Summer Cold

I'm getting over a really bad summer cold. I have no idea where I got it from, but you know, I'm not surprised. We've had such an usually cool summer. Its been hardly many days in the 90s. I want my Richmond summer weather! Where is the sticky 90s and over 100s heat we usually get this time of year? Now, we're half past summer , and I hope August will make up for our icy July temps. 85 degrees? Brrrrrrrrrrrrr ! Anyways, I felt like hell the past 4 days, I'm starting to feel better. It started in my head mostly just really bad sinus irritation. Some coughing, a minor feverish feeling, and overall yuck city. The only relief I got was from going to the grocery store where they have the air conditioning on full of blast. Today , however, I have felt much better. Even with my cold, these past few days I have tried to stay busy. I played some tennis, went bike riding, and took the dog for a walk.

Today I took some old books to Goodwill. I have been trying to work on new songs and arrangements, but when Im sick like this (and I don't get sick often), I just can't seem to finish up anything. I'm waiting for my new tracks to be mastered so I can get them off to the vinyl place out in Nashville . I expect at least a two month turn around, and so I have already planned a release party in Mid November, and I need to get everything done in a flash. I still need to take pictures for the single, as well as get the artwork up and running to the people in Front Royal who wil take care of the CD part. Ya know, if it were up to me, I wouldn't bother making CDs. They are so cheesy. But people insist on having them. But for me, it just means more money I gotta spend. Anyways, at least it will keep the public guessing when I realease singles such as these, and also I think the songs have more meaning that way. I hate not doing anything. Basically, Ive been watching Mama's Family re-runs and eating cookies n' cream out of the box.

Dark Side Posse At Ukrop's

Y'all will never guess who I saw at the Ukrop's on Forrest Hill Ave . I was in the cafe this afternoon and I happened to glance over and there she was. Yep, its that black panther lady from Richmond Public Access TV. Anyone remember "The Fourth of You Lie!" ? Well, she was there. The "Dark Side Posse". She was right at the salad bar. I guess even hate filled people need to get their veggies in. I was surprised she would even go to a place like Ukrop's. After all its run by white people. For those of you don't know she HATES whitey. She thinks the white man is the devil, and we live in a white racist nation, built on the backs of slaves from Africa, who were the true earliest civilization. What in the world she was doing getting a salad from such an evil place like that, I'll never know. I suppose when you gotta have it, you gotta have it. Well, bless her heart. I'm sure she tries. It was so funny watching her on TV. When people called in and she didn't like them she would just say "Goodbye caller!" and tell "Carlton" to hang up on them. She sports one heck of a dread lock too. Almost looks like Queen Medusa with those dreads.

Anyways, I got a turkey sandwich and a sweet tea. My nasal allergies are acting up something awful. I took the dogs for a walk, and then we played some tennis. Gretchen and I mostly just bat the ball around for exercise. It was pretty hot and sweaty out on that tennis court. We've had a lot of bad luck lately. Gretchen was hit by someone pulling into Ellwood and Thompsons. They were backing out as she pulled in. It costs 1500$ to fix that. Then our Frigidaire broke down. We had to throw out a lot of our good meat. I was sad to see it go. We were able to get another one from Lowe's and it should be here tomorrow. I hope my allergies clear up soon. I have to sing again on Saturday at The Farmer's Market in Irvington.

New Meade Record Buzz

I want to spread the word about my next single which will be coming out this fall. I hope all you fine folks reading my blog and elsewhere can be "aware" about this. Its gonna be a very nice addition to your record collection! It will be available at plan 9 Record store, of course, and on a 45 RPM and a CD. So be looking for it this October.

