Good Morning Oh Kee Pa (Part 1)

Non-Phish General
#15161

^Never bothered me at Phish shows because the music was all that was ever important.

Me neither. As long as someone isn’t too loud or obnoxious nearby, I couldn’t care less. In fact, I tend to like the older fans

Anyway, my weird month continues. On Wednesday morning, it was raining in the morning so I kinda jogged my way into the office to get out of the rain. Little did I know it was slippery and my foot slipped right out from under me and I wiped out on the ground…landed on my left arm and side. I hurt all over and kinda pulled myself up and even sat in the building’s lobby to kinda collect myself before I could continue on.

My arm throbbed for a little bit but I think it was just the force of the fall but what golt ugly was my ankle starting hurting quite a bit. It got worse as the morning went on but I had to walk on it to go to lunch and it was painful…I must have looked quite pathetic limping to my car and back.

Anyway, long story short, I walked on the thing all day Wednesday and it hurt and throbbed all night and then was able to see the doctor the next day…nothing serious and it’s likely just a sprain and it’s already feeling MUCH better than that first day so I think I just needed the swelling to go down. Been able to work from home the last few days and have kept it elevated and I’m giving it ice here and there. Just been a wild month. The arrest, hitting a dear, now a twisted ankle. Just hope it’s better in time for April…I have The Werks and Steve Winwood and I don’t want to miss either…actually I’d see Winwood regardless since I’d at least have a seat for that one.

And Let’s go Michigan State! Playing Oklahoma tonight!

#15162

Thanks for the pep talk on the home buying, Ollie and Bill. I’m haven’t really wavered on the fact that I want to do it, it’s just the reality of doing it that scares me. Like, finding a place that seems right and actually taking that next step. There are so many factors to consider and I am not skilled when it comes to considering lots of factors, eg cost/taxes, layout, size, shape it’s in, livability now and in the future, and on and on and on. I saw one last week I can’t get out of my head though. It checks a lot of my boxes but not a few big ones. That’s another thing. You have to make compromises but figuring out where is tricky. And then you have to worry about if you’ll even get it when you actually do decide to go for one.

Enough of that for now. I’m sure you people will be subjected to much more home buying inner turmoil before this is over. I’m on spring break! Woooooooooooo!

#15163

Lots of luck in your process, Katie!

Morning all.

Cold spells after such warmth seem so tortuous. The highs dipped back down to 50 degrees which feels alot different after upper 60’s than it does after single digits. Going ta gardening workshop at noon and I’m not looking forward to being outside for 2 hours in 40 degrees.

Got a whole week teenager free thanks to spring break and her grandparents. Our relationship is such a roller coaster from day to day and often from minute to minute. It’s good for now, but I’m glad for the break. She admitted to me before she left that she smoked pot for the first time recently. I didn’t really have a reaction. I don’t like it because she is only 13, but I’d rather it was pot than alcohol. Plus, I just don’t think it’s a big deal. She wanted to tell me which makes me very happy. At least I know she trusts me even if she seems to hate me most days. Crazy times.

Enjoy your Sunday peeps and have a stellar week!
Peas

#15164

Thanks Ollie. I agree about the cold temps. We had a few days where it got into the 40s, even close to 50. A lot of snow melted and that spring joy started setting in, but it’s been cold, rainy and snowy since and barely above 30 for several days. April is in 2 days! Let’s go spring!

Morning Pa.

#15165

I don’t like it because she is only 13, but I’d rather it was pot than alcohol. Plus, I just don’t think it’s a big deal.

It might not be but some kids can’t exactly handle pot use, especially since it could get in the way of school. Worth keeping an eye out, at least. Some kids can do it and be responsible but some can’t.

A lot of snow melted and that spring joy started setting in, but it’s been cold, rainy and snowy since and barely above 30 for several days.

We’ve had the same. It’s a lot of that “nice when you’re in the sun, freezing when in the shade” kind of thing…I’ve still been able to let me cat out and hang outside at times but it can get cold quick.

My ankle’s feeling better and I’m trying it out at work today…it hurts a lil here or there but nothing too crazy.

And GO STATE! Once again, Izzo gets my Michigan State Spartans in the Final Four. I’m convinced that OKP could put together a team and if Izzo coached us, we could at LEAST make the Elite 8.

