I’ve got a pretty good job working for a real good company.  Better yet, I have got some really good employees.  I wasn’t able to get out until this morning, but I’ve had employees make it to the store, to do what they could, clean a path into the lot and help people even though our computers were down.  Our truck driver loaded at the factory in Waterloo, Iowa on Monday morning, then picked up a baler at Ottumwa, IA and made it back to Kearny, MO by Monday night.  He is still at that same truckstop tonight and will finally get to roll in the morning.  His attitude has been good on the phone, but I can tell that he is tired of reading books, watching DVDs and wishes there was something other than a Taco Bell nearby.  I’m ready for him to get home, so he can be with his family.  

     On a down note, a blizzard makes you NOT want to answer your phone.  People wanting to rent a tractor to clean their drive.  Should have thought about that before!  I only have two tractors with loaders on the lot.  One is a 1979 4440 and the other a 1985 4450.  Both very good tractors, but I’m not going to rent a 30 year old tractor to somebody that doesn’t usually operate a tractor.  Common sense–$250 to rent the tractor to somebody that might cause $5,000 worth of problems.  The ones with warranty are already rented out to good customers and I won’t rent a brand new one.  I’d sell them a new one, but I’m not renting an older one.  We are in the business to sell equipment.  It amazes me that they want to get pissy when I tell them I won’t rent them one, but to call a couple of rental places.  Hhmm?  They didn’t have anything either and that is their business.  I’m probably stupid for not using employees/myself and our equipment to go clean drives and parking lots, but we had enough of our own problems to deal with.  

     On a positive note, when it snows, it means I get to spend a lot of time in a new Deere track skid steer clearing the lot and loading dock.  Those things are way FUN to operate.  It’s kind of like being a kid playing with really cool toys. Plus, while I’m in one of those, I don’t answer the phone.  AWESOME!!  

     Throw in some really good customers to go along with the cool equipment and I enjoy going to work most days.  It is different than my previous profession.  It doesn’t eat me up mentally.  I can either make the sale/trade or I can’t.  I don’t have to make a pile of money on the sale or the trade, but I’m not going to lose any.  

     Ag teaching was like a roller coaster.  The highs were unbelievably high.  I’m talking Lynyrd Skynyrd “Free Bird” high.  And the lows were blown speakers, dead batteries, kind of like a repeated kick in the nuts low.  And the lows happen more often than the highs.  But like the word of the day on oklahomashowgoats.com–addiction–I still miss the highs.  And the highs weren’t winning stock shows.

     Speaking of employment, why in the hell would anybody want to be a county commissioner?  On a good day, nobody is bitching.  During a blizzard, jeeminy, everybody thinks you aren’t doing crap.  Who ever tells your county commissioner, “Good Job”?  I’ve got no complaints with our local grader/snow plow operater, otherwise I woudn’t have made it to work today.  

     I did hear a story about a cattle rancher at Shattuck hiring a neighbor with a tractor and a dozer blade to clear several miles into a pasture to check cows/calves.  The dozer tractor got stuck.  So, they hooked a chain to the 4wd pickup to pull it out.  Guess what?  Now the pickup was stuck also.  So, little brother Daniel roaded a John Deere 5065E front wheel assist tractor about 6 miles to pull the pickup out and then pull the dozer tractor out.  Too bad, he wasn’t close to Fargo so he could have pulled me out when I got stuck.  

Frozen is the first thing that comes to mind.  

I am trying to thaw out after thawing out barn doors, breaking ice off the rails so that I could slide the barn doors open and shoveling paths from the house to various barns. Duke and I might have also dug a snow cavern.   I was already wet and frozen from a previous digging expedition.

February

We ended up with somewhere between 15 & 20 inches of snow Sunday night through Monday night and a PILE of wind to keep it moving around.  Huge drifts.  Add that total to other two snows that added up to 12″ and we got some moisture during this month.

Feed is another important word.  

I have kept feed and hay in front of all of the stock during this ordeal.  There is a group of does and Dozer in the big barn that aren’t even aware that there has been a blizzard.  It has stayed warm, wind free and dry in there.  And of course, the Free loader does act like they need more hay as they are crapping and pissing on hay that they didn’t clean up earlier.  The wethers are living in the big barn also.  Their boxes were dry, but the wind finally forced the drifts around the south side of their barn.  

