DAY OFF

I'm enjoying a quiet Sunday morning. Katie, Betsy and I are going to be able to relax today. We're going to church
and then afterwards it's off to our favorite breakfast spot in Myrtle Beach, Hot Stacks.

There are a lot of interesting things going on and it has been a whirlwind of activity. My brother is moving down and we are totally psyched about doing some music together again. It's been quite a while. My solo cd project is on hiatus (although it's about done) so I can focus on getting some Yale Brothers stuff together.

My buddy Jim has decided to buy the townhouse from us, which is cool because now we don't have to put it on the market, and we don't have to move out until out new house is ready. That , I must say, sounds like a win/win to me, and a blessing for which I am thankful.

We are opening another Tinder Box store and it's going to be a busy couple of weeks as we put the finishing touches on it, stock it, and get everything dialed in. We are also entering the busiest time of the year, so it's time to hang tough.

BIKE RALLY RUMINATIONS

This year's bike rally was purported to be the biggest and best for Myrtle Beach yet. My day gig as a tobacconist for the Tinder Box put me in the thick of things this year. We worked in tandem with Zippo and had a tent set up over at Club Kryptonite next to the Orange County Choppers set-up. It was quite chaotic but quite frankly it was a lot of fun. The bikers are always way cool to deal with and we had the Zippo Car next to the tent which is always an attraction. I did it again. I've got a hankering for a bike again! Also Acid Cigars had a very successful promo event at the store. They had a bike sent down for display (see pic below). The Macanudo bus was here at the store last wednesday which was a hit as well. Thanks to everyone who helped put it all together. I think we all deserve a nap!

View from the tent.  

The tent. 

The awesome Zippo Car. 

Taj Mahal  

Firefighter's chopper 

Air Force 

This bike is for the Lance Armstrong Foundation

Some of OCC's cool but uncomfortable looking choppers.

Cool stroller, Kid. Got ink? 

My Daughter Katie Behind The Wheel!

I'm driving now....NYAAAAAAAAH!

OCC Thinking they're rockstars! 

Me on the Yankee Bike from Acid Cigars 

The Zippo car . 

Zippo Booth

We are setting up a booth over by the Orange County Chopper guys with our local Zippo Distributor. I'll be there all week. Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures later. Also the Macanudo Bus will be at the store this evening from 6 to 9. I may or may not make it over there.

PRE-APPROVAL

Betsy and I got our pre-approval for the mortgage loan yesterday and we are moving forward on the new house. So far so good, thank God. I'm pretty much allergic to hassle, and I'm glad to say things are relatively smooth.This is a huge step for us, and we really need the space, so away we go...

Rog

My brother Rog was in town on an exploratory trip to look at rentals. We also got to jam a bit, which was cool. I am looking forward to our musical adventures as a duo. We've got quite a bit of rehearsals ahead of us and song selection and arguing about song selection as far as covers go. The core of the material will be our own originals.

SO BEGINS BIKE WEEK

Going Forward

We have signed on a house and decided to move forward with the purchase plans. I've been stressed out for WEEKS as all this is new to me. The loan looks to be in place as far as I can see. The whole thing is contingent upon selling our townhome before the start date of construction. No one sees a problem with our little house selling quickly once it is on the market, but the daunting thing is de-cluttering and cleaning and getting it ready to move. The thought of it all is always worse than the reality. Inch by inch it's a cinch! How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

Random Thoughts

I live in Myrtle Beach which is primarily a resort town, but it is growing at an incredibly rapid rate. Things have changed here tremendously during the last decade or so. We are on the cusp of another summer season which really begins with the spring bike rally which is just about to get underway. I can't tell you how I see these things roll in and out and I use them as chronological landmarks, marking my one and only time on this planet and the lost years they represent. When I say lost I mean spent for good. There are no do-overs. Now is all we have.

What we really lack here is a thriving musical community. There are some incredibly talented folks here but there is no urgency that I see. There is no unifying principle, and you damn sure can't manufacture a scene. Perhaps it's just a matter of time. Perhaps not.

Hats off to the Homegrown local music show on The Sound 107.1 for at least showcasing some of the original unsigned material that is out there. They have been totally supportive of local artists and I must commend them. While visiting Myrtle Beach, why not tune in to the Sound 101.7 in general and the Homegrown Show Sunday evenings from 8-9PM.

My twin brother Roger is coming to town this week, and we are discussing a musical endeavor, as well as his upcoming move to MB! Look out!

PostSecret

PostSecret
This is just amazing! I stumbled across this site from a link on a blog. Kinda cool, dontcha think?

sometimes

Sometimes I sink into a funk for no reason whatsoever that I can think of.
Sometimes life gets me down.
Sometimes I wonder if the sun will shine again.
Sometimes I need the smile of a good friend.

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in ennui that I cannot bear to face the day.

Sometimes I question my motives.

Sometimes I have an overpowering need to get away from myself.