Old 66

Just down the gravel road,

You hit a highway long and old,

66 upon the sign,

More stories there than yellow lines.

And every Friday we dress down,

For a night out on the town,

Hit the first cold beer lights,

And get a quick start to the night.

She might be old but her curves look nice,

Up for adventure and can’t beat the price,

Fill up quick and push the pedal down,

Let’s take old 66 right out of this town.

Now were just in time for a late night snack,

Down at thompson’s bar and burger shack,
Americana never tasted this good,
Picnic style on the top of our hood.
Buckle up and were gone again,
It’s last call but we’ve already been,
On the highway for miles and miles,
Nothing on Earth is going wipe off these smiles.

She might be old but her curves look nice,
Up for adventure and can’t beat the price,
Fill up quick and push the pedal down,
Let’s take old 66 right out of this town.



Hiring: Embalmer's Assistant - Dare accepted

If you’ve never taken a dare, start today. Don’t cheat yourself by not trying something just because it sounds difficult or out of the ordinary. It’s like when you take a road trip and luck into the best fried chicken you have ever eaten in the middle of Kansas at 2:30 in the afternoon. We don’t always plan for life lessons and sometimes you find the greatest discoveries when you are looking for something else. I guess that on the flip side of everything-happens-for-a-reason is sometimes things happen because you took a chance. I will admit that I did use my full people skill set in the following job. Experience is a good thing but it is still a funeral home.

Actual Newspaper classified ad:

Hiring: Embalmers Assistant, must have flexible schedule able to work weekends and holidays. Apply in person.

How my friend Jeff read it:

Work with dead people. Sweet.

How it should have read:

Hiring: Embalmers Assistant, on call every other night, must be willing to do the weirdest sh*t you can think of, not allergic to death, dying or flowers, able to mime sadness, strong stomach, strong heart.

Must be able to lift between 90 and 500lbs.

It started as a job search that ended in a dare. I was tired of lugging around beds and sofas for the local furniture store and needed a change. I was always told that working in food was below me and of no benefit so that job market for a 19 year old college kid was limited. My friend Jeff(morbid and obsessed with the movie Halloween) and I sat in my apartment checking out the newspaper classifieds when one of us noticed the above ad for an embalmers assistant. At first glance it sounded like a job title from the middle ages. I half expected to see tax clerk and bell ringer following the listing. I would have never given it a second look until Jeff says ‘I dare you to go apply for this job.’ That was all it took.

I made a call and briefly explained I didn’t own a suit, but that could be remedied. The gentleman informed me that if I were to be offered the job I would require a state licenese that the funeral home would help cover until my first check. Two days later I found myself in a black suit, tie and sharp black shoes(Wal-Mart specials). Out of respect to the dare I brought along Jeff. We pulled up out front and both agreed we couldn’t believe I was doing this. We were greeted by a friendly receptionist who led us into what can only be described as your grandmother’s living room. Wooden walls with charming accents of blue and gold. Color neutral carpet and soft peaceful music (elevator classics/ocean sounds). We thumbed through a few TIME magazines from 1975 and a book about dealing with death. We wondered if the four state rooms behind us were empty. If not, who were these people?

I was a young kid with no idea what I was getting myself into or how to conduct myself in an interview. I figured if I really wanted the job just nod in agreement and say stuff like ‘I love to work hard’ and ‘You can always count on me’. I remember being honest in the situation and didn’t lie but it would have been nice to know a few more details. I knew at the time that hours didn’t matter I just needed money. How bad could it be right?

My award winning charm and smile (plus a promise to be on-call) got me the job. I reported to work much the same way a Playboy photographer might, dressed to the nines ready to get dirty and assuming nudity might be part of my day. I hate to associate in any way the glamour of a wonderful magazine like Playboy with the absolutely unsexy world of a mortician but I think you get the picture. They didn’t hold back on day one, it is a business of death and that means dead people were all around.

As I basically shadowed the director that had interviewed me, he noted the different rooms starting in grandma’s living room and pointing out the four state rooms and a somewhat hidden door I hadn’t noticed prior. We continued down the rabbit hole and past the car washing garage and copy room. A small room for making arrangements and a show room of caskets (can I interest you in a 99’ metallic pea, with flip sides and, baby blue interior) ended the living side tour. Formally a true funeral ‘home’ we walked down the hallway to the ‘kitchen’. A strange smell permeated the door. As we walked in the room the whiteness and the lights were blinding. This once 1950s kitchen was now the embalming room. It was operating room clean and the tools looked similar to those in any great horror movie. A woman lie on the porcelain table covered from neck to ankle in a sheet. It didn’t so much startle me, but I was taken aback. Not the age or the color, not the closed eyes or the clean washed hair but the opening on her neck with the tubes protruding. I didn’t know how the process worked and now I was getting first hand experience up close and personal.

It is amazing how even the strangest thing you have ever seen becomes a daily routine. It was about a week before I was allowed to make a cut to start the embalming process. It was also in the first couple days that we were called out to my first car wreck. Rolling in the black coach, (not hearse, people don’t like that word) we came up on the scene it was not what I expected. They had already pulled the two bodies from the vehicle and we simply helped place one in a body bag for transport. (CSI NCIS and cop show watchers will enjoy this next part, but be warned graphic imagery begins now.) The phrase ‘multiple compound fracture’ takes on a new meaning when you are physically holding a human leg in your hand that is suffering from this diagnosis. Broken ribs, a shattered wrist, head wounds and abrasions head to toe. It was in an instant that the bodies became non-human.

