For My Grandfather

The old man is in ICU in an induced coma, dehydrated and pneumonia. His potassium is through the roof and they called the family in today... none of these are good.

I had a word with Mom before I left there this evening. We know he's going to pass sometime and we think it's going to be soon. But she said "Even though you know it, even though you know he's so frail and weak [she was there in PA last week], when someone says this could be it, it still [takes your breath away]."

This is from November 2006. Tell your loved ones you love them because you never know when it will be the last time you see them.

For Grandpap

My Grandfather will be 86 on Friday. My niece just did a paper on her hero for a school project and I was just thinking about real heroes, not the baseball players or whoever we admired as kids, but the real people who had an impact on our lives and were true role models. And Grandpap Sheets is one of those people.

He’s never lived nor had any desire to live beyond the borders of Beaver Country in southwestern Pennsylvania [or ‘Pennsyltucky’ as he used to say] other than when he was over in France and Germany in WWII. I asked him the nicest place he’d seen in traveling the US after he retired, but he said he loved Beaver County. I guess it puts into perspective that some people just feel so at ease with where they’re from they never leave.

He’s a retired carpenter and one of the stories I’ve heard a zillion times is when he retired and came home with his tool chest. I guess I would have been about five or six and I helped him take the box into the shop, me at one end, he at the other and I just quipped “Now this is what I call cooperation!”

He built his own house on the hill there in Beaver County, getting a lot from my Grandmother’s Dad, Joe Vorderbrueggen in 1947 [he also acquired two more lots over the years before Grandpap died in 1976], living in the basement for about two years while the upstairs was constructed with a wife and 5 small children. They added on in the early 60s and still had 8 kids [‘seven in school at one time,’ he reminded me] sharing one bathtub, though they added a half bath in the addition. They still get water from a well and it is the sweetest tasting water in the world and makes excellent iced tea.

I think part of my love of music comes from him. I know my grandfather was a guitar player. During the war, he and some guys from his company would go around to other units in the area and play country music. [Remember, this was when there was “both kinds, country and Western.”] They were loosely known as the Ozark Mountaineers, Ozark being their company. I just asked for the clarification, as I thought he played in a band in the States, but he said, “No, other than some guys that used to come around once in a while.” [I called him a “Hootenanny Hippie” for this]. He used to play for me, up to about 1995 or so before his hands shook so much. Somewhere around 1999 or 2000 my cousin’s Melissa’s fiancée Milo was up and he had learned a couple of the songs played them for Grandpap and he said it “nearly brought the old man to tears, not being able to play anymore.” I know he always liked music and was always humming or whistling something and there was usually a radio on in the shop or when we’d drive into town. He was also a big Hee Haw fan, and there was no better way to clear a room of a bunch of little kids in 1974 than to turn on Hee Haw. Now I kind of wish I had paid more attention to the Hee Haw, but oh well. I know he was a fan of Johnny Cash and I know there are some albums somewhere in the house, but I’ve never gone looking for them. A few years back he was tickled when I sent him a tape of an album of Johnny’s called Ragged Old Flag that was one he’s asked about when I was working at Forever Young. He also always liked the funnier songs of Ray Stevens, Tom T. Hall, Jerry Reed and Louden Wainwright’s Dead Skunk.

He was always quick with a joke or a stunt like betting me a dollar he could jump higher than a fence post [Warning: fence posts do not jump]. He was always interested in how things worked and building things. I have several little knick-knacks like a sling shot he whittled for me and a little ‘road runner’ made out of scrap metal and a box for holding playing cards he made for me ‘on spec.’ I have the rolling pin he gave to all my cousins as wedding presents because I think he’s given up waiting for me to [or more accurately fears he’ll be gone when I do] get married. He also never lets me forget about getting the wrong oil filter and pouring 4.5 quarts of Penzoil out on the grass because I wouldn’t listen to him. He’s impressed pride in my work on me. Once at Sound Warehouse I was building crates for display and I’d just keep telling myself to ‘Do it like the old man would have.’

