2004 Blog Archive

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Wednesday, December 15, 2004 17:22

This will certainly be my last BLOG entry for a little while...so I'll try to make it good...After two failed attempts to get together with my mortgage broker/real estate agent today, tomorrow will be my last opportunity until I return to California next year. 

I'm learning tons about the area...

It floods here...it floods bad here...and it floods kinda often here.  Well, I think I'll get over the fear of floods in much the same way I got over my fear of hurricaines and earthquakes...I'm still afraid of tornadoes and fires, but that's another story.  With hurricaines and earthquakes, I somehow realized that they don't get everybody all that often.  My family has been through something like 50 or more hurricaines in our time, and though some stuff got messed up, it wasn't the end of the world.  With earthquakes, I was in a few...prolly between 6 and 10 of them, I just realized that they're not all that bad, and I hope I'm not there when a bad one hits...Yikes...I might have just scared myself of earthquakes again...nah...if that's the way I go...well, that's the way I go...and people will be like, "I knew this guy Pü Tzu who went out in an earthquake.  So, if and when the flood comes, I'll just grab my boat and tough it out...it's a small price to pay to live in the best place in the country....yep I said it...and I'll say it again with feeling...

West Sonoma County is the best place in the country!!!

I'd better not say it too loud or everybody will come out here.

Well, as usual, I didn't have time to get everything I was working on done, so, I'll just finish this entry and get going...

Ta Ta For Now!!!!

Thursday, December 9, 2004 9:28

Good morning world...And yes it is a good morning...The rain has been coming down out here in Northern California.  Last night I drove through a puddle that was halfway up my wheels, and I drive a Pathfinder.  Needless to say when I returned, I found a new path.

So, yeah, I've just been working on finding a place to live.  That sure is a tough thing to do.  I haven't had to do it for so long, I'd kinda forgotten how hard it can be.  It's ok, I'm not in the biggest rush right now since I'm not even going to be here for more than 10 days between now and March.

Things are starting to pop up on the horizon for next year already.  But, this year, I'm going to try and concentrate on doing some key festivals and events, and not spread myself too thin, driving around the country.

I'm looking into going to Langerado, which is in mid-March in Florida...Can anybody say "SPRING BREAK!!!!!"  It looks like a great line-up...and then Bonnaroo 2005.  Hopefully I'll be able to do the Horning's Hideout String Cheese Incident shows if they happen again this year.  And of course a handfull for the Dead's 40th anniversary tour...if they do it. 

Right now, I've got Bob Weir this weekend at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco for the 20th anniversary of the Rex Foundation.  And then Phil and Friendsnext weekend at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco too...oh yeah, and tonight Steve Kimock Bandin Petaluma.

I'm also flying to Florida to see my Mom and brother for the hollidaze.  And then...and then...Jam Cruise.

I've reworked that thing about jealousy...see last blog entry...

I admire the position you find yourself in, and hope to find myself in a similar position.

Well, that's about it for now...I'm gonna go get my day started...

Have a Grateful Day!!!

Monday, November 22, 2004 9:59

I've finally made it back to the coast...I've actually been here about a week now...but just haven't updated my page...I've just been relaxing and searching for a house...That appears that it's going to be a little tougher than I had originally hoped...Houses get grabbed up out here pretty quick...But that's OK...I'll be patient and the right place will present itself.

I had a strange thought the other day.  All throughout history, people have been explorers.  Since the beginning of time, we have gone into the unknown to see what was there.  Well, I propose that our age does not have that option.  We have covered just about every square inch of this planet and there's nothing left to discover.  In the past, if a young person wanted to set out in search of something else, something new and as of yet undiscovered, that option was available...in the future, I expect that option to be available again with outer space.  But that time has not arrived yet that we can just hitch a ride to the next star-system.  I do believe that it will arrive, but probably not for another 100-150 years.

I feel like our age has been cheated out of something fundamental that ages before ours and certainly after ours will have available.  Not that there's anything that can be done about it.  I'm not really trying to have a fatalist approach to this situation, just kinda commenting on it.

Also, I'm dying to share this other concept with the world.  Certainly, one must agree with me that two certain words, and thus their concepts are perceived as negative.  Those words being jealousy and envy.  But I have found, at least in my own life, useful situations for those words, when they can express a certain something akin to admiration.  Now when I find myself wanting to use either of those words, I have come up with a phrasing that seems to convey the meaning I wish to convey without the negativity associated with the particular words.

