I just did something I never thought I would

2 days before Halloween My mother had a stroke. At the moment she's in rehab. She has not had it easy these last few years. Due to National City bank, she was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2005. In doing so she had to pay $800.00 a month or she would lose her house. She only gets $1,200 a month in her pennsion, S.S. and Dad's check. 3 checks but only that little. So being that it was between paying that or her bill's she lost her heat and water and barely makes the electric bill. She has a hole in her roof that has already collapsed part of the bathroom ceiling. When she asked the bankruptcy trustee to suspend her payments so she could get caught op on the repairs he discharged her from the bankruptcy and threw her to the so called mercy of National City. Who by the way has never accounted for the 4 years of payments she made before going under. In fact, whne that first started to foreclose on her, she had went to see them and ask them why and they refused to even talk to her! Now, at 82 she has a stroke and those bastards are demanding that she owes still $40,000, the loan was for only $38,000 and have said the they would settle for $20,000 to go away to be paid all at once! Neither she or I have that kind of money. So I have taken the step of going on line and asking for help, cyber begging they call it. I makes me very uneasy to ask total strangers for help but short of stealing it I don't know where else to turn. Will post a picture of her in my next entry.

R.I.P. Soupy

It was announced this morning that Soupy Sales has died. I remember fondly the show he did back in the mid sixties, and with his passing, the last influence of my childhood is gone. Tonight I looked up some videos from his old show to show the kids, so they can see a real genius at work including the Stripper one which I have always laughed my ass off at. Soupy wherever you are now, thank you for the laughter you brought to so many lives.

Life can really suck sometimes

Late last night we got a call from Mae. She had been to the hospital because she had been bleeding.

It was during that call that she said that she had thought that she was pregnant because she hadn't had a period for the past two months. She says that the doctor said that she wasn't but that she had some tissue that had to be removed. Of course, that doesn't set aside any of our fears of course, and she has been tight lipped about what the 3 scripts were the they gave her.

Now maybe she understands what I told her months ago when I said that "Life is what happens when your busy making other plans."

in a deep blue funk

Over the past week the laptop crashed, had to replace the hard drive, I found that all my music had been erased from the desktop, 1.5 days worth! And those were the good things that happened.

At the moment, listening to "lean on me" while trying to get myself out of this deep blue funk I find myself in today. Have been think very seriously of getting into the hotdog business this winter. Found a place in Fort Wayne that sells basic carts for $1,800. Of course would have to go there to pick it up by what the hell, never been to fort wayne, yet that is. Would take about 3 months worth of saving to afford it, & even if I did, would still do the tee's for they are my passion. It's just that times like this it seems that I am fighting the whole world, bashing my head agaisnt a wall that refuses to be broken.

Well another show is in the can

Well, just finished another episode of freaky freds corner on blog talk radio. Next week we will go to an hours format and the week after that, on 9/11 we will be doing a simulcast on ustream.tv Thats bound to be interesting.

Kids say the most honest things

Last night, as Michael, the 9 yr. old, was doing his homework. His brother Jacob, who's 6, kept bugging him. Seems that his teacher hasn't started to give out homework assignments as yet being that school just started 2 days ago. Well as you can imagine, Michael was not amused. What he said though showed wisdom beyond his years and personally I think makes a damned good t shirt design. I don't know where he heard it or if it just came to him. But you can see the design at right. And it is exactly word by word all his, I just added the guy for added impact.

Design for radio contest

We here at freaky tees are having a contest. listen to our radio show on friday nights at 11p.m. for details. The winner will win this shirt and be a special guest on the show.

Our trip to Toledo

Well, yesterday took the oldest to school in Toledo. First time I had been there in years and it's still BORING!!!! Took the 3 youngest to see lake Eire while we we're up there and on the way back to Colummbus ran into a hell of a storm. I give her one winter before she transfers back here, she won't be able to hack the cold.

A lazy, peaceful sunday, yeah right

Well, the first radio show is in the can and they're other things that need attending to. On wednsday Mae will head for Toledo and her first year in collage. And as it stands, do not have any "reliable" transportation to get up there, let alone get back. Need to see about getting the other van on the road within the next couple of days. And have to deciede if I'll keep the ecrater site going until Sept. 1st like planned or switch over early. Since I made the annoucment on the site web traffic has dropped off a lot. First time for it to. Also have to work on a order for next month for more shirts,(assorted colors) as well as screen ink and emulsion as well as another pack of the high end transfers. Even on a sunday when you are the boss, your never home from work.

At left by the way is one of the new designs from last week,

wonder what this week will bring?

New Internet Radio Show

Starting tomorrow night, 8/14/2009 at 11p.m. est, we will be doing a live internet talk show on blog talk radio. We will be covering a lot of different topics mainly taken from the headlines of that week. You can find our at http://www.tobtr.com/s/652780 or to call in, dail (347)996-5779. We hope to hear from you.