Fahrenheit, as in 140 degrees water.  We have a tankless hot water heater.  It works great.  Until snow and ice cover the ventilation inlet & outlet and keep it from running.  It took me awhile to figure out the problem.  I just had to go outside and break ice off the vent anytime we wanted some water with some heat to it.

F-ed.  I have used this word a lot the past 36 hours.  More than usual.

I was plum F-ed this morning.  After breaking ice from doors, I got the tractor out and busted a big F-ing drift on the north side of the barn.  I made it around the house and broke several more drifts.  Then I got the F-ing brilliant idea to try to make it down the road towards the blacktop.  At that point, I was F-ed.  I managed to get a 75 hp front wheel assist tractor stuck in a 5′ drift.  So I got Dad’s cold-blooded 4640 out of the barn, dang near got it stuck (twice) and managed to break three chains-F-F-F!!!  So I dug it out by hand.  That took some time, some cussing, some patience (which I don’t have much to begin with) and determination.  Duke stayed on top of the drift and scooped snow away that I brought out from under the tractor. I was high-centered.  Basically, I was F-ed.

Food.  The Dragon Lady hasn’t had anything else to do but prepare food.  Lemon Poppy muffins, chocolate chip cookies, chicken fried steaks w/ mashed potatoes & gravy, bread, spaghetti, and we have another day or so until we get out of this deal.  

We’ve kept power.  Lost tv and internet for most of Monday.  I don’t think I have any Frostbite yet, but I’m not done.  I hope everyone else is safe and warm.  

     Well, we wanted/needed moisture.  We are getting it.  Two really nice snow falls the past two weeks have added up to over 2″ of moisture.  And now this.  The blizzard has arrived in NW Oklahoma.  It is coming in sideways.  Jed Castles on News9 is forecasting 20-30″ of snow for this part of the world.  The storm chasers are currently on tv saying that it is too dangerous for them to be on the major highways and are turning around and heading back to Woodward.  For that matter, they are showing a ODOT snowplow truck is stuck on highway 270 just north of here.  A snowplow stuck on the areas major highway, probably doesn’t bode well for the less traveled thoroughfares in Woodward and Ellis counties.

     I spent yesterday stocking up.  Made sure the barn heater was full of fuel.  Filled gas cans just in case we need the generator.  Put hay out and moved small square bales into the big barn.  We moved expecting does into that barn. Oh yeah, stopped at the quick stop to make sure the fridges are full of cold beverages.  Survival is key.

     I was supposed to be attending meetings in Wichita today and tomorrow.  For some reason, I decided not to drive to Wichita.  Something about weather people using the term “deadly” winter storms kept me from going.  When Gary England uses calls a storm “Epic” that means something.  I really didn’t want to be stuck in Wichita.

     Just the other day, a customer at the store made the comment “that spring wouldn’t be here until we get past Feb. 25th, cuz that’s when the big blizzard of ’72 hit.”

     It is full bore calving season.  Hopefully, not many calves are born the next couple of days.  Very few ranchers in this part of the world have indoor facilities for calving cows.  They have pens/barns for calving heifers, but cows are normally left in the pastures.  It will be hard for many to check cows/calves today and tomorrow.

Stay warm.

Stay safe.

Woodford, a hot, hot shower and Shawshank!  Things could be worse at Kelln Livestock.

Poor Duke.  He had his most labor intensive day of his 12 years on this planet.  We got stuff done.  I bet I’ll be sorer than he will be for the next day or two.

about my day.  It snowed and sleeted yesterday in this piece of paradise.  The ground temperature was still above freezing so nothing was sticking.  During the night and early morning, another band of storms came through complete with THUNDER SNOW!  I just love that term.  I don’t remember any meteoroligist using it until a few years ago.  

      Anyways, we had about 8″ of snow on the ground this morning.  Other areas got sleet, rain and then snow.  I texted some employees and told them to stay home.  I headed to the store to take care of business.  I made it the 20 miles fairly easily.  I had some guys park a pair of tracked skid steers inside the shop yesterday so that we could use them to clear the lot this morning.  Well, Deere doesn’t send a new skid steer with but just a squirt of diesel in it.  My guys didn’t add any diesel to them.  So, we got to put fuel into them, first thing this morning.

