I just woke up a bit ago and it looks like a nice, clear day outside but it is -17ºF/-27ºC. We've had our milder weather, now we've been alternating between snow and deep freeze. We got about another 7" of snow on Tuesday/Wednesday, followed by this, then it will warm up (15ºF/-9ºC) on Monday to dump some more snow and then it looks like the rest of the week we will not get north of 0ºF/-18ºC for several days. Remember not too long ago when I said that it felt like winter had actually started? Oh, and Lake Mendota has frozen over now for a record third time this season.
Yes, the numbers are impressive but it's happened before and it will happen again. Life just goes on. I took this picture this morning, you can barely see where the fire pit is. Today should get a bit above zero eventually and I am expecting a rather good day out and about. My brother is coming up to town and we're going to a Badger Men's Basketball game at the Kohl Center. Should be a lot of fun - despite the weather!
There's not been a lot to write about so far this new year, but I've had some unexpected time off work again so why not start complaining typing and see what happens.
I've gone through hundreds of these. Ick.
Last winter I didn't get sick at all. In fact, I don't think I've been sick in two years - until this winter. I was sick with a stomach virus (I since learned that stomach flu is not an influenza, but a different virus) a week or two before Christmas and now I have something upper respiratory. I was miserable Friday, but had no idea I was getting sick. Waking up Saturday there was no question and I have been absolutely miserable ever since. It seems to be centered in my right sinus, though both are plugged often. Breathing has been a struggle.
Cold medicine does not work. I've tried many different kinds over the years to no avail. Some may work a tiny bit, and I can remember at times thinking that I should remember this particular one - but I never do. And there's only so many different kinds, anyway. Still, I take them and hope for the best, but usually you just have to suck it up and let it run its course. What do you use for a snotty cold? Does it really work? Really?
Of course, being sick means I have missed more work. It's been busy so I would rather not miss time but I also wouldn't want to sit next to me, either. Best to stay home until I can keep all my bodily fluids in check, though I don't want to lose ground at work, either. There's been talk of me moving up already, not quite six months into my new position. While I do want that, I wouldn't mind some more time at the level I'm at now. We'll just have to see what happens in the coming weeks and months.
Wow! I just started typing with my hands in the wrong place and discovered emojis. Windows key + period = 😎🎶👌👣🦇🥓 and tons more. Playing with it for a minute shows me that it's a windows thing, not just in blogger. Not that I'm a big emoji guy, but how come I never knew about this before? Did you?
Now I forgot what I was going to say, so let's go with weather. We've been relatively warm for January here, with no snowfall. A week or so ago it rained and melted most all we had, so it is very gray and brown outside these days, not pretty. On the upside, no shoveling, snowblowing or salting has been needed. In fact, if the weather stays similar, the ground stays firm and once I feel a bit better then it may be time for a winter fire pit!
Okay, that's enough typing. Actually, I don't feel well and want to wrap this up. If you were paying attention, I asked a couple questions above. Leave me a comment below, I've got plenty of time to read them as I'm just sitting home sick - if you haven't heard. 😩🤧
Last year I heard Scum of the Earth's 2012 release, The Devil Made Me Do It. I had no idea who they were, and though I liked it I was very much listening to otherthings at the time. Late last fall I listened to it again and really liked what I heard so I dove in head first to learn more about them and would up getting everything else they've released as well. Even now I am still very much listening and enjoying it all, thus they are my latest listening pleasure!
Scum of the Earth, or SotE, is essentially guitarist and reluctant singer Mike Riggs. Riggs was the guitarist in Rob Zombie's first solo band after White Zombie and before Zombie took a break to make some movies. The resemblance is certainly there, musically and visually. SotE is kind of like a poor man's Rob Zombie. SotE may be a little darker where Rob Zombie is a little more cartoonish. That's the best, briefest description I can give. It's just the heavy guitar riffs, dark lyrics and industrial, sometimes electronic sound that seems to appeal to me here. Greatly.
Riggs and SotE have released 3 full length CDs, in 2004, 2007 and 2012, with just a single released in late 2017 (aside from the streaming-only Munsters theme song, also released late 2017). Not as much as I want, but the heavy grooves and chug-chug-chug guitars make me want to Death Stomp, despite my age and the fact I would get killed in a mosh pit these days.
I don't know how active a band SotE ever was, and they don't seem very active now, touring or otherwise. And I know I've delved into the past on this one, but there's not a ton of stuff about them on Youtube to find. Well, I'm very aware of Riggs and SotE now, so if they come up with anything new I will find it. Rock on, Riggs.
Similar to the last few years, we will be ringing in the new year at home with just a couple friends, Terry and Becky, as long as the roads don't get too slippery. My wife is going to cook a late dinner of beef tenderloin with those fancy little potatoes. We'll play some games, have some special drinks and pop the champagne at midnight. If we do manage to make it all the way to midnight that will be pretty much it, and I'll have to get a nap in just to help me make it that late.
Back on Christmas weekend we were going to drive to Mom and Dan's in Dubuque but Kate came down with the bug I had the week before. Now we'll have to see about getting the presents to the nieces and nephews soon. I may have to ship them to my sister and her kids, but it's a good excuse to finally drive down and see my brother's family and the house they built. On Christmas Day Kate was feeling a bit better, well enough to not cancel her family coming over for some great food, presents and holiday cheer, so we did get one family gathering in for the holiday.
Happy New Year to you all. The ones I read, the ones I love, all my friends and all of you who take the time to read me. Whether you comment or not, I can see you're there. Thank you.
I've never been a card person so consider this your holiday greeting. I hope you're all enjoying whatever you're doing. Cheers!
*Edit, 9 a.m.
