So, on Monday, I recorded a podcast for Useless Things. But, I forgot to post it here. I did post it on the Useless Things Podcast page and on the TLD Network page.
On Monday, I talked about my birthday/Friendsgiving celebration at The Katharine Brasserie and Bar as well as remembering Eric Carr and Freddie Mercury. You can listen to that episode, here.
Today, I talked about Beeswax Vinyl Daily and clarified what the Billboard, Grammy, AMA, RS list, and RIAA certifications, and such all mean when I talk about them. You can listen to that episode, here.
I appreciate your listening! Subscribe, like, rate, review!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “Originally conceived to honor artists and track sound recording sales, Gold & Platinum Awards have come to stand as a benchmark of success for any artist—whether they’ve just released their first song or Greatest Hits album.” – RIAA website
So, today is my birthday, as you’d know if you listened to the Useless Things podcast yesterday, or if you know me at all. So for my Sounds Like Saturday today, I’m going to play my favorite song. This is my all-time favorite song, off of my all-time favorite album. But, instead of PG singing it, Morgan James is going to serenade us today. Enjoy!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “I want to be your sledgehammer…” – “Sledgehammer” (Gabriel)
I wanted to take a minute to wish my idol, my reason for being a musician, my reason to be an entertainer, and how I got the confidence to do what I do. The Demon, Chaim Witz, Gene Klein, Gene Simmons. No matter what you call him. I thank him almost every day that even though I don’t play much anymore, he motivated me to do it when I did. Happy 72nd solar circumnavigational anniversary day, Gene.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “Every day above ground is your birthday. You better get used to that idea soon… Waiting for some bizarre calendar day to celebrate life?… No… You wake up every day. You have your health. And you live in America. Whoopie! It’s my birthday.” – Gene Simmons
I remember getting up at 4am 19 years ago and getting his mother and myself ready to relieve her discomfort and welcome our child into this world. He didn’t want to come out, either.
We were there by 530a and got settled in. The doctor came in and they started the “induction” process. When he did that, her “water” burst and we went through all the towels, sheets and pillowcases in the birthing room. Seriously, it was like someone turned on a water hose and left it laying in the yard. It wouldn’t stop coming.
The baby, however, did stop coming. He didn’t want to leave the comfort of the womb. In fact, he went backward. Instead of coming down toward the birth canal (yeah, I hate that term, too), he went further up in the womb. On top of that, as they had started inducing the birth, contractions had already started. But, the baby’s heart rate started going down each time a contraction happened. We started to get worried. The doctor, Doctor V as we called him, seemed only moderately concerned. He waited around for a bit and then went and did some “rounds.” It was like we had cut off the baby’s jacuzzi and he was mad!
We stared at the heart monitor and sure enough, every time a contraction happened, the heart rate diminished. The nurses came in and checked. My mother and her mother kept us company, but it really didn’t help much. Dr. V called a few times and around noon — remember we had been in this holding pattern since around 6a — he told us that he thinks it would be best to have a Caesarean Section since this heart rate issue was starting to concern him, too. We spent around two minutes weighing the pros and very few cons. We told Dr. V that the C-Section was a go.
We rolled into the operating room around 230p and they had her split open and the doctor and nurse were tugging hard and pulling her apart. I sat down by her head and she was numb but mostly lucid. She was being jostled and wanted to know what was going on. I sat up straight and realized that I was over the curtain divider. I could see everything that was going on. I told her I was going to watch. I have a hard time with blood and entrails and things but this was different. I watched as they pulled my child into the world. I had a camera and was taking pictures of this happening. The first thing I took a picture of? His scrotum. I had a son and dang it! I was excited!
Trey after winning the Golden Cutting Board
We named him after my father (which is who I’m named after) and set on watching him grow. And grow he has.
He’s a very intelligent kid, almost a genius, and seems to plan to use that power for good. Like many his age, he’s content with putting his nose in a phone or computer and whiling away his life. Well, he finally found something that he’s into and luckily is very good at, cooking. He was in the culinary program in the local trade school and went on to bigger things.
He had a job. Before the Covipocalypse happened. It’s not often that our first job is actually in the field we want to pursue, right? He was working in a restaurant and as far as I can tell, he was doing great there. I know the owner, the GM and the chef and they were happy with what he was doing.
The pandemic happened and all but robbed him of his senior year. The first semester was good and he did the state cooking competition (he led his team to a silver medal). But, afterward, he lost his prom, finishing the culinary program, and the graduation ceremony and all other things that seniors do and look forward to.
He joined the Providence Culinary Training program at Providence Restaurant and continued to hone his skills. There are a few restaurants that have shown interest in helping him advance his career. He has told me that he wants to get some experience and then possibly explore other places around the country or world to get more of that knowledge. I support his decision as such. He won the Golden Cutting Board, which is the brightest star in all the class. He got a job at a local pizza place, which he really liked but Providence came a-calling again and offered him a full time position there. I mean, the school and business he had just finished saw his skills and potential and wanted him to work with them. I talked to Chef Jeff Bacon who oversees PCT and was the one that started, just yesterday and he said and I quote: “Your son has become a rock star for us.” He has the skills. He has the ambition (all he talks about is food and cooking). He has the passion. I am in total awe of this kid and not just because he’s mine. He had to work today, on his birthday, and I told him it was only the first of many. Welcome to Adulting. He’s okay with it. He loves it.
He has grown into a fine young man and I love this “boy” with all my heart. 19, 5’11”-6′ and into food, video games and his girlfriend. He’s smart, asks a lot of questions, loves football, and is all-around a great kid. I got lucky, really.
