| New Tattoo |
[Aug. 8th, 2009|08:13 pm] |
Below is a picture of my new tattoo.
It was conceived 2 years ago as a way for Marcy and I to commemorate our experience during hurricane Katrina.
We added our babies initials, and now it means even more.
 |
|
|
| Studio day 1 for "Slime" |
[Jul. 28th, 2009|06:30 pm] |
We were in Ron Roy's Threshold Sound Studios today for session 1 of the recording of the theme song to Greg Lamberson's Slime City Massacre.
All the guitars and bass were recorded and Marcy wrote all the lyrics while I recorded the guitars. I did a practice run at vocals with the fresh lyrics before we left. We decided on the way home that the verse melodies and vocal delivery need to be drastically changed. It's sounding too much like a couple of the Johnny Gruesome songs, so tonight when the kids go to bed we will be trying to tweak it.
The guitars sound heavy and wonderful though.
Back to the studio on Thursday.
G |
|
|
| First Post in 1000 years |
[Jul. 20th, 2009|06:31 pm] |
Hey.
I last posted at the end of January when the contractor was about to start finishing our basement.Since then lots has been happening. I will be short and sweet, as I only have a few minutes.
The Wife:
Marcy broke her arm (near the elbow) on my birthday April 4th. She was unable to lift the kids for 6-8 weeks. She fully recovered but then had Thyroid surgery on July 15th and isn't allowed to lift the kids for 2 weeks. So it has been pretty busy around here for me keeping the kids busy. We will get through this and August should be great!!
The Kids:
The kids are 13.5 months old are are walking and talking ( about 20 words each) and being playful and sometimes sneaky, but usually a crap load of fun. ( Pun intended). I love hanging out with them and the time seems to fly by , except on the rare occasion they get up too early and I drag my ass all day.
Work:
I got new teacher qualifications in the winter ( Spec Ed Specialist) and in the fall I get a a pretty substantial raise ( although I lose half of it to taxes). I still work with at risk teenagers and will do that for at least 1 more year. I'm off until September 3rd.
Music/Art:
I am working on the title song for Greg Lamberson's new Slime City Massacre movie. I have re-written the music 2 times and have an outline for lyrics but nothing concrete yet. I will be asking Marcy to help me soon as I'm booked into the studio to record it in 1 week.
I play a songwriting contest in Hamilton ( Stoney Creek) at the Old Powerhouse Pub this Wednesday night. I play at 10:20 (ish). Marcy and I are planning on writing a short story together before September. Marcy finally published her Katrina book ans has ideas for a new fiction novel.
Television/Movies/Books:
We have gotten really into "True Blood" from HBO. I thing I'm going to talk like Vampire Bill for the rest of the summer just for fun. We just finished watching the third (shortened) season of "Torchwood" and it might have been the best television I have watched.....ever. I hated the Friday the 13th remake. If anyone wants my Blu-ray copy of it just let me know. I am reading "World war Z" and I didn't like it at first, but now that I am over 2 thirds into it, is really fascinating reading.
That's all for now.
G |
|
|
| Finishing the basement! |
[Jan. 28th, 2009|09:17 pm] |
The drywall/ceiling guy starts on February 2nd
The electrician and plumber are coming on February 7th
We will be getting my brother-in-law to help with the flooring.
We found out today the government will be giving us $1400 back on our 2009 taxes for doing renovations this year during a recession.
The whole thing should be finished by April, but maybe sooner.
Would you like to come over for a drink in our new cool rec-room, entertainment centre, music studio, pub-like basement?
I know you do.
G |
|
|
| 2009 |
[Jan. 2nd, 2009|09:22 am] |
This will be a great year.
2008 was really great.
I helped make 2 babies. And they are doing great.
I finished a new CD ( yet to be promoted though).
My career is on the right path.
I love my wife and she loves me.
I don't make resolutions.I am constantly trying to be better and do better.
ps. Dexter season 2 is amazing so far.
ps.ps. The new Indiana Jones is not as good on the second viewing at home on DVD as it was in the theater.
G |
|
|
| Happy Birthday Baby! |
[Dec. 11th, 2008|01:56 pm] |
Yesterday was my wife Marcy's birthday. She is now 35 years old. I met her when I was 17 and she was 16. We have been together for over 18 years. We have been married for over 13 years.
We have been through everything together.
We have performed on stage together in the same rock band.
we have traveled the world together.
We have written songs together.
We have retired many pairs of underwear together (private joke)
We have recorded music together.
