Big debut for Reed in front of the big band tonight and it went well. He sang well and was really enjoying himself. Had some big problems all day though as I accidently left the camera in the car and somebody picked last night to rob me. Went and got another video camera but I can't seem to make the USB connection work. Anyway keep checking back as there is video in the camera I just have to figure out how to get it out. This was the second song he sung as the first one I did a bad job of recording it. Crescendo Amelia Big Band Fly Me to the Moon. Save the Last Dance for Me

Let's see not a whole lot happening since my last post. Reed had another practice with Crescendo Amelia, this time including the female singer and they did some duets. It went well but, last I checked, Reed was not going to be able to make the big practice today because of work. Had dinner Christmas Eve with Reed and the Denustas. He and Jade gave me a neck massager. Great dinner but any dinner is great if it contains finedene sauce. The next day was the Denusta extended family Christmas party and all went well. Did get an idea for a little project which I may post about later.

Yesterday was interesting. First, since I've gained a couple pounds, I wanted to put in some more time on the golf course so I did 27 holes at Brentwood and was really beat heading into the afternoon. Reed was having his first practice also with the Crescendo Amelia Big Band at 7pm and I was taking him over to Amelia Island for that. When I got to his house he told me he had just gotten a call from this reality TV show called HUNTED that he had applied to through Manikin Modeling. They wanted to know if he would watch an episode of the show and if he was really interested to get back to them within 24 hours. He watched the show on the way up to Amelia Island, thought the show was "awesome", and emailed back his interest. Practice went well as he sang for an hour and a half mostly songs he already knew well. There were only 2 musicians there, Frank Basile, the drummer and leader of the group, and the keyboardist whose name I forgot. They seemed to like him well enough and offered him the New Years eve gig. We set up some more practice times and went home. Here's a blip I found about the show that was published in September.

So last night Reed and Jade and I headed over to Sandy Bottoms Beach Bar and Grill on Amilia Island to see the Crescendo Amelia Big Band and to talk to Frank about Reed singing with them on New years Eve. Everything went well and Frank seemed like a real nice guy as well as being a good drummer and the front man for the group. I did manage to find a promotion video for them on YouTube. Today was another Road Trip day as I decided to try out the Waldo, FL Flea Market. Where's Waldo? and more importantly Why Waldo? you ask. Well, I was inspired by an entry in Atlas Obscura. The same website that gave us the Treaty Oak. This collection of vendors and antiques is a treasure trove among the countless roadside gems lining the stretch of U.S. Route 301 from Gainesville to Jacksonville. Featuring everything from authentic vintage signs to fishing tackle, musical instruments to fresh produce, and, if you're lucky, the opportunity to pose for a photo with a "wolf hybrid" (for the small fee of one dollar), a day spent at the outdoor market (and you will need a whole day) is a ticket to another world, simpler times when life happened at a slower pace. Wait in line for ice cream churned by a John Deere tractor engine (worth it), sit down and enjoy a corn dog and sweet tea or try to choose from the endless flavors of boiled peanuts offered by a handful of vendors. The Waldo Flea market was born in 1975 after entrepreneur Al "Big Al"/"Cuz"/"Killer"/"Big Daddy" Killian was inspired by a similar concept he and his wife Anne saw while traveling cross country. Nearly 40 years later, the market remains in the family, and sees 900 vendors and 40,000 visitors each weekend. An antique village, open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., boasts huge collections of antiques, home furnishings and more to the antique enthusiast or the enthusiastic passerby.

Now besides Brian Wilson on Saturday I went by Hemming Park and a big band was playing there. They were very good and I asked if they ever need a male vocalist. They said yes and I got in touch with the main guy and told him about Reed and linked him to some of Reed's videos. Anyway he emailed tonight and their main guy can't sing New Years Eve so he asked if Reed could. They have a gig tomorrow night on Amelia Island so we'll go up and see them and get things finalized.

Went to Brian Wilson Concert tonight featuring Al Jardine. Two Beach Boys this time and it was a good show. Neither Brian nor Al could sing like they used to but they had ten good musicians in back of them including Al's son Matt so all old Beach Boys song were solid and great to listen to. Here's a pic from the concert--Brian's behind the piano and Al is to the right.

So Reed has decided he needs some extra money so he's signed up with Manikin Modeling. Here's some pics that Jade took to add to his resume. Don't worry girls, he didn't cut his hair. He just tied it back.