The only time I recall him being upset was when I ran over one of his trees while mowing the field down in front of the house. OOPS! I had been trying to see how close I could get to them and got a little too close to one. OOOPS! I was banned from the tractor for a while for that one. As kids we all loved riding on or driving the little Cub Cadet tractor. I know I spent hours on it pretending it was some WWII airplane I was flying or an X Wing fighter of the Millennium Falcon after Star Wars came out. I can still recall mornings in the kitchen of the house he built, you’d come in and kiss a face full of stubble, or if you can sneak up on him, kiss his bald head, which is a lot easier now that I am 6’2”.

I know he is proud of the fact they he and my Grandma Rose were able to raise 8 kids through sometimes trying times. Once, he says they had dinner and there was one pork chop left and he reached for it and got eight forks in the back of his hand. But the Sheets clan is pretty tight and there isn’t any infighting or name calling [that I am aware of]. Grandma and Grandpap have been married for 63 years and there is a special place in heaven for her that. As he’s gotten older he’s a little shorter on patience than he used to be. His hand shakes more trying to raise a cup of coffee and he’s a lot slower than he used to be, but steadfastly yearning to be independent even though his body is telling him that he cannot be.

But I talked to him today and I know there is a peace there that he’s lived a wonderful life with few, if any regrets. I asked if there was anything that he has wanted to try but never had and he answered ‘no,’ even though I know he’s never tried pizza. I know I have learned in the last 10 years or so to appreciate that time I have with my grandparents and to take the time and ask the questions now that someday I will not be able to get answers to.

Happy Birthday and love Grandpap!

Oh Shit...

I was working on the conversion project [converting Lp to MP3] again after a long, long, long break, up to the Es now and I was taken by surprise by a song. The song I dedicated to her long before it was a hit. I confirmed it was 1990 on the Lp jacket. Seeing the Rave Ups at Tommy's [formerly The Venue, now Deep Ellum Live], Bowie at the "Coca Cola" Starplex [later Smirnoff Music Center, now the Superpages.com Center?], pregnant cat and kittens in your room and all the stupid shit I did.

I doubt she ever thinks about me and that summer anymore. It's just a song that took me by surprise.

Manly Man Stuff

I spent about 5 hours this last week in the 2nd to last bastion of true manly manliness [#1 is still the barber hop] - the tire store.

Never mind being pissed off that my tire wasn't fixed or replaced the first trip over there at an ungodly hour [for me] and that the store I went to didn't have my tire in stock and that I had to go across town and get back in line again for service.

While I was at the 2nd store I just took a quick look around - 10 men to one woman. All sizes and shapes. Four T-shirts promoting a favorite college, pro team or car. Sneaker ruled. Couple business casual guys, one in work coveralls for an airline that is cutting jobs [hope you're still employed come Labor Day!]. Pants ruled over shorts.

Are these men sent because their spouses know that this is 'their territory?' Can't stand the smell of rubber that just permeates the whole place? Can't stand the air wrenches? Or is this just the bone they throw their men because big box retail home repair places have become the unisex place for coupes now? How did we [men] lose the hardware store?

The Hot Hot Heat

I left work last night with a sense of malaise. Physically a little tired but just mentally worn down.Probably the fact that Saturday night is my Friday didn't help. Entering the heat certainly didn't. Will it ever cool off? Will it ever rain again? I watered the grass, don't MAKE me wash the truck!

I got out on the freeway and lowered the windows trying to catch some breeze and fresh air. Sometimes all that air conditioning just makes my sinus close up. I just want to drive and get out of the heat footprint of the city. Too much concrete, too much heat.

