a day in bed

Cold and rainy. Good day to stay in bed.

The Movie Knowing was cool. Eerie, creepy. I think it was much better not having seen the trailer so i didn't know what it was about. But i loved it. The Times panned it. Once again i am a minority of me.

The sexy party was fun but i got home at 8am! Ashley was dressed as Laura Croft, which was very hot. There were nurses and just a lot of hot women. I wore a Band pass and had my drumsticks. It was a blast. Juan wore a yellow jumpsuit that Ericson telephone guys wear. He said he'll wear it at a gig, which will be hilarious!

I need to get to bed, but i slept all day. Actually, i have been in bed for hours watching movies, just not sleeping. This is what happens when your bed is 3/4 of your room.

Yeah UConn!

I am writing again. I wrote for a few hours yesterday. And probably will now since i don't see myself sleeping for a spell. It's 73,000 words. 80,000 - 120,000 is a novel. I will get there alright. There's still a lot to cover, Maybe 95,000 or 100,000. I don't know. My goal is to have the first draft done by my birthday.

I am a persistent man but not patient. Damn, did i pick the wrong sport when i picked writing! It takes me like 3 years from initial concept to completed manuscript. It'll be two years in June. But then all those rewrites.

Put one foot in front of the other
and soon you'll be walking cross the floor
put one foot un front of the other
and soon you'll be walking out the door
-Santa Claus is Coming to Town

i have hit a new nadir, quoting from Claymation Xmas carols.

Stages

All the worlds indeed a stage
And we are merely players
Performers and portrayers
Each anothers audience
Outside the gilded cage
-Rush (with help from Shakespeare)


More gigs!

April 30 - Chil Bill
May 21 - Cats

It's partly cloudy for the 1st time in 2 weeks. No pasa nada!

Tamara and Pete came over (from band B) last night. We barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs and worked on some tunes. I love hanging with those two. We need to get Inaki, our guitarist, more involved, and find a bassist. All in good time. I think we could actually play gigs without a bassist til we find one.

I am going to a party with Juan tonight hosted by Nieves (Terminator Girl). It's at a bar but you need to dress up in costume. It's called a 'sexy party.' Like Benny Hill? Like Stewie Griffin? I have no idea what to wear. The gals are dressing as nurses (cool!) and such. I think Juan is going as a construction worker. Hmmmm...I could wear a tie.

I do funny. I do intelligent. I do expat. I don't really do sexy. I try, but it's a mystery to me. Like math.

The world keeps turning.

mutual explotation

• Piratebay.org rules. You can find lots of music bootlegs there. I got some Rush shows from '74 -82 and some very early Porcupine Tree stuff that is hard to find.
  
• Sunny and 24 C. Yee hoo!
• All is well, just mega busy with work and jamming.
• Baseball is coming!!!!
• Go Uconn!
• There's a photo of Obama drinking a beer at a basketball game in the NY Times. I've never seen a president this down to earth. People here in Madrid love him. They were outraged by the whole AIG bonus scandal too.
• We discussed Jade Goody too, the reality star from England who lived and died on TV. It's a fascinating story if you haven't heard it.

“The media have exploited her and she has exploited them, and it seems to have worked very well for both of them.”
-Mr. Clifforfd, spokesperson for Jade Goody

the wheel spins on....

Ziggy played guitar, jamming good with weird and gilly
And the spiders from mars. he played it left hand
But made it too far
Became the special man, then we were ziggy's band
-David Bowie

Lunes 11:14

• i am having one of those days where it is very annoying that most of the people in the Metro are not as intelligent as i am. Que bummer!
• The International Herald Tribune is full of doom and gloom. Recessions suck.
• well - it's sunny out. That's something dammit!!!!

Martes 10:55

Listening to: Richard Barbieri - The Stranger Inside. Tremendous electronica from the keyboardist for Porcupine Tree

• Tremendous jam last night. Bo shut up and just played bass and we rocked. We worked on 5 new tunes and there was a lot of good energy.
• Today, 23 C and sunny. This is a nice stretch to live in Madrid.
  
