La Femmes

There are some things about women that I will never understand...

On blogging in general

Sitting here in the office today, I decided to poke around through the web's most popular blogs.... and I must say that I was fairly disappointed. Soooooo many of them have the same ill-informed, condescending editorial rants about the same various uninteresting political goings-on that I began to zone out and forget what I was reading. And personally, I'd rather not see a post with one to two sentences of semi-unintelligible banter followed by 16 links to other blogs with the exact same post about the exact same thing.

I thought this whole thing was about being *personal,* and letting people inside your world for a minute. Are people that dull?? Or just scared to pop the cork and let 'er fly??

The way I see it, I don't figure you care too much about my opinions relating to the filibuster. If you already have your own opinion, I don't think that a few words from me is going to change it. I'm sure not coming to your blog to be convinced that you're right. I'm not out to present my point of view to change your mind, and if you came here looking for a reason to believe a certain thing, then you're a lost little sheep any damn way. My opinions are worth about 2 cents less than what you paid for them. And no, I don't want you to send me a bill.

I'm not qualified in any sort of way to give you an intelligent take on who's butt-raping who in DC, and I'm beginning to wonder how many of the political-blogging people are. My areas of appeal are apparent, and few: First and foremost, I can write. Plus, I travel a lot. I'm into motorcycles and the outdoors in one of the most amazing areas for such things in the world. I play and write a LOT of music, and I'm going to begin to put a bit more focus on that. But I've already covered that part today. I want you to see what my dog looks like, not my senator.

The *only* time you're ever going to see a comment here about a political-ish situation is going to be when I'm absolutely fed up with hearing the same uneducated, regurgitated crap over and over. Much like when I'd heard enough stupid opinions about the Terri Schiavo thing.

Hell, I'm sure the three or four people who've actually come back haven't done so because I'm a political genius. The blogs that I see that really interest me and make me want to keep coming back are the ones that are personal, clever, intelligent, and original. And honestly, I'll bet you that few, if any of those people actually give a damn if anyone ever reads their posts, either. We do it for ourselves, to clear our heads. Not for hits, or press, or recognition. My little slate fills up inside every now and then, and it becomes time to wipe it clean before I fill it up again. Here's where I keep it. This place is just a word dump. Take it or leave it.

-t

No New News

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Originally uploaded by tjayswift.

Not much new to report here- the weather's been royally crappy, and it looks like it'll warm up and dry out just in time for me to head out to Cali to work next week. If the weather's good there, though, I'm probably going surfing next weekend at Half Moon Bay. But even if that falls through, I've got a trip to San Diego planned this summer to surf with my buddy Jeremy.

Went to dinner at Metro Pizza last night with the Doctor and his kids (6 year old twins and a 10 year old, he affectionately refers to them as "the taliban")- the food was excellent, as always, and I got to see my old friend April- hiya, girl!!

I've been writing some intensely emotional music lately- between that, and running into some musician friends, I've been seriously contemplating putting together another band to play my songs live.

I don't have much desire to make a career of it anymore, but it'd be fun to play out once in a blue moon again. The blues thing every week is fun, but I'm telling you, when I sing these new songs, it feels like my soul is melting out of my mouth. And nobody else may like any of it, but I don't care. I'm really driven by it.

I'm gonna try to find some webspace here sometime soon where I can post the mp3s up. I'm not your anti-sharing type of musician- If it's my music, you're more than welcome to it.

Just remember- you get what you pay for....

In closing, I leave you with the above picture from the other night of my good buddy Rich Kavana, the professional "rassler." His slogan:

"From Maryville to Maynardville, from Sudan to Japan, from Baltimore to Singapore, I'm the baddest in the land."


-t

Aurora Beerialis

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Originally uploaded by tjayswift.

The show went pretty well for my friends Chris and Phill tonight... I had lots of fun, too.

