The Philosophy of Chairs -- Billy Rhythm's Blog

One Sad Weekend Wrap-Up

It was supposed to be awesome. A thing of beauty. I had put extra time in at the office; enough to warrant a day off, even. Susan's mom wanted to take the kids for the weekend--all three of them! A weekend of leisure, romance, and fine dining was planned. And that's what spelled our doom!

It started out with the boys being sick. Matthew had an ear infection, and Nathaniel had RSV. Since my father-in-law has some health issues, Nat couldn't go. Oh well. Then I had this idea. Since Nat would've been on antibiotics for three whole doses as of Friday, why not ask my Mom to babysit just him on Friday night, and we could still get one nice dinner in. Mom was agreeable, so I made reservations for Amalfi for Friday night.

Friday morning came, and I did a bunch of web work. Since there were two adults, and only one kid, we decided to get the house ship-shape. Laundry was folded, dishes washed, the kitchen floor mopped, the downstairs vacuumed. Somewhere in all that, Susan hurt her back. Then, and about quarter to five, she said "I don't well." And off to the bathroom she went. So I called the restaurant, and canceled our 5:30 reservations.

Saturday, I picked up 2/3rds of the kids at grandma's house. When I got home, there was a call from the office: I needed to go in. I don't remember what happened in the afternoon, but I think it involved a butcher knife and a noose.

Sunday, I was in a terrible mood. I made (what I thought was) a delicious breakfast: bacon/cheese waffles. The boys and I loved them; Susan and Julia wouldn't try them. So I started off depressed about that. The boys still weren't 100%, and Susan was still sick, so they didn't go to church with me. At church, we're without a pastor (as we have been for two years), and we had sixteen people show up. So everything just piled up, and I was feeling crummy. I started to lose my funk in the afternoon, and then it came back in the evening.

Amy's Ill MI-5

1. When was the last time you were sick? What was wrong?
Seems like I was "sick" just a few weeks ago. I'm not one to get sick, really. But is seems I wasn't really feeling well. I canceled my drum lesson, and didn't go to work the next day. I think I stayed home and just slept. Since I'm not usually sick, I can afford to take a sick day for a minor illness. In reality, I probably could've gone to work and functioned just fine.

2. Have you ever been in the hospital? Why?
Oh sure, lots! When I was younger, I got a little banged up. I had three concussions, one pretty serious. (I actually have amnesia from that one. There are about 12 hours that I remember nothing, even though I was conscious.) I also had my appendix out, as well as my tonsils. I also had arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone fragment from behind my kneecap.

3. What is the one food that almost always makes you feel better when you are feeling ill?
Toast. And tea.

4. When was the last time you had a headache?
Yesterday. I've had a little headache for three days. Nothing serious. I do get migraines occasionally. When I feel one coming on, I can usually head it off at the pass with three or four ibuprofen. If that doesn't work, then I have some Fiorinal that works with a little sleep in a dark room. If that doesn't work, I'm near vomiting, and reaching for the Imitrex. At about $10/pop though, I use those only rarely. Usually, the ibuprofen will get it.

5. Do you have any alternative remedies you try when you are feeling under the weather?
No, not really. Again, I don't get sick much, so I don't really have to do much. Just sleep.

Julia's School Vacation

It's school vacation week for Julia. And that means a vacation for me! Well, sort of. I get to sleep about an hour extra, as I don't have to make her lunch, make her breakfast, or take her to school. It's been nice.

Sick Boys

Well, for some of you in the Maine area, you know my twin boys (Matthew and Nathaniel) have been kinda sick the last few days. Susan kept them home from church on Sunday. Yesterday, I thought they were doing a little better. Last night, Nat really sounded awful, with a nasty cough. Susan made an appointment with a doctor for them today. (Their regular pediatrician is on vacation.) Matthew has an ear infection. Nathaniel has RSV. So the doctor put them both on antibiotic. They were supposed to go to Susan's parent's this weekend, but Nat can't go. My father-in-law has had some health problems of late, and the doc knows all about them. (My mother-in-law is a maternity nurse, so the doctor knows her, and knows Dad too.) So she said Nat probably shouldn't be around him. The plans are still for Matt and Julia to go, but Nat will stay home with us.

