Thunderbolt

It was a ruthlessly cold night in Cleveland and the city streets were covered with ice. The church was still decorated with the red poinsettias from Christmas. Before the wedding, one of our friends was mugged and had her purse stolen. By reception's end, the bar would be out of booze and the groom was dragged around on the dance floor by his best man and cousin. One of the groomsmen spent the night puking in the bathroom and another member of the wedding party nearly came to blows with his brother. To say the least, it was quite a memorable night for everyone... including Julie and myself. 14 years later, we're still happily married and strong. Here are some photos from our wedding album. Here we are, Mr. & Mrs. Malchus for the first time. Budd and me before the wedding. Julie and her sisters, Michelle (left) and Sue, before the wedding. One of my favorite pictures of Steve and his future bride, Marianne. Still one of the greatest pictures of Matt (with Julie's ...

I don't know if I have ever listened to an entire Foo Fighters album, but he day hey put out a greatest hit record, I will be the first in line. The latest single from the band, "Long Road to Ruin" is an exercise in pop/rock excellence. For a band that was supposed to be a "side project" for the Nirvana drummer, the Dave Grohl experience has developed into one of the tightest bands around. Moreover, they have ecome of of the remaining groups from the 90's to still put out outstanding, radio friendly songs while many of their peers fell apart. I still wish Grohl played drums more often, but Taylor Hawkins is fine in my book. It's been another one of those vacations when I plan so many things and none of them get done. Some day I will get it through my thick skull that when I'm on vacation, my poducivity shuts down, too. I will say that it has been wonderful just spending time with the kids and being a family in our own home for a week. Bittersw...

We're getting hooked up to broadband Internet this weekend and I can tell you it is going to change our lives. Julie does so much of her work for the PTA through email and the time she spends just WAITING for the dial up to connect she could be relaxing or recovering from her early morning shifts at the cafe. And of course, there are the countless times in which we get disconnected, usually in the middle of a download that should only take mere seconds, not twenty minutes. Worse, AOL is terrible. I shouldn't complain because I have gotten it free since I began at the network, but seriously, AOL sucks. I'm pretty excited, too, because I'll be able to log on anytime and make entries to thunderbolt and work on my columns for Popdose. One of the reasons I have been so infrequent with entries to thunderbolt is because it feels so labor intensive waiting for our slow PC to hook up to the web. This all reminds me of the first computer we ever owned. Back in '95, whil...

So many things have taken place this week that it's difficult to choose what to write about. The Mitchell report on steroid/HGH use in baseball is the hot topic right now. Yesterday, every front-page headline across the nation had a headline about the Senator's findings on the rampant use of performance enhancing drugs in baseball. To many of us, it wasn't so much that he'd discovered steroids and human growth hormones were juicing baseball players; it was the names of some of the games superstars, many of which are known as "good guys", that was such a revelation. I must say that I didn't realize Major League Baseball had installed a drug policy on steroids back in 1991. It would be another seven years, at least, when Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa pursued the record for most home runs in a season that the whispers about roids began to creep up in conversations on a regular basis. And it wasn't until Barry Bonds became a name that every American kne...

So I've been putting off making an announcement about future Basement Song posts until I had an exact idea when they would begin appearing again. If that sounds like I'm suddenly under the thumb of some corporate mastermind dictating when I can write I don't mean to. A few months back, probably around the time I wrote mt last entry, I was approached by my friend Jeff, who was the operator of Jefito, one of the best music web sites on the Internet. A number of things transpired and he had to begin rebuilding his site from the ground floor again. However, he decided that instead of focusing primarily on music, he would expand and cover all facets of popular culture. In addition, he also decides to branch out and act more like an editor in chief and lasso a group of his favorite bloggers and put them under one roof. Thus, "Popdose" was born. Yes, you guessed it, he asked me to begin writing Basement Songs editions for Popdose on a weekly basis. I quickly accepted, no...

