Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Small victories


Ok...so you probably wouldn't be able to tell by looking at me, but I had been exercising regularly since February. Nothing crazy, just taking along some "Perfect Push-ups" and a resistance band with me when I go on the road...trying to be consistent and hitting it every other day.

The odd thing is that I started checking my body weight every few weeks beginning around May, thinking that it would provide some motivation when I started seeing some weight gain. Want to know what's happened to my weight since May? I lost 9 pounds. Yep...I apparently was well on my way to becoming a "fat skinny man". Go figure.

Anyway, that's not the point of this rather vulnerable glimpse into my world.

It's rather that 3 weeks ago, I was feeling especially gung-ho and decided to hit the hotel weight room before heading for the airport to catch my flight home (the morning after we played at the LifeLight Festival in Sioux Falls, SD, for those of you keeping track). I proceeded to gank (yes, it's a verb) my shoulder and had to completely stop exercising for the past 3 weeks. Every time I even entertained the thought of working out, a sharp pain in my right shoulder would remind me to not be an idiot.

SO....this morning was the first time I've exercised since September 5. 'Course, not sure if it really qualifies as a "work out", as it consisted of 15 push-ups and 10 curls...but I decided that I'm too old to be injuring myself in the name of health. Seems to make much more sense to ease back into things gradually.

Not that any of the aforementioned is of consequence to you, but it reminded me that sometimes (oftentimes?) it's the small stuff. Extremely stoked that my shoulder seems to be almost back to normal, and that I can resume my feeble efforts to invest in my physical health. Reminded me to be grateful for all the things that I usually take for granted.

Have a good week! :^)

Thursday, July 1, 2010

GK Factory Tour (Part 4 of 4)!

As promised, here is the 4th and final installment of a full factory tour at Gallien-Krueger. In this episode, Bob Gallien takes us through their shipping operation (with a quick stop in his own personal office) - this is where your favorite piece of GK gear came from!

A big thank-you to Bob Gallien and all at Gallien-Krueger, both for their hospitality as well as making such amazing & inspiring equipment.

I hope you've enjoyed this behind-the-scenes tour! See you on the road...

Blessings- Norm


Thursday, May 27, 2010

GK Factory Tour...Part 3!

Thanks for your interest & patience!

Here is the 3rd installment (final one coming soon!) of a full factory tour at Gallien-Krueger. In this episode, Bob Gallien takes us down the production line for a fascinating look at the quality control and process involved in manufacturing their amazing gear.

Enjoy! :^)

Blessings- Norm


Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Low Notes for Nashville

Hi Friends!

Sorry for the recent lag in posting stuff here...it's been a hectic year! If you don't already, please subscribe to my Facebook pages and to receive my tweets (links to both are on the home page at www.normstockton.com)...I sometimes find it easier for me to post 2-sentence blurbs there in the midst of the busy pace. But I definitely like having this blog for other extended musings!

Anyway, just wanted to post the below PSA that I shot a few days ago for a great cause - "Low Notes for Nashville" is a bunch of bassists helping out flood-stricken bassists in Nashville. I hope you'll drop by their site (www.lownotesfornashville.org) and do what you can to help.

Thanks & God bless you...Norm


Monday, April 5, 2010

GK Factory Tour...Part 2!

Hello & thanks for your patience...we encountered a few technical difficulties!

As promised, here's the next installment (part 2 of 4) of a full factory tour at Gallien-Krueger. In this episode, Bob Gallien discusses his design approach for his amps & speaker cabinets and more!

Hope you enjoy this behind-the-scenes look!

Blessings- Norm

P.S. This blog was edited by Carly, my 14-year-old daughter. Kudo's!! :^)


Saturday, March 6, 2010

Goodbye for now...


Bethannie "Kaulana" Nothnagle
3/15/78 - 2/22/10


Last week while in Sacramento working with Lincoln and the guys on the next CD, I was crushed to receive a call that a truly amazing friend of mine in Florida was killed in a car accident earlier that day.

I met Kaulana and her husband, Kelly, back in 2005 when I was doing a bass clinic at the church where they were on staff. We hit it off right away, as she was from Hawaii (I spent 5 years of my childhood there) and we spent much time just talking about our favorite Island "grinds" (food) that we both missed now that we lived on the mainland.

Kelly and Kaulana ended up spending a day with me and my family when they came out to Southern California the following year, and it was like spending time with friends we'd known all our lives. My family & I still have fond memories of that day.

The last time I saw her was when she brought a bunch of teens from her church's youth group to Miami when I was playing there with Linc last year. She had such a passion for investing in and encouraging those kids. And she brought me a ziplock bag full of mochi crunch (a popular snack in Hawaii) that she had made...always thinking of others.

She lived her faith. She was absolutely sold out for God. She was crazy in love with Kelly. Together they'd invested their all in the youth at the church, and countless kids were impacted in life-changing ways through their ministry. She was the real deal. And also just an extremely cool, funny and genuinely caring person.

Kaulana, you finished well, my seestah. Thank you for being a light.

Please pray for Kelly, their extended family and friends...

Sunday, January 10, 2010

GK Factory Tour! Part 1...

Happy 2010! I hope this finds each of you well.

Here's the first installment (part 1 of 4) of a full factory tour at Gallien-Krueger. I've been a GK artist since 2004 and continue to absolutely love their gear. In upcoming installments, Bob Gallien discusses his design approach for his amps and speaker cabinets, takes us down the assembly line for his renowned RB series bass amps, walks us through his shipping operation and more. Enjoy!

Big thanks to Bob Gallien and all at GK for the guided tour! :^)

Blessings- Norm