#15166

Mornin dudes. Snowed all weekend on & off, and the ground cover is still significant enough to make the going tough. Mildly annoying. The disc golfing was fun regardless. Rehearsed Saturday, took the family to dinner Friday evening … pretty uneventful & generally happy weekend. Even Monday has been kind of non-threatening so far, hey, maybe this is the good times. :question:

#15167

^3 Tough call on what to do about smoking at 13. Seems a little young, but kids mature differently. Not an easy call for a parent because if you make a big deal out of it, she may charge ahead just because you object. Thirteen to nineteen were the hardest years for us as parents of teenage girls, but there definitely was no one method that worked across the board.

They all reacted to the “house rules” differently, as they struggled to gain the autonomy that they’re naturally inclined to seek. Really wasn’t until they were eighteen that we had any leverage at all. It was only when we could say that the house rules were designed so that we could sleep easier at night, not some method to change their behavior. If they couldn’t live within the rules, they were welcome to leave. And that worked for each of them, even though they must have left and came back at least two or three times before they were finally out on their own.

Not a fun time for parents, but have some heart Ollie. There will be a time when that person that you got along with so well, reappears to be a pretty cool adult.

Morning 'Pa.

Had a great time on Friday at the Knicks game with Jaime and his friends. He’s a good person and so his friends are pretty good people too. Envied this time in their lives, sophomores in high school, no worries more than whose house to meet at to paly some hoops, or what time to meet online to continue playing some action game together. They were all going the next day to a party at some girl’s house for the online chat group they’re in, so the coed ‘mixing’ has started, which is also fun to see.

Sunday I spent some time determining the items that the gkids will have to find after brunch on Easter Sunday as part of the scavenger hunt that was such a big hit last year. They’ve all outgrown the typical ‘Easter egg hunt’ in the back yard, so now they go out in teams to follow a list of instructions to different unique items in the neighborhood. When they find each, they have to take a cell phone picture of it. It all leads them back to a plastic Easter egg back at the house with a 50 in it.

This year, we’re initiating a twist. After they get their egg, each will play a mock version of 'Let’s Make a Deal", where they can trade their egg for one of two other eggs which may have more than 50. I’ll have to be careful how I rig this part of it to make sure no one winds up with less than the original 50, otherwise there will be big disappointments.

It would be nice if the weather warmed up to even average for this time of year. We may even get some more snow late this afternoon. Oh joy.

Time to start working again. Have a great Tuesday you ole Ohkeepa.

#15168

^I’m definitely not stoked about it. We have been talking very openly about it for a LONG time. She was the last of her friends to try it, so I knew it was a matter of time. I agree she’s way too young, but that’s the culture we live in. Plus, Asheville is basically Phish lot so all these kids have grown up with parents who smoke. We talked in depth about doing it with safe people and in safe places. I was also very clear that this better not become a habit. She was adamant she was not going to do anything that would interfere with dance. I’m hopeful she won’t pay it much attention now after having her big first exposure. We’ll see, I guess.

A chilly good morning to you all. Beginning the day in the 30’s, ending it in the 60’s or 70’s.

Later taters.

#15169

Also, my approach may seem cavalier, but as an adult who was raised in a very strict household growing up, I know first hand that yelling and grounding makes kids more determined to do things they shouldn’t. I feel humans are rebellious by nature so if I play it down, my theory is that she won’t so hell-bent on it. I know uber-punishment doesn’t work, so it can’t be any worse than that lol.

#15170

Mornin dudes. Snowed all weekend on & off, and the ground cover is still significant enough to make the going tough. Mildly annoying.

I don’t know what happened. It was lovely and sunny yesterday and I wake up this morning to find everything covered in about two inches of snow…it wasn’t even starting to snow when I went to bed. Either way, I have a feeling much of it will be melted by the end of the week but it’s still an annoying reminder.

^3 Tough call on what to do about smoking at 13. Seems a little young, but kids mature differently.

Yeah, I didn’t start to get “heavy” with smoking until college. I was a pretty good student in high school but I always wonder what would have happened had I became a “heavy” smoker then…and I figured my grades would have suffered. Either way, there’s kind of a line to cross where you go from “just trying it here or there” to buying it for yourself.

