Blog Archive

Monday, January 23, 2006

Last night was just bizarre...

Last night was just bizarre...

Current mood:indescribable

What a strange night...and not even a full moon. I called and gave my notice to my Sunday employer to let him know I was taking a new job on Sundays in February. I went on to the place, and you know how everything can seem darker when you are blinded by the light at the end of the tunnel?

Seems many people have been complaining about the Sunday night venue, and last night was one of those epiphanys as to why...seems like all the troublemakers were there last night, and I was just too sober to enjoy dealing with it.

At one point I literally just shut everything off and put my feet up while onstage on my stool and waited for anyone to notice. People were just being so rude and arrogant, and when a fight almost broke out, that was when I shut down. Then, when I fired up, I just played slow peaceful songs to see if anyone would get it. When I would sing, people would just come up and start talking , or try to take my mic...and all types of other disrespect.

I thought maybe I was being sensitive since I had already given my notice, but I checked with a couple of patrons and they assured me that it wasnt me, that everyones assholeishness was in overdrive. I saw a lot of issues that I really did not like seeing, and I was weary of being a babysitter more than a KJ/DJ. Like I told Kevin, I am not an artist but I do require some semblance of appreciation or I would just as soon turn on the juke box and go home. At 1:00 when I shut down, then everybody wanted something from me with no regards for me...so I just packed up that much faster. Once all my stuff was in the van I could breathe easier. While I was singing, MarLa got a great shot of me tearing my flyer off of the wall ceremoniously...and I really enjoyed singing Creep by Radiohead and changing the words...the handful of people who caught the changes were laughing with me..

I really dont want to be there anymore. I am going to call to see if I can be replaced ASAP. I am dealing with too many QUALITY folks a week to subject myself to this.

Thanks to all my friends who were there last night to get me thru it...I was pretty close to freaking out in a calm way, but you all being there made the difference. Just seeing the empathy in your eyes when I looked over in frustration got me thru.

On a positive...here is a repost of a bulletin I just posted:

An exclusive release to MySpace...

For my local friends and followers, I am giving up Smiles on Sunday. My reasons for this are many and varied...as many of you know, but the main reason is that I was offerred a position that I could not say no to...and I think you will approve...

EFFECTIVE SUNDAY FEB 12 (That is the Sunday following the super bowl) you can get your Harryoke fix from 5pm to 9pm at the Shark House on A-1-A...right on Beverly Beach! That is just a few miles N. of Finnegans and a few miles S. of the Parkway...right on the beach!! They have great food and accomodations, the hours are great, and it is non smoking for those of you who get choked out... I am going to be a perfect fit at the Shark House...all of the employees already come to my shows, the new owners are friends of mine and most of the singers there already know and like my show, but dont come to the smoking venues, or like the later shows, so this is going to be a hell of a popular show on Sundays.

I will be making a public announcement probably next week, but I wanted the MySpacers to be the first to know, as you all so dilligently support me, and I love ya for that. The rumor has been out that there was a change happening, and this is the confirmation.

I wish everyone at Smiles the best...I will probably still be there until the 5th, unless I can find a replacement before then...we will see. Plan on my being there to the 5th unless I post otherwise.

Thanks Again!!

Harry

SCHED EFFECTIVE 2.12.06:
Sunday - Shark House 5-9
Monday - Mothers 9
Tues - Finnegans Daytona 9
Wed.- Finnegans Beachside 9
Th - Finnegans Beachside 9
Fri - Halifax Plantation 8

Sunday, January 8, 2006

The Defeated continue to be mocked...but I am a FANCY man!

The Defeated continue to be mocked...but I am a FANCY man!

Current mood:bitchy

I disposed of my intentions to work on the car today. It is arguably the nicest day of the year...unbelievably great weather.

I was awakened by Loris daughter calling to say her car would not start and where should she go to ... buy a battery.

Now, #1, I know she did not need a battery, so I had to get thru to her that she did not need a battery, she needed someone with some mechanical aptitude to diagnose this properly before the cash started flowing uselessly...