Before you start judging or maybe think I am a person with no heart let me make something clear, I have a great respect for people and for those peoples outlooks on the world. However, in the situation it was easy to mentally block the emotional attachments and face the task at hand. It was our job to make these people look presentable for their families and allow their connections to end in the best possible way. I would only end up working one other car accident in my brief time with the funeral home, but it was another eye opener. Nobody should ever have to see some of the things I saw but in a strange way I feel privileged to see something generally limited to doctors and soldiers. In the second accident a single car left the highway at speeds at or above 110mphs before flipping and catching fire.

There was a light drizzle that night. I was asleep at home with my wife and new son. Around two in the morning the phone rang, I suited up and met the director at the funeral home. He drove. We discussed the fact that people always jerk the wheel when an animal runs in front of the car and this causes problems. In a strange twist of fait only moments later we spotted and struck a raccoon. We arrived to find two fire trucks and three Oklahoma Highway Patrol cars sitting on the side of the road all empty. The firemen and officers stood along the shoulder watching out to the field where a black hunk of metal sits smoldering. They more or less pointed indicating the body was still in the car and we unloaded our gurney in our suits, ties and rubber gloves and marched out in the wet grass. Like something out of a haunted amusement ride the body was still sitting upright in the driver’s seat, charred and only recognizable as human from the skeleton and cooked skin. I could see all the organs. I reached through the car and grabbed near the knee and near the shoulder and with the help of the director we hefted the small mass out of the car and into a body bag lying on the ground. I had nightmares for a week.

What happened to the rainforest? Or the Ozone?

 

I think we saved them.

Let me take you back to 1992, Claremont Elementary it was a wonderful year of school. Nothing to difficult, learning cursive, figuring out jump ropes and playing with everyone on the playground. I was ten years old and learned a lot about life. It was the year of “Stardust” a nice mix of dry sugar and dry Kool-Aid, you ate it straight out of a plastic bag, delicious. It was almost every day at lunch kids would have different flavors and it was pretty easy to find. Like crack only for kids. (Kids in 2006 were suspended for this same mix, they called it “Happy Crack.” That’s why you don’t get caught.)

This was the same year I was handed a bag of crunched up cookies on the playground only to be tattled on for having drugs. Yeah right, I didn’t even know what drugs were at that point. All I remember was a surprised teacher coming up to me and asking what I had. I informed her I was holding… a bag of cookies. She snatched it from my hand and like a police officer from the movies she stuck her finger in and tasted the crumbs. Her keen since of taste clarified the situation, cookies. That was a close one.

It was also about this time that we started selling the “Save the Planet” shirts. I don’t know who started that racket, but it was genius. Printed on “organic” materials and featuring such graphics as a tiger head or maybe a waterfall. This was in addition to our efforts to “Save the Rainforests” by walking around the playground. I didn’t understand at the time that our ability to walk in a circle and collect popsicle sticks was so vital to saving the trees of South America, but clearly it worked.

It was the “Global Warming” of our day. I’m not saying I don’t believe in global warming but considering our science on the subject is less than two hundred years old it seems like we might be jumping to conclusions. Speaking of that, since the downturn of hairspray use from the late eighties the ozone hole that was going to kill us all has been greatly reduced, you’re welcome. We just solved problems left and right. How dare they call us a lazy generation, we aren’t lazy for playing videogames we are just reducing our emissions not driving to other people's houses.

We watched multiple videos on the ozone and the rainforest and I think most of us felt like we needed to work hard to fix these problems. I don’t know if it was puberty or a lack of interest but I haven’t heard anything about the ozone or the rainforest since the mid-nineties. Captain planet was a hit cartoon and Fern Gully gave us further warning on the big screen. I don’t know how the tree-hugger agenda became so popular but we were deep in the game. As we were ending our efforts in the rainforest department we didn’t even see the recycling revolution coming.

His name was Billy B. and his songs were catchy and infectious. They still run through my head to this day. “Re re- recycle, re- re- recycle” A grown man singing songs of conservation and earth science. A day away from school at the college nature trail and amphitheater plus snacks, we’re listening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEVBuG3FHJ4 – Billy B (circa 2001)

Again I guess it goes to show how easily influenced kids can be, especially when you provide snacks. Having an eight year old of my own makes me wonder what he will see and hear over the next few years that might influence his outlook on life and the big ticket issues he hears about now. So maybe we saved it and maybe it is still in danger but you can read up for yourself on the subject. Here are some “facts” I found online about the rainforest (which still exists) despite what they led us to believe twenty years ago, that they would all be gone by now.

“Tragically, the tropical rainforests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. According to Rainforest Action Network, more than an acre-and-a-half is lost every second of every day. That’s an area more than twice the size of Florida that goes up in smoke every year! "If present rates of destruction continue, half our remaining rainforests will be gone by the year 2025, and by 2060 there will be no rainforests remaining."

Every second . . we lose an area the size of two football fields!

Every minute . . we lose an area 29 times the size of the Pentagon!

Every hour . . . we lose an area 684 times larger than the New Orleans Superdome!

Every day . . . we lose an area larger than all five boroughs of New York City!

Every week . . . we lose an area twice the size of Rhode Island!

Every month . . .we lose an area the size of Belize!

Every year . . . we lose an area more than twice the size of Florida!

 At the very least, "with the destruction of the tropical rainforests, over half the plant and animal species on earth, as well as numerous indigenous cultures will disappear forever." If strong and decisive action is not taken immediately to reverse the destruction of this vital ecosystem, the consequences will be catastrophic. In fact, many scientists agree that the earth could very well become uninhabitable for virtually every living species, including humans!”

Read more at:

http://www.savetherainforest.org/savetherainforest_007.htm
And in case you want to know more about the Ozone:
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/

Happy Hump Day! Thanks for Reading!

High expectations can ruin a good thing if you think it should be great.

“Well, I was counting on my kids to make millions.” – Tami Peck, my mom, 4/24/2012

I guess it is no secret parents want the best for their children. You commonly hear the phrase “I just want them to have it better than I did.” Little did I know it was because they want to piggy back on our successes. I assure you I don’t come from money, no “silver spoons” in this mouth. As far as I know we grew up comfortable, never hungry or without a place to live and far from poor.

