And That's a Wrap...

Instead of heading back to The Kenozoic Era, I not only decided to start a fresh new blog, but I decided to jump in early as well.

Catch up with me at the ongoing Kenozoic Tales...

Christmas Eve 2016

I went to Dad & Ma's for our annual Christmas Eve family get-together last night.

Dad & I watched the 2nd half of the Patriots' destruction of the Jets. I had some pepperoni, cheese and crackers. Kevin's clan arrived. Sarah's clan arrived (minus Hayden, who had popped in earlier). Then we ate dinner (I had meatballs with mushrooms & gravy, dinner rolls, and mac & cheese - very low-key) and watched more football.

The girls all loved the art supplies (high-quality drawing pads and colored pencils/art pencils). Jared & Drew liked the Hot Wheels, and Ma was thrilled with the Blue Moon glasses. Plus: Dad is psyched for the Celtics game on January 18th.

I lucked out (as usual), with the following:

From Kevin's family: $15 in scratch tickets.
From Sarah's family: $25 Amazon GC (gift card).

From Dad & Ma:

• A 3-pack of Strathmore paper pads (sketch/newsprint/drawing).
• $15 Starbucks GC.
• $25 Barnes & Noble GC.
• $50 Master Card GC.
• Two "Life is Good" brand tee shirts (see images below).
• A brown tweed & leather Red Sox cap (see below).
• A pound of Starbucks Christmas Blend ground coffee.
• A 19 oz tub of soft peppermint candy.
• A pair of GreenLife frying pans.
• A box of wooden matches and a giant Yankee Candle (Christmas Wreath scent).

They always take care of their 4 kids, I am lucky to be one of them!

Guys' Night Out

I got together with Jeff & Jim, Darren (who drove up from NY just for the evening), and Mike at Keith's house tonight. We had a couple of beers (I brought a growler of the so-so Opa Opa Winter Warmer) at the house, and then went down to Blueprint in the center of town for supper and more beer (I had the house lager, which was also just so-so).

Left: Darren & Jeff. Right: Keith & Mike.

L to R: Darren, Jeff, Jim, Keith, Mike, me.

Jeff & Jim headed back to Boston, and the rest of us hit the liquor store in town, then went back to Keith's for more beer (Samuel Adams Irish Red - 3 for 3 on the so-so beers - very unusual!). After hanging around and catching up with Keith, I was "last man standing", and left around midnight. What a fun night. Keith & I are going to hang out at Mike's Wednesday night with old high school chum Pete (and others, most likely).

Cha-CHING!

All i$ good in the world again...

R-E-L-A-X

Yesterday

I spent yesterday (Saturday, December 10th):

• Watching "Smokin' Aces"
• Eating pizza
• Watching "King Kong" (original 1933 version)
• Drinking a 22 oz. Lefty's Brewing Company Oktoberfest
• Watching "Superbad" and "Saturday Night Live".

OneRepublic - Kids

First Snow

The first real snow of 2016's winter:

MQ 2016 Four: Crow Hills 2

I needed to get out of the house today, but i didn't want to drive to New Hampshire, so I hiked Crow Hills again. I went up and down from 12:30 - 2:30. It was in the 40's and dry, and was cloudy on the way up, but sunny on the way down. Only 2 other people on the trail, both in the beginning.

♫♪♫♪ Descent Soundtrack: Cocteau Twins, Rustica, Psychedelic Furs, Supreme Beings of Leisure.

December Goals

Health, Financial, and Social goals for December:

• Ten workouts: (I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.)
• Three hikes: (2nd: Crow Hills; )
• Lose ten pounds by Christmas.
• Buy a new bed.
• For the car: a) 2 new front tires. b) emissions fix. c) bondo & paint touch-ups. d) inspection.
• No "super"-junk food (5th: pizza; 6th: rest of pizza; 9th: Ben & Jerry's; 14th: pizza; 18th: Chinese; 25th: Chinese ).
• No "night coffee" (8th, 12th, 14th, 16th,   ).
• Buy new eyeglasses.
• Two outings: (23rd: out w/SMU/UMD crew; 28th: @Mike's w/Pete & Keith).

As always, updates in RED or in the comments section below.

Birthday

Yesterday (the 24th) was my birthday (it was also Thanksgiving).

I had Starbucks Sumatra coffee & an apple spice muffin for breakfast. And I drew this:

"Revenge!"

Then at noon it was off to Dad & Ma's for Thanksgiving. Kevin's family (minus Holly, flu) and Sarah's family were there too. Dinner was awesome. We watched the Lions beat the Vikings, and had the birthday stuff for me and Jackie (I gave her $15 in a card). I received handmade cards from all 4 nieces (Georgia even gave me $5!), and $50 & a bag of Starbucks Anniversary Blend beans (plus a mug).

Everyone else left around 4:00, but I stayed and watched the Cowboys beat Washington with Dad, before I left at 8. Home, a giant Kit Kat, and several episodes of "Party Down" on the Starz network. It was a great day.

First Snow

It's been in the 60's all week, but today it fell into the 40's, and then 30's.

It's snowing for the first time ...

Just a dusting, though.

Lazy Thursday

I slept 'til noon for some reason!

It was sunny and 50's outside, but I just watched "Game of Thrones" all day, while Chumble sat either nearby, or scrunched into the big leather chair next to me.

Begin Again

I got up at 7:30 on my day off!

...and I began watching "Game of Thrones" from the beginning.

Election Day 2016

And This is Why...

...I shave my head :Þ

It's about 2 weeks of growth.

It'll be coming off later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Clean shaven head, and goatee only...