I take 114 west out of Grapevine towards the county instead of 121 south back towards the city. I don't expect any heat break as I travel though Grapevine or Southlake - face it, these suburbs just hold the heat, too. But as I pass the theater and the two story Barnes and Noble the road is suddenly lines with trees and I do expect the heat to drop a little... like it does coming down 820 from Hurst into Fort Worth, that stretch between highway 10 and I-30... but it doesn't.

It's 11:15 at night and there is quite a bit of traffic - are these folks really going somewhere or are they trying to escape just like me? We ride the freeway - 10 lanes to 8 to 4 back up to 6 then 4 again. I enter Denton County and we're on the access road. I take a 'wrong turn' at the split of 114 and 170.My plan was to just take 114 out to the Speedway and just take I-35 back through Alliance and back down into Fort Worth. But in the confusion in the dark I take 170. I have never been out this road but there is other traffic going with me, I have half a tank of gas and I can always turn around.

170 takes you from Westlake back into Fort Worth. This is technically Fort Worth, for mapping, taxing and city services only - there is really nothing out here. I recognize a couple of streets and red lights as I go out this road. 377 goes all the way back down into Fort Worth, Old Denton Road will get me at least back to north Loop 820. I am going southwest now instead of due west or slightly northwest and I get wind blowing into the car, but it's just warm dry wind. It's not what I was hoping for. Maybe I should just bust north towards Oklahoma, just ride up to Ardmore and clear the cobwebs. But I don't have a radio - all I have is the wind and the sound of the rubber meeting the road. I decide to just head back into town and have a beer.

I come up in I-35 at the south end of the Alliance Airport instead of the north end by the Speedway. As I cross over to get on the freeway, the left runway of Alliance is off to my immediate right, all lit up stretching out for what, 5000 feet? Almost a mile? I think how cool it would be to see someone landing, but it is unlikely at this hour.

I am back on the freeway heading south towards downtown and home. When was the last time I was on this stretch of road? Last time I took a ride up to Ardmore to clear my head? How long ago was that? When I took a load of stuff up to Recycled in Denton? That was over a year ago.

I am jealous now of my mother who is in Pennsylvania. She called and bragged how it's been in the mid 70s all week long. I'd love to be on a hammock there as the temperature drops through the 60s just smelling the clover and listening to the traffic. She says Grandpap is very bad, holding water and not able to move around much and always cold due to poor circulation. She feels he will be back in the hospital soon. I know what's coming - congestive heart failure. He will go into the hospital one of these times and not come home. Then I will be sad. Grandma, she says though is getting around well, still. Slow but mobile.

I'm back inside the loop and off to the right are the bars and action of northside and the stockyards. I wonder if I know one of the girls drinking over there with her buddy. They'd be in one of the cowboy bars, not the Hispanic clubs the line Main Street and 38th. As we come around the curve by Long Avenue, there's and accident on the other side - I see the flashing lights and I know something bad has happened. Two fire trucks and a couple cop cars and the traffic backed up, narrowed to one lane as the emergency crews work.

I take the ramp to I-30 East / Lancaster to head back into my neighborhood. I don't know if I've ever been up on this high, high ramp after dark. Over to the left the street lights and the houses look very calm and peaceful. You can't tell that those are some of the meanest streets of Fort Worth, some streets you just don't go down after dark. But as I say, from the height, the city looks pretty and peaceful.

I pull into the driveway, go in and grab an MGD. It's 11:57 and I flip on Weather on the 8s; it's 88 degrees at midnight! It's just too damn hot.

What's Up?

Well, it's been a long month. The major pain in my life was a real pain in my jaw. I had a bicuspid that was giving me on and off trouble for the last couple years finally give and I had to have root canal. The GOOD NEWS [if there is any associated with root canal] is that I was able to get away with just a couple of fillings for now. And the root canal was not as horrible as I thought it would be... not that I want to do it again anytime soon. But is there any pain worse than a bad tooth?

