Saturday, August 30, 2008

Moving Day for the Wolfgang Boys

Busy day in the Wolfgang house. Petey's off to Siena, Mark back to Baltimore, and I got the keys to my new apartment. The place is awesome. Bright with a couple skylights, hardwood floors in the room and a decent size living area. I have almost everything in and are just waiting to move my dresser and desk chair. Steve still has a lot of stuff to move in. The pictures below are a shot of the kitchen area, the living area, and both of the rooms. Hopefully the next couple days we will have more stuff unloaded and get our couch and tv and bedrooms set up. Definitely excited to be in the new place. Dinner tonight in Cambridge at Border Cafe with some of the guys and then back to unpacking.

Happy Belated Anniversary Gram and Pa!! 59 years!

Happy Belated Birthdays to Aunt Pat, Deanie and Aunt Gin! Hope you all had great days!

PS I won the Megamillions last night
PPS By won I mean I had one number and the megaball and won $3.





Sunday, August 24, 2008

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Steady As We Go

"I'll walk halfway around the world
just to sit down by your side
I would do most anything, girl
to be the apple of your eye
Troubles they may come and go
but good times they're the gold
So if the road gets rocky, girl
Just steady as we go

Any place you wanna go
you know I'll be next to you
If it's treasure, baby, you're looking for
I'll search the whole world through
Troubles they may come and go
but good times they're the gold
So if the road gets rocky, girl
Just steady as we go

When the storm comes you shelter me
When I don't say a word and you know exactly what I mean
In the darkest times you shine on me
You set me free
Keep me steady as we go

So if your heart wrings dry, my love
I will fill your cup
and if your load gets heavy, girl
I will lift you up
Troubles they may come and go
but good times be the gold
So if the road gets rocky, girl
Just steady as we go

shine on me, baby"

The deed is done. Another one bites the dust. Caitlin and Pat are officially Caitlin and Pat. I'm sure I will have a bunch of pictures to post once we are home, but it was a really nice ceremony. The day was perfect, nothing but sun and the reception was really nice as well. From the terrace you could see the outline of the NY skyline as the sun set. I think everyone enjoyed themselves.

Congrats guys!!

-S

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

SAD NEWS: Leroi Moore Passes Away


It is with great sadness that I pass on the news the Leroi Moore has died of complications from an ATV accident two months ago. Leroi was the saxophonist and a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band. His contribution was great and he will be missed.

From DaveMatthewsBand.com:
"We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program."

Come Hell or...

High Water. And it was exactly that. Nearly 4ft of water almost kept my family from going to the Outer Banks, NC this year, but like most other obstacles we made it through. With some help from some family and some bleach and elbow grease, we managed to clean up from Rose Ct's Hurricane Katrina and a bent L bracket in the van to make it on the road by noon time on Saturday.

A week with only one real washout on Wednesday was another success. There was lots of sun, lots of beach, some pool, some mooning, and lots of book reading. I cranked through Five Skies (good after get past the first part), Choke (not for the faint of heart), The Crucible (there was a reason I didn't read it in High School), and Twilight (a little girly, but still a good read. Now it's on to the other 4 and a movie in November)

My drink the Sparkling Funny Cider made it into the top 6 drinks in a Travers' Week drink competition run by Steve Barnes of the Timesunion. Although I didn't come in first place, the drink is still delicious and we enjoyed several on vacation.

I got the job at Berklee's Cafe 939 and it started today with a lot of meeting different people and a horrible ID card. The lighting makes me look like a balding 35 year old so I may have that retaken. The people are awesome and I can't wait to get my hands dirty with some of the real work. Look here for tons of new music as once again my life will be filled with it. I'm ecstatic...aren't you.

The big move to the new apartment comes in just under two weeks. I'm starting to pack up my room, but I just don't have the energy. I hate packing. Also, many of you have volunteered to donate things for the new place and I am definitely grateful and interested. Not really sure what we need because Steve has some stuff as well, but stay tuned for a complete list of needs in the next couple weeks.

Also Grandpa Wolfgang had some surgery today to clean out some artery. He's resting and doing well. Thinking about you all day Gramps. Hope you feel better soon.

Deli Plus is SOLD. It's a bittersweet day. After preparing myself for what seems like forever for the inevitable end, it's still hard to think something that has been such a major part of our lives is no longer ours. It's a little less stress but as Abigail said "Where are we supposed to get our Philly Steaks?" or our potato logs. I guess we'll just have to re-do the kitchen so Dad can make them all at home.

Busy week for the Wolfgangs and now it's Gould(Hayes) time. Caitlin gets married on Friday. It's weird enough for aunts and uncles to get married, and then friends from High School, but Caitlin, really? I get to do a reading at mass and I'm sure knowing the crowd it will be a great reception.

