Stories of Mikistory

Its twenty years ago.  I'm thirteen years old.  I've just started listening to rock the year prior.  A friend of mine gives me a CD and tells me to "listen to this, it will change your life."  That CD was Ten by Pearl Jam. She was more right than she'll ever know.  From the first listen, I was hooked.  Every time a video came on, I was glued to the screen, memorizing the words and sounds of every song.  Then came the import singles.  They actually had songs that weren't on the album.  So I of course had to have all of them.  Since they were imports, they cost just as much as the regular whole album.  The first was Jeremy, which had the single Yellow Ledbetter.  I had no clue what he was saying, but the tone and the song was just pure awesome.  (I did later figure it out). For their next album VS, I was there day one, to get it.  Same as Vitalogy and No Code and Yield. No Code really spoke to me.  I always f...

While recounting a story on another bloggers, well...blog, I talked about my dad being a Professional Bull Rider.  Which made me think.  I'll never be as tough as he is.  Its OK for me to admit.  The man rode bulls for chrissakes. Dad has always been tough.  As long as I've known him, which has been since birth, he's been out manning me.   He hunts.  Cleans his own kills.  He rode bulls.  In Madison Square Garden.  He's told off a New York Times reporter.  He's been in fights.  At his age, he can probably out ride me on a mechanical bull.  He seems like a good foot shorter than I am, but still scares me to death. He's fallen off a roof, only to pop a joint back into socket and go right back to work.  He almost lost an eye en route to vacation, only to travel on until we drove all the way TO TEXAS.  He's drunkenly stared down an alligator. The only thing that makes him back down. My mother.