TheEvilShadoo's Blog

Babymetal

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 19:50:58 +0000

You Had to Be There to Understand

(This was on 2025-06-23.) This was a concert like no other I had been to before. It’s hard to describe. The energy was off the charts. The choreography was elite. The music was lively. The neckbeards were in attendance, and the seats were creaking. Every sense was overwhelmed, for better or worse, but the highs were higher than the lows were low, I’d say.

Openers - Bloodywood & Black Veil Brides

Let’s just keep this short and sweet. Bloodywood was awesome, and Black Veil Brides isn’t quite for me. Bloodywood has a really cool sound as an Indian Metal band formed in New Delhi. They have two vocalists: one has a traditional folk-singing voice, and the other is the nu-metal-esque rapper guy. Very cool. Also, the drums were great. Black Veil Brides on the other hand is just not really my thing.

What Made it So Cool?

The visuals, the overwhelming use of pyrotechnics, and the choreography. Would I go again? Totally. The merchandise was too metal/unreadable for me to buy anything this time. Not that I would have wanted to wait in that line anyway!!!

Song of the Week

Superman by Goldfinger

We’ve Reached 10 Posts!

Woohoo! I haven’t forgotten about this place yet…

Talcott Mountain

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 17:00:52 +0000

To the Tower, Reservoir, and Back

Yesterday, June 23rd, I went hiking on a six mile loop at Talcott Mountain on the borders of Avon, Bloomfield, and Simsbury, Connecticut. I started just before eleven o’clock, and while the heat was bearable in the morning, it became pretty hot towards the end in the afternoon. I hiked along the Metacomet trail starting at Penwood State Park, not far from King Philip’s Cave. Right at the start, I had to cross the busy CT-185 with no crosswalk opposite the parking lot… Not a great first impression. After surviving that, I snaked through the woods and traversed across a power line trail for about a mile and a half before crossing paths with a lone white-tailed deer. After expressing my regards, I carried on until mile 2.6 where I reached Heublein Tower. This tower was built in 1914 as a summer home for the German Heublein family. It is modeled after the contemporary style of buildings found in Bavaria at the time. Here, I took a short Clif bar, water, and picture break as well as a moment to enjoy the cool wind at the summet.

All Downhill From Here

To begin my descent, I looped around the backside of the tower and headed on down. I was really loving the support of my new hiking boots from L.L.Bean here on my first day out with them. At the bottom, I reached the northern shore of MDC Reservoir #6. From here, I took a left and followed the walking trail around the reservoir. I then promptly missed my turn thanks to the overgrown trailhead and the “stay on trail” sign (not helpful!). Thankfully, I realized this rather quickly and got back onto my trail. Sadly, this section was not very enjoyable. By now, it was the peak of the day and nearly 90°F. The start of this section was largely exposed, overgrown, and swarming with bugs. I sadly rubed up against some poison ivy somewhere along here. Finally, this section went back into the woods and connected back to the start of the trail just before where I saw the deer. I made my way out, survied the road crossing once again, and went to put my car’s air conditioning on full blast for the ride home. All in all, very much befitting of a mountain hike, this one had its ups and downs… 😛

Song of the Week

Tree Critter by Todd Edwards, from the Hoodwinked movie sountrack. Quite the blast from the past, eh? You could almost fool me if you told me The Hives sang this.

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11,111 is pretty sweet. Thanks for that.

30 Mile Bike Loop Through Northern CT

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 16:25:44 +0000

Best Bike Ride of the Season?

Yesterday, June 12th, I went with a friend on a beautiful 30 mile bike ride through northern Connecticut.

Farmington River Trail (Miles 0-18)

We started in Farmington at the start of the Farmington River Trail and rode north for 16 miles, passing through Unionville, Burlington, Collinsville, Canton, and Simsbury. Traveling alongside the Farmington River provided plenty of picturesque scenery as we passed by the various dams, bridges, and town centers. Around miles 10-13, there is an on-road portion with one major road crossing at CT-44, but this section quickly transitions to quiet back roads afterwards. Around mile 13, we traveled through Massacoe State Forest and Simsbury Town Forest. Just before the end of the trail, we took a short ~2 mile extension through West Simsbury and then stopped for a Clif Bar break in the beautiful Stratton Brook State Park.