I agree she’s way too young, but that’s the culture we live in.

Yeah, wouldn’t it be safe to say we were all “way too young” when we first tried everything we did? You don’t see many folks who try weed for the first time when they’re 35 and already have a 50K/year job.

On a positive note, wow, the Rolling Stones announced a short tour and it’s coming to Comerica Park here in Detroit. I already told myself I’m done with Comerica Park shows but I have to go…it’s the Stones and it’s probably the last time I’d see them.

#15171

Good morning dudes.

Stayed up to watch Van Halen on Kimmel last night. That was kinda fun. The show was good, band was good. David Lee Roth is such a giant clown. I think he cut himself right on the nose, right on stage and wore a band-aid thru the rest of the set. Anyway their second live album comes out today, thinking of nabbing the vinyl. It’ll probably sound kinda bad, but I’m intrigued.

Disc golf plans are increasing in frequency, and that is, IMHO, how life should be. I’ve even been practicing my putting almost daily.

Songwriting continues to frustrate. Trying to instill some discipline, but I just don’t feel like doin shit once dinner is over. I think I need to get healthier and wake up earlier.

My kids are all in that zone, of being teens and difficult and breaking rules and disrespecting people. They’re ultimately good kids though … well most of them! One kid seems hell-bent on doing everything possible to go against the grain of their upbringing. I shrug about it a lot.

Okay y’all have a nice Tuesday now, do it, yeah.

#15172

Morning OKP. Enjoying bad weekday TV and doing laundry. Lots of odds and ends to do today, but no rush.

#15173

Stayed up to watch Van Halen on Kimmel last night. That was kinda fun. The show was good, band was good. David Lee Roth is such a giant clown.

Wait DLR is back with them again? Good Lord. Are they continuing that tour they aborted like a year or so ago?

One kid seems hell-bent on doing everything possible to go against the grain of their upbringing. I shrug about it a lot.

Shrugging seems to be the right response. It’s just kids being rebellious as usual.

And, wow, was busy looking at concerts and the schedule is filling nicely…saw both Umphrey’s and Santana are both coming around town in August and those are both must-sees. With me getting my Blossom tickets, it’ll be a busy month. Also saw Madonna coming in October…I had a good time seeing her last time so maybe we’ll do that again.

And then there’s the Rolling Stones…I’d like to see them one last time but A) It could be stupid expensive and I’d probably need a better seat since it’s in a baseball stadium (ug) and B) It’s the day after Dave Matthews. I do plan on taking that day off to “recover” from DMB but that’s a tall order these days.

Oh, dilemma…

#15174

Happy Humpster OKP.

Have a meeting in five. Back later.

#15175

After getting early ticket orders and such it started to dawn on me that a lot of my shows are spread out over the year…I wondered if I could seriously see at least one show in every month of the year. Sadly, I didn’t see anything in March so it’s kinda a damper on that but I’m still pretty close.

Jan - Saw Umphrey’s on the 31st
Feb - Railroad Earth
Mar - (Nothing, sadly)
Apr - Will be seeing The Werks and Steve Winwood
May - (Nothing booked yet…will keep an eye out. I could cheat and just see the local Mega 80’s show or something)
Jun - Just got tix for Tedeschi Trucks with Sharon Jones
Jul - Dave Matthews…debating to see the Stones who are the day after DMB but it could just be too expensive.
Aug - Big month. Phish at the Blossom, Umphrey’s again, Santana late in the month
Sep - Got tix for AC/DC
Oct - Another big month. Madonna, Mark Knopfler and The Who
Nov/Dec - (Nothing booked yet but lots of time)

Got lucky for Madonna. I went on Ticketmaster and the best seat in my price range was on the side of the stage…this isn’t ideal since there’s such a crazy stage show that seeing it from the side means you miss some of the spectacle. I wanted to try to get across from the stage this time but it was tough…even searching just one ticket at a time gave me nothing.

Anyway, I just called them up on the phone and they had tickets available right in the section I wanted and front row too! These never showed up on the website…I have no idea why unless they just became available. It goes to show…if you’re having trouble with tickets, trying giving them a call. Not to mention that you can request stuff in specific sections and even specific seats which the website often doesn’t let you do. Very useful. I’ve been calling more and more as I go to these older shows and want “last row” seats so I can stand…I usually get them near the aisle too for easy trips to the bathroom.