I'm usually pretty cynical about reunions of bands, especially groups who haven't performed together for over 19 years. But I have to tell you, I am so frickin' stoked about this Zeppelin show that took place in England tonight. My first reason is that it came together for a good reason. Ahmet Ertegun shephearded the band on to Atlantic Records and let them do their thing. They never had hit singles and rarely got air play on the radio, but they were the biggest band in the world! So when they were asked to participate in the charity concert in honor of Eretegun, it was a no brainer for the three surviving members. And then, when asked if they could play an hour, they had to say 'no' because an hour wasn't long enough! Dude! Unlike past excursions as a "band", they took this show very seriously. The recent Rolling Stone cover featuring Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones had me feeling like a 9th grader again (which is when I discovered...

Yesterday, amazing and hopeful news about stem cell research was released to the world. The article below was written for the 12/7/07 L.A. Times and mentions cystic fibrosis specifically. Although they are years away from experimenting on humans, this is the kind of news parents pray to hear every day. Stem cells reverse sickle cell anemia in mice Rodents treated with reprogrammed adult cells show vast improvement after three months. The therapy is several years away from being applied to humans. By Karen Kaplan Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 7, 2007 Taking the next step in a series of breakthrough stem cell experiments, scientists have cured sickle cell anemia in mice by rewinding their skin cells to an embryonic state and manipulating them to create healthy, genetically matched replacement tissue. After the repaired cells were transfused into the animals, they soon began producing healthy blood cells free of the crippling deformities that deprive organs of oxygen, scientis...

Julie's new job began yesterday and it was quite a morning. Jake woke up at 4:00 with her and stayed awake (very upset) which means we all stayed awake from 4 am on. Today was 100% better as Jake must have realized that sleeping in until 7:00 is better. I'm wiped, though. I got home last night and had to go over to Vill's to design the dvd cover art for "King's Highway." What's that? I haven't told you that KH has been picked up by an independent distributor and will be released in 2008? Must have slipped my mind. Actually, I was waiting until the paperwork was signed by lawyers (which it is) to actually begin discussing it on the old thunderbolt. I can't believe the day is finally coming. I can tell all of my friends and family to spend their hard earned cash on something I created (with the help of many other people). As I have more details I will let you all know. But for now, let's all crack open a bottle of our favorite beverage an...

Sorry I haven't been doing so well on keeping up the blog posts. Beginning tomorrow I am going to make another effort to write every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. That way all of you can plan your lives around ME! Julie's folks returned from their trip to Big Sur and we spent one last night together before they had to return to Ohio. It was a festive night, but also one full of sadness. That we won't be flying back to Cleveland for Christmas is a drag. The past few years we have managed to eek out the money to get back there. Not this year. Although, we're not that different from most middle class families. Who can afford a $700 ticket? The harsh reality of this day and age is that most families need double incomes to survive. Somehow, our family has kept our heads above water for the past five years. But times have gotten tight, my friends. Julie begins a second job tomorrow. She'll be waitressing at a new breakfast cafe opening near our house. She has...

I am a little wary to see the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp/Stephen Sondheim collaboration, "Sweeney Todd" only because I feel so loyal to the version I grew up with. I know, I know, I need to give it a chance. I realize that unlike movies, plays are meant to be reinterpreted time and again and different actors should be allowed to inhabit the roles. But this one is so close to me. It's like reading a great book and having it adapted to the screen. In your head, you have heard one voice. In your head you have seen one face. After so many years of listening to two voices (Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury), it's going to take a lot for me to love this demon barber over the ghosts of the past. I'm being a snob, I know.

After I dragged my bloated body into work, I realized that I haven't written in over ten days (that, and the gentle prodding of my old friend, Steve). Sorry. I know everyone has been waiting with baited breath for the next chapter of the Malchus saga to begin. Julie's folks arrived in town on Wednesday night and we had a very low key Thanksgiving this year. It was a pleasant change of coarse from our usual holiday celebrations. As custom, we wind up at Budd and Karyn's with Karyn's family and 2000 other people in one house. I love having so many people around. Still, it was very peaceful to just hang with our small family. I know that Julie was excited to cook the Turkey and command the kitchen with her mom. We have never had Thanksgiving at our home, so I was excited, too. I did something potentially stupid by purchasing a ticket for the April Springsteen show in Ananheim. We can't afford it, but it's Springsteen. I figure, if I don't go to Starb...

