In today’s What I know… I’m warning friends about wedding plans thus not avoiding their Christmas parties, telling you what I thought of last night and thanking you!

What I know … the December 11th edition, eight days before I get married:

Tonight is the last Christmas party until we get back from the wedding. Joanna leaves for Austin Sat morning.  I pick up the kids from the airport on Wednesday and spend time with them until I head down to the wedding site.  You are sooo Lucky Lubbock Mustang Club, we are able to fit you in tonight.

I’m sorry to the many people we had to turn down, but Joanna’s going to be gone and I want to spend some quality time with the kids before the wedding.

And my deepest apologies to Matt…

I know that I promised to make your party this year, but you scheduling it on my WEDDING DAY, even though you were INVITED to the wedding seems wrong.  Or maybe you are doing it because of it…  And I TOLD YOU that the Browns would beat the Steelers.  HAHAHAHAHA Dinner is on you when we get together next.

Trans Siberian Orchestra

Last night was a sight and sound extravaganza.  TSO put on one of the most amazing shows last night at the USA.  Joanna would have like to hear Wish List. I was scared about the lack of “play” and fun portion of the program as TSO concentrated on some of the new songs from their album Night Castle.  They were in the middle of 8 shows in 5 days, and when you are the 4th show in, fatigue has already set in.

I was extremely impressed with the new violin players that TSO – West had picked up for this year.  They won me over with the “play” piano section where Patrelli highlighted his wife’s incredible talent.  Though it isn’t a guitar battle  (three years ago) or piano battle (two years ago) … it was amazing.

The additional trucks that they had to have for the video presentation was money well spent.  I think that the images of marching toy soldiers was really good.

I love listening to comments of people as they walk out.  Most of them are, “Wow,” “Now I understand what you are talking about Dad,” and “We’re getting tickets next year!”

But the best comment of them all , from a 40 year old man, last night was “This is the closest thing that mom and dad would come to an acid trip!”

I couldn’t help but start laughing.

Then I was stunned into ewww mode.

Now the USA has catwalks that go to stairs that escort people from the second level to the main concourse level.

The USA staff had turned on the fans to suck out all the smoke and haze from the USA and with the wind caused a fairly plump 40 year old woman’s dress to fly up…

and show those of us who heard her gasp…

her lack of underwear.

Ladies, if you can pound down a dozen donuts and call it a snack, for the sake of those around you. WEAR UNDERWEAR!!!

All I could think of was Wynonna’s Big Brown Beaver from Primus.

Thanking You!

For the record, I’m not nervous about the wedding.  I have to thank my family, friends and co-workers for supporting me during this Perfect Storm of events and things till the New Year!

First it was big work event, followed by TSO, followed by the kids, then the wedding.

You guys are making this EASY!

So let me ask you one more time to get me your song titles for the music that you want to hear at the wedding.

Otherwise…

It’s hearing the 17 song play list over and OVER again!

Love, Luck and Lollipops , ROCK ON!

Why?

Because that’s what a good fiance does.

I could give a rats ass about the whole wedding stuff , because I just want the end result.

Me + Joanna = Forever. How we get there doesn’t matter. 

Over this last weekend I heard about our getaway car, being specially rebuilt for this one special day and transported down by our favorite car builder Jeff Kruger. It’s a 1967 Ford Mustang Convertable.

When Joanna saw it, she was in love.  They finally got the transmission working so it would go forward.  For the longest time, it would only go in reverse. I blame not enough crown and too much sweat.

I can’t wait to see the final result.

Joanna and I have sent out the final set of invitations.  Funny story, I sent out an invitation thinking that we had missed it, and got a call from a friend asking why they got two invitations. Yes, Joanna had sent one in the first batch, and the excuse of the wedding came in.

“You got two because we really, really want you there!”

Some of my friends and her friends aren’t going to be able to make it and we both understood. We both knew that because of the timing, people would have plans, and we would be blesses by whoever made it.

In other great news, we’re off to Oklahoma next weekend.  Joanna and I are going to drive up to see Gary Cox, his wife Carrie and the meanest son of a bitch in the state of Oklahoma. ( I know it isn’t true, but I have to help his self esteem.

All we have to do is worry about gas, the Low Limit Grinder is putting us  in the FABulous Okie Vegas Party Facilities in beautiful Fort Cobb lake, then we will be escorted by the MSOBITSOO to Stillwater where he has tickets for us to see his Oklahoma State Cowgirls take on MY Texas Tech Red Raiders.

It should be fun.

And a side note to Gary after yesterday’s bull with the kids…

It’s still business brother.

The music I play every day was dependent on Les Paul. Gone, too young, but a full life he led.

Happy Trails sir.

I’ve been working on the house a lot and it’s almost finished. I’m really proud of the work and the handyness that I have discovered in me. Maybe it was latent in me and I just had to do it on my own. Maybe it wasn’t my hands doing the handy stuff.

Maybe it was Patricks.

Never the less, I’ve reached the point of what is done is done, and what can’t be done won’t be. (more…)

When I was growing up I had a red bike with training wheels, I was so nervous to ever ride without my training wheels, even though I knew I could, they were their to keep me safe.

One day, my dad took off my training wheels. My grandfather and dad watched as I fell time and time again. I begged to have them put my training wheels back on.

Dear Patrick,

I know today you would be proud of me.

So far in my renovation of my house, with NO HELP from my family, I’ve :

Installed a pot rack,

4 fans, 3 of which had extensions,

painted living room,

textured the kitchen,

painted the kitchen,

and tonight fought a battle that normally I would have ran screaming from.