• Art imitates life, life imitates art, art imitates life, life imitates art, and thus the wheel spins on
  

So where were the spiders while the fly tried to break our balls
Just the beer light to guide us,
So we bitched about his fans and should we crush his sweet hands?
-David Bowie

kentucky fried panda

• I taught Rush's Far Cry, in class last week because it was a phrasal verbs that drove students nuts the week before. We also did David Bowie's Five Years, off of the Ziggy Stardust Album. The students were like "Zi-Hee-Sta-dish? Que significa?' I told them to never mind.
• Okay, so it's officially spring. It is here. Hope it is by you too. But April is like monsoon season here.

the following is some lyrics i sent out to Lee this morning;

KENTUCKY FRIED PANDA

i tried to save the fishes

I tried to save the sea

but it was like a freight truck

running over me

I tried to save the rain forest

thought we should let it grow

but now it's just a parking lot

of freaks, pimps and ho's

So Let's go down to Kentucky Fried Panda

and have ourselves a snack

Let's go down to Kentucky Fried Panda,

i crave a “White and Black” (with cheese)!

I hoped to have some children

who might play in the grass

see a tree, catch a fish

or just lie on their arse

I tried to keep the air clean

keep the sun from cooking us

but that was just too costly

now the earth's a big pie crust

So Let's go down to Kentucky Fried Panda

and have ourselves a snack

Let's go down to Kentucky Fried Panda,

i crave a “White and Black” (with cheese)!

Kentucky Fried Panda

Kentucky Fried Panda

Kentucky Fried Panda

Kentucky Fried Panda

solo

i tried to save the earth

with renewable energy

but the lobbyists with their picket fence

..... well they barbecued me.

now sometimes i get blue

the world ain't what it should be

but then i think about a Panda Burger

tender, light and crispy!

So Let's go down to Kentucky Fried Panda

and have ourselves a snack

Let's go down to Kentucky Fried Panda,

i crave a “White and Black” (with cheese)!

Kentucky Fried Panda

Kentucky Fried Panda

Kentucky Fried Panda

Kentucky Fried Panda

solo, jam

-----

Since i can't find Panda Burgers here (cretins!) i will bbq bratwurst instead. I barbecued an Argentinian steak yesterday, oh yeah!

14:18 - Lunch time.

Off the Grid

12:44

• looking for health insurance through European co's. So much fun i could poop myself.
• and then taxes. Oy! I find it disconcerting that Uncle Sam stills remembers who i am and knows where i live. I'd rather be off the grid. Instead of off my rocker.

you can't always get what you want
-The Rolling Stones

• I watched Ireland beat Wales in a thriller of a rugby match. Ireland came back to win and won the 6 Nations trophy as well as the Triple Crown, sweeping England, Scotland and Wales. I went with my friend Brian from Claire. And of course the Martian texted me when it was over. Rugby is an excellent sports It's American football without all those breaks, stops and starts.
• Eek! I am becoming European? I do have less desire to shoot off a gun and wear a dead animal on my back, but those urges where never that strong to begin with.
  

Reggae cleaning session

Tell the children the truth
Tell the children truth
-Bob Marley

Viernes


I can walk in my room! I can see an end to laundry long neglected. i didn't have a dresser except this thing that's made out of glorified cardboard so i moved it out of the closet and just put in 2 of those plastic storage boxes. I 'll get another one when i know winter is truly gone and store the winter clothes in the Spare Oom.

In typical Spanish fashion, 2 of my students for today canceled. So i just have 2 hours at 17:00, which is fine. 2 hours in one place is a good deal.
I see UConn rolled last night. they must be pissed after that multi OT loss to St. John's in the Big East Tourney. I was never able to watch any Madness on CBS Online, although they claim differently. No one here even knows what the Tourney is, yet they love baloncesta and the NBA.

Band B really needs a name. I suggested Kentucky Fried Panda. It was shot down.

Sabado

Plans for today! Nothing! Yeah!

The bad part about your whole room being filled with your bed - it's hard to get out of bed!!!!

A lifetime

• 30 de abril es nos proxima concierto!
• Our next gig is April 30th
  
• i am starting to really think in Spanish.
  
• I still fart in English
• I don't even know what that means!!!
• i bet Chema does (Ha haa!)
  


• There's a website telling me i can watch March Madness for free.
• It's not working out so far. It's an endless loop. It's CBS Online. I had three interviews with them when i thought i was going to move to LA.
• It's not working.
  

I have always been here
I have always looked out from behind these eyes
It feels like more than a lifetime
Feels like more than a lifetime
-Pink Floyd

dia del padre

Had a dad
Big and strong
Turned around
Found my daddy gone

He was the one
Made me what I am today
It's up to me now
My daddy has gone away.
-Jane's Addiction

This holiday so means nothing to me. Not that it upsets me. I'm sure it would have been nice to have a cool dad. But i didn't. I can't even really comment on him except that i always thought he was full of shit. I was ten. So you just move on. NEXT!!!!!