On Sunday, we attended a screening of the live action "Ben 10: Race Against Time" movie that will premiere next week on Cartoon Network. Jake was beside himself because he's been waiting for this movie since they announced it would be made back in March. The presentation was great and the network did a nice job accommodating all of the families. In addition to the costumed characters walking around, the lead actors were friendly enough to get their picture taken with the gaggle of young kids on hand. That included Jacob, who was wearing the one of a kind Ben 10 shirt that my mom sewed him at the last minute. We called her on Sunday and she had it to us by the next Saturday. Thanks Mom! Anyway, we forgot our camera, but Julie had her cell phone. The quality of the picture isn't great, but you can see how excited Jake is to have his picture next to the "real live" Ben 10 (the actor's name is Graham Phillips). As soon as we entered the theater, kids w...

Today is the little guy's 6th birthday. There are so many issues in our life right now that it would be easy to get crushed under the weight of daily stress. But on a day like today6, I'm reminded of what is so right in our lives. This boy, this miracle that laughs and dances, gets pissed and throws dramatic tantrums, and who is full of so much joy and love, this boy is what is right. The day he was born is so vague to me now. I have more vivid memories of the days following his birth. The time in the NICU. The moments of confusion when the doctors said they were gong to perform surgery, then they weren't, then they decided to fly him to UCLA by helicopter for the surgery after all. I'll never forget that weekend spent in UCLA where he was placed next to children much older than him and in much worse physical shape. I'll never forget the doctor releasing him to us and finally driving home from UCLA all the way back to Santa Clarita. Through all of the turmoi...

I know what you've been thinking. "Hey, Scott, when is Lifetime going to air that movie you wrote again?" Honestly, I couldn't tell you. But, I can tell you that the movie, entitled "Deceit", will be released on DVD next week. At this point, I know it will be available to buy from Amazon. However, since it's being released by Thinkfilm, I'm optimistic that it will also show up in Hollywood Videos and Blockbusters across the country. Still, we all know you want to OWN your own copy, right? Sure you do. Really. Here is the cover art. Aloha

I could have written a short review of Springsteen live at the L.A. Sports, but "fucking awesome" doesn't begin to do this particular concert justice. So, without further ado, here is my long winded, worshipping write up of the E Street Band show from last week. The Los Angeles Sports Arena is a sweltering old concert venue that seemed like an odd choice for a superstar rock act to perform at, what with the glittery Staples Center just up the road. But Bruce Springsteen is no ordinary rock star. He’s done Staples (back in 1999) and hated the atmosphere. With the LA Forum unavailable, Springsteen and his musical family, the trusted E. Street Band, descended down into the Sports Arena for two sold out shows to end October with a bang, not a whimper. I was lucky enough to score one ticket for the October 30th show (the second night), justifying that the steep ticket price my birthday present this year. What a great present it was. It was pretty damn close to perfectio...

It's Monday. Is there anything else that really needs to be said? I spent the weekend cursing about having to purchase a trash disposal we can't afford, installing said disposal and then marveling at what a handy man I'm becoming. At this point, the only thing I haven't replaced in the kitchen sink is the kitchen sink. Knock on wood that will never happen. The Writer's Guild has gone on strike and that effects me in no way possible, at this point and time. The one opportunity I had to join the union passed before I even knew it was there. The producers of "The American Standard"... er "Deceit" offered to help me get into the union. Unfortunately, filming had already begun and according to the rules on the WGA website, I missed my opportunity. Great. Still, I figured another opportunity would be right around the corner. Yeah, I'm still waiting. As a writer, I am in agreement with everything the Guild is fighting for. The studios mak...

