TeaTiger

I like Tea & Tigers, hence my self-chosen nickname.
I prefer flavored blended black teas (in order: mango ceylon, strawberry, peach, cherry, berries, citrus, almond, or various blends of these).
I also enjoy Assam, Ceylon, Darjeeling, Yunnan, along with blends such as Breakfast teas (English, Irish, Scottish, etc.).
I am now experimenting with Green, Red and White teas.
A few of my favorite brands are Adigo, Republic of Tea, Stash Organics, Tazo, Tea Of Life, Tree Of Life.
If you also like tea, then be sure to check out: www.TeaMuse.com www.WhiteHeronTea.com TeaMastersCeylon.com
I also really enjoy playing the drums. It doesn't matter whether the music ranges from Abba to ZZ Top, or from Zebra to Acoustic Alchemy.
I was recently drumming with the Six Shooter Band playing mostly original music with a Southern Rockin' Country flair. But after seven years the band decided to take a break. I really enjoyed playing with Jason, Phil, Eric and Big Mike. We always had a great time.
I am back playing with Ira Bradford & Bustin' Loose. Be sure to check Ira out, he can really dance, sing, and even tell some good clean jokes.
I simply love music. Whether the song is styled for an accoustical setting; or a more formal classical hall; a brightly lit large country honky tonk complete with mechanical bull; dimly lit jazz super club; or a larger than life - laser fueled - filled to capacity arena for plain old fashioned good time rock-in-roll.
My professional vintage gear consists of:
1970's Ludwig Classic set covered in Blue Sparkle featuring thin maple clear interior shells with maple re-inforcement rings top and bottom. Sizes include double headed toms: 8x12, 9x13, 10x14, 12x15; double headed floor toms: 16x16, 16x18, 18x20; double headed bass drum: 18x22.
1980's Ludwig Chrome-o-wood set featuring thick maple clear interior shells all covered in original chrome wrap. Drums include single headed toms: 5x6, 5x8, 6.5x10, 9x10, 11x12, 12x13, 12x14; double headed floor toms: 14x14, 14x15, 16x16; double headed bass drums: 14x22, 14x24.
1970's Ludwig stainless steel shell set featuring single headed 6" and 8" bongos (not concert toms); with single headed concert toms measuring: 7x10,8x12,9x13,10x14.
1980's Tama original Superstar set featuring thin birch shells with no internal rings finished in original red cherry wine stain. Drums include double headed toms: 7x8, 9x10, 11x12, 12x13, 13x14, 14x15; double headed floor toms: 16x16, 16x18; double headed bass drum: 16x24.
The different shells lend to different sound landscapes.
The different finishes add to the 'on stage' color.
Snare drums used are: DW 7 x 13 - Edge model - twin chrome plated heavy brass rings around thick VLT maple shell
Ludwig 8 x 14 - Coliseum model - thick maple shell - chrome over stainless steel wrap
Ludwig 6 x 12 - Custom thin maple shell - blue sparkle wrap
Ludwig 10 x 14 - Challenger Super-sensitive model - thin maple shell with maple reinforcement rims - blue sparkle wrap
Ludwig 10 x 14 - Challenger Super-sensitive model - chrome over stainless steel shell
Slingerland 8 x 15 - "Concert King " Symphonic model - thin mahogany shell with maple reinforcement rims - blue sparkle wrap
Pearl 3.5 x 14 - Free floating copper shell model
Pearl 3.5 x 14 - Free floating maple shell model
Yamaha 3.5 x 14 - David Garibaldi signature model - blue plated brass shell
Cymbals are all Paiste Signature series:
Hi-hats (2): 12 Sound-edge Prototype & 13 Sound-edge
China Type (3): Thin 14, 18, 20
Crash (3): Fast Crash: 14, 16, 18
Crash/Ride (4): Symphonic Medium: 18 'A' and 18 'B'
Symphonic Light: 19 'A'
Symphonic Heavy: 20 'A'
Ride (1): Symphonic Medium Heavy 22 'B'
And I have a few others just for good measure. Because as Joe Walsh once said, "You can tune a piano but you can't tuna fish..." (or a cymbal for that matter...).
Effects are mostly DW & Latin Percussion with some Toca for variety: Ranging from four Ago-go bells, four cow bells, ice bell, two DW steel piccolo toms, pair of steel timbalitos, brass timbalito, chrome plated brass timbales, two sets of wind chimes, wood blocks, and various Roland electronics.
Pedals are vintage Jacques Capelle and DW 9000.
All other hardware is Drum Workshop DW 9000 series.
Heads are either Aquarian Coated Studio-X on top with Classic Clear on bottom; or Evans coated G2 on top with clear G1 on bottom. And one Attack 'Jingle' head for a sweet effects snare.
I really like different sounds. If the song requires me to bring Grandma's antique bath tub on stage, then she better take a shower that night! A sample of my sense of humor. :)