The funny part about growing up is you don’t know any better. In fact I don’t think kids truly think about money or possessions until at least the teen years. Love and food seem to be the most important things in a child’s life. We provide both in abundance. I do recall the year I asked for a Starter Jacket and Doc Martens, must have been seventh grade. Oklahoma State starter Jacket for the win. I guess my parents didn’t think a pair of work boots were as practical. 

I have dreams and aspirations for my son to be drafted first round for a five year deal worth $12.5 million in guaranteed money and a $1.5 million signing bonus. But maybe he wants to cure cancer instead. Either way I guess I will still love him. He has options.

As a near-30-year-old I sometimes feel behind in making my dreams come true. Let me clarify. My financial and professional dreams are a bit behind where I think they should be. I couldn’t be happier with my marriage and my awesome son, exceeding all expectations. Now I just want the cup to runneth over with gold and riches. Daddy needs a new lawn mower.  

 

To quote The Beatles, “Money can’t buy me love”, but to quote 50 Cent, “If ‘brothers’ hate then let em hate, and watch the money pile up.” I guess my point is as Kanye says, “There's dishes in the back, he gotta roll up his sleeves/But while ya’ll washin’ watch him/ He gone make it into a Benz out of that Datsun/ He got that ambition baby look in his eyes/This week he’s moppin’ floors next week it's the fries.”

I feel like I need to do some dishes so I can move up and run my own restaurant. Maybe with enough writing/singing/promoting I can reach some of those starving artists’ dreams of being a not so starving artist. I am thankful for my job and the people I have met as a result both far and near. Just like for everyone there is a brass ring you reach for and sometimes you fall short. It is about time to take a leap at that ring and make things happen. (I am not quitting my job, just in case you are reading into this a bit to deep.)

I know mom was kidding about making millions. In fact I don’t think she could be more proud of my sister and I. We both are happy, healthy and loved, just like we were as little kids. Money is the added bonus to a life so full of joy and it’s about time for a pay raise! I often wonder about the people out in the world who dream of having a corporate job and dream of being a CEO. I think they have to be wired differently. I keep pitching the idea to my wife of moving to the islands and home schooling, so far we just haven’t decided on which island.

I guess expectations are what keep us striving and the thing that can stop us cold. Aerosmith had it right “Life’s a journey not a destination and you just can’t tell just what tomorrow brings.” If you are always aiming for the expectation you might miss out on all the chances and opportunities along the way. Our course is never set in stone. Expectations can raise or lower but they rarely stay the same. We raise the bar and set new goals that test our abilities and our heart. People’s faith in you or their expectations of you are what make you who you are. It is only you that can make your decisions, but with help and by surrounding yourself with positive people your expectations of the world become clear.

I expect my parents to be there for me. I expect my wife to love me unconditionally. I expect my son to do his homework without being told.

My expectations for my work are to find success in writing. My expectations for my marriage: 60+ happy years. My expectations for my son are beyond the stars.

You are bound to let some people down. You can’t make everybody happy. High expectations can ruin a good thing if you think it should be great. And low expectations can make a bad thing seem a little bit better. Know where you stand let your expectations steer you in the right direction.

High School: Finding the Mic (or) Glee before Glee was a thing

Today I am sharing something I started almost a year ago. No, I'm not trying to be the next Tony Robbins but if my life story helps others why not put it out there. Sure I have a spin and a title I will share with you all later, but for now enjoy this excerpt and again thanks for reading the blog.



(An excerpt from a book I am trying to write.)

As the libido settled down and the church-going cooled, it was time for senior year. As a summer full of hanging in the pool, hauling hay and preseason football ended so began the class of 2001's epic rise to greatness. Some might say we had a swagger others call it cocky, but we felt unstoppable. State champions, academic standouts and an overall low arrest record. It was our school and everyone knew it. (I think most of the teachers left after we graduated because they felt they couldn’t possibly top our phenomenal group.) Don’t get me wrong, as I would find out later in life not everyone enjoyed high school like I did, but it is what you make of it. It was senior year when I found my confidence. I entered the Mr. Claremore Pageant (no swimsuit competition) read a poem and even sang in front of a crowd with one of my best friends Kyle Payne. This would not be our last stage shared. In an all school pep assembly we rocked the house with a love song to our girlfriends. (Standard issue, they were younger than us and thought it was awesome, I think.) And once more as my broadcasting career kicked off as a co-announcer for the powder puff football game. (We have been called bro-mates on more than one occasion.)

A brief description of powder puff football: In case you don’t know what powder puff football is please allow me to inform. This is the day when the most athletic girls in school join forces creating an uber-strong force of hotness and sport. School dress codes are null and void during this glorious game and in a perfect world competitiveness turns graphic as a result of tackling, despite the fact this is a flag football game. Everyone is welcome to skip class to be there and it stands out as one of the greatest events to take place during school hours. Pure Joy!

Wisecracking and commentating on coaching style and the level of play were among the highlights as we were allowed to do and say just about anything. If memory serves, a tense moment came when the red teams leading rusher burst around the left side sprinting for the end zone only to have her shorts ripped from her body revealing…. thank goodness underwear. It was a stellar moment for any high school teen and a perfect topping of an already wonderfully successful display of teen angst. (*see footnote)

Some gifts come in odd packages. These early days of being on a microphone would lead me further down the road of communications. I knew that if I could convey my emotions that others would listen and hopefully enjoy the sound and the words. I don’t feel like I cheated myself in high school one bit. Looking back my biggest regret remains not playing basketball all four years. It seems strange maybe but my level of confidence and the place I dug for myself prevented me from playing my favorite sport. This attitude is what brings me back to taking life by the horns and reaching out for success while welcoming failure as an opportunity to improve. We can’t always win and not everyone will like us, but we can always try and in trying we learn to like ourselves in both disappointment and success.


