heros

i have 3 teenage boys in my house.. that means i have video games.. i have several different gaming systems often going on several different TVs at the same time. my house is the house where kids go after school.. i'm within walking distance of the high school so that means its a good place to hang out between the end of school and anything that might be happening at school that night. i have one daughter.. who really doesn't mind that our house is the place where there teenage boys enjoy hanging out.

at least once a week my husband and i go out to our local pub .. its a neighborhood place, close to home. they often have bands, DJs, or other events..

last thursday we went to the pub and there was a radio station there holding a contest.. .for Guitar Hero. i have never in my life even held the controller to guitar hero.. but i do understand the game.. (seeing as its often going on in multiple rooms of my house at once)

Bill decided it would be a good idea (after i'd had a few beers) to sign me up to play...

so there i was.. signed up with 6 other contestants to play guitar hero.. the grand prize - concert tickets to some bands that i thought were extinct.. Def Leppard, Styx and REO Speedwagon. whoo hoo anyway.. the other contestants consisted of one couple, - boyfriend/girlfriend, and 4 guys that were about 25 years old who all looked as if the main part of their day was spent sitting in their underwear in their mother's basement.. playing video games. i figured i'd be booed off stage..

a few other players played.. some did really well.. some did not... it was my turn. i got up.. was instructed on how to hold the "guitar" and the song began. i was booed off the stage.. not by the crowd in the bar.. but by the video game itself.. how EMBARRASSING. (i am a musician remember.. even though i'm a flute player, classically trained) i think it actually hurt me that i know how to play a little guitar...

i got home that night.. with a booby prize of a tshirt.. and a strong will to learn how to play that silly game.

i talked to my 16 year old son... he showed me the basics.. the next morning when the kids went to school.. i practiced.. for the next few days i practiced.. then i had my kidney stone and forgot about the guitar hero.

last night was thursday .. valentine's day.. i was just starting to feel like a human again after my kidney stone ordeal.. when bill suggested we go to the pub for a salad. (they have great food) the event at the pub last night was supposed to be a band starting at 9pm and buzz time trivia.. the radio station that did guitar hero last week was at another location.

when we got to the pub.. much to our surprise.. two scantily clad girls advertising Guiness Beer on their tiny tshirts were setting up .. yes.. you've guessed it.. GUITAR HERO.

apparently.. Guitar Hero competitions are popular now.. for all kinds of advertising campaigns. Guiness was giving away an electric guitar.. if you won this competition then there is round two at a different pub tonight...final winner gets the guitar.

last night.. contestants were.. 4 college boys.. and me.. 43 yr old mother of 4. scoring was on total points.. not percentage of correct notes... i made sure to clarify. first guy up played.. i was nervous.. he sounded pretty good... hitting all the notes.. but something was strange.. i realized he had the game on "easy" there are 4 settings.. "easy, medium, hard, expert" he finished his song with 93% of the notes correct.. but a score of only 28,400. the next 3 college kids got up to play.. all on easy... they all scored about the same, in the 90% range.. and 25,000-35,000 points... if you know guitar hero... you know thats a really really low score.

i believe these guys looked at the somewhat older crowd in the pub and decided that since they were already drunk anyway.. just play it easy and one of them would win.

i thought to myself.. hmmm i've never even tried a song on easy.. my own son set me up starting on medium... you get more points the harder the setting is. i have even played some songs on "hard".. should i play the song i know really well on easy and try to beat their measly scores?? i'm the last contestant. no...i'm not going to play it safe.. thats not me.. i'm a musician.. play what you practice.. (remember i've had 3 days of practice and then a kidney stone that kept me from doing anything for the next 3 days.. so up i go. i change the setting to medium and choose a song from Social Distortion.

it starts... damnit.. i miss the opening lick.. the boys figured they have it in the bag... then i get in my groove (refers to a previous blog) i'm hitting every note in a 50 note stretch... then i get the "star power" bonus.. my points are racking up... i'm over 50,000 now.. i know i've won it.. but still want to do my best.. the song is 3/4 finished when it comes to the bridge of the song... the hardest part... i flub a bit.. but don't totally fall apart.. then its the ending.. i nail it.. i even used the whammy bar a few times to increase my points even further.. i end up with a score of 110,228. :) see what a little practice can do??

i was very proud of myself.. the scantily clad girls were impressed... the college boys said nothing but went back to their drinking.. but i had my own personal victory. i was moving on to round 2... the next pub.. gonna win my son the electric guitar.. when.. all of a sudden... out of no where.. the bouncer in the bar walks up to the girls..

i didn't give it much thought.. i was still trying to not gloat too much about my win... then he took the guitar... and i saw it.. he moved the setting to "hard" i was in trouble.. this guy obviously spent the hours when he wasn't working as a bouncer at the bar.. playing video games in his underwear in his mother's basement!!!!!!! he finished his song with a score of 129,300... :( enough to blow me out of the water.

bill wanted to protest.. he didn't think employees should be allowed to participate.. but the bouncer wasn't an employee of the company holding the contest.. and besides.. its only a game.. right???

so i walked away with 2 tshirts.. the girls felt sorry for me... mr bouncer gets to go to round 2 .. and i'm on a mission.

learn more songs.. on harder settings and find another guitar hero contest for next thursday. at the very least i'm going to end up with a wardrobe of tshirts that advertise alcohol products.. (what every mom needs in her closet)

i'm feeling that tiny nag that tells me i'm a little obsessed... i know it will pass... AFTER I WIN!!!!!!!