I admire the position you've acheived and hope to attain a similar position myself in the future.  With this statement, I believe you can show the respect due the person and show that you would like to be in their shoes without any of the negative concepts attached to jealously or envy.

So, those are a few of my thoughts for today...I hope they offer something to you in your life as they have me in mine.

TTFN

Tuesday, November 9, 2004 9:25

So, yep, that wraps up another fall tour adventure series for me...after 12 String Cheese Incident shows, I caught Bob Dylan on "black Tuesday" and the Beastie Boys on Thursday, then Yonder Mountain String Band on Friday and Saturday.  It was a fun journey through the mid-west and I saw some old friends and met some new ones along the way. 

Dylan was OK, but not outstanding.  I've seen Dylan at least 50 times now, and he's definitely a hit or miss kinda act.  He did play "Ring them Bells" and "Positively 4th Street" along with some other great stuff, so I did have a good time.

The Beastie Boys show was great.  They put on a solid performance, playing most of the old favorites and some great new tunes too.  It wasn't all rap and scratch either.  They came out and played instruments for a good portion of the show and even popped up behind the soundboard for some up-close audience interaction.

Yonder was good too, although the first show in Des Moines was the smokiest room I've been in for the past 5 or 10 years.  I'm still recovering from my allergies to cigarettes.  I was barely able to enjoy the show, actually only seeing about half of it, since I had to keep going outside to breathe.  The show in Omaha was much better in terms of smokiness, so, of course I thought the show was better too...I'll give Omaha about a 7.3 on a scale from 1-10 for fun and excitement.  If only we'd been able to get into the after party, then it would have been a solid 7.8.

Ya know how back in the old days, before they had trains, planes or automobiles...well I guess they had trains, but back in the old west days, if you wanted to go from here to there, you had to brave the elements.  Well, I find myself in a similar position right now.  I had wanted to get to California this coming w/e sometime, but it looks like a storm might be blowing in, thus keeping me in Colorado a little longer than I had originally planned.  That would be OK, I guess, cause there's some good music coming to Colorado soon...but if I can help it, I'll still be on my way to the left coast at the end of this week.

Thanks for checking in, I'll keep ya posted on happenings.

Monday, November 1, 2004 15:09

Well, Cheese tour is over...Tomorrow's our nation's big day...and it's time to put up or shut up...Me, I've already voted...now my fingers are crossed.

Thursday, October 28, 2004 10:33

Wow!!!  Can it be that in less than one week we may have a new president?  I sure hope so.  I'm not sure we can survive another 4 years of "W".  I for one am gonna do my best to effect change.  I haven't voted since 1988.  Please take my lead and go out and vote.

I'll be seeing Bob Dylan on election day in Osh Kosh Wisconsin, and am in hopes that when the concert is over that night, things will be different.

And then, when I get back to a home-base of sorts after the election, I'll be getting back to work heavily on the web site and on ebay.  So, stay tuned, I have to liquidate a lot of my collections of stuff in order to gather the funds necessary to cover the downpayment and closing costs of my new house in California.  I'll be offering some utterly amazing pieces of memorabelia for sale.

Well, enough about future stuff...I'm gonna get on with my day and head to the windy city.

C'ya soon...

Saturday, October 16, 2004 11:05

Ahhh the first night of String Cheese Incident's fall tour in Austin, TX...Good times all around, especially the bend.  Two more nights here, and then it's off to Alabama...I haven't been to some of these parts of the country in a while so it's gonna be fun...

Big news is that I truly believe that this is the last time that I will DRIVE around the country following a band...now, that's not to say that I won't go see bands still...that's still my absolute favorite thing to do in the whole wide world.  I just won't be driving 60 or 70 thousand miles a year to do it.

But that day is still two weeks away...after Halloween with Cheese in Madison, WI and Bob Dylan on election day in Osh Kosh, WI.

Then, it's back to Colorado to grab some of my stuff and move out to California...Can I get a big YE-HAH!!!

Then, I'll really be able to work on my webpage and business ventures.

Well, that's about it for now, I've gotta go get my oil changed...at 60,000 miles a year that's 20 oil changes a year I won't have to get...

Ta Ta For Now...

Tuesday, October 5, 2004 10:12

I'll tell ya what...it is really a lot harder than one might imagine to work on a web page whilst driving around the country all the time.  I do get some work done, but not nearly enough...that's another reason I've been looking for some quality help to work with Pu Stuff Enterprises.  Then I'd be able to get a whole bunch more stuff done all the time.

So, yeah, I made it to California, and it's just like I remember it.  Warm breezes blowing, trees changing color, and all the while I can smell the ocean and feel the soft air as it whips through my hair.