I tell ya, everyone should have the opportunity to take the day off of work on their birthday. There is nothing better than spending time with your wife and kids on a special day and having some relaxing moments to reflect on who you are, what your life is all about, and what you hope to achieve in the next year. I realize that most people do this on New Year's Day, but shouldn't it happen on your birthday? So here I am, 38 and still working toward that brass ring. I've nabbed the sucker a couple of times in the past 8 years, but never been able to grab it and clutch it as mine. But I'm not giving up. No, I've found inspiration again in a couple of projects that are sprouting in my head. And I've returned to the words of Springsteen, whose lyrics to "Racing in the Street" have carried me through so many rough times when I felt like I'm going nowhere. Some guys they just give up living And start dying little little, piece by piece Some guys come hom...

The Boss concert was last night and I plan to post a review by this weekend (a deadline, imagine that). I'll will just say that the show was awesome. One of the best I've seen... ever. Right now, I'm dragging through my day. I didn't get home until 12:30 and into bed until 1:00. But I'm jazzed because it's Halloween and we get to go trick or treating tonight. Tomorrow I took the day off of work to hang out with the family (oh, and it's my birthday). That's all for today. November got off to an early, excellent start last night. I'm rejuvinated and inspired. Aloha

My mother is doing very well. She’s sore, which is to be expected, but her spirits are very high. When I told her that many of my friends had sent the prayers and good thoughts in her direction, she was very appreciative. She asked to thank all of you out there in the blogosphere for being good people. We all await test results from some of her lymph nodes that should be available to her by tomorrow. If all goes well, this should be the end of the cancer scare. Once again, I would like to extend my full gratitude to those of you that wrote me or called. To begin with, I am fortunate to have people even reading thunderbolt. That those same people have hearts and time to show concern is a blessing. Aloha

Jake had a checkup at Children's Hospital yesterday and it was pretty tough. At one point, when they wanted to do a throat culture, he hid under the exam table and it took Julie and two others to get it done. Getting a blood sample was also equally diffuclt. Last night when I was putting him to bed, we spoke a little about why he reacted that way. He said, "That throat thing makes me gag. It freaks me out, Dad". He also said he wishes he didn't have CF. I told him I wish he didn't, too. We're going to have to put jake back on one of the medicines he was taking so that he can continue to gain weight. His doctors were concerned that he didn't gain any weight between checkups. I'd like to think it has something to do with the fact that the kid only eats Eggo Waffle Cereal, Spaghetti, Ritz crackers and Apples, but there are so many times he just doesn't want anything to eat. We were so happy when he was able to stop taking this medicine, but now ...

I meant to write last night but I ran out of steam. First, I want to thank those of you who sent me emails wishing my Mom the best. These thoughtful gestures made the stress of my day ease just a little. From what my dad told me yesterday afternoon, everything went well with Mom's surgery. The procedure took, like, 3 hours. Her doctor's are optimistic that they got all of cancer. This is a huge relief. Somehow, I got a chance to talk to mom while she was waiting to find a room. She was groggy, but expressed how impressed she was with the hospital. She said everything was "cool". I, uh, never would have expected my mom to use that phrase in this type of a situation. Apparently some of her sons' California phrases have rubbed off on her. I'm not sure what else I can say about all of this. I felt a huge weight lift off of me once I got to speak to my father. It was a weight I was unaware of pressing on me until it was gone. Like I said the other day, I...

A few weeks ago my mom called to tell me that her doctor had discovered cancer in her uterus. The procedure to remove this cancer is to perform a hysterectomy, which she’ll have done tomorrow morning. They have told her it is stage 1 cancer, so we all feel optimistic that once the operation is done, she will be fine. But there’s always that nagging “what if” that digs into my brain before the results from any test comes back. It has been a long time since I’ve heard my mom sound anxious. In fact, I can count on my fingers the number of times I have hear the type of nervousness I heard in her voice that night she told me. I know that my dad is anxious as well, although he would never directly tell me. However, he let slip his feelings while they were visiting a couple weeks ago. As we drove to Lowe’s for one of our many visits, he sat quietly in the passenger seat. Trying to break the ice, I quipped, “Hey dad, thinking about the Indians?” (who were, at that time, still in the pl...