We survived a hurricane together.
We have been to many funerals together.
We now have two wonderful twin 6 month old boys together.
I would be typing for a week straight if I listed every cool thing we have ever done.
I am lucky man to have her in my life.
I love you .
P.I.C. forever.
p.s. when she walks into the room the smile on my boys faces is the most amazing thing to watch. The are mamma's boys in every way.
p.s.p.s....I was looking an old picture from her senior high school year book. Ubder her picture it says "C.C. # 1". It made me smile. |
|
|
| Brain Dead... |
[Oct. 30th, 2008|09:16 pm] |
I can't get myself to write anything in my LJ.
There I just did I guess.
G |
|
|
| Hey Everybody! |
[Aug. 5th, 2008|10:56 pm] |
Wow, It's been while.
Here's the thing. My computer is way down in the basement, and Marcy needs hers for work, and most of my time has been spent watching one or both of the kids.
We have starting putting the kids in their cribs around 10PM and trying get a couple hours of "adult" time before going to bed. Some nights it works, some nights it doesn't. The kids are too young to let "cry it out" so it all depends on how they are doing. Tonight they are asleep and quiet as of 11:00PM.
Being a dad has been great so far. I am tired but things seem to be evening out already as they are starting to sleep longer at night, especially Thomas who sometime will go fro 11-5am in one stretch.
It has been a joy watching them grow and smile and become more alert in such a short time.
My personal goal this month is to start rehearsing songs from my new CD and get back into "shape" for performing again. My last gig was before Christmas and I have hardly picked up a guitar since the kids have been born.
I am going to sit for an hour and watch my big screen TV and have a glass of wine, while things are quiet.
G |
|
|
| My new CD and website are ready |
[May. 28th, 2008|05:24 pm] |
I am very excited to announce my new CD is ready and in my hands. I will be promoting it later in the year but it is available immediately for purchase.
Please checkout my new and improved website for more information and to order your copy. Read the press release below for more album details.
http://www.giasoneitaliano.com
For Immediate Release:
P.I.C. Publishing is proud to announce the latest solo release from singer/songwriter Giasone Italiano, “Songs of Innocence and of Experience”. This new CD has been two years in the making, and features 13 songs of a primarily acoustic flavour.
The album was put together with a great group of guest musicians including:
Jay Weiler (Fiddle), Herb McNeill (Drums, Percussion), Brent Hagerman (Saxophone), Ed “Pee Wee Charles” Ringwald (Peddle Steel), Allister Bradley (Keyboards, background vocals), and Marcy Italiano (Vocals and Songwriting). With the help of this great collection of talent, Giasone has created a record that touches on many musical styles (Folk, Celtic, Blues and Country) but still maintains a cohesiveness and honesty in the performances and song quality.
At the center of this already personal collection are the songs “Empty” and “Thursday Morning”. These two songs depict the struggles and fears that Giasone and his wife Marcy faced during their week long struggle while trapped in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina disaster back in 2005. Specifically, the song “Thursday Morning” was written and performed by Marcy for the young woman whose heart-breaking incident was witnessed outside the Convention Center. |
|
|
| Television... |
[May. 6th, 2008|07:47 pm] |
I got to thinking about television today and my favourite shows.
It has to be broken down into three lists. One, my current favourites based on quality, two, my all time favourites based on when I was a kid, and the last list is based on what was a big deal to my family growing up.
My Top 5 TV shows (based on quality and more of a current list)
5-Deadwood, Entourage (Tie)
4-Lost
3-Dexter
2-Spaced
1-Six Feet Under (I have never been more moved or sucked in by a show)
My Top 10 TV shows based on what my favourites were when I was 10 years old
10-Twilight Zone (original series)
9-The Greatest American Hero
8-WKPR
7-Three's Company
6-The Hilarious House of Frightenstein
5-Welcome Back Kotter
4-The Dukes of Hazard
3-The Incredible Hulk
2-Mork and Mindy
1-Happy Days (I cried watching the last episode when Mr.C toasts to the camera)
My families' top shows growing up
5-All In the Family
4-Family Feud
3-Price is Right
2-I Love Lucy
1-Carol Burnett ( A weekly tradition that the whole family could laugh at together) |
|
|
| Updates |
[Apr. 12th, 2008|05:04 pm] |
The twins are almost at 28 weeks and seem very strong and healthy.
We now have have two cribs, 2 car seats and a change table.
