Saturday Morning

Well this is going to be a quick one as I have breakfast sausage cooking on low in the kitchen. Definitely a nice aroma to it as it wafts towards my room. I've been up and at 'em since H woke me up at 740am to give him a ride to Food Lion as he slept in because the battery on his droid gave up in the middle in the night it seems. It's great smart phone but the battery really sucks. You're lucky if it lasts half a day when you've several apps going.

I was going to shave this morning before going to see Becky at Massage Envy for my monthly massage but I started reading some news items and before you knew it I had to hop in the shower and get going to not be late. I have what I call as itchy face. It's been a couple of weeks since I shaved and my beard has tons of white and/or grey in it. I'm getting old. That isn't exactly a breaking news story.

Anyways I have Marillion on the player and I am about to prepare a big huge breakfast for yours truly. I was going to stop in for breakfast at the local diner but I knew I had to pick up a couple of things at Food Lion where H is at so I figured I may as well get all of the breakfast fixings and do it at home. Those sausages smell wonderful!

Time to get another coffee going, slice some tomatoes and get some eggs going. I always feel good after my monthly morning massage. I need to somehow bottle that vim and vigor for the rest of the month. Ha.

Foreigner at The Biltmore Estate

As I mentioned briefly in a previous blog, Foreigner was playing this past Labor Day weekend at The Biltmore Estate in Asheville. As is usually the case in Schlewing's World the decision to attend the concert was made less than 24 hours before the event was taking place.

I will never be known as one that makes plans with my free time. Sure there are things like actual vacations that need to be planned by booking time off or booking airfares and hotels. However when it comes to what's for supper, what's the plan for tonight or what's the plan for the weekend I rarely know until said time arrives. I don't even wear a watch so time planning for me is an exercise in futility.

Anyways back to the point at hand. I ended up booking three seats online for the Foreigner show at a pretty decent price and started to "rev on the red line" in advance of the show. LOL. Had to throw in a Foreigner song reference in there.

It's a nice drive up to Asheville along the Poinsett Highway and then SC25. Late August and early September is still early for fall colors here so all you see is a sea of green along the way. It is still a majestic vista in all directions.

Once you arrive at Biltmore you know that you are going to be in a pretty unique environment for a rock concert. Driving along the narrow and winding tree-lined roads you see a flock of Canadian geese hanging out near a pond just up the road from a rafter or gang of wild turkeys. Not exactly what you on your way to the BiLo Center in downtown Greenville.

You're then directed to the parking lots that are a bit of trek from the main building and surprisingly you aren't charged to park your car like you are at the Charter Amphitheater if you attend a show there. Once you park your car, you're directed to the bus stop where they have a fleet of buses running concertgoers up to the Biltmore House. A five minute bus ride and then you're dropped right off in front of this grandiose house built for G.W. Vanderbilt and his family between 1889 and 1895. It is a sight to see!

Most of us know Foreigner from the 70s and 80s as a band led by vocalist Lou Gramm and guitarist/writer Mick Jones. Over time these two guys have had their differences in musical philosophies and Lou Gramm first left the band in 1990, came back a couple of times and then left for good in 2003. Kelly Hansen the present day vocalist showed up in 2004 for a few shows and joined the band officially in 2005 as Lou Gramm's replacement. As for the other players in the band, several of them have been playing with Mick Jones off and on for almost 20 years and in a live setting these guys are tight.

First off as the sun was setting and the seats were filling up and I am looking towards the stage, all I can think of was how beautiful this scene was. You're sitting outside right next to this glorious house and you have this majestic scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background behind the stage. Before you know it their road manager is welcoming you to the show and onto the stage walks Foreigner.

The opening riffs start and you recognize "Double Vision" immediately and as soon as you hear Kelly's vocals you realize that you're in for a treat. This guy has a set of pipes and can carry these songs on his own. Amazingly this song from way back in 1977 is played just like it was that year all over again. The words and the chorus are immediately recognizable and remembered and I catch myself singing along with the boys in the band.