      Then we tried to fire up the computers.  NOTHING!!!  A dealership is dead in the water without computers.  Can’t look up parts, can’t see what parts are supposed to come in today, service techs can’t look up repair orders, can’t make a bill, etc.  CAN”T do anything but NOTHING!!  I called AT&T, but it was evident that a technician wasn’t going to make it to Woodward, OK on this fine day.  

    While I was messing with AT&T, one of my favorite employees, Doc, had a skid steer accident.  Doc is actually a retired guy that works full time for us.  He is a cool dude, takes great pride in his work, is extremely dependable, loves people,  a Vietnam vet and has a pile of issues and quirks.  But we love him.  I told them to park the skid steers and I would finish.  He decided to keep at it a little longer.  Just long enough to break a gas line.  A natural gas line.  So now we needed somebody to come cap the gas line.  That repair guy got their fairly quick.  Couldn’t fix it today, but could cap it, stop the leak and be back next week.  Since this line goes to the heated power washer, we will be fine.  

     We sent the new parts lady home as there was nothing for her to do without a computer.  I had a service tech straggle in late with an excuse for being gone yesterday and late this morning.  He lives only blocks away from the store.  He then got the privilege of dealing with me.  All of this and it wasn’t 9 am yet.

     The machine-down parts lady is normally here by 7:30 am.  Not today.  Stock order parts by 9 am.  Not today.  UPS made it, but late and didn’t have all of the parts that we were expecting.  Maybe tomorrow.  Since we didn’t have computers, parts or customers for that matter, we closed up early.  As of 5 pm, at&t is now supposed to call me in the morning to see if they can come get us hooked up.  I’m not holding my breath.  The dispatcher does have my cell phone # and is keeping me up to date as to what they are not yet doing.  

     On a fun note, Duke has spent most of the day outside.  There is a 7 point snowman that looks like a Jackalope.  The wethers and Dozer were worked in the big barn. The stock has all been fed and watered.  He and I took the John Deere powered gator sleigh to the top of the flat-top hill.  We tried to use scoop shovels for sleds, but it wasn’t slick enough.  So we rolled down the side of the hill.  I had snow packed in places that snow isn’t supposed to be.  We then took the gator and went drift busting.  Snow flying up into our faces.  I couldn’t feel any of my fingers, toes, eyes, ears or tongue.  I could tell it was time to go to the house as Duke wasn’t talking anymore.  BIG FUN!!  Guess what, he doesn’t have school tomorrow, so he can do it all over again.  

     Not me.  I will be on the phone with some lady in Atlanta who dispatches for at&t.  I’ve been nice to her so far.  She told me this evening, that “You have been placed on level 4 alert for repairs. ”  Tomorrow…maybe not so nice, if we don’t see results.  For what we pay them, they can fix the dang line in the snow for all I care.  I fully plan to help them escalate to level 5,6 &7 if need be.

     And for the rest of the story, at&t has been scheduled for over a month to come replace our box and lines next week as this isn’t the first time we’ve had a problem on their end.   If only it would have been earlier this week.  

     I search websites looking for info, something cool or maybe just a dang phone #.  I listen to a lot of XM radio.  I have the tv on from 2-6 am.  I may or may not be watching it, but I listen to it.  I look through stock show magazines like I’m looking for a golden coupon–is it on this page, nope.  Whatever catches my eye or ear.  I have never been diagnosed as ADD, but sometimes I will be in the middle of something and OOHH!! Squirrell! Did you see that squirrell?  That reminds me of a story about a squirrell.  

     In other words, if something catches my attention, it really catches my attention, for a short time span.  This is why I like ads.  I would like to have a job previewing ads–nope, that one isn’t worth two squirts of goose $h!t.  That one is okay, but I won’t remember it in five minutes.  Then there are some real good ones.  The kind of ad that makes me want to make a sandwich out of that stuff and I don’t even like sardines.  

     Take a few seconds and think of the best or most memorable ads of all time.  

     I immediately think of my favorite which was a Tabasco commerical back in 1998.  No words, a guy eating Tobasco on a slice of pizza.  A mosquito lands on him, gets a load of blood, flies off and explodes.  I have always liked Tabasco.  Likewise, I haven’t had too many problems with mosquitos.  

