Marc Broussard

I mentioned him in an earlier post, now I guess I need to step up and tell you all about him.

Marc Broussard is a 22-year old music artist from Carencro, Louisiana. I discovered him when I heard his song "Home" on KPRI. I remember thinking, "This is original and sounds awesome and this brother has some soul." I first thought that I was listening to a new Keb Mo' song, but when I heard it was a new artist, I knew I would have to check into his music more. The next week, I saw the CD Carencro on sale at Target at picked it up. I have to say that I am VERY impressed. Each song on this CD is very different and Marc pulls from all different styles....pop to blues to soul to rock....it is interesting and attractive to me.

I already mentioned Keb Mo'.....Marc's sound also reminds me of some Ray Charles (singing style), Edwin McCain (rock riffs), and even Steely Dan (check out the horn arrangement on "Saturday"). Marc also co-wrote every song on his debut CD and plays acoustic guitar on many of the tracks. Listening to each of Marc's songs, I can tell that he comes from a musical upbringing, so it doesn't surprise me to find out that he is the son of a legendary Lousiana guitarist by the name of Ted Broussard. He also employs the use of many different instruments to bring a full sound to the CD. A check of the CD sleeve shows such diverse instruments as a wurlitzer, washboard, triangle, slide guitar (by the AWESOME Sonny Landreth), organ, 12 string bass, toy piano, moog synth, trombone, saxophone, trumpet, flute, and banjo. Also, the sound engineering on this CD is so good, I feel like I can hear each instrument track individually. My favorite track has to be "Wanderer" (which I am listening to as I write....it is SWEET...).

If you are looking for some new, fresh, heartfelt and soulful rockin' music....Check out Marc Broussard, he will rock your world.....

I've Seen It, Have You?

Has everyone seen Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith by now?

I saw it last night. Visually, it was spectacular. Every scene had something stunning to look at. The digital worlds that Lucas has created are awesome. I enjoyed the movie very much and even though we know how it will end, this does not take away from getting lost in the story.

Frankly, I don't know what people were complaining about with Episodes I and II. I enjoyed those movies very much as well. I kept reading reviews where people were expecting some high art, fancy dialogue movie. Star Wars was never going to be that. The whole concept is based on the old Saturday matinee, cheesy dialogue movies of the past. It is part of the Star Wars charm. If one would take a step back and look at all of these movies as one big story, I think we would see that it is pure genius. The whole Star Wars universe has captured the imaginations of people worldwide. People are fanatical about it because it is fascinating.

I kept looking at Revenge of the Sith and trying to figure out how I could get away with taking my 5 year old son to see it. Even though he loves all of the previous movies, I just can't justify taking him to a theater to see this one. It is too intense in parts and I worry that he would have too many nightmares about it. I mean, I still don't think that he has really put together that Anakin turns into Darth Vader. All I can do now is wait for the DVD to come out and then try and edit out the most intense parts. Boy, I can't wait for the day when I can watch all six movies in order. AWESOME.....

Baseball is Life

Ok, time to let out another little secret........I LOVE BASEBALL!

Well, for those of you who know me, this comes as no surprise. The license plate on my car reads BSBLLVR, for goodness sake! Call it obssession, call me a geek, call me insane....but I LOVE it! I love it even more when my beloved San Diego Padres are kicking some butt.

The Padres are cruising right now, having won 16 out of their last 19 games. They have won 7 games in a row, 9 straight games at home and they have an outstanding record of 16-4 at Petco Park here in San Diego. A few weeks ago, I was moaning about the fact that they were several games under .500 and were in danger of slipping to 4th place in the NL West division. Now my Padres are in 1st place and are in front of the Arizona Diamondbacks by a 1/2 game. Better yet, the Padres are ahead of the stinkin' Los Angeles Dodgers by 2 1/2 games. I love it!

Now I know the winning streak won't last. All good things come to an end at some point in baseball. Whether it is a hitting streak, or a winning streak or the end of the baseball season in October....it is just part of the ebb and flow....the essence of life. Seasons change, players come and go, teams win, teams lose...but each day brings a new challenge. Each day brings the chance to do better than the day before, that is what I love about baseball.

One of my favorite ballplayers right now is Mark Loretta. His philosophy on playing the game, which is shared by many, is that you can't get too high when things are going well and you can't get too low when things are not going so well. You have to look at the bigger picture, play the game of life as you should play the game of baseball. Keep the faith and work to get better and keep trying until you get it right.