Because some folks drop by thunderbolt to see how the family is doing, here is an update regarding the Santa Clarita fires. There were five fires burning at one time and a couple came within a five mile proximity to our house. The sky was full of soot and at times it burned to take in a deep breath. However, the flames never came so close to the house that we were in in immediate danger. We did have some friends evacuate their homes because they lived closer to the fires. School was canceled yesterday and today because of the air quality, although we debated about letting Jake out of the house anyway. If our lungs were irritated, I can only (then again, I don't want to imagine) what the shit in the air is doing to his little body. It was very strange to walk out of our house and look down our driveway at the clear blue skies then turn around and see plumes of gray smoke in the air. That's how strong the Santa Ana winds are. With gusts of nearly 50 miles an hour, trees a...

Today is the first day in a long time in which I broke down because my son is is doing well. I wanted to say healthy, but with CF, will he ever be fully "healthy"? Today, the toddler son of a CF family Julie talks to entered the hospital because he has been very sick lately. I can still feel that fear. I can still picture myself in my car driving to and from Hollywood to Children's Hospital then back to Santa Clarita when Jake went into the hospital the first time. I want to wrap my children in my bulletproof arms and protect them forever. If you have a son or a daughter, hug them now and tell them how much you love them. Aloha

Mom and Dad left yesterday morning after a long week of working on the front of the house. Everything is not complete with the house, but so much got done through working with Dad that we are very grateful. It rained last night and that seemed to wash away some of the bad taste left from the anemic play of the Indians in last night's game. It was game 1 of the American League Championship Series and the Tribe had no answer for David Ortiz or Manny Ramirez (let alone the rest of their lineup). I like that Cleveland never gave up, but their entire play seemed sluggish. A hangover from the Yankee series? Perhaps. We'll see if they can rebound in game 2 tonight. I'm in a bit of a haze right now. Taking the week off of work to paint the house was a great idea, but it was no vacation. I worked my arse off, I tell ya. Tomorrow we're going to the Lombardi Ranch pumpkin patch. I'm doing my best not to get stressed about how much we may spend tomorrow. Aloha

I’ve been at home all week working on the outside of our house. To say that I haven't done this much manual labor in a long time would be an understatement. My folks are in town and I have really enjoyed the time spent with my dad as we built window frames and painted the front of the house. Of course, being at home means I am stuck with this God awful dial up service that is as slow as a sloth taking a dump. Besides the stories my dad has told me of his youth growing up in North Olmsted and working on my grandfather's chicken farm, we've had some good meals and great conversations. As you all know, by now, the Indians beat the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs. Sunday night was gut wrenching as the entire family (including Budd's clan) gathered at our place for the game. Unfortunately, the Yankees won that night. While the agony of defeat was something I could handle, it was too much for Sophie and she broke into tears when the Indians lost. She has r...

Seriously, I expected a closer game. Then again, I should have know better when Sophie and Jake put on their lucky hats. Although they didn't watch the entire game, there was a little bit of excitement for them in the series opener last night. I'm sure that watching their dad pace in front of the television will leave a lasting impression. I can't explain why I'm so excited about this year's playoffs. I think it's the hope of watching your team succeed and possibly win it all. That hope is something the city of Cleveland needs badly. If there is one town that needs a championship to lift the spirits of an economically depressed area, it's Cleveland. And these group of guys on the Indians team are men of character and classy teammates. You never get the sense that there is any finger pointing in the clubhouse. If someone fails, the whole team fails. And if someone is outstanding, well, his outstanding achievements are for the team. I am most impr...

The Indians have just taken the field in game 1 of the divisional series against the Yankees. I'm on the edge of my seat. I love this team. Go Tribe!