     It is kind of cool to google the best ad campaigns of all time.  Avis–We Try Harder; Miller Lite–Tastes Great, Less Filling;  Clairol–Does She, or Doesn’t She are consistently listed in the top ten.  These may date you if you remember them.  One of the most consistently listed #1 ad campaigns of all time is–Think Small. I don’t remember it, but it was Volkswagen pushing the original beetle.  

     The big time ad campaigns that I remember are Nike–duh–Just Do It and several of McDonald’s and Coca-Cola’s (remember new Coke).  My Granny stock piled old Coke, then she ran out and bought that new crap, until they came out with Coke classic.  

      How about the ones that matter to us?  Ag products have launched some of the most successful ads of all time.  Think about it.  

Beef–it’s what’s for dinner.  Pork–the other white meat.  The incredible, edible egg.  And even though I am lactose intolerant, I love this product and the ads–Got Milk?  I do, but then I’ve got to get to a piece of porcelain in a hurry.  Speaking of milk products, I have a great story that happened in Sonora, TX involving Thompson, Poe Cat, Milligan, myself & ice cream and then we named a buck Rainman.  It was classic. And I wasn’t the one that walked with a limp for a day or two.  Speaking of ADD, it might have just kicked in.  Back to the topic.  

     When ag producers put their minds to it, they can make the best ads.  Why?  Because EVERYBODY needs our products.  Even pamela anderson and carrie underwood need our products.  Fruits, vegetables, meat, pills made out of ag products, leather car seats, whatever.  Like the old OK Farmers Union slogan, “If you eat, then you are involved in agriculture.”  

     We, as ag producers, need to be running ads constanly.  Remind people WHY!  Don’t leave it an open ended question, tell them.  Tell them that WHY they can’t live without agriculture.  Show them pictures of what it is like without ag products.  Don’t let them think about it.  Tell them what they need to know.  The general public is basically not an intelligent being.  Think doe goat.  They want to be given everything and not do much to earn it.  Look at twitter, facebook and the internet.  “If it’s on the internet, it has to be true.”  Hhmm–straight from a dang insurance commercial.  

    People, today, don’t do much homework.  They will listen to gossip, read posts/blogs/emails and look at a picture.  Run an ad.  Promote your product.  But, then back it up.  If you say it, back it up.  Some can, most can’t or won’t.  But they will cash a check if given the opportunity.  Who is the best at what you are interested in?  Think about it.  

     Where, oh, where do the prices end up?  For the last several years, we have all thought that the market would top out on good goats.  Has it topped out? NO!!  The San Angelo doe show sale was tonight.  Let’s look at the #s.  There was only a 100+ does shown.  Of course, that is the heart of goat production country–the birthplace, if you will.  It is a who’s who list of showmen, with does from the top notch breeders, that were selling does in the sale tonight.  Granted, some may have been “loaners”, but most were not.  They sold 25 plus 1 foundation scholarship doe.  These 26 does averaged $4,200.  WAY higher than last year.  

     What is the trend?  Like gas prices since your president took over–HIGHER!! When oBAMa took over gas was $1.89 per gallon, now quite a bit more.  This fact helps drive the prices of show animals.  Why?  It costs too much to drive around flipping rocks, looking for that magical one that nobody else found.  Factor shipping costs into corn, soybeans, etc and delivery of feed and it costs too much to feed a common SOB.  Therefore, people aren’t messing around.  Find the one you like, set your limit, then bid past that limit a ways, and you have higher priced goats.  

     Throw in the fact that the top notch genetics are limited to certain herds, AI & flushing is still a somewhat limited technology and a lot of breeders won’t turn loose of their genetics and it is all pushed into the middle of a felt covered table to make for higher priced GOOD goats.  If you factor in the addictions of some people wanting the best, then that pushes prices even higher.  

     I can fill every order for $250 wethers/doe kids and $2,500 bucks.  That part is EASY.  If you don’t care what the product is like that you are selling, then you just find them and move them down the road.  Kind of like selling new hollands and kubotas.  You know that they aren’t good enough, but it fits the price point.  Okay.  Not much satisifaction in a job well done, but…..cash a check and go on.