My truck got broken into 4th of July down in Deep Ellum. They jacked my radio, my CD wallet [99% stuff I burned] and my briefcase with my work headset and crappy Sony MP3 player I didn't like anyway. I went down to see the return of the American Fuse, who were grand but loud. I guess in 20 years of going to D.E. and this is the first trouble I've had I was due. It's just a pain in the ass to replace the window and the radio [which I haven't yet]. And the time doing so. Then my CD burning program goes on the fritz and I have to learn a new one.

My beloved grandfather continues to struggle with his health. There was an incident of heat exhaustion and he lost about ten pounds in the hospital. Mom is going north tomorrow for about a week, so I expect a pretty bad progress report.

My friend and guitarist extraordinare Nate Fowler was in a wreck and shattered his right wrist. I guess the Fuse will not be playing for a while.

It was the 5th anniversary of Heather and Henry's crash. We took some Shiners out to the cemetery and shared some thoughts and beers with the marker.

Henry's mom Andee took a hit in her fight against cancer - a treatment a few days after I saw her in mid July has left her unable to speak.

Other than that, life is a series of bad traffic tie ups and disappointments. The usual. I was going over an old notebook and it seems I was a confused, scared lad back in the 90s and not a whole lot has changed. Except the grey in my hair and all these lines on my face gettin' clearer...

I did find a most excellent band courtesy of the Fort Worth Startlegram: If you haven't checked out The Hold Steady, do so immediately. The comparison is to Springsteen and the E Street band, but it's a modern sound and it's not all about girls, cars and Jersey, eh?

SALEH!

I saw this on Idolator.com and thought it would be a fun exercise. 1970 and 1971 proved to be hard years [70: Traffic's John Barleycorn Must Die, Rod Stewart's Gasoline Alley, Michael Nesmith's Magnetic South and Loose Salute, Santana's Abraxas; 71: Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers, Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, Stewart's Every Picture Tells A Story, Lennon's Imagine, Alice Cooper's Killer, Elton John's Madman Across the Water, Led Zeppelin IV, Bowie's Hunky Dory] . 2000 was a good year for compilations, but not much in my catalog for great releases [Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker, Neil Young's Silver and Gold and Budd being the only real standouts]. 2007 was a really good year for me [the two Harold Budd / Robin Guthrie collaborations Before the Day Breaks and After the Night Falls, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Baby 81, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand, Watts' One Below the All Time Low].

Hope this inspires a walk through your record collections!

1967 – After Bathing At Baxter’s by Jefferson Airplane

1968 – Beggar’s Banquet by the Rolling Stones

1969 – Let It Bleed by the Rolling Stones

1970 – John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band by John Lennon [close 2^nd: Rides Again by the James Gang]

1971 – Who’s Next by the Who

1972 – Harvest by Neil young [2^nd: Burgers by Hot Tuna]

1973 – Blueprint by Rory Gallagher

1974 – Bad Co. by Bad Company

1975 – A Night at the Opera by Queen [2^nd: Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd]

1976 – Rocks by Aerosmith

1977 – Marquee Moon by Television

1978 – The Cars by the Cars [2^nd: This Year’s Model by Elvis Costello and the Attractions]

1979 - London Calling by the Clash [by 2 weeks] [2nd: Cheap Trick at Budokan by Cheap Trick]

1980 – Get Happy!!! By Elvis Costello and the Attractions

1981 – Discipline by King Crimson

1982 – All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes by Pete Townshend

1983 – More Fun in the New World by X

1984 – Learning to Crawl by the Pretenders

1985 – Town and Country by the Rave Ups

1986 – Tones by Eric Johnson [2^nd: Life’s Rich Pageant by R.E.M.]

