ramblings

several things to report:
1. local newspaper has an advertisement from the Corley Funeral Home. Now this place runs an adv. every day in the local paper. Always, they include a photo of a dog from the pound. "Come adopt this dog." Today's dog was named: MORTICIA.
Now, I think that is funny.

2. There was a lunar eclipse this week. Around here it came to view about 1 a.m. plus 30. I ask you: why can't they get these lunar events during the daylight hours when I am awake?
3. Saw a guy at the Sirloin Stockade in Roud Rock last Sunday. His "dress" T-shirt was imprinted with MyBikerChurch.com

4. At the same place, I went to the buffet one last time to get some fresh fruit... cantelope. As I arrived there was this older guy in his Sunday best, off-white suit coat, slacks, tie - the works. He was getting fruit.
The man was singing, not softly. Not too often do you go to the buffet bar and stand beside a guy singing - pretty good voice actually.
He was singing "Santa Claus is coming to town."
Just as the man sang, "He knows whose naughty and nice" the man dropped a slab of cantelope on the floor. Without missing a beat, he kicks the cantelope under the bar. . . walks off continuing to sing.
5. Today's paper has an article from London: WikiLeaks founder complains about leak of police report. Dallas Morning News, Dec. 22nd, page 20A. There is a bit of humor in this article...in my way of thinking.

6. I heard on the radio that the national average for Christmas spending is $6900. Read that number again. $6900. Am thinkin' that I am coming in under the national average.
7. Started the Marauder last week and heard a loud flapping noise under the hood. Looked. The belt was still attached but a quarter inch of it lay under the engine. Drove to town to my favorite repair place - a small repair shop run by the ex-ford house mechanic. I drove in and made the deal. We talked. It was 10 a.m. He told me it would be ready in 2 hours; come back. I did. $108 for the repair. Have you ever had a car worked on for $108 in just 2 hours? Remarkable.

8. Reported earlier about Lee Harvey Oswald's casket being up for sale. The guy got over $80K for it. I didn't enter the bidding.

that's enough for this evening.
night all
mtz

An fyi nonsense

This is one of those blugs that has no major purpose other than to inform and help take up my day. Let us start with...

#1 Just read in the paper that a well-known guide in South America - more than likely Brazil even though that fact eludes me - his name I cannot remember either - while he is "well-known," to me he is not "know well" - this guide - in his kayak - was leading a group up the river when an alligator grabbed him out of the kayak - he is missing and presumed lost.
There can be no reason why it reminds me of the story about wanting to die in my sleep like Grandpop Frank, not yelling and screaming like the passengers on his bus. But it does.
If your guide in his Kayak - and I presume you must be in a Kayak as well - is grabbed by an alligator, what is your next move? Where must Tarzan be when we need him. Which, un-remotely, reminds me of a line I used to use in band when the same kid missed D flat 4 times in a row: "Where is Lee Harvey Oswald when we need him?"

#2 Last Saturday night the Corsicana Swing Orchestra played in Teague, Texas. It was their yearly Christmas tour of homes. We set up in a 4 sided tent/bldg and played till the boss man tired. Sent an email to some about this affair. A major cold front blew through while we played. This is the same front that blankets the north and east with snow as I type. Time to move further south.

#3 Speaking of Lee Harvey Oswald, the newspaper had a photo of his coffin. It seems that he was dug up 15-20 years ago to check him for something out of little importance to the natural world. He was reburied in a new swanky coffin. The old coffin remained in the back room of some mortuary for these 15-20 years. I must say that the photo does not speak well for the permanency of inexpensive coffins.
They are going to auction off the coffin soon. My wife told me "No." If she actually had learned to cuss properly at an earlier age, I am sure it would have been "@$%&#$^$*+@ NO!!!!!" She leads a sheltered life & I was saved.

#4 You drive out of Denison west or outta Pottsboro north and before you get to Bro Jim&E's place you pass through Fink, Texas. It seems Fink is slowly going away. It was originally started by the Finke family - a Fred Finke arrived in 1884 - but the town is going away. Tis for sale (see #3 above in regards to me buying it).
3 1/2 acre spread with a defunct 17-room motel, adjoining cafe and convenience store, 2 dozen dry boat stalls, and a histerical marker. Fink was on the Shawnee Trail. The present owner moved in a house from Denison - used it for a liquor store and reopened the motel. Nothing has worked. For Sale. Asking price $1.57 mil. Anybody want to go into a failing business with me?

