Another work week behind me and Saturday was spent doing more spring cleaning. I did watch a good doc after The Falcon and the Winter Solider called CAN WE TAKE A JOKE?

In the age of social media, nearly every day brings a new eruption of outrage. While people have always found something to be offended by, their ability to organize a groundswell of opposition to – and public censure of – their offender has never been more powerful. Today we’re all one clumsy joke away from public ruin. Can We Take A Joke? offers a thought-provoking and wry exploration of outrage culture through the lens of stand-up comedy, with notables like Gilbert Gottfried, Penn Jillette, Lisa Lampanelli, and Adam Carolla detailing its stifling impact on comedy and the exchange of ideas. What will the future will be like if we can’t learn how to take a joke?

Got up early Sunday and got myself ready for an abbreviated podcast. Jason Elkins came by at 9AM and we took my laundry Uptown and when it was done had a great lunch at Lucy’s Uptown. I hadn’t been there since they opened in Feb 2020 and then COVID hit. The sandwiches are too die for Jason ordered:

SIGNATURE SPICY FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH $8.95
LUCY’S FAMOUS CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH. SERVED WITH COLESLAW, PICKLES AND AMERICAN CHEESE. PROTIP: ADD LUCY’S SUPER HOT HOT SAUCE FOR HEAT LOVERS

I had the:

BUFFALO BLUE SPICY FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH $9.95
LUCY’S FAMOUS CRISPY SPICY FRIED CHICKEN TOSSED IN OUR HOUSE BUFFALO SAUCE WITH LETTUCE, TOMATO AND BLUE CHEESE ON BRIOCHE.

We also had fries and FRIED DILL PICKLE SPEARS FRIED TO A GOLDEN CRISP. SERVED WITH LUCY’S SECRET SAUCE. Jason ordered a boozy milkshake with Fireball in it. My next trip I’ll try the vanila milkshake w/ Jamo and Rumchata in it.

We did an abbreviated State of the Podcast show in order to update everyone on what’s going on and what’s about to take place as far as this show being more regular and consistent. In 45 min we summed up the past year and the process of how where and why. Also a new song from LOCKJAW and KISS trivia.

The weather was as pleasant Monday as it was on Easter Sunday. It made for an upbeat and very productive workday. I had my doors and windows open. The cats were basking in the sun lounging on the camping chairs as I sat just inside working away.

As soon as 5 PM rolled around I closed shop for the day and took another nice walk running errands and came home and worked on summerizing the deck some more.

It was a carbon copy day Tuesday and my workday was the same. After I took my bike out for the first ride of the new year. I rode along a very crowded lakefront up to the northern most part of the trail at Hollywood. From there side streets to Foster where I’d go to Mariano’s for what was going to be for just a few items. At the intersection of Foster and Sheridan a Canadian Goose was right in the center of the cross streets. It affected traffic and I almost led it out of traffic only to have it go back in. The last two days I’d hear the geese flying over my home en route to Montrose Harbor and it was a welcome sound.

Inside I walked by the meat counter and saw some delicious looking thick strip steaks and that’s when I decided what to have for dinner. My stomach wasn’t as big as my eyes. I chose a 1 lb 3 oz beauty and grilled it Pittsburgh Style. My first grilling of 2021 with Danzig playing loudly from inside.

A Pittsburgh rare steak is one that has been heated to a very high temperature very quickly, so it is charred on the outside but still rare or raw on the inside. The degree of rareness and the amount of charring on the outside may vary according to taste. The term “Pittsburgh rare” is used in some parts of the American Midwest and Eastern Seaboard, but similar methods of sear cooking are known by different terms elsewhere, including Chicago-style rare and, in Pittsburgh itself, black and blue.

Wednesday was seafood tacos on the grill with the Doors LA WOMAN album playing from the inside.

Wednesday after work the storms hadn’t come by evening rush as predicted and promised (go figure) so I took my bike over to Ron at Nearly New Bikes for the annual tune up. Lucky for me I did. I’d noticed some play from the rear wheel from back in last season. They found the problem and the tube was about to rupture. Had I taken it to WI for the long bike trail next month I would have never made it. I got everything fixed for $45. Ron’s been working on my bikes for as long as I’ve lived in Buena Park. He always does an excellent job and is fast and affordable. I still intend to buy another bike in the coming weeks. Always nice to have one for out of town guests.

My book collection continues to grow and I was not so pleased that most of my books are stored vertically and some of the overflow was stacked horizontally on top of the vertically displayed books. I finally said “F it” and ordered a new shelf from Walmart. Well when it arrived it was missing the hardware needed to assemble it. I notified Wal Mart and apparently there are no replacements available Instead of having me return it for a refund they issued me a full refund and told me to keep the shelving. In the the meantime I had contacted the manufacturer and the sent me the hardware thus my new bookshelf was free. So this shelf is home to my Hunter S Thompson, Charles Bukowski and Leonard Cohen books along with some friend who have added to my collection such as Nick Huffman and Anny Donewald as well as some others.

