Hello...I can see the weekend from here! It's kind of cool. For quite a few years, the weekend meant two more days of working the bar, usually tougher than the week days. In fact, I didn't even really know one day from the next, they were all the same. Now I look forward to the weekend. I do really miss the bar though. Some day...soon I hope, I'll be running a live music club again. I have no desire to run a common bar, but a cool, original live music club...YEAH!

Lately, I look forward to any time that I'm at home. I try to hang everything on the door post when I'm at home. It's our little world. I guess that's the way home should be. I just don't have a home in the night scene right now. There isn't a bar that feels like I belong. I belonged at the Attic until it blew up in my face. The Chesterfield became a job, not a labor of love. I loved the music, but it never felt right. Everyone had their own agenda. It didn't feel like "all for one". I do still enjoy partying with some of the people there.

I was talking to some blues musicians from Sioux Falls last week. They were asking about playing Sioux Town. I told them the Chesterfield was going with heavy metal and cover bands, so I didn't know if there were many opportunities for them. They both shook their heads and said, "...well, if it pays the bills." It makes me sad. I know there are some true music junkys out there. The right home for us just hasn't come along yet. Someday...maybe, someday.

Life goes on. It just keeps drifting by. I feel like I'm trying to tie off to the dock, but I'm never quick enough. I want to make it stop. Stop long enough, so that nothing happens... nothing. Then I could choose to jump back in or not. Like the TV commercial where everything freezes in time and one guy keeps on living, or at least going through the motions. Remember when we were kids and played freeze tag? That's what I wish I could do to everything and everyone around me. Maybe then I could think things through and come up with a good life plan. When everything keeps spinning, I can't jump on. I never was very good at jumping on the moving merry-go-round without falling down.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to watch your life like a TV series? You know, sit in a nice comfy recliner and see your life from an objective point of view. It might scare the hell out of you. It might make you very sad. I'd like the chance to see my life for myself. I've had my life thrown in my face quite a bit lately and it's not how I remember it. Too bad I'm not just an actor who can cancel a series, and recreate himself in the next big hit show. It probably wouldn't work anyway. You know, I mean, Bruce Dern has always been a bad guy since his days on Gunsmoke. Hell, maybe life is just a TV series, like the movie "The Truman Show" with Jim Carey.

If it is, I want a re-write for my character before the finale.

Will Barack be able to thank a man of God for destroying his chances to become the most powerful man in the world? Do we want the most powerful man in the world to have those kinds of beliefs? Now, Obama might not be steadfast to the preachings of his close friend, but if much of this guy has sunk in to Barack, I'm scared. This sounds very racist to me. I don't want Al Sharpton in sheep's clothing in the White House.

I'm the first to say that America has done some wrongs over the years. But I think shouting, "God damn America, God damn America," at the top of your lungs is going a little too far. I mean, I don't think we should have been so surprised when we were attacked on 9/11. "How dare they return the favor." But to suggest that we deserved it for treating blacks poorly over the years seems like a stretch. The two don't have any relevance to each other in my eyes. I'm sure someone could clear this up for me.

It's interesting that it took this long for Reverend Wright's madness to surface. Some of the sermons that are popular fare on YouTube today are from 2003. I don't think a person's religious beliefs should be a large part of their electability, but I don't see these as religious remarks. They are racist and ridiculous! So far, Barack has stood by his man...like you stand by your drunk friend after he pukes on the cops shoes. "Yea, I came with him, but I'm catching a cab ride home."

Hello. I'm back out on the street selling. It's a web-based product this time. I haven't done the door-to-door thing in several years. It's interesting and frustrating at the same time. I do enjoy meeting people and it's the best way I know of to find out what's happening in the big town. It's refreshing in a weird way. It's like rattling the brain cells. "Does the old dog still have it?" There's two aspects to this type of selling. Walking in off the street and gaining someones trust, then convince them to spend money on something they didn't know they needed. It's a strange twist of mental gymnastics.

Many people slam salespeople... hell, I slam salespeople. I like to think that I'm not your typical sales guy. I don't have the thin lip moustache and slicked back hair. I don't wear a suit and tie. I have to believe in the product or service I'm selling. Over the years, I've generally created the thing that I sell. I sell a concept, or an image if you will. When I put it that way, it sounds crazy! Who the hell will buy a puff of smoke? Hey, my puff of smoke will leave a lasting impression.

It's part of my plan to step into the future. It's all I know. I've created a job for myself since 1983. I want to take a couple more good swings at this, before I move on to plan "B". I am limiting myself this time. I can't keep chasing these ideas without some results. I'm running out of time. Hopefully one of these swings will be the one. The Homer!

Hello and welcome. Once again, I've seen proof that age is a state of mind. No matter what age people are, they still have the ability to be cool...or not. I party with a group of friends that vary in age by almost 40 years. Some of the 20-somethings are more cool than the 50-somethings. But, a cool guy in his 60's lands at the top of my list every time.

When I was in my teens, a person in their 60's was old! Visions of grandma come to mind. You know, we thought they were mean, they never smiled. I disregarded them. Man, was I ever wrong! I love cool older people. The older they are, the more I respect them. If a person has remained open-minded for 60, 70, 80 or more years, they deserve our respect. A 70-something person who tries to be part of life today, is really cool. I think a person reaching 64 today is much different than when my grandfather reached that age. What will my grandson be like when he is 64?

I have 14 years before I reach that milestone. A lot of things can happen in 14 years. I might not make it that long. My father died at 56. If we knew how long we were going to be stumbling around on this plane, would we live differently? I think we would. I would try to live my life with the same values, but it might affect some of my decisions. Since we don't know, we should live as if today was last day of the rest of our life. If I knew today was my last, what would I do? I think there's another blog in here somewhere.

Growing older is not an option, growing up is.

Hello and welcome to my blocked brain. I'm hoping to work through this over the weekend. It starts with a great party tonight for a good buddy who is celebrating 64 years on this plane. He is pleased and surprised to have lasted this long. We're all glad to have him around to share his stories of the 60's and a few of his weird recipes. He "LIVED" the 60's in the fullest sense. I am planning to leave this week in the bottom of a bottle of bourbon.

Next week, "let the words roll out of my head, down my arm and through my slow-moving, pecking fingers". Have a great weekend. May the juices flow and the smoke drift on.