* There should be a graphic story about prom and how drunk I got and all the premarital escapades, but I didn’t do any of those things. Sorry to disappoint. Lots of sex stories in the marriage section though. Okay, I am being told by my wife that is not acceptable. Sorry to disappoint, again.

Happy Tuesday Everyone. Thanks for Reading!

3,034 Calories – Let the Battle Begin!

(If this doesn’t get results, I am going to buy a pair of size 60 waist jeans and take after pics anyway.)

It is the start of my third week blogging and I haven’t touched on fitness or food. If you notice the URL for this site (P90ecks.blogspot.com) I first started blogging in 2009 at the beginning of a P90X workout cycle, but failed to complete that round and stalled out on the blog after only a couple entries. Things have changed and I don’t plan on stopping the blog anytime soon. I think it is time to give P90X another try!

Five years ago before a vacation I completed the 90days and as a result lost 30lbs. (10lbs a month) I weighed 239lbs, the least I have weighed since eighth grade. I have reached up to 278 and back down to 250. Currently I weigh 265.

Okay, why is this guy sharing with the world his inability to keep weight off? Well damn it I am nearly back at 100% health wise and now I want the fitness to match the desire. Along with my P90X workouts, I also have a grand plan that might just revolutionize the world of exercise. I call it “What did you do at the gym today?”

I am going to ask people to submit their workout from the day via text message, Facebook message or post, email or comments on this blog and I am going to try and match it the next day. Don’t worry I am not going to start blogging about the apple I ate and the push-up I did. Every two weeks I will give an update. I am going to base increasing fitness on a certain criteria including a mile and two mile run time, consecutive push-ups and how many minutes of my P90X workout I don’t skip, haha.

I could list a bunch of excuses of why I seem to yo-yo, as they say, between 250 and 270lbs, but it is a simple fact, I eat too much. It is time to get back on track with a rewards system that includes great food from great restaurants not weekends filled with junk food binging.

Some of you can’t relate and to that I say piss off. Just kidding! I know that we are all different and in fact our bodies vary immensely. Genetics, metabolism, drive and will power are just a few factors in the battle of the bulge, but now I am taking an army with me.

I hate to put a tag on this day but since I am blogging about it and my tens of readers might expect something I shall call it:
Travis’ Super Weight Loss, True Fitness, Strength and Power,
P90X Gym Spectacular-- Day 1.

April 23, 2012 - Just by happenstance it is exactly eight months until my 30th birthday. How about a goal? 40lbs off by December 23. (225lbs) Seems doable.

Out on the internet they have these calorie calculators and with a few simple numbers height, weight, age and gender they estimate your intake needed. Mine, with moderate exercise, was 3,034(gasp). In other words if I can get rid of 500 a day I should lose a pound a week. The sad part about this information is that I must be taking in more than this to gain weight! Yikes. So I guess the Michael Phelps diet doesn’t work if you take away the swimming.

I enjoyed the weekend full of high-class and low-class food. We enjoyed our date night at Villa Ravenna at The Farm shopping center in Tulsa. Some of the best food I have ever had and a wonderful atmosphere make for a great fine dining experience.

http://www.villaravenna.com/ - Wonderful restaurant
Low-class, Sunday afternoon we had Van de Kamp’s beer battered fish sticks, Always Save Mac and Cheese, Coleslaw and a Little Debbie Oatmeal Pie for dessert.
Yee-Freakin’-Haw!
http://www.vandekamps.com/beer-battered-fish-fillets - These are good, sadly.

Talking the talk, now time to Walking the walk. Here we go people.

3,034 Calories in perspective:
5.6- Big Macs
6.4- Sonic Sausage Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burritos
14.8- Cups of white rice
44- Oranges
606- Dill Pickle Spears

A few of my favorite quotes about weight loss come from Kevin James’ comedy special “Sweat the Small Stuff” –
“I gotta get in shape. Or else I gotta hope that ponchos come back in style.”

“I have a different level of fitness goals. For example when I brush my teeth I don’t want to see jiggling. Once I reach that I just have to maintain.”

“People always like to give you advice. ‘You should chew suger-less gum.’ Yeah, cause my ass got fat from Bazzoka. That’s where I veered off right there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hNehRUuqaw&feature=relmfu – This is Part 3 of 3 on YouTube. If you have free time watch it all, otherwise watch this part it pertains to food and weight loss.

Happy Monday! Thanks for Reading.

Date Night - Late Night - Can’t Wait Night

It is official, the kid is at the in-laws and tonight it is just me and that beautiful woman I tricked into marrying me. We are getting all dressed up and heading out on the town like those people you see in the movies, they still have restaurants out there for couples right? Not like freaky weirdo clubs just normal establishments that don’t have a play place or make you get your own drinks.

It has been a while since we have gone out.

As it turns out I need some underground club in the Tulsa area to make me look cooler than I really am. Any suggestions? I am taking my supermodel wife out for drinks and dinner and after that it is up in the air. We were going to take the private jet to NYC and catch a show but darn it if the gas tank doesn’t have a hole in it. They can’t get it patched until Monday. You know how that goes, maybe next time. Besides you see one Broadway show you’ve pretty much seen them all.

Snipe hunting? I hear they are in season. And because of the unusually mild winter their survival rate was elevated. Again, do I really feel like buying all that gear? Probably not. Traps, flashlights bait, gummy worms or pork rinds work best. That’s what our expedition leader told us last year. He provided everything, all-inclusive, and at $700 a person you can’t beat that price. Turns out we unknowingly spooked them with our “city” smell. Live and learn. This pic only cost $50.00, you can almost see something and yet not see anything, elusive buggers.