Here's the resident dog, Aurora, at the New Knoxville Brewery. We had lots of fun together, although I got her a little rowdy and she bit my hand pretty good... No worries, though.

I'm pretty drunk- shouldn't have had that Maker's and Coke when I got home. Work comes early....



-t

Green Scene

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Originally uploaded by tjayswift.

Damn.... I got home from Vegas, and everything is GREEN!! (of course that may just be because I'm coming home from the desert) -I'm not even sure I can remember the bushes in front of the house blooming before. As odd as it may sound, I'm really excited about getting my first sunburn of this year.

I've had an itching to get a new tattoo, just not too sure what to get. But I am due...

A pretty crappy thing happened to an innocent lady in Knoxville this week- Get the full story here.

Going out to see a friend's band tonight...

Hope you have a good one.

Quick Update

I almost forgot- the Soul Sirkus concert rocked. I got to hang with the members- Virgil Donati, Neal Schon, Jeff Scott Soto, and Marco Mendoza. It was quite a show.. not necessarily the type of music I'd run out and buy, but any concert featuring musicians of their caliber is going to be entertaining. And they were friendly guys, too. I'm still working on hitting up my buddy for the picures- stay tuned.

I just saw this article on cnn.com, and I think it's great- parents need to take some initiative to get their kids off of their fat, McDonald's eating asses and make them go dodge traffic once in a while. I do spend a good bit of time on the internet, but it's mainly to support or educate me about my "real" forms of entertainment. There's a big difference between a desire to learn and share, and sitting online all night just because you're bored and lack the motivation to do something productive.

Have you seen the headlines that teen drug use and pregnancy rates are down?? It almost seems that less and less kids these days are making love or huffing paint- they're in a chat room somewhere trying to find out how to organize a mass murder or build a pipe bomb. Jesus, kids.... why don't you just go work on nailing the neighbor's daughter, like we used to in the good old days? .... Or at least go smoke a joint and eat some chee*tos- just please don't shoot up the school again. Mow some yards and buy a motorcycle or something if you really wanna be a bad-ass. Wheelies are much cooler than guns, anyway. Plus bikes get you chicks. Everybody knows that....

-t

Red Rocks, Red Eyes

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Originally uploaded by tjayswift.

Just got home... what a day. Listening to some Sade, trying to wind down.

I finished tear down of the second show yesterday, then drove out to Red Rock Canyon and took some photos, and just generally enjoyed the solitude. It gets pretty stressful spending two weeks in a high-pressure situation with absolutely no personal time or space whatsoever. It was my first chance to be alone for a couple of hours since I got to Vegas... a well needed relief.

My flight was supposed to leave Vegas at 6AM, and I had a rental car to return, so I figured I'd get up a 4 or so and head out, since I'd packed the night before as I finished off the Newcastles in the fridge.

Needless to say, things didn't quite go as planned- I woke up at 5:50, alarm clock screaming. I don't remember the wake-up call at 4, and I evidently slept through the alarm for 2 hours... so I called Delta, re-booked the flight for 3PM, and went back to sleep. The two weeks of 16 hour days and little sleep finally caught up to me, I guess.... glad I have today off.

It wasn't the easiest trip I've ever done, and the stress got all of us in one way or another. I got a little drunk and worked up one night and said some things I didn't mean to a very important friend on the phone... and I still feel terrible about it. It sucks when you realize you can't take the words back, and the damage has been done.

On a lighter note, we had a couple of fun nights out at the casinos and clubs.

This guy was doing body shots off of the server at a club called "The Beach." Check out the wedding ring.... Niiiiiice, dude. I bet your wife and kids are proud.

Even though there were some definite highlights, I'm honestly glad as hell this one is over. Looks like I'm home for a few days before I leave for Cali again... I'm going to try to get out and ride as much as possible this week. Enjoy yourselves.

-t

We can't stop here. This is bat country.

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Originally uploaded by tjayswift.