The problem is filling the orders for “the kind of goat your kid would feed or the kind of buck you would use”.  I can’t do it for $250.  I can come across a goat or two that is cheap.  Sometimes, there are health problems to overcome.  Who pays for that risk when it doesn’t work?  I do.  And I take those risks a lot.  Do they work out?  Yes.  Ask Chesley Comstock.  Her grand at the OK State Fair & Reserve grand at the Lone Star Elite was not a healthy beast when we picked him up.  But, things changed and he cranked for the good.  On the other hand, Duke had an A90 wether that I liked a lot–I mean a LOT.  Considering the contending bidder, he had a chance.  He didn’t live a month after I bought him.  Who pays for that?  Me.  It is part of the gamble to find the right one.  

     I am low rent. Ask everybody that deals with me.  I don’t want a high dollar wether at my house.  However, I won’t pass up a chance of a good one because of health issues.  I study genetics and judge tendencies in order to increase the odds.  I also believe in volume pricing.  Everything to get the price down.  More importantly, I put a lot of faith in a good feeding and showing program.  If I can cover the cost of my travels, make it to Cooper’s BBQ in Llano, deal with good people and break even financially, well then, I am way ahead of all the other addictions that are out there. 

  Buck prices are NOT going to get cheaper this year.  2012 was high.  2013 is going to be higher.  Why?  If you want to win a wether show, then you have to cut the great ones.  Once, those breeders win some shows, they will leave the nuts in a couple.  It is a vicious circle of life, going no where fast, round and round, higher and higher.  The ones that sold high $ bucks last year are looking for the new thing this year.  The ones that sold good kid crops last year are looking to improve, knowing that last year was high, they are prepared to spend more this year.  Others are looking to make a splash and find the next great one.  Throw in the fact that a lot of people spent $2,500 to $5,000 on common bastard bucks last year, now they have the kids on the ground and they realize that they got just that–some common SOB with speckled ears out of a reject doe and they now have to get serious or get out.  

      If you are shopping for breeding pieces, talk to the right people.  Do your research.  What do you need?  What do you have?  What are your goals?  What are your finances?  What do you want?  What are your next breeding plans?  

Do like the old Bud Dry commercials and ask Why Ask Why?  Answer those questions and then spend wisely.   

      First off, I would like to thank everyone that looked at, inquired about, bid and/or bought lots on the Sweetheart Semen sale.  Not just the people that bid on our bucks, but also on Hummel’s, Shafer’s & Milligan’s.  Hats off to these breeders and oklahomashowgoats.com for assembling this offering.  This was an outstanding line up of buck genetics that was offered to the public.  I mean, how often can you bid on a dominant proven sire such as A90 only hours after his offspring was named grand at a show like San Antonio?  What a big day for Ann and Hugh Shafer.  Access to top shelf bucks were made available to the public–at a cost.  But this cost was determined by the bidders.  What is done with this genetic offering is now up to the buyers.  I hope they have successful flushes and call me with some high end wethers (and/or bucks) to look at.

     I get the privilege of working with a lot of families and their livestock projects.  It isn’t a money making endeavor.  I hope to cover my costs of travel when I’m buying and to be able to afford to sharpen some blades and buy hoof grinding pads.  Several of these families bring me bribes such as pies and cookies, some bring stuff for the Dragon Lady,  others bring OK State billiard balls and a lot of them bring aluminum containers to keep the barn fridge full.  It works and I love it.  Whatever, I would way rather have cookies and cold beer more than cash.  I have even been given some home-made wine before that was kind of like drinking nyquil–tasted pretty good but you’re getting ready to be asleep pretty quick.  

    Thursday evening, I was drinking and driving inside the barn.  I had spread gyp rock ag fines on the dirt part of the big barn.  I had watered it down and was packing it with the pickup–back and forth, back and forth.  The doors of the barn were closed.  I was not a menace to society.  The only other living being in the barn with me was Dozer the duroc barrow and he was all hopped up on cruise control, Blast feed, Uni4m fat and cookies & cream paylean.  Trust me, he couldn’t drive.

      During this exciting event, my phone dinged with that hideous sound of an incoming text message.  I pulled my phone out of my pocket to see what kind of question, inquiry or whatever was coming.  

     Now, it is well documented on here that Duke and I like to watch a lot of different tv programs that involve “real” life.  Finding Bigfoot, Duck Dynasty, Pawn Stars and Swamp People are our favorites.  I have occasionally watched moonshiners.  I never knew how close to home this show could get.  I mean, we live & work in NW OK and the Texas panhandle–you know GOD’s country.  I opened the text from one of our goat showing parents and went WTH?