My all-time favorite player is Tony Gwynn. In fact, my son is named Anthony after Mr. Padre. One of the things that he carried with him on the field was something his father told him as a child. Mr. Gwynn said to his children, "Work hard and good things will happen." I try to pass that on to my kids as well. If you are cruising along and things are going well or if you are stuck in a rut and struggling, maintaining a positive attitude, putting your faith in God, and working hard will always bring out your best.

As for my Padres....hey, they had a bad April and they are having an awesome May. They may have a horrible June, but I hold out hope that they will come through in August and September and be in first place when the race for the ring begins. For now, I'll cherish the fact that they are in first place and playing well....and rejoice in the fact that they are ahead of the Dodgers....

GO PADRES!

Sith Happens

Today is the day....at midnight tonight, the beginning of the end....
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is opening at movie theaters tonight and I can't wait to see it! All reviews point to an awesome movie from George Lucas that ties in the prequel movies with the original Star Wars.

Unfortunately, I will not be joining all of the crazy people who have bought tickets weeks ahead of time and will be lining up to get a good seat for a show tonight. I'm sure that traffic will be quite light tomorrow morning! Yes, I must wait....wait with patience, my young Padawan learner....to re-enter the world of Jedi Knights and witness the birth of Darth Vader. You can expect some kind of review from me next week after my good friend Doug and I go see the movie together. It can't come soon enough....

Lumpy's Trip to D-Land

It had to come out sooner or later....the Mazza's are Disney FREAKS!

We love everything Disney. In fact, we try to use tax refund money each year to buy annual passes to Disneyland for the family. Our favorite trips each year include staying a night in a nearby hotel and going to Disneyland and California Adventure on back to back days.

This year, Paula and I have gone by ourselves once and we have also taken the family. To make each trip special for the kids, we try to take them one-on-one. My turn was first this year and I took Emily with me. My nickname for Emily is Lumpy. She earned this name as an infant when she would sit on my lap and watch baseball games. She never fussed or cried, she just sat there like a lump on a log. I miss those days....

Anyway, this past Sunday, Emily and I went up to Anaheim for the day. It only took us about 70 minutes to drive there and arrived at 8 AM just as Disneyland was opening. To make the trip more enjoyable, Emily and I planned out what rides we wanted to go on and made a priority list. It sure did help, we knew exactly where we wanted to go. Of course, we did have to make some adjustments along the way and we did not get to ride everything on our list, but we sure had fun!

Some highlights of the trip included waiting only 15 minutes for the Indiana Jones Adventure; waiting 3 minutes for Pirates of the Carribean; Emily's first ride on California Screamin', Maliboomer, and Orange Stinger; autographs from Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, Rabbit, Woody, Jessie, and Mulan; the Alladin show; Tower of Terror (woohoo!); pizza at Pizza Oom Mow Mow; Soarin' Over California; pirrahna's on the Jungle Cruise; caves at Tom Sawyer's Island; the Block Party Bash; the Parade of Dreams; Tinkerbell flying over the castle; Mickey climbing the Matterhorn; Fantasmic; and fireworks. Whew, what a trip! Thanks, Lumpy, for a fun time. You are a great Disney partner!

Check out Emily's photo album and watch the slideshow of her trip to Disneyland.

Goodbye to the Heyman's

Today is a day of mixed feelings. We said goodbye to our friends, Justus and Samantha Heyman, at a pool party on Saturday. Today they are flying, along with their children (Isaiah and Thea) and our good friend (Kristina), to France where they will begin the next great adventure on their journey of faith and ministry. Fortunately for us, Kristina will be back in a few weeks, but we are not so fortunate in that the Heyman's are moving to France. We will miss them tremendously here in San Diego, but we are also filled with joy and excitement as we support them as they will be working to plant new churches throughout a region searching for truth. For those of you who want to learn more about the Heyman's and their journey, please check out their website called The Red Door.

I pray for you comfort
in the journey
I pray for you peace
while over sea
I pray for you joy
in surrender
I pray for you strength
when it gets harder
I pray for you power
in His name
I pray for you grace
from the same
I pray that all of God's glory
will bless you on the way

Goodbye Heyman's.....may God light your path and sharpen your sword!

