Pretending to be a VCU student!

Well those pesky VCU kids are back. I have so much fun because I ride my bike down to the campus and I just blend right in. I even carry a book bag with me and get into the whole "Im a college kid living off mommy and daddy's trust fund " aura. Well anyways, I look like a student and not a professor! Of course, it wasnt ALL THAT long ago, that I was the median college age. Yep, from Fall of 1997 til fall of 2001 I would have been the standard. Although I think its changing, as more people are going to college later- so the average age is not 20 anymore. More like 22. But I have such a fine time pretending to be a student. I even had a few kids ask me if I were in so and so's class. Then I go to Shaffer Court and pretend to look up jobs on campus there. Its so much fun being in character! Anyways, its perfectly LEGAL! Its not like Im pretending to be a high school student- which of course, in my opinion would be totally immoral.

Life at the Smoothie Shop is still going okay, but I sure hope this hard work doesnt age me! Most of my youthfullness has come from my ability to not work. I think that most people work too hard. They need to relax a little and enjoy life! Thats not to say Im any slacker when it comes to my music! No Sir- I have busted my bunions off in that regard. But that work a-day work just ain't for me. I think its genetic. I come from a long line of people who had servants and people to do things for them. Its just against my Skelton nature to want to do any manual labor. Sally is home for Labor Day weekend. She likes to have her McDonald's whenever she can, but since she put on some weight because of the medications, daddy says its not okay for her to do. But she is getting thinner again. She was always so thin.

Poor Aunt Virginia was walking around in the nude again. I think she forgets some times that she doesnt have any clothes on. She walked into the kitchen buck nekid when I was eating my corn flakes. Not a pretty sight! But I think she was in the middle of changing her clothes and simply forgot. I really hope the Dr. can give her something for it. He says she has dementia.

Summer Finale

Yesterday was our last summer show out on the Portico of the church. The Meadow Street Band as we call ourselves. We had such a good time and I think we put on one of our best shows. Everything was really tight and we remembered our nuances and the arrangements and endings. We played that morning for the worship service, and I also did "Goodbye World, Goodbye" and dedicated to Mike Gardner of South Boston who passed this Thursday. I think when we got this show on the road, we had a lot of time to work out the kinks. We have such a nice mix- since we have three female members and 3 male members. The only catch is the women cant help with much of the heavy equipment we have to load. Thats just us men. But they do bring food! We had a great time and a lot of people in the neighborhood stopped by as they were walking or whatever. We ate out at Kitchen 64 on the Northside. The food was really good there. I had the Bellevue sandwich with sweet potato fries and then peanutbutter pie for dessert. It felt nice to be out with the group. I have somewhat of a social life! We all were talking about what to do. We have a big gig coming up in October. Then I want to have the band play for my record release party. I think it will be at the church in November, but I have to arrange the details for that.

Im so excited to play with such a talented group. I enjoy every minute we're on stage. Its not like some of the bands I've played with in the past- sometimes egos got in the way. Usually mine. But this feels much different. Kind of like we're old friends. And I think thats how it is when God's people get together and make music. Its supposed to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Cool Skelton

These are some photos from a "Photo Shoot" I did for my next single release. I took them in front of St. John's Church in Church Hill. I think its pretty good. They were taken with a GE 8 megapixel digital camera. I was right surprised how decent they all turned out. I think the outfit suits me too. I always was a fashion plate!

I think Ill pick one of those and send out the Masters next week. One will be pressed for 7 inch 45 vinyl out in Nashville- the other on CD for those who are analog challenged. Naturally I'm much more excited about the vinyl! I always dreamed of making a REAL record- ever since I was a kid. This isn't quite an LP, but its still my very first vinyl release. Only big names and real musicians can afford vinyl, but somehow I found a good place out in Nashville that does it for a reasonable price. They're called United It Pressing The single probably wont be on the street til early October. I gave an advanced copy though to my manager at work.

Hard Times Make You Stronger...

Its so funny how people are in this world. When I was 17 I wanted to run away and go to Nashville. People would tell me "You're way too young, you should wait". Now that I'm 29 people are saying "You're too old- forget it. You will never have a real career. Go back to school". I just feel like people are so funny that way.