Here it is, as written:

“Well i had a big surprise for u and tyke but my moonshiner friend got busted today with 120 quarts so i will have to come up with another idea to thank u for all ur help.  Have a good week”

Busted?  For moonshine?  In Oklahoma?  For real?  Next thought, what did they do with the shine?  I wonder if he has more hid somewhere?  120 quarts?  WTH has a moonshiner friend?  Hhmm?  Wonder if it was any good?

     All I do know is that Tyke is having a baby shower on Saturday for his soon-to-be-hatched twins.  1–I bet Tyke has never had any shine  2–I bet he would try some as he is suffering through that baby shower with all those females looking at strollers, car seats, sippy cups, onesies and diapers.  Too bad, he will just have to suffer.  Maybe that goat dad’s friend will be out on good behavior in time to make some for the 1st birthday’s?  Everything has a cost.

     I have been asked how I handle stress with goats.  I don’t.  Which means I don’t get stressed.  I am gone during most hours of the day, so if a doe decides to kid while I’m gone, she better have them alive, or else she goes to town.  During the night, not much of a problem, as I don’t sleep much and I just casually meander out and check on things.  I try to schedule kidding when I know that at least one of us will be around of an evening and a morning.  Animals are supposed to be able to raise their babies.  If not, we are fostering a bunch of welfare candidates through improper genetic selection.  You CANNOT always be there.  If they constantly require support then they will get to where they can’t do anything on their own.  Kind of like a lot of people in this country.

      At a show, I don’t get stressed.  I may get pissed, but not stressed.  They are two different things.  My heart rate doesn’t get very carried away during a grand drive.  Why?  We’ve won some before, we’ve been beat a lot.  I hope to win again and I know that we will get beat again.  It is part of it, so why get yourself worked up.  Once you are out there in the ring, it is out of your hands.  Do your best, go to the ring and the judge will either use you or not.  

     When buying goats, my blood pressure doesn’t change too much.  Private treaty–I can either afford them or not.  If not, go to the next plan.  This sometimes means spend more money, other times it means go on down the road.  Auction–My heart will start to thump a little about two lots ahead of the one that I really want.  I don’t like people to talk to me at this point.  Once the bidding starts, it all goes calm.  Hit it one more time, maybe two, okay three.  Better stop.  A lot of times when buying goats, my blood is a little thinner than normal.  This may or may not help.

     Selling goats doesn’t phase me.  They will either sell well or not.  I hope they get a good home.  Do I worry about getting beat by something that I had at my house?  Nope.  It is going to happen and usually does around here.  It is part of it.   I recently sold a Freak on a Leash back to Gallagher’s.  They in turn sold the him to Steve Simpson.  Today, a Freak on a Leash kid raised by Schneberger was grand wether at the SW District.  Great.  What does this mean?  It means that I get rid of good ones.  And I have a pile of daughters sired by him.  I hope he works for Simpson’s.  I would rather get beat by one of mine, then by somebody else’s.  

     Although, I don’t have a stress problem, I have been known to cause a lot of stress for other people.  I don’t normally mean to, but sometimes I do just to see if she is breathing fire today or not.  

     Stress is what you make of it.  Some internalize it, some thrive on it and some are crippled by it.  Put the earphones in, keep calm and have fun.  If you’re not having fun, do something else.

      Two blog posts, back-to-back.  Nobody reads this blog to hear about me being happy that it snowed.  Nope, they read it to learn.  I like music.  My mom studies music.  She plays the piano/organ at mass EVERY Sunday.  I mean EVERY time she is needed.  But she can’t sing.  Dad sings loud.  Mom drug me to symphony’s, plays and other crap when I was a kid.  I was in an unbelievable chorus at Shattuck High School.  Seriously, you were considered OFF if you weren’t in Ms. Smith’s choir during the 80’s.  We won contests, sang at the state capitol and put on killer concerts.  She could make a bunch of deriIicts sing.   I’ve even got medals from contests.  I can’t play any instruments,(they tried to make me play a saxophone in grade school–not good).  Actually, I have been known to play the living heck out of guitar hero.   I can’t write music and I don’t sing solo very well.  However, I hear music REAL good.  No, seriously.  I can hear a song and immediately know if it will be a hit or not.  Even if I don’t like the song.  

