good-bye to a class act...

Robert Palmer has passed away.

the wheels of progress...
are grinding slowly, at best.
I've been rebuilding this thing offsite for about a week now, in whatever little spare time I can muster, and hope to have it on line in about another week or so. maybe.
Big weekend coming up. I'll be at Monster Mania Con this weekend, working as a volunteer. Promises to be a fun time. I'll fill you in on the whole scene next week, which is when I will probably have time to write in here again.
see you on Monday.

happy Equinox...
please forgive me for not waxing poetic... I have been seriously under the weather for last twenty four hours or so...
peace

FREE SEX..!
no, not really... sorry. but as long as I have your attention, here's the latest update on Hurricane Isabel...
Hurricanes are, I have to say, a lot like sex.. the anticipation is sometimes much more exciting than the actual event. It's blowing pretty good outside right now, but hardly any rain, which is great since any large amount usually causes the moat to overflow and gives one the impression that the lair is built on a small island in the middle of a large lake.
It's only happened twice in twenty three years, but it's an excitement we can do without. I moved our vehicles out of the driveway to a safer place next door, as the ancient maples, if they go over, would land where they're usually parked.
Well, I'm going to go out and play in the wind for a while... it's pretty exhilarating.
later.

the big blow...
well, I've been spending the past few days getting ready for whatever Isabel will throw at us. While we're out of the central path of the storm, we should probably get sustained 40 - 50mph winds with higher gusts and drenching rains. We've tied everything down, removed the ancient gargoyles from the roof of the lair and have a made provisions to rent a high volume pump to hopefully keep up the the amount of rain that will no doubt cause our little brook to swell over it's banks. The other worry is the number of trees that surround the place, very huge and ancient things that could do considerable damage should they fall on the lair. We've also prepared for the possiblility of extended power outages - the lamps are filled, flashlights at hand, ready to go. Also a good supply of liquid libations just in case the local liquor store gets blown away...
so, I'll keep you all up to date as things progress or degrade, as the case may be.
If you are in a danger area, I wish you good luck.
later.

in the mean time...
until I get this Blogger code conflict bullshit straightened out, visit my highly redundant, and equally as boring and self-serving effort at
http://sadoldgoth.journalspace.com/
I think this is a sign from the gods that it's time to change the look of things around here, so maybe rather than rebuild, I'll remodel... any suggestions or comments on the subject?? Feel free to leave suggestions in the comment section below.
later.

Billy FUCKING Idol..!

(this was originally posted last Saturday, but since my blog got fucked up, I'm reposting it now...)


Well, the wind was blowing like a hurricane, it threatened rain all night, but the weather came to party like everyone else at the old Stone Pony last night, and rock out to the one and only Billy Idol! What can I say... he ROCKED!!! He sounded like he did twenty years ago, super tight and ever the showman. Steve Stevens on axe was astounding! Definitly one of the best shows I've ever been to. He did all his hits, played the crowd like like a cheap guitar. Steve wowed everyone with a few incredible solos, and the rest of the band was great as well.
If you ever get the chance to see him, do not let it slip by!

well, isn't this really fucking special...

thanks, Blogger... you corrupted my template with your new whiz bang bullshit you've added over the last week... which means I will have to rebuild it so it looks like the one you've come to know and love... right. I'll get right on it after the hurricane.
this sucks, more than you can ever imagine...

shine on...
rising tonight, behind the tiring trees, is the friend of those who's toil it is to till the earth... the Harvest Moon.
They, who live closest to the Mother, know this is their chance to bring it all 'round - to complete the cycle, to conclude the dance. For the day of reaping and gathering does not end with the fading of the sun behind the hills of the west, but goes on, bathed in the rays of Lune. For Autumn's chill grip is soon upon us, and any bounty not brought in shall waste.
And even you, who do not plant the Earth, but hear Her sweet song nonetheless, do well revel in this night's fair light, knowing full well that this joyous refrain of Summer's end shall all too soon turn into a Winter's lament...
Go, now, out into this fine night, walk the ancient path laid long before... you shall see your way with ease.

rock on..!
yes, it's another father/daughter bonding moment! we're going to see Billy Idol at the good old Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, Friday night! Steve Stevens is playing axe! Holy crap, this is cool!
And so it starts... we're also going to see Manson in October in Philly! whooo-ha!
later

grrrrrrrrrrrrr...
let's see, where should I start? Firstly, every muscle in my body is revolting against my going back into weight training, trying to punish me for laying off all summer. Believe me, I'm not into body building, just trying to stay in some sort of reasonable shape and it takes a lot longer to get your body back into something like this than it takes to get into not doing it. Did that make sense? Oh, well. My arms are shaking from typing... how pathetic is that???
Secondly, I'm three days into the no tobacco, no caffine thing. I haven't had any serious withdrawal symptoms yet, and haven't pulled a flip out on anyone yet, so I guess it's going ok. Only about seven weeks to my birthday, so I think I can hold off until then. Maybe. Maybe not.
Thirdly, I'm back on my strict high protein, low carb, very low fat diet. I eat all day, drink quarts of water and have lost almost ten pounds in three days. It's not for everyone, but it works for me. It really kicks into high gear after about a week or so, especially when combined with regular exercise. It's amazing how clear it makes your head. Maybe it's all the endorphines my brain is flooding itself with to compensate for all the muscle pain. Either way, it certainly is an interesting high...

New links in the sidebar: the first is in the "muzik..." section, for Magnatune.com. Check it out. Lot's of very cool classical, trance, new age, etc., available only over the internet as downloadable mp3 or wave files. You have to purchase their stuff, but 50% of the purchase price goes directly to the artist. You can even tell them how much you want to pay. If you have access to a Mac *sigh* and itunes, check their offering out there for free.
The second link is in the "beyond reality..." section, for BoingBoing.net. There's always something interesting for everyone at BoingBoing.

Well, that's about it for now. Sorry, nothing witty or deep tonight... but you won't have to wait too long, I can feel the seasonal depression starting to creep in every now and then...

Be well, peace, drop a buck or two at Magnatune...
later.

so, i guess that's that...
so the summer "season" ends much like it began, cool and wet. All in all, it wasn't too bad a summer, we got to go to Monster Bash and Busch Gardens, had a great 4th of July party, went to Ozzfest, and lots of hanging out on the warm evenings. I got some work done on stately sad old goth... manor.
Lot's of plans for the fall, especially some major projects for inside the house, like redecorating the livingroom, including new carpeting and new furniture, and a major renovation planned for the kitchen, so I'll be pretty busy right up through the holidays.
Today is my last day smoking on a regular basis, as I'm going to start weight training again this week, so I'll need clear lungs. No more booze either, at least until my birthday in October... I'm hitting the half century mark this year... ugh.
I have to say, it really doesn't bother me too much, but it does concentrate the mind a bit. I intend to do a lot more serious writing this fall and winter, so you'll have to put up with my bizzare poetry and stories.
But, for right now, I'm having a few margaurita's and puffing away, gotta get them in while I can!
So, let's bid farewell to the summer, for what ever it was worth, and look forward into the autumn. I hope you all had some fun, too.
later.