I am writing some new songs that I think are a good sound for me. I feel stressed out though a lot from work. I work in a Smoothie Shop with mostly people in their teens. The older ones are 21 at most. And then there's a guy whos about 6'7. All my insecurities are challenged at this job. My weight, my age, my height, etc. Im not a short guy by any means- at 5'10 and 1/2 I don't exactly qualify as a midget, yet I do feel I would rather be an even 6 feet tall. Also I still need to lose at least another 40 lbs. Being 29 I look back on when I was teenager- it really wasn't all that long ago. I really never understood why the concept of "Young Adult" is such a short window of time. 18-24?? Really?? But thats such a transitional period! When I was 18 , I may have had an adult body, but I certainly was not an adult. I was a teenage boy! I can't believe some times how warped our society thinks about age


In the Bible, according to Jewish Law- a man didn't even have full authority to preach until he was the age of 40. Jesus in his early 30s was considered " a kid". A young widow in the Bible was any woman under the age of 60. But now here in the United States in 2008, 30 is considered "middle aged". Or at least to some people. Well, not if I can help it. I AM YOUNG. I feel young- actually younger than I did 10 years ago. And I dont care what anybody says- I will have a successful career in music one day. The Lord had promised to me. I have had dreams and visions of it. I am hidden right now, but when the time is right I shall emerge with full force- ready to take on the world!

Loudoun County Talk

In Loudoun there was a local flavor to the region. Richmond has its own, and Loudoun had its own. Here are some of the common expressions I remember and probably used myself growing up

Not in Alphabetical order:

"Alright-y" (ee) (Its okay: variant of "alright)

Dispatcher: " To base. We have a terrible accident. A man was hit by a pickup and his brains are splattered all over Route 7"

Resque Squad: "Alright-y" We'll be there in jiff!"

"I sure Don't" (Positively you do not)

Teacher: "James, do you have a Number 2 sharpened pencil with you?"
James: "I sure don't"

Maw: Your Mother
"Hi Maw, where's Paw?"

Paw: Your Father

"Hi Paw, where's Maw?"

Eastern Loudoun: An oasis of greedy corporate developers, strip malls, and people who work in D.C.

Western Loudoun: An oasis of farmland, small villages, and farmers trying to keep out the greedy developers

Sleazeburg: The Ghetto side of Leesburg i.e. Loudoun House

"I ain't going anywhere near Sleazeburg!"

Reckon: To think and figure out at the same time

Whiley: How many people do you reckon will be at the party tonight?

Cleatis: Well, I reckon as many as we invited!

Dead Man's Highway: Old Rt 7. Dangerous as heck!

Directly: In just a short while/soon

"We'll be in Purcellville directly"

Park View High School: Where the peckerwoods go to school

Broad Run High School: Where the city slickers go to school

Old Sterling: A small village in Eastern Loudoun that has the railroad tracks go through it and was built 80 years or so before "Sterling Park"

Sterling Park: Dont go there unless you can speak Spainglish

Tally Ho: An expression used on the Fox Hunt. Has nothing to do with loose women...

"The Master of the Hounds is ready. TALLY HO!"

Pshaw!: An exclamation of opposition

"Mildred, I think you have that butter churn backwards"

"Pshaw!, I know what I'm doing!"

Yonder: Over that way

"Hey, can you tell me where I can get to Unison?

"Yes, its up yonder over that mountain"

Sunday Blues...

Well, I didnt do much today. This evening I walked Mosby through Carytown and there was trash every place! They just had the Watermelon Festival today and a poll said over half of Richmonders didn't feel like going. Well it looked like they showed up! Wow, they really tore it up. I thought that Hurricane Isabell had struck again. They had the street cleaning crew picking up the place. They were having a party at Weezie's Kitchen. It felt like New Years!

Oh well Im sure glad I didn't play the Watermelon Festival this year. Its just way too crowded and the heat is pretty bad (this year was cool, however), but I feel like its a total waste of time. There's just too much of everything. Too much music, too much vendors, too much people, too much heat (which I usually love, but not when its too much crowded) but hardly enough Watermelon.

I took a few Quizzes. I think its pretty accurate in describing myself- although my mother would say calling oneself "Upper Class" is tacky anyway. Its better to be Middle- or at least pretend you're one of them anyhow.

You Are 10% Yankee, 90% Dixie

You're completely Dixie all the way. You've possibly never even met a Yankee!

Are You a Yankee or Dixie?

You Are Upper Middle Class

You're stuck in an interesting middle area between upper and middle class. You're wealthy enough for most people to call you rich (or at least comfortable), but you don't feel rich! Climbing your way to the top is hard work. And you've often feel stretched for time and resources. If only you had a little more money! You can't help but wish you had the lifestyle of the upper class. You may end up: A manager, high school teacher, or accountant. Other people who share your class: "White collar" professionals and business people

What Class Are You?

I saw Chris Bopst at Bev's Ice Cream...

