.      Well,  here we are,  already two thirds of the way through September and I am still going through beach withdrawal.  I know it does me no good to look back, but this summer just went by way too quickly. I had to take the beach chairs and umbrella out of the back of the Nitro Tour Bus to make room for amps and equipment but instead of stowing them away in the storage closet I made Elise stick them in the trunk of her Mazda just in case. It's probably wishful thinking but just a couple of more hot days would be so nice, I am just not mentally ready to start wearing socks yet. And is anyone else bothered, like I am, about how early it gets dark at night?  I need to find some positive thoughts about moving through this Fall Season. So here goes;
        For starters, the kids are back in school. That has to be a plus for any parents with school age children. Of course that also means Elise is back to working full time and I am spending a few days a weeks filling in as a sub.......instead of being at the beach.
       Secondly, the MacIntosh apples are ready at Parlee Farms in Tyngsborough. I like apples. The thing is , I like nectarines even more, and those just aren't even close to as good as they are at the beginning of the summer when I can spend time.......at the beach.
         Thirdly, Football season is in full swing. This is genuinely a good thing. But the Red Sox are also still in the mix, and I do love baseball, so watching the Boys of Summer still reminds me of those warm nights..... at the beach...........( I'm starting to think this is not working taking my mind of the beach.
            So tomorrow night I won't be at the beach, but I will be appearing at the 110 Grill in Chelmsford Massachusetts from 7:00 until 10:00 p.m. .  Stop by and we'll raise a toast to say goodbye to summertime. Maybe a couple of Jimmy Buffett tunes can work their way onto the playlists.
                                                                                                                                Safe travels,
                                                                                                                                 Hugh

                                                         
          
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       Well it's Monday morning and I am sitting in the kitchen watching Bill the Plumber cutting a large hole in what used to be the ceiling, and I am actually happy about it. Good service and quality work seem to be hard to come by these days, but if you ever need plumbing, A/C, or heating service for your home or business I strongly recommend that you contact the good people at CoolAir Company, You can find them on the web at www.CoolAirCompany.com.

      On Saturday  morning when Elise and I were starting off our day, I noticed a small drip of water hovering above my head and when I reached up to touch it......my finger went right through the ceiling. Apparently the bathtub drain pipe in the upstairs bathroom  was leaking ever so slightly, and after who  knows how long,  decided it was time to reveal itself by dripping  through the textured kitchen ceiling that used to be there before I poked a hole though it. Unfortunately small leaks can sometimes mean big repairs. This is not good. I am less than handy around the house, at least when it comes to most plumbing and electricity, and even as an adult I am still not allowed to operate anything resembling power tools.
      I ran upstairs and abruptly ended Elise's morning shower by knocking loudly on the door and telling her that we had a problem. Normally in our house, time in the bathroom "alone" is nothing less than sacred. I am a firm believer that a little mystery helps preserve the romance, and in addition to that, one of my biggest pet peeves is when someone tries to carry on a conversation through a closed bathroom door. So when I interrupted her bathroom time she immediately panicked,  thinking  that either I was having chest pains, someone died, or at best, I had cut my thumb off slicing a bagel. When she calmed down and realized that it was only a plumbing issue she was quite relieved that my digits were all in tact and I was not in need of an ambulance ride to the emergency room. 
     We called CoolAir Company, a plumbing and heating service we have used in the past and scheduled them for first thing Monday. Since the leak seemed  relatively small, we figured we could survive through the weekend by taking  submarine showers and avoid the higher  rates that often  come with an emergency weekend service call. So our drill for the weekend was simple; No long showers, just wet down,turn the water off, lather up, turn the water back on, rinse off as quickly as possible, rinse the tub and turn the water off. Then, I would head back downstairs and mop up the water off of  the kitchen floor, which by Monday morning when Bill the Plumber arrived had been swabbed more than the deck of a Navy training vessel.  
         Back to my Monday morning. After determining the source of our leak, Bill's reinforcements arrived and helped  him complete the tasks of replacing the drain pipe, the trap, and installing an access panel into the kitchen ceiling. During the work they covered all the floors, counters and appliances with drop cloths, and they even vacuumed everywhere they worked before they left. In short, they did an awesome job for a price that didn't completely "drain" the budget. And with that really bad pun, I think I'll call it quits and take a long, hot shower.
                                                                                                                                 Safe travels,
                                                                                                                                 Hugh
       
      
                                                                                                                                             
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Hey everyone,
   Hope you all had a great summer. It's always tough to say goodbye to the beach but such is life. Hopefully Elise and I can sneak in at least a couple of more beach days before the New England weather transforms and all of you DD fans start running around with your Pumpkin Spice drinks that I refuse to call coffee. 
     Tomorrow night your Hugh McQueen Music Project  takes to the stage at the Country Tavern on Amherst St in Nashua NH . Dinner set starts at seven and our party sets play until ten o'clock, so come on in, grab a great meal or some apps and kick back with your favorite beverage while we play all of your  classics.
     Joining me on stage tomorrow night will be Mike Dobrowolski. Mike is a phenomenal guitarist from the Nashua area I actually met right there at the Country Tavern and he will be accompanying  me for one of my sets.  It promises to be a great night. And for ALL OF YOU PATRIOTS FANS, with an 8:30 start to the season opener you can rest assured that all three screens in the room will be broadcasting the Pat's so you can still hear tunes, party with us and still not miss a single down!!!!! 
    So No excuses, we need you at the Country Tavern tomorrow night from 7 til 10.
   No Cover, plenty of free parking, full bar, great menu, reasonable prices, ghosts, The Pat's Opener and all of your favorite classics. Is there really a better way to spend your Thirsty Thursday? I think not!!!
                                                                                                                                    Safe travels,
                                                                                                                                     Hugh
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