This picture is one I'm not crazy about. While it's not an insult to bass drummers, they typically aren't as technically proficient as snare drummers or trips or quads in marching bands. They do outrank the cymbal players, but sometimes the cymbal players are hawt. I was asked to play bass drum this particular year because of sheer size. Look how strong I look there! The other dudes on the drumline for the elementary school band were too small to carry it. I was pissed, but what are you going to do? It's actually the only parade in my life where I played bass drum instead of snare. This picture is dated Memorial Day May 25, 1981. Fun times. Not sure what my parents did as the back of the picture states that while I marched in one parade, Still A Sis there was in the Jr. High Band and they marched in another. Makes me want to go to a local parade tomorrow. I just might.
This picture is from September 1981 and my Mom wrote on it "Finally Got His Wish". She got that right. I don't remember one thing about this set other than it was mine and I beat the living hell out of it. A classic 5-piece with only one cymbal. Future pictures show that for Christmas that year I received a new pedal, 2 Camber Cymbals and 2 stands. Also clear Remo heads. I like the fact that I'm wearing Pony sneeks in this one. Again, we've seen it before but look at that carpet!
Christmas 1981 and what male my age didn't at one time own one of these bad boys? I had the Steelers versus the Cowboys. I played with two brothers up the street. The one ended up kicking for the High School team and then my college team. We lived in the same house for 3 years in college. Did anyone ever figure out how to pass with this game? The ball came out so fast we could never keep track of it. Plus, you'd be playing in the living room and throw a pass to Swann - and it would hit him (maybe) and then you couldn't find the damn ball. It would be three rooms over. We would always decide before the game if we would allow passing or not. I'd love to find a set of the Steelers from this game and put them on display.
Wine: The Gateway Drink. I was 13 plus when this was taken, more than 7 years from legal drinking age. Still A Dad....what were you thinking? At least I was rocking the Steelers shirt. I know this can't be the first time I had a sip...well, maybe of wine. Still A Dad started grooming me for drinking beer by giving me little sips here and there. I think he just liked to see my face go sour. He would mow the lawn and be having a cold one (Miller's?) over the fence with Nick our neighbor and I would ask for a sip and it was granted. Still A Mom would shoot an evil eye if she saw it. I'm still not much of a beer drinker. I really have to be in the mood to get even buzzed from beer as I get full very fast from it. I had two last night with my chinese takeout after working in the bathroom all day but I prefer vodka when out at a bar. I would guess in the last 10 years the 10 days I've had the most beer are all Steelers Tailgate parties or poker games I throw at the house.
This one Dog will love as we talk about this band all the time. It's a local fire company band that has some rich history....I believe dating back to WWI. There is typically an age or size you have to be to join so the uniform will fit but Dog was in the band prior to me and had a superb rapport with the director so Dog's father actually had a talk with the director about me and got me in. The shirts wouldn't fit me yet so I had to just buy a blue shirt that kind of matched and I didn't at first march in any parades that were competitive because of it. On this day we were playing at a memorial service at Crawford's Cabin which was on my paper route. I took the daily paper to that house in the background. I believe Dog covered the history of the Cabin in a prior post and really went deep by describing the battle of Jumonville. This was a non-paying gig at the cabin so attendance was light.
This picture is one I'm not crazy about. While it's not an insult to bass drummers, they typically aren't as technically proficient as snare drummers or trips or quads in marching bands. They do outrank the cymbal players, but sometimes the cymbal players are hawt. I was asked to play bass drum this particular year because of sheer size. Look how strong I look there! The other dudes on the drumline for the elementary school band were too small to carry it. I was pissed, but what are you going to do? It's actually the only parade in my life where I played bass drum instead of snare. This picture is dated Memorial Day May 25, 1981. Fun times. Not sure what my parents did as the back of the picture states that while I marched in one parade, Still A Sis there was in the Jr. High Band and they marched in another. Makes me want to go to a local parade tomorrow. I just might.
This picture is from September 1981 and my Mom wrote on it "Finally Got His Wish". She got that right. I don't remember one thing about this set other than it was mine and I beat the living hell out of it. A classic 5-piece with only one cymbal. Future pictures show that for Christmas that year I received a new pedal, 2 Camber Cymbals and 2 stands. Also clear Remo heads. I like the fact that I'm wearing Pony sneeks in this one. Again, we've seen it before but look at that carpet!
Christmas 1981 and what male my age didn't at one time own one of these bad boys? I had the Steelers versus the Cowboys. I played with two brothers up the street. The one ended up kicking for the High School team and then my college team. We lived in the same house for 3 years in college. Did anyone ever figure out how to pass with this game? The ball came out so fast we could never keep track of it. Plus, you'd be playing in the living room and throw a pass to Swann - and it would hit him (maybe) and then you couldn't find the damn ball. It would be three rooms over. We would always decide before the game if we would allow passing or not. I'd love to find a set of the Steelers from this game and put them on display.
Wine: The Gateway Drink. I was 13 plus when this was taken, more than 7 years from legal drinking age. Still A Dad....what were you thinking? At least I was rocking the Steelers shirt. I know this can't be the first time I had a sip...well, maybe of wine. Still A Dad started grooming me for drinking beer by giving me little sips here and there. I think he just liked to see my face go sour. He would mow the lawn and be having a cold one (Miller's?) over the fence with Nick our neighbor and I would ask for a sip and it was granted. Still A Mom would shoot an evil eye if she saw it. I'm still not much of a beer drinker. I really have to be in the mood to get even buzzed from beer as I get full very fast from it. I had two last night with my chinese takeout after working in the bathroom all day but I prefer vodka when out at a bar. I would guess in the last 10 years the 10 days I've had the most beer are all Steelers Tailgate parties or poker games I throw at the house.
This one Dog will love as we talk about this band all the time. It's a local fire company band that has some rich history....I believe dating back to WWI. There is typically an age or size you have to be to join so the uniform will fit but Dog was in the band prior to me and had a superb rapport with the director so Dog's father actually had a talk with the director about me and got me in. The shirts wouldn't fit me yet so I had to just buy a blue shirt that kind of matched and I didn't at first march in any parades that were competitive because of it. On this day we were playing at a memorial service at Crawford's Cabin which was on my paper route. I took the daily paper to that house in the background. I believe Dog covered the history of the Cabin in a prior post and really went deep by describing the battle of Jumonville. This was a non-paying gig at the cabin so attendance was light.
4 comments:
How DARE someone Spam your early years!
You can tell you were born to play the drums... you even had drumsticks coming out your shirt sleeves!
(sorry)
We used to love that football game. I believe we had the Packers/Browns edition. And we NEVER passed... it was just pointless to even try.
You should have done individual posts for most of these photos. I can't focus on posting a coherent comment!
Far as I know you had to be either 14 and going into HS or 15 years old to play in the fireman's band. I was 14 when I started playing.
Tony Ruvo was actually the youngest member ever. He started when he was 10 I think. He got in because he was a prodigal student of the director's. He was also a percussionist and could play all the parts so nobody cared. My father definitely put in the word for you. But I think because Tony did so well he was receptive to taking on a young drummer bssed on a valued personal recommendation.
I'm thinking you got me to play that electric football with you once. I kept trying to explain to you that the game was garbage (even though we all wasted part of our youth trying to make it work). That's when I told you to play NFL Strategy, which was an excellent football game. And I know you came up to my house and played NFL Strategy with me on numerous occasions.
thanks bluz. that stick now weighs about 195.
Post a Comment