So we got home from the doctor, and we picked them up some chicken nuggets for supper. Nat didn't touch his; the poor kid was miserable. Matthew ate like a champ. Things went badly, though, when he went to take his medicine. He really didn't want to take it. He finally got it down though. About two minutes later, he said "I don't like that medicine," and hocked it up all over himself. And of course, that's when my drum student arrived! Good times!

Billing Day Breakdown

It's the 17th, so you know what that means! Billing day! It's the day I prepare all month for. My duties at work center around this day. Everything I do all month long culminates on one day each month. And how is it going? Well, it could be better. I had a little problem with the printer. It then became a big problem. The big, giant, super-fast laser printer I normally use for billing is broken. Yup! Busted. So, I'm printing about 4000 invoices on a little HP 2300. The problem is, this little printer only holds maybe 200 sheets of paper, if that. And, unlike my printer upstairs, this printer is shared by the whole office. Usually, if billing day falls on a weekend, I just fill the big printer with paper, and let it run. When I come in Monday, I fill it with more paper, and it picks up where it left off. Now, if I did that with this little printer, then when Monday morning rolls around, no one gets to print until my job is out of the queue. And that wouldn't be good. So I'm here, going on hour seven of what's normally a three hour job. Man, Gina wished me a smooth billing day too. Maybe that's what jinxed it!

Reading: Malachi
Listening to: the printer churn away

MI-5

1. Excluding your current employment and boss who is the best boss you ever worked for and why?

I, like my sister, haven't really had too many jobs. Once I get one, I tend to hang on to it. My current position is only really my third "real" job. Before this current gig, I was the P/R man for the Rockland Wal-Mart. I reported directly to the store manager. Wal-Mart like to change their managers around frequently. I was there five years, and worked under four store managers. One of them was a guy named Nick Ballsmith. Nick was super great with people, and he was a good leader. He worked with, and didn't lord over you. He operated with mutual respect, and not intimidation. I worked under one manager who told me once "If you're not running a cash register or stocking a shelf, you're useless to me." Nick would've never said that.

2. Have you ever discovered something that is great but you can't convince anyone else to try it?

For a long time I sung the praises of G. E. Patterson. No one that I know has ever said "Hey, I watched G.E., and you were right!" In fact, no one I know ever watched him.

I think it will be several years before I buy another vehicle. I would like a Volvo station wagon. One of the older, more boxy kind. The real new models are a little too rounded for me. Or maybe a fire truck. Or, I might convert that fire truck money into a Saab convertible. Again, an older model.

None that I can think of. Although, I would like to get to the range and touch of a few rounds in the old M-1.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know some people don't like Valentines day. I can't help but love it! I have two of the greatest valentines ever: my beloved wife Susan, and my flower of loveliness, Julia Valentine. With those two in your life, how could you not just overflow with gushee lovey dovey?

You know the Bible 100%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

Note: There's an error in one of the questions, theologically speaking. Can anyone find it?

My Dream MI-5

I actually had this idea last week. Since then, though, Aunt Ginny and Ma have both reported strange dreams. Maybe a sign?

Well, many who play along with the MI-5 are coming up with their "dream" job. I was after dream job in the more realistic sense, as opposed to "what cool job can I dream up." But hey, whatever your interpretation was is fine. For me, I think my dream job would be artist relations for a major drum manufacturer. Like if Ringo needed a new drum set, he'd call me, tell me what he's after, and I'd make sure he got it. I think I'd really be good at that.

2) You've been given $1000 to spend on a "dream gift" for your significant other. Who do you spend it on, and what do you buy them? Why?

I certainly spend it on Susan. The question is: what? Susan's hobbies aren't really expensive. She's a scrapbooker. Paper and scissors are only so expensive. Maybe a really nice, but really easy to use camera. Of course, usually the more expensive the camera, the harder they are to use. She's not into jewelry that much. I guess I would just have to wisk her away for a weekend somewhere romantic. NYC, maybe? Maybe a show and a really great dinner and two nights at the Ritz with no kids.