Or maybe we could walk around downtown Tulsa handing out coupons for high-end restaurants to the homeless, that’s noble I think. Plus the look on their faces would be priceless. Well maybe priceless isn’t the right word for that situation considering the economic implications. Hilarious, that’s the word I was thinking.

Totally unrelated. How do you think early miners would feel about Goldschläger? Seems kind of like we are slapping them in the face? No?



Mad Men theme night? We will already be dressed up so why not go out individually and pretend we have no morals. Meet back at the house Saturday morning and eat breakfast like nothing happened. Nope, now that I wrote it out it seems like it could cause problems. Plus I hate whiskey, deal breaker.

Night Trips? Not that sleazy strip joint, the 1989 adult film starring Tori Welles. IMDB(Internet Movie Database) gives it a 7.1 of 10. This is an actual viewer review:

“This is a very nice movie stylistically, one that is somewhat different from other porn movies. The settings are unusual - one is a staircase. The various sex scenes that are dreamt by Tori Welles are shot in different color filters. During the sex scenes, you don't hear the actors - you only hear music. The drawback is that you actually have to be watching the TV (or know the story very well!) to know what's going on, but it's worth it to me.”

You can’t argue with art. I mean who doesn’t enjoy porn cinematography and being forced to watch as to not lose the plot line. Something about retro pornography does take me back. 1989, seven years old, watching a bootleg VHS of Debbie Does Dallas. Those were the days. If I recall that was the first time I noticed how a strong lead character can really drive a film home.

I know I will think of something. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and not have a plan. Who knows maybe we go for drinks and end up singing karaoke at 2AM in Oklahoma City? How could that end poorly? I will keep thinking and if you wonderful readers out there have any suggestions please feel free to send them my way. Thanks again for reading.

BRING ON THE DATE NIGHT!

My new/old ‘songwriter’ obsession.

I’m what you might call a lyricist, in that I don’t play music but love singing and writing songs. I have these pent-up lyrics just floating in a vast expanse known as my big head. Country, rap, pop, rock a little bit of everything. Over the last few months I have been looking into people out there like me. Not famous for singing but being behind the hits. I wanted to share some fun info about writers you don’t know and transition into a few folks you may or may not have heard of that write and sing.

As an Okie (Oklahoman) one of my favorite country artists growing up was Garth Brooks. I always enjoyed the words because they truly painted a picture and told a story. I always assumed he wrote all his own lyrics. As it turns out some of his most popular songs and less traditionally country songs were penned by others or jointly with Brooks.

For example: Gary Burr is a name most of you might not know. In fact some of you younger readers might not even know the name Pure Prairie League. Gary Burr was a member of the band from 1982-1985 he wrote songs but nothing of note. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhbN1LCDcAM – PPL - Amie (Great Extended Radio Version)

However, since that time he has written for nearly every major country artist. One collaboration was with Brooks on “One night a day” a slow sad ballad driven by piano. Nothing country about it and one of my favorite Garth songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAjJsJ2TNhw – One night a day

According to his website his résumé reads like this:
32 top forty hits, 24 top tens, 14 number ones. Songwriter of the year by ASCAP and Billboard Magazine and the Nashville Songwriters Associations of America.

Not to shabby for a backup singer from Connecticut.

Continuing down the Garth Brooks road I found another great song he recorded on his “Sevens” album called “A friend to me”. This song is in my wheelhouse for singing and I enjoy the build from piano-only into a higher top end with full band backing. Again this song was co-written with a woman named Victoria Shaw. She released an album in 1984, 1994, 1995 and 1997. No singles ever broke the top 50 with limited radio play.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y05I2JNojAsww.youtube.com/watch?v=y05I2JNojAs – Garth Brooks “A Friend to Me”
(just listen and ignore the video) I hope to cover this soon and post it.

Apparently they had worked together before. It was on Brooks third album, “Ropin’ the Wind” she co-wrote his ninth number one hit “The River”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXCBbxpFWCY – Victoria Shaw sings “The River”

“She’s Every Woman” was another number one she co-wrote with Brooks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7xZZEAoRd8
(Again, ignore the video, unless you are a Soap fan, just listen it is better)

This last song would be considered bluegrass by most anyone and never made the radio for Brooks. “Don’t cross the river” is an upbeat O brother Where Art Thou type song that is the second to last track on “Scarecrow,” Brooks’ final studio album released in 2001. Little did I know it is a cover of an America song from 1972 written by Dan Peek. Peek was a founding member of the group and wrote many of their hits including three other top 100 hits. “Lonley People”- “Woman Tonight”-“Today’s the Day” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g5ZEPI50yw – America – “Don’t Cross the River”

I don’t have to be famous I just want Garth to sing one of my songs on his comeback album. I don’t in fact have proof of said album but just assume it is only a matter of time. I guess you have to start somewhere and what better place than right here in my small corner of the internet. Maybe he will see this someday and fingers crossed he will be interested. If I can talk my little sis into recording a few songs with me in the next couple weeks they will be posted here.

