "Hey, I'm feeling all right today" and so threw the left one away. Now, I've never done a study or anything so I have to assume that they're not all from the same foot. Some will undoubtedly be from the right foot, while the law of averages says that some will be from the left.

I have made it my personal mission to photograph every single shoe I find lying alone. Be it in an intersection, on the side of the road, in a ditch, in a field...wherever. I will be posting these pictures on this blog as I find them...complete with the address of where it was found and what foot it belongs to. I do this for no other reason than for personal amusement. It has always been a mystery to me, and in discussions I have learned with others as well.

Enjoy the shoes. Feel sorry for them. Make up stories as to where they came from. But most of all, love them because they are alone. So very alone.

Rock on.
J-Rock

Happy Friday the 13th!

I am in no way superstitious about the number 13 or Friday the 13th. In fact, some of my best days have been on a Friday the 13th. It's usually a pretty good day for me. We'll see how today goes as I'm working both jobs and with the installation of a new lighting rig at Giggle Dam, the potential for failure is high.

I used to be superstitious about watching the Canucks. I thought that they would lose because I wasn't wearing a specific jersey (I have home, away and 3rd jersey's and would wear what they wore to match them), or because I shaved, or because I didn't listen to a certain album before the game. All very silly really. And with the slumps they have had over the years, I was afraid of getting an ulcer. Then it dawned on me one day that what I wear, do or listen to in a day has absolutely zero effect on how a team plays or doesn't play. I have no connection to them other than being a fan. They would have no idea who I was if they saw me on the street. It was a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders.

I am now proud to be superstition free!

Except I still won't walk underneath a ladder.

Happy Friday the 13th everyone. Enjoy it because we get another one in March!

Rock on.

J-Rock

Welcome!

Welcome to J-Rock's Jams...a place where I will come on occasion and just write about stuff that's going on in my life, my jobs or just some strange rambling things I happen to be thinking about. I may write a lot at times. I may not write much at all at other times. You might be in my posts or you may not.

It's not gonna be Hemingway.

I'm just learning this blogging game so bear with me.

Rock on.
J-Rock