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.