Bits of Blog Business:

Well, I have been a bad, bad blogger. My girlfriend Kim, who is much more prolific in the Blog-o-sphere than I, needs to turn me over her knee and give my ass a good old-fashioned blog flogging.

I think I’ll just touch on a shit-ton of little tidbits to catch up and then resume with the normal blogging next week. So here we go with Wayne’s wholesale clearing house of useless tidbits from the past few weeks.

Personal Life: The main turmoil these past 5 weeks that kept me “blog-less” were (in no particular order) The visiting of the step-children over Christmas, the Elvis Birthday Bash, The merger and acquisition of my girlfriend Kim into the Bertsch household, Christmas and New Year's craziness, and my Dad coming to visit from Ohio with his new girlfriend.

All the turmoil that surrounds the above combined with the fact that I was working 6 days a week at the day job made for a pretty tumultuous month. It was all I could do to keep up with all of that and my two monthly deadlines at NUVO.

The visit of my two oldest step children (Adam and Ashley) went much better this year than last year when their presence set in motion a chain of events that culminated in the break up the girl I was dating at the time. This year it was perfect the kids were a joy to be around and Ashley in particular seemed to bond with Kim. They even spent a special day doing girly stuff like getting manicures and scarfing Italian food. Last Christmas was utterly and miserably alone and this year having all three kids and Kim here on Christmas was just perfect.

Kim has finally moved 100% into Casa-del-Bertscho. It was no small feat, and Adam and Alec both helped me take a couple loads from her place (Nora) down to Brownsburg. We got the very last of it about 2 weeks ago and now it’s just getting it integrated with my stuff. Most of the upstairs will under go a redecoration and we’re negotiating color schemes as we speak. I want to make the upstairs living room over with rock memorabilia. Framed gig posters, vinyl, Kim’s guitar and a big stained glass window of the STAX record label emblem.

That’s the way I’m leaning though I want big bold striking colors and Kim wants white, or rice paper, or eggshell or cream or any other color that means “white”.

The Elvis Birthday Bash was a big hit. The T-shirts sold enough that I made a profit but didn’t sell out like last year. I should’ve gone with the other design I guess. My dad and his girlfriend Bev came for it and it was great that it went over so well. My Dad was out there dancing for several of the Jenn Christy tunes and most of the Messarounds songs. Up!Scumbag was off the hook as always but they were a little to edgy for my dad. The whole night was great other than some drunken hill-tard woman hollering at Jenn Christy to sing more Elvis.

I think most of the people around her as well as at her table told her to eat a big slice of “shut-the fuck-up” pie. It was such a big night that even evil InTake Magazine was there taking pictures. Of course, they stripped out all mentions of NUVO sponsoring the event in the following week's issue.

My end of the year strip caused some minor controversy when Indianapolis Muisic.net's major-domo duo Steve Hayes and Sweaty B. took exception with my characterization that “IMN had closed the better part of the sight to all but VIP members.” Sweaty B. penned a well-pointed letter explaining why they thought that characterization to be unfair.
See what you think here...

I had several people email me wondering why I didn’t respond or explain myself. (I guess people really want a flame war). I’ll state hear that NUVO has a policy (and I agree with it) that guys like me have a regular forum to spout off when ever we want, and the Letters to the Editor are the forum where the public gets to say their piece. And truth be told, maybe my comments could have been worded better.

COMICS: Currently reading and enjoying the fine work of Frank Cho of Liberty Meadows fame.

He’s best known for his gorgeous pin-up style and good-girl art. But it’s his cartoony stuff that’s caught my interest of late. He has a great sense of humor. Check him out.

Posted by wayneb at January 20, 2006 03:22 PM