Well… I blogged about the party last night and then for some reason it didn’t post from the cell phone. Quite annoying that after all that thumb-typing only resulted in tired thumbs.

Anyway… the party was great. I took some photos and will go into more details when I get back home and can add some photos. Just about everyone was in costume…I was looking like the Monopoly Man with my crazy mustache but I ended up taking it off after a while. Pretty tough to eat with a monster stache hanging over my top lip. I felt so 1920’s.

Well…it’s getting late here. I should try to sleep…Happy Halloween!

I know I missed a coulple of meaty blog days… I was up in northern Michigan at my mother’s and as it turns out…Sprint Service doesn’t seem to work up there in the sticks. I had a fun visit but most of the time I kept glancing at my palm pilot/cell just hoping it would *suddenly* work. That never happened… I couldn’t get email or get online and it felt like I was walking around without arms.

Speaking of missing body parts….Mom lives in a part of Michigan that looks that they shot the movie *Friday the 13th* at… and me without my hockey mask

I took little phone video clips but I’m not able to post until I get back to Hollyweird…will be sure to post those soon.

Dead deer in the middle of dark roads…. wild animals… dirt roads…it’s pretty spooky stuff to a city slicker. I’m just amazed at the amount of land the dollar gets there specially compared to the overly-priced shoe box I live in. I’ll tell more about that visit when I post the pictures and am able to type on my laptop rather than this *Treo Thumb Typing*.

Speaking of Treo Typing… I need to stop and get some sleep. Not sure how much I’ll be updating the blog while here but I’ll try if I get some spare time.

I’m staying with my friends Jeff and Mary along with their two little girls Emily and Grace who are so cute…. it’s trippy how fast the gals are growing. Eventually they will all be older than I am but for now the oldest is in 3rd grade …they seem to like this time of year with Halloween and all.

I’m not sure if i’m going to be able to make the cider mill this trip but I’ve still got some time left.

ok…I better post this before I start getting more emails asking me if i’m alive.

Last nights flight was painless…NOTHING like the Light Saber Beating my father gave me at breakfast (This one’s gonna leave scars). The worst part is, if he would ask me to join the *dark side* I probably wouldn’t think twice about it. Meanwhile I live life as *A New Hope* knowing one day I’ll probably have sneak off to the *Deiga Ba System*(spell check).
I know…I speak in riddles but my father really *is* Darth Vader.

On the bright side, Vader looks good. I don’t wish him any harm though he does make me angry. I’ll skip the Star Wars details for now…but my trip seems to have started right with *The Empire Strikes Back*.

It’s very weird to be back in Deeeetroit. The 94 freeway seems to have construction going on ….it started when I was 2 years old and it’s still going on.

The trip can only get better but I will be avoiding all E-Woks…I never liked those little bastards
More to come.

…I’m gonna take my flight.

I really don’t mind flying. It’s that whole CRASHING AND BURNING thing that gives me the creeps. I’m flying out on Spirit Air and as long as I don’t become a SPIRIT I’ll be a very happy customer [End of silly pre-flight talk]

I slept in pretty late today so I should be just fine on the time change. I imagine I’ll probably start to feel sleepy around 6pm (EST) but I’ll fight for staying awake until at least 9pm. That should get me turned around just fine.

1. Boarding Pass: Check
2. Seat Assigned: Check
3. Clothes Packed: Check
4. Rental Car Reservation: Check

That’s pretty much all I need …I think. Ah…must remember to take cell phone and iPod chargers.

I sure wish I was going back home with a signed recording contract under my belt but for now the only news I get to talk about is that everything has been in a holding pattern. Why? Who knows. I do know that the last 6 months or so of my life have been somewhat torturous. I do believe everyone involved has good intentions but I’m starting to get the feeling that before something is actually signed, I might be collecting Social Security.

I still have a *some* hope that things will work themselves out…I don’t see the point in the company actually handing me a contract only to have nothing come of it, but this waiting and wondering sucks ASS. Meanwhile, I’d been sort of hoping to get this signed and then move forward. The reality of what’s happening though is… I’m not doing ANYTHING while waiting[other than writing material, and I now have enough for 2 new CDs]. When I get back…all that’s going to change. I plan on just doing what I was doing before…Playing shows…Recording. If the deal happens in the middle of all that…then great.

The whole thing is rather confusing and I really don’t have any answers. There isn’t a day that goes by where someone doesn’t email or ask what’s going on. All I know is….I was handed a deal …I then handed it to my lawyer to look over. He emailed trying to see about getting a few things addressed in the contract [like digital downloads and tour support.] And the rest has been a waiting game …After all this…I was told that things are still going to be moving forward but I’ve yet to see any motion.

I suppose good things are worth waiting….but a person could starve to death and go crazy waiting. My mistake that I’ve made is to stop everything until something is signed…I’ve decided to just move forward regardless of anything, when I get back. I’ll be sure to give any sort of update regarding the contract if and when it happens…Meanwhile, I’m open for other offers

If this thing DOES fall through, I’m going to be extremely bitter(with good reason). Having already had one record contract in my life from Interscope get lost in the shuffle, I suppose I need to look at the bright side of things. Most people don’t get any contracts offered to them…and here I’ve been lucky enough to have two. I’m not sure if that says something about me or just the music business….or both. Sometimes I wonder if having a small taste of it is worse than nothing at all.

Anyway…I didn’t intend this entry to go into any of this stuff but I was told that on the outside it appears that I have some sort of happy and exciting life. Well, It certainly isn’t dull but it’s not always fun.

And so….this trip back home should do me some good. Sometimes it’s nice to look at things from a different perspective.