It seems like I've only been here a short while and as I head out of Sonoma County for Humboldt, I can tell that I'm really on my way out of California and back to Colorado.

I did manage to get most everything done so I can vote in less than a month...I'm pretty excited about that.

So, yeah, it looks like I'm doing ALL of String Cheese Incident's upcoming tour.  It starts in Austin, TX and runs through Halloween in Madison, WI.  Then it's back to California as quickly as possible to start seriously looking for a place to live.

Things are still on the table as far as the Southeast Asia trip this fall...although it seems that the Cannabis Cup trip will have to be postponed til 2005 in order to make room for the Southeast Asia trip.  I think it's a worthy sacrifice.

Well, that's prolly about it, prolly till I get back to Colorado next week, as I'll be in the Humboldt nation, and it's kinda tough to get on hi-speed internet up there.

Sunday, September 26, 2004 23:56

Did a little more work on the website today...put some t-shirts up...and worked on the pendant page some too...I think that will be my first goal...fixing up the pendant page real nice...I have a whole lot of really nice pendants right now, so I ought to have them up on the site...

Looks like I'm still on track for heading to California on Tuesday...and stopping by and doing some mining along the way...I'll prolly do a big update tomorrow, and then won't do another one til I get to the coast...

TTFN!!!

Saturday, September 25, 2004 10:45

Sometimes it's hard to get motivated...this seems to be the case in this country with voting...I myself haven't voted since 1988...I claim that there's nobody worth voting for...this time...I think it's important to make sure that, as The Who said, "we don't get fooled again."  So, I'll be voting...and in my search for a place to register online, I found this site where they are giving away a prize of $100,000 to one lucky winner.  As I checked it out, and registered for the contest, I realized that they will give away an additional $100,000 to the person that refers the winner as well...That's why I put this link on my page...I mean we can all use some extra dough...So, Click this link and check out vote or not...these guys are completely legit...there's no spammers or anything like that related to this link...I promise...

WIN $100,000

Now, back to work on the page and ebay...as long as I don't get too distracted by the TV and the telephone...

Friday, September 24, 2004 11:18

Well, after two major computer crashes and the Denver Gem and Mineral show...I'm back.

I'll be spending the weekend at my friend Amy's house in Denver, working on my site and putting lots of stuff on Ebay.  Click here to check out my current auctions on ebay.

Next up on the agenda, I plan to leave from Colorado to California on Tuesday morning before dawn.  I'll be driving out stopping along the way to do a little bit of mining for rocks along the way.  Perhaps I'll be looking for some sunstone in Utah and Opal in Nevada.

Saturday, August 21, 2004 8:29

Oh boy!!! It's Saturday...the day named for the Roman God Saturn...A day for harvesting...And that's just what I'm gonna do, go harvest some good times in Telluride...So, this too will be a brief Blog...but come next week, I'll be back in full swing...I'm going to completely redesign my links page and work extensively on my Gems and Minerals page as well.  I'll have the new magnets on the site as well as a lot of new sterling silver pendants.

So, please be patient and check back in the middle of the week next week for a whole buncha new stuff...providing that I can find a place to get on the internet and upload the changes...

Til then...ta ta for now...

Friday, August 20, 2004 8:50

All work and no play makes Pü Tzu a dull boy...Well, maybe not dull, but certainly psycho, like Mr. Nicholson in the classic movie "The Shining."  Well, now, afer a 37 hour trip from VT and the end of Phish to Fort Collins, CO, one of my many long-time watering holes on the road, I will play for the weekend.  Perhaps a little work will be mixed in, it always seems to be...but my main focus will be on having a grand ole time in Telluride, CO with String Cheese, Spearhead, Keller Williams, Jim Lauderdale and Tony Furtado.  My friend Machen said I can camp in her yard and litterally crawl to Town Park.

This will be a rather short BLOG entry, because I have to get on the road for the 8 hour drive.  But stay tuned, cause, next week, I'm gonna be working a good bit on my page...ohhh boy I'm so excited...

C ya soon...

Thursday, July 15, 2004 10:22

So, wow, I can't believe that I've been fortunate enough to keep having the "time of my life" this year.  The Oregon Country Faire was certainly another example of that.  Outside of Eugene, OR there is a town called Veneta.  Veneta is a sleepy little town surrounded by family farms and isn't really all that exciting for most of the year.  When the second weekend in July rolls around, however, thousands of hippies old and young decend on this tiny little town and allow faire-goers to be transported to a magical time and place.  The main focus of the faire is art.  This is in the form of crafts and music.  There are a slew of stages with acts performing from noon til half o'clock in the morning.  Some of these acts are national acts that stop in on their summer tour to treat participants to some of their latest songs.  And others are just some people who brought along their instruments to jam with friends old and new.