No worries. I had an exceptional grandfather (Pop!). He loved his family, worked hard and liked beer and baseball. I have modeled my life after him, more or less. A lot less Navy and a lot more rock n roll. But otherwise, yes. Exactly.

I'm sure my living in Madrid would blow his mind! So would shortstops that hit 4o HR's! O brave new world that has such skill position infielders in it!!!!

Hello hello

I don't know why you say 'goodbye'
I say 'hello'
-The Beatles


Summer in raincoats. Spring in early March! It all gets so confusing. But the unbroken sunshine and 70 degree days are quite welcome. And no work tomorrow. But i'll get some hours in on Friday.

More spring cleaning in the works. Joder!

listening to;

Magical Mystery Tour

(obviously!)

No plans yet for tomorrow. Yeah! I need to get back to the novel. I need to get back to basics. I need to get back home. But where is home?, asks the man with drum kits on 2 continents.

Get back Jo Jo!
-The Beatles

Paying bills. Ugh!

The Seester points out that i am now a 'paid musician.' I did get free beer and 20E, so i guess that is true, but i won't be quitting my day job!!!! Not with what the kit cost.

Martes

Days of barefoot freedom
racing with the waves
-Rush

• lots of good feedback/constructive criticism coming in from the gig
• no class on Thursday as the feast of St. Joseph is father's day here. I guess that makes sense for a place that used to be so Catholic. Back in the Franco days they would drag you out of your home in the middle of the night and condemn you to a slow death in a labor camp if you weren't a 'good' Catholic. What would Jesus do? Not that, obviously.
• At high noon it's 55F and sunny. Time to pull my jeans in off the line. It'll get into the high 60's again today. March can be a beautiful month here. This is just like '07 when the Seesters came to visit for their luna miel (honey moon).
• The spring cleaning never ends!!!! I am still fighting for foot space in my room with my new giant bed that takes up 75% of the room. But i'm sleeping like a cat on 3 pillows, on top of a fluffy rug. Fripp, that was for you buddy.
  

Tales from the gig

Don't touch that dial
Don't go to bed
Don't read a book
Call up instead

Angelina takes requests
Every day at 5 am
If you're down or under stress
Get into Angelina
-Marillion

What a weekend! First the show, then a thriller of a game where Atleti comes back, down 2-1, to win 3-2 over Villareal. It was a fantastic game.

Gig Tales:

• The stage was so small the guys could barely fit with my kit. At one point the swing part of a cymbal stand was poking Bo up the ass. I don't think either of us wanted that so i moved it.
• Juan was really pleased with 80 people turning up as Real Madrid played at 22:00 and we were in their neighborhood. Time stops when they play, so this was an especially nice turnout.
• Someone, i don't recall whom, called me a bad ass drummer. Heh, heh.
• After the show people were like 'your guitarist is amazing!' I thought so myself when i met Juan 2 years ago.
• There were more women than men. This was especially nice.
• Afterwards i showed some chick how to play the drums. Heh heh. Chicks love the drummer.

Setlist:

SOMETHING HAPPENED

BREAK ON THROUGH (the doors)
STREET SUPPIN

ALIVE (pearl jam)

PIPE DREAMS

500 MILES (the proclaimers)

OVER YOU

CORNERED
TAKE ANOTHER
OPIUM
HAIR METAL MAMA
GIVE IT AWAY (red hot chili peppers)
SHAKE YOUR WET UMBRELLA

Juan will work on getting us some other gigs. Then we need to record our originals and set up our Myspace page. For now, i am content to just get back to a normal schedule. It was 23 C yesterday and will be again today. Gorgeously warm and sunny. We have entered spring. I will enjoy it as April is usually quite rainy.

jamming

The gig went great. I love my new drums. about 80 people came - which is awesome. More later - Juan will be here with the kit soon and then the game at 7.

he plays fast forward just as long as he can but he won't need a bed
he's a digital man
-Rush

Gig

Tonight's the night
-Neil Young

13:30

I got a good sleep. Time to shower, eat, and gather the drums together for when Juan gets here at 16:00. I hope it fits in his car!!!! Then Lee's around 17:00. They are going to run thru the songs without drums. Maybe i'll be the group chef too and cook dinner! Lee lives next door to Chill Bill. Set up at 20:00 - sound check at 21:00. No opening act so we will go on around 10:30. There'll be 2 sets with a break in between. I can't wait to let loose on my new drums! Fun!

