Sunday, November 1, 2009

Steve Fromholtz, Mike Blakely, warehouses, NORML, Halloween Parties, Proton Nectar, and dachshunds

I've had the privilege of attending a lot of great events during the last few weeks, and I've been doing one long post of pictures every weekend. Political rants not included.
Here goes:
Friday night I went with The Jihadist Safety Consultant to The Texas Theatre in Waxahachie. (According to The Aggie, Waxahachie is an old Indian name meaning "small town with no mall".)
The Consultant also brought his long-suffering wife, and his daughter, Dobby The House Elf. We were there to hear Steve Fromholz and Mike Blakely.

Steve Fromholz has been described as "Texas' legendary songwriter, poet, author, humorist, river guide, cowboy, entertainer extraordinaire and Texas Poet Laureate Emeritus." That's a mouthful.
Fromholz had a stroke several years ago, and briefly lost the ability to play guitar, speak, sing, or even remember lyrics and songs he wrote prior to the stroke.

I thoroughly enjoyed this guy. He's got a great stage presence and wonderful sense of humor. He doesn't have the physical skills to do his older material any more, but the new stuff is still fun. Imagine Roy Rogers after being stranded on a desert island for 10 years with nobody to jam with but Yoko Ono, then getting high and performing some Steve Martin cover tunes. I don't know any other way to describe his new music.

Here's a cover version of Fromholtz's "I'd Have