Heart ‘Rock The House “Live”’

I probably left Greensboro Sunday morning around 9:30. I was headed to West “by God” Virginia for my Grandparents 60th Wedding Anniversary. And it sounds like a title for a bad Adam Sandler movie… My Grandparents 60th Wedding Anniversary Singer: In West Virginia

Please keep in mind that I love the state that I was born in. I’m a Mountaineer and I actually like the solitude up there. I’ve seen gotten to know the countryside in Monroe County as some of the best places that I could ever find in the world. And that’s why I’m not interested in visiting too many other places in the world.

Even driving through it for a day seemed to relax me even though I spent about 7 hours behind the wheel. I love to go for the ride and sight see, but I rarely get the chance for that.

And in retrospect, there were some great shots that I regret not taking because I wanted to get back home ASAP. I had the camera… But… Damn my fixation on Nextel Cup racing.

My father suggested that I take the road lesser known… 220 to 81 to 311 to 3 ending in Union. The rest of the way has been hammered into my head by the many trips in my near 40 years of taking up space on this planet. I just didn’t want to do it… But there was an insanely large flea market going on in Hillsville, Virginia. And I was told that I DID Not want to drive through that mess.

The road lesser known has a LOT more winding twists and turns when it comes to 311 out of Roanoke, Virginia. And wouldn’t you know it… They were having a 10-speed bicycle rally…. Le Tour de Sticks… or some shit like that. They all had their obligatory yellow rubber inclusive bracelets on. There were two wheelers all over the place because I also saw Harleys and other touring motorcycles taking their sweet ass time looking at the scenery as if they had all frickin’ day. Good Lord I wanted to speed it up a tad.

There were very few passing zones and you know how fun those can be, am I right here?

And I don’t have any idea where the Long John Silver’s in Roanoke is since they put the 220 Bypass through. Damn.

I arrived at the small church where my Grandparents went to for as many years as they had been married. One of the first people buried in the cemetery behind the church is part of my bloodline. The main church is old and dates back to the 1800’s… I can’t remember the exact year. I can remember when the only plumbing was an outhouse with separated holes for both men and women.

I was surprised by the lack of vehicles gathered in front of the church. For some reason, I thought I was driving up and down the highways for a big shindig of friends and family. There wasn’t even that much family. It was a small gathering and it was better that way. I ate something that I rarely eat because I don’t like Italian food… I ate spaghetti with French bread. And it always seemed odd to me that my family eats toasted garlic French bread with spaghetti. But I was hungry because the only thing that I ate that morning was two packs of Lance cashews purchased at the Orange Market Convenience Store near Roanoke.

And to quote Mr. Dasher in Female Trouble… “I rarely eat any form of noodle.”

Seriously… I don’t like tomatoes and Italian food is always laced with chunky land mines of tomato hunks. The sauce can be delicious but I don’t want to know because I like my tomatoes crushed and blended so I don’t have to chew them. Tomatoes are nasty, but I love ketchup, tomato soup, tomato sauce, Chef Boyardee Ravioli, pizza sauce, and I adore V-8 Juice.

I like my peanut butter chunky, but not my tomatoes.

I labored through my spaghetti by picking out the bombs and loading down with Parmesan cheese. After I ate, I took this picture of the countryside seen right from the doors of the old church….



My mother wanted me to get a picture of the cake for some reason. I guess I’ll get one of them printed out for her… But it does show off the cake technology of our days… What do you think?



I wanted to take a look out back and check out the view. My niece Chloe and I found cows with a few curious calves not too faraway with only a small-electricified fence separating them from us. Chloe pointed to them and said, “Cows.”

“I call them hamburgers Chloe… Mmm… Mmm… Good.”



She looked at me funny and it wasn’t long after that when she decided to rejoin the rest of the family.

We ate the cake and headed back to my grandparent’s house and relaxed until 3pm. Uncle Reid and I picked around a little on his 6-string. He had never seen a 5th chord until recently. So I was showed him a neat way to cheat on a B chord that’s easier to finger. Then once again, I was behind the wheel.

This is Roxy parked at my grandparent’s house…



I was listening to Mr. Bungle, Lovage, Judas Priest, and the first Golden Throats collection. But the trip back consisted mostly of the race being broadcasted on the radio.

Today… We had a small gathering at my parent’s house for Chloe’s 3rd Birthday party. As you can see… She likes being 3.



Preston hasn’t gotten any better on his listening skills. He doesn’t adhere to advice and he spends a lot of time in trouble because of it. My mother and his grandmother purchased a shirt for him. My sister and his mother made him wear it like some sort of scarlet letter for the first time Monday night.

As you can tell, Preston is thrilled to wear this shirt in front of everyone and then pose for this picture before going home…



I don’t know… He has that punkish Sex Pistol look going on. I think it’s a picture that he’ll one day cherish. I like it and it’s funny.

I should put it out on a T-shirt.