The Contender

Can someone please tell me why nobody is watching this show? Is it because it is on Sunday night? This is great drama, folks. I missed yesterday's show because I was at Disneyland with my daughter (more on that later), but I was scrambling this morning to watch the fight online. It was quite a fight!
I can understand not wanting to see two grown men pounding each other in the head, it does get to be quite vicious at times. But, what I really dig about the show is the intensity with which these men lead their lives. Something about it just has me interested. For these group of men (not boxing as a whole), I see beyond the ego and trash talking to something real and honest and raw. We should all live our lives that wide open. I guess you could say I am an "old school" boxing fan....before the likes of Mike Tyson ruined the sport. Ali, Frasier, Sugar Ray....they had class and style. I like the "Rocky" spirit of the sport too, rooting for the underdog. The Contender is taking this group of men and giving them a shot at something they would not normally get close to. I like that. Mark Burnett produces and the editing and music are awesome. Throw in Sly Stallone and Sugar Ray and you have an engaging hour of fine TV.
Now I hear that the show is lagging in the ratings and NBC won't do it again. I saw Sly on Larry King this weekend and he said it was not going to be renewed. That is too bad....but maybe the underdog is not down for the count yet.
(and yes, I do know Sly personally. I've seen all the Rocky movies at least a dozen times, especially Rocky IV which co-stars my uncle Dominic, I've seen all the Rambo movies and I've seen the unheralded classics Rhinestone, Oscar, and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. So, I think that qualifies me to call him Sly...)

Maia Sharp and the Hornblower

So, last night my wonderful wife and I went out on a HOT date. We like to call it a hot date because we don't get many of them. Not because we don't want to go out on dates, but because we don't get much time with 4 Mazza monkeys running around. Yep, four kids and we are still functioning....though I think my wife would say, "Barely."
One of our favorite local radio stations gave away tickets recently for this concert on a boat. Say what? That is right, I said "a concert on a boat." KPRI (www.kprifm.com) is one of the few remaining independent radio stations. They have always played the music that they want to, not bound by the management of some huge corporation. I like this. Although I miss the days when they were called SETS102, where they would play 2 and 3 song sets of one artist, I am thrilled with the fact that they always have their ear to the ground and are usually the first station in San Diego to play the next big thing....Examples are Norah Jones, John Mayer and Marc Broussard (more on Marc another time)....KPRI is playing and has played them before anyone else. Anyway, back to my story....
So, we got these free tickets for a Hornblower Cruise (www.hornblower.com) around San Diego Bay. On the top deck of the boat was the set up for the band. It was definitely a compact space, but they had three vocal mics and setup for a bass guitar, full drum kit, acoustic guitar, keyboard and electric guitar. The artist playing this night was Maia Sharp (www.maiasharp.com) and I have to say that I truly enjoyed the music, despite the frequent fly bys of Navy jets and helicopters (ah, the price of freedom). KPRI was one of the first to play "Brownstone" from Maia's 1997 debut and also one of the first to play "Willing to Burn" from her second CD in 2002. I never owned a CD of Maia's until last night. Paula and I picked up her new CD called "Fine Upstanding Citizen." What an awesome songwriter she is! Oh, and did I mention that she plays a mean sax? She busted out on a few songs last night and I was really impressed. She also plays acoustic guitar and keyboards. Check her out, she is a great talent.
To summarize....it was a FABULOUS date. You can't beat the sight of pulling away from the docks and seeing the skyline of downtown San Diego behind you, the sun setting in front of you, the calm waters below you and blue skies above. Not to mention the wonderful company I had....thanks, my love, for a great time. I am looking forward to Catalina at the end of June....
Well, I guess that is it for now....
Oh....did you notice that today is Friday the 13th....there's that number again....

My First Post

Ok, so I've never done this before, but I guess it is time to join the revolution, right? He's a blogger, she's a blogger, wouldn't you like to be a blogger too? Who knows what this will become, but I have random thoughts all of the time....what better way to archive them than to create a blog.
So, I guess I should address the blog name. Well, for some people, the number 13 is an unlucky number. For me, the number 13 has been a very fortunate number...one that keeps coming up in my life. It is a good number and I have fond memories with the number 13. I went on my first date with my wife nearly 9 years ago on July 13th. I guess you could say that was the beginning of my love affair with the number 13. Our first home was a condominium in La Costa and, you guessed it, it was number 13. Our last three children were born into that little 1000 square foot place of coziness. Nearly 3 years ago, we bought our first house in San Marcos. Well, it turns out that our wonderful home is the 13th house on the right of our great street. So, there you go......
I discovered a great online radio station today. If you get a chance, check out www.reallymusicradio.com. It plays great music. The recent playlist shows songs by Paul Simon, Naked Blue, Willie and Lobo, Jim Messina, Sister Hazel, Harry Nilsson, Andrea Zonn, Steely Dan, the Allman Brothers, Pure Prairie League, Patty Griffin....my goodness, talk about music without borders. Check it out and let me know what you think...