Week Ending March 30th

Here we go. The first week without work at the radio station. My job there is now being done by a man somewhere out west. Oh well. On to the jobs and fun. Wednesday i went to wings with Amanda, then we headed to memories for karaoke and some caricatures!!! There were not a lot of people there. I did four or five. Here is one of Scott. He knows i did it, but not sure he remembers it. I headed out about midnight.
Thursday was another night at Ronnie's. There was a group there planning a class reunion and a big table from Bonney Forge, several of the regulars and this night the owner's wife (sorry i don't know the name) got up and sang. Each week is looking good and I hope we can keep building. This Thursday Karaoke starts at 8 at Ronnies's tr. 747 Mount Union (shameless plug).
Friday at the Mount Union VFW...wow! It was packed. Although i don't say it enough, I am thankful for everyone who supports the places i play. Well, we had a lot of singers and even threw up some dance music toward the end of the night. I brought some new lights in that i bought last week. Next week i am going to try to set up a little different. We have had some requests for a place to dance. Hope you're there to give your input, if you like it or not. Now for that danceing that happened Friday night. I didn't catch the names of the women who wanted to dance. All i know is they said they were "newly single moms". It was late and i usually don't play dance music, but here is a video clip of them. Tell me, would you have said no? The guys sitting at the bar were not as impressed as i was...haha. I actually recorded these young ladies with another, but i do not have that ready to upload.
Saturday night i had off. I went to Ronnie's place for a while. Some good friends were there and had a great time watching one learn to play pool.
Sunday i headed to State College, for what is becoming a regular event for me. I headed to the mall with sketchbook in hand. I tried something that i have not done before. I sat down and would watch someone that was walking by. After they would pass, i would try to do a caricature of them from memory. Here are a few. I didn't spend more than a couple of minutes on each one.
After i did the thing at the mall, i was feeling pretty good so headed to Hooters. As i said before, I can draw there and the guys I draw are too busy looking at other things to pay any attention to me. I have been there several times lately and some of the girls there are getting to know me. That can not be a good sign. Oh well. One man who was sitting directly in front of me was my first target so to speak. I guess he is a regular there. Like more than me regular. I did a quick sketch of him. He was, how do i say this without being crude? Well he scared the crap out of me. So i did the drawing and before i knew it, he was standing in front of me. Asking me questions about what i was doing. I told him i was practicing caricatures and hid the one i did of him. If you are reading this, i will let you see it. Just promise if you know who it is, you won't tell him, HA! Now something cool happened at Hoots this time. Od of the girls said she likes to draw, so i said here, have a go at it. She did and drew a picture of meeee! The woman who did this was Sarah and she did a very good job. I did a drawing of her, but having ADD or something i forgot to take a photo. Oh well. I did another one of the girls there, again i did not take a picture. I was not happy with the drawing. Only because she told me not to draw a little gap in her teeth. If i would have, i would have like the picture. She didn't want it, so i didn't draw it. I think that about wraps it up. Wait. I have one more. A hooters girl. Anyone who knows me well, knows i like the look of the Asian woman. I know this was a Hooters girl. I doubt that she will ever see this, and i am in no way making a pass or trying to hit on this woman or any such thing. Whew, my disclaimer, but i did do a caricature of an Asian waitress at hooter who i thought was totally beautiful. The only bad part is, she was not smiling when i did the drawing. When i took her photo she did. So i am thinking i will do a better caricature of here and then post it. For now the one i did of her. Yikes.. one more i forgot about. Again i missed the name of the woman who did this other drawing, but it is a cat. or her boss. I forget. I told her i would post it. Hope you like it.

Pictures, holy cow!

So I was looking around at my web site that needs a severe over hall and found some photos that were left on the server. There are shots from as far back as 2001. Weddings, high school dances and parties. Not all of them, but a lot. If you want to give them a look click here. You will be taken to an index of photo galleries. Hope you see someone you know!

Week Ending March 23rd

Much fun was had this week as it started with DJ work early. St Pattys Day as a matter of fact. I played at Memories on Monday night. Had a good crowd for not advertising. I think this was the thrid time i played at Memories and I have never had a night that was planned. They have all been nights that have just happened. Well coming up next month, drum roll please...... a night at memories that is planned. Saturday Night, April 12th. Hope to see you there and as usual, I have a few shots from Monday night.
I had the week off from the radio job, so Wednesday night i headed back down to Memories for dinner and Karaoke. DJ Skiddy gets the place jumpin every Wednesday. My main thought was it would be a cool place to do a few caricatures, maybe sing a song or two. That's what i did. College students from Juniata college filled the place and some of the guys as me to do the caricatures, so that's what i did. I wish i had pictures here to show you, but i don't. The place was pretty dark, which may have helped me, as far as the drawings looking like them, but hurt me as for taking pictures of the final product. I think i did 8 or 9 faces. It was fun and i believe i will make as go at it again this week. I need all the practice i can get.
Thursday was the start of the Easter weekend. I had karaoke at Ronnies Place. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of people there. It was not wall to wall by any means but it was the best Thursday Night yet. I did get a priceless shot of karaoke in progress. The song, Jump by Van Halen. The singer, Roy. The photo Posted here. Again since i did not have to work at the radio station, I hung around a little longer. That could happen again this week. If you get the chance stop in and sing a song or two.
Friday it was a jam Packed Mount Union V.F.W. We actually had to open the doors to the back section. I believe a lot of family was back in town for the holiday. It was a lot of new singers and a lot of regulars. It's always good to have new singers. Hopefully we will have return customers. I have many pictures from that night, but will honor my promise not to post them. I promised a woman, who will remain nameless and photoless, that if she sang i would not post the photos i took. Nuff said.
From the caricature side, i didn't get to State College sunda, as i usually do. So i didn't get to work on anything. I have a dear friend Jess who's mom went to the hospital. I hung out with her. Not sure i did any good, but hope so. If you are reading this say a little prayer for them. It was a very tough easter. I did work on a painting (digital) of a caricature. Here it is.