In my advanced age I mostly enjoy the singer/songwriter genre. This can be any type of music but if you write your own words that ups your stock in my book. Some great examples in the last few years have been some huge hits. One of the best lyrical songs is “Colder Weather” by the Zac Brown Band. This was co-written with the lead singer and Wyatt Durrette, the keyboardist. It is a “perfect” song lyrically from start to finish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oouFE51HcqM –Zac Brown Band– “Colder Weather”

Another one of my favorite artists and song writers is Ray LaMontagne. His song “Jolene” was covered by the Zac Brown Band on “Pass the Jar”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VBVqE-UtHw – Ray’s version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZD_H5KfbaM – Zac’s version

His biggest “hit” has been “Trouble” a song used in both TV and movies but never with great commercial success.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3pltmw6cmI – Ray LaMontane – “Trouble”


My little sister found this next guy’s CD in a bargain bin in Stillwater, OK and we have been listening to him ever since. Marc Broussard is a singer/songwriter from Louisiana with a voice that is the epitome of blue-eyed soul. We had the chance to see him live at the small stage at the historic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. A modest crowd of around 100 gathered around and we were blown away by vocals and true musicianship. He played everything from the guitar to a washboard. How this guy hasn’t blown up is beyond me. His biggest song was “Home” from his 2004 debut album “Carencro” also the name of his hometown.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuWPseegaKw&ob=av2e – Marc Broussard - “Home”

I don’t want to leave out the ladies and I want to start with a woman that continues to make amazing music, Susan Tedeschi. I have to credit my dad for this find. Her album “Just Won’t burn” came out when I was sixteen(1998) and the single “It Hurts So Bad” was a staple of my dad’s music collection. I have this album on my Ipod and have been known to listen to the entire thing while running or mowing or anything that allows me 45 minutes for the blues. Here is the title track from 1998 written by Tedeschi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7zSQNl-Mwc – Susan Tedeschi– “Just Won’t Burn”

She recently won the 2012 Grammy for Best Blues Album for Revelator. (Tedeschi Trucks Band)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZOBUcnNp04&ob=av2e – TTB – “Learn How to Love”

Lastly a woman with commercial success since her first single “Love Song” went pop chart smashing back in 2009, Sara Bareilles. One of the best female voices I have ever heard and a writer on top of that, yes please. She has been a judge on TV’s The Sing Off and has covered Beyonce on the internet, but her true strength is in song writing. Her first album “Careful Confessions” was written entirely by her and with songs like “Gravity” I am surprised it didn’t launch her career even faster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_U6iSAn_fY – Sara Bareilles – “Gravity”
Her most recent chart worthy song was “King of Anything” a fun song basically saying ‘what do you know about anything, who made you king’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4z0RmLXXJc – Sara Bareilles – “King of Anything”

If you made it this far thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy the songs and feel free to Facebook me or comment on here about some of your favorite singer/songwriters.

I didn’t mean to get all Rolling Stone on you today but sometimes facts can be fun. I know I only touched on a few but a couple others worth mentioning include: James Taylor, John Lennon, Jimmy Buffet, John Mayer, Dave Barnes, Carole King, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, Adele and the list goes on and on.

My songwriting shall continue and my obsession with songwriters grows daily.

Nudity, Nakedness and the Human Body

Catchy post name right? Got your attention I bet. I would like to start with a disclaimer: the following post might talk about both male and female anatomy sometimes in a scientific sex-ed-ish way and at other times in a graphic National Lampoon kind of way. Both should prove entertaining.

Also, to any and all that I include in this post; remember we are all beautiful on the inside, blah blah blah. You might blush you might even close this post in anger, but before you do, unclench and enjoy a laugh or two.

There is a reason they say “picture the audience in their underwear,” before you give a big speech. It is very difficult to take someone serious or be intimidated if they are wearing tighty-whities or granny panties. (Thongs and Speedos might be a different story!) As a society we are perfectly okay with two-piece bathing suits and guys in swim trunks, but slap some lace or a fly on them and it is just too much.

I grew up in a home full of partial nudity, a PG-13 style if you will. Nobody was walking around naked just for the heck of it but we didn’t own robes either. Let me clear it up, underwear was acceptable outerwear in the early morning or late evening hours. I just assumed everyone’s mom walked around in bra and panties? Correct me if I’m wrong.

As I got older I became somewhat modest. I guess about the time I started getting jokes I didn’t use to get. Overall I consider myself a modest person (see picture), most of the time. Alcohol is debilitating to modesty. Again, in general I prefer to cover up and only in my own home do I feel free to run free time to time. (As with most rules there might be one or two exceptions. I will let Jessica tell those stories some other time.)

I guess nurture vs. nature can show itself in many ways. Having an eight year old boy might be the same around the world I just don’t know. My son thinks we are a tribal people without social constraints in the nudity department. The kid streaks from one room to the next and is quick to point out any “naked hineys.” I should point out this is only when it is only the Peck Trio.

When Preston was five-years old he pointed out that we were similar in a certain way, but was quick to add “but yours is much bigger.” Thanks buddy. My wife laughed a little too much about this statement.

It was about age 6.5 he began really asking about babies. I stared him right in the face and gave it to him straight, it is magic. Not really of course, I turned into a high school science teacher; “Well son, you see, when a woman gets pregnant the baby grows inside the mother for roughly nine months, this is the gestation period. At first the embryo has gills and is able to breath in the fluid holding it safe inside. It eats what the mom eats via a tube that connects at the belly. When the child is fully developed the mother gives birth or “delivers” the baby and the baby passes through the vagina.”

I might have skipped over the whole semen delivery system and the actual act, but that’s for later. Even as the words were coming out of my mouth it sounded like a sci-fi movie. He was happy with the explanation and that was the end of that. Until last week.

Parenting decisions come in many shapes and sizes. I decided to let Preston watch “Tower Heist” in lieu of “In Time.” How bad could it be? I was thinking Ben Stiller, “Night at the Museum” not Ben Stiller “Meet the Parents.”

In the first scene Casey Affleck’s character is running late and he proceeds to inform Stiller’s character, “I am freaking out man. You know how your sister has a tiny vagina?” (At this point I am trying to find the pause button… no such luck.) “Well I’m afraid she is going to have this baby and just blow out her vagina!”

Jessica shot me a look while vocalizing something that sounded like a cat fight. I turned off the entire sound system and TV and in Chevy Chase style, stood up, clapped my hands and said, “Welp, let’s find something else to do.”

It wasn’t until the next morning a puzzled looking kid came up to me while I stood doing dishes.