Some of my many favorite musicians include 10cc, .38 Special, Abba, AC/DC, Acoustic Alchemy, Brian Adams, Trace Adkins, Aerosmith, A Flock Of Seagulls, After The Fall, Air Supply, Alabama, Herb Alpert, Air Supply, Allman Brothers, Ambrosia, America, Arc Angels, Tommy Alverson, Asia, Average White Band, Babys, Burt Bacharach, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Badfinger, Bad Company, David Ball, Bangles, Beach Boys, Beatles, Bee-Gee's, Pat Benatar, Dierks Bentley, George Benson, Berlin, Clint Black, Blondie, Blood Sweat & Tears, Blue Oyster Cult, Jason Boland, Boston, David Bowie, Ira Bradford & Bustin' Loose, Brazil 66, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Tracy Byrd, Byrds, Charlie and the Nighthawks, Chris Cagle, Carpenters, Cars, Cheap Trick, Kenny Chesney, Chicago, Petula Clark, Roy Clark, Terrie Clark, Eric Clapton, Chick Corea, Climax Blues Band, Phil Collins, Corr's, Billy Currington, Cream, Creedance Clearwater Revial, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Rodney Crowell, Deep Purple, Def Leppard, Martin Denny, Bob Denver, Depeche Mode, Rick Derringer, Neil Diamond, Dire Straits, Deryl Dodd, Doobie Brothers, Duran Duran, Eagles, Earth Wind & Fire, Bleu Edmondson, ELO, Sara Evans, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Enya, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Fall Out Boys, Firefall, Fleetwood Mac, Flim & The B.B.'s, Flying Burrito Brothers, Foghat, Maynard Ferguson, Firefall, Dan Fogleberg, Foster & Lloyd, Foo Fighters, Peter Frampton, Genesis, Vince Gill, Go-Go's, Govi, Amy Grant, Grass Roots, Pat Green, Guess Who, Sammy Hagar, Merle Haggard, Heart, Head East, Jimi Hendrix, Don Henley, Hiroshima, Buddy Holly, Whitney Houston, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Billy Idol, Indigo Girls, Jack Ingram, Inxs, Alan Jackson, Shooter Jennings, Waylon Jennings, Joan Jett, Billy Joel, Elton John, George Jones, Spike Jones, Journey, Greg Khin, KC & The Sunshine Band, Toby Keith, Kinks, Kiss, Kitaro, Miranda Lambert, Led Zeppelin, Huey Lewis & The News, Little Feat, Little River Band, Ray Lynch, Lynyrd Skynrd, Los Lonely Boys, Loverboy, Mama's & The Papa's, Chuck Mangione, Marshall Tucker, Matrix, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Mark McKinney, Men At Work, Jo Dee Messina, Metro Station, Steve Miller, Molly Hatchet, Eddie Money, Montgomery Gentry, Ronnie Montrose, Moody Blues, Nazareth, Willie Nelson, Oliva Newton-John, Joe Nichols, Stevie Nicks, Night Ranger, Ted Nugent, Gary P. Nunn, O.M.D., The Outfield, Buck Owens, Ozark Mountain Blue Devils, Pablo Cruise, Brad Paisley, Robert Palmer, Alan Parsons, Carl Perkins, Tom Petty, Pink Floyd, Police, Jean-Luc Ponty, Pretenders, Elvis Presley, Ray Price, Tito Puente, Rascal Flatts, R.E.M., Brandon Rhyder, Charlie Rich, Linda Ronstadt, Rush, Santana, Boz Scaggs, Tom Scott, Scorpions, Bob Seger, Brian Setzer, Billy Joe Shaver, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, T. G. Sheppard, Tim Sheppard, Silver, Carly Simon, Simon & Garfunkle, Simple Minds, Six Shooter, Rick Springfield, Bruce Springsteen, Spyrogyra, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Billy Squier, Starship, Sting, Walton Stout, George Strait, Steely Dan, Steppenwolf, Gary Stewart, Rod Stewart, Struttin', Styx, Donna Summer, Supertramp, Tangerine Dream, James Taylor, Tears For Fears, John Tesh, Thin Lizzie, B.J. Thomas, Tin Drum, Toto, Tower Of Power, Trick Pony, Robin Trower, Tubes, Joe Tutt, Shania Twain, U2, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Utopia, Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Walsh, War, Dionne Warwick, Who, Hank Williams Sr. & Jr., Gretchen Wilson, Edgar & Johnnie Winter, Stevie Wonder, Yanni, Yardbirds, Yellowjackets, Yes, Dwight Yoakam, Faron Young, Zebra, ZZ Top, and many more!

For art I never quite got " Pablo Picasso " maybe because i still have both of my ears (silly pun intended) but I do like some of his work. I more readily really appreciate the work of Leonardo Di Vinci, Thomas Kinkade, Claude Monet, and Rembrandt.

For colors I gravitate towards Indigo, Blue, Purple.... but I do mix and match. Some days I go all black, or some red, orange, various greens. But never too much yellow (I would look like an overgrown banana). I wear whatever my mood might be. A rainbow isn't all one color, so why limit myself. Igot some killer rainbow suspenders...

Did I mention that I like Chocolate? Especially dark chocolate such as bittersweet. Or with fruit. Not too crazy about with nuts. I like them more by themselves.

In my spare time I enjoy building computers. I really do. I like details. Talking bits or bytes thrills me. I'll get help later. Right now I am having too much fun.

I also enjoy playing games like chess (and other 'thinking' games like Liverpool Rummy, Risk, Tetris, Yathzee, etc. ). But sometimes you just got to get the old hose or water gun out, then run across the grass barefoot with the kids while the sprinklers go crazy.

For meals, I like eating anything that is meaty (beef preferred, then chicken, or pork. I am not a seafood lover), saucey (tomato 1st, citrus 2nd), and spicey (I have grown habanero peppers. And I like all hot peppers, fresh, dried, smoked...). So it follows that I like (in no particular order) Thai, Mexican, Italian, Mongolian, etc. Or anything made with chocolate (who would have thunk it?).

places I like to visit:
The San Antonio riverwalk, Galveston (or any coast or seaside location), Napa wine country, the entire Pacific Northwest (I like mountains and trees), and Vermont. I enjoy watching comedy or romance movies, reading books (history, food, music), taking a trip near or far, going for a walk through a zoo or park, just enjoying nature. Seeing the sights, hearing the sounds, soaking it all in...

Maybe I can invent chocolate perfume...hmm.... :)

For my very special little girl....