So Long 2011…

So we have made it to the end of 2011 together friends…2012 is less than 24 hours away! Here are a few things for you to take with you into next year from the ole’ GV…

Follow your heart…
If the person in the mirror doesn’t offend you, life’s not that bad…
Never say never…
Don’t forget those that got you where you are…
Hug your kiddos…
Money is not an advantage or a quality in a person…
Relationships last a lifetime…
It’s OK to cry and need a hug some days, male or female…
If you do it, do it well…
Know when it’s time to step away from a situation…
Take care of your soul…
Human beings will let you down, take a deep breath and keep moving forward…

Now go forth and have a groovy 2012!!!

Twas’ The Night Before The Night Before Christmas…

Twas’ the night before the night before Christmas and all through my place
Not a single thing was stirring which put a smile on my face
The stockings were hung near the hallway with care
In hopes that iTunes gift cards would soon be placed there
The kiddos were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of Xbox danced in their heads
Sticky in his warm fur and me in my boxers
Had just snuggled in after a long night of soccer
When out on the street there arose such a clatter
I jumped out of the bed and nearly emptied my bladder
Across the room I zipped to look out the window
But fell over some crap and stubbed my big toe
I peered out of the glass across a light snow dust
But my toe was still throbbing and I continued to cuss
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a fat old bastard on a Harley chugging a beer
I could tell through his beard all nappy and thick
That somehow some way I recognized this prick
He started to shout in a deep tone of voice
“GV is this your house? It’s my last choice!”
“I saw your band trailer and I’m not gonna leave…”
“…until I know where The Theory is playing New Years Eve!”
I yelled back in a total hostile fashion
The veins in my neck bulged with no passion
“Hey you drunk fool…don’t know where to look?”
“Stuff like that is always on Facebook!”
I tried to take a picture with my iPhone as he cracked open the throttle
But he sped away quickly tossing his empty bottle
I could faintly hear him as he rode out of site
“Merry Christmas to all and have a very groovy night!”

Life is like a TV show…

3:45 and I’m up like so many nights before…tonight doing laundry and watching Survivor. I can see how the TV game runs parallel with real life…it comes down to trust and faith in the people you trust. Faith that what they tell you is the truth and they will not falter from that…but like the TV show people prove time and time again that trust is fragile. We trust ours lovers, our friends, ourfamily, and even our employers…only to find that they will turn on you like a hungry dog when they see something better…just like a silly TV show. As the years pass it maybe hard to trust anyone…but always trust yourself. The way I look at it, no matter how many people have thrown me under the bus I can look in the mirror each morning and be proud of who I see…just like Survivor I may not win a million dollars, or the girl, or the job. I can however stand with my head held high and know I am 100% me…and if you miss that, then that is your loss.

OK…now back to hanging up shirts and watching people live off twigs and berries! LOL!!!

2011 Christmas List…

You have been waiting all year…it’s that time again folks…
GV’s Annual Christmas List!!! 
Hope this helps with your Black Friday shopping!

Below is my 2011 Christmas List. Use it as a guide for buying me gifts
this Holiday Season or for just a good giggle…