I have to be upfront and tell you that I sat down to watch "Cavemen" because my close friend, Tony Gardner, designed the makeup for the cavemen characters both in the popular Geico commercials and the television series. Tony is a master at what he does, having been in the effects business for over 25 years. Most recently, he and his company transformed John Travolta into a woman for the hit movie, "Hairspray" (although you wouldn't know it by the way New Line promoted the film). Like I said, Tony is a friend. I want him to succeed. That said, I anticipated the worst after each and every review I read for the show stated that "Cavemen" is terrible. Julie and I hunkered in for a long half hour. We analyzed the makeup for about 5 minutes (it was stellar, of course), but you know what, we both got caught up in the first episode and laughed a lot. The show was very funny. I'm not saying it's the next "Arrested Development" or even ...

I'm sure you can look anywhere this week and find a major publication reviewing the new Bruce Springsteen album, "Magic". A.O. Scott wrote an excellent article for the NY Times last week and Ann Powers of the LA Times delivered a glowing review, too. My favorite quote so far comes from Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly when he stated "If there's another ''Glory Days'' here — an inevitable concert standby that Bon Jovi will spend the next decade trying to rip off — it's ''Livin' in the Future,'' an insanely jubilant celebration of denial as a coping mechanism." I decided to ramble for a few minutes about the new Springsteen record, as if I was talking to an old friend while pounding back beers in a local dive. Imagine, if you will, music blaring over the jukebox, the sound of pool balls cracking and glass mugs clanging as I shout out my opinion to you. I was fortunate enough to receive an "advanced" cop...

Dear September, I'm not quite sure how to put this, so I'm going to come right out and say it: You've outstayed your welcome. Look, I was excited as you were about you coming to town for a month. I mean, what's a year without a visit from old September, right? but, dude, you've really been a downer this year and I just can't take any more of your crap. Now September, I don't want you to get upset. I love you. I really do. What, with the change of colors in the leaves and the cooling weather (usually), you're one of my favorite months. And how can you go wrong with that three day weekend you gave me at the beginning of the month. Dude, that was great. Oh, and the weekend when it rained. Killer, my friend. But like I said, you've become too much. You've given me hellacious writer's block, you've caused turmoil in my family life, and you made me put on some weight. I didn't want to eat those Oreos, but I had no choice. You drove me to it...

At some point during a 1998 Sammy Hagar concert, between the beers and the whiskey, the hugs with my brother and the singing along to "Three Lock Box", I had an epiphany. I don't recall where I heard it said, but I was suddenly reminded that we might have more than one soul mate in this world. There are the soul mates that are our true loves. I am a blessed man to have found Julie and had my life completed in that way. Then there are those people who complete us as friends or brothers. I'm not sure why this thought came to me in the middle of the Universal Amphitheater or why, as I was screaming, "When eagles fly-iiii!" that I thought of Steve. But he stayed on my mind for the duration of the concert and the short drive home. After Budd had dropped me off outside our apartment, I kneeled in the bushes, puked, then stumbled my way up the stairs to Julie. I stank so bad from cigarette smoke, sweat and liquor that I didn't even consider sleeping in o...

A really pleasant weekend (it actually RAINED!) was capped off by the Indians winning the Central Division and earning a place in the playoffs. This may not seem like much to some of you. I mean, professional sports is just entertainment. But something about baseball in October is simply magical. After 162 games, a select group of men trot out onto chilly baseball diamonds where they have to warm their hands by blowing on them and some need to wear turtlenecks. Fans gather in the stands, chanting and cheering while wearing parkas, winter goats and several layers of gloves. The lights shine down and sparkle like jewels. Adults who have dreamed their whole lives of a championship fall to their knees and pray... or cry. They become young again. Some have their own children and hopefully, the joy and excitement these parents feel is passed down to their kids. I can't wait to watch the playoffs with Sophie and Jake. And if the Tribe makes it to the World Series, Sophie's ...

My wife is so tough and heroic that I often forget that she is also human and suffers like the rest of us. Yesterday she suffered a migraine that shut her down completely. It was so bad that she called me in tears to come home while she went to see a doctor. I can not recall the last time I have heard her in this much physical pain. In moments like these, I become panicked and rush around like a chicken with my head cut off. The two of us have a tendency to put off our own ailments and tough it out. Personally, I feel like we deal with enough medicine in our house that I hate being the patient. Of course, I hated being sick as a child. This most likely has something to do with my mother being a nurse and the horror stories she would tell of from the E.R. But, that, as they say, is a another story (for a different type of doctor). Coincidentally, I spent the morning at the doctor's myself, having some areas on my feet inspected. Turns out I have a condition called vitiligo....