Reed went to Tennessee with the Denustas over Thanksgiving and evidently had a good time. I asked him to give me stuff to put on the blog and it was somewhat minimalistic. Here's the cabin we stayed in. The water was paralyzingly cold.

Treaty Oak Park

So walked down to the Ed Dept on the river walk and then decided to find the Treaty Oak. Went to where I thought it was and yes a big oak tree but no signs or anything. Then I turned around and saw the words Treaty Oak Park across the street and there, hidden by it's own foliage, was the biggest tree I'd ever seen. Located on Prudential Drive, Treaty Oak at Jesse Ball duPont Park is the park that surrounds the Treaty Oak. A magnificent specimen of "Quercus Virginiana", or Live Oak, the Treaty Oak is more than two centuries old and its trunk is over 25 feet in circumference and more than 70 feet tall. This beautiful historic park is situated just five minutes from the St. Johns River. In March, 2011, the City of Jacksonville completed $200,000 in park improvements, including new decking under the tree, new sidewalks, relocating benches and adding landscaping.

The Great Thanksgiving Adventure

So I go over to the Brentwood Golf Course yesterday but they're kinda busy and I love to wait around to play. I did shoot a small bucket of balls on the range and asked the pro if they were open Thanksgiving Day. He said no and was sorry cuz they could probably make good money but they would be open Friday. Laughingly asked him if there was any way to sneak on the course tomorrow and he said no and that he had already tried. Aha!! a challenge. So I drove around looking for ways to sneak on the course as it is pretty completely fenced off. BUT!!..... THE RAILROAD!!! Parked at the shopping center next to the railroad. Walked about half a mile down the track to that overpass between holes 1 and 2. Saw there was an easy access at the 2 side of the overpass. Picked up about 50 balls along the fence on the 6th fairway. Tossed most of them over the fence near the 4th tee. Put the rest in my pocket and headed back the half mile to the car. I was bleeding a bit from trying to take a ball away from a thistle bush but little worse for wear. Today I managed to drive about half way to my access point which meant I only had to walk about a quarter mile. Everything went fine as I played the back 4 twice. First time I was 2 over on every hole. Second time a little better and, of course, I was the only one there. Did manage to retrieve my balls from yesterday and got back home about 11 am none the worst for wear. I had visions of hurting myself and having to call 911 for help embarrassingly but everything went fine. Henceforth this shall be The Great Thanksgiving Adventure.

Cousin Ry has come through Jax on his way to Vero Beach. Gave him a tour today consisting of a trip on the Skyway plus walking our famous River Walk. Here's a couple pics at the Merchant Maring statue. Actually, I kinda look like this guy.

Got home fine. Lots of bills to pay and things to do after 2 weeks gone. Will take a couple days. Asheville lost to the Blue Classics who won our division. Ahhh what could have been.

Played the Ashville Sox today and I was the starting pitcher. Lost 11-5 and in my 7 innings I think I gave up 10 of the runs although fewer than half were earned but such is the fates of old man baseball. Just saw that Ashville went on to win their next game so they've reached the semis. So then over the course of 2 weeks I've pitched a total of 32 innings and had a great time with the Nova Scotia Monarchs. They've invited me back next year and that's a real possibility but we'll have to see what this next year brings. Back to Jacksonville tomorrow.

So manager Gary Foran blew everybody away today. He relieved Joe with bases loaded and 2 runs in in the first inning with no outs. He got a DP and a fly ball then and went on to pitch the rest of the game for an 8-3 win. He just kinda lobbed them in but the Long Island Yankee couldn't hit him and we're ready for the single elimination part of the tournament which starts tomorrow. Here's our team pic:

And Patrick Lujan just put me on his Guam Sports Network page with just a little help from me. Thanks Patrick.

We won again today to take our record to 2-2. I pitched 2 and 2/3 as I went in for this guy. Ended up with 4 runs given up, 2 of them earned, 3 or 4 hits, a walk, no strikeouts. Sounds worse than it was as I was almost the winning pitcher. Score was 12-11. Found out one of the guys we picked up to play for us is from Chicago and in the Roy Hobbs Hall of Fame though I'm not sure what for. He's been playing down here for 26 years. Good ball player as he pitches, catches and plays the infield. Name is Joe Monari. Looks like he might have some American Indian in him but he's all Italian.

