Dave Matthews and Rush Concerts

I'm still recovering from two nights back to back of concerts!! I think I'm getting too old to do that anymore... But I did and it was a good couple of nights. Monday Aija and myself with Andreja and Josh(sis and bro-in law) went to Dave Matthews at DTE and it was awesome. We got 10th row in the center so the seats were great. I was suppose to get VIP Lounge passes from the record label but they weren't at WILL CALL so we went in and the show started. About 15 minutes into the show a lady came up to me in my seat with the passes which now didn't mean anything since the show started, oh well. Great show and of course I loved the horns in the show. This was their trumpet player; I'd say a good 350lbs.Good set up on stage too with a wrap around big screen all the way in the back with side views too and of course lots of lights. DTE is built on a hill and has about 15,ooo capacity with seating under a covering down the hill with seats like a big cement amphitheater with lawn seats at the top uncovered. We stayed till the end and I'm glad we had the covered Stadium seats and not the lawn seats on the hill behind cause it was raining and lots of lightning too. We got to our car and we waited for an hour just to move the car!!! The concert got out at 11pm and we didn't see the road till midnight. By then we were all hungry so we stopped at a White Castle in Flint on the way back. Nothing like sliders with onions for the next morning if you know what I mean! The good thing about the trip is the Aija and myself got to sleep on the way back as Andreja drove us to the concert and back. We got in about 2am and proceeded to crash hard. Aija took Tuesday and Wednesday off but I worked a on Tuesday and let me tell you it was hard getting up. So being tired it was time to head to Detroit for the RUSH concert. We got down there and this was the first time for me or Aija downtown at the Joe Louis Arena so we missed our turn once we got down there but did find our way to the parking garage. So we met the people for the meet and greet with RUSH and got escorted back behind the stage and met with Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee of RUSH. It was quick as the band got in late and there was double people to meet RUSH than what they expected. It was just a quick in and out but we got to shake hands and get a picture taken and then go to their private bar down there which was kind of neat to see all the Red Wings stuff that was down there(Venue that NHL Red Wings play at). Concert was good as it always is with RUSH but we were both tired and our feet hurt really bad as the night before we stood for the whole concert and this one again everyone stood the whole time. Aija was really tired so she sat some of the concert and they did take a break half way thru since as Geddy Lee put it, "we aren't spring chickens anymore so we are going to take a wee short break" which they did and we were grateful too. We left right before the Encore, then home by 1am. Tired tired tired on Wednesday morning but oh well, that's the way it goes with two nights of concerts. Glad that is done with the back to back but now looking forward to see Live, Collective Soul, and Blues Traveler at DTE in July.

Concert Time

Well I was going to write a blog last night about my new cat Sake but I just didn't feel like it so I'll get to that later. It's 5 days away from the Dave Matthews Band Concert Monday at DTE Energy Music Theater in Detroit (Clarkston) and then on Tuesday I get to see my all time favorite band RUSH with a meet and greet with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. I'm really excited to see both of these bands, it just kind of sucks that I have to work all week long so by Friday I'll be tired I bet. I'll try to get pictures up after both of the concerts but I'm not sure about the Rush show with pictures as no cameras are allowed. Above are a couple of video's from each band, take a look!

Memorial weekend

Summer is now here; at least that’s what I say after Memorial Day. Monday we went over to my GF’s (Aija) sister’s family for a Hawaiian Luau. We got over there and I was sent out right away to get ice, like I’m part of the family already… gesh!!hehehehe. So I got back to the house and found Josh(Bro-in law) and his sister cooking in the kitchen. Now you think you would find Josh and his wife Andreja in the kitchen but no, she was getting ready which takes forever to get this product… I mean look at her, she looks like she should be a Solid Gold Dancer from TV back in the 80’s( I love giving my future sister in-law crap).

We waited for people to show up so Aija my future bride took a pic of me drinking a Bahama Mama

and then being bored I took a picture of her looking oh so lovely

So we went outside and people started coming to the party. I must say Josh makes a mean Pina Colada

Appetizers included Josh’s Coconut shrimp and Aija’s mom made a pineapple salsa and of course we had fresh fruit too. Dinner was chicken in an island style sauce with white rice that I think had lime in it and Aija made an Asian salad which was yummy too. It was fun playing with the kids…

Ok I didn't really play with them but took their picture and got hugs as they now call me uncle Bob since getting engaged. From Left to Right up close; Hila and Jenna, who are sisters (Jenna is Aija's niece from her bro who is in the back in the blue wife beater) and Inara who is Josh/Andrej'a oldest

This is Rocky, Josh and Andreja's dog. We call him Rock Star since he is so cool and a very good too( he has a curly tail...I like trying to uncurl it but it goes back curled right away)

This is Aden, Josh and Andreja's boy is doing his best Power Rangers move

And three generations of girls had to get their picture taken too. By the way it was not my idea to take this picture so they were looking into the sun!! Just so you know

So we had some fun and then when we got back home found our children( the cats) playing with each other. They would run back and forth down the hall chasing one another. Next thing I know Sake is hiding in the rug that was piled up from sliding in it.