“Hey dad, what did that guy mean on that movie?”

Quickly I tried to divert, “What movie? What guy?”

“The bellhop on that movie, what did he mean about (rolls eyes) ya know?”

“You know what a vagina is and where babies come from right?”

“Yeah”

“I think he was just trying to be gross and funny about that process.”

“Oh……..(long pause) yeah that is pretty gross I guess.” END SCENE.

We didn’t go any further into this conversation. However, it did make me thankful he came to me and asked. Can you imagine if he would have done a Google search for that? God help us. There is no recovery from that, no explanation good enough.

It was that same weekend I made the announcement that he was free to ask me anything anytime. All I kept thinking about was being in the fourth grade. Two boys in PE started talking about “boners” and as informed as fourth grade boys might be now thanks to the internet, I assure you their information was both graphic and wildly inaccurate. Of course I didn’t know that at the time so it freaked me out and that stuck with me for life. I am sure there will be many more questions over the next eight years. I should start preparing now.

Everyone has their own ways of raising children, their own limits they place on letting the outside world in and the exposure (pun intended) to violence, nudity and sexual situations. I am sure there is a line and I don’t think we have crossed it. Someday we will tell him the story of the topless beach where he fell down. And about the two girls that helped him up. I remember seeing Under Siege when I was ten years old, guys will get this without further explanation. Let’s just say oversized birthday cake + party = fake breasts. My eyes got big and that was that and I turned out okay, right?

I’ve never heard of being too informed or over prepared. For now we shall keep on course and keep our fingers crossed our choices make for a well-rounded level headed young man.

You come into this world naked and everyone is naked under their clothes. Nudity can be art or comedy depending on the situation or the individual. I think the word naked is funny all by itself. So if you find yourself naked today, I hope you think of me, no, this post, you know what I mean.

At the risk of over sharing, I present:

A few places I have been naked (longitude and latitude)
18.466667,-77.916667
17.074656,-61.817521
20.622018,-105.228457
36.306034,-95.66826
35.46756,-97.516428

Happy Hump Day! Irony can be funny.

Make a bad day better.

We’ve all seen it in the movies and heard it from our family or friends, take a deep breath and count to ten. Well sometimes when it comes to having a bad day, shortness of breath and counting just don’t cut it. Here are a few things I do that make the worst day just a little bit better.

Make time to be alone. It might only be for a brief moment or maybe an evening on the town. We can’t think clearly if we are constantly being bombarded by questions and chores and life’s little things. Take time for you and think back to something that made you proud or a person that touched your life.

Sing out loud. Music is a part of everyone’s life and what better way to get those worries and anger out than to turn up the radio or Ipod. Find a song that matches your mood or maybe a song that reminds you of a great day or time in your life. Sing loud and sing often it massages the soul.

Run. Workout. Something physical. On the worst day when you feel like lying on your bed and eating chicken wings all night, you are just prepping for another bad day tomorrow. If you run or workout you can take all the mess from the day and in failure find a silver lining of accomplishment. Mark it down as a win.

Call your mom. Or Dad. It doesn’t matter how bad I feel inside or out, my parents always find a way to make me feel better about me. It’s almost like they love you no matter what, weird right. They have those extra few years that might just show you a way through a problem.

Listen to your kids read. I know this isn’t an option for everyone, but if you have this option take it. Especially if they are young, take advantage of feeling smarter than they are and also loving the fact that they are unburdened by jobs, stress and work. If you can see the joy in them, how could you not be happy?

Hug your spouse. It is amazing as a man the comfort I get in the hug of my wife. Day to day I feel tough and strong and know I could protect her in a time of need. But a hug from her makes me melt and takes the hurt of the day down two notches in one brief moment. It’s the human equivalent of the dog belly rub.

Commit. The day is over, commit to making the next day better in three ways. You decide what aspects of the day you are going to improve on and at the end of it you will know you have power over your life. Don’t dwell on the problems start fixing them as you plan and take action when you wake.

Sometimes it seems like there are millions of problems and only a few hundred solutions, but with each step we take forward we gain knowledge. Our problems change year to year and our situations can only be changed by us. “God gives every bird its food, but He doesn’t throw it into its nest.” – J.G Holland

I almost lost my imagination...

I almost lost my imagination…
by Travis Peck

Something funny happens when you first are born,
Sunlight is brighter and your mother is warm,
As you entered the room the focus was you,
I guess not all is different this still holds true.

Now at first it seems scary and a bit much to take
How you yelled and you hollered and scrunched up your face,
But from every second since life first began,
I have been and will be your most biggest big fan.

So as a small child you see things brand new,
There are firsts and forevers most bigger than you,
The world stays the same and slowly you grow,
At first very quickly and later you slow.

While in this long journey as soon I did find,
Life makes you change and complain and sometimes even blind,
Because there are so many things to take you far away,
It becomes hard to imagine a place where fantasies play.

I almost lost my imagination as every year would pass,
Until one day I had a son and I knew that it would last.

God is great, beer is good and people love Hayley!

I know the world already knows that my little sister Hayley won the 98.5 KVOO contest and got to sing with Billy Currington last night at The Joint at the Hard Rock Casino Tulsa. A couple of stories behind the story.

Hayley did an amazing job. Pics were up on Facebook before she got off stage and the video I shot is here: (terrible audio but good visual) http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=427657873916480

The tour videographer said his video should be up later today on:
http://www.billycurrington.com/

Hayley was selected just before the show and with zero notice my parents were able to find tickets at the venue. They had to buy them from a couple because the show was sold out. My brother-in-law, Wade, lucked into a standing room only ticket for me and so it was. We all got to see the show! And what a great show it was. Two opening acts and onto the main event.

