Happy Birthday Mike!

A Sundae Drive working on 4/1/17 @ White Oak Music Hall

It has been said that Mike Medina is the hardest working drummer in Houston.  It is hard to argue with that.  The proof is when you see him play.  He has shown that if you practice, practice, practice, good things are the result.  I mean, he is the absolute proof that hard work and practice pay off.  There is not doubt about that.

I finally got to go see Cousin Mike perform with A Sundae Drive this weekend for their album release and was just blown away.  I am so glad to see Mike where he is now.  I am not meaning to take anything away from the rest of the band because they are all just as amazing.  It's a good fit that band.  I believe that Mike found a great group of people to play with. I don't get to go see Mike play too often, and for that I feel bad, but I wasn't going to miss this show for the world.  I am so very glad that I didn't.  I watched Mike closely, smiling...beaming a little, and just was glad to see him up there, continuing the dream of playing music and having fun.  It was a great night.

We don't get to hang out as much as we would like, I think, but a lot of that is on me. If only we lived a little closer to each other....well, we might be in trouble.  That would be a lot of beer consumed.   I do miss the hangs though.

To see where Mike is now, is so fucking awesome.  I know how much work he had put in.  Just to see where he is now from when we used to play in ZTZ is wonderful.  I am not saying that he was ever bad or anything like that, god no, but I think he is clearly on a different level that I will ever be.  He should be the embodiment of what one should strive for if you want to achieve a goal.  He has never stopped and always wants to improve.  You should be my inspiration.  I want to be like you when I grow up.

What more is there for me to say?  I am sure I can find more to brag on Mike about, but I just wanted to type up a few quick words on his birthday.  Keep up the great job Mike (and the rest of A Sundae Drive---Zeek, Jen, and Serg!) and I am going to try and catch you guys more often.  Hell, I am even trying to knock the rust off and play the ol' geetar more often.  Who knows, maybe one day soon we can even get a session in like old times?!?!  Happy birthday Mike.....I'm happy for you.

Me and Mike in 2011..need more pics together!  

2017 Up to Now....

....it's been a very strange year up until now.  I don't want to say it's been a terrible year just yet, although the last week or so for me has been a strong indicator of that.  As usually the case, the year is flying by and it is still very early?!  Is it?!  Maybe not, but I will stop short in saying a terrible year, for now.

It's a weird thing, losing a best friend even though you weren't as close as you once were.  Big Sis said it best when I told her the news of one our best friend being killed, "Heartbreaking."  Yes indeed, it was very heartbreaking.  Heartbreaking in that he was full of life, funny, and just the "life of the party" in general.  We drifted apart many years ago, but were able to stay in touch, even more so recently, through the power of social media.  It's weird knowing that he isn't on the planet anymore.  That fact alone hurts.  We had a lot of history together, and he was always a part of my life.  I think about things, and he was always there with me.  The memories, as they say, are what someone can never really take away from you and that rings true.  Sports played a huge role in our growing up.  Every time I see a historic sporting event, chances are we saw it together.  Every time I see a Rockets Championship highlight, a Houston Oilers disappointing loss, or just an old Astros highlight, it will no doubt take me back to a certain point in time.  It may even bring a smile to my face.

Another thing that is strange is that it takes a tragic event such as a friend's passing to bring old friends back together again.  A positive in my mind, maybe not always the case though.  It makes you realize even more that time just flies by and simply waits for no one.  Too much time can pass, and there is nothing you can do about it.  It's a precious thing, that crazy time.  So you try to make plans and only hope that you follow through to actually see old friends more often.  You realize that you missed hanging out and too much time passed.  You try not to let that happen again.

So needless to say, there has been a lot of reflection lately.  Great memories revived after a tragic loss of life.  It's made me focus lately, and that could only be a good thing.  I've even followed up already and hung out with an old buddy and his family, with my family no less!  How about that?  Now, time to stay focused on things and get back on track.  The year is about to really get busy, but we have to remember to not let time get the best of us and make us miss things.  Ahhh, challenges...life is full of them.  I hope I am up to them.