Just walking along the path one may run into a jug band that just spontaneously started jamming together.  Or, sitting at breakfast, two ladies may start to play fiddle to serenade you while you eat.  All of this and more happened to me, along with meeting some amazing new folks and running into some that I hadn't seen in 10 years. 

I like how that seems to be a bit of a theme for me this year, running into old friends I haven't seen in ages.  I hope it keeps on happening.

So, now I find myself back in Northern California.  String Cheese is playing in Garberville, Chico and Lake Tahoe this weekend.  And I intend to hit all those shows before heading back to Colorado to get ready for my next trip back to the east coast.  It will be a relatively short trip with a few stops to see The Dead and Jerry's Birthday Bash in West Virginia and then 3 Phish shows for their grand finale.

Then the summer starts to get thin.  I'll head back to Colorado to catch String Cheese in Telluride and get ready for the Fall Denver Gem and Mineral Show.

Not sure what's after that, but I'll be in heavy planning for the Fall 2004 Thailand Adventure and the 17th Annual Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam.  Click those links for more details.

I guess that's it for now, I've got to meet a friend for breakfast and then after a 2 hour massage and a quick meeting to get some amazing new artwork, I'm off to Humboldt County for the Cheese.  Be sure to check out the artwork soon on the Cool Stuff for Sale page...it's not up yet, cause I don't have time right now, but it'll be there soon...

Thanks for checkin' in...and stayyyyy in touch...

Monday, July 5, 2004 13:36

Ahhhhh...This is what it's all about.  Resting now...got up this morn, took a hot hot sauna, jumped in the pool and then sat for 20 minutes in the hot tub...Hotels sure are life-savers.  That was all so very necessary after a July 4th weekend with The Dead at Columbia River Meadows, outside Portland, OR and my second favorite venue in the world, The Gorge in George, WA. 

The first night seemed a little mellow to me.  Columbia River Meadows is a field in between two ridges about 45 minutes outside of Portland.  The scenery is nice, pretty much what one would expect from Oregon, trees, hills and grass.  Nothing really stood out as majestic, but certainly it was pleasing to the eye.  The Dead played very well.  The harmonies were there, the moments were blissful, but they never quite rocked it out.  They played the first Easy Wind since 1971 and a nice version of The Weight.  Corina was welcome to my ears, but even the Help>Slip>Frank just never really hit the intensity level that I often want to enjoy from the band.

If the first night wasn't quite rockin' enough for me, the second night was all that and a bag of chips.  They came out of the hole with Shakedown St. and then followed it up with a new song called Strange World.  The 6 song pre Drumz included Night of a Thousand Stars, an eerie He's Gone with great harmonizing at the end and Terrapin Station.  The post Drumz featured a rousing Lovelight and an encore of After Midnight.

By the time I packed up my tent at noon on the 4th, I was exhausted and ready for the nearly two weeks of rest I feel I've more than earned.

I just found out that something is going on at the Oregon Country Faire.  Click there and look at the last band playing on Sunday.

Well, I'm gonna go ahead and get out of this room, and my hands are falling asleep at the position I am typing...so,

Ciao 4 now.

Thursday, July 1, 2004 10:56

Sorry about that abrupt departure...but the internet was ripped away from me before I could publish.  So, now I'm up in Eugene Orygun, gearing up for another The Dead show.  These guys are hot!!!  I've seen 4 shows and they were all above par for shows these days, and the other night in Marysville, CA was one of the top five I've seen from these guys since Jerry passed. 

So, since the last real update...I left from Fort Collins, CO headed to Mancheseter, TN for the third annual "just got outta school, ready to party like it's 1999!!!" Bonnaroo music festival.  I can't believe it but there are still a lot of people who don't know about Bonnaroo.  I ask everywhere I go for the month before it happens, and actually, nobody really knows what it is outside of the Jamband scene.  Those of us in the know, know that it's the modern Woodstock, complete with naked hippies sliding in the mud, the biggest music line-up of any festival of it's kind, with over 7 stages.

I managed to catch more music this year than I have in years past.  I saw a little bit of The North Mississippi Allstars, of course I saw The Dead, then a little Ween and some Primus.  The vending wasn't all that, but it let me to the decision that I don't want to set up a booth in the parking lot at the big festivals anymore.  If I have a booth inside, that's a different story.  Music is something I love and sacrificing it for not actually making money ain't my idea of fun.