OK so today before our game with the Toledo Mud Dogs I had a nice chat with Ex Major League Star Bill Lee. Told him about Guam and Masters baseball at home and in Australia. Took a pic but I still have some competency problems with my phone so it wasn't on there when I went to get it. I'll find a pic of him somewhere. Didn't play in the game and we ended up losing 11-7. Left a bunch of people on base so we're now 1-2. The team we play tomorrow hasn't been doing well so hopefully I'll get to pitch and we'll end up with a .500 record. Found a good recent pic of Bill Lee. Won't say I took it.

Lost to the Livingston NJ Dodgers today 5-3. I pitched 3 innings and sucked. Altogether I gave up 2 runs though only one was earned, 2 hits, 4 walks, 1 strikeout. We had our chances but couldn't push the runs across. Tomorrow will be another day.

FSo this week it's 60+ and still playing with the Nova Scotia Monarchs. The Monarchs have a new bunch down from the cold and there are some good players here. Today we beat the St Louis Dodgers 19-3. Monarchs scored 7 runs in the third and then 8 more in the 7th so you can say we kinda bunch the runs. The game before ours at this, the Minnesota Twins spring training park, was the 70+ South Dakota Rushmores vs a San Diego team. I think the score was 5-3 and the Rushmores looked good. I talked with Doug Stormo from my hometown of Watertown SD and the great Lee Goldhammer pitched------------- Canova High School. One of the finest amateur baseball pitchers South Dakota has ever produced. A right-hander, Goldammer won 312 games and struck out 4,292 batters in a career spanning more than 35 years. He played on six state championship teams and set a state record of 13 consecutive wins (1963-69) in state tourney play. Three times he pitched and won two games on the same day in the state tourney. Was named the state's independent athlete of the year in 1971, when he was MVP of the state tourney. Also was MVP in 1967. Started playing Legion baseball at age 14 and started playing amateur (town team) baseball at age 18. Played for Canova until 1980, then moved to Mitchell and played for Mitchell Moonlite Bar until retiring in 1986. Helped South Dakota to five Men's Senior World Series titles in Phoenix. He retired in 1986. Came out of retirement in 1989 and remains an active pitcher. In 1989 he was selected by the Argus Leader as the starting pitcher on the state's all-time amateur baseball team. During high school, participated in football, baseball and track. Held school discus record.

So 2 games today as we worked ourselves into the finals of the lower division. First game was against the Houston Colt 65s. Ended up beating them 15-9 but it was tight for awhile. I pitched the 3rd through the 7th inning with me losing my no runs given up streak in the sixth. I gave up 5 runs but only one was earned. The 7th was great--only 5 pitches but I walked the first two guys of the 8th and Gary got me out of there. He finished up nicely and I was the winning pitcher and ended up the tournament with 1 earned run in 19 innings pitched. --------------------------------- Second game I didn't pitch as our junk pitcher Gary Stevens (finally learned his name) had a great-and complete game. We lost 6-5 as the New England Red Sox scored two in the bottom of the 9th. Former Major Leaguer and "Spaceman" Bill Lee beat us as he pitched from the 4th to the end of the game. So we got the Silver for the lower division. Here's my trophy. 60+ starts tomorrow.

So we played the Baltimore Baseball Club today, the team that beat us 4-1. We beat them 12-2 in 8 innings. I think we scored a run in every inning. I pitched the last 3 innings, gave up no runs on 1 hit, I think, 1 walk and no strikeouts. A run did score while I was pitching but it was charged to Gary (forgot his last name). Play the Houston Colt 65s tomorrow morning at 10:00 in the semifinals of this tournament. If we win we play for the championship at 1:30. Could be a long day. Anyway that makes for 14 scoreless innings. Longest streak I ever had.

Played the Washington Nationals today. They call this the seeding game and we were picked to play each other because our records were similar. We beat them 13-5 and I pitched 2 innings and it was 6 up and 6 down which sounds impressive until you realize everybody on their team is over 65. :-)) Supposed to play a double header tomorrow but we don't know yet who or where or when. Another Pic

Well what do you know? We won 12-2 in 7 innings. Guys looked like a different ball club. I pitched 2 innings and had 7 up and 6 down with my only blemish an error by our first baseman. Did have 1 strikeout. That does give me 9 innings without giving up a run. I'd say not bad for an old man but I was playing against old men so ..... Here's a pic.