Easter morning I was up too early thanks to Anny the Watercat screaming at me for her wet food as she does every morning when the sun rises. I had my coffee, showered and went to Walgreens for ice. Came home and took a bunch of big Amazon boxes down to the dumpster and went out for a walk to Target for bike chain oil. Surprised it was closed. As was everything in Uptown pretty much till I got to Argyle. So I kept walking up to Andersonville for some Mindy’s edibles so I can get some sleep for work this week.

Then I found the Ace Hardware was open. Not the one in Uptown but the one in Andersonville. There I found the 3 in 1 oil. THANK GAWD.

From there I kept walking up Clark till I got to Edgewater Produce for some tamales and over to Jewel. Andersonville was hopping. Anything that hasn’t been closed permanently due to COVID was packed. Lines down the sidewalks for restaurants. For whatever reason I decided to take the 22 bus home. Mistake, I should have walked. As I walked out of Jewel a bus passed me. I missed it by 2 minutes. I waited 35 minutes for the next one and it was packed. Yeah, a Sunday/Holiday but also a Cubs home game. The CTA should take this into consideration. The bus was jammed packed and if you know me I’m very claustrophobic. It as very uncomfortable and I was very happy to get to the Irving Park stop to walk home. It was still very nice out so I hung on the porch w/ my cats after I oiled my bike chain.

I did see two good movies over the holiday weekend that I’ve been waiting to see forever. Booth were incredible films with stellar casts and soundtracks. The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle.

I managed to get a lot of sleep off and on all weekend and I needed it much. My horrible cold is gone and I have my voice back. Vitamins and rest the magical cure for almost anything seasonal.

My brother Blue is still finding old pix of us from our grandparents home. They make me happy. Also I’m sad for my fathers widow Pamela. She’s still grieving and this week will be one year since my father passed away.

It’s also over a year now I’ve spent most of the time alone in this damned apartment which I love but I really just want to get my vaccine and try to get on with some sort of normal life whatever that is.

I miss my friends gathering and my co workers and bosses. I haven’t even met two new recruiters in person yet. I miss my desk at work as well.

Last week Jason came by to work on some podcast stuff for YouTube and I took him to lunch at Pho Viet and then we met up with Max Bravo at Bulldog Ale House which I suspect is the only place he goes. I anticipate the reopening of the Dock on Montrose May 1. And camping on Memorial Day Weekend.

Finally was able to attend the Punk Rock and Paintbrushes event which kept being delayed from last year with Eden Lake. We had VIP. I should have known that she was friends with Carley Harvey of the Botcher Babies. I was able to chat with Anthrax drummer Charlie Bennate who is a very nice fellow and super talented.

On the way home from the Zhou B Art gallery Eden’s Escalade broke down outside of Wrigley Field. and we had to wait for a long time for her boyfriend Gary who is a mechanic to come and fix the problem. It was a broken belt. We got to my place and sat around playing KISS trivia for a few hours and sipping Jameson.

I purchased a print for my brothers birthday which is April 3rd.

click the link below for a blast from the past via the mk ultraviXXXens

http://www.mk-magazine.com/vixxens/vixxxens.htm

It’d been a decade since I rode in a band van and this time it was with First Jason and we picked up drummer Fabian Arroyo on the way to check into our hotel in Bradley IL for a show at The Looney Bin. Arie the singer who also played the child Jason in Friday the 13th plowed me with Arak, distilled from anise, is Israel’s national liquor. (he’s Jewish) and that stuff is STRONG. We had a total of five rooms booked at the Comfort Inn.

 “I went looking for trouble and boy, I found her.“

I invited Heather ware aka Heather Sexual to come to the show and stay with me for a week. She’s had a really rough couple of years and it has been wear and tear on her mental health. It was a week cut short and I took her to AmTrak Thursday afternoon. I had no idea how distracting it would be to my work. My nerves were SHOT and my blood pressure and stress was more than I could handle. I love her to pieces but I am not capable or qualified to take care of such things.

We did do a good podcast with Emily and with Michael X Christian talking about the who Marilyn Manson drama. Heather and MM had a thing back when I met her in the mid 90’s.

Sunday February 28th I had a really fun show lined up with Damon and Nichole of the Nichole Bodie Band. The Nichole Bodie Band is a seasoned, Chicago based two-piece acoustic set playing all the music you love; hits from the 50’s through the 90’s, classic rock, blues, as well as their own works. Nichole Bodie sings lead vocals with her soulful, sultry tones. Damon Christopher has mastered the guitar with over 30 years of experience playing all over the United States. They play off of each other harmonizing and bringing you back to fun times we all remember.

They are a fun couple that do a lot of things together such as ride motorcycles, shoot guns, hunt ands also raise chickens. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect with the current political climate nd the huge wave of hyper sensitivity and cancel culture. He’s a conservative white male and she’s a conservative mixed race female and as much as I hate the way things are going in our society it’s good ammo for the podcast.

It was a fun filled hour plus and they brought two songs one of which was a debut. I’m hoping to see a lot more of them as things open back up and have them here for some rock n roll BBQing.

After the show my beautiful little Asian metal head Ashley came by along with Jason Elkins we went to eat at El Palmar and hung out playing music loudly and having fun till about 9 PM.