Sweet Tea Revival

I went back into the studio with The Meadow Street Band to record "Sweet Tea" and "From The Outside Looking In"- two songs I wrote. It was a lot of fun. It took us awhile to get the levels all correct. I used a grand piano and it had a juicy sound for the Sweet Tea. I used my regular keyboard on "From The Outside Looking In". We also recorded two other numbers which will be released later, and had fiddle player guest Dennis Elliot. Our harmonies are really neat, and we recorded at Minimum Wage Recording Studios in Oregon Hill. We were pure analog this time- on old tape machine and we were live, so we took about 3 takes on each song to get them right. It will be released on 7" vinyl as well as those compact discs things that everyone is using nowadays. I'm so happy to have the band on my records. They add so much life to my tunes. I'll be promoting the heck out of this next one, because these are some really fresh tunes that I think could put me on the map, and also help us get more gigs as a band. I just hope that someone in Nashville can pick it up and record it, and make me some royalties. So that way I can establish myself firmly as a singer-songwriter. It costs money to be a musician! If I had just one hit done by a big named Artist, that would be enough to cash in and help me afford to be a singer.

Last Night we did a cool gig at Camp Eagle Eyrie in Lynchburg. We played for about 300 kids- mostly teenagers. I was a tad nervous that our set would go over with them. But we did slicked up version of some old 70s tunes, plus some of my originals, and I worked up a spiffy "Lord I Lift Your Name On High". I just had to do something, because the way its been recorded so far does nothing much for me. The sermon was entitled "God Calls Us To Be Different", and it seemed my original numbers really seemed appropriate. The kids seemed to be having such a good time. The drive out there was beautiful. Speaking of beautiful, I saw a real cutie at the gas station when I stopped for a coke. She had on a little black dress... What a glorious creation God hath made!

The Gravity Hounds...

Here's an old "practice tape" from a group I used to play in many years back called "The Gravity Hounds". We were getting ready to play a Moose Lodge in Mechanicsville and working out our set list. We met and practiced at Dave's home studio in Gum Springs. Notice how we have some pretty nifty harmonies! I just can't believe I found this after all these years. It was recorded in the Summer of 2002, back when I was heavy into the Country-Blues. We were basically a Country-Blues-Rock band, and I remember singing songs such as "Trashy Women", and "Livin' A Lie" . I was just a young lad of 23 then, and working as a delivery boy for Vougue Flowers. It was my first real band experience and a lot of fun. When Butch left for Alabama, Dave's brother took over on bass. Our trademark was red chuck taylors. We played Moose Lodges, county parks, and a few other places. We weren't together more than a year because of work schedules and other conflicts. I was also on an Ego trip at the time. But all that aside, its nice to hear us again.

Here's a sampling of what we did:

Family Fun !

Yesterday, we drove up to Springfield to see my brother Randy and my sister Sally, who came over for her birthday party. Her birthday is actually today, but we celebrated early. Jodi, my brother's wife, cooked a nice chicken dinner (she can really cook!), and then we had some cake and ice cream and gave Sally her presents. Its her 49th birthday, so she is feeling like she is really middle aged now. But she still looks very young. We drove Sally back to her Apartment in Cascades. Sterling has gotten really ghetto, but it was even when I was growing up. So many hoodlums in the 7-11 parking lot. Makes you wonder what it will be like 20 years from now. The whole area is built up crazy. A lot of NY-NJ transplants live there now. You can tell because of their curt manner, and how tacky they are dressed. But its okay, because they are people too. I just miss the old days when people spoke English in Northern Virginia. I have to admit this, but I just hate Northern Virginia. It depresses me.

My brother did get a fairly nice townhouse in Springfield. It has a nice patio out back for grilling and chillin'. The traffic going up was just awful. We had to take Jefferson Davis Highway to Fredericksburg and then got stuck yet again. It took us almost three hours to get there. Mostly beach people probably. Saturday we also visited our sister Bonnie in Williamsburg. She is fixing to be a motivational speaker. If anyone can do that, she can. Bonnie for president! I had a gift certificate to Aroma's in Newport News, so we stopped by there and got something to eat. Bonnie had to use the restroom at Barnes and Noble, and this girl broke a bottle of Apple Juice at the front door and it splattered all over Bonnie. Bonnie was okay, though, and the girl apologized for the incident. Made Bonnie look as if she hadn't made it to the rest room! Anyways , later we came back to Williamsburg and listened to some nice Big Band Music. I'm so glad they had the sound levels right and you could really hear the singer. We heard some band play at Short Pump Town Center last Thursday, and it was just awful. Sound bounced right off the walls. Anyways, it was a nice weekend.