Things are great and I feel like the boys are already here. The fact that they kick so much and that Marcy is already calling them by their names (secret names) helps.
We have are new (used) car. A 2007 Silver Rav4 with 28,000 KM (17,500 miles) on it.
It is SWEEEET. We saved about $4000 bucks by getting a year old model.
My new CD project is almost finished. Nine of the thirteen songs are mixed and I have 6 hours of time booked to do the final mixing and mastering and then we will send it off to the manufacturer for printing. We should have it in our hands by the end of May but might wait until later in the summer to actually start to sell it.I'm not sure how I'm going to promote it with the kids coming but I will feel very relieved to have it finished either way.
Work is good , but the stress of working with "At Risk" teenagers is taking it's toll on the staff as a whole. A couple of teachers are applying for transfers for next year. My contract will be made permanent on April 16th as my supervisor is filing all the papers as I have ended my probationary period with the new job successfully.
Last night we watched "Sweeney Todd".
Holy crap. I think I need to watch it again to let it all sink in. It was very dark and bloody with a capital B. Great music and great acting.
G |
|
|
| Updates |
[Mar. 1st, 2008|11:33 am] |
Things are really busy, but I like it that way as I get bored and restless very easily.
A)We are leaving this afternoon for the visitation and funeral tomorrow of my Aunt Irene. She was 82 and has been sick for a long time. I know this is hard on my mom as she is the last of her siblings left. My Aunt Irene was a big part of my life growing up. We visited her almost every weekend when I was a kid.
B)Marcy is at 21 weeks and things are going great. We have a 3D ultrasound this week. We spend 3 hours yesterday picking things for a baby registry at "Baby's R US". Soon I will be painting the kids room.We are going with a jungle motif. Marcy is as big as a small barn.
C)I have been taking an important course to upgrade my teaching skills online 3 days a week. I keep getting A's on my assignments, but I'm honestly just hanging on doing as little as I can and still get decent marks.
D)Starting this Friday March 7th I am back in the studio for about 16 hours to work on my new music project. Friday I am bringing in a drummer for 3 songs, and Monday I am bringing in a fiddle player. My favourite thing in the world is writing music and then managing recording sessions and putting a project together.
E)I am writing a few one minute instrumental pieces for an possible upcoming film project. I know it is all up in the air, but it has given me an excuse to write in a different style and from a different perspective.
F)I finished our taxes this week. We are getting a refund of $2400. Last year we owed $2400. This years refund is mostly due to the fact that we spent more then we made promoting Johnny Gruesome and researching for Marcy's upcoming book and that I was a full time student in the summer of 2007 taking another course.
G)The tax refund is already spent. We are getting a new vehicle in the next two weeks. We have a dealer looking for a 2007 Toyota Rav4 at an Auction for us. Our budget was dependent on us getting $2000 back on our taxes....whew!
Well, there you have it.
G |
|
|
| Horror movie night... |
[Feb. 16th, 2008|10:52 pm] |
Marcy was out for a "girls night out" tonight so I rented this...
I love Zombie films, even bad ones.
G |
|
|
| I Am Legend Marathon |
[Jan. 27th, 2008|12:07 pm] |
Last week Marcy and I both started reading Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend" at the same time.
We finished one day apart and were able to discuss the book. We both loved it. The build up of loneliness and desperation and the main character's determination to find a cure was written to perfection. ( As I'm sure fans of the book already know)
Last night we watched Vincent Price's "Last Man on Earth"(1964) and then right after watched the Will Smith's 2007 version.
As for the movies....
I actually liked both versions. The newer version has way more changes then the original story but I went in expecting that and I found the changes acceptable and needed to move the story at a more modern pace. There are fewer changes to the 1964 version,as Matheson is responsible for a good portion of the screenplay. In the new version I did find the CGI monsters annoying to look at though.
There is one major change in both versions that annoys me.In both films Robert is a scientist and was working on a cure before the outbreak hits full force. In the book he is just a normal working man that discovers about the virus through years of obsessive research. I think the fact that , in the book, he teaches himself the science behind everything further emphasizes his isolation and his desperate need to fill his time.
I guess we'll have to rent "Omega Man" next week, but if I know Marcy she will have a cow over the stupidity of that movie.
G |
|
|
| I am Legend...and updates |
[Jan. 21st, 2008|10:14 pm] |
I am starting to read I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. I've always wanted to read it and I wanted to read it before I watched the Will Smith movie. I've only watched a few minutes of the Vincent Price movie, and I have only watched parts of The Omega Man as well.