So it was a pretty good weekend. Oh and it looks like we have our wedding date of June 27th 2009!!!

She said YES!!! We got Engaged!!

Well today was the day that I'm sure will change my life, I asked my GF to marry me and she said YES!! I first went to the jewelry store yesterday on my lunch and thought I would just look at rings as I felt it was time... it's been 10 months that we have been going out and we have talked about it. SO, I had no idea what to get; the only thing I knew is that she likes simple. So I just got a small solitaire diamond. I kept looking at it at work and decided that I wanted to give her more than that so I went back to the jewelry store after work and got her a bigger diamond with little diamonds under the stone. When my GF got home I looked at the fake ring she has on(so she won't get hit on at work). I said wow that fake ring sure is big and she said yes it's big and it has a round diamond on it and I don't like that... OH great!!! Guess what kind of stone I got her, you guessed it, round. So after I went to work at a remote broadcast this morning I went back to the jewelry store and got a totally different ring and now a band for the set and here is what it looks like.

This is the ring alone without the band. It's hard to see what it really looks like but for me it looks like Mac and Cheese for a year!!!hehehehe I'm just kidding honey if you read this!!

So this afternoon we have to celebrate so we are going to the World Expo Of Beer... now you know why I'm marrying her...hehehehe!

Beer

Well the gas price here is at $3.99 which sucks but it's 70 out today and beautiful so it's grill time. We bought a charcoal grill at Wal-Mart so tonight it's grillin time and I got out of work and thought it was also try some different beer night. I went to the store and this place has so much to choose from and a lot of different stuff you wouldn't find anywhere else. Tonight I'm having beer from Clipper City Brewing Co. I bought a sampler pack and I've had a Red Sky At Night which is a Saison Ale and I've had a Small Craft Warning which is a Uber Pills. It's pretty good beer and in the sample pack it came with Loose Cannon which is a Hop3 Ale and Peg Leg which is an Imperial Stout. I'll let you know how the others taste later and the chicken that my GF has on the grill too. I can see already that she doesn't know that it's my grill!!! All the guys know what I mean by that!

Eye Waxing

Ok ok... now the people that know me know that I'm kind of hairy. My GF has many times said to me that I need to get my eye brows trimmed or waxed. So this has been in the works for a while now talking to her sister for some help, and the other night the pain was dealt down by evil GF's sister...hehehehe.

It was pretty much painless with just a wax that sets and not with the paper that's put on after like I've had done before and ripped off my skin, or it felt that way.
I tell ya, I don't think that my GF's sister has had more fun in ages... nothing like putting a man in tears and the icing in the cake was that it was me!!
Thank goodness that is done, I haven't seen GF's sister so excited as she was after the first pull on the wax and the rip!!! Oh well I must say it was worth and it made my GF happy. She now has gone out and bought some of the same wax so it will be her doing the waxing next!

The Lucy Cat

Well it's Friday afternoon and I'm on the air right now... in between songs of course. I'm caught up on scheduling the music for the weekend and Monday and have my work caught up for the week so I thought I would do a quick blog. Tomorrow is the Pet Expo at the Dow Event Center and I will be there for an appearance from 10-noon so come by and say hi. When my GF moved in I got a pet, well kind of anyway. We call her the LC or Lucy Cat. The picture of her to the left has her most prized possession... the little plastic rings that you get when you open a milk jug! Man she loves to play with those, just flipping it up in the air with her paw... hours and hours. I told my folks about it and they saved some as you can see in the picture. She had no idea what to do with all of them.

Another thing that Lucy loves is her Cat Nip!! All you have to do is get her attention and say "nip nip"? and she comes running. She doesn't sit on peoples laps including mine so getting her to come up on my lap in the picture on the left, well... this is the only way unless I'm holding her. She goes wild for her nip, first laying low and mellow as you can see with the picture below, crashing out on the couch, then she runs and runs around up and down the stairs. She is quite a character and not really a cat I don't think...hehehe. She doesn't eat people food, no milk or cream, not even tuna fish. She doesn't like to be held or lay on people and is just her own little creature that lives with me and my GF. Well now we are going to look for another young/kitty tomorrow at the Pet Expo so if we decide to get one, I'll let you know in the blog. Oh yeah, time to talk on the air so... I better be done writing this blog!! Have a great weekend or whatever day you are reading this. Oh by the way, good news in Saginaw MI, gas is down from $3.75 a gallon to now only $3.69!!! Yippee