1987 – Pleased to Meet Me by the Replacements

1988 – Talk Is Cheap by Keith Richards

1989 – New York by Lou Reed

1990 – Bloodletting by Concrete Blonde

1991 – Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden

1992 - The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion by the Black Crowes

1993 – Friday Night is Killing Me by Bash ‘N’ Pop [2^nd: Anodyne by Uncle Tupelo]

1994 – Amorica by the Black Crowes

1995 – Here’s Where the Strings Come In by Superchunk

1996 – Being There by Wilco

1997 – Stranger’s Almanac by Whiskeytown [2nd: Love Songs for Underdogs by Tanya Donelly]

1998 – Mermaid Avenue by Billy Bragg and Wilco

1999 – Come Pick Me Up by Superchunk

2000 – The Room by Harold Budd

2001 – Global A Go Go by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros

2002 – Stereo / Mono by Paul Westerberg [2^nd: One by One by the Foo Fighters]

2003 – Getting’ Up the Rent by Nope

2004 – Paper by Rich Robinson

2005 – Howl by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club [2^nd: Martha Wainwright by Martha Wainwright]

2006 – The Greatest by Cat Power [2nd: Black Cadillac by Rosanne Cash]

2007 – The Better Angels of Our Nature by Glossary

2008 – Warpaint by the Black Crowes [ONLY PURCHASE]

Pens Get Scraps, Jagr on the sidelines...

In a deal more suited to the Nashville Predators [Sorry, Marty!] the Pens sign Islanders cast offs Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko. Satan, if motivated, could pot some goals alongside Crosby - Fedotenko could be a serviceable grinder. Apparently they were pushing hard for Nasland, but the Rangers, tired of waiting for Jagr to make up his mind, swooped in. It's not outrageous to think the Pens couold sign Jagr, but with goalie Marc -Andre Fleury agreeing to a long term deal, I don't see the cash.

Jagr to Nasville? Jagr to Long Island? Jagr to Russia as rumored? With Marty Straka returning to the Czech Republic, could the Rangers sign Jagr to a 1 year low pay, high bonus deal?

AM Update:

ESPN.GO.com is reporting that Russian Superleague team Avangard Omsk has signed Jaromir Jagr. Jagr played for Omsk during the lockout of 04-05.

It's official: Tampa Bay is going to try to win games 9-7. It's reported this morning that defensemen Dan Boyle and his $ 4.5 million/year contract and Brad Lukowich have been shipped to San Jose for young defenseman Matt Carle [read: cheaper] and a couple draft picks. Wow. And we though lousy goaltending was Tampa's issue last year.

On the other hand, this works out good for San Jose, who also just signed former L.A. Kings and Avalanche defenseman Rob Blake. Blake, like Chris Chelios has clearly lost a step, but tries to make up for it by smart positioning. I think Carle would have been a very very good for a long time in San Jose, but they needed someone to quarterback the PP after Brian Campbell left for Chicago and that is just beyond Blake at his age. But in Boyle, Blake and Lukowich, the Sharks get the experience of guys who have all won the Stanley Cup.

Oh, the Madness... When Will This Madness End?

UP FIRST - the Man Now to Be Referred to as "The Lying Motherfucking Ass Munch":

Yes, I mean YOU MARIAN HOSSA. How can you pass up security and a good payday and a chance to pad your stats out the ass playing a power play with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin? You could have had 50 goals and 125 points for the next 5-7 years! A lock for the Hall of Fame... well, maybe not since Glenn Anderson took so long getting there. But Jari Kurri went in pretty quick! That's good company! But no, you pull THIS shit:

Hossa signed a one-year contract with Detroit on Wednesday, and a person in the NHL told The Associated Press the deal is worth $7.45 million.

He had rebuffed a chance to re-sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who were reportedly offering $7 million a season as part of five-year contract after they lost the Stanley Cup finals to Detroit last month.

“It was a really tough decision for me to make,” Hossa said. “When I compared the two teams, I felt like I would have a little better of a chance to win the Cup in Detroit.”

I will be booing you every time you touch the puck, now. You will hear me from Funkytown when you play in Dallas. You've just replaced Jaromir Jagr as the most despised man of Penguins fans. And considering how they boo Jagr, that's not a nice place to be.