I scheduled the above last night to post early this morning. When I finally arose today and opened the curtains this is the sight I saw - a layer of snow on the ground! So it seems I lied earlier - we have a White Christmas after all!
Just because I could, I relaxed with a fire for a bit this afternoon. It was a few degrees below freezing - so maybe not the brightest* thing to do coming off the flu - but it was nice. Happy Winter Solstice, everyone.
December is slipping away, the holidays are almost upon us and I've hardly posted a thing lately. There's not been much to post about, really. Well, I'm sure I can come up with a few things so time to start typing again and see what fills the page.
Somehow we seem to have had December weather in November and vice-versa. There was only a trace of snow on the ground in spots yesterday and that's probably erased by the rain today, and with the expected temperatures we will not be having a white Christmas this year. Lake Mendota officially froze over five days ago, on the 15th. About normal, but that date can vary greatly year to year. Lake levels are looking better, but still not down to where they should be. I haven't heard anything on that debate lately but, like any other year, the further from the event the less people think about it.
I've been sick all this week, probably a flu bug but I didn't go to the doctor. Sunday evening I remember being especially tired, then Monday and Tuesday were absolutely miserable for me but I'm slowly starting to feel like myself again. Today I worked a full shift for the first time this week and I am exhausted. At least my boss is letting me slide on the required overtime this week and we have no overtime for the next two short holiday weeks.
I have all my holiday shopping done and finished wrapping this afternoon. This was a tough year to buy something for my wife. I thought about jewelry again but she doesn't really wear any regularly. She did mention wanting to get her ears re-pierced but she won't let me do it so I came up with a few other gifts that will have to do. She has a birthday coming up in a month so I guess I'll have to make up for it then.
Sadly, the pictures on my garden blog from August 13, 2012, to May 14, 2017, have been deleted. It was a shame and I am not happy about it, but I had almost 1400 pictures on Flickr and starting soon they will only allow 1000 for free accounts. Most importantly, I didn't want to lose anything from this site, so I sacrificed those pictures rather than pay a monthly fee forever to keep them. You can read more of what I wrote about that here and here. As for the future of that garden blog? I just don't know yet.
I've been scanning the local venues' websites for upcoming shows that I'd like to see, and still there's only one on my radar. On February 10, Marty Friedman plays at the High Noon Saloon. He used to be a guitarist in the band Megadeth and then spent the last 15 years in Japan. Other than that, there's a few things that slightly interest me and you never know when a new show will be announced. In fact, it was just announced that Neil Young is coming soon to Madison on a very short solo tour. Unfortunately it's on a weeknight and the tickets seem to be outrageously priced and may already be sold out. (Luckily, I've seen him before - but that was over 20 years ago!)
That's all I can think of that I want to share for now. I'm sure I'll post a holiday greeting soon and I don't think we have any plans for New Year's Eve yet, so there will be more to come before 2019.
For some time now I've been lamenting the lack of shows coming to Madison that interest me. I see tour announcements often, and I rarely see Madison on the list of dates (yet Grand Rapids, Michigan, a smaller city, seems to get a lot of shows). Maybe that will change with another good Madison venue, The Sylvee, that just opened this fall. Months ago I was scanning the upcoming shows and saw this show coming up. Surprisingly, my wife agreed to go with me so as tickets were relatively cheap we went out to see Steel Panther and check out The Sylvee on Friday night.
Steel Panther, if you haven't heard of them before, is a band that spoofs 80's hair metal. They perform classic metal songs and their own music, all the while performing satire of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Definitely not safe for work, nothing seems to be off limits and being in on the joke is much of the fun. It does surprise me, however, that so many women like the band in this #meetoo time we live in, considering how they objectify and make fun of them in their songs and banter. But it's all in good fun and in the name of heavy metal.
I posted this holiday song when it was new a few years ago, here it is live - The Stocking Song:
It was cold that night - in the mid teens (ºF) - but a new parking ramp just opened up right next door to the venue so that was very convenient. As usual, I bought a shirt first, probably the only one for sale that I could actually wear to work as the others had innuendo that someone would take exception to, I'm sure. We walked around the crowd a bit but took a spot in the balcony. The balcony has a couple rows of seats around the front but the rest is all general admission. When a band comes that I really want to see I think I'd spring for the seats. The first band, Wilson, was forgettable. Steel Panther ran through their set like a well oiled machine, despite having a fill-in bassist for this stretch of dates. We left before they came out for the encore, so we missed a song or two but I'm okay with that. We beat the crowd and were home and warm minutes later.
Steel Panther performing a cover of a Motley Crue song, Shout At The Devil, with some fun at the beginning:
I hadn't seen Steel Panther before even though they've played Madison several times over the last decade or so, and if I had been to a good show recently I may not have gone this time, but I'm glad we got to check out The Sylvee and the band was pretty entertaining. If I sound a little underwhelmed, well, I guess I am. I'll keep my eye on the upcoming shows and maybe something will come up that will get me a bit more excited.
I'm over 50, married and child-free. My wife and I have a home not far from downtown Madison, Wisconsin, since 2009. I like music, taking pictures and good humor - plus writing about it all here. I am still not on farcebook or other social media, only Blogger and YouTube. Email me at scoakatsblog@gmail.com. I check it every so often.
I just woke up a bit ago and it looks like a nice, clear day outside but it is -17ºF/-27ºC. We've had our milder weather, now we've been alternating between snow and deep freeze. We got about another 7" of snow on Tuesday/Wednesday, followed by this, then it will warm up (15ºF/-9ºC) on Monday to dump some more snow and then it looks like the rest of the week we will not get north of 0ºF/-18ºC for several days. Remember not too long ago when I said that it felt like winter had actually started? Oh, and Lake Mendota has frozen over now for a record third time this season.