November Goals

Just like last month, I am posting some goals for this month. And since I have only a few days left at work (the next 3 Sundays at time and a half pay), I'll have plenty of time to get things done:

• Work out ten times: (I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.).
• Go on three hikes: ().
• Hang out in Boston.
• Hang out in New Hampshire with my old friends.
• Hang out near the ocean.
• Visit a museum.
• Winterize the apartment.
• See a live ♫♪♫♪ show.
• Draw as much as possible: Bald female wizard; Generic superhero; Samurai Turkey!
• Practice my guitar.
• Find a great new job!

New Music ♫ Friday

I bought some new music today, as I wandered through the Bandcamp pages:

• Ugress - It Came From Beyond Eternal September

• Turnover - Peripheral Vision

Headless Zombie

Drew this today:

Lake Time

It was sunny, dry and in the 70's today so I went down to the lake!

I forgot my backpack though, which contained my sketchpad, pens, novel and iPod, so it was a very quiet and sedate day (3:30 - 6:00). I sat and ate my ham & provolone & pickle sub, with the awesome Great Pumpkin Ale from Cambridge Brewing Company. I took some photos. And I laid in the sun on the dock. The air smelled amazing, and the blue sky & red/orange/yellow autumn leaves were captivating. I streamed music from WXGR, WZBC, and WICN for about ten minutes, but then I went back to the sounds of nature (and outboard motors).

What a great afternoon.

Jack 1

I drew this a couple of days ago:

MQ 2016 Three: Wachusett

Today I hiked Mount Wachusett, by way of the Bolton Pond and Old Indian Trails.

It was cool, sunny and kind of humid, and the trails were busier than I prefer. But it was a good strenuous hike (this route is consistently steep). The soundtrack on my descent was primarily An April March.

MQ 2016 Two: Crow Hills

My first Mountain Quest 2016 hike was in California, back in February.

Today I drove out to Redemption Rock in Princeton, and hiked the Midstate Trail in Leominster State Forest, to the Crow Hill Shelves. It was a nice dry cool sunny day. It took me an hour to get to the base of the cliffs, and a little less to get back. My descent soundtrack was the new Lush EP "Blind Spot", the old Chapterhouse EP "Pearl", and the song "Let Me Love You" by DJ Snake & Justoin Bieber (repeated several times).

It was a great workout, but I kinda feel like I sleepwalked though the hike. I need new mountains, so I am more focused on the journey, and less inside of my head.

October Goals

A list of the things I'd like to accomplish in October:

• A day trip to Boston, and hopefully hang out with a friend or two.
• Visit a museum.
• Go to a beach.
• Spend an overnight in the Portsmouth, NH area, and hang out with old friends.
• Spend a day or an overnight on Martha's Vineyard.
• Attend two concerts (1: xxxxxxxxxxx @ xxxxxxxx. 2: xxxxxxxxxxxx @ xxxxxxxxx).
• Go on three hikes (1: Crow Hills 2: Mt. Wachusett 3: xxx).
• Work out ten times (I.I.I.I.I.I.I. ).
• Draw ten things (Jack O'Lantern, Jack O'Lantern, Headless 'Ken' zombie, wild pumpkin )

• Practice with my guitar ten times ( ).
• Go to a Halloween party!
• Find a new, better job.

All items accomplished will be changed to RED as they are completed!

SO Close...

Tonight (9/30) I got four of the five numbers needed to win Mass Cash. 

I almost won $100,000!

I'll happily settle for the $250 though. Can't complain!

Desert Island: Musician Catalogs

I enjoy the 'Desert Island' thought experiment of trying to weed down favorites (music, authors, movies, etc...) to bare minimums. This time I am focusing on which ten musicians' entire catalogs I would take to the island (instead of choosing particular albums), in order to make my lifetime stay more enjoyable.

In alphabetical order:

• Cocteau Twins
• Miles Davis
• Def Leppard
• The Doors
• Nick Drake
• Ivy
• Lush
• Trevor Pinnock (classical conductor)
• R.E.M.
• Pete Yorn

Through a happy accident (and my wide musical tastes) I have a breakdown of: one classical, one jazz, three female lead singers, and representatives of 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's rock. And while I would miss many songs from other areas, I think I could survive quite nicely on this rather large collection.

Back in the Sketchboard Saddle

I haven't done any serious drawing in some time. 

Here is yesterday's offering, a not-quite-Halloween Creep O-Lantern (haha):

Now that it is fall, the time of year I seem to get the most done in all areas of my life, there will be many more art-related happenings.

Music Time

I snagged a few songs on iTunes just now:

• Foo Fighters "Saint Cecelia" EP

• Chapterhouse "Pearl" EP

Random Music Notes

Various music-related things:

1. Well, no one wanted to go to the Lush show with me, and I just didn't have the motivation or desire to go alone, and throw good money after bad (gas, parking at Alewife, T fares, dinner in Boston, beer at the show, potential cab ride, etc...). *sigh*
2. I bought a 1/100 limited edition vinyl album from Dirty Dishes singer Jenny Tuite ("Cloud Cover"). The first song is pretty good, and the rest should be in my hands (plus downloaded - I get the mp3 too when it's released) at the end of the month.

Long Lake Day

I usually go down to the lake around 5 pm and sit around 'til sunset. Today I went down there at 2. I had a ham, provolone and pickle sub with a couple of Wachusett Octoberfest beers and some Wachusett chips. I read about 100 pages of "High Stakes" ('Wild Cards'). I swam for awhile, and I laid on the dock (more reading). I've had a head cold the last two days, but today made me feel WAY better.