Thanks for all the well wishes! I'm sure we will rock the Casbah! And have fun. After all, that's why i do this. For fun.

My other East

when i said east i of course meant west
-El Dude

oops. Thanks to the Life Coach for getting me sorted.

I just spent an hour tuning my drums. Woo hoo! Not that i really know how to tune them. I just watched a 10 minute Dave Weckl video on YouTube and then just did it.

I am, of course, a little nervous about the gig, but mostly just excited. This isn't nearly as stressful as recording those Wayward Platypus albums, live and the first time we were all playing together. We have played together a lot, the four of us. Lee, our singer, is fine. Beau gets lost a lot (more than just on bass) and Juan needs needs to realize how good he is. But i am sure we will kick ass and everyone will have fun

and if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
i'll see you on the dark side of the moon
-Pink Floyd

standing at the gates of the east

In the shadow again
-The Clash

Dear people to the East of me!

I love you and miss you.

So busy that i smell my farts before i even realize i have cut them.

Just wanted to let the powers that be that i am still alive. So don't sell my stuff!!!!

I was with Pete and Tamara from band B tonight. We went to an open mike. I sang back up with Tamara on Liz Phair's Fuck and Run while Pete played acoustic. It 's a fave of mine and it was fun! There were about 40 people in this brick wine cellar that's like 400 years old!!

I am a lucky man. I like my life.

One could do worse than be a swinger of birches
-Robert Forst

Let the hammer fall (part 3)

Feeling unlimited
Eyes on the prize
Changes never end
Never End
-Rush

• It's supposed to be 20C tomorrow. That's like when Jan and Mel were here in '07. happy anniversary gals!!!!
• Maybe it was a date. Kevin, my newly appointed life coach, assures me it was. Maybe that was why i didn't let Ashley know when i bit into something hard in my hummus. I heard a crunch. Very disturbing. Then i felt it with my tongue and it was rock hard. I quietly slipped it into my pocket without her knowing in case it was a crown. I searched with my tonugue and it felt like i had all of my teeth. When i got home i saw it was a little white rock. What the hell? Never going back there again. A miracle i didn't break any of my teeth. Who writes the script for my life, Lenny Bruce? I went on a first date and tehre was a stone in my hummus! Who does that happen to?
  
• I am spring cleaning. Everything must go! Chema is working tonite, so i can fill the sitting room with my shit so i can clean.
• I found all of my tools under my bed. Then a baby cucaracha ran across the floor. The nearest thing to me was a hammer. I went nuclear on that little guy and smashed him into a spot of grease. That's my new cucaracha killer.
  
• Bettina resurfaced. I gave up after several tries at meeting up with her. She always said 'we' when making plans. "We'll see you ...." I didn't know if it was a homage to Aynn Rand's ANTHEM or if she was scared to go out with me alone. Spanish women are nuts. She said she'll see me at the gig. She also doesn't go out on Fridays. Very odd. But we'll see what happens.
  
• Ashley will be at the gig too. As will Elisa, the Italian bird. Fight over me gals. Fight over me! I'll get the Jello!
• This life coach thing is working already!!!
  

Sleeping towns joined together
By the steel of the rails
Parallel lines
Parallel lives
-Marillion

No class til 6 today. One canceled but the morning one i get paid for - yeah!!! I think i have my foot pedal adjusted for the bass drum. Now i have to tune the other fuckers.

Kevin tells me rumors of a young Caps fan is blooming in Wilton, CT. One part the play of Alex Ovechkin, one part some of my Caps stuff that Colin wears, one part that the Islanders haven't done anything since 1983. I'm so happy i could cry! The sad part is i don't think Thibault can get it done in goal for a playoff run. But the Caps could play the Penguins or the Rangers in the playoffs, which would be tasty.

Going up to 19 C today. Warmer tomorrow! Sun reign on me!!!!!