I took the day off today as our mgr said I wouldn't pitch. We lost 15-3 to a team from Wilmington, NC. No pics to put up but here's a YouTube video of all the places we play here in Ft Myers.

Finally got some stuff from Reed as to a concert he went to last week. -------Here are a couple pictures. The group was called the Underachievers and they're a hip hop duo from Brooklyn. We leave to Orlando to watch the Lakers play this Wednesday so I'll send you some pictures from that too.

Played a team from Baltimore today and lost 4-1. I pitched 4 innings and did alright. No runs, a hit, a K, 3(ouch)walks but that does give me 7 IP and no runs, earned or otherwise. The baseball gods have been very nice to me. Also Bob Misko showed up at the end of our game. He's running a baseball nonprofit in Orlando (not Atlanta like I wrote earlier) and suggested I come down from Jacksonville and play to get some innings in when this tournament is over. Caught him up on some news from Guam and he invited me over to a spread they're having at some place called Famous Dave's tonight. He looks pretty good for an old guy.

OK so we played the Chicago Spirit today at 10AM and lost 12-0. I pitched innings 3 4 5. I gave up no runs, 2 hits, 2 walks 1K. So I did OK. Here's our Team pic.

OK so I'm in Ft Myers Getting ready to start an old guy (65+) baseball tournament. I'm staying with Perry Babineau from Halifax Nova Scotia and playing with the Nova Scotia Monarchs. We had practice today and I got to take batting practice which went ok and throw to the team catcher which could have gone better. I'm supposed to be the second pitcher tomorrow for up to 3 innings. We're playing at the City of Palms Park which used to be the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox. Here's a pic.

Took Reed and Jade to the Rocky Horror Picture Show last night. Disappointed as nobody in the audience knew the audience participation stuff so everybody just sat there watching the movie. When I went home I managed to find a couple scripts on the web so I emailed them over to Reed so he had an idea. Next year maybe we'll hit a larger venue so we can get the real experience. Reed didn't have a reffing gig yesterday but he does have training 11/3 and /6 so he's getting into it. Got a note from Cousin Ry. He's possibly driving down to Vero Beach around Thanksgiving and wants to stop by. That should be fun.

Been playing catch with Reed in preparation for the baseball tournament in Ft Myers. He's not only been working at his job at Smoke City but is starting to get involved with basketball officiating. He had a meeting tonight and I think he said he'll do his fist game on Friday.

My cousin Ry reminded me that I haven't put much on the blog lately. Let's see. In reverse order - Last night I went to the Charlie Daniels Band concert at the Florida Theater. A lot of virtuosity but way to loud. Painful to the point that I had to put my fingers in my ears for much of the night. Too bad. Played 18 holes with a couple brothers over at the Bent Creek Golf Course, a new course for me. Long corse but real pretty and a pleasure to play somewhere else than my cheap municipal course Brentwood. Registered for a 65 and over baseball tournament in Ft Myers Fl in a couple weeks and then got picked up by the Nova Scotia Monarchs to play. Got to get Reed to play catch with me a few times before I go. Also went to my first pro football game Sunday as the Jaguars played the Texans. Jaguars went down to another bad second half.

Reed----Jades aunt gave us free tickets to the preseason game here - Hawks vs Pelicans! Check out how good our seats were.

So went to visit Reed at his job today. Smoke City at this strip mall off Roosevelt Blvd. New store and it looks bright and shiny. Evidently he works some days 9-3 and others 3-10pm so I'm assuming he's working 6 days a week. That should keep him out of trouble.

Been awhile since my last post but that just shows you how boring it's been. But then I get a email from Reed.---- Just in case you ever wondered what I'd look like in a video game. AND it looks like he got a job------Why yes I did. That smoke shop on Roosevelt hired me so I'm gonna work there full time. Glad I finally found a way to make some decent money. Don't worry I won't pick up the habits that they promote there. It's just a job. There people there are really nice and interesting. ---- Just for the record, Jade's dad Alvin had gotten him a job pushing a vacuum cleaner a couple days a week and I thank him for that. We'll see what happens next.

Been playing a lot of golf and may even be getting better. Today was an interesting day as the temp and humidity were down at reasonable levels and I barely sweat through 18 holes. AND visiting us on the course was a bald eagle. Bug situation remains the same. Not seeing much and not getting bit. Did get my bed up on a 14" platform. Thank you Walmart.