So, on the way driving from Bonnaroo to see The Dead at Red Rocks, I saw this...

When I get done working on this shot in Photoshop, It'll look a lot more like the 13 point lightning boldt that I saw and helped me make my decision to skip the weekend shows at Red Rocks and go to Horning's Hideout to see String Cheese Incident, Michael Franti with Spearhead, Sound Tribe Sector 9 and Keller Williams.  That was a magical weekend and was even worth missing The Dead's first performance of Opperator and other little gems.

After the weekend at Horning's, I headed south San Francisco to catch a flight to Indianapolis to see two nights of Phish on their last tour.  Two great nights with Phish busting out The Wedge, Haley's Comet, Tube and Timber Ho, just to name a few of the phat songs they kicked down.

Way to go Phish!!!

So, much so, that I decided to stick around and see the last two shows of the first leg of the tour at Alpine Valley, WI.  After another two hot nights of Phish with super kickdowns of Glide, Boogie on Reggae Woman and Ween's Roses are Free.  Good times were certainly to be had.  I got to see a bunch of folks that I won't see at Phish shows again :-(

But not sad for long, because after hitching a ride to Ohare with my friend Angie, I was on a flight to Phoenix, AZ for a 4 hour layover, and a final flight that landed me in Sacremento where my friends Butter and JD picked me up and took me to The Dead show in Marysville.

We scored tickets in the lot on the front row.  OK technically they were row 3, but there was no row 1 and there was nobody in front of us on row 2, so we were runt row Raggy!!!

Talk about a smokin show...whew!!!

They opened with a spacey jam that led into Cassidy.  They played a great Built to Last and a fantastic version of Led Zepplin's Over the Hills and Far Away.  A second set, post space Shakedown Street and a rousing Samson and Delilah made me feel right at home.  And after having not even bothered to work the lot, didn't even make 5 dollars that day, but the Cumberland Blues was right at home.  There was other good stuff, but this isn't really a forum for show reviews.  I won't let you go, however, without telling you about the Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad>Angel Band. WOW!!!  It was great!!!

I've also spent a little time in Marin County CA, spending time with friends and Jerry's cat.  I've just met Manasha Garcia and had some wonderful conversations with her and rested up in Bezerkeley, CA for a couple of days.

Just two more The Dead shows and then I'll have almost 2 weeks of rest...including camping in the great northwest, revelling at the Oregon Country Faire, soaking my bones in some hot-springs and ending up in my most favorite-est spot on the planet...that I've been to so far.  Humboldt County CA.

Well, that brings you up to date...If I'm able to work on my page during that 2 week break, I'll update sooner, but I can't promise.

Anyway, hope you summer's going as great as mine...

Ciao for now...

Monday, June 28, 2004 12:23

WOW!!!  Finally a day of rest...lessee, it's been a good three weeks since I've updated the BLOG...that just goes to show how busy I've been...I didn't quite stick to the schedule below.  Instead of all 5 nights at Dead Rox, I went to the first two and took off for Horning's Hideout, a really cool weekend long festival with String Cheese Incident, Michael Franti with Spearhead, Sound Tribe Sector 9 and Keller Williams.  It was fantastic!!!

After that, I drove down to the SF Bay area and flew to Indianapolis as planned.  However, I missed my flight back to Cali on Friday and went on up to Alpine Valley to see the last Phish shows there.  They were great, and I saw a bunch of folks that I might not see again for a minute or two.  Then I flew into Sacremento for the Dead show at Marysville Sunday night.  Now, my immediate plans are a little up in the air, but I'll be sticking to the schedule pretty much.

I did get into the Phish Coventry, Vermont festival in the middle of August with a booth.  That is gonna be utterly incredible...can't wait...although it is a kind of strange thing the end of an era, so to speak. 

The crazy thing about this time...since we all know it happened back in 95 when Jerry passed, is that everybody already knows, so there won't be quite as many "lost" hippies running around.  There is time to prepare, unlike in 95...Read my story of 95 and lots of other stories by clicking here. 

Sunday, June 6, 2004 10:59

Ahhhh!!! We meet again.  This time on my turf.  I'm making my final preparations for Bonnaroo...This year's gonna be the best yet.  Did you know that The Dead are playing crazy things like Operator and Easy Wind?  I'm really looking forward to what they're bringing out this summer.  They've even put some of their recent rehersals on the web for download.  Click here for a site to check them out.

