Friday Fives

1. How do you calm yourself down after something freaks you right out? Hot baths? Warm milk? Pacing and swearing?

I tend to pace and swear a lot already. So that wouldn't help. I take baths all the time too, and not when I am upset. Screaming helps a lot. Also, I save up a lot of rage through the course of the day and when I get home... I kick the living crap out of my dogs... till they are near death. Then, I find the cat.

2. What's the best free thing you have ever scored?

My wife!

3. Are you a collector? What do you collect?

Music is my great vice in every sense. Ok; music, dog abuse, meth amphedamines, and white slavery... those are my vices. I guess you could say I collect guitars. Between basses, acoustics, and electrics; I have 6 or 7 currently. Also have my eye on the grand daddy of all guitars... the Paul Reed Smith. I have craved one since I started playing about 15 years ago, but never felt I was good enough (talent wise, not sin-wise) to deserve one. Well, I am ready for one and hope to have one by the end of the year. Price tag? $1600, for the lower tier!

4. Ever gone dumpster diving?

Yeah. When I was a kid in elementary school my mom was off of work on Mondays. That meant she cleaned like crazy (you have to with boys). What that meant is that all my cool stuff recently acquired would be in the garbage. Knowing this, I would come home on Mondays from school and check the garbage outside before even announcing I was home. I would set aside the crap she threw out in a hiding place to later return to storage. No big deal right? What if I told you I had a Guitar Player magazine with a personal lesson written in it for me by a young Joe Satriani with a sharpie? Cool huh? Gone! How about a signed copy of the cassette 'Doomsday for the Deceiver' from Flotsam and Jetsam, including a sig from future Metallica bassist James Newsted? Gone! What if I told you I have a polaroid of the look on Dave Mustaine's face when I spoke with him face to face about his drummer (Megadeth) passing out in the middle of the set last time they were in Phoenix... as he signed my Peace Sells cassette? Gone! Which is gone, the signed cassette, or the photo with the incredulous look on Mustaine's face? both!

5. What would be the.worst.Valentine's.day.present.ever.

herpes? Sorry, I am not a romantic. I am kind, giving, and terribly nice... but not romantic. Hey, I can't be everything right? I mean, I bought my wife a fucking horse... that counts for something doesn't it? Why are you guys cornering me?

As always, thanks a million to my very good friend and mentor Roy for this weeks fives. Won't you stop over and visit his blog. Everything here was birthed from his.