Tearing down the first show tonight, after I finish setting up the second, which opens tomorrow. Today will probably end up being about an 18 hour workday, but I'll get to relax some tomorrow.

Supposed to be going to see some band named Soul Sirkus tomorrow night, which features Neal Schon of Journey... (you hear that, Knox?) And better than that, one of my work buddies knows the singer, so he got us some backstage passes. I saw some video of them today, and they look like it'll be a pretty good show.

Hopefully we'll get into the green room so I can get really drunk and go rockstar-tjay on their asses. I'm getting really good at demolishing things in a drunken state of bliss. Not to be malicious, mind you, just for entertainment's sake. Yeah, that's it- cause I'm an artist....

Enjoy your sleep tonight- for there is none in this wicked place of sin and debauchery.

-t

Warp Core Breach

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Originally uploaded by tjayswift.

Yes, ladies, I AM always this sexy...

Last night was a blast.

We went to Quark's Star Trek Bar and had these utterly ridiculous drinks called "Warp Core Breach." They had dry ice in the bottom, which was pretty freaky- bubbles and smoke billowing out the whole time.

Here's the description from the website:

Warp Core Breach: Red Alert! Order this drink and prepare to separate your saucer section! Sensors indicate a blend of rums including Bacardi Select, Bacardi Spice, Bacardi limon, vodka, razzmatazz, Bacardi 151, cranberry, pineapple, ruby red, guava, orange juice, sour mix and grenadine. Pure ice crystals added from Planet Exo III surround the bubbling drink with smoke.

It was at least 30 ounces, and we were all well on our way to drunk by the time we left. So we went to Albertson's and bought beer. Logical, right??

I helped a friendly little scruffy guy rip off the self-checkout- we finally got him his (singular) beer for free. He was ecstatic- my good deed of the day.

Then we went to Walgreens, and I had to piss in the parking lot because I'd been holding it for an hour and they didn't have any "public" restrooms.

Then it was back to the hotel, where I reheated what was left of my Chicken McNuggets. After another beer, I opened and threw my extra 4 packs of barbeque sauce 9 stories into the pool. My malicious deed of the day.

Our new hire, "Tackleberry," decided it would be a good idea to call me while I was drunk and tell me that we were meeting up for work at 6AM, instead of 9. I was too drunk and tired to know better, and it was 3AM already, so I set the alarm and went to sleep. When I woke up at 5AM, I came to my senses and realized that he totally got me. So I called his room and told him he was an ass, and he'd better not have eaten the cookies I left in his cabinet.

Couldn't go back to sleep, so today I'm working 12+hours on about 3 hours of sleep. But rest easy, he WILL get his. It's already in the works, and it will be the prank of the year. But I can't give anything away yet- you'll just have to stay tuned.

Oh, and I almost forgot- Kitty has a happy new home with my neighbors. I figured someone would take her in, she's so sweet. And I still get to see her. Their 3 year old is totally thrilled. He had been begging his parents for a pet for weeks- ever since I started letting him play with Jager.

Something inside me wants to be a total redneck and get married here....but only in overalls.

Even though my day has been a recipe for total disaster, happiness abounds. I'm in a great mood, and there seems to be some balance somewhere in the universe. I am at peace. And sleepy.

-t

Vivaaaaaaa....

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Originally uploaded by tjayswift.

Well, here I am. Haven't had a chance to do anything that's been much fun yet. I only worked 16 hours today... just getting in. We nearly burned the whole convention center down when an electrical box gave out on us, but all was well in the end.

Looks like today wasn't the best day at the Gap- the annual 'Busa Bash was there, and a few accidents with injuries were reported. Careful out there, folks. It's way too easy to ride beyond your skills when you're on a big bike in an unfamiliar place with friends to keep up with and/or impress. More details in the Deal's Gap forum at easttnriders.com.

We're supposed to get out and get into some nightlife some next week, so look for a more interesting update then.

Till next time,

-t

Eat, Sleep, Ride, and Pay Taxes

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Originally uploaded by tjayswift.