As a person gets older

I've been in the T-shirt business now for 11 years. And to tell the truth, it's about the only thing I ever stayed at. When I was young I bounced around doing this and that always getting bored after awhile and moving on to something else. But as I got older, I realized that I had to find one thing and stick to it. That one thing was the t-shirts and I've never looked back. That doesn't mean though that this is what I had forseen myself doing in life all those years ago when I was still young and foolish. In fact, making a living doing art work would have been the farthest thing from my mind simply due to the fact that there were always more artists in the family than what I would have said were normal. But fate is a cruel teacher, for she gives the test first and the leason afterwords, and I found that even after all the bouncing around I did the only time I was really happy is when I was creating. And I don't see that ever changing.

This is one that you will either love or hate.

While we were at the Ohio State Fair today this design hit. I hope people like it but I know that in the end you can't please everyone.

YuDu

Well, bought a YuDu screen printer yesterday and have yet to have a screen come out right. They say to "Lightly" spray the screen with water before you apply the emulsion, this is B.S.! I have tried 3 freakin times, it dosen't work. The only way you will get it to work is to have it truly wet. Maybe not dripping wet, but wet with a capitol "W".

Don't get me wrong, I am not by any means giving up on this. And will post the very first shirt I do here. But they really have to get the "How to" video that comes with it to be more in line with what it really takes to burn a screen.

To Move or not to move

Well, as you can see by the link thats always with these posts that we do business through ecrater.com. The thing of it is that ecrater sucks. Mainly because that every one of our designs needs at least 4 versions one for each size. That not only is a pain in the ass for us, but also for you the customer as well. Which is why we are thinking of moving the site. Just what the address would be I am not sure as yet, but rest assured that we will not leave anyone in limbo and will make sure everyone would know are new web address.

Anyway, at above right is a brand new design that we posted

this morning. Already had some orders for it.

We are doing something that I never thought I never would do again, about to offer silk screen prints. For the past few years we have only been doing our designs on white or light colored shirts. And this has always been a problem for those of you that want dark or black shirts with our designs. Do to advances in how silk screens are now done however, we feel that the time is right to get back into it. We will keep you all posted on what is going on and if all goes well, will be offering 12"x 14" designs on dark and black shirts by september. And if we do, the price on our white shirts will go down, from $10.00 to $8.00 with the price of a dark or black shirt set at $12.00.

A new size coming?

Well things have been more weird around here than normal. The boss has been getting obessed with expanding the size of the designs that we do, currently, our designs are 8 1/2 X 11. He whats to also offer 11x14 size which means to get back into doing silk screen again instead of just heat transfers. The advantage is not only the larger format but the abilty to do dark colors. The diavantages is of course the hassle of creating the screens for he grew up in the dark ages when it was indeed a hassle. He's since been studying the newer ways of "burning" screens in order to do designs and has become obsessed with the idea, much to the dipleasure of his old lady.

Some really stupid people in the world

This week has been one to remeber as well as to forget. First, the bosses wife is a witness to an assult, and then he hears about an old classmate being murdered in his own front yard. And to top it all off, not 1, not 2 but 4 morons that walked past the shop saw the sign and asked if it was some kind of cult simply because I, Freaky Fred was on it! ! Now I ask you, if you saw a sign that said "Freaky Tee's" with a display of T-Shirts next to it wouldn't you know that the place sold t-shirts? Even though the logo did have me, freaky fred the friendly skeleton of the hood on it? How stupid can a person be for God's sake? And the really screwed up thing of it is, it's only Wednesday!

This in a nutshell is who we are.

This has been an emotional day here at Freaky. An old friend was murdered. Still, the world goes on. and in that vain, we unveil our newest design in his honor.

Pictures from the picnic

As promised, here are pictures from the event yesterday. We wish to thank everyone that came out despite the threat of rain.

Just over 15 hours

Well, in just over 15 hours we will be setting up at the party. Spent the day making a banner that we will have with our name and all. The news today has had some good fodder for new designs but can only focus on the picnic and if all will go as I have planned.

One more day and counting

With only one more day before the picnic, it's all coming down to the wire. Still have to pick up 5 dozen more hats and driving downtown tomorrow will be a real bitch what with the prep going on for red, white and boom tomorrow night. Man, I went the first year that they had it and that was enough for me! To much of a hassle.

Welcome to Freds Place

Welcome to Freaky Freds Blog. First off let me introduce myself. I am Freaky fred the official mascot at freaky tees, http://www.freakytees.ecrater.com and I see everything that goe's on there and let me tell you, it can be rather hectic at times. The boss has been adding designs almost every day let alone night and being that I never know if I'll turn up in one, I am on call 24/7. Lets face it, who could resist this face? Anyway. I will be posting what goe's on around here including about going to the T.O.P.A.S. picnic this coming Saturday. For those who don't know what T.O.P.A.S. is, it's The Ohio Philippine American Society that the boss and his wife belong to. We'll be setting up to do shirts right there on sight so if your in Columbus Ohio this July 4th stop by the Philipinas Center on Westerville Rd and say hi. Or stop by the website, where there's always something to get freaky about!