Lazerfest 2.0

My long time friend, Dan Smith, owns Robins Wood Oven Grill (EAT THERE!) and the associated Prime Time Catering (HIRE THEM!). He has been getting quite a few rock show catering gigs lately including Kid Rock and now Lazerfest 2.0 (if its too loud you're too old mahn). He needed some extra help and asked me.

I was a



*** edit - this is a picture of a gopher - Jackie looked at it and said, "You were a groundhog?"

and a



*** edit - this is a picture of a pack mule. Jackie looked at it and said, "You were an ass?" Gotta love her, she keeps me grounded.

and a



The show was headlined by Stone Temple Pilots, otherwise known as STP. All the bands have these coolers, some for the dressing rooms, some for the stage. Here's STP's dressing room cooler. Note to all wanna-be rock stars out there -- Lean Pockets are sooooo rock and roll.



There were supposedly 15k people there. I don't know it looked like alot.



We went up one of the side ramps the roadies use to get equipment on and off the stage. As I snapped a picture of the band Dan said, "some bands get funny about people taking pictures". I said, "well, if she gets to take pictures so do I." Dan explained she was probably taking a little different kind of pictures. Oh yeah. I bet she likes Lean Pockets too.



I saw several of the band members back stage, but only really recognized the lead singer from Staind. I got to sneak out to watch the popular songs from Filter and Hinder. By the time Staind came on we were wrapping things up. I stayed around after the rest of the catering crew left to watch the last third of the Staind set, but I couldn't even last to watch STP. I had been going non stop since 6:30 a.m. and I was beat. It was a lot of fun though. Rock on Lean Pockets. When I say "LEAN!", you say "POCKETS!" Ready? "LEAN".........

My Dog Has a Shirt

How did this happen?

Oh yeah, I cut a hole in my dog.

As foreseen consequences to my butchery I expected scorn, ridicule, to possibly be driven from the village. I didn't expect my dog to get a shirt -- but he did.

He loves it. Hims fancy.

It says "Alpha Dog" on it, which is a label that does not accurately describe its contents. It is an XL and he looks poured into it, like some Chris Farley sketch.

You have to understand, Captain already thinks he's human. He gravitates to pillows, blankets and towels like he's one of us. He will even con Jackie into blow drying him (on the cool setting of course) once in awhile.

Now he has a shirt. He's thinking "Oh yeah baby --- I'm human."

We're doomed.

Dogs Are Not Paper Snowflakes

I cut a hole in my dog.

I did it.

I feel horrible about it. He doesn't seem to notice much.

No, I'm not posting a picture of it. Crazed PETA hippies would cart me away.

On Sunday I was trying to do something like groom the dog, but it didn't work out that way. I was using the clippers, but they don't work well on the long thick fur under his chin and on his chest. Katie was helping me, holding his head up gently. I took some scissors and was cutting away the fur on his chest. I noticed a small spot where I had taken off the fur down to the skin. Katie and I both laughed and she said, "he'll feel a little breeze". Then I noticed a patch higher up, on his shoulder where more fur --- and a little skin (cringe!) --- was conspicously absent.

I hate even typing about it.

I think I cut off a thin slice but, becuase I was pulling fur upward to cut, he got it when his skin was stretched making a small slice bigger. You know, kinda like when you cut a little corner off the paper to make a snowflake. Only, mine didn't make a snowflake it made a hole in my dog.

He didn't wince, yelp, cry......nothing. He just looks at you with this blank doggie stare that makes you imagine him saying "Why did you cut a hole in me? I'm just a dog".

It didn't bleed much and he let me put salve right on it like it was nothing. The next morning it was a little bloody, I think he had been scratching it. Jackie says if it doesn't get better in a couple of days I will have to take him to the vet and explain to the ladies at Avondale how my dog wound up with a hole in him. That won't be pretty. C'mon Cappy you can heal it up right? 1-2-3 HEAL. No, not "heel" I mean "heal". Oh, nevermind.

For whatever it is worth he seems to be none-worse-for-the-wear. We have started doing some trail running in the mornings and he took off yesterday like he had been shot out of a cannon looking for rabbits or squirrels or deer to chase.

I still feel like the worst person ever. I won't be making my fortune as a dog groomer that's for sure. I could make you a nice snowflake though - out of paper.