#5 We had another cold front come through this week. I beat it by cooking a couple of small steaks on the grill outside. I experimented with cooking jalopenos too. We cut them in half - covered in Monterey Jack cheese - wrapped in a half piece of bacon and grilled for about 30+ minutes. They were good. No, they were REALLY GOOD.
Also, squeezed some lime into my tea. The half-lime was kapoot and since I had 5 dogs standing at my feet waiting for a food mishap, I leaned over and offered the lime to each dog. Only Oscar and Fritz would even lick the lime. The others moved on fast. Interesting that a dog, Fritz, will eat dog poop off the yard, but a lime taste bad. It makes me think I should harvest the back yard and go into business. If nobody else, surely a Chinese restaurant would buy our product.

#6 Those of the scientific bent or just like pretty things that are different - went to this website: http://www.bathsheba.com/ that I found in the Scientific American magazine. Interesting stuff.

#7 Finally before page 2 is composed: somebody has more money than I.

http://www.cheesesticks.com/

Mtz

Christmas @ Teague

The Corsicana Swing Orchestra played last night in Teague, Texas - about 30 miles south of here. I realize that we have the tendency to make fun of stuff. . . no, make that I have the tendency. I have never played a job like this before - and we did it for free - makes it more different.

Teague is a small town. As with many small towns, they have a Christmas tour of homes - y'know the drill. 4 or 5 houses are decorated for being to tour - pay ten bucks or so and drive the the houses- be nosey - punch and cookies. In a small town, you know all the important people, especially those who can afford ten dollars.

The Venue: I drove into town on U.S. 84, nice 4 lane. Turned right onto Whipporwill Lane - a one lane paved road heading north out of town, barbed wire fence on the right edge and houses on the left. About a quarter mile up the road I met a bus and had to leave the actual roadbed. Eventually I found 1511 and pulled in the circle drive. A volunteer fireman directed me to drive around - across the grass - behind the house and behind the gazebo and behind the bell choir. Yes, that's what I said - the bell choire.

More set-up: They had a one-story ranch type house with the circle drive. A small barn set in the far corner of the lot. You walk out the back door, step off the porch on to a path. The path is lined with real rough bricks. Between them are rough pave stone. It winds about 15 feet and opens into a large patio - but it continues winding to another building.

The building: If you can think of a wood frame house, roof and 2x4s....that's all.
A concrete floor with a roof over it. The side are 2x4s placed every 12 inches. The inside is covered with screen - but they have completely wrapped the outside of the house with thick plastic. It is what they call their outdoor living room. Inside are patio type chairs and recliners. Hanging from the ceiling is a quilt rack for sewing on a quilt.

So, I arrived. Somebody's church bell choir was inside the room performing. I didn't get there early enough to praise them. They finished about 7 - broke down their tables - we set up and started to play. This building is about 20 x 20. covered in plastic. No audience really. Two hours we played Christmas music as people toured the house and walked down the path to peek inside the plastic mansion.

We got so much praise, it oozed out my ears.

I have never played in an outside room, covered in plastic, as a cold front rolled through. I played one song with my coat, one song without. People who play dances and the likes would never believe the venue. It was fun, I suppose. I like to play my horn... even played a couple of solo ballads. I do love ballads.

In my youth, I'd have made all kinds of jokes about this - but, now, I see it as a great thing for the town of Teague. They were really happy.

On the drive home, I was stopped for no license plate light. Warning.
==============================
an aside. Today, for lunch we drove sough to Fairfield to eat at Sam's. We had heard about the place and thought we'd check it out before company comes and we need to find a place to eat. It was a good buffet - the BBQ was really yummy.

We finished eating and stepped into their gift shop. Within 5 minutes, the boss of the band and his wife talked to me -- our female bass player came by and talked to me - and the lady owner of the above mentioned house stopped to chat with me. I met 5 people from Teaque in 5 minutes - more than the number I meet in Corsicana in 5 weeks.

we go on - Happy Christmas Season and all that jazz.
mtz