It always amazes me when people I have never met face to face come out of the woodworks to wish me well. Last week I posted that I may be taking some downtime from the blog. Several of you wrote back telling me to take my time. This kindness can not go unnoticed. Thanks to all of you.

Driving into work this morning, I was learning new tricks with my MP3 player and somehow wound up on Badly Drawn Boy's "I Love NY" from the ABOUT A BOY soundtrack. It is a song that I've written about in the basement series (http://augustone.blogspot.com/2007/03/basement-songs-i-love-nye-by-badly.html) and it is also a song I avoid when it pops up on the player. The strange thing is, the past few times it has come on, I've let it play and no tears came to my eyes. I was not sad or happy. At one point, I thought I must have listened to the song too many times and it has worn out its value to me. Not the case this morning. Man, as soon as it began, I started to lose it. Perhaps it's because Jake was sick over the weekend with a cold. Or perhaps it is because I haven't shed a tear since, like, June, but I was having a hard time seeing the driveway as I pulled into the parking garage. These past couple of weeks have been very special for me with the kid...

I almost closed the theater this week. At one point I felt that there is nothing left I want to write about. But I feel like there are too many wonderful things that my children do that I still want to share those things with my friends and family. For now, the basement door is going to be closed. I know, I know, you're all devastated. Sorry. If you still want a free song, email me and I'll send something special each Friday. I suspect that I'll find inspiration in the coming weeks. I really want to try doing this regularly. I really like the whole blogging experience. Unfortunately, life trips you up and in this case, my knees are too scraped to bare my soul right now. So, then, how 'bout them Indians? Aloha

Julie and I were getting ready for work when her mother called from Cleveland. "Turn on the news" she said in a worried tone that immediately sent chills down my spine. There on the television, the two towers were in flames. "Oh my God!" I exclaimed. Julie rushed out of the bathroom. She was 7 months pregnant with Jacob. Somewhere in the living room, Sophie was probably watching the Wiggles. Mesmerized, traumatized, we sat and watched as firefighters and police officers attempted battled the flames while the rest of the country... the rest of the world... tried to make sense of it. What the HELL had happened? Word came in about the Pentagon. Then the crash in Pennsylvania. Finally, in horror, we saw the towers crumble into the earth taking the lives of more innocent people with them. Although I have seen the footage over and over again, I will never forget that moment of disbelief. This isn't real. How can this be happening? My boss called and told...

It wasn't my intent to last week off. The holiday weekend coupled with a short work week really placed some pressure on me at work. Still, I could have at least written something nonsensical in order to keep the masses (okay, 30 people) happy. By the end of the week, some really heavy shit came down and I just wasn't able to form a sentence. The last basement song entry was written before my brain cloud made itself visible. I can't promise anything this week other than some thoughts here and there. Distractions like watching a movie during lunch with my coworkers or taking in an Indians game are good for the soul. However, the moment I begin typing on the keyboard, I can feel myself opening up and I can't do that right now. Aloha

We had a custom in 76 Rodgers my first year at Bowling Green. That year I roomed with my cousin Dave and nearly each night we’d slap an LP on the JC Penny turntable I inherited from my brother, Budd, and let an album side play while we slept. The record player was an old 1970’s model with a return mechanism that kept an album side repeating continuously until you shut off the machine. Back then I was old school and had two crates full of crackling, well loved records. Cousin Dave began our unusual ritual, most likely after a night of Iron City beers and a couple Marco’s pizzas. Our first semester was pretty typical of the freshman experience. That initial taste of independence coupled with the recklessness and abandon of youth lead to many nights of laughter resulting from the stupid shit we’d do. Cousin Dave and I weren’t exactly bosom buddies when we decided to room together. A year older than me, I looked up to him, yes, but more like a second brother than a friend or a conf...