Possible Miscommunication- Black Star on the 14th!!!!

Posted Mar 17th, 2013

Just firing this off really quick to say that I had a tremndous weekend at Goldbergs and at Red’s Wine bar in Kent over the 8th and 9th respectively.  Specifically on the 9th at Red’s a group of about 12 people came in to listen to me and of course try some great food and wine. I was surprised to see them because I had met the couple who set this up a few weeks/months back up at the Uncorked Wine bar. At any rate Curt (Kirk) I hope I caught that right, but I remember you lived down in the Tacoma/Spanaway area and I told I was going to be there next month at the Black Star Pub and Grill. I will be there but I will be there onthe 14th (Sunday night) and NOT the 18th like I might have said. I’m getting older for sure and I can get a little mixed up now and then when I’m talking dates on the calender, and names. I hope you see this in time and don’t go the wrong night (if you still plan on going) because I would feel awful. And please tell your lovely bride that I will defintiely try to have a version of Big Yellow Taxi ready for her. Thank you so much again for bringing all those people with you to Red’s last Saturday night. The new owners were extremely impressed and happy about it, as was I.

Our Angel is Home!!

Posted Mar 3rd, 2013

I am happy to say that my wife and son and daughter all made it home safely from China albeit a day late because of sickness. My daughter ended up catching the influenza virus as they were leaving China for Tokyo. They had to spend an extra day in Tokyo to visit a doctor. Made for a long trip but better to play it safe then to take chances, especially with a toddler. My daughter is adjusting at a rapid pace and will soon be running the place as most little ones do for a while at least. She went from not really wanting to give me eye contact to crying out my name “babba” when I come home from work and running up to get picked up and kissed. She is so sweet and loving. I thank God that her birth mother made the difficult, but right choice. This just once again proves why I am so set against abortion. My daughter will have the chance to be smothered in love and to have opportunities she might not have ever had. I can’t begin to tell you how much joy she has brought into our home. Hard work of course, any new child is, but so much laughter as she explores her strange new world. She is starting to speak and understand English a little more each day. She certainly knows how to communicate her needs. It is funny to hear her raise her voice in Chinese.  She is a spunky little girl with an attitude that will help her throughout life. She has some issues with her feet, which we will be working with Seattle Children’s Hospital later this month to plan a treatment (bi-lateral club feet) which should be correctable. When I am at work I truly think of my children many, many times throughout the day. As your kids get older and more independant, of course, the novelty wears off a bit for both parent and kids I think. “dad’s gott’a work late tonight? no big deal we’ll catch him later”.  I think it is just human nature and probably healthy at the same time. There is a reason birds eventually kick their young’ins out of the nest so they will learn to fly on their own. But I can honestly say that when I go to work I really miss my littler ones and I look forward to getting that welcome home hug from them. Makes my day!

Gott’a mention that my first Friday night at Goldbergs was fantastic!  There was a great turnout and many positive comments, from the patrons and the manager as well. Really a cool place to play. Saturday night at the 909 was another fun night and actually some of my dear friends from Goldbergs showed up at the 909 too! I saw some folks I had not seen for a while and all in all it was an amazing weekend. Well I have to run. Take care and God Bless!

Adding Another Blessing

Posted Jan 6th, 2013

Well at the ripe old age of 55, (my wife is younger than that) we have been blessed with the opportunity to add another child to our family. My wife and my 16 year old son will be flying to China at the end of the week to complete our adoption process of our little girl. She is a beautiful little 2 year old girl that God has blessed us with. I will stay at home with my other two daughters (7 and 11) and hold the fort. My oldest daughter has her own apartment in Seattle while she attends the University of Washington. Hopefully she can stop in and check on Dear Old Dad for the 2 weeks it will take to return home from China. It really is amazing when you think of it. How a child and parents can find each other from opposite sides of the world and come together as a family. We have already fallen in love with her of course and are excited to get her home!! This will be an adjustment for her, especially seeing how I bear little resemblance to a Chinese male. I am betting that she may take an attachment early on to her 11 year old sister who happens to hail from Korea. I pray that God will make this go as smoothly as posssible. We have been through the international adoption process twice before and it never ceases to amaze me how resilient the kids are and just how fast that parental/child bond takes place. It is such a natural thing. Even though many people have heaped “praise” on us for what we have done it is a no-brainer!  We are the ones who really benefit.  There is no better feeling to know that a small child depends on you and loves you and thinks you are just the greatest thing in the whole wide world. It really is a privilege to be the one who can say “Yep! that’s my little angel” and to take care of their needs, to be the one who holds them when they are sick or hurting. To be the one clapping and cheering for them at their first school play or music concert. As my children grow older one of the things I miss the most is when they were small and would cuddle up in a big chair with me or fall asleep on my chest as I lay on the couch and we watch a Disney movie tgether. I will get another chance at that soon and I can’t wait. Especially when my wife has something for me to do and I just kind’a point to the sleeping child on my chest and whisper that I can’t  because I don’t want to wake up the “little monkey”. I don’t have the same energy as I did when I was a younger father but it all seems to work out because the older siblings do and they kind’a pick up some of the slack as far as occupying the imagination and spirit of a young toddler. My daughter will have some physical challenges with her legs but we are confident with the great pediatricians/surgeons we have here in the Seattle area (Children’s Hospital)  that she will be in good hands and will be able to lead a pretty normal life. She may not be a track star but who is to say. When determination and the love of a family supporting you come together, amazing things can be accomplished. Please pray for my family’s safe journey and that all goes well. I won’t be playing too many gigs this month of January as I will be playing Mr. Mom. I am looking forward to that as well. It will be nice to have the evenings open for a couple of weekends with my kids. God Bless and I hope that you all have a great New Year!