Clothes:
The Northface Cargo Shorts
Levi’s 560 Jeans
Rockport.com Gift Card
New Belts 
The Northface Gift Card
Nike Store Gift Card
Old Navy Gift Card
Hollister Gift Card
Macy’s Gift Card
Green Zildjian T-Shirt
Tools/Car Stuff:
LED Service Light (Snap-On)
Soldering Station
Router (plunge base)
Roll Cabinet Tool Box (10 to 13 drawer Craftsman to match current) or maybe
Snap-On Roll Cab and Chest dual bank (Orange to match my service cart)
Dead Blow Hammer
Digital Caliper Set (0” to 6”)
Snap-On Polished Combination Wrenches (Standard & Metric small to big)
Air Compressor with hose and blow gun, etc
Bench Vise (6”)
Bench Grinder Table Saw with stand
Half inch drive Torque Wrench (Craftsman or Snap On)
3/8” Drive long breaker bar (Craftsman or Snap-On)
2012 Ford King Ranch F-350 Crew Cab
2012 Ford F-150 Super Crew—Gold Bronze with grey interior
2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Super Crew– White
2012 Dodge Charger SRT8—Sunset Orange with gray interior
2012 Dodge Challenger 392 SRT8– Green with envy– gray interior
2012 BMW M5—Alpine White—grey interior
Computer Stuff:
iPad2 (64gb + 3G )
13.3” Mac Book Air (loaded please)
27” Apple iMac—core i7 processor with 16gb of RAM
Apple Store Gift Card
Tiger Direct Gift Card
Dell Gift Card
Sony Acid Pro 7 Software 
Pro Tools Software
Photo Shop CS5.5
27” Samsung LED LCD Monitor w/ HDMI
CD’s/DVD’s/Music:
Duran Duran : Rio (new re-mastered 2 disc special Ed)
Duran Duran : Seven and the Ragged Tiger (3 disc special Ed)
Duran Duran : Notorious (3 disc special Ed)
Def Leppard : Hysteria (Gold Ultra Disc)
Tears For Fears – Songs From The Big Chair (re-mastered special ed.)
Arcadia : So Red The Rose (3 disc special ed)
Dire Straits-Brothers In Arms( 20th Anniversary Ed)
Dual Disc Bon Jovi-Slippery When Wet Dual Disc
U2 : War ( remastered 2 disc set)
Ray Obiedo-Sticks & Stones
Ray Obiedo-Sweet Summer Days
Howard Jones– 25th Anniversary Concert 3 disc set (NTSC version)
Howard Jones-Human’s Lib/Dream Into Action remastered box set
Curt Smith-Mayfield
iTunes Gift Card
P-Mac Gift Card
Phil Collins– Finally Live (DTS wide screen)
Californication-Season 3 and 4 DVD’s
X-Files Complete Series DVD Box Set
MASH Complete Series DVD Box Set
Jericho– Season 1 and 2 DVD’s
Swingtown Season 1 DVD’s
Good DVD’s or Blu-Ray’s for Sticky and I to watch during the cool winter months
iTunes Gift Card
Target Gift card
Misc:
Digital weather station with indoor and outdoor humidity and temp
Metal Route 66 Road Sign
Corona and a fresh lime
Trip to London, England and Ireland
Canon 50mm f/1.4 EF USM Lens
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM 
Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Lens
Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens
Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM Wide Angle Lens
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens
Canon Speedlite 430EX II (version 2)
Canon RC-6 remote
Canon E8 Battery Grip
Nice Tripod
Boston Acoustic 10SE home sub
Travel the country to see friends & family in 2011
A Second Chance at a Few Things & to let me set the Record Straight
Trip to Hawaii with a Cute Female Companion
Trip to Vegas with a Cute Female Companion
Sitting chair for my living room
55” Samsung 240hz LED LCD TV
Hudson’s Furniture Gift Card
Trek 7.3 FX disc bike
4 Bedroom Ranch Style home with big garage 
Fossil Watch with no numbers and a groovy leather band
New sofa with attached chase lounge
Music Stuff:
AKG C 520 Headset Mic
M-Audio Venom Synth
Alesis QS6 Keyboard (10 year old model but killer synth—used on E-Bay)
Yamaha Acoustic Guitar 
Fender Standard Stratocaster Electric Guitar 
Peavey Millennium BXP 4-String Bass Guitar 
DW 5002TD3 Double Bass Drum Pedal 
M-Audio Trigger Finger MIDI controller
Alesis Control Pad Midi Pad controller
Yamaha MM6 Synthesizer
Yamaha Motif XS8 Synthesizer
M-Audio Axiom Pro 25 Keyboard Midi controller
Yamaha DTX500k Series Electronic Drum Set
Yamaha DTX950k Series Electronic Drum Set
Alesis DM10 Studio Electronic Drum Set
Pacific Drums by DW x7 7-Piece Drum Set (groovy color)
Pacific Drum rack and hardware for the above drums
A Bunch of New K-Custom Zildjian Cymbals
Zildjian Gen 16 cymbal system (totally amazing!) (13-16-18 system)
PreSonus Fire Studio Tube
M-Audio BX10s Active Subwoofer
Shure SM58s (switch version)
Alesis E-Practice Pad
Numark DJ2GO DJ Controller
Yamaha SM12V Club Series V Monitors
Musicians Friend Gift Card
Guitar Center Gift Card
Sweetwater Music Gift Card
Memphis Drum Shop Gift Card

Site Redesign…

Complete site redesign coming very soon….

Open Letter To Cupid

Dear Cupid,

If I catch you around my house, my cat is going to eat you. I have not enjoyed your over commercialized and so called “love” holiday in quite some years now. All that “love” crap at the stores will be 75% off on the 15th anyway…waste of time and a good holiday. Now Casimir Pulaski Day in March…that’s a real holiday to sink your chocolate eating teeth into…

Your Buddy, GV

Breathing and Believing…

I sit here drinking my 3AM hot chocolate and thinking…Some days I feel the last few years and even the last few months have been unfair to me…but this week yet another friend was diagnosed with cancer, I had friends lose loved ones, friends with very sick children, friends with loved ones in the hospital and ICU, people in AZ mourning with the crowd shooting…maybe I don’t have a significant other, what people call a real job, medical insurance, a shiny new BMW, or all the other stuff a guy might want or should have at my age…but I woke up this morning “breathing and believing” with family and friends always there if I need something…If you know me, you know I never ask anyone for anything or help…but today I ask that YOU hug someone YOU love…maybe a child, a parent, grand parent, a friend, or even a co-worker…do it because YOU can…do it because YOU woke up “breathing and believing”…

GV

The End of 2010…

Well humans, it’s the last day of 2010. 2008, 2009, and 2010 taught me many valuable lessons on life…I could list all the good and all the bad, but they are life’s lessons that each of us face. Career’s won and lost, Love won and lost, Heartaches collected, and chasing the shared American dream have all made me stronger and unstoppable. I have my health, my kiddos, my cat, my family, my music and my loyal friends.

Here’s to an amazing 2011 for everyone…may God bless us all!

Coming Soon!!

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