     Music is always playing around me.  I can drive for miles and miles, flipping channels and name the singer.  Ask Tyke.  The barn has an iPod on speaker.  All of my vehicles have Xm radio.  The computers are packed with iTunes.  And my phone, it’s best purpose is an iPod.  I work better when the music is playing.  Thus, the reason that I have earphones plugged in to my head–at a show, clipping, on a tractor, welding, etc.  I’ve never smoked any dope, but music always mellows me out.  Helps me deal with dumb sh!t$.  Doesn’t  matter what kind of music–just good.  Rock–classic, hard, metal, soft; Country–good, old, some of this new crap that they try to pass off as country; Pop–if it’s good; Rap–old school, some new; Classical; Instrumental and my favorite–Christmas songs.  My favorite songs are “The Little Drummer Boy” by Bob Seger and “Amazing Grace” by the Dropkick Murphy’s.  Go look that stuff up.  Throw in Metallica’s “Whiskey in the Jar”, George Strait’s “Blame it on Mexico” and Waylon Jennings’ “Lonesome, Onery & Mean” and I’m in a good mood.  Are these the best songs ever?  No.  But, I like them a lot.

      There currently aren’t any new rock bands worth a dang.  Country singers are trying to figure out if they are country, pop or rock.  Some rap is good, some makes me want to eat crayons.  Presently, there are a lot of dynamic female artists–Adele, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson, etc.  I watch the grammy’s and the cma’s.  Even watch a few music award shows on BET.  I love watching VH1’s top 100 countdowns and I always end up being pissed.  They never get it right.

Best rock album ever–Def Leppard–Hysteria

Best live show–KISS

Best artist of all time–Elvis–RUSM?  Is there any other option? 

Best country artist–George Strait

Best song of all time–TIE–either Amazing Grace (you can play it at a wedding, funeral, irish pub, wherever, it fits) and Happy Birthday (Who isn’t in a good mood when they hear this one?)

      Now, for some trivia.  What do the Beach Boys, the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Who and KISS all have in common?  None ever won a grammy award.  Which one of these bands is not in the rock & roll hall of fame?  Even though they have had 28 gold albums (most of any American rock band), over 40 million records sold in the U.S. and 100 million records sold worldwide KISS is not in the rock & roll hall of fame.  WTH?  I don’t care if you like them or not, you know who KISS is.  Iconic.  Maybe the most famous band ever.  Everybody knows who they are.  Are they the most talented? NO.  Do they play good music.  YES.  Are they campy, cheesy, over-the-top?  Yes.  Are they famous?  YES.  Do they play rock?  ROCK & ROLL ALL NIGHT, PARTY EVERY DAY.  Are you kidding me?  Do other artists list them as influences?  Go through the rock & roll of fame and read the bios.  Even Garth Brooks lists KISS as a major influence.  Hhmm?  Thus, the reason for his bigger than life stage shows.  Guns & Roses (there’s your goat reference) members list them as the reason that they play rock.  And they only had one HUGE album and they are in the hall of fame.  

      I’ve seen KISS in concert, on their first farewell tour.  It was awesome.  They are the ones that originated the big stage shows.  Throw in Skid Row and Ted Nugent and it was a LARGE time.  I used to attend concerts, then real life kicked in.  I’ve seen a pile of huge acts in big venues and small shows–George, Garth, Reba & the Oak Ridge Boys (awesome) in places like the Astrodome.  Van Halen, Aerosmith & a personal favorite AC/DC ( a banker in Perry took me because his fiancee couldn’t go–Thank You).  I’ve been back stage with Motley Crue and Bob Childers.  The Crue was fresh out of rehab, Bob wasn’t.  

      What I’m getting at is, that I really like good music and whoever is voting for the rock & roll hall of fame is turning it into a joke by not voting for the and I quote “The greatest band in the land; you wanted the best, you got the best–KISS!!”  You don’t have to like them or their music, but you know who they are.  That, my friends, is fame.

Who am I listening to as I finish this post?  Lee Greenwood with “GOD bless the USA”.  Talk about making a career out of one song.  But it’s a good one.

Have a good one.  

Turn it up.  

If the music is too loud, then you’re too old.

Stay flexible, but not limp.