So, yeah, here comes the summer...Summertime, and the livin's easy.  Here's the breakdown on what I know that I'm doing this summer.

June 7, Depart for Bonnaroo.

June 14, Depart from Bonnaroo for Dead Rox.

June 21, Depart from Colorado for Bay Area California.

June 23, Fly from SFO to Indianapolis for two nights of Phish at Deer Creek.

June 25, Fly back to Bay Area for Dead at Shoreline and remainder of Dead west coast tour.

July 3, Last show of Dead west coast tour.

July 4-8, relax and get ready for Orygun Country Fair.

July 9-11, enjoy the OCF.

July 12-15 relax in Northern California...Ahhh!!! I love that place.

July 16-Aug 13 Some String Cheese Tour and Dead tour, and little bit of not really sure.

Aug 14-15 Phinal Phish show in Coventry, Vermont.

Aug 19-21 Secluded Forest Fest in Lyonsdale, NY.

Aug 22-??? Don't really know...

Sep 15-19 Denver Gem and Mineral Show.

The future???...Fall 2004 Thailand Adventure...A trip to China to see the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River.  Buying a house and settling down in California...Opening a store somewhere with all kinds of cool stuff for sale.

So, that about wraps up what I have for a plan of sorts.  Please stay tuned, but patient, the summer's a busy time, as you can tell from my calendar.

Sunday, May 23, 2004 13:27

Well, made it back from California...great time out there.  Saw 7 of the Kimock shows and a buncha friends old and new along the way.  Now it's nothing but gearing up for summer.  Summer Camp 2004 is next w/e.  I'll have a booth there and be having a great time, hope to see you there...

Got all the shirts ordered for the first part of summer, and they'll be on the website next week when I get back from Summer Camp.  Maybe I'll get to put some of the new pendants on the web too.

In the meantime, while I was sitting here, I just added some stuff to the rox pages...

Wednesday, May 5, 2004 18:36

Yeah, I made it...Sunny California....Ahhhh!!! Just another day in paradise.  I did discover that I was on the Bonnaroo 2 DVD.  Take a look at the pictures I captured...

Kimock has been OK...not exactly blowing me away...but, it's been fun.

So, the other great thing that happened is that I found some copies of some of my pictures from my trip to Southeast Asia back in 1999.  So, I'll put those back up on my site.  Other than that, I'm just gonna soak up the sun and get ready for the summer.

Friday, April 30, 2004 17:14

Well, it appears that I didn't "hit the road" today as planned...no, the weather conspired against me to keep me in town for one more day...but things look brighter tomorrow...I did however do a little bit of work on my page today...I added a page about the upcoming Fall 2004 Thailand Adventure...It's just coming together, but it should be awesome.

Well, that's it...hopefully I won't be updating for a day or two, unless the room I get has free hi-speed...even then, I'll prolly be too tired from diving or just not wanna deal with the computer...at any rate...

Have a grateful day!!!

Thursday, April 29, 2004 11:11

Hmmmm....well, I'm just waking up...and getting ready to start the day...and look at what time it is...I guess that means everything's going according to plan...So, I'm sitting here thinking to myself, "What am I gonna do for the next month?"  And then I realize that this one guy who used to be my favorite living guitar player is playing in California for the next week...and then swinging back around to Colorado after that...so........it looks now like I'll be heading to California...if I do go, then I prolly won't be able to update my webpage for a little bit, so that'll be a clue...if I don't go, then I'll come back here, and keep working...there's your sign...

The mate page is coming along nicely...now to get the best source on mate...I think I might have that nailed down...And I'm still tweeking and nudging things along on other parts of the page...

I guess that's kinda it for now...gotta go get packed and ready for Cali...

TTFN...

Tuesday, April 27, 2004 9:45

So, the gem show was a pretty good success.  I had a lot of fun, got to look at all my rocks and got most of them ready for the summer, all labeled and priced and organized...well, not all organized, that is a never ending project...but I made some good strides.  Now, I'm a little bit in limbo for the next few weeks.  My goals include getting totally ready for summer, getting a new diesel vehicle and going mining for new rocks.  I think I can stay pretty busy doing those things if I try.  I'm also going to be working more on my webpage, hopefully adding a new section which will include yerba mate and bambias.  If you don't know what yerba mate and bambias are, then check out the new page devoted entirely to this amazing old-world energy stimulating drink by clicking here.

