Chicago, new CD's and a pair of snares

Welcome to my blog. Hello Jeff. Hi Rob. Greeting people from the planet Xeri. Weel i am typing this again because i just found out the nasty way that my battery back up does NOT work. Fun. Joy. a blast if you will. Soooooooo, as i have already heard me say, Rob, Craig and his brother Curt went to the Chicago Auto Show. all in all, a fairly dull show. a couple of good things but a can't say that it was the most memorable time that i have ever had. Maybe next year we will hit up Detroit instead. I think that the 2 things that i liked the best were the Toyota FJ Cruiser and the new Jeep 4 door Wrangler. still not in love with thier looks but the more of them i see, they are growing on me. I still love the GTI's but i really miss 4 wheel drive.
Okay, for my birthday, from family, i got lots of gift cards and i got some to Best Buy and i got on there web site to do a little pregame shopping. happened to find the John Mayer Trio (yeah yeah yeah, i am gay. ha ha ha) Found it for $7.99 and free shipping. sent to my door for around 8 and a 1/2 bucks. thats a good buy.This is a great CD. This i the kind of band that i want to be in. 1 amazing guitar / vocalsist, one insane bassist, and one of the finest drummers. it is a live CD which i am always a big fan of. this is just really great stuff. another Hendrix cover that to me isn't as solid as Axis but still very good. Hard blues rock with a great feel. good stuff. i give it a 4 1/2 out of 5. Contiuum i would give a 4 out of 5. i can't say that everyone would love it, but it worth a listen. another gift card hooked me up with the Beatles: LOVE cd. this is the show going on in Vegas that was on when Jeff and i were out there, but we weren't spending the $185 on a ticket to see it. we should have, but we didn't. the cd is a good Beatles CD for people who are not really Beatles fans. is covers the basis of Beatles songs, never in there original length though. most of the songs are combined with another song. it is good. easy to put in the CD player and just let go. i can't say that it will get a lot of time in the car unless i need a fix. good for work. someone will always come by and tell you a Beatles story. all in all, i give it a 3 1/2 out of 5.
Next topic, snare drums. i am in the process of building my second snare. My first one was a cobalt blue 4.5" x 13" maple whip cracker nicknamed Blue Balls. this thing has bite, but unfortunatly it has one really good purpose. to be tuned up so tight, that it breaks through all noise at ear peircing volume and frequency. that is fun and all but i wanted to have something that i could call my workhorse. so i am making the all purpose 6 1/2" x 14" maple snare. i just got in my 8 tube lugs and last weekend i predrlled my holes for those. i only go halfway through so i don't have to cork them for the spray painting process. I will use the Metallic Brass color with chrome fixtures. i still need to order strainer and the butt plate (huh huh) before i can paint. While i was working on that, i got a call from Doug saying he needed me for the review of a snare that he has built and wants to produce for sales at Guitar Centers. it is a acrylic snare, 7" x 13" clear. This is a NICE snare. i was thrilled that he asked me. i gave my rave review. this is a snare that i would order in a heartbeat. looks great and sounds even better. i will look forward to helping out in everyway possible to get this snare up and running for him. start the assembly line folks. this could do very well. When Doug sits me down and tune this snare he adjust the strainer and makes the snare work perfectly for 3 settings. big rock to funk. it's amazing what an ear he has. Luke, he is my father. he is a watch and learn kind of guy. most grateful to have him around.