With hardly a pause Double Vision leads into another album title track which was "Head Games" from 1979. Like most Foreigner rockers, you have a great riff, a catchy chorus and the lyrics come right back to you as they're singing them. One thing I noticed right off the bat is that when they play these songs live they allow themselves a little bit of liberty in extending the songs and the solos so that you're getting a fresh take on the song.

Next on the set list is immediately recognizable from the opening keyboard riff for 1977's "Cold As Ice". Man what an opening trio of songs. The song is played as is at the start and the harmonies on the chorus are perfect and then the band experiments a bit with some a cappela vocals and harmonizing and a bit of a keyboard solo. Great, great version.

Things slow down a bit then with a moody intro seguing into 1981's "Waiting For A Girl Like You". Time to hold hands, flic your bic or as they do in this day and age, use a candle app on your cellphone. I draw the line at the app. That's so gay. Okay I am not being politically correct there. Sorry. I should have typed lame. Anyways this song gives you a chance to hear Kelly Hanson's voice front and center and you realize once again how good of a singer this guy is.

The tempo picked up again with 1978's "Blue Morning, Blue Day" which was the 3rd single release from the "Double Vision" album. This led into one of my favorite Foreigner songs from 1979's "Head Games" which is "Dirty White Boy". I have played air guitar to this song for over 30 years. Another one of those singalong songs for this dirty white middle-aged man.

After those two up-tempo rockers, Kelly talked a bit about this next song and how they have rearranged it as an acoustic song allowing for all the members to be up front and center and sing a stripped down version of 1987's "Say You Will". Great rendition of the song.

Then the unmistakable opening riff of 1977's classic "Feels Like The First Time" gets everybody out of their seats bopping up and down to this great live version of the song. Once again the song showcases some great vocal work by Kelly, some cool guitar work and some pounding drum work by Brian Tichy.

The next song started off with some solos on lead guitar and keyboards leading into the unique sax work of 1981's "Urgent". The sax work being played by Thom Gimbel who's been in the band 1995. He did a fine job on this live version.

Then came the big bass drum intro of my fav Foreigner song 1981's "Juke Box Hero". Another one of those air guitar anthems from my youth. Live it starts with the drum, a bit of keyboards and a single spotlight on Kelly when he starts the song off. Amazing version done live.

Before you know we're at the encores. Hit after hit and you kind of know what's coming next especially when you see the kids from the Blue Ridge High School choir joining the band onstage. That means one song and one song only; 1984's classic ballad "I Want To Know What Love Is". Another opportunity for Kelly to bless us with his vocals and I am sure that it was a simply amazing chance of a lifetime for the kids onstage to sing the chorus. It was amazing to see and hear especially in that majestic setting.

To end the show Foreigner pulled out all stops and gave us an amazing version of the classic hit from 1978 "Hot Blooded". Another song that everyone knows the lyrics to and without fail when you hear it, you singalong to it.

What a great show. What a great place to see a show. I can't wait to go back to the Biltmore to see another great band in that setting.

A Day To Give Thanks

So here I am in my quiet home this morning tapping away at the keyboard trying to put into words some coherent thoughts on what I call American Thanksgiving. I am still used to Thanksgiving being the 2nd Monday in October as it is in Canada. I am supposed to be off today but I do have to check the order queues for the Canadian accounts as this is the busy season in our business. So the queues have been checked on my work laptop in the dining room and here I am blogging in my bedroom on my desktop.

H and I went out played trivia for the first time in month or so and didn't do too well. Most rounds we ended up with 7 or 8 questions right and missed out on some of the sound bite questions related to shows that were on TV in the last 20 years or so. Both H and I aren't really avid TV watchers. I think the only thing he watches is that AMC show "Walking Dead" or "Living Dead" or "Whatever The Eff Dead It Is" show. As for me, I watch baseball, some cooking shows, MSNBC in the evening at times and that pretty sums up my TV habits. I think I use the TV more as a sleep enhancer as I will often lay down on the couch on the TV and within 15-20 minutes I am off to the land of nod.

