May 10th, 2009 - Mother's Day
We got back home to Donnie's at about 7am as usual from the Corned Beef gigs. I split off for home about 5 minutes later! Since I only got about 2 hours sleep in the van on the way home, I needed a caffeine fix, and stopped at Starbucks before my 2:20 ride home. (on a side note, as I am writing this, Josephine just now decided to take a swim in the dogs water bowl!!!) Back to the day, so I got my coffee and I'm heading home. I was on my way to the local nursery to pick up Kandy's Mothers Day gift, a Magnolia Tree!!! I planted one for her at our old house, and knew how much she would like one here at our new house!! Luckily I had her SUV(cause my car got a flat heading down to do the weekend shows)so the tree fit in the car!!! I got home with the tree about 10am and found a nice spot out in the front yard for it so when they got home from working at the candy store, they would see it!!!

It was a beautiful morning, so I opted to stay up and get some shit done rather than nap. I did my P90X Legs & Back and AbRipper workout, then went out side and mowed the lawn. It's about 2pm, I jumped a shower, and headed over to my Mom's to give her a beautiful picture of Baby Josephine for her Mother's Day gift. I hung out for about an hour and then headed to the beer store to grab a case, and was on my way home to meet up with Kan, Josie and Dalesy on their way home from working the candy store. Kan's sister and her whole family were at the house about 4:30, I fired up the grill and we had some dogs and burgers, mac & cheese, etc....Everyone left about 8pm and Josephine was starting to get kinda moody!!! She's generally really good, so something was bothering her! Earlier I had changed all of our bedding and put a new comforter on, and Josephine was rolling all over the bed kickin and screaming! Kan picks her up and says somethings wrong, and no sooner, like something out of a horror movie, little missy is projectile pucking in her mother's face on her shirt, down her back and on the bedroom floor, but not a drop on the new comforter!!!!! We think it could be something with mac & cheese cause this isn't the 1st time it hasn't agreed with her.

Needless to say, the both of them headed straight for the shower, and even though it was as nasty as it gets, the peanut felt much better afterwards, and mommy will never forget her 1st Mother's Day!!

P



March 8th, 2009 - NO RESPECT............ughhhhh!!!!
So I happened onto our website this morning and noticed the "Weekly Poll" and much to my dismay, not one person voted that hearing Bass excited them!!!!!! Geez, that really makes me feel good!!!! Not even a sympathy/pity vote????? I voted for wind instruments just cause I thought it was lame to vote for us lowly bassists, and wind instruments just kinda sounds funny!!! People think of Bass Players as "Weird" or "The Guy Who Stands Next To The Drummer" or "The WTF are You Doing On Stage Guy". In reality we are the instrument no one notices until we drop out of the mix or spontaneously combust on stage or grow our goatee down to our penis'!! Well, if someone would just give us a chance............

P


February 11th, 2009 - New and Soon To Be Dad's Take Heed!!!!!!
I'm working at the candy store one day last week, and happen to be on the phone with I think Chris Bruno. We are discussing band practice or something, and I happen to mention that I need to leave Donnie's at a certain time in order to be home to "baby-sit"

Well, no sooner do I hang up the phone with Chris when I get a barrage of harassment from my fellow "female" employees! How dare I say "baby-sit" my own child!!!!! Being a dude, I thought nothing of it. I mean, I am going to be sitting and hanging with my baby Josephine, right? Well, noooooooooooo. I am raising my child, I am informed! You, "baby-sit" someone else's kid, and you parent/raise/spend quality time with your own offspring!!!!

I was vastly outnumbered that day by a large percentage of estrogen enveloped beings, so resistance was futile!!!! I fought like the Spartans in "300" and never gave in, trying to justify that its just a word and they all knew what I meant!!!

So, just a word of heed to those men out there expecting........NEVER EVER say you are "babysitting" your child because you never know when there could be women "EVESDROPPING" in on your conversation!!!!!

Touche!!!!!

P

January 15th, 2009 - What I Do
So, for those of you who don't know me very well, my family owns a candy store. The store belongs to my Mother-in-Law, Dale, who opened it with her late husband Tommy back in the early 80's. The store is named "Kelly's Kandy" after their 2 daughters Kelly & Kandy(my wife). During my time off from the music scene, I work at the store making various types of candy.

Today was my first day back to work and I started working on small milk chocolate hollow Easter eggs. I got close to 100 tops and bottoms done today. We need about 900 to get us thru Easter and that's just one size!! So, needless to say, I have my work cut out for me!!!! Since there are a few different size hollow eggs we make, they also come in different flavors such as; milk, dark, white chocolate and peanut butter. There are also an assortment of solid and hollow bunny's in different sizes and flavors that we make as well, all are hand decorated by my wife. There is just too many different items to talk about, you really would have to see the store to appreciate it!! Everyone in the family helps out at the store doing various jobs throughout the year. It's a close nit mom and pop type family business that we all really enjoy!! Hope you like the pictures!!!

Patrick



December 25th, 2008 - Baby Josephine's 1st Christmas!!
My morning didn't start till about 9am because Mommy, Daddy and I were at Aunt JoAnna & Uncle John's until 11:30pm having a wonderful Christmas Eve!! We woke up and the tree was decorated so nice with all kinds of cool ornaments and there was a ton of presents under the tree. Mommy and Daddy had to make a pot of Dunkin Donuts Coffee before the gift opening festivities could begin. We started opening gifts and Mom Mom Dalesy got me my 1st Doll, "Josefina" the New American Girl doll from New Mexico. She is really pretty and has a long black ponytail, but all we really have in common is that we're both small and have almost the same cool name. Mommy gave me a Build-a-Bear Elephant named "Nuff" he is grey with a red outfit and is really cute. Daddy got me a cool convertible little car thingy that I can sit on and walk around, and when I'm big enough I can stand behind it and push it around and it will make all kinds of neat noises. Santa brought me a little step stool so when I start to brush my teeth I can reach the sink.

It's now about 10:30 and My Aunt Cheryl, Cousin Brittany and Uncle Bob came over to visit for a minute, on their way to cousin Meg's. After they left we got back to opening gifts, and Daddy got something he's wanted since he was a little boy, a metal detector!!!! Mom Mom Dalesy remembered him talking about it and she surprised him. Then Mommy opened her gift from me and Daddy, a new Ipod Touch!! We had it engraved on the back: "Mommy, now you don't need to steal Daddy's!"

So it's now about noon, and my Aunt Kelly, Uncle Norm, Cousin's Tom, Cody, Samantha, Holli & Leslie all show up with a ton more gifts. I was so excited to open Aunt Kelly's gift, that I let out a huge scream of joy!!! It was my very 1st rocking horse, and I love him!!

When my cousin's got here, they unloaded Daddy's big new Craftsman tool box out of Mom Mom's van. Now, he'll have no excuse for leaving his tools all around the house and garage!!! He really loves it and can't wait to fill it up!!

Thru the course of the day so many people came to visit and we exchanged gifts. Mom Mom & Pop Pop Hughes, Aunt JoAnna, Uncle John, Cousin Jonathon, Aunt Barbara, Cousin Matthew, Aunt Jules, Uncle Mark, Aunt Andrea, Uncle Paul and WT to name a few.

All in all I had a wonderful 1st Christmas. Everyone was so kind to me and I really appreciate everything they did for me. I now need to get some much needed rest, because I'm starting to get a bit cranky!!!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday's and a safe & prosperous new year to all!!!!

Baby Josephine