Well the tape trick seems to be working and I'm assuming what the exterminator sprayed is working too as I don't seem to be getting bit and though I do see dead ones laying around I haven't seen too many live ones. More updates later.

More adventures in the Bed Bug Wars. The exterminator came about 10 am yesterday. While he was at the apt I got a mattress and immediately put a plastic bag around it that I got at Walmart. Later in the day the Super told me that the Exterminator had seen more bugs on the shelf where I had my linen so I had more washing to do. And yes, I saw one myself as I put a fitted sheet into the washer. Sadly however the night was not bug free as I think I got bit at least twice and killed 3 bugs myself. As I think they're coming out from under the base boards, I took tape and taped over the gap between the board and the floor. We'll see if it helps.

Well a whole day of cleaning and getting ready to get my apt treated for the bed bugs. Washed and dried for hours and finally got my place treated about 5:30. I then had to spend 4 hours out of the apt. He's coming back tomorrow and then once a week for the next 3 weeks. Also talked to a friend of Ry's who had lots of bed bug horror stories. AND since I threw my bed away I'm left with cushions to to sleep on tonight. Maybe tomorrow I'll pick up a bed. Oh!! the adventure of it all!! (he says naively!)

Well the bugs were back last night and I realized what they were/are. Not ticks at all but bed bugs. Talked to the Building Super and the exterminators are coming tomorrow and sent me some instructions which included vacuuming everything. I decided I'd put my mattress and box spring in vinyl so I could sleep tonight without getting bit. The mattress went OK--I killed a few--but then the between box spring and the frame it was just thick with them. And in a bunch of different areas. And then I remembered-when I came in there was this white powder on the floor that I had the engineer vacuum up and I realized that the problem has possibly been there the whole time. Tune in tomorrow, folks

Ok so Reed checked me over and found no ticks on me. Still looking hard for a job but did get notice that a gym job he applied for was progressing. H evidently is getting mixed messages from FSCJ and is going back tomorrow to get things straightened out. Oh and here's a pic from my scene in the Making of the Mob New York. I think I'm in back of and just to the left of the lady with the red scarf. Obviously not an auspicious debut, but I did get $100. :-)))

So I golfed yesterday. 9 in the morning, and 9 in the pm. Guys I got with in the afternoon were fun. BUT in the morning I decided I needed some more balls so I went to my two favorite ball traps, places kinda in the jungle on the course where you can find lost balls easily, and ended up with about 2 dozen. However, this morning I found a couple critters munching on me while still in bed and they looked like small ticks. Maybe those balls weren't so cheap after all. Think I'll head over to Reed's place today and have Jane (and Alvin too) give me the once over.

So a week since my last post. Reed has been getting school together and trying to find a job to make his spending money. I however had an adventure. You see 30 years ago I had a relationship with a woman that ended rather brusquely. I'd always felt somewhat bad about that and wanted to apologize so I went off to find the lady having the clue of this small town in North Carolina as her home town. The first day I visited a tavern, the library and the museum as well as talked to a number of people with the same last name. All with no luck. A friend of mine who was helping me then found a possibility. A lady teaching in a small private school in Raleigh. And it was she. However, the meeting was somewhat anticlimactic as though she admitted we had a good time she seemed to barely remember the ending. And though I asked her out to dinner to catch up she was busy and in a hurry and ended our meeting somewhat.....brusquely. So all's right with the world again. I headed home.

Took Reed and Jade to see TBA Big Band over at Latitude 360 tonight. Had a late addition of my first date on Match.com She was telling me all the things I'm doing wrong.

Wow A unique experience. I just went to the weird Al Yankovich Concert at the Florida Theater. 2000 screaming Weird Al fans who knew and sang along with every song. 2 hours no intermission. It started with the band playing to a video of Al singing and walking down the street. And then you realized it wasn't a video. Al was actually outside the Florida Theater walking down the street singing with the band in the theater. And the rest of the show was just as good. They finished the show with the two Star Wars songs and Darth Vadar and storm troopers on stage. Best show I've ever seen though I have spent most of my life sheltered on Guam.