Farmington Canal Heritage Trail (Miles (18-30)

The ride back on the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail was significantly less exciting, though still enjoyable. After picking it up at the FRT’s northern terminus in Simsbury Center, we rode south for 12 miles along this mostly straight path down through Avon and back into Farmington. This trail was also noticably less shaded at parts which was less than ideal in the day’s peak 87°F heat. All in all, it was a great day for a ride and probably my favorite bike route in Connecticut.

Song of the Week

Runaway by Groove Coverage

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Metallidelphia

Fri, 30 May 2025 17:07:24 +0000

Two Concerts in One Weekend

After going to the Alice Cooper concert on Friday, my friend struck me with a proposition: taking a road trip down to Philladelphia to see a Metallica concert for $4 tickets. How did we get such cheap tickets? His father hooked us up with row six veteran’s tickets for Memorial Day weekend. The drive down wasn’t bad. There was no way we were going to pay $18 each way on the New Jersey Turnpike, so we took the shunpike and only added ~30 minutes to the drive. Parking, however, was an absolute mess. It took about an hour to get in and out each way, and we parked in lot T, though parking went all the way out to lot Z… The cost of parking was $40, tenfold the price of our tickets… No matter, we still went on to see the show. It was actually three concerts in one, spanning four hours. The bands were Metallica, Pantera, and Suicidal Tendencies, the last of which we missed while parking, but I probably wouldn’t have liked anyway. The stadium was packed to the brim with a capacity of 63,000 people not including those standing. The concert was LOUD even with earplugs. Pantera was about what I expected, not as much my thing, but Metallica was very enjoyable. My favorites were Whiplash, Wherever I May Roam, and Enter Sandman. We ended the night with a casual 1:00 AM tailgate and grilled up some hot dogs to satisfy our hunger.

Visiting Downtown Philly

I had never been before, so I stopped by the next day for just under an hour. Saw Independence Hall, saw the Liberty Bell, struck up a conversation with an Irishman, admired the fancy Wawa in the Public Ledger building, and left before the parking fee increased. All in all, it was a fun weekend. Happy belated Memorial Day to all of our fallen veterans.

Super Duper Alice Cooper

Fri, 30 May 2025 16:01:24 +0000

This Geezer’s Still Got It

I’ve fallen a bit behind with this blog after having such a busy week, and now I’m trying to play catch up. Last Friday, May 23rd, I went to see Alice Cooper perform at Mohegan Sun. This guy is 77 years old, and he still puts on quite the show! We’re not worthy! My favorite songs were Poison, Lost in America, and Bed of Nails.

Chaugham's

Thu, 15 May 2025 16:03:31 +0000

People’s State Forest (Chaugham’s)

Sunday, May 4th, I celebrated Mother’s Day by going on a hike with my mother in People’s State Forest (Chaugham’s, as I’ve always known the hike), in Barkhamsted, CT. This is another fun place to hike. I hadn’t been here in some years, so I ended up parking in a different spot from where I remember being used to. The trail combination we went on was pretty muddy at parts due to the recent storms and a little overgrown in places, but overall, it was very manageable. We hiked about six miles altogether, three in and three out. We sadly had to turn back only a third of a mile before reaching Chaugham’s Lookout in order to make it to our dinner reservation on time. No ticks this time, at least.

Some History Behind the Name

James Chaugham was a Narragansett Indian who lived in the mid-18th century. Hailing all the way from Block Island, RI, he married Mary Barber in Wethersfield, CT. Rumored that her father disapproved of the marriage, the couple moved northwest through the Farmington River Valley, eventually settling out in Barkhamsted and establishing a small community. You can read more here and here.