Monday after my Birthday

Well another year of my life done with and on to 38. On Saturday I didn't feel like doing a whole lot so after my on air shift I went home and hung out in the afternoon and watched TV. My GF had to go to her bank and then she went to a yarn shop. She also came home with a present and some goodies from the pastry shop. I got a piece of German chocolate cake and a chocolate like cup cake with chocolate gnach and a cherry sauce in the center with a cream on top...Yummy!! For my birthday present I got a pair of Vans shoes from my GF. I have to take them back because they don't come in half sizes so they are too tight and I'll have to go up a size. So we decided to go out with friends and started at Genji's Japanese Steakhouse. Me and my GF usually go to Genji's for sushi about 2 to 3 times a month and our usual is sushi and tempura.We had some Saki, a cucumber roll sushi, shoe string potato wrapped around tiger shrimp with a wasabi mayo sauce and scallop tempura. We were joined by Maryelle and Chris, Joy and Eric, and my GF's sister and brother in-law Andreja and Josh. We had a pretty good time there and by 9:30pm most of us decided, or should I say I decided since it was my birthday that we would go to Old Town to Retro Rocks bar where a friend, Justin and Larry came down too. We got there and it was packed! We ended up going into the overflow room. I quickly noticed that we were the old ones in the room. There was a bachelorette party behind us and I'll tell ya, they needed singing lessons. Nothing like listening to 80's music with 20 somethings trying to get the lyrics right (since they weren't born yet) and sing in key. Oh well they were having fun and we were just talking. We did snap some pics of the night... always have to have a camera along with a birthday party.

This is Maryelle and her fiance Chris

Josh was looking so metro sexual that I thought I better see if he wanted a hugNo this wasn't the seating arrangement for the evening, just a photo op with Justin at the left end, Josh(smiling boy), Larry and Me.

My GF and I on my Birthday having fun

So all in all it was a fun night and everyone seemed to have a good time. On Sunday we didn't do a lot, in the afternoon we vegged out watching TV and movies. My GF's mom brought over a cake that looks fabulous. I was going to cut into it last night but wasn't too hungry after we ordered a pizza for dinner. So another year and another number, now 38.

The Morning after Santana

Well it's 9:30am and I've been up since almost 5am for some reason. I think it's the headache from the concert last night(loud but good). I got off work and my GF and her Bro-inlaw (who I'll call GFB) met me at work and we took off from there. The drive took us a little over an hour to get to the Palace. We got parked and went into the show. GFB wanted to buy me a drink for getting him a ticket to the show so After 18 dollars for two drinks, one for him and one for me,!!! We went to get GF some food. After some fake cheese whiz and chili slathered over fries and a fruity drink for her, we went into the show. If you don't know about the Derek Trucks band you should check them out if you like Blues. He plays with the Alman Brothers Band if you know that name and he was really good.

Santana came on and started to play some stuff from the early days and then went into some newer things. I would say Black Magic Woman was pretty cool. The stage show wasn't the greatest but you wouldn't think that he would have lazers anyway. So after an hour and a half of playing we decided to leave because we saw something that we wanted to check out before we left the area.



We saw a Joe's Crab Shack on the way into the show so we all left Saginaw not eating so we were hungry for some good food.Since it was such a nice weather night we decided to eat on the patio which was cool since it is finally getting nice enough to do that. Our waiter was a pretty nice dude who just got back from Irac and was in the Marines. We told him that this was the first time that we were eating at Joe's and needed some help on the menu and what he liked. So GFB ordered some Muscles which I have never had. They were pretty good covered in garlic. A little fishy but tasted kind of like Escargo(snails) which I like. For dinner I had a crab cake, fish and chips, and 4 crab stuffed shrimp... yes it was very good. We had to get a special drink since it was a special night so GFB and I got Hurricanes and GF got what was called a shark bite. After the drive back we were all tired so home it was. Sounds like we may be going over the GFB's house for a BBQ with his kids tonight, his wife (GF's sister) is out of town. Next concert I think I'll be going to is Dave Matthews in June.

A week from Santana concert

I just found out I'm the programmer of the week for Hot AC on Allaccess.com. Not that means a whole lot but it's kind of cool. Well I'm heading to the Santana Concert this up coming Friday evening and it should be a blast. I'm going with my GF and her Brother In-law who always cracks me up. Now I have to call my Santana record rep and see if we can get back stage but I'm not really thinking that is going to work. I'm so glad it's Friday since it's been such a busy week. I don't have a lot of plans for the weekend which is always nice. It's suppose to rain all weekend long so staying in and watching movies is what I'll most likely do, oh and get my eye brows waxed by my GF's sister. Martini's and eye waxing is what I'm thinking late afternoon tomorrow. Yes pictures will be taken so I'll blog sometime this weekend.