OK so we are almost a month since the last post and I haven't put anything up as there wasn't much to put up. Yesterday, however, Reed got back from Guam. Now like an idiot I forgot to get a picture of his long hair and baby beard but I just called him to send me one and I should have it up directly. Other things in the last month: An interview that got me nowhere, experimenting with probiotics that brought on a bout of depression upgraded my cable channels, and played a lot of golf, The probiotic thing was interesting. Been trying to get my gut bacteria right and Nature Made's two pill formula seemed good but about 3 days into taking it I recognized that something was wrong and mad thoughts were running through my head. That was not like me and some experimenting said yep, the pills were doing it. Have since found the more natural wonder food SAUERKRAUT which seems to work fine and now my thought processes are distinctly regimented, deliberate, and single minded. Very.....German. Hmmmmm.

Not much going on. I did have a job interview that I thought was going well until it ended abruptly. Oh well!! Maybe I'm not supposed to work. Went to a Don McLean concert and managed to get in after the intermission which was the whole McLean part of the concert. It was OK. He milked American Pie for all it was worth but deservedly so. I have been experimenting on myself. I've been getting into gut bacteria which is a new "sexy" research area in health. I've been interested for a few years since I realized that taking some antibiotics had made me completely lactose intolerant. I bought some expensive probiotics (bacteria pills) which didn't seem to do much and also went down to Walmart and got some cheaper ones that WERE effective (more consistent and different smelling pooh) made by NatureMade. BUT they also seemed to substantially change my mood making me moderately depressed. More on this as I experiment. Also just got a note from Reed back on Guam-----The other night I was at Applebee's with my friends and there was an open mic going on. Tyler's girlfriend, who works there said that the winner gets 100 bucks. So I did it and won. Hahaha. 100 bucks just like that. Not bad.--------

Got a note from Reed today.-------------Something cool happened last night. So mom and I were having dinner at Table35 (coach Jimmy's restaurant) and the band he had playing was Patrick Palomo's! Mom mentioned it to jimmy while they were talking and he called him over. Eventually jimmy asked if I could join them up there and he let us. I got to sing That's All and I've Got You Under My Skin with him and his band. Totally unexpected and spontaneous.------Patrick is Guam's best pianist and obviously a good sport. Way to go Reed.

Saw somebody die today. I was on Main Street, stopped for a red light, third car from the intersection in the right hand lane. I saw this black girl probably in her 20s yellow dress and glasses. She came out of the building by the intersection, saw a friend across the street and rushed over to meet her. Just then a car went by me maybe going a little fast but having the right of way as the light had turned green. The girl went right out in front of the car and took the full force. She got knocked about six feet in the air and I remember her glasses went flying. I don't see how she could have survived. About half a second before she got hit I could see what was going to happen and I think I started to scream. I just kept screaming after she got hit. It was awful. There were lots of witnesses so I just drove away and I couldn't even look at her lying there. The streets are probably the most dangerous thing in downtown Jacksonville. And it's for the opposite reason than you might think. There's not a lot of traffic and the blocks are short. Consequently, people don't pay a lot of attention to the traffic lights. I'm guilty of it myself. Unfortunately, she picked the wrong time to be careless. It killed her in an instant and I'm sure left the person who hit her with a life long scar. It left me with one. ---------------------------------------------------------------- (update from the news) A 12-year-old girl is in critical condition after she dashed across Main Street next to the downtown library and was hit by a car as family was arriving to pick her up, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. The unidentified girl ran out in front of a car that had just entered the intersection of Main and Monroe streets shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday, Lt. Brett Sharp said. "It [the traffic signal] was either green or yellow, but they are still doing their investigation," Sharp said. "The young lady was attempting to run across the intersection when she was struck by the vehicle." Police said the 12-year-old girl was not in the crosswalk when she was hit. A second car coming up behind the accident scene was there to pick her up, police said. That car has Maryland license plates. The accident shut down two blocks of North Main Street behind the main library and a city parking garage. East Duval and East Monroe streets were also shut down during the accident investigation.

Storm last night ad I saw the local Bank of America building it by lightening twice. It was cool. Couldn't find any pics of an actual strike.

Got the 2 day flu this last weekend. Not throwing up but body aches and chills. Got some great tasting cookies. Changed my parking lot so I'm only paying $30/mo instead of $60. Trying to play golf twice a week but the heat and humidity make it tough. AND Reed wrote from Guam ------------------------- I'm having a pretty great time here. Its so awesome seeing all my boys again. We've already made a few songs and we were on the radio after Tyler won the rap battle here. Got to talk about what influenced us and what not about music.