Saturday:

Woke up early, got into the leathers. My friend "stuffperson" turned me on to some new roads, particularly hwy 360. Ate at Hardee's while I was on a conference call with work. Rode on up to the Gap, and there was only one popo down by the lake. He had a red Mustang pulled over. Oh, and thanks for the heads up, MotoMinx and PJ. Greatly appreciated. Nice hair, by the way.

I heard of two separate accidents while I was up there today, neither one very serious. The first one was a member of the EastTennesseeRiders board. Glad to hear you're okay, Esquire.

The second one happened just as I was leaving. The only report I got from the riders coming back down (which may or may not be accurate) were that it was a red Honda, and that the rider got back up and rode on. Good onya, dude. You're a trooper.



Crashing sucks, and I hope I never ever have to deal with it again. I couldn't really find my groove for most of today, as there was a lot of traffic, and a lot of lunatics. The RX-7 group was HUGE... mostly well-behaved, but my buddy Matt did report having one slide around a turn using half of his lane... and just so you guys know, car and moto operators alike, this is NOT cool, and we WILL start catching you when you stop and letting you know about it. So keep it between the mustard and the mayonaise, please. :D

Despite not really feeling all that comfortable on the bike today, I did manage to drag a peg once. (!) Serves as a good reminder to get my ass out of the seat more before I hurt myself.



When I got back home, I went and had my taxes done. After the royal butt-raping (-$1400) I got from the IRS last year, I didn't want to take any chances by doing them myself. And guess what??

THIRTY-FIVE DAMN DOLLARS.

That was my refund. And it only cost me $50 to have them done. Hell, I guess I should be thanking Uncle Sam for not taking me to the cleaners again... When I got to the part where I got to choose a check in the mail or direct deposit, I kept looking for the check box that said, "You know what, you can keep it. Just stick my 'refund' up your star-spangled ass," but I couldn't seem to find it.

Maybe next year, I should start claiming all those kids. Oh, wait. Child support. Dammit. There seems to be no way to win, folks.

Leaving in the morning for Sin City. And I promise not to forget my camera this time.... And thanks to all the people who have stopped by the site. Your support is appreciated. Y'all have a good 'un.


... and before I start getting hate mail- I was just kidding about the kids. All except for two of them.


-t

Another Great Day at the Gap

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Originally uploaded by tjayswift.

Yesterday was phenonemal. I cut out from work a little early (shhh, don't tell anybody), and headed back up to Deal's Gap. Saw a few members of the easttnriders.com board, and made a few of the smoothest, quickest passes I've made to date.

I'm still not so sure about the GSX-R, it's got just a little bit too much motor for me, at least in the tight twisties up there. But I am getting much more comfortable with it, and my corner speeds are improving by leaps and bounds as a result.

Monday night went well at Brackin's, I played with Neal and an old friend Brad who showed up. Mucho fun-o. Not sure if I'll be playing tonight or not, I have a lot to do in preparation for the trip to Vegas.

And the bike's calling my name....


-t

Home.... for now

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Originally uploaded by tjayswift.

Yesterday was a big day for me. Firefighter Jake and I met up for a group ride with the East TN Riders. We had over 40 bikes show up, which is a pretty good turnout for us. We hit up some beautiful roads, ate some good food, and just generally kicked it and mingled.

Then Firefighter Jake and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and slay some fish. We went back to his house and loaded up the boat and tackle. The fishing wasn't really too good, mainly because of the high winds and the water being so murky due to recent rains. Jake caught a crappie that nearly swallowed his favorite lure, "Ol' Trusty." And trust me- he would've cut that fish open in a heartbeat to retrieve his lure... he's quite attached to it. It's all good though, I will make those fish pay next time!!

Tonight is acoustic night at Brackin's. Come on out and sing cheesy 80's songs with us. I promise it's a lot more fun than it sounds.

-t