What it was

and then you don't mind when the rain comes streaming through the blinds
-The Adults

• Set up the kit today on the terrace. Yeah! Like when Neil Peart did that photo for Tama on a barge iin a lake. Looks very cool. I need to get a camera
• I need to tune it and set the foot pedal tomorrow
  
• I still don't know if it was a date or not but Ashley and i had a great time. 3.5 hours - that's a long time. It felt very casual. She loves sci fi and the Beatles. That's a damn fine start. I walked her to her door and she said she had a great time. I said 'let's do it again." She said "Yes!" - And then " Saturday, for the gig!"
• She'll be 30 in May. That's not too young for me, is it?
• I never knew she is partially blind, so she can't drive. She explained it as everyone sees life on a 72 inch HD tv and she is still watching a 13 inch black and white. That sucks.
• Well, we'll see what happens. Like always
• Isn't it insane? I have been dating women since i was 16 years old. I was married for 12 years, lived with her for 14. How can i know so little about women? I don't know the secret handshake. I don't get the newsletter. I'm pretty intelligent. I can explain world history from 1900 right up to now. But women are a mystery. It would probably be easier if i was gay, but i am soooooo not. The Seester hogged those genes, along with the ones that allow you to be organized and do complicated math functions. Bitch.
  

Dates

But the high has to rise from the low
Like volcanoes explode through the snow
The mosquito's sting brings a dream
But the poison's derange
.....The music must change
-The Who

Has it been since wed? I am so busy. Need to clear out storage space and set up drums so i can tune them and all. I taught friday and sat. I take it when it comes.

Then i'm meeting this gal Ashley at 7:30 for what may or may not be a date. I really don't know which. I am always the last to know. She sings and her and Juan and i used to jam back in the Spring of '07. Cute. mid to late 20's. She's from Texas. I won't hold that against her. We just ran into each other of late and she's a sweet gal, and single. So i asked if she wanted to go out for drinks and a bite to eat. She said sure.

Hmmmm. Maybe it is a date.

please send comments and opinions to krcfjg333@gmail.com

Listen

Listen to my music
And hear what it can do
-Rush


- whew! how many days has it been? I am knackered (which means 'tired' it British English)
-work,band practice, not sleeping well on monday, ouchy elbow (but okay).
-It goes by so fast
-So nothing much else to say really
-WTF? Am i finally at a loss for words? Seriously? He whose mouth overfloweth?









-Listen; i think an angel just got its wings
-Or someone just got a nickname
-Or a giant panda just had sex

a question of sanity

Domingo

A fire of unknown origin took my baby away
-Blue Oyster Cult

• Whew! Three hours playing. I need to get my endurance back. I feel like i get older every day. Practice went well.
• I am gradually finding out that i am a whole lot smarter than most of the people i know. I find this surprising. I knew i was blessed with a decent noggin' , but i am genuinely left speechless at the things i see people do and say. I think cara and Juan are the only ones i know who would even register on a sane-ometer.

Lunes

• i am beat. typical lunes. I found a twin bed in teh spare room. I can make an adult size bed out of it if i can just fit it in my room. Bollocks, that will be tough!!!. I may have to ask American Laura for spacial tips. Or fly in a feung shui specialist
• fuck that. I'll call Laura

Pulpo

I'd like to be
under the sea
in an octopus' garden
in the shade
-The Beatles

• I jam tonite with Summer in Raincoats at 6. I'm looking forward to hitting things for a while.
• On the topic of hitting things, i'd like to hit our bassist, Bo, who is exceedingly outspoken about the direction of the band for someone who only started playing bass last october, has never played live before, and essentially knows nothing about music. These are times when i miss the East River. The Manzanares here is way to shallow to dump a body.
• Bo is always telling us how to play, what we should or should not play, and yet starts to playing without tuning. Any moron knows you need to tune up. So the rest of us just ignore him.
  
• Because we are all friends (were, in my case with Bo) it may be hard to boot him. It's a shame because we could find a much better bassist. But i'm not too worried about it. I have the other band. We'll play the gig and if the little bassist with the big mouth is still annoying, i'll just quit. Such drama! Somone call BEHIND THE MUSIC!
• But seriously, i do this for fun and exercise, not to be annoyed. If i sent you some of his emails, you'd think they were written by a girl scout with self esteem issues and ADD. The topics skip around more than an episode of LOST.
  
• Last night we had octopus - pulpo. Juan cooked it in a pressure cooker. The pulpo was surprisingly anatomically correct. You drop it in the the pot with potatoes. when the potatoes are ready, so is the pulpo. Fascinatingly simple but effective.
• It wasn't my favorite thing i've ever eaten, but it was much better than any octopus sushi i've had - which is always chewy and tastes like Octopus flavored bubble gum
• I need to do my facturas for february. Money - yeah! But now it's March and i have to pay bills - boo!
• Happy birthday to CHT - Colin Hamilton Tietjen - who is an astonishing 9 years old. Holy crap!!!!