Site Update and new videos!

April 26, 2015
PersonalUpdate
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It has been a long, long, long time since I have added any new videos or update the webpage. Well step one is done and I am working on where to go with the videos. I have an idea that I think will help beginners in finding the melody notes in folk songs and starting next week, we’ll see if it works.

To be honest, I have been having so much fun with my family, that the drive to teach and share just got overwhelmed. I have been telling everyone that has asked that I’ll be back soon and noticed that it’s been years and I am still saying soon. Now that Sandy has started asking me, I’ll just have to get off the couch and get it done.

I’ll be posting some new videos soon and I appreciate everyone who has inquired about me continuing the series.

I’ll see you all soon.

 

Kelly

The Mufasa

September 5, 2014
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Today, the Mufasa (the word the is purposeful as he was the definitive article) passed away while he was with Sandy.  The Mufasa just turned 19 and followed Omega 61 days later.

While Omega was clearly my cat and stayed with me and slept on my side of the bed, the Mufasa was momma’s boy!  He slept above Sandy’s head on a pillow for 19 years. He would wait for her to come home and follow her around the house. He was always very, very quiet until it was bedtime. He would go to the bedroom and cry for Sandy to let her know that it was time for bed.

When Sandy would go out of town for work, he would be in a bad mood until she returned. As soon as she got home, he would turn his back on her and refuse to look at her until she gave him some affection.

He was a wonderful cat and only left Sandy’s side if I decided to take a nap. Then he would curl up on the bed next to me and sleep.

He will be missed very much and was a blessing to the family.

Kelly

20 Years and 6 Weeks

July 18, 2014
Personal
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Tonight, July 18th 2014, my dear kitten left this earth after being with me for 20 years and 6 weeks. He passed peacefully at home with Sandy, Amber and I while Sandy held him.

He had been sick for sometime but hung in there with the best of them. We took him to the vet on a regular basis and they said that he was not in pain, but his kidneys may fail at any time. Tonight his poor old kidneys went suddenly and he passed quickly and painlessly.

Twenty years ago, I went to a shelter in Champaign, IL to adopt a kitten. I had grown up with an orange tabby, but this time I wanted something different. Omega was in a cage with his brother who was a brown tabby and while his brother jumped around, Omega slept through the whole visit. I filled out the forms to adopt his brother and had to go through a 24 hour waiting period. When I came back, one of the volunteers told me that they had made a mistake and that the kitten that I chose had already been spoken for. They asked me if I wanted his litter mate who had been in the same cage with him. I asked if I could see him outside of the cage, because he didn’t seem too energetic.

That cat must have slept for days, because once they took him out of the cage, he couldn’t stop running around. For the next 20 years, Omega could do two things better than any cat I had ever seen, sleep and play. He could sleep through a nuclear detonation and then suddenly run around and go crazy.

The other thing that he liked was girls. Females of any age were his love. When I was in college with him, he was considered the luckiest male in Champaign. He had every girl that met him petting him, hugging him and kissing him. He had that effect right up until the end of his life. We took him home two weeks ago to see my mother and as soon as she saw him again for the thousandth time, she said, “He is the handsomest boy.”

For twenty years, he spent the night sleeping on my lap until I had to go to bed and then he would join me there to sleep through the night. The last few years, he got too old to jump up and down from the bed so he became the living room cat. He ruled there on his throne of the sofa and waited for someone to either feed him or give him attention.

I will miss you Omega, you were the king of all kittens and you always will be. I have and always will love you.

When The Girls Are Away

October 4, 2013
PersonalUpdate
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Sandy and Amber took off to visit Disney and left me home alone. I had planned some banjo playing and debauchery, but I’m not feeling well.

What’s a guy to do? I guess that I’ll buy a new hat and see if they notice!

I should be back to making videos soon.

See you all soon

Kelly

American Dream and other things….

September 16, 2013
Another PintPersonalUpdate
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Well folks, I was so excited to see that Dusty Rhodes was going to be on Monday Night RAW that I had to put up a quick video of the title track from Another Pint’s album, American Dream on youtube.

I wrote that song years ago in about 5 minutes. I was surprised that so many people realized that the entire song is just some snippets from Dusty’s most memorable promos. We had fun recording it and it brought back so many memories of the son of a plumber.

You can find the album at http://banjomania.net/store/products/american-dream-mp3-album-download/

I should be back very, very soon. I have been busier than I ever have in my life and that’s a good thing. I jumped back into management after 10 years of just concentrating on music and I’m having fun. The teaching has been taking up a lot of time and I am cutting back starting this weekend so I should be able to schedule time for videos again.

Later this month, my friend Dr. Scott has arranged a weekend music/camping/festival/beer fest and I am hoping to have some audio and video from that as well.

When I get back to the videos, there is a small format change and some exciting plans for the future.

I’ll see you all very, very soon.

Kell

Shanahan’s Irish Pub on 6/30/13

July 1, 2013
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Joel and I had a great time at Shanahan’s Irish Pub in Downers Grove on Sunday. We were joined by Joe on bass a had a great crowd!

Birthday Time

May 1, 2013
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19 years ago, my little buddy, Omega was born. He’s been with me through thick and thin.

He doesn’t move as fast as he used to and sleeps even more, but he still makes his way to my lap every evening.

I don’t know what I’d do without him. He’s my sweet boy so I make sure that every year I celebrate his birthday.

Oh, yeah….it’s Sandy’s birthday too. 🙂

Make’m Sing At Shanahan’s Irish Pub 4/24/13

April 26, 2013
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Dr. Scott joined Joel and I this past Wednesday. It was a fun time and I love when Dr. Scott joins us.

See you all real soon!

Make’m Sing 4/10/13

April 17, 2013
PersonalUpdate
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Here is the feed from the livestream of last weeks Make’m Sing show with myself and Joel Simpson. We have been having fun on Wednesday nights. If you are close by, stop in and see us sometime.

NYC and Next Week

April 10, 2013
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Well folks, it’s been way, way, way too long. I finished up the last of the students that I have been helping out with and I am hoping that my weekends will be a little more free and open.

It’s been a fun, but very, very busy last five months. It everything goes according to plan, I should be able to plan some videos this weekend. So if it all goes well, the Irish Pub Song Of The Day and Folk Song Of The Week will be back this coming week.

Joel and I have formed a duo/trio called Make’m Sing and we have been performing every Wednesday night for months. It takes up a lot of my free time, but we have been having a blast. Last week we were able to live stream the feed and I am hoping that tonight’s goes without a hitch as well. Once it’s up, I’ll probably do a quick edit and put it up on YouTube again. I may just do this every week and see how it goes.

The folks at Shanahan’s have been great and I’ve really enjoyed being there every week. Let’s hope that it continues for the foreseeable future.

This last weekend, Amber, Sandy and I headed off to NYC. We had a great time sightseeing and taking in the city. While we were there, I was able to make it to the WWE Hall Of Fame and WrestleMania 29. We had a blast!

I never thought that I would be able to see Bruno Sammartino sell out Madison Square Garden in person. He sold out the Garden over 180 times. That is just an incredible amount of times that one person was able to fill every seat in the Garden. I always loved Bruno and when it was announced that he would finally accept an invitation into the Hall Of Fame, I had to be there. It didn’t hurt that one of my all time favorites, Mick Foley was going into the Hall Of Fame as well. I’ve met Mick a few times and he is one hell of a nice guy. He even gave my band, Another Pint a plug years ago calling us “Chicago’s best Irish Band”. I use it to this day.

Let’s see how things go and if all works according to plan, I’ll see you all on Monday!