SHIT YEAH!!!

Want to see one of the tops in all the land?!?!?! Of course you do. I mean...pay no mind to the wacky Brit in the getup, you know those English sort, but Muse really is the SHIT!! And it's new Muse to boot!!! Why, I couldn't be happier if you told me Pearl Jam had new music out!!!

Muse - Uprising live at Teignmouth 2009 (BBC)
Uploaded by teddie1979. - Explore more music videos.

The Toast's "Backspacer" review to come shortly.

Toastmaster General = Super Engaged!!

This just in, I don't update my blog very often for some reason and I asked Kool-Aid to marry me. After much convincing she hesitantly agreed...JACKPOT!!!

"When something's broke, I want to put a little fixin' on it."

For what it's worth, think I like the riff from "Got Some" a little better. Still, this new stuff appears none to shabby. What kills me is when I read some of the comments in regards to newer Pearl Jam beats and how it's not the same; not "grunge". These boys were never "grunge". A classic rock band in a modern era, hmmm...now we're getting somewhere. Take a look at yourself!!

"You'll wait with the star from a dream and know that I am gone. You'll feel it in your heart but not for very long."

A little off of Wilco's new self titled album, sweet Jebus are they great. Oh yeah, sorry for recent bout with non-posting but I kinda got laid off, well about two weeks ago. Really, it's no big deal. Actually it's kind of a good thing, a god send if you will. Plus I get to spend a crazy amount of time with Tessie Girl, aged five months now. (See Below)

In any event, this post is not about layoffs or sweet sweet Tessie Girl. It is about the sheer awesomeness of Wilco.



Yeah!

Mutha Fuckin' Ireland: Kilkenny, Cashel, and Blarney

So, when I go about doing things like uploading pictures, I upload the shit out of 'em. This isn't all the photos from our trip to Ireland, hell some of them aren't even that good. All that I know is that I just took my sweet ass time putting them on my computer and then took even longer to get them to my ever so masssive internet audience. So, without further ado, here are the pics of The Toast's trip to Ireland, with Kool-Aid in tow. Now, with even more small raccoon shots (I'll explain later)!!

Walking into central Kilkenny from our B&B.

Blaa...Blaa...Blaa...sandwiches!

Kilkenny Castle

St. Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny

View of Kilkenny from atop tower at St. Canice's Cathedral

Kool-Aid and the Toast atop said tower

More Kilkenny

Even more Kilkenny

It's a long way to Tipperary. Kool-Aid and I used to live on Tipperary Hill in Syracuse, NY.

They have trees there too?!?!

Cashel, Co. Tipperary

Open till 17.30, when the shit is that???

Rock of Cashel

More Rock of Cashel

That's a rockin' Kool-Aid..HA!....sigh.

Well, certainly there's going to be a little showmanship.

My foist material possession, my stuffed raccoon Rocky also made the trip. Keep your eyes open for sighting.

Hore Abbey, Cashel, Co. Tipperary. This was right across the street from the Rock.

More Rock of Cashel

The view from the top of the hill

Imprisoned inside the Rock of Cashel. Watch out..that's one vicious coon!!!

Just some path that I liked that lead from Cashel to Hore Abbey

I crush your Abbey!

Kool-Aid and I doing what we do best, lookin' cute.

More Cashel

Cahir, Co. Tipperary

She's just so G.D. dorky.

Cahir Castle

Gratuitous action shot!

This castle was just sitting right in the middle of town in Cahir, like a Starbucks would here.

You wouldn't know it from the shot, but we's were drunk here. Last night in Kilkenny.

Blarney Castle, Blarney, Co. Cork. Home of the infamous Blarney Stone.

Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle

From inside Blarney Castle

Eh..it's a staircase, what of it?

Tree outside Blarney Castle. The whole grounds were pretty amazing.

A path..a path..

Cobh and the Dingle Peninsula

The village of Cobh, Co. Cork. (pronounce Cove)

I think Kool-Aid took this one. For all you purple flower fans out there.

Cobh

Cobh

St. Colman's Cathedral, Cobh.

Cobh was all hilly and shit, and our B&B was right on the top of said hills.