Suffice to say that H and I didn't exactly know many of the trivia questions related to TV. Last night they had a question on "Moonlighting" theme, a kids TV show "101 Dalmations" and Gena Lee Nolin. The theme sounded familiar as I think it was Al Jarreau singing. I remember the Disney classic from way, way back when called the "101 Dalmations". I had no idea there was a TV show called that also. As for G.L. Nolin. I had no idea who that is. I actually answered Baywatch and Dynasty. The first one was right and the second one was way off. It was Sheena. Not Sheena Easton. Just Sheena. Not sure when that show was on. Sounds like it may be related to George of the Jungle or something. I just googled Ms. Nolin. Well she was on several TV shows, she has been married three times and she is an attractive woman. I still don't know who she is. That's cool. She doesn't know who Marc Schlewing is so that makes us even in my books. Ha!

Anyways I should be talking about the blog title a bit shouldn't I? I guess the thing that I am most grateful for is how my son is turning out as he enters his early 20s and adulthood. Reflecting back on how I was at 21 makes me realize how fortunate that H has not chosen the path that I chose back then.

The best way to describe it is that I lost a decade due to some incredibly bad life choices I made back then that affected my family, my education, my career and my general well-being. Hitting a bottom that included being homeless and eating at soup kitchens and carrying all my worldly possessions in a large gym bag was my wake-up call.

I know that my son is way smarter than that in making his life choices. While we differ in opinions at times which I think is normal given that we look at life from different age perspectives; H more often than not makes the smart decision when making his choices. At 21 I didn't do that at all. His having a combined 3.72 GPA after 4 semesters at Greenville Tech along with three Dean's List and one President's List award is all a result of his hard work and dedication. The young man works part-time 30 hours or so a week and takes a full course load at school while being a pretty decent human being. He does take the time to enjoy life with his friends as 21 yr. olds should but at the same time seeing him open up his text books and working at the dining room table for a few hours on Friday or Saturday evening is something I never did or thought of doing.

So on this day after American Thanksgiving, I give thanks and gratitude on how well my son has turned out and how well he is doing. His Dad is super proud and thankful.

This & That Sunday Morning Version

So I have the coffee brewing, a load of laundry in the washer and the vocal stylings of Shirley Manson and Garbage telling me "not to worry baby" on the player. I decided to go random on my You Tube player this morning and started it off on the last few hundred songs in my favorite list. I figure this way I will get some stuff playing that I haven't heard in a while. So it started with Garbage and now I have the band Live playing a concert version from Belgium of "Lakini's Juice" from 2003. My head is bopping to the beat of the drums. Blood rush alert! Blood rush alert!



Okay back from getting my first coffee of the day. Things go better with coffee! That should be a slogan on a t-shirt that one wears in the morning. Darby Mills and the Headpins are now playing "Don't It Make You Feel" from 1982. Another trip in the way back music machine in Schlewing's World.

Now on the player is the Foo Fighters doing a live version in Sydney back in 2002 of "Everlong". This version is the hard-rocking version as originally released back in 1997 and not the splendid acoustic version from 2006's "Skin and Bones" CD. Probably the definitive Foo Fighters song. Classic stuff.

So anyways yesterday I was rather productive. I worked in the front of the house for a while mowing leaves and setting up some mulch piles around the two Bradford pear trees that I have out front.

I did a couple loads of laundry of which one is waiting to be folded still. LOL. All my white t-shirts. I at least hung up the other load which consisted of shirts and pants eliminating the need to iron them. Ironing ranks right up there with cleaning showers as my least favorite household tasks to do.

The Wallflowers "One Headlight" from 1997 now playing. Darn good song!

I then decided that I should straighten up the garage. My two car garage was rapidly filling up to the point where soon I would be parking my car outside with the amount of stuff that was building up everywhere.

Things like a lawnmower that died. An old edger that worked twice until I burnt it out one day. A leaf blower that never worked given to me by a neighbor. A broken down wall unit that may be older than H. A metal foot stool that could be used as a lethal weapon. Months and months of newspapers waiting to be sorted to have their puzzles set aside for future boredom days. That pile had gotten to the point that I couldn't put anything else on the desk. A broken kitchen chair or two. And on and on it went.

I looked up the local recycling place and it turns out to be less than 4 miles away. So I loaded up the "trunk" space in my Sorento and off I was with the old metal scrap or "crap" to the recycling center. I asked the city worker on-site what they do with the stuff and he told me that they sell the metal stuff to recyclers and the money is added to the general revenues coffer to try to keep taxes lower. That sounds like a good deal to me.

