What Does a Nerd do on a Night Off?

So what does a nerd do when he takes a night off? He does nerd stuff.

I took a couple of nights off this week. I ordered a Ibanez Tube Screamer Replica kit back before Christmas and right as all the long work hours kicked in. I looked at it several times but couldn't take time to build it. Well, over the last couple of nights, I built it and modified it. It's the basic 808 with the Keeley mods. I added a bass boost switch and changed it over to diode clipping. I also built an A/B guitar switch. Now i can keep two guitars plugged up and step on a switch to change between them. Sound nerdy? Guitar nerdy at least.

Home Built - Ibanez Tube Screamer T808 w/ some Modifications

Home Built - A/B

I have more designs in works. I am designing a true bypass pedal board. I need a good way to carry the stuff to gigs. I also am designing a "mega overdrive". Right now, it will have an Orange Crush, 2 Tube Screamers, and a Red Llama all in one box. It will also have a guitar selector - A/B/C/D. I need to build a tremolo too. And a . . . well it's nit a short list.

I have totally revamped my rig over our Christmas break. I got a Boss GT-10 amp simulator and multi effect for Christmas. It replaced a lot of my stomp boxes. Gone are the Chorus, Auto Wah, Wah, Acoustic Simulator, and delays/reverb/phase shift/flanger of the ME-10. I have 4 weeks to get the new rig "gig" ready.




and some of the old stuff . . .

I'm Back - (Back to a Reasonable Work Schedule)

We have rolled out our new software for this years PGA products show in Orlando. I am now back to a reasonable work schedule. It's 60 h0ur weeks now. Back with the family, back in the studio, band back to gigs, and maybe a few minutes of goofing off.

I love the intensity of the PGA Show deadlines. It's hard work. 30 hour work days drain you. (Yes - you can work 30 hours non-stop without dieing.) You miss a lot. But, it after 25 years of this kind of work you get use to. And I guess, I expect it. I don't know what people do that don't work this way. What do you do with a 9-5 job?

I guess golf and music.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!

This is the time of year we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.

But all too often, I forget. I have no excuses. I get busy at work. (This is our busy season.) Busy at home. Busy at church. . . . and the list goes on.

I try to take a few minutes each day to reflect and be thankful. I try to focus on the the gift of salvation I have been given.

Where Were You 3 Years Ago Today

Do you remember where you were three years ago today? For most people, it was a fairly mundane day. It was just four days before Christmas. Were you doing that last minute shopping? Were you on the road to visit the ones you loved?

I remember that day well. I wake up to that nightmare too often. For me, it was one of the hardest days of my life. Wiley had survived a major brain surgery. For over 8 hours, the doctor had dug out as much tumor as he could safely remove. We had been released from ICU and were on the "floor" to continue recovery. But this morning, things went terribly wrong. In a matter of hours, Wiley had started pushing out all of the fluids he body held. I knew there was something wrong. I asked the nurse to call the doctors. She said she did. (We later found out - She did not.) Wiley had drawn up into a fetal position. He could not close his eyes. He couldn't talk or make any noise. You could pinch his skin and it would not return back.

Stacy was late getting to the hospital that morning. She had taken Hunter to school and was taking a few minutes to take care of some business. I had to call her and ask her where she was. And as calmly as possible let her know we REALLY needed her at the hospital. But, I did not want to tell her that Wiley was about to die. The last thing I wanted to upset her and risk her having a wreck getting to the hospital.

When I finally did get the doctor, they rushed Wiley back to the ICU. The staff of the ICU were able to get an artillerial line in to him and start getting fluids back into him. For all practical purposes, we had lost him. By the Grace of God and the work of the ICU staff Wiley was saved. It was touch and go through the day. It was a loooooong day for me.

That Christmas was spent back in the ICU. They let us sneak Hunter in to celebrate too. Wiley did not know we had Christmas. We let him open presents often. It was always a surprise for him to see his gifts.

That year I was given the gift of "time" with my sons.

Merry Christmas,
stephen

Cold and Wet

Yesterday, Wiley and I made a mad dash to St. Jude for an appointment. The appointment was at 2:00. At 1:30, they dismissed schools due to "inclamate" weather. I guess dismissing school so "you buy all the milk and bread you can afford" is doesn't look to good on somebody's TPS report. We were blessed, we only say four bridge misshaps. But, it dd make for a slow drive home. Very cold, very wet, and bridges - there is a combination of challenges that always makes getting home fun.

It's a great day for duck huntin'. But, for Christmas? Well, yep! Tis great weather for that too I guess. I would rather have a good snow than this ice and freezing rain. But then again, I think I kinda like the "shorts and t-shirt" Christmas weather the best.

The winter wonder land sounds great in song. But, I think Christmas on the beach in shorts would be better. And even better still, on a sail boat in the Caribbean. How would that be for a holiday celebration. Now i need a friend with a sail boat! Where's Halford?

My son on Yahoo Sport - Thanks Jay Busbee

At a time of year when many people struggle to find joy, my family is grateful. It was three years ago we almost lost Wiley. The three years since have not been easy. Every day has had battles. But there are the days that are "Great days." God has blessed us beyond our wildest imagination.

Yesterday, Jay Busbee wrote in his BLOG about Wiley and David Reutimann and one of our "Great Days." Here is the Link to it

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/Some-feel-good-news-for-you-at-an-ugly-time-of-y?urn=nascar,128249

If you like racing, you will like Jay's BLOG.

What Would it Take for Pastors to Come Together?

At a time when people are struggling in many areas of life, there is a safe harbor. The solutions to life's problems are not in a bottle, a pill, a new spouse, a rebounding stock market, or even a church building. The solutions are found in Christ Jesus. It's about a relationship - not religion. But how to we as believers reach out and share that message of REAL HOPE to our world.

I get to share every day. My life is filled with struggles. My struggles and battles take into places I DO NOT want to go. In those places, I meet people I would not have met otherwise. I try to share how my life has been effected by relationship with Christ. I show them how I cope with and rise above my problems with His help.

I have a burden on my heart. It's not the world, world hunger, some place I have never seen, or anything BIG. My burden is my home and the area I call home - Jackson and Central Mississippi. But how do we reach out?

I want to see our pastors come together and pray. We have different doctrinal views but we should all be bound by the belief we are saved by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus. We need to ignore color, income, neighborhoods, or whatever ever else blinds us to God's love. Our Christian pastors need to take the lead with the church leaders to bridge the gaps in worship style, "religious" tradition, and theological differences and start sharing the love of Christ with our city and the surrounding area.

Will this ever happen? I don't know. But, I will do everything I can.