Had some beers here...niiiice.

Ladies and Gentlemen..welcome to the Dingle Peninsula (I wish that damn van didn't make the picture though)

Dingle, Co. Kerry

Kool-Aid feeding Fungie, the Dingle Dolphin our Ireland guide book.

This seems about right.

Our B&B in Dingle was a sheep farm. Once again, this seems about right.

Dingle Peninsula might very well have been the most beautiful place I've ever been. Take a ganders for yourself

Dingle

We basically drove around this 30 KM cliffside road, and this is what you saw.

See the rearview mirror??

More Dingle Coastline

Aforementioned Road

This path rolled you down a hillside ultimately to the beachy coast.

Rocky and I in cold-ass Atlantic Ocean water.

More Dingle Coastline

And again.

And again.

An Dangean. (Irish)

From the Dingle Peninsula to Galway

Sheep!!

The Ferry from Co. Kerry to Co. Clare.

Action Shots!!

Kool-Aid and I aboard the Shannon Breeze.

Outside the Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare

Unfortunately this was the only day we experience shitty weather for the trip. This is what the Cliffs of Moher should look like.

Toastmaster in the Burren, Co. Clare

Same shot. Limestone everywhere!!

The Burren, where there are no trees to hang a man. Where there is not enough water to drown him. And if you finally succeeded in killing him, it's too rocky to bury him.

More Burren.

Galway and Dublin

Galway Cathedral
Galway was the shit!!

More Galway

Dog Waste: A threat to the health of our children.

More canals in Galway.

Galway

Kool-Aid and I under the Spanish Arch

Pie Face was fucking delicious!!!

Galway Harbor, was a stopover for the 2009 Volvo Ocean race the weekend we were there.

Eyre Square, part of it at least.

Ireland's fast food, Supermac! Burger actually wasn't too bad.

Shop Street, kind of the main strip of pubs and..you guessed it, shops.

The Quays, ooh, I spent a month there one night. Damn good beef stew too.

Rocky getting into the black stuff.

More Shop Street.

Galway come nighttime. It didn't get dark till like 10:30 there.

Dublin!

Outside the Guinness Storehouse, St. James Gate.

Kool-Aid and the Toast pumping out our own pints.

A desheveled Toastmaster General with a fresh pint.

Kool-Aid smilin' big!!

Rocky done got into the Black Stuff again, although from what I hear it's more a dark red.

Trinity College

Kool-Aid and a freshly shaved Toast in the Trinity College Courtyard

I'm sorry, the Rock doesn't adhere to your conformist rules Trinity College.

Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral, the other side.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Rock and a fountain in St. Patrick's Cathdral Courtyard

The Toast at the Brazen Head, Ireland's oldest pub. Est. 1198.

Eh..Just a shot of Dublin. Enjoy.

Last Night's Setlist

June 15, 2009, Baltimore, MD, Lyric Opera House
Ed solo tour - opening: Liam Finn


Set list: Walking the Cow, (Brain Damage intro) -> Sometimes, Trouble, Around The Bend, I Am Mine, Far Behind, No Ceiling, Guaranteed, Rise, Picture In A Frame, You're True, Open All Night (Springsteen), Driftin', You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Let My Love Open The Door, Parting Ways, Small Town, Porch

1st encore: Society (with Jerry Hannan), Throw Your Arms Around Me (with Liam Finn), Golden State (with Eliza), Forever Young, Wishlist, Arc

2nd encore: Hard Sun

Not gonna lie to you, the show was pretty amazing and despite my best efforts not to I got kinda drunk. Vedder was once again engaging with the crowd although not as much this time around as opposed to the show I went to last year. The crowd for the most part was pretty cool, aside from your assortment of douchebags just screaming out requests for classic PJ songs. One kid in particular just kept yelling for "State of Love and Trust", which I know is a kick-ass tune and all, but come-on buddy, this ain't no Pearl Jam show here. The crowd also kinda ruined his version of Arc in which Eddie will just keep looping in different notes, screeches, and other various Eddie noises. However, te crowd just started clapping as if it were already time to coax Eddie into his second encore even though, well, he was still working on his first one. Unfortunately for those still sitting on their hands, Arc was cut short and was almost immediately followed by encore number 2. So it goes.