Just getting rid of that stuff freed up quite a bit of room. Next week's run will have all the old wood pieces related to the wall units. I have to break them down so that I can transport them.

H finished work around 3pm yesterday and he wanted me to run him over to the Craft Beer store up on Fairview Rd. so off we went to get some "good" beers. I didn't get any as I had already done a Green's run last week and had some Dos Equis Ambers, Harp's and Fat Tires in the house.

We ended up stopping in at Wild Oats for a quick bite around 430 or so. I can't say that I was impressed by their beefy nachos. It was a messy dish with an overabundance of nacho cheese. Like way too effin' much cheese. The jalapenos were vinegary. I prefer fresh ones. H got a burrito and he likened it something that you get at Taco Bell. Hmmm I spent $8 or $9 on a Taco Bell-like burrito. That isn't good! I will say though that they have some great beer choices on tap. I had an Arrogant Bastard and a Rogue Dead Guy Ale. Excellent beers.

Got back home and I went through about 75% of the newspapers late in the afternoon and early evening and have added another hundred or so of crossword puzzles to do one day. LOL. I said to H that I should start on them one day or people may think I am a hoarder. I'm going to finish off the sorting after I finish this blog.

The garage is starting to look better. More space that's for sure. I'm going to buy some sort of floor cleaner. My car was leaking oil a while back and there's an area that looks rather iffy at best.

Just finishing off coffee number two. Brought H to work. Time to get busy or as Ed Schultz on MSNBC says "let's get to work". LOL.

This And That

So here I am typing away on early Friday evening while I am being serenaded by the hard-rocking pipes of one Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. I am in a head-banging mood right now. Started off with the "Flight of Icarus" which led to "Hallowed Be Thy Name" leading into "The Trooper" live from Tokyo. True balls to the wall vocals, guitar shredding and the oh so powerful drumming Nicko McBrain. What a cool name for a heavy metal drummer. Definitely not in the mood for Phil Collins right now. Ha!

My plan this weekend is to be super-productive around the house. I have to fix the toilet in H's bathroom as water seems to be leaking. Just got the water bill to prove it as it 2.5 times higher than usual. Like I have money to flush down the toliet. Pardon the pun. I gave myself an opening there. I should come clean here. I will buy the part to fix in the bathroom but my construction engineer to be son will fix that important piece of porcelain. I would likely hurt myself using a screwdriver or wrench.

I have a load of whites going in the washer and after I finish this quick blog I'm going to prep some chicken breasts Greek-style for some grilling tomorrow for souvlakis.

A live version of Styx's "Crystal Ball" with the Cleveland Contemporary Youth

Orchestra just came on. This version is great. Actually any version of that song is great. Definitely in my top three Styx songs ever.

I have lots of leaf mowing or raking to do this weekend as the never-ending dance macabre with my trees and their foliage continues. Hopefully the weather will hold out tomorrow. I have some work-work to do in my never-ending quest to make my numbers for this month-end.

Ah cool song now. The Angels and their classic hit "Marseilles" from way back in 1980. This song effin' rocks! As I type this paragraph I wonder how many people down here heard of this band. Another one of my down under bands that I seem to like so much.They were known as "Angel City" up north in Mtl. for copyright reasons and they had a couple of albums in the late 70s, early 80s that were pretty effin' good.

I was playing too much air guitar there. Now the song is over and Stephen Stills with the rest of the boys in Buffalo Springfield are singing "For What It's Worth". That song is 45 years old and is still absolutely amazing. Man oh man music is awesome.

I also have to get rid of stuff in my garage to free some space up. I have a broken down lawn mower, a leaf blower that never worked and old wall units that have seen their better days. In fact those wall units saw their better days back in the 80s when the Angels were coming out with songs like "Marseilles", "Face The Day" and "Fashion". LOL.

Weird this blog about this and that became a blog of the music I am hearing as I hunt and peck away. Time to prep some chicken and then maybe I can convince H that we go and grab a bite to eat somewhere.