(As a tip, it can be tricky to get an actual person by calling. I’ve found you first want to tell the machine the show you want to get and then listen to all the show info and right when they’re ready to start your order and the machine asks how many tickets you want, THEN you hit zero and it should go to an operator. There’s always tricks for this stuff).

#15176

^As I told themomadans once, I envy your ears. :thumbup:

Morning 'Pa. It’s an incredibly beautiful Spring morning in central Joisey. Getting into the 60s today, and all we have to say is it’s about time. Definitely been a less than easy Winter for us in the East, but I’m much more concerned about the draught conditions for the folks on the West coast.

Of my nine hour work day today, five of them will be spent in meetings. Really abhor wasting time sitting in long meetings to provide maybe a minute or two of information to the group, especially when I have a ton of paperwork on my desk with deadlines I see slowly slipping to the right. But I guess that’s why they call this stuff that I’m doing, “work”.

Hope everyone has a great Thursday.

#15177

Of my nine hour work day today, five of them will be spent in meetings. Really abhor wasting time sitting in long meetings to provide maybe a minute or two of information to the group,

I hear you…my whole afternoon yesterday was meetings…kinda hard to get into large projects when you’re ripped away from them. It gets to the point now where everyone seems to bring their laptop to the meeting and they just go through e-mails and it’s clear they’re not paying attention at all. I know they can’t just “not go” but it’s a bit silly as for why they’re there.

#15178

I sympathize on the meetings thing. While most I go to are worthwhile, there are some I don’t even really need to be at, and those I have to leave the building for, which is not only wasting my time, but my gas. My bigger waste of time at work is trainings that I’m required to go to that are geared towards classroom teachers and usually can’t at all be applied to what I do. I sometimes try and bring work with me, but I rarely get anything done.

As Bill mentioned, it’s a beautiful spring day out there. Our high is close to 60 today and tomorrow and then back to 30s and snow on Saturday, so I’m going to try and appreciate the spring feeling while it lasts! Enjoy, everyone!

#15179

Our high is close to 60 today and tomorrow and then back to 30s and snow on Saturday,

Really? Ick. I hope we don’t get the same. It’s nice here but it’d been rainy so I haven’t able to frolic outside like I’ve wanted to. Just give me ONE day where it’s warm and dry…just one. It’s all I ask.

And Happy Friday folks…not much else to say but GO SPARTANS against Duke this weekend!!

Love this tune:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLSYuOgog3Q[/youtube]

#15180

^I agree.

Morning 'Pa.

There are those among us who cannot take the whole Easter story literally at all.

Metaphorically, on the other hand, birth, death and rebirth is a foundation precept accepted by most organized spiritual thought. Both the Christmas and Easter stories arose as irrational explanations that eased those early fears of natural constructs, internal and external, that are central to living on this fragile rock. So if today is really supposed to represent the death of the Ego, such that revelation and truth can bloom forth, than I’m all for having a Good Friday.

In addition, the Zen image is that you can’t have a fresh cup of tea unless you first empty the stale tea from the cup, one that urges purification and emptying the mind before being capable of spiritual fulfillment. Once again, this speaks to a death of the preconceived notions that keep us enslaved and the truth from being realized.

The Phish image is of course, Harry Hood.

It was exactly 17 years ago tonight that Marie and I bravely embarked on what was going to be my 5th Phish show, this time a Nassau Coliseum. We did the inside shows of the Island Tour, staying one night in Hempstead, the next in Providence, but it was the end of the 4/3 show that would ingrain in me a deeper than deep-seeded love for the band and the community more than I would have ever imagined.

And what’s great about this all, is that I can come back and forth to Phish, old and new, and still have that same deep felt appreciation for the music, the band, and all you crazy people in here who know what the hell I mean. My whole first year from mid97 to mid98 of seeing Phish was something I always considered to be one of the great gifts to my existence.

Grabbed the 4/3 off the shelf this morning am listening to it at various times today, enjoying it as much as I ever did. Very cool day indeed.

Don’t have a good Friday, my friends. Have a Great one.