john b. flushing

Archive for the ‘Weekends’ Category

This weekend I was finally able to sleep in a little. The weather has been extremely cold and there was a little snow on the ground. That didn’t keep me from helping a friend of mine on Saturday unload a van full of items that had been in storage for a while.  Once we got everything unloaded at her place, she offered to drop some drum cases off that she was giving me and then pick up a load of items headed to  Goodwill for me since she had a van at her disposal. The very last box of records I was getting rid of was in my hands I headed down the stairs. About three steps down I hit some ice and threw the box of records forward because I knew I was about to tumble. I landed on my ass so hard and then bounced down another step or two.  Yes it hurt like hell, but I hope anyone who witnessed had a good laugh (I would have, had I seen it).

Woke up this morning with a really bruised backside.

December has been a very busy month for me.  A couple  years ago I decided to go back to school and finish a degree I started many beers ago. Next weekend I will have accomplished the goal of finally finishing my bachelors degree and walking across the stage to accept that. Many are asking, now that I’m done with school what are my plans? My plans are to reconnect with my creative side and put out a record that I’ve wanted to record for a while. I will be working on building new websites and custom blog themes and learning how to operate a new project studio that I’m slowly putting together.

I’ve written more papers this month than I ever care to do again (unless I’m getting paid) and have been going to work in a stressed out over dramatic work-place to pay the rent. I can’t remember the last time I saw someone smile in the office and it actually mean they were happy.  I’m looking forward to the holidays and having some time off to spend with friends, family, my fiance, and work on The Cesspools.

Gym Nauseaum has really helped me out big time with getting my project studio ready so that I can continue working on more material between times when we can get together. I’m excited and really have a bright outlook for this next year.

I will be back to updating this site at least once a week. Feel free to holler at me with questions, ideas, suggestions, etc.

Happy Holidays everyone!

JBF

Well thanksgiving has come and gone and tomorrow I will head back into the office. The 4 day weekend would have been better had I not been sick for 3 of them. I decided to do some cleaning, but was cheap and didn’t just go buy a new filter for my vacuum. Instead thought I could knock out some of the crap and get a little more life out of the current filter. That pretty much created the mushroom dust cloud in my living room that set off WWIII in my sinuses.

I have been working on a song for The Cesspools for a little over a week now and should be ready to record the 2nd guitars and vocals for the demo soon. It doesn’t look like I will have much time this week to work on The Cesspools, but next week is looking brighter! The paying job and school will keep me busy for the next 7 days!

My weekend is coming to a quick end and I’m not particularly thrilled about that. I’m trying to enjoy what’s left of the summer, but have so much going on that it’s only going to get more chaotic as Fall approaches. We did make it out to the lake house over the weekend and had a great time swimming and tubing behind the boat. I’m very sore today and have had to ice my shoulder that I’m trying to rehabilitate so that I can drum again for a longer period of time without my bursitis kicking in.

I managed to catch up with a few old friends on facebook over the weekend which was amusing. Catching up with two in particular really triggered some funny memories that I have no idea how I forgot in the first place. I was able to scribble a few thoughts into my comedy journal. I have an incredible memory but it’s funny what and how others remember from their perspective of the same experience. This is encouraging me to write more, but also hook back up with my writing partner so that we can put funnier stories together and get some of the short films captured and posted online. I really think people will enjoy them.

I was sorry to hear about Writer/Director John Hughes this week. I’ve always been a huge fan of his work. I’m not sure what else to say about him at the moment other than he set the bar high for anyone trying to write the next great coming of age story. I can remember when I was growing up, I watched John Hughes movies over and over and was constantly quoting them with friends. To this day I can still quote a John Hughes movie in just about any situation.

RIP John Hughes

Today I took a break from working and the Michael Jackson coverage to meet my grandparents for lunch at their assisted living home. I’m reminded every time I eat with them why I usually don’t go for meals. I realize I’m going to get old and probably be in the same boat someday, but by that time I hope I’m not aware of anything around me and it really won’t matter.

I’m not going to do into much detail other than to say how disgusting most of the grunting and hacking is while you’re eating. My grandmother doesn’t really talk unless you speak to her first and then all you’re likely to get is a monosyllabic answer. My grandmother suffers from dementia and the Alzheimer’s is probably a day or two away. My grandfather is 92, sharp as a razor, but blind as a bat from his macular degeneration. At the end of the meal he said…”watch your grandmother, she’ll take an hour to eat some meat and vegetables, but that desert will be gone in 2 minutes…he was right.”.

Once we got up stairs to their apartment, we were sitting in the living room and my grandmother immediately fell asleep. After about 10 minutes she rips out the biggest fart and opens one eye and looks at me without any expression. I said “why thank you!” She replied with “huh.” My grandfather laughed and explained “all these old women around here always fart after they’ve settled in to a chair or relax. There is a lady that sputters past every morning when she gets up from the table at breakfast, I guess we should call it breakwindfast. (then he laughs and repeats it…I said we should call it breakwindfast!) My grandmother cut the cheese several more times while I was there and would die if she was aware of what she was doing. IN her day she never would have been caught picking her teeth at the table, or spitting out food she doesn’t care for in the plant next to the dinner table. She’s still the love of my granddad’s life and a beautiful woman. I’m glad I live close enough and make the time to go out for a visit when I can. Mentally my grandfather hasn’t lost a thing, even at 92. We talked about Michael Jackson”s death and the break dance contests the grand kids would put on for the family at their house over the holidays when we were little.

I’m not convinced my grandmother really knows who I am when I visit, but my granddad is always up to date with the economy, his investments, and current events. They are approaching their 70th anniversary! I’m afraid he has set the bar too high for the rest of us in the family.

Topping off the farting and other random comments during my visit, as I got up to leave, my grandfather said “look at your grandson, isn’t he a big boy?” My grandmother looked up at me and her eyes got big as she nodded her head and she answered, “FAT.” Thanks gramma!