Wow!! This was cool as Guam's soccer team knocks off India 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier. This pic and the story are from the BBC web page reporting the big upset. TJ Atalig and Christian Shweitzer, two of Reed's best friends, are right there in the middle of the pic. A country ranked 174 in the world, with a population of 165,000 and coached by a former Bognor Regis player has beaten India in qualifying for the World Cup. Guam, defeated 16-0 and 19-0 during the 2002 tournament qualifying, recorded their first ever qualifier win with victory over Turkmenistan last week. And now the Asian team, managed by Gary White, has beaten a country with a population of 1.25 billion 2-1 at home. Guam sit top of Group D in round two of Asian 2018 World Cup qualification. Where is Guam? Guam is a Pacific island and a United States territory located 1,626 miles south of Japan. Guam's diverse population includes Japanese, Chinese, and incomers from other Pacific islands. The indigenous Chamorro are a people of mixed Micronesian, Spanish and Filipino descent. Tourism and the US military bases provide the island with its main sources of income. If Guam progress from this round of qualifying they play in an additional round, which sees 12 teams split into two groups of six. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the World Cup. The two third-place teams will play home-and-away over two legs. The winner will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs. White, 40, was previously coach of the British Virgin Islands and Bahamas national team. He is one of 16 coaches on a Football Association scheme created to boost the number of English coaches in the Premier League. He recently told Fifa.com: "Our final outcome that we want is to put Guam football on the map, and I think that's happening already. "And for the team to continue to develop. The prize, if you like, is to get to the World Cup, the Asian Cup, but we'll take each game at a time. It is a special time right now, I don't want to put an end on it. Can we qualify for the World Cup? We know it's going to be a tough road."

So my cousin Ry lined me up to be an extra in this movie. I actually had a line until they cut my scene. I might be shown for maybe half a second during the senate hearing of one of the mobsters but it did make me $100. Anyway they sent me a letter today to tell people to watch it. _____________________________________________________________________________ Hello, Fellow Mobster! Thank you so much for your great work on THE MAKING OF THE MOB: NEW YORK. I hope you are well and looking forward to the premiere of the series next Monday, June 15that 10P ET, on AMC. We could not be prouder of the show. We greatly appreciate all of the hard work and partnership that went into creating this new and exciting AMC series. As the premiere date draws near, I'm reaching out for to ask for your continued partnership so that we can make sure as many people as possible see your incredible work. We are asking all cast and crew to help us get the word out through social media in a coordinated effort over the next few days til our premiere. If we are all pushing the same message at the same time, we'll have a much better chance to trend and break through. I would like to introduce you to Madeline Post and Chris Powers at AMC, who will be sending you emails moving forward with suggested material to share via your social media about THE MAKING OF THE MOB: NEW YORK. Please use the material they send you, tell your friends about them, and post them on all your social media accounts (Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn/ Tumblr /Instagram/ Google + / Pinterest / Vine…even MySpace - if you still have one!) If you rather we not email you, please let us know and we will remove you from the distribution list. Thanks again for the great work & the help in getting the word out. This show deserves to be a hit & we're doing all we can to make it so! All the best, Marco Bresaz Marco Bresaz VP, Nonfiction & Alternative Programming AMC

I have been neglecting The blog a bit lately so here's an update. Reed and Jade left for Guam early this morning and I just heard from him as they landed in Hawaii. Last night was Jade's graduation party and there was the whole Denusta family there. I found a place to play some cheap golf. Not a great place but it is only $11/day to play all you want. 9 hole course called Brentwood just 10 minutes from my apt. Oh and I did go and see the T Rex that they featured in the CNN documentary Dinosaur 13.

So I haven't posted in a couple weeks. Pretty dull but I have moved to an apt downtown. There just wasn't enough room in that one room. Got a furnished studio on the top (17th) floor for $675/mo. Reed and Jade came over today to inspect and took some pics. Nice view uh??

OK So yesterday I went garage saling and then explored Metro Park where the Beach Boys were going to play. After I went to a farmers/artists market under the I95 bridge. Ate Filipino food. And then finally capped the day of by going to the concert. Beach Boys were getting older and Mike Love's voice has been singing for over 60 years but the main problem seemed to be the sound as even with the Jacksonville Symphony behind them the sound was erratic. Sometimes they had great Beach Boy sound and harmonies and other times it was pretty sparse. Today just explored. I'll see if I can post a BB pic here tomorrow. No pics but I grabbed this poster.