Work is good. I have managed to avoid the "Burn Out" factor that happens when working with high risk youth.
My new music project is 1/2 done and will be mostly done after the March break.
I am taking an online Senior English Teaching qualification course. I really am not into it, but I have to finish it to keep my job next year.
I am excited about becoming a daddy. We will be having the "full" ultrasound next week. Marcy is on a sort of house arrest because of some complications, but we are making the most of it and enjoying our time together.
G |
|
|
| Songs... |
[Dec. 5th, 2007|04:56 pm] |
Some songs take me a year to write, and them when I think I'm done I have Marcy tell me why the lyrics suck and we re-write again.
I wrote a song on Sunday from start to finish in 2 hours called "I Love You" . I played it to Marcy. She cried ( In a good way) and said it was "sweet". It's the first song I have written for her in 7 years. I think it is one of my best, and I have a definite plan on how to record it in the studio and make it better.
In other music news...I bought the new Robert Plant/Alison Krauss CD and it is one of the best Cd's I have heard in a long time.
I also really want to buy the new Loverboy CD...so what do I know?
G |
|
|
| Updates |
[Dec. 2nd, 2007|12:36 pm] |
It's been a while so here we go....
My new job is going great. I really feel I am helping some teenagers that need some guidance and support.
I am in the studio for 20 hours over the holidays starting December 23rd. I am going to take my time on this one and have no idea when I will be finished but I have at least 10 new songs that need to be recorded so I will be starting soon. Marcy will be contributing to most of the songs as well as performing on a couple as well. The Cd will eventually be for sale, but some of the songs will be used as demos to send to music publishers as well.
My back has been shitty over the last 2 months. My lower back conks out and it becomes a sore "twitchy" mess and it is hard to sit for more then a few minutes. My message therapist says it is a combination of lifting weights for 10 years, working with special needs kids and my brother for 1/2 my life, being a musician in a few bands and approaching 35 years old. He says I have to lift less weight when I work out, do stretches regularly, and basically be smarter about things.
Also, if any of you are on a cell phone contract that is about to expire, don't just renew, and don't just cancel without talking to your provider. I called Rogers Wireless yesterday and told them our 3 year contract was going to be up in 10 days. I told them we were going to go to another provider or possibly go to a "Pay as You Go" plan unless she could help us out. I told her our current rate ($58 for 2 phones with voice mail and unlimited calls between phones) was too much and a 3 year contract was too long and we wanted new phones as well. After she checked with a manager we got this:
1-Two new expensive phones for free
2-Two year contact instead of 3
3-$15 a month off our plan that is now $43 a month (including all the stupid fees).
Cool.
G |
|
|
| New Job |
[Oct. 13th, 2007|03:50 pm] |
I haven't really reported on my new job...Until now.
I started September 4th and started teaching September 17th as it took two weeks to gather enough students to start a class. I am part of the U-Turn program at the Waterloo Open Door Centre for learning ran by the Waterloo region District School Board. I teach a class called GLD2OI-Discovering the Workforce. I teach work related soft skills and practical stuff like cover letters and interview skills as well.
The program is funded primarily because the Ontario government has made it illegal for someone under 18 to leave school. If they do they can be fined, cut off from student welfare, loose their driver's license or in some cases break the conditions of their probation and be sent to jail. The U-Turn program has been set up as a short term (6-18 weeks) intervention for students who need to get back on track and get used to a school routine again.
I currently have 17 students and every three weeks I take new students and every 6 weeks one group can finish my course and move on to another course in our building or go back to their regular high school. My students are 16-17 years olds and are there primarily because they have been kicked out or have dropped out of a regular high school for behavior, drugs, or social anxiety issues.
On the surface it sounds pretty rough, but I am really enjoying making a difference in these students lives. Yesterday for last period we had a Halloween Door decorating contest with the class next door. To watch my students, who a month ago hated school, having fun and working as a team was a very moving experience. As everyday goes by I feel a bit more comfortable with the job and I am excited of all the possibilities I have to get through and help these kids.
For fun , for the last 15 minutes of the school day, I showed them a few minutes of "The Hilarious House of Frightenstein" to celebrate Halloween. Let's just say that the show does not really show well to a room of hard-edged teens in 2007. I thought they were going to jump out the window to escape during the "Grammar Slammer" segment.
I ended the day by saying that next week if they misbehaved I would make them sit through a whole episode. Ha! |
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
gsguitar's journal