Confessions Of A Diet Pill Junkie

I guess its no secret that everyone by now knows my life story. "They Called Me Porker" pretty much sums up my middle and high school years. But what most people don't know, is that at the age of 17, I was put on a very dangerous drug cocktail known as "Phen-Fen", a diet pill craze that was sweeping the nation. I was much too young for these drugs and their effects. But in the Fall of 1996, when I had ballooned up to 286 lbs, I was desperate to try anything. I hadn't really dieted or tried to lose weight consciously before then, except a brief period when I in the 5th grade and they put me on a "low fat" diet. Anyways, around that time, "Dr. F" in Middleburg, Virginia, was the man who was giving these drugs out like candy. I wanted some of that candy! But the truth is, I was skeptical it would even work. I had never tried anything before. This was also around the time, just before I accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life.

When I saw the Dr, my father asked if diet and exercise could work as effectively. But the Dr said "This boy has too much weight to lose for that". So I went on these drugs. The drugs were so powerful, each day I had to force myself just to eat a cup of low fat yogurt. My heart would be beating so hard , I felt like it would come out of my chest. My mouth was as dry and parched as the Mohave Dessert. But low, and behold, it did work! The first month , I dropped 28 lbs. I just couldn't believe it. For the next three months, I lost around 20 lbs, until finally I plateaued at around 215 lbs. That may sound still sound fairly overweight for a teenager, but I was so thrilled. I didn't have boobs anymore, and I could fit into normal clothes- and wear my dad's suits . But the drugs had more effect on me than just my weight. I would call girls from school in the middle of the night and ask them if they would like to have dinner with me at The White House. I would get very mad and some times violent and throw things. One time I couldn't find my riding boots, and I threw an expensive lamp out of the 2nd floor window. This was not good. I was becoming someone not myself. Thrashing around on the floor, even, and trying to stab myself at one point.

Well, gradually, I had to be taken off completely of the drugs. The weight stayed about the same. The Dr tried putting me on Thorazine, Redux, and a few others. Nothing seemed to work. The weight slowly came back on. Four years later, I was heavy as I had been before. Then I went on a drug called "Meridia". This also worked, and was much less powerful and had fewer side effects. The pictures that most people see me at a thinner weight, were the result of that. But as I went off, I slowly went back to my old eating habits again. Each year, put on another 15 lbs. By 2004, I was right back to where I had been at 17. Seems like pills just don't do the trick. Then the year later, my grandmother died, and I would eat every night Late at Wendy's, and binge on Krispy Kreme Donuts. When I reached 301 lbs, I realized it was now or never. So I told myself " no more drugs". This time, I let the Lord guide me on everything. I never thought I could ever exercise again, but I did. Started by walking just a mile a day. Now I can bike ride, swim, and even run. So without drugs, I have managed to lose weight that I know will never come back, ever. This is a good feeling. I never could admit to myself that I was a diet pill addict, and now I can do so.

Entertaining The Seniors

Yesterday, we played a set for the Seniors meeting at my church. It wasn't the whole band, but we did alright. They seemed to like us. They also had such good food. I only grabbed about a handful of finger sandwiches and a few dessert cupcakes. I am trying to behave myself with food, although its not easy. Im glad I could do something on a Tuesday afternoon, since its my least favorite day of the week. I have a few odd jobs this summer, but I am still trying to look for more work. I am thinking of going back to school this fall, but I'm not sure. I'm very close to getting an Associate's Degree from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. But because Im so terrible at Math, its hard for me to pass even the most basic of math courses. I was able to slide by the last time. But I need one more Math class to complete my study. This will be hard for me.

What I'm really working on this summer is my body ! This old lumpy butt has got to get in shape. I did some serious swimming today for 45 minutes, also coupled with a 15 minute bike ride to and fro the fitness center. Then I also did some weight lifting, and push ups. I do not really like this weight lifting business because it makes me feel my I.Q. drop like 50 points, but they say its the ONLY WAY to keep fat off for good. Because I have been doing so much exercise over the past four years and losing weight steadily but slowly, my endurance has tremendously improved. I can swim non stop for 45 minutes, whereas when I started in 2005, it was a chore for me to walk half a block from my house ! Praise the Lord !

