Some of our more ardent fans might know that Kip and I play hockey together. Hopefully many of you have enjoyed reading about Kip’s tiny backyard icerink. If not, see here: http://www.tangleweed.org/blog/?p=264. Our previously lame Chicago winter has gone fully arctic on us, so the skating’s as good as it gets out there right now.

I’m excited today because I finally upgraded my skates. I replaced my 1984 CCM Super Tacks with a brand new pair of Bauer Vapor XIX’s:

I started playing hockey in 1972 and played steadily until 1990. I just started up again a few months ago, at Kip’s strong urging. We’re on a men’s league team called The Machine. Several of our teammates saw Tangleweed play at Martyrs recently (quote of the night: “I don’t know much about this kind of music, but if there’s always this many girls here, I’ll come see you guys all the time!”).

Someday maybe we’ll post a few childhood hockey pictures of ourselves (complete with the stupid haircuts and mis-matched uniforms of any self-respecting child of the 70’s). For now, please join me in relishing the hyper-modern, form-fitted glory of my new blades.

p.s. It is my personal goal for Tangleweed to someday perform an on-ice gig. Billy Oh also played hockey as a kid, so at least three of us could do the mobile, wireless bluegrass-on-skates thing. Stay tuned for more.

Our song ‘Hard Times’ was played on the nationally syndicated public radio program Whad’Ya Know today. Michael Feldman hosts the broadcast each week from Madison, Wisconsin, and he’s put together a little feature called “Whad’ya Idol”. Our little tune was featured today in round one.

We need your emails of support. Send a note to whadyaknow@wpr.org and cast a vote for Tangleweed.

We are grateful for all the support we’ve gotten from cheeseheads over the past year, and we promise not to remind you that our football team is in the Superbowl, and yours is not. We enjoy your state’s many fine beers and high-quality dairy produce. Drop host Michael Feldman a line and let him know that we appreciate it.

I’m a great admirer of Harry Shearer’s work on Le Show. I hope he will forgive me for borrowing the title of his copyrighted feature.

I was stopped by airport security today for attempting to bring a six-ounce tube of toothpaste through the security screening at O’Hare. Having not flown for a few months, I wasn’t schooled on the intricacies of liquid and paste regulations for domestic flights. I had not placed my shampoo, conditioner, and bug repellant in a clear, quart-size bag for the screening. It should be pointed out that neither the TSA nor my airline (United) will provide quart-size bags for this purpose. This regulation appears to be for the sole benefit of the quart-size bag manufacturing industry.

Lacking the aforementioned bag, I was presented with two options: I could throw everything away or go to the United counter and check my bag. Not wanting to dispose of and repurchase everything in my ditty bag, I chose the former. A portly TSA rep carried the offending tube of Polident in her latex-gloved hands, and escorted me through a little-used exit in the United Terminal.

Upon reaching the checkin counter, I was informed by the agent that it was too close to departure time for me to check my bags. I was left with no choice but to purge my bags of any cosmetics that jeopardized national security. I dumped everything into a dustbin by the arrival and departure display, took off my belt and shoes, and queued to subject myself to another security screening.

My bag was pulled off for for a special inspection again. My deoderant stick was scrutinized and judged not be be a threat to the free world. Despite having accidentally left a bottle of shampoo in my bag (which was not discovered by the enterprising TSA rep), I was cleared to catch my flight.

When I sat down in my seat, something in my left pocket poked my leg. It was the pocket knife I had accidentally left on my keychain, undetected by both screenings.

Today’s threat level is orange.

Now you can wear the same thong that Tangleweed wears onstage, courtesy of our CafePress.com store. If you prefer to wear boxer shorts, we have those too. If you, you know, like to wear men’s underwear.