So, happy birthday, son. I love you and cannot wait to see the impact you make on the world.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “Don’t just count your years, make your years count.” – George Meredith
I’m going to be quick about this, not because I haven’t anything to say but because I’ve said it so many times before. Seriously, you can look back on this date all the way back to 2015 and see what I’ve written about this. Today is Stephanie’s birthday. Yes, The BCPF. Another year. Another solar circumnavigational anniversary day. Another year that she is here with me to celebrate life and, well, her. So much stays the same year after year, yet so much changes daily. I love her beyond any “pretty words” I could put down here. She is the best wife I could have picked and I know a lot of you say that because your trying to get in good graces. I have news for you all. You’re dreaming if you think your wife is the greatest. She wins. I won the lottery and I’m not trading in my ticket. She is the greatest.
Stephanie is my biggest fan, biggest supporter, part-time critic, and first to call BS on me. Just another reason to love her. I am so glad she’s my baby, my Cinnamon Toast Crunch, my Best Girl. I look forward to about 40 more of your birthdays, darling.
Until tomorrow, happy birthday to my woman! Tim out!
— “I know I’ve fallen for you…” – “Fallen” (Beeman)
Mom with her favorite Santa (and her favorite child)
Salutations™!!
Today is my mother’s birthday. She doesn’t like a big deal made over her and hates pictures of her. So, I made sure to post one. Happy Birthday or Happy Solar Circumnavigational Anniversary Day to Ma Mère, the best mom in the world.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “My mother thinks I am the best. And I was raised to always believe what my mother tells me.” – Diego Maradona
Yesterday was my big birthday. Today was the big celebration. We had The Beer Dads Family (the Joneses, the Lowders) and our extended friends family (The Davids, Our Jim Young) come over around 2pm. We set up a fire pit in our yard, our Alexa Dot, a Bluetooth speaker and had a fantastic time day drinking before The Beer Dads went to Mojito to have some delicious Cuban-inspired Latin Soul Food.
My friends know how much I love alcohol, too. The Davids brought me a Crown Royal set with glasses. The Joneses brought two bombers of high-gravity brews. Jim brought me Templeton Rye. The Lowders brought me Ragged Branch Double Oaked Whiskey, which was part of Jon’s barrel that he went in with friends to invest in. I love it!
We had a great time sitting around the fire, listening to Simply Sinatra and Yacht Rock Radio on SiriusXM and just talking and having a time. We all smelled like a campfire afterward and were a little tipsy but we did alright. The BCPF was the most inebriated and that’s okay! You go girl! I forgot to mention yesterday that we stopped by Top Leaf Cigar Lounge and one of my work wives, Bethany of The Less Desirables (and owner of Top Leaf) bought me two cigars. I had about 2/3 of one last night with my Ardbeg Scotch and the Ragged Branch.
I’ve had big parties and I’ve had small gatherings but I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed having everyone around celebrating with me. We missed the Verners, Bethany and my sister and BIL but we’ll make it up with them all soon!
Again, BEST! BIRTHDAY! EVER!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years.” – Ausonius
So, here we are. Fifty. Five. Oh. 5. 0. 49+1 and all that. On this day, at 636a 50 years ago, I was unleashed on the world. Half a century old, I am. Wow.
I am happy. I am healthy (as far as I know). I am in love with beautiful woman. I have an amazing son who is doing amazing things. I have fantastic friends. I have a wonderful family. Fifty is indeed nifty.
You can go back and search on this date throughout the years of me doing this blog (at least back to November 1, 2014) and read other things I’ve written about my birthday.
Me and my honey, not on my birthday but a few weeks back.
Since you already know that I’m back dating these, I will say that it was a fantastic day. We got up, I checked my restaurant list, had my TBD meeting, went to BLL Rotisserie Factory with The BCPF and Ma Mère, and Simone, the owner bought our lunch. We then went to Underdog Records and The BCPF had filled my credit up there so we bought some records. The BCPF took me to the ABC store and bought me some Ardbeg Scotch. We came home, listened to some records. We had dinner at Carrabba’s where my good friend Daniel bought our dinner. We came home, watched Will & Grace and I knocked out. All that… BEST! BIRTHDAY! EVER!!!
I didn’t worry about turning 50 like I did 35. In fact, I feel better about everything right now. See the second paragraph above. All those things still are true. Amazing time. COVID-19 sucks. It kept us from our original plan of The Beer Dads family going to Quebec City, Montreal and New York City for my 50th. And while that would have been off the charts, this was still an amazing birthday. And it goes on for tomorrow’s post. So, I’ll see you then!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Birthday Boy out!
— “Don’t just count your years, make your years count.” – George Meredith
Today marks 30 days for me to say I’m in my 40s. One month away, I will be officially an “old man.” Yeah, yeah, yeah, 50 is the new 40 and all that. Whatever. I’m not complaining about getting old(er). It is much better than the alternative.
So, here we are at 31. Tick-tock old man… tick-tock.
That’s all today.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.” – Madeleine L’Engle
Growing up, I thought my sister was annoying. I thought my sister was a pest. My sister was one of my biggest fans. She still is all of those things, and I couldn’t have a better one. Today my sister turns (cough cough cough) and I want to wish her a happiest of happy solar circumnavigational anniversary days! I love you, sis!
I’ll do the Spinning Sunday Monday tomorrow.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel… Scorp out!
— “Don’t just count your years, make your years count.” – George Meredith
Useless Things Need Love Too 