Catching up

As i have said before, keeping up to date with a blog is a job in itself. It been two weeks since the last post, or there abouts. I have been drawing like crazy. A lot on paper and not on computer, so not much to show, but i am happy with the improvements.
I have also been busy with the DJ/KJ work. Karaoke at Ron's Place it starting to get regular singers. Although there may have been a personal mistake or two in the first week (sorry) it is starting to get into a groove and I hope if you are reading this post, you will stop out this Thursday. Ron's place is the former Roadhouse and karaoke starts at 8.
Last sunday was the big spring forward clock adjustment. I was sitting at my computer, 12:30 and the phone rang. It was the Shuffleboard League to remind me that i was to start playing in 30 minutes. They wanted to know if i forgot. For the first and only time in a lot of years of DJ work, I had forgot!!! I made the fastest trip to the Mount Union Country Club ever made in a 1978 Dodge van! Sorry about that. I was to play from 1 til 4, i made it 2 til 5:30. Did some caricatures and had fun. Hope it was as much fun for those attending.

That brings us to the finals of the Karaoke contest at the Mount Union V.F.W. Friday night. A huge crowd on hands and a thank you to everyone who participated. There was actually a tie for the winner. Zeb and Shawn congrats. I am glad i was not a judge, whew. After the night of karaoke was over and i was finished cleaning up my gear, we talked at the bar about another contest down the road. Maybe toward fall. We are also going to look for ways to improve it next time. I gave a little speech when announcing the winner. I said that not everyone would be happy with the results and that is the way it is with every contest. No matter what happens if we do it again, somone will still not be happy. Just remember, it is a karaoke contest at the Mount Union V.F.W. it's not American Idol. :-)

Saturday night i was at the Mill Creek Fire Hall for an after the cash party dance. It was jammed as i knew it would be. Not because of me, but because it was a cash party. The night was a lot of fun. Had some great dance moves, but they were so fast i didn't have a chance to get them with the camera.
Toward the end of the night things got a little weird, but that stuff happens. I am looking forward to getting back there on the 11th of next month. It's a Friday night and that means KARAOKE!!! Hope to see everyone back then with singing voices ready to go.

This week i will have a little more free time. If you have lived in the Central PA area for more than a few years and you were a radio fan. You may remember Sean McKay, he was a radio, well god, with a small g, in the day. He is coming back to Altoona this week. He is going to do mornings on Q94 where i work. So that means the usual morning guy, my boss, will be taking my spot from 10 til 2. That also means i get the week off. Hopefully that will mean i will get more work done that i have been slacking on at home. I registered a domain carickature.com but haven't been able to do anything with it. That is n the list as well as many other things, including hours of deep thought :-) for now the end.....

Happy Birthday Caricature

You may know or may not, but at the time of this posting, I work at Q94 in Altoona. I do middays and have several regular callers. One is Warren. His wife called and said she was having a birthday card party. Where you send a birthday card and it's an automatic party, I think. Anyhow, I said why don't i do a caricature of him, So that's what you see here.

Another Weekend

The weekend started early again this week. Thursday at Ronnies Place (formerly the Roadhouse) (Formerly the Hill Valley Hotel). It was a light crowd but still a lot of fun. It was a Karaoke night and we had several new singers as well as some from the previous week. Wayne had em dancing as you can see in the shot here. I had no trouble with computers this weekend. (knock on wood). It will happen again, Karaoke, Thursday Night at Ronnies. Also, if i may ad, two weeks ago i was at Ronnies on a Saturday night after i had finished playing a party. There was a DJ there, i forget the name, but he was there again this past weekend. If you are reading this i hope you give this guy a chance and the new owners. They are very hard working and trying to get a good thing going.
On another point, i did a couple caricatures while there on Thursday night.
Friday night i was at the Mount Union Vets for the final round of the Karaoke contest. It was a nice crowd. A lot of regulars which we all love and some new comers. The semi-finalists for this friday are posted on my homepage.
Saturday........Nothing, i actually stayed home. I had a dj job cancel so i stayed on the low key.
Sunday a trip to state college to the art stores and then to draw at the local Barnes and Knoble.