My next blog will hopefully be from the Great Lake State. More to come

I’m taking a Red Eye back to Detroit tomorrow night. I think the plane leaves at about 10pm and lands at 6am. I’ve been trying to sleep in later and later and stay up later and later so when i get to Michigan I can just stay awake all day and get on that time zone. The 1st day is usually the roughest but when I land I usually have a bunch of stuff I want to do as well as see as many folks as I can

I’m renting a car so I don’t have to torture anyone with having to pick me up at 6am and also so I don’t have to worry about being driven around (not that that’s ever been a problem). This should be a fun trip…It’s been a while since I’ve been back…at least it seems that way.

Well… I suppose I should worry about what to pack. I’m not taking my laptop this time…since I’m able to check email from my phone now…that’s pretty much all I’ll be needing. That and my Long Johns

I’m looking forward to tonight’s hockey game at 8pm. This season hasn’t started out to be that great for me…I know we’ve only had just 2 games[ I think we won 1 and tied the 2nd] but personally I feel like I’ve been playing crappy. Perhaps it has something to do with changing positions from Left Wing to Right or maybe it’s just that my head’s not been 100% in the game. In any case, I hope to break the mode tonight and I’m really looking forward to getting on the ice….perhaps more than usual. 

I talked to my mom today for a little bit. She confirmed that my aunt and cousin will be flying here over Thanksgiving weekend so that should be fun. I’m not sure what we’ll do while they’re in town but I’m sure we’ll think of something.

It’s hard to plan Thanksgiving when Halloween is so front and center. I mentioned that my friend Jeff is having a party and I haven’t even thought about a costume yet. I wonder what the big outfit will be this year. Last year with the election happening just 2 days after, most folks were strutting their best "Dubya" outfits…this year I can’t even think of a big movie or event that will end up being the *costume of the year*. I have a feeling we’ll seeing quite a few people dressed as "Harriet Miers" or perhaps "Saddam in his underwear". Maybe I could dress as a chicken holding jugs of NyQuil® and just go as the Bird Flu. Naw…that would be no fun.

My guess is that I’ll just hit the gag and gift store when I get to Michigan and see what sort of fun stuff they have. I love those stores

Well…it’s time for me to start getting mentally prepared for the game tonight. Maybe this week I won’t be put in the penalty box for ROUGHING

I’ve added a little mood icons to the blog now…silly little expressions… but they make me smile. I’ll try to do my best to match the face with the mood

Today’s been just fine…though nothing to write home about.

I take a Red Eye flight on Tuesday back to Michigan. I’ll be there a week. Things I hope to do while back home:

1. See my friends and enjoy Jeff’s Halloween party.
2. Pick up my sister and take a trip up north to my mother’s.
3. I’m supposed to see my father [should be interesting].
4. Perhaps pick up a greasy cinnamon doughnuts at an Apple Cider Mill.

I’m sure I’m forgetting some things[like avoid being set fire to on Devil's Night]…  Well…I need to run out and grab some tea….I know…exciting huh?!

*Devil’s Night …usually the night before Halloween…people set fires, egg houses….soap windows…toilet paper trees…Etc… I have no idea why this started but I just know it’s a Michigan thing. I’m not sure if it still happens these days but I remember as a kid…people would sit up all night and protect their homes….crazy huh?

1. Toilet Paper………………………………….check
2. Bud Light……………………………………..check
3. Keystone Ice…………………………………check
4. Budweiser…………………………………….check
5. Red Dog……………………………………….check
6. Misc. other bottles of alcohol………………check
7. Piece of plywood & Styrofoam to float your chick and booze on……………………………………………..check

It’s good to know that this fellow has the important things. My raft would have probably been filled with Mountain Dew

Happy Friday

No Spoilers below…just a general impression.

I watched Batman Begins on DVD last night… I’d already seen it in the movie theater and still enjoyed it the 2nd time around. For those of you thinking "oh god, not another Super Hero movie"…it is and it isn’t.

What I liked best about it other than the cast and general feel of the movie was that they took in a great direction and made everything REAL. By REAL, I mean…everything in the movie was explained to where there actually could be a Batman in real life like this.

Most comic movies seem to create powered people by mutation[Batman's just a normal angry guy]…Taking Batman back to square one was a great idea! Well, I don’t want to give away any spoilers for anyone who hasn’t seen this but…I HIGHLY recommend it!

I’ve heard that movie studios are thinking about releasing movies to DVD at the same time they are in the theater. Wonder how that would affect things.

There are things I like about seeing a movie in a theater…like feeling the energy and reaction of the people watching….but for the most part as long as there’s a big screen TV with surround sound and pause button, i like to watch on the couch. Perhaps I’ve had too many experiences having to sit next to people in theaters who are just rude? I guess it all depends on the movie too.

I know these photos aren’t really showing much of a "trip"…but I just wanted to give an idea of what the drive to Vegas was like. These 1st 2 photos were taken about 3pm(give or take an hour). Nothing like a little rain to slow things down.

It took about 7 hours to get there and just 3 and half to get back. Of course with scenes like the picture below showing how people in CA have no idea how to drive in the rain, it didn’t speed things up any.

You’ll have to excuse the photo quality..these were just snapped with the cell phone. And finally after escaping Flash Floods …this was the view coming up on the strip.

It was still nice to get away regardless of the weather. Most of the time I’m in Vegas I don’t really see the outside of the casino… so as long as it was dry inside, things were fine.

I wish I would have had a little more time to spend with my mom but I’ll be seeing her next week when I fly back to Michigan. That should be a fun trip…I’m trying to remember when it was I went back for a visit and I think it was about a year and half ago- I could be wrong. It just seems like a long time.

Anyway…I’m back home now and getting caught up.