Song of the Week

Major Tom, specifically the Shiny Toy Guns’ cover.

Counter

10K. Wowie zowie!

Thanks, ambient.

I am now obligated to continue my mildly obscure Mario challenge. 🫠

Black Mountain Closing Day and 90th Anniversary

Sun, 04 May 2025 22:21:25 +0000

Skiing in May

So, a friend was crazy enough to join me in Skiing on May 3rd for Black Mountain’s closing day and 90th anniversary party. It was a great time. Tickets were only $9 ($14 with RFID card). It may very well have been Black Mountain’s busiest day of the year, even. Seriously, people from as far away as Florida and Colorado showed up to enjoy the snow. The parking lot was completely full, so I had to park in a field the next lot over. It was so busy, in fact, that I was directed to skip claiming my RFID lift ticket until later on in the day and just show my online receipt to the lift attendants. The skiing was about as good as it gets for a small hill in May. There was one trail open from the summit with Planck-length-thin cover on the upper portion, but there was a surprising amount of man-made snow on the lower portion and even a mogul field!

Après-ski Pendant-ski

The atmosphere was really cool. It felt like skiing through a backyard party. The Lostbo on-mountain lodge had beach chairs, a DJ, and a crowd cheering on skiers on the chairlift just above with Champagne in hand. There were also some sweet free 90th anniversary T-shirts up for grabs before the rain moved in in the afternoon. We skied in the rain for a while, and got 10 runs in. The first couple of lift lines were probably ~7-10 minutes long, but they died down, as expected, when the rain set in. I certainly could have kept skiing for longer, but my friend was cold and wet, so we decided to stop around 4:00 PM. The summit double continued to spin until 7:30 PM for any skiers hearty enough to continue on until then.

Short Hike to The Basin at Franconia Notch

After stopping for some delicious Clam Chowda and a burger at Tuckerman’s Restaurant & Tavern, we took a short drive around Mount Washington to gaze longingly at the remaining patches of snow at Wildcat Ski Area as we passed by. Heading home, we spontaneously decided to stop by The Basin at Franconia Notch to go for a short hike and view “perhaps the most remarkable curiosity of its kind in New England”. The river was rushing along as was to be expected in May, and the views were great. I, however, ended up bringing a tick back home with me (Not fun! 🫤).

Song of the Week

Main Offender by the Hives.

Some Hiking, A Minecraft Movie, and Thunderbolts*

Fri, 02 May 2025 20:25:03 +0000

A Little Hiking & Movie Critiquing

It’s about time for a new post, and while my big plans are for tomorrow, I figured I’d still type something up here.

Hiking the Pine Knob Loop Trail

This was actually about two weeks ago on April 19th, but I wanted to have a few pictures to add in here, so here we are. My first spring hike of 2025 was along the Pine Knob Loop trail in Sharon, CT. This trail is right next to Mohawk Mountain Ski Area in Cornwall. It’s a moderate ~3 mile hike with some decent elevation gain. It’s not far from about as high up as one can get in this state. The first stretch of the loop is also a part of the Appalachian Trail going through Connecticut. There were some nice views, and all in all, it was a great day out on the trail!

Movies

First, A Minecraft Movie… It was truly something. I went into this with pretty low expectations after hearing all about it from some friends. Because of this, I was pleasantly surprised to have enjoyed the movie more than I had expected to. While the world-building felt hasty and the story progression was a bit awkward, knowing what I was getting into beforehand made for a more fun experience. Jack Black and Jason Momoa were hilarious enough to make up for the side characters being so forgettable. The theater was packed with 8 year olds as to be expected. One let out a loud fart towards the end, and many burst out laughing. Chicken jockey!
Thunderbolts* was great. I went into it on opening day not knowing much about what to expect, but it didn’t disappoint. Great acting, great story, and pretty funny too. Love to see some Buc-ee action!

Counter

We’ve hit 5000! (Thanks, ambient.) While this wasn’t planned, expect another post shortly.