The last one I remember was me on some kind of crazy motorcycle. You sat upright in a sort of egg shaped cockpit. The throttle was a little stalk as found on some cars used to move remote mirrors. You twisted it clockwise to go faster, counterclockwise to go slower. You steered with to vertical handles, similar to plane joysticks, I guess. The brakes where on the same handles.

4) Dream vacation time! Where do you go?
Susan and I would be off to either Italy or Ireland. I think I rather lean towards Italy.

5) Tell us some things about your nighttime dreams. Are they in color? Ever dream the textbook dream, e.g. public speaking naked, falling, etc.? Are they somewhat normal, or do you have crazy dreams (like being chased by a moose)?

I'm somewhat well known for crazy dreams. Rarely do I have a "normal" dream. I don't think I've ever dreamed about being in a crowd naked, or getting married. Almost always my dreams are in color. I have smelled scents in my dreams before. I've had memories within my dreams before. Like, I can remember something in my dream that never actually happened, yet in my dream I will be like "Yeah, I remember that!" Rarely will I have a lucid dream--a dream where you know you are dreaming, and can control the events. Also rarely I can wake up from a dream, then go back to sleep and pick up where I left off. And, when I was a kid, I'd have recurring dreams: different dreams on different nights, yet with the same basic themes and characters. I used to have nightmares about two guys that showed up in my dreams somewhat often: Gunga Din and Zim Bo Bim. One was a kind of slow dinosaur looking beast, and the other looked a lot like a joker, but he was 1/2 red and 1/2 green.

Is it strange to have recurring dream characters with names? I also find it a little odd that I can still remember their names. Like I said, they were nightmares, so they did make quite an impression.

Sick

Yup, I took some sick time today. It started yesterday with a drippy nose. By the time last night rolled around, I was feeling quite yucky. I canceled my drum lesson, and went to bed by 7:30. This morning when I woke up, it had settled in my chest, and I was coughing. I decided I head into work, do what needed to be done, then come home. So I did. I left the office around 10:30, and came home. I will admit, that before I went to bed I washed the dishes, but then it was up to bed for a two hour nap. I had to pick Julia up at school, as Susan was watching baby "Mad Dog" Maddox James. Susan was going to make a pork stew for supper, but neither of us felt like eating much, so I made scrambled eggs and toast instead.

Now, it's 7:21pm, and I'm just about to turn in. Good night, all.

Watching: A Corrine Bailey Rae concert

Slabby Joe

I don't think I've mentioned it here, but Paddy, my friend and bass player, is moving. He and his lady friend are packing up the car, and heading west. Where? They're not really sure. They're on an adventure! Drive towards Texas, head to Mexico, up to San Fran, maybe to Seattle. No time lines, no plans--just go. (I must say, it's something I wish I had done when I was younger.)

In any event, Paddy's selling a lot of his belongings. I already bought a ton of CDs from him. Last week, I bought a coffee table and a folding ladder. On Monday, he showed me where he had listed two of his three basses on ebay. One of the basses set to sell was Slabby Joe. There's some history with Slabby and Paddy. I seem to recall that a '51 P Bass was on the list of Paddy's "basses to own." And when we started Three Button Deluxe, that gave him the opportunity to buy one. So he did. They come from the factory without the bridge cover ("the ashtray") or the pick-up cover ("the bell"). So Paddy ordered those parts separately, and added them on. Slabby was then just like a real '51 Fender Precision as she would have come from the factory. (The P was the first viable solid body electric bass guitar, btw.)

Anyway, Slabby was for sale. I jokingly said "I've got $300 if you sell 'er to me right now." The bidding on ebay was already at $305, and they routinely sell for over $500. So it didn't look like it was going to happen.

At the end of the auction, it hadn't met reserve price. Some jerk earlier bid the price up, and then emailed Paddy and basically said "If I win, I won't pay for it." By the time his bid was canceled, there was only about 8 hours left in the auction, so I think many potential bidders were thrown off by that. Anyway, Paddy said to me Monday night "You can buy Slabby for $300." His attitude was basically to sell it to me for less then he would've gotten on ebay, but he knows it's going to a good home. And, I had been looking for a bass for a while. (If I weren't a drummer, I'd be a bass player.) Fender's new Squire Jazz Bass was about $300, and I almost bought one at Northern Kingdom. But then I decided that rather than learn bass, I should devote what little free time I might use to practice bass to practice the drums. But it seems it all just fell into place on Monday, and now Slabby Joe lives with me.