Aside from all that, my apparent miscommunication of t-shirt size (I came home with an XL as opposed to the standard Toast L) and the fact that I was wicked ass hungry due to no pre-show eats my second go-'round with a solo Vedder was none to shabby. One might even be pursuaded enough to call it the tops!!

Toastmaster General: Man of Intrigue, Lover, Rocker, Dog Wrangler, Captain of Hilarity, Dangerous Liason, Writer???

The Toast is a man of many and yet, very few talents. For example, I can recite lyrics to songs that I haven't heard in years yet I cannot for the life of me do the running man. So it goes. For what it's worth I tend to be the creative sort that may not constantly be in search of new opportunities to put it on display as the day to day can keep me quite content but every so often I just find myself getting disgusted with a few things. I'll tell myself: "Self...it's about time for a change." Then said change either occurs or just falls wayside to the demands of being all of those individuals you see in this here post's title.

But what this that's stuck at the end of that descriptive Toastmaster list? Writer it done say. I know what you may be thinking: "You count this blog as writing Toast?? For shame; it's just a bunch of nonsense with some video clips. It's like one of those 150 episode clip shows for chrissakes." Well, I'd consider you correct in making that observation, if it were true. No, the writing that I am more referring to has to do with real book type stuff. You know, high class stuff. Editing and everything.

A long time goal of mine has been to write a children's book. Now, the problem with following your dreams is that often the result is to get sick of following them and you make the conscious decision to hook up with them later. This is something that I know oh too well. Just the other day I was sitting in my office and I yet again came to the realization that I am indeed in a rut in my life. Now, this has nothing to do with my life at home mind you, that is AMAZING. I have a wonderful lass and I'm not even talking about Tessie Girl yet. I have the Kool-Aid that I intend to spend the rest of my life with. I live comfortably. Travel a bit. Get outdoors and am quite active. Look good in pants. A kick ass pup. I own all of Arrested Development on DVD. I go to shows (Vedder, Umphreys, Wilco, Moe., and Tool lined up over the upcoming weeks). I make fucking amazing eats. Happy right???

No, this deal is all on the work side. I like what I do, you might even say that I enjoy it...at times that is. I mean, I interact with some amazing individuals and I am learning quite a bit every day, which can't hurt right?? However, I am finding more and more that what I do and what I am going to keep doing for the time being seriously puts a damper on one thing that really revs my engine...my creativity. Now I suppose I can get creative in the realm of office politics or how I teach the epic wonder that is Quickbooks and it's integration with my company's various programs and systems but let's be honest, how the hell are you going to effectively jazz that shit up?? And Politics...not for me. So, where does this leave me?? How do I find an outlet for this "supposed" creativity that is not only invigorating but also productive?? How do I get out of this rut?? Then, on a rainy ass Tuesday afternoon in my office the light bulb went off.

Screw waiting to hook up with my dreams when the time is right. I will write and write I shall. I'm tired of saying that I've always wanted to get into Children's Literature. I'm sick of using the excuses. "Oh, I don't have enough time to write" or "I don't have the right degree to get into that, stupid B.A. in History." No, I am going to use some of this time that I do inevitably have for good use, true use. Since that Tuesday afternoon I have started to fill up a few pages of a notebook that I keep at my desk with some ideas, brainstorming if you will and I feel as though I have a puh-RET-tee good idea in terms of my books topic. I may even have a title for this flash of Toastie creativity. Now I just have to keep fanning the flames to get this fire really going.

I'm not expecting this thing to be done overnight and obviously I still have a few things to work out but I tell you this, I am awfully excited about it. Rejuvenated even. Where I go from here is still wide open but the fact that I am doing something about it surely is a step in the right direction. All that's left is for me to decide on now is whether I want deep dish or thin crust. In all seriousness I feel like I am standing at the foothill of a cliff whose top that leads to immense opportunity and all its going to take for me to get to the top is a little elbow grease, determination, some luck, and, of course, my own somewhat eccentric yet highly personal flair. You know what internet audience, it is just so goddamn exciting.