Exercise with Meade !

Well, heres a little exercise clip I put together. I hope some people may see it and it will inspire them to get in shape. Just seeing me the way I am is enough to shock anyone! Anyways, I really am trying hard to do better. I think right now I am at 30% body fat. For a guy, thats considered slightly obese. But I just cant seem to stop it with the sweet tea. I hope I can do better soon!



Yesterday , my sister-in-law Jodi came to pick up Mack, their golden retriever. Its sad to him leave, but they will only be a few hours away. I hope to see Randy again soon. I went to Walgreen's yesterday and I picked up a zone bar and some water. I was tempted to get Cherry Coke, but I told myself "Be strong!". So I didn't. We also went to Chic-Fil-A yesterday. I had a chicken sandwich with waffle fries and a sweet tea. Its very hard to eat so healthy, but I must do it for my health.

Gettin' in Shape !

I have a very good exercise and diet routine that I have been doing for the past four years now. I modified gradually as I needed to improve stamina. So far, I have lost over 60 lbs with the help of my Lord. But I still have about 40 or 50 more lbs to go before I can be considered lean and healthy. My highest weight ever was 301 lbs back in April 2005. It was at the age of 26, I realized I needed to do something, or else. So my journey has continued. If I don't want to collapse on stage, I better be in naturally fit shape ! Its been no picnic. I some times even have to forgo sweet tea and I have given up krispy kremes all together. I used to dream about them at night and wake up exhausted! Anyways, here's basically what I have been doing (more or less)

Exercise:
1 hour of walking 5x a week
Bike Riding 3x a week for 1 hour
Swimming (this summer) twice a week 30-45 min
Running 2x a week for 30 min
Lifting Weights - whenever I feel like it 10 min

Anyways, that's it. Also my diet consists of high protein including Whey Protein shakes, lean chicken, fish, lean hamburger, and pork chops. I also try and limit my sugar intake, and no more than 4 glasses of sweet tea a day ! Included also, are many fresh fruits and vegetables- as well as vitamins and dietary supplements which I take daily. Sundays are my day off, so i can eat out on those days and have my cookies and brownies when I want them.

As you can see I have made progress. The only problem is because I have such a larger build, my weight loss is not as dramatic looking as it is for people with slighter frames.

Me in February, 2005


Me as of June 2009

Pizza From the Bottom !

I've been fighting the scale lately. My weight went up to 246 lbs today. But its mostly all water weight. I have put on at least 5 lbs of muscle because I measured my arms and legs and while my clothes are getting loser, the scale isn't changing. I think its okay to enjoy food every once in a while... I need to celebrate my victory!

Here's some pictures of my Bottom's Up Experience. I just love their Pizza ! Notice how it was hard for me to decide, but I went with my usual favorite- Crab meat Pizza. It was scrumptious. The waitress was really cute and she told me she loved my red shirt.


Deciding What To Have


Mmmmm.. Doesn't it look good?


Wow, it tastes even better !


Ya know, I just cant have on piece, maybe just a few more.....



Uh-Oh . Did I really eat all of that? Poor Gretchen needs to have some..



Now, before y'all jump on me, I did a full hour bike ride around the James River, a 30 minute run, a 25 minute walk, and then I lifted and carried a bed down to the basement. I think that's a meal, I certainly worked off before I ate it. I highly recommend Bottom's Up by the way. Their pizza just puts Pappa John's to shame !

Orange Photo Shoot

Yesterday I did a photo shoot for new publicity photos needed. I think they came out okay for digital pictures. The orange brick was a nice background for the shoot, and I got some good poses in. Later on, I went to Bottom's Up Pizza with Gretchen, where we had the Chesapeake Crabmeat Pizza. My favorite ! I was so sore from all the exercise I did. 45 minutes of bike riding, 1/2 hour of walking, and 1/2 hour of running through Byrd Park. Its a wonder I'm not in intensive care! Anyways, as you can see, my progress is being made.

A Message From Meade...

This is a Public Service Announcement !