Wednesday, April 21, 2004 20:13

Oh darnit, I missed the opportunity to update my blog yesterday, being as how it was a holiday and all, but if we take into consideration the nature of the holiday, perhaps that's understandable.  So, back from Vegas...WOW is about all I can truly say...I did say to a few folks that I had the best time I've had in Vegas since 95 Grateful Dead and that includes 98 Haloween Phish.  I stayed at THE Hotel.  That's really the name of the place.  You can only begin to imagine that fun and confusion that ensued when divulging my location...

"I'm staying at THE Hotel."

"What hotel?"

"THE Hotel."

"Which hotel?"

"No, THE Hotel!"

And on and on like Abbot and Costello...

So, yeah, right now I'm trying to prepare for the Denver Spring Gem and Mineral Show.  It starts on Friday and goes through the w/e...should be a good one, I have a lot of great material...next I'm not too sure about...I just got accepted into the Summer Camp Festival in Illinois on Memorial day weekend.

Saturday, April 10, 2004 12:37

So, now it's time to prepare for the summer.  I'm still looking for people to help me out this summer.  I've got some great new t-shirt designs, and some fantastic new mineral specimens.  I just wish all the bands would go ahead and announce their upcoming tours...After Vegas, there's a gem show in Denver, the weekend of April 23rd.  Then I'm not too certain what's next.  I know that Bonnaroo is on the list, and Red Rocks for The Dead...and lots of fun stuff all summer long...so, come along on a journey of sight and sound with me cause summer's here and the time is right...

Saturday, April 10, 2004 2:15

Hey now!  Beuna Sera! Gueten Tag!  Wow!!!  Just got back from the String Cheese European Incident.  13 shows in 12 cities in 6 countries in 17 days on two sides of the road and two sides of the car for at least 10000 kilometers during my 3 weeks in Europe.  I hadn't been to Europe since November of 97, but it hasn't really changed that much since I've been away. It's still a really cool place to hang out, just as tough to navigate through, with just as many friendly faces along the way.  In general, except for the big wars, Europe doesn't seem to have changed too much in the past few hundred years...I even had to drive through the gates of a town...semis couldn't fit through the gates if they wanted to...only one car could fit through the stone arches at a time.

Here's a taste of some photos that might indicate just how much fun I had.

Anyway, it's now 3 am...I'm off to bed, but I'll be updating a little more in the next week...next stop, Las Vegas...

Wednesday, March 17, 2004 7:07

Happy St. Patty's day to one and all.  I'll be on an international flight today so I'll be able to celebrate in style.

Well, today's the big day.  I'm off to Europe for the first time since 1997.  I'm really excited, and almost to the point where I would take my laptop with me and update my page from the road...but not quite yet.  I do plan to buy some sort of wireless internet plan when I return, so I can keep updating from the road. 

So, I'll be there til the 7th of April and the only real way to reach me is by email.  I guess that's all I've got to say for now.  I have to finish getting ready for the trip.  Ciao for now...

Erin Go Braugh!!!

Monday, March 8, 2004 10:36

Yeha!!!  I've finished making my travel arrangements for Europe...Still a little bummed out that I couldn't pull off the bus trip.  C'est la vie...gotta get practicing languages for my trip, although I will not be going to France this time.  So, now I'm in Colorado.  Gonna see the Rebel Alliance Benefit tonight in Boulder.  Should be really really hot.  Then 3 nights of String Cheese Incident this weekend followed by 2 nights of Ratdog next week and my departure for Amsterdam on St. Patty's day.  I'll be there until April 7.

I'm still looking for some good help, and I've been working on what wages I can pay for that help.  I still want to offer $250 per week plus a healthy commission base depending upon what kind of sales are made.  For example, if I am wholesaling to businesses, the commission will be lower than if I am doing retail sales.  Working for Pu Stuff Enterprises can provide one with some great experiences and invaluable knowledge.  These include but are not limited to: extensive travelling which is all provided and paid for by Pu Stuff Enterprises, access to my extensive knowledge in the gem and mineral field, and training in a number of computer oriented tasks including web design, ebay and excel. 

Ok, well, that about wraps it up for now...do look for new stuff on the Gem and Mineral and Cool Stuff for Sale pages soon.  I'm hard at work on things now.

Tuesday, February 24, 2004 10:52

  Well, the Tucson Gem and Mineral show is over, and it was great!!!  I think I've found my calling in life.  If I were to name it I'd name it a carreer.  I hope to be an exhibitor at the 100th anniversary of the Tucson Gem and Mineral show in 2058.  I'll be 84, and prolly considered an old-timer by then.  So, now that the show is over, I'm back in California, San Diego to be exact.  I haven't spent much time here since I got out of the navy in 88. 