It was Mr. Chris Bopst alright. Eating an ice cream come with his new wife. I didnt recognize him at first because he had a daughter? Yeah, thats crazy Mr. Bopst. Hard to imagine him settled down, but I guess the radio life for him was a whirlwind. I would have said hello, but I really wasnt sure it was he, and then I left before I got the chance to. I don't even know if he recognized me. He played some of my music on his radio show. He didn't really like it- and even said so, but he did say he came around when I sent in "Nicole, Will You Marry Me?" I didn't like most of the other stuff either. If only he could hear my new stuff

We ate at New York Deli too. I had the tuna melt. It was right cool today. Only in the mid 80s. Gretchen and I were walking the dog tonight and saw a guy passed out in front of English Luthren Church on Monument Ave. He wasnt responding when we called to him. So Gretchen called 911 on her cell phone. They got there, and I reckon he just had too much Vodka. He was an older Mexican I think, but you never know when people are out like that. He may have gone into a coma. So I guess it was best to call. I put up posters for The show we're doing on August 24th at church. I was pleased to see PLAN 9 put them up too. They usually never put any of mine up. I suppose since Im in a band now, its okay. I took my clarinet in to Richmond Music and Arts Center. They said it needs new pads on it and that could run about 250$. But they said its wooden and a German make and worth 900$. Thats pretty neat. My friend Ardith got it for me on Ebay for under 50$. I think that was a nice deal!

National Night Out

Tuesday I performed with The Meadow Street Band for National Night Out held at the church. I was so tired though. But I got there at about 2 PM. We had to set up a lot of chairs. We performed for about an hour around 6 and got a nice crowd. I did some Country Flavored standards such as Buck Owens "Foolin' Round", Carl Smith's "Loose Talk" and even a Patsy Cline song "Walkin' After Midnight". I even did it in her key, which was a little, um, high, but Ive sung higher so anyway it was fun and I didnt strain myself in any way. We were pretty tight! We had a nice Latin-Salsa rhythm on "Loose Talk" and we only rehearsed it once. We closed with Josh Turner's "Long Black Train"- which we had some killer harmonies on. It was a shame Terry wasn't there, but we were able to hold most of our own. Later they had The Richmond Concert Band play on the black top area. They did a lot of Sousa and "Stars and Stripes Forever". After it was all over, I had to help put back all the sound equipment and load chairs. I was to tired, I went on home.

I got off work Tuesday and Wednesday. What do you know when you're really attracted to someone you work with? Especially if they are taken? This girl I know is married, but I can't help it- she is so gorgeous! What I have done , though, is I pray and block every thought of her out of my mind. I am able to work with her without going "there", and I think if I can do that, maybe I can become a stronger man for doing so. Give or take a few cold showers!

Those Dang Hipsters...

It was right funny early Saturday evening as I rode my bike down Broad Street just past The National,I saw a line of people outside waiting for the show. It was kind of ironic to see Hipsters, since the National is known for well- "Mainstream" acts. But there they were all skinny lookin' in their tight jeans, vintage t-shirts, and shaggy hair. I wonder how they ever manage to get a date. The female hipsters are certainly the more attractive of the species. Anyways, I had to dismount my bike, and walk past them. You should have seen the look on their faces when they saw my "Hipsters Ruin Everything" t-shirt. They just gave me some kind of stare. All eyes were fixed on me. Like an animal sniffing out its prey. I think its funny when they feel cornered like that. There was I was on my very non-hipsterish Diamondback mountain bike, with pangea bags in the back, and a basket on the front. I also had on my argyle socks and retro Addidas tennis shoes. They looked like deer in headlights. On the way home, I went out to Carytown and saw jazz pianist Ryan Corbbitt, outside Plan 9 Record store. His buddy was playing guitar outside I think. I just said Hello. We went out to the Ukrop's on Three Chopt Rd where we got a small frozen yougurt. I just love Ukrop's and their little yougurt stand. Reminds me a lot of when I was a youngin' and I would get one at the Safeway.

Sunday afternoon we ate brunch at The Tobacco Company . Now I know that place is high cotton, but I was thinking for brunch it wouldnt be so bad. Well, Sir, I just had the eaggs benedict with crabcakes, and Gretchen had the crabcake sandwich. Then we had dessert. With tip it was nearly 60$ for the both of us. Thats about 25$ a person! Anyways, the food wasnt bad, and the atmosphere was nice and so was the service, but I can't believe paying that much for brunch with only two people. I went into work today, but we were so slow, that the manager sent me home early. So I got on my bike and rode over to Belle Isle- just off the tracks I tried that back trail that wraps around and takes you back to 42nd Street. I did that one before, but I just don't like going it alone. So I went back over the "foot bridge" (which scares me to death, by the way). Then up 5th Street to West Broad and took that home. They sure have a lot of ghetto looking people on West Broad- but they aren't too bad if they're just waiting for the bus.

Praise The Lord Report

Here's a v-log about some neat things that the Lord is doing in my life.




Ive been right busy lately writing new songs and all. I feel high as a kite! I think its so fun when I get this creative energy. It sure beats the times when I just want to lie in bed all day.