My first ‘event’ in quite a while, the TOUGH MUDDER in December.  Myself and a few guys from work are teaming up to experience what is “probably the toughest event on the planet“.

That is their advertising slogan anyway 🙂

Hey, I’m sure it sells entries, but 12 miles, 21 obstacles, average time 2 and a half hours?  I don’t care if it’s designed by British Special Forces or the Devil himself, I have a very hard time believing this is going to be anything more than a very fun diversion, playing in the mud, climbing on monkey bars,  running through fire, what a cool way to spend a couple hours!

www.toughmudder.com

Below are a few details of the upcoming fun.  A map of the course and a description of the 21 obstacles ( well, 20 of them anyway).  Click the picture for fullsize.

December 4th in Tampa!  Bring on the mud, ice, fire, ropes, logs, walls, water cannons, WHATEVER!

Dr. Robert Spetzler of Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ  is considered a pioneer in his field and one of the best neurological surgeons in the world.   He has authored hundreds of articles and developed tools and techniques that have changed and improved the neurosurgical techniques being used today.    He’s not good at what he does, he’s the BEST at what he does and is breaking new ground for those following him.    Have you ever joked at work “This isn’t brain surgery”?  He can’t say that, and I seriously doubt they bother with the “It’s not Rocket Science” thing at BNI.  His patients are referred from all over the world, often to handle the difficult cases that other surgeons may not be comfortable attempting.

Tamara flew out of Orlando this morning to Phoenix.  This Friday, Dr. Spetzler will be removing a Cavernous Malformation from the medulla oblongata area of her brain, the lower part of the brain stem.

http://www.thebarrow.org

www.thebarrow.org/Neurological_Services/Aneurysms_and_Cerebrovascular_Disorders/203377

As serious as this is, and it is extremely serious or she would not be there, she knows she has the best of the best taking care of her, as do I.

We expect to be home late next week.  Of course, we’re saying prayers, and thinking positive thoughts, but it sure is good to know a physician with this man’s credentials is on this case.  He KNOWS what he is doing.  We have no doubt of that.

Try as I might with all my athletic endeavers to impress her, I just can’t get the upper hand.  “Yea, you’ve done 3 Badwaters and whatever else… big deal, have 3 babies and brain surgery, then come talk to me about tough, Mr.”  I’m not going to argue that for a second.

I love you honey, all is going to be fine.

Yesterday after work we had a Corporate 10k Relay race.   Teams of two to four runners or walkers do 1.55 mile loops.

When I got home afterwards, this was waiting for me on the front door… (click for full size)

Front door when I got home.

VERY COOL!  Thanks Familia!

Tamara, William and I went to see Tommy Emmanuel in concert at the Plaza in Orlando last night.  Oh my gosh! That guy is amazing.   Acoustic Guitar like you’ve NEVER heard.       They both LOVED it, it’s hard to impress William sometimes, but there was no doubt about it this time.

I’ve had several of his albums for a while, but to see him play this stuff live is simply amazing.    I bought these tickets way back in October when they first when on sale and we had GREAT seats, 3rd row, SUPER close.   You could see everything he was doing, well kind of, it was pretty fast, and the sounds he gets from his guitars don’t really seem possible.   I’ll definitely go back to see if if the opportunity arises.

Let me re-phrase ‘Great Seats’, they were in a great viewing and listening area for the venue, but THE SEATS IN THE PLAZA IN ORLANDO ARE ABSOLUTLEY HORRIBLE.  They are worse than any high school auditorium, or public venue I have ever seen.   I don’t think I’ve EVER been anywhere with such tiny, crammed together seating as this place.  TINY TINY metal chairs, no arm-rest, and about 10 inches from the seat in front of you.     You could not possibly leave your seat without having everyone else in the row actually leave the row.  I’m not a big guy, nor was the guy sitting next to me,  but we were shoulder against shoulder.

I’m honestly not sure I’ll back to the Plaza with their current setup.   IT was only an absolutely incredible performance by Tommy Emmanuel, that made the night a grand success.   So remeber, TOMMY EMMANUEL… if you get the chance to see him, GO!

My first guitar builds where I built the body from scratch.  Building a old school Butterscotch Blonde Blackguard style Telecaster with pine and one from Cedar that will have a clear natural finish…

For the Blackguard I’m using Fender Blonde color, then amber/yellow tint on top of that..

Still have some sanding/cleanup on the cedar before I start clearing coating it.

It’s like this now, waiting for clear/tinted clear

But it started like this…

Here with Reranch  Fender Blonde applied…  This is NOT Butterscotch Blonde, it’s Blonde and actually is whiter than this pic looks.

Next comes various concoctions of color to get the neck tint and ‘aged’ Butterscotch to simulate 50 years of smokey bars, sun and yellowed lacquer…

It’s getting there,  but I have to decide when enough is enough.  This is pretty close to exactly what I want, I think I’m going to shoot some clear, then some LIGHTLY tinted clear.   Same for the neck, I’m going to do clear, then decal, then tinted lacquer and clear till it’s right.

I have some sanding and prep before I shoot clear on the cedar, but when I wipe it down it really looks pretty.  With a nice polished clear over it, it should come out nice.

What a cool birthday present I got from my family today.    Tickets to see Joe Bonamassa at the Plaza Theater!!!

I’ve got a couple of his CD’s and really like them.  He’s in his 30’s now, was a child prodigy guitar player, opening for BB King when he was 12 years old, etc.   Electric blues guitar, but he puts a pretty heavy Rock slant to it.  Really good stuff.

In any event, he’s coming to Orlando in November, and I get to go see him, Thanks Tam/Em/Will/Ash!!!!

I’ve currently only got two of his CD’s but that’s about all I’ve been listening to lately, ‘The Ballad of John Henry’ and “Blues Deluxe”

His DVD from a performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London looks pretty cool, trailer below.

Happy New Year!!!   This is our New Years Card, if you didn’t get one in the mail, I’ve probably lost your address, so send it to me!

This weekend was the annual, neighborhood Tennessee/Florida party.  Our neighbors, (and most of their friends) are Tennessee fans, their son, Terry, played for the Vols at one time.  So a couple hundred people, a pig cooked in the ground all night long, and TONS of other food, about 8 big screen TV’s, music, karaoke, games, well, it was a party.   As the night wore on, and the band was playing, they asked William if he wanted to play some guitar.  I missed some of the first part, but got most of it, though it’s on my digital camera and the sound is aweful.   It was all spur of the moment, so he didn’t have any written music or anything planned, he just played a few things he knew from memory.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh4pJj96q48

Then Ashley and Emily got Mandy all duded up in Tennessee colors to give pony rides to the children.  They had a great time, and got a lot of laughs with their ‘Gator Entrance’ billboard on Mandy’s butt.  Don’t get me wrong, we’re Gator fans, but in honor of our friends, we let Mandy represent the Vols.  (click the photo for fullsize)