In other news, the Furthur European Incident has been postponed.  I am still planning to go, if at all possible, but the whole organized bus trip has been postponed.  Some of the interested parties attempted to arrange their own trip, and when that failed, I found it to be too late and I was too busy to pursue it furthur at the time.  Now that the gem show is over, and I have a bit more time, it may still be possible.  If anyone is still interested, please email me at stillfurthur@putzu.com.

Other than that, just gearing up for some upcoming events including a few Rat Dog shows in California and Colorado, and some String Cheese Incidents in Colorado and Europe.  After that, Phish is doing Three of a Kind in Vegas April 15-17, and I'm working on promoting a gem and mineral show at the same time there in Vegas.  The following weekend takes me back to Colorado for the Spring gem and mineral show in Denver.  The next weekend I'll be heading to Jazz Fest in N'awlins, where the Dead are rumoured to be performing before the Neville Brothers to close out the Fess.  The next solid plan after that is Bonnaroo 3.  Whoo-hooo it's gonna be a great year.

Saturday, January 24, 2004 18:46

Today, I added my JamCruise Pictures...Check them out.  Not much else to say, still working on more and more stuff for the web site.  That's it for now...

Friday, January 23, 2004 18:32

WOW!!! I've worked on my webpage more in the past week than I have since I started it way back in 1998.  Put up a brand new front page.  I kinda like it.  Let me know what you think.  Well, after a hard work-week, I think I can call it a huge success.  I am ready to release the seats I have available on A Furthur European Incident on Monday.  Though I still haven't left the Bay Area, I expect to be in Tucson by Tuesday or Wednesday.  That's it for now...

Thursday, January 22, 2004 19:55

Hard at work on A Furthur European Incident...and still found time to launch Travel Dreamzzz...my new travel agency.  Still haven't left for Tucson yet, but will be headed south by the end of the weekend.  Found out that I'll have free high-speed internet at the hotel...so I'll be able to keep this up at least a little while longer.

Wednesday, January 21, 2004 9:21

WOW this week sure has taken it's toll on me.  Thought I was leaving for AZ already, but this new project is more than I had bargained for.  It's going great, and I've just about go the bus all filled up for Europe.  Just ironing out a few more deatails, and I should be able to lock everything in before the weekend.  Then next stop definitely Arizona.  Well, the weather out here in Northern California is just fantastic.  Gotta run to Berkeley today and get my passport application in to get ready for the spring.

Remember to savor those synchronistic moments...they make the universe go round.

Sunday, January 18, 2004 16:30

So, now I'm hard at work on a lot of projects...just to throw it out there, I'm starting to look for somebody to fill a position that I expect to have available in the next couple of months...Anybody who is interested is encouraged to contact me at sales@putzu.com...The right person for the job has to have good people skills and a good head on their shoulders. I need somebody who can follow instructions to the letter. The job includes sales, book-keeping, taking and placing phone calls, writing emails and other general clerical tasks. I'm not certain what the pay will be yet, but I'm leaning toward about $250/week, and all driving expenses paid by me.

Anyway, enough about that...

Announcing the first event from Mighty Quinn Productions in over 13 years. Click below for more information on...

A Furthur European Incident

This will be my big project for the next couple of months...it may continue on for a while depending upon which of my favorite bands decide to play where for the next few months.

The other two projects that I am hard at work on are revamping the website and of course the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. The website will be an ongoing and never-ending project and Tucson will last through the middle of February.

Friday, January 16, 2004 19:24

Wow I'm back from the Jam Cruise, and let me tell you it was the time of my life. To be out at sea with 1000 great people and 15 fantastic bands, it just doesn't get any better than that. I'm going to build a whole other page devoted to the Jam Cruise including pictures, stories and my Batik T-shirts that I designed especially for the Jam Cruise.  JamCruise Pictures  You can just click on the words or here.

Monday, January 5, 2004 10:38

So, 2004 is finally here, and I'm so excited. I'll be leaving for Jam Cruise II on Friday and I won't be updating my BLOG until I get back from the cruise. Then it's right on down to the warmer climates of Arizona for the gem and mineral shows. I'm going to have a showing room at the Inn Suites. It should be room 102, but I just have to finalize everything this week. Hopefully in the next couple of days I'll be able to work on the gem and mineral page on this site, and then put some of the silver wrapped pendants on the site too.

Well, that's it for now, but stay in touch...in the meantime, here's a picture of me on my bike out on the Sonoma County coast...man I really want to live out here.