Currington played all of his hits and a few new tracks before coming back onstage for his encore. As the third song began he announced that it was time to welcome a local girl that had won a contest to sing onstage and added, “she can sing pretty darn good.” Originally a duet with Shania Twain, “Party for Two”, kicked in gear as Hayley walked out and as if singing wasn’t enough pressure she had the opening line. NAILED IT!

People were cheering and I was acting the fool as they say. If you didn’t know better you would say she had been doing this her whole life. A true professional with nerves of steel she would later confess that she ‘kind of blacked out for most of it’. I doubt it. Currington grabbed her hand and pulled her across the stage and at one point put his arm around her as they sang their hearts out.

Currington’s manger also told Hayley that other than Shania, she was the only female artist he had sung with on stage. Not too shabby.

Everyone was pumped and he finished off the show with a classic Hank song, “Family Tradition” and one of his own biggest hits “Good Directions”.

After the show Hayley and Wade met me down on the floor and I hugged her and told her how awesome she did. Multiple people came up and said how awesome it was and how jealous they were of her and her grin was ear to ear. Talk about being high on life, at that moment all the worries of the world were gone and pure joy shined through.

Proud again of my little sister and hope this is only the beginning of a new string of big stage performances.
--------------------------

This weekend it is just me and the kid at home. I wonder what kind of trouble we can get into? Should make for some good stories that I hope you all enjoy.

Thanks for reading!!! The first full week is on the books.

Always my little sister.

January 26th, 1987 – I have enjoyed the world as an only child for the last four years. Life is good; I am the center of attention and can do no wrong. Surely it would be the same forever. Being waited on hand and foot. Food naps and toys. What a life!

January 27th, 1987 – A little baby, semi-cute, not sure what the fuss is all about. Mom and Dad seem happy about it, but why? They already broke the mold with me. I guess I’ll wait and see how this shakes out.



Every day since –

I adore my little sister. Sure, now she is married and works in corporate America and can rent a car but she is always my little sister. We always worked as a team from even the earliest cover-ups. Our mutual respect and understanding of “us vs. them” was clear. An unspoken bond that remains still today.

I guess some brothers and sisters fight like cats and dogs, but we never went down that path. In part a result of a four year age gap and in part our parents just wouldn’t allow it. Thinking back to childhood, almost every memory from my house involves my little sister or music or both.

One of our first projects together was a music video, George Michael’s Faith to be exact. I played lead mime-guitar and looked as cool as a seven year old can look in sunglasses and a black t-shirt. On back up vocals and keyboards, little sister in her night gown, age 2(or less.) 1989 was a great year for music Don’t Worry Be Happy won Song of the Year at the Grammys and Tracey Chapman was best new artist.

It was not until little sister hit Kindergarten that she took top billing. Those of you that know me now might find this hard to believe but I wasn’t the most outgoing in elementary school. An all school talent show K-5th was coming up and little sister decided it was time to shine. At the time I thought it was cute but now I realize how good she actually was at such an early age.

Being from Oklahoma, what better than a medley of songs from the musical “Oklahoma” to really tug at the judges heartstrings. Did I mention this was “Star Search” style judging before judging shows were cool? Hayley did the motions, sang the songs without flaw and sporting pigtails and painted on freckles took the grand prize!

There has always been music in the air at our house. Hayley and I were Disney children, we used to sing “A Whole New World” for hours trying to get it right. Even then it was clear she was the better of the two, but she didn’t lead on that I was bringing her down.

We made music videos every few years just goofing around and making mom and dad laugh mostly. I hope to get a few of those gems online for all to see soon, look out. We didn’t know we were making viral videos at the time because the internet was still just a twinkle in Al Gore’s eye.

Hayley would go on to win another title the following year. Skip ahead about ten years. We sit in a small recording studio in Neodesha, KS. The studio is an old fur vault from the standard oil days and the musicians are nobody you know, but have been everywhere and seen it all.

Hayley laid down vocals over a few weeks time and the album was called “More to Come...” http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hayleypeck she was leaning toward singing more than school. We co-wrote a couple of the songs and in fact one of them will be a hit someday, I am sure of it. All good things come to those who wait. Just like when we were little I was her biggest fan.

Months passed by and one day a call comes from an unavailable number to dad’s cell phone. It seemed impossible that a billionaire would be calling, but sure enough Garth Brooks had heard Hayley’s album and wanted to meet with her and our entire family.

In a conversation at his modest pre-mansion home he told Hayley in so many words, go to school, music will always be there waiting if you want to come back. He didn’t say she was lacking the voice, in fact his quote as I remember it was “your voice comes across smooth with the music, not abrasive like most.”

Haylo, nickname from way back, did go to school. She accomplished many things in college. A successful joining of a sorority, leading musical productions graduating with a degree and a job and the man she now calls hubby.

Since college we have both tried out for Nashville Star in Oklahoma City together. American Idol in Austin. And even competed in an Okie Idol contest in our hometown. (I won the whole thing.) And just recently we both submitted videos to sing on stage with Billy Currington at his concert in Tulsa. Hayley is in the top four and will get a chance to sing for his manager tonight and in my opinion will no doubt win the chance. I think there has been a shift in the way our life paths are crossing back and forth. Writing, singing and dreaming have never been a problem, now it is time to capitalize.

I hope this isn’t too much pressure for my little sister. What am I saying? No such thing.

We have always been so close. Building robots from cardboard, setting up a haunted house for our parents, even making a cooking video as grow adults for dad when he was in the hospital. I think I normally spark the video idea but she always goes along with it. I think it is about time to make a new video, Hayley Westwood: Supernova.

I am still her biggest fan. Sorry other family. The beauty part of self-proclaimed titles is they are undeniable to the creator. I wish my little sister the best of luck and look forward to the journey ahead. Thanks for being such a great sister, sister-in-law and aunt. I am proud of you and proud to be your big brother.