I've been around, commenting on a few photosets, group threads, PMs and a few blog posts. I even managed a couple of blog posts. I've got more coming as there are some very interesting blog homework topics I want to catch up on and I will have a new PINK MAGIC in the next week or two (not this week though, too busy).
So here's what's going on/coming up.
Last Wednesday was my brother's birthday. We took him to dinner on last Saturday night to Macaroni Grill (his choice). We bought him a special gift... when Mrs. DeadGuitarist and I got married, I bought custom made gold cartouches for our entire wedding party while I was on one of my temporary assignments at Incirlik AB, Turkey in support of Operation Provide Comfort. Gold was cheap in Turkey then (not sure about now), plus I made good extra money on those temporary assignments (in addition to regular pay, Basic Assistance for Housing (BAH) & Basic Allowance for Sustenance (BAS) - I lived off base by this time, Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) because at that time it was more expensive to live in Germany than most bases in the US, I got Hostile Fire Zone Pay, per diem (which was anywhere between $25 and $50 per day - way more than needed to eat three meals a day and have a couple of beers after shift end), plus any time I was there, I was not required to pay federal income tax... every one of my temporary assignments to Incerlik AB was at least 2 months). So that's how I was able to afford 7 gold cartouches (6 for the 2 bridesmaids and 2 groomsmen, 1 each for the maid of honor - Mrs. DeadGuitarist's sister and best man - my brother - and one for Mrs. DeadGuitarist).
Sorry a bit of a tangent there, like usual... anyway, my brother's was lost or stolen years ago. So we bought him a custom made silver cartouche since he likes silver jewelry. He was very surprised and loved it. We also bought him a mini cake from the grocery store that he could share with his friend Robert, who couldn't come to dinner with us because he was working a show at the Smith Center.
Earlier on Saturday, I got my hair recolored. I posted a photo earlier.
This week looks like it's going to get busy. My best friend from high school, Dennis, is visiting Las Vegas at the end of the week with his fiancee. They were planning to elope and get married here and we were asked to be witnesses, perhaps wedding party. But his fiancee's daughter got really upset when they told her so they're going to have the ceremony at home (Rhode Island) at some future date. Though, they could continue with their original plan, not say anything to their kids, then have a small ceremony for them after they get back. Regardless, they are still coming out here on Wednesday. They arrive on Wednesday afternoon and leave on Friday morning. So I'm taking Thursday off to hang with them and/or do the wedding thing if they decide to do that anyway. I haven't seen Dennis since 2009 or 2010 (can't remember which year it was) when I was living in central Virginia and we met up at National's Park in Washington DC to watch the St. Louis Cardinals (our favorite baseball team) play the Washington Nationals and got a couple of beers and dinner after the game. So it's been far too long since we last saw each other. I'm really looking forward to his visit, even though it'll be short again. I really need to go visit him in Rhode Island someday. I know that if I go during baseball season, he'll get us tickets for a Boston Red Sox game. I am not a fan of the Red Sox, but I'd love to see a game at Fenway Park.
On Saturday, I'm bowling in a tournament, despite the fact that my right shoulder hurts every time I roll the ball. I've only got a few more weeks before winter season is done and I'm not bowling summer season this year. I need to call an Orthopedist near where I live to get a first opinion and maybe a cortisone shot, but I will get an MRI and an appointment with an Orthopedist at the Veterans Administration as soon as I see my primary care doctor in early May. She has to put in the referral. I could do this outside the VA, but it will cost me way less, if anything, if I do it through the VA. In case you're wondering, I am speculating that I have a torn labrum or a torn rotator cuff, perhaps even both. But that's pure speculation at this point. I think I originally injured the shoulder playing softball many years ago with my church when I lived in Alabama. But it's never really bothered me (except when playing softball years later) much until lately.
On April 1, I planning to take a day road trip to Death Valley to do some photography: sunrise (maybe), wildflowers, geologic formations, landscapes, wildlife, sunset (maybe) and perhaps even some astrophotography.
Now that we're on daylight saving time and the sun rises an hour later, I'm thinking of getting up early a couple of days a week and heading out to the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve for an hour and a half or so to take sunrise and bird photos. It's just a couple of a mile or two down the street from work. But the hours are 6 AM - 2PM, so if I want to go during the week, I have to go before work. I also plan to go shoot landscapes and wildlife photos at the Clark County Wetlands Park, which is about 5 miles from where I work. But I can go there before or after work since it's open from dawn to dusk. Lastly, in April or early May I plan to go out to Red Rock Canyon again, Valley of Fire, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Preserve, Rhyolite Ghost Town, Beatty, Tule Springs at Floyd Land State Park, Lake Mead and Mojave National Preserve in April and May before it gets too hot to do anything outdoors except in the local mountains.
So, as you can see, the next couple of months are going to be busy.
If anyone wants to join me and Mrs. DeadGuitarist in Death Valley, send me a PM or comment on my Death Valley Rod Trip blog or here.
And as always, if you're visiting Las Vegas, I'm always game for a low-key meet up as I'm not much for clubs and I avoid the Las Vegas Strip at all costs (unless friends are in town or I/we are attending a concert).
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Stay Tuned...
DeadGuitarist
Besides Suicide Girls, you can find me on various other social, photography and music sites, as well as career oriented sites:
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | REVERBNATION (ARTIST) | SOUNDCLOUD | FANDALISM | TUMBLR | FLICKR | 500PX | VIEWBUG | GURUSHOTS | WASTED YEARS (MY PERSONAL WEBSITE)| YOUTUBE | LINKEDIN | AMAZON WISHLIST
I'm also on SnapChat (Gri11Sgt), Periscope (GrillSgt) and Uenme (RhythmGuitarist). I usually have my status on Uenme set to unavailable because of work and I forget to change it when I'm available. I'll try to get better about that.
I'm not super active on all of them, but I add stuff to each of them occasionally that you won't necessarily find on my SG profile page.