I’m not handy, I admit it. It’s the bill paying and the logic that keeps Joanna happy.

But tonight I had an issue.

The dishwasher wasn’t draining.

Now normal men would whip out their handy wrench or tool of their choice and had a go at fixing whatever issue it was.

I’m not a normal man. I’m Home Depot Impaired. Home Depot knows me by name, and it’s to their delight and joy when I come walking in;

“So what’s your problem today Sean,” they say with cash registers ringing in their minds.

In that my fiance Joanna used to work at Home Depot I don’t get taken by “the latest and greatest gadgets”.  I look at them and ewwwww and ohhhhh. “It doesn’t work, let’s move on,” she’d say as we’d go to our next adventure.

But tonight I wasn’t going to bed , even though the “Box” as I’ve come to know and love it was closed.

I had a dishwasher that wasn’t draining right and I looked at all the steps.

1. Check disposal.

2. Check Basket to make sure nothing was clogging the hose.

3. Check for bent or broken hoses.

4. Check Air Vent.

All seemed to be working.

I cleaned out the basket, lemon / ice cube freshened the disposal , all hoses looked great and I thought the air vent was cleaned enough on the outside.

I thought I had it all done right.

Try draining the dishwasher :

FAIL

After thinking about everything you’d say especially the “check the little things Sean, that’s what gets screwed up the most.”

I yelled to you that I had checked everything.

But that’s when I saw the little tab on the sides of the air vent. I popped the tabs and discovered a mineral blockage that had partly blocked the drain from fully draining.

I cleaned it out, even blowing down the small hole with a straw to discover a face full of dirty dish water.

I put everything back the way it should, and clicked the Cancel/Drain button.

And nothing made me happier than yelling at Joanna saying , “I DID IT MYSELF! YOU HEAR THAT PATRICK, I DID IT MYSELF” as the dishwasher drained!

You see, even though you are long gone and I miss you daily, I’m sure you’d understand if I take this moment to be proud cause I sure know you’d be.

Though I’m not going to drop any gas tanks to change fuel filters, or change that toilet that we never got around to without professional help, I know that this was just another little battle I won without anyone’s help.

When I walked into the bedroom to get Joanna to stop watching TV and see what I’ve done, it was not just my joy, but hers too.

She sees what I wish you could see.

Back in 1976 ,after an accident or two bumping my head, skinning my knees and hands I rode on my own. It was the most incredible experience of my life, and I rode everywhere, that is until I got my car.

I’ve taking the training wheels off in my life. Yes, things are tough. Yes, the times with the kids are not going to be as extravagant as before.

But  I’m doing it without help.

I’m moving on…

and it feels great.

I Love You and give my best to Tara and Grandpa,

Sean

Have been busy working on some projects and taunting the girlfriend.

I may have to keep this one.

Forever.

And I like it.

Joanna got a job today as a Program Coordinator for the American Red Cross chapter here in Lubbock.  I’m excited about the joy that was in her face as she told me that she had the job.  We went to dinner at TGIFriday’s and then watched House.

I’ve been working on my Radiothon project and looks like this weekend will be my long weekend.

Congrats Joanna. I am so proud of you.
One step closer.

One of my childhood heroes was Mark Holtz.  When I moved down to Texas, one of the many times I did, I was amazed by listening to the both the Mavericks and the Rangers with legend.  He opened every Ranger baseball broadcast with “It’s Baseball time in TEXAS!”

I’d used to be taken on a path of amazement as he made the stRangers teams in the 80′s interesting to watch.

But recently I’ve noticed the total indifference about an award that I thought Mark should win. The Ford Frick award in broadcasting.  Now some writers have made efforts in the past, Ex 1. , Ex 2. to have a Texas Ranger broadcasting legend be put into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Now before you nay sayers begin, they have members of the Montreal Expos Broadcasters in the HoF!

Why not Mark?

Hello Win Column is still placed on the scoreboard at the end of every Texas Ranger victory.

Why Not Mark?

Please Texas Rangers, do something right, support Mark Holtz in 2009.

Sincerly,

Texas Ranger Fan in Denial.

News!!!

I saw the doc and he painfully removed the 54 staples and replaced them with steri-strips. So we are closer to full recovery.

and finally…

All 18 tumors were found to be … (more…)

Yup, I spent most of the day at work, first on air then at a remote during the Texas Tech game.

I wish they could have won the game, but the team had lost its heart, it didn’t want to be there and I feel for all the fans who hoped for a better ending to the season.

I spent most of the evening in bed with a migraine and pains in my back.

I got confirmation Monday that the Surgeon will take a look at me and we will schedule the procedure, no not “THE PROCEDURE” made famous by Pauly and the crew before a big blogger poker tournament.

I still have issues with my voice and it bothers me.  I use my voice for my gig, my livlihood, and not to have it is scary to me.

Joanna woke me up and made me comfort food, mac and cheese and we watched The Shawshank Redemption.  Get busy living my friends, cause you never know when the road ends.

I miss my kids, this last week is the same as all the first weeks after the kids leave, I get down, try and stay busy and yet still get sick.  Gotta figure a way around this shit.

I’m starting the countdown, 70 days till I leave for Ireland.  Yup, my family and I are heading to Ireland for St Patrick’s Day.  I’m going to be doing “research” for “The Castle”.  How can I finish my book that has an Irish castle as a major character without ever being IN an Irish Castle?  I can’t.  So I’m going to go and take a vacation for me, no nothing for nobody else, just me.