Superbowl Commercials

I'm not really a football fan. I was rooting for the Colts, mostly because they're from the AFC. Other than that, no loyalty to either team. But I wanted to say how let down I felt by the commercials. None really stuck out. I did notice that during halftime, almost all the commercials were for CBS. I guess they saved those spots for themselves. (Or, maybe they couldn't sell them.) The bud light crab commercial I remembered, only because I commented to Susan how subtle it was, and how I bet many people wouldn't catch the shadow part. Susan said "What shadow," which I felt really proved my point. Other than that one, though, I thought the rest were pretty ho-hum.

Week-End Wrap Up, and It's Not Even Over!

4:55pm Sunday, and I'm calling it a wrap. This weekend is in the can!

Friday night, I played over at Bullwinkle's Steakhouse in Waldoboro. It was nice to play locally. And, it was nice they threw a meal our way. It's surprising how few places we play offer us a meal anymore. I had a burger so big I couldn't get my mouth around it! I ended up eating it with a knife and fork. It started snowing about when we arrived. By the time our second break arrived, about 11:30, it was getting really slick out. The owner, Todd, told us to cut out early and head for home. Driving was getting bad, the parking lot was getting greasy, and people weren't really coming out. So home I went.

My planned trip to visit a potential new pastor for the church was postponed, so Saturday I had a day off with nothing really planned. As is my custom, I made a huge breakfast for everyone. I also went to the dump, both for home and for the office. I made a trip to my favorite music store, and then hit the local Wal-Mart. Next on the shopping trip was Shaws to pick up some ingredients for supper. First, we fed the boys some bagel pizzas, and then hustled them off to bed. Then, for my special ladies (Julia and Susan) I whipped up a bacon/Parmesan risotto, some t-bone steaks, and a sautée of fresh veggies. The risotto package had a recipe on the side, which I didn't really follow--I kinda did my own thing. It didn't list how long it took to make. I know that it's supposed to take a long time, and that's why you don't see risotto on a lot of restaurant menus--it takes to long. One other recipe book I looked at said 15 minutes. "That doesn't sound too long," I thought. Both the book and the jar listed the same ratio of liquid to rice: three cups stock to one cup rice. Well, 45 minutes and 4 1/2 cups of stock later, we had dinner. And, if I must say, it was good.

This morning was big breakfast #2: french toast, maple flavored sausage, maple flavored bacon, and pumpkin flavored coffee. (This pumpkin coffee is the only flavored coffee I can say I actually like. A few flavored coffees I can tolerate, but most I dislike terribly. This one, though, Susan and I can agree on!) We had our regular church services, and then lunch at Mom's. Lisa made lunch, but she didn't feel well, so she wasn't there to eat with us. After that, I went to Unk ans Susie's to offer them some computer first-aid. While I was there, the boys got their hair cut. Man, do they look different now! After we came home, I took a little nap. When I got up, Susan reported the computer was acting strange. So I jumped on here to see if I could track it down. No luck, but you got this post out of it!

Watching: Jack's Big Music Show

Susan's First MI-5

1. What two stores do you frequent most often?
I guess Wal-Mart and Shop N Save. (Yes, I know they call it Hannaford's now, but it will always be Shop N Save to me.) Honorable mention to Northern Kingdom Music, the store I wish I frequented the most.

2. What are two things you want to do before you die?
I've always wanted to try skydiving. I'm not actively pursuing it, but I'd give it a go. Number two I guess would be own a fire engine.

3. What are two foods you could eat everyday?
Pasta and chocolate. Not together.

4. What are two everyday things you cannot live without?
Pasta and chocolate! No, really, it says everyday things, so I'd say chocolate and coffee. A little more philosophical would be the love of God and the love of my wife. Of course, I could also say air and water.

5. What are two things that scare you?
Seeing eyeballs in any form or place that God didn't intend them to be, and losing a child.