Skicap 2025

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 16:20:13 +0000

16 Days skied this year

That feels pretty good to write. That’s a new record thanks to getting an Ikon pass and some more free time this season. I used to average 7-10 days per season. Hoping to ski even more next season! Here are some of my pictures.

2025 Ski Trips

I’m a U.S. East Coast skier at heart, so no trips out west this year. I did, however, squeeze in a late season Québec trip, which was a blast despite the only ~60% open terrain.

#	Ski Area	Date
1.	Sugarbush (Lincoln Peak)	January 3rd
2.	Sugarbush (Lincoln Peak)	January 11th
3.	Powder Ridge	January 19th
4.	Killington	January 19th
5.	Jiminy Peak	February 1st
6.	Stratton	February 8th
7.	Magic	February 16th
8.	Gore	February 22nd
9.	Jay Peak	March 3rd
10.	Jay Peak	March 4th
11.	Killington	March 7th
12.	Stratton	March 15th
13.	Killington	March 19th
14.	Mont Tremblant	April 5th
15.	Mont Tremblant	April 6th
16.	Black Mountain	May 3rd

Top Picks

Days 7, 9, and 10 DEFINITELY took the spotlight this season. (Sorry, Gore!)
Magic truly lived up to its name this year and was absolutely magical this President’s Day weekend. Despite the scary drive up in the morning during an ice storm (my snow tires learned to ice skate), there was about three inches of fresh powder and huge stashes in the trees.
Jay Peak, on the other hand, had more snow than the West Coast this year with 350+ inches of amassed snowfall.

Is it really over?

Short answer: Mostly. Long answer: It depends. Black Mountain, NH is still open until May 3rd, so hey, if any of my friends are crazy enough to join me, then I might just have to get one more day in… Otherwise, maybe I’ll go get my fix in some unbearably hot day over the summer at Big SNOW American Dream, North America’s first and only indoor, real-snow, year-round ski area. They do have a whole whopping 160 foot (49 meter) vertical drop after all…

Song of the week

Poison by Alice Cooper. Additionally, Groove Coverage’s cover of it.

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A Blogger's Beginnings

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 22:22:05 +0000

Teaching a new blog old tricks

Hey, I’m a blogger now. This is gonna take some getting used to, but I think I can get the hang of this soon enough. I’m hoping this can ultimately help me become a more creative person.

Why start a blog in 2025?

That’s quite the question, and it’s stumped me until now. Why do I need a blog in the first place? I’m not a professional photographer, world-class chef, revolutionary programming prodigy, or someone who can afford to travel to a different country each week. Blogging used to seem too self-centered and unnecessary to me, but I don’t feel that way anymore about blogs. I realize now that it’s just how I feel about modern social media. I’m not beaming my musings into the middle of a mishmash of followers’ feeds on here (save for RSS, but that’s different, OK?). The point is, I’d like this to be almost as much of a journal for me as it is some rambly tabloid for you. Life isn’t always about what you have going for you now. It’s also about what you can make happen for yourself and others going forward, and that’s really why I started this blog. I’m not here just to show off my belongings or experiences; I want to share the enjoyment I get from them with the world.

How I did it

I learned and threw this together with hugo in about six hours. I kind of enjoyed the whole process of creating a custom theme to match my home page for everything, and I’m pretty happy with the end result. RSS feed and comment section support should be on the way in the near future.

What’s the plan?

I’m not going to force myself to post on a regular schedule, for now at least, but I kind of suspect I’ll fall into a habit of posting weekly for the most part. What might I post? Here are my ideas:

Skiing/Rowing/Hiking/Biking reports & pictures
Game/Movie/Book reviews (& complaints about the ones I’ve never played)
Song of the week
Tech problems & solutions
Opinions & philosophy
Whatever else of note comes my way Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy reading my blog.

_{P.S. Did you notice the new counter above my web button collection on my home page?
Rumor has it that you can incentivize me to make a new post by getting the count to hit some milestone values… 😉}