Light and Shadow

Sometimes the world bums me out. When I see and understand how money is the motivating factor for just about everything it brings me down. Money, acclaim, fame, success. A glimpse in to the darkness of striving and envy and revenge. It all boils down to being noticed, loved, and affirmed as a human being.

Sometimes the sadness is a real crusher when I see what people go through. The things we all see on the same scale. The little heroics of day to day. The rising above the mundane. And all the silly things we do to numb ourselves or distract ourselves. Sometimes it's hard to face the cold light of day; the stinging glare of a reality gone so desperately wrong.

And then I see a flower...Or hear the laughter of a child, and I am reminded again of joy.

SAND SCULPTURE

Check out this cool sand sculpture. It was made in front of the newly renovated Imax Theater here in Myrtle Beach...

Katie's Pre Prom Pics

BEACH

Betsy and I worked a couple of hours this morning, and then headed to the beach to lay around and soak up some sun and fresh air for about an hour. Boy was that refreshing! I hadn't been to the beach in ages. I think I'll make a habit of heading down there on a regular basis. The fresh air was just what the doctor ordered. I breathed deeply and it felt great.

The bike rally is over, and things are returning to normal. It's actually quiet on the street again. Betsy and I worked straight through. Whew. It's back to work on the music this week. I'll let you know how it goes...

Tonight we're going to have some baked chicken (Betsy does a wonderful job of it, much to the delight of her family), and basically chill out. I rented Reservoir Dogs. I've heard about this movie for quite some time, but have never seen it.

Saturday Chime-In

It is a beautiful Saturday morning. Betsy and I are getting ready to go to work. It's pretty much the last day of the Bike Rally. People start heading out tomorrow. It's been a busy week. We're all looking forward to taking a chill pill.

I finally saw Dead Man's Chest last night. My niece lent me the DVD. I am now caught up in the series so I can watch the new one when it comes out. I found the saga quite entertaining. Afterwards, I watched Real Time with Bill Maher. I like him, but it's the same old crap. I'm sick to death about hearing of this stupid war. We have made a real mess of things over there. I'm still trying to understand why we are in Iraq in the first place (Oil? To clean up daddy George H.W's little unfinished business from the early Nineties?). I am convinced that the actions in Iraq have little, if anything to do with terrorism. As usual, it's all about the money.

It's the Junior Prom tonight. Katie and her friends are excited. Hopefully I'll get to post some pics before too long, as I'm sure everyone will be looking lovely.

Talk to you later....

Sick Stooges

I just got back from checking out my brother's band Sick Stooges. Let me tell you, these guys rocked. I had a great time, and so did the rest of the crowd.

Bike Week

Yeah, this IS bike week, but Rog must have got his lines crossed!

Mom's Cataract Surgery #1

My mom goes in to surgery tomorrow for cataracts. Please say a prayer for her. After this one heals, she'll go back in for the other eye. I know she'll be thrilled to have crystal clear vision again.

I had a long day at the store yesterday. Worked the full day. It was busy but it was cool. Bike week is progressing very smoothly. Today went smoothly. I worked with my brother. He has a gig tonight. As a matter of fact he will have a total of four gigs this week with his rock cover band Sick Stooges.

I am moving forward in my CD production. I nailed the solo I was working on. Recording is completed. Mixing is completed on all but two songs. I should have all songs mixed by next week. I will then be ready for mastering.

Progress is being made, and I am totally fired up!

A Quiet Respite

I am spending the evening catching up on listening to podcasts and scanning some blogs. The girls have gone to bed, as they will be up very early for their fitness boot camp. I am sitting at the dining room table with my stuff around me. Nestled in the corner of the room, looking out into the rest of the downstairs area. It is quiet. It is softly lit. It is serene. I love these types of quiet moments. Time seems to stand still at moments like this. I am going to my humidor to select a cigar… a Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Verona’s Court. It’s a mild and creamy smooth smoke. I admit that my tastes run to the mild to medium area of the spectrum.

Boy am I enjoying this.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Happy Mother's Day!