Other hits and misses:

Brooks Orpik re-signs with the Pens - FOR LESS THAN MARKET VALUE. Evgeni Malkin re-signs with Pens - DITTO! Okay, the fourth line is gone and the 3rd line is hanging by a thread - still, the Pens re-signer Pascal Dupuis to ride shotgun with Crosby and for a reasonable amount. One more scoring winger. Jagr is a rumor. Markus Nasland could regain his scoring touch on Crosby's line...please sign Yannic Perrault to teach these guys how to win faceoffs!

DAMN, I just read Kristian Huselius is off the board! To Columbus? My, those boys have been busy! Yeah, they lost journeyman Ron Hiansey to Atlanta, but they did fleece the NY Hockey Rangers for two servicable defensemen in Christian Backman and Fedor Tyutin. Adding also Mike Commodore from Ottawa and Raffi Torres from Edmonton... looks like management has decided to play for a playoff spot this year.

And just when it seemed like the Rangers were in good shape on the back end, too. They got Wade Redden out of Ottawa and re-signed Michael Rosival and they have their most solid D-corps since 95-96... and they trade Backman and Tyutin for two SPARES like Dan Frtische and Nikolai Zherdev? Now Backmand and Tyuitin were not the second coming of Scott Stevens and/ or Brian Leetch. but as third pair they would be safe! This deal only makes sense if it frees cap space for Jaromir Jagr AND Martin Straka AND... but I don't know now. They did add character guys in former Shark Patrick Rissmiller and Wild Aaron Varros.

Doug Weight moves to Long Island to reunite with his old buddy from Edmonton and St. Louis, Bill Geurin. If those two can find magic again at their age, it will allow the Islanders to season some young guys for one more year. The adding of defenseman Mark Streit from Montreal will help, but they need a whole second line.

Let me see if I have this right: The Dallas Stars walk away from they guy they know is a good and dangerous penalty killer and who can chip in offensively and let him sign with Toronto for 4 years / $ 12 million and bring in an unknown quantity with a big mouth for 4 years / $ 15.5 million? No, this is not Jamie Langenbrunner and Brett Hull we're talking about - it's Nik Hagman and Sean Avery. Avery is an agitator who plays hard, but is also injury prone. I don't see this as a good move. We'll see.

The New Jersey Devils let go of a much younger and just as talented Sergei Brylin and bring in Bobby Holik, who couldn't get out of Jersey fast enough after the 2003 Cup win? Brian Rolston, yes! He's a good scorer and has some speed left. Holik is a traffic cone on the ice.

The cream of the defensemen crop , Brian Campbell takes the bucks and goes to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks also add goalie Christobal Huet, he who kept the Washington Capitals in the playoff hunt. Now all they need is a scorer who can take up the slack when [notice, I did not say IF] Martin Havlat goes down. And it better not be Pavol Demitra... although they could keep the spot in the IR warm while the other plays 10 games before going down again.

Why Philadelphia traded Vinnie Prospal back to Tampa is a mystery. He seemed to have some chemistry with Daniel Briere and he would be an insurance policy if Simone Gagne goes down again...

Huet out in D.C., Jose Theodore in? It feels like a drop, but it could end up being a push.

WHY DID PHOENIX LET RADIM VRBATA WALK?

Colorado adds no one and likes it. Who's their starting goalie? And Darcy Tucker? Give me a break. Oh, well, Peter Forsberg is still signed.... HA HA! Let the re-tooling begin!

Cory Stillman is going to be very lonely as the only scorer for the Florida Panthers.

Lots of backup goalies moving... who cares?

No word on Markus Nasland and Mats Sundin appears to be taking his time mulling over $ 20 million / 2 year offers. Jagr says he wants to stay in NYC.

QUIET... TOO QUIET: San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, Nashville Predators, Montreal Canadiens...