Stay tuned for all the details.
-S

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

It's Unofficial...It's Official

As official as Favre's trade to the JETS, I am now an adult. I have received word that the next day or two the HR dept at Berklee will be calling me discuss the offer of my dream job. I'm ecstatic. I'm like a 5 year old. I wanna jump up and down on my bed(bed which I will be throwing out and buying a new one!!). When I get the official word look for more details, but as of now I am working my last day at California Pizza Kitchen tomorrow then headin to North Carolina for at least a couple days before entering the Real World.

I wouldn't be where I am without you. Thanks.

-S

No News.

Second interview went very well. Now it's back to the waiting game.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Early News

Well the big interview is today at 3pm. I'm trying not to think about it too much. I have work between now and then so that will help me relax. Hopefully. Here's some news to hold you over for a few hours.

Morgan Freeman is recovering after an accident and is in good spirits.

Weezer hints at their tour stops in this YouTube video. Bostonians, the video opens with Rivers' alma mater Harvard, let's hope that means an upcoming date.

Keane is offering free music. Sign Up here.

Yankees, Rays and Sox all lost in MLB news. No change in the standings. Joba left with shoulder tightness. Hopefully he's not out for because our pitching is really hurting.

Off to get the day started. Look for an update tonight.

-S

Monday, August 4, 2008

I'm wide awake and so alive...

"i guess that's what great art does though...
it puts things into perspective, and at the same time, it kicks out the walls.
it blows your mind...humbles you, and at the same time it lights you up
and makes you feel completely unstoppable." - Matt Nathanson

So the past few hours since my Bruce review something crazy happened. I turned off the TV turned up the tunes and just started focusing on music. New music old music, but actually focusing on it. I have so much that its hard to not listen to one thing over and over. I totally forgot about Matt Nathanson for a while. He's awesome.

But the real reason I'm back so to say is because that I really feel like I'm on the brink of a new chapter in my life. This summer has been fun but I've been caught up in 40 hour weeks at CPK working my tail off to pay bills and debts and not really having fun. Not to say I haven't had any fun, the road trips and baseball games and concerts have been fun, but I come back and think I have to work nonstop to make up for it or to prepare for the next trip.

Tomorrow I have a second interview for MY job at Berklee. The job is my job. As I sit and prepare for the interview tomorrow I realize that this is what I want to be doing. It's what I need to be doing. After the first interview I woke up. I started scanning MySpace and Billboard and Rolling Stone and really getting back into the groove. It took a little effort but it's like riding a bike. My heart is happy. Music makes my mind soar and makes me want to write. I don't know if any of my songs/poems/blogs will ever get me any where but I know of at least one or two people who feel what I feel. I may not be able to write the melodies or the beats but I definitely have the words and the feelings.

So today I pledge to start writing more and I may not share it all here, but I may. And with this job. I really want it. I want to get up every morning like in NY and be excited to go to work. To meet new people and hear new music and see live music everyday. I want to have time and money to go see shows big and small. I want to feel like I did at the end of Ben Folds. To feel like I made a difference and that 1000 people or 200 people were able to enjoy music for a couple hours and discover something they didn't know before. Something about music or even maybe something about themselves.

I don't know where I was. I don't even think I knew I was gone. But I'm happy to report that I'm back.

-S

Who'll stop the rain?


Did I have fun? Absolutely. Was it everything I had hoped for? Not so sure. I'm not one to complain and I guess I've been a little spoiled in the past. I had awesome seats for the Bruce Springsteen stop at Gillette Stadium this past Saturday, and I sang my heart out along the way, but sadly I can only give the show an 8.

An 8 because the band was in fine form. Nils' guitar solos, Max's pounding drums and the Big Man's sax on Jungleland made it way worth the price of admission. And let's not forget about the Boss himself. Running back and forth, hanging from his mic stand and even doing the knee slide during Mary's Place.

An 8 because he played some great songs 10th Ave Freezeout, SPIRIT in the Night (one of my all time favs), and Rosalita. Jungleland, I'm Going Down, and Who'll Stop The Rain (dedicated to Bill Belichick). But where was Backstreets or Because The Night, and most of all after the rain delay and thunder storms, WHERE WAS THUNDER ROAD? The punch to the gut was not that it wasn't played, because he can't play every song every night, BUT IT WAS ON THE SETLIST and he opted not to play it for something else.

One of the best parts of the show was the sign collecting. This tour Bruce has started taking requests from the crowd based on their created signs. This show signs included Little Latin Lupe Lu (Played with the band for the first time since '77) Does This Bus Stop...? and I'm Going Down. Awesome part of the show that keeps even the most obsessed setlist watchers, guessing at what Bruce will play next.

Overall it was a great show and I'm sure I'll continue to listen to it on my iPod for a while, and maybe it's because I follow and download EVERY show of the tour that I know what he has been playing and know what I could have seen/heard. But that's what makes me a fan and what makes it so much fun. Now I have more reason to go back and see him and hear more songs that didn't come out at Gillette.

I understand the thunderstorms put a damper on the show and I understand this was the last show before a two week break. You played your hearts out and I had a great time, but next time you know I'll be in the pit with my Thunder Road sign. I guess I'm being selfish. The show was definitely a 10.