Heavy-hearted in the Midwest since 2011
Last night was our vacation dinner out, and since we’re in Brown County we made that dinner at Big Woods Brewing. It’s a tradition for our family to get pizza and pulled pork nachos at Big Woods. The first time we ate there was 2012 I believe, and we’ve been going back ever since for […]
Read More Nashville…not THAT one, the other oneWell we finally made it. The vacation I had to get thru heart failure to get to. It’s started out a little rough, as we drove thru a torrential downpour the last 90 minutes of the drive, but it was worth it. The place is lovely, with porch areas in three different spots. Trees and […]
Read More Vacation 2026I have never been much of a nap person. Even as a little kid I couldn’t find myself laying in my bed under my Return of the Jedi comforter when I could be on the floor of my bedroom playing with actual Star Wars toys. Naps felt like wasted time where I could be concocting […]
Read More Lazy Days and Well Earned VacationsMusician, composer, and forward thinking artist Jessica Roch wants to connect to an audience at a human level. She wants her music to feel organic, alive, and connect emotionally as much as it does intellectually. The London-based musician weaves and guides us through everything from jazz to folk to experimental to ambient music within her […]
Read More Jessica Roch : Human Music: Live Improvisations IThere’s something wild going on in Scandinavia, let me tell you. The Scandinavian musicians have tapped into a musical vein that is filled with a creativity, spontaneity, and a spirit of exploration I haven’t seen in any musical scene for a long time. Bands like Fra Det Onde, Lotus and Kanaan; not to mention true […]
Read More Kronstad 23 : DødehavetIt was a busy day at work yesterday. It’s been busy all week, and my absence from here shows. Between the nonstop flow at work and then walking after work, by the time I get home and get dinner cooked I’m just ready to melt into the couch and watch a couple episodes of something […]
Read More cemetery walks and the melancholia of lifePrior to starting anxiety meds my biggest fear was that the pills were going to somehow muffle my creative drive. Like they were going to rewire my brain in a way where I had no interest in making things; art, music, personal asides here on the old blog spot, or anything for that matter. As […]
Read More How John Got His Groove BackPhoto by Wayne Wastaken of Collins in Ontario I drove to work yesterday morning in a low-lying fog. I didn’t think there was supposed to be a cold front coming in that would cause fog, but what did I know? I’m not a meteorologist. I got to work and stepped out of my car into […]
Read More “I love the smell of Canadian wildfires in the morning”I didn’t get into Sleep until about 12 years ago or so. I was probably one of the very few that didn’t have weed as my entry point into the pot loving stoner/doom metal band’s sonic world. I was more intrigued by the hour-long song called “Dopesmoker” that became their pivotal release, and which more […]
Read More “Have Spacesuit Will Travel” : The Return of Sleep(minus Matt Pike)Early last Thursday morning I woke up at 3:30am because I had to go to the bathroom. Those fellas over the age of 50 out there should know this feeling well. A side effect of all these BP meds I take is that I get dizzy and lightheaded if I get up too quickly, even […]
Read More “I’ve fallen(but I was able to get up with a little help)