warning BLUE ahead...

not the blue the net is infamous for...
I have a hard time watching my kids grow up. They start out needing and wanting you, and it fades. Much more than I want (I'm learning) Over the last week or so there have been more and more activities leading up to one of my kids graduation. I see the slideshows of when he was young, and fast forward to current day, and to be honest my eyes well up with tears... I have no idea how I'm going to get thru these years. I've become someone he is embarrased to be by when his friends are around, including at school and sport activities. GOD that hurts, but it must be a part of growing up. My parents tell me I was like that, and I OWE THEM A HUGE APOLOGY if that's true. If your a kid and reading this, DON'T shun your parents, love them back the way they love you!!
The other untimely event, is I lisened to a voicemail my younger kid left me last week, and the young kidness of a voice is changing. I'm losing the baby as well to age. My days of walking him to the school door, and all the other magic that they provide me will be fading as well. Like I said tears in the eyes... I love them both MORE than they can comprehend...

perfect NO, better YES

I was a bit disappointed in the results when I completely redid my guitars body. FWIW I still am... However the interesting thing is I think it sounds better this time around.I built it with a modified design and it is evident. It looks a bit more homegrown than I would like, but it DOES have a unique character (kinda like me :) ) So for the first time all my readers LOL can now feast your eyes on the DEEEPEST Purple strat...



Maybe now I have the incentive to really learn to play better, and justify a new store bought axe...

recovery, the color purple, and ZZZZs

Well maybe it's age, but more than likely its because of limited training time recently. Nevertheless, I picked up a product I used in the past by Endurox for post exercise recovery. It's worked in the past and I'm sure it will help with my evil master plans for the summer. I've needed to come up with something that will provide quick recovery for a long distance relay race I'm doing in June, and this should work some magic, and make me feel young again LOL.
The new version of my guitar is starting to grow on me. At first I wasn't thrilled with the outcome, but I'm starting to appreciate it's one off uniqueness. That, and the tone I'm dialing in out of that new DiMarzio pick up is sounding good/great. Gonna have to take a picture of that left handed piece of art... Prince (and Eric) would be proud. LOL
Last but not least
I've been having problems with getting a good nights sleep over the last month or so, and found that even though a pill might knock me out, it messes with me the next day more than I want. So I need to come up with an alternative plan. Eliminating that 2nd cup of coffee? Cutting off eating 2 hours before bed? Not sure.....

forget the swine flu...

UGH! yesterday I had the worst run I've experienced in AGES. I felt like I was carrying sandbags, my legs were heavy, it was like gravity had been turned UP! It was only a 3 miler, and I actually walked a bit WTF?! I guess Friday's double ride, and Saturdays long run caused a bit of staleness... That and the fact that I'm up 5 pounds above where I want to be. That sucks too. As if I'm overeating to compensate for something. My dietary habits have been bad lately, that and the free time to work out is nowhere to be seen. Add those 2 together and you get me in my current condition. SUCKS! TIME to change/keep a careful eye on my diet... The other troubling thing is I've been having sleep problems lately, maybe caused by eating later in the evening, or maybe its something else?! Either way, I'm in a bit of a funk...

what I've learned recently

I've been rebuildig my guitar over the last month or so, and learned some things about myself in the process...
1) I'm impatient. It was driving me bonkers not being able to work on the guitar whenever "I" wanted to. My most recent reminder of this was over this past weekend. I had the option of prep sanding and continuing to clear coat the body or work with what was done and finish it. I decided to finish it. I would much rather have it done than hangiong over my head and making me wait.
2) I am focused and determined. Sunday morning I woke up early with the mindset that I was going to FINISH the guitar that day. Started around 8 am and aside from the occasional meal and small break to tend to some family things, I worked all day on the guitar. I DID finish it. By 7:30pm I had the newly rebuilt Purple guitar plugged into the amp.
3) New guitar, same guitarist LOL I really should take lessons. A new color, and new pickup doesn't give me new technique.... The life lesson with this one was no matter how you look, or what you change on the "OUTSIDE"; you are still the same until you change things on the "INSIDE".

other than that 2 nights of nightmares, and last nights SUCKED. Really bugged me, no comment on the details but lesson learned there as well. More so than any other...
Ran 11 miles this past Saturday in anticipation of this coming weekends half marathon LOL

"Fat Bottom Girls"

Finally, today I rode to work. I had not done this in over a year! I used to ride to work once a week, but we moved into a new building, and it fell by the side... I haven't been able to do any working out this week and it's been driving me crazy. I freak and think I'm losing all my fitness and the guts gonna get big etc. I'm sure theres a bit of truth to that but you probably don't go to hell in one weeks time. So the weather forecast called for temps in the 80s today - 'nuff said. I have been in a great headspace this morning all because I got on the frankenbike and rode to work. CAN'T WAIT for that warm ride home in the 80s :)
"Get on Your Bikes and RIDE"

PRIEST!! PRIEST!! PRIEST!! PRIEST!!

I mentioned it yesterday, but as it sinks in, the thought of being up front for another Judas Priest concert is AWESOME. I've loved that band since getting turned on to them by my 6th grade friend Ray Hildebrand. (Wonder what ever happened to him?) That was back when the Unleashed in the East album came out so were talking a bit over 30 years! My musical tastes have changed to the point where I rarely listen to anything heavy, but each time I see Halford walk out on that stage, I KNOW there is one metal band I will always love. I took one of the boys to see them last year, \
4th row off to the side and he managed to get 2 pics from KK Downing (gave one to me) NICE... I'm taking him again this time the seats are 3rd row, and more to the center near Rob. I hope he one day appreciates the fact that I wanted to share the experience of seeing one of my favorite bands with him as a father son bond. Right now, he is in the beginning stages of teenage years and all the parent relationship stuff that goes with that. It's a right of passage but when your a dad who loves his kids IMMENSELY sometimes it's hard to take. Enough of that. I managed to meet Rob Halford on a number of occasions, and the fact that I hung out with one of my childhood idols is WAY cool-in a Wayne's World kinda way. The guy is the best, maybe a bit older,(aren't we all?) but nobody can top what he and Priest did in their prime. The METAL GODS return!