#2, I was aggravated because she still has not gotten a AAA card for road service, and as is always the case in domestic emergency situations, a lack of planning on someone elses part becomes my responsibility.

#3...I know her car has a history with...a loose side post terminal. SIGH! I HATE THESE FU***** THINGS!!!!

We make the long drive over and I assess that the terminal is loose, but I cant tighten it because it is stripped. (See a theme here?). I figure I will get it tight enough to start the truck then get it to my house where I can fix it properly. After many futile attempts, she informs me that "It started last night when the cop jump started us...." . So now I know the battery is dead, so I will have to jump start it, but it wont jump start it because there is no connection, so everything that does not involve fixing that connection is futile. I cannot fix the connection because the bolt is of a specialty size due to the number of connections to the post (ie longer than the bolt I could get for 50 cents at the corner store) and it is sunday morning....

So after many expletives and the clock ticking, I tell them I am done and to do what a FANCY man like me would have done in the first place...call a tow truck and take it to a mechanic and get it done correctly without me having to get my FANCY hands dirty. Keep in mind, my wick is very short after yesterday, and I am doing all I can not to have a meltdown.

The tow truck is called, meanwhile her male friends are showing up thinking they are going to assess it better than me and thinking it is ridiculous to have to tow the truck for this problem. Not ridiculous to a fancy man like me, LOL! I played that card, telling Lori that I was a fancy man and in a station of my life not to have to get my hands dirty doing more than writing a check to someone else to do this. LOL! That was kind of funny, but not too far from how I really feel.

Tow truck shows up and we drop it at the mechanic...it is now 2pm and I get to start my wonderful sunday...and I have to work tonight.

I told Lori if anything happens to her car or my van in the next day in regard to batteries, I just may have a meltdown...and I really mean it. I am sick of car repairs and electrical system problems, especially those compunded by the poor design of sidepost terminals. The tow truck driver thought he was gonna fix it too, and I told him what the problem was, and he said "I hate those side post terminals". Duh, LOL!

AAAAHHHHHHRRRRGGGHHHH!


Saturday, January 7, 2006

I Am Admitting Defeat...Carma Continues...

I Am Admitting Defeat...Carma Continues...

Current mood:drained

There was nothing wrong with Loris car. An opportunity arose to get a good deal on a newer one and we took it. This left us with her car here...figured I would keep it and maybe drive it for awhile.

The battery died. Easy enough. BAH! I have NEVER had so many issues changing a damned battery as I have on this. I literally let the car sit for 2 months until I could find the time to work on it. That time was this morning.

Whoever designed side post terminals should be euthanized and all side post terminals should be removed. The cute little nut holding the terminal on strips out so nicely. And it was stripped...and there was not enough cable to cut the terminal off and start properly...and there was a body brace over the battery that needed to be removed...

Then the bracket holding the battery in was rusted and the nuts popped right off...leaving the rusted stud... This is where I walked away 2 months ago...

So I go out today to drill it out to no avail...got a hacksaw and chopped the terminal off. There is no room to work and I got acid all over me. For such a big car, there is no space for the battery at all...it is shoehorned in there.

My back is now throbbing from being bent over...I install a top terminal post to free myself from sidepost hell.

Go to the store and buy a battery, and they do not have a top post that will fit that car, so I have to buy new side post terminals and re-do my recent handiwork.

After fumbling around trying to get the cables on for about a half hour, squeezing the battery in and rigging a book underneath the battery to keep the rusted stud from damaging the new battery, I think I am getting close to done.

I start the car, it starts right up and I am pleased...until it stalls. Then I go back in to start it and I dont even know what the sound I heard is. This happened several times...and the car would not start. I am pretty sure the starter is fried. Of course now it just clicks.

I am in pain...greasy, dirty and have acid on me...and I am lighter in the wallet for the battery, and wasted a perfectly good morning...on a car I dont even drive or have registered...and I cant even sell it if it does not run or start.

Now is the time to see me if you need a car...it can be gotten cheaply. I am defeated for now.