DAVIDOFF EVENT

The Davidoff event went well. Now we are into Bike Week, and it's going smoothly. I'll post any interesting pics, but this year I am primarily in the store, and not at any of the off-site events unless something changes.

Busy Times Have Returned

Should be a busy and fun day tomorrow. We have a Davidoff event in the afternoon and it should be a lot of fun. It will be interesting to see how many how it goes. I'm looking forward to seeing Raymond Schuerer, Sam Russell, and Steve Dickinson from Davidoff. The last time I saw Raymond and Sam was when Betsy and I were in the Dominican Republic. Steve is our sales manager and it is always great to hang with him. Our customers seem to be excited about the event, and if any of you that RSVP'd are reading this, I'll see you there.

It looks like tomorrow will kick off a couple weeks of BUSY! The bike rally starts Friday, and will run for the next ten days. It looks like the logistics are pretty well sorted out this time around. This will be the third year of the rally that we have done, and I have blogged about them each time. You never know what you will see at these deals. Some things interesting, and some things silly. Some things you just wish you could forget!

I personally will be glad when it's over. The constant rumble of hogs for me gets a bit tiresome in the end, but it is not without its fun moments.

MUSC

Katie has been accepted as a summer volunteer at MUSC, which is the medical University down in Charleston. She will have to drive down there once a week, all summer. I am not sure, but I think she's going to work with kids when she is on duty. Katie has got a real gentle spirit with the little ones, and I think she will be a hit with them. It should be a wonderful experience for her, which I believe will impact all parties concerned in a positive way.

I spent the evening doing some music stuff, doing some practice edits of a couple trouble spots in some songs of mine, to get my chops up. Seems I'm getting the hang of it!

567

Today's got one of those cool dates. 5-6-07.
I know it has no particular significance, but it seems cool to me , nonetheless. It would be a cool milestone for something, like the day that will never be again. Just like every other irreplaceable and unique moment of our lives.

Good Day

I spent the day laying down some tracks, editing, and generally tweaking some music. It was a good and productive day. When I am immersed in music, I tend to lose track of time. I had a whim to edit a certain song of mine, and after a little while, I got it nailed. I was wondering if I could successfully remove part of a verse which I thought was redundant. It turns out that it worked out very well. It was a learning experience, and it feels great to actually be taking the bull by the horns and figuring out how to master all this stuff. Onward and upward!

Chris Yale Podcast Episode 5

Episode 5 is live! Click HERE.

Mentions:

Dave Slusher

Zippo

Tinder Box

Rivertown Arts and Jazz Festival

Rocky Patel Cigars

Randall Bramblett

Spring Bike Rally

Davidoff

Raymond Scheurer

Liberty Steakhouse and Brewery

Music Appreciation

I am listening to some songs on Songramp There is so much good music out there. There is so much bad music too, but I guess it's all a matter of opinion. I love it when I am listening to a new or unfamiliar song and get swept away with the words and music. The atmosphere and instrumentation make a huge difference to the vibe, whether it is sparse and plaintive, or fully produced. But for me the most important thing is the voice. Mind you, it doesn't have to be a perfect voice. For me it's about the character and the delivery. That special something that puts the song across. Personality. The elusive "it".

The song is the thing.

BOSTON - Day Three

I copied this from my Moleskine...

Newbury Street is lovely. It’s a sunny morning and people are out and about. Katie and Betsy are going in and out of shops. I am out on the sidewalk and smoking my small Stanwell travel pipe with a lovely bowl of Tinder Box’s Chartwell blend in it. Now that we are out and about and the sun is shining, I have to say I like this town. It’s diverse and thriving. Yesterday was cold and miserable, but we were unprepared for the weather. Had we been more warmly dressed with better rain gear we would have faired better. This is a real city, folks. I could get used to being in the thick of things again. The vibe is so different. I am using a solar-powered trash compactor as a desk right this moment. Very innovative and forward thinking, I must say. It’s just so refreshing.

On plane to Charlotte…
I think we all enjoyed our short trip to Boston. I could tell that this is a city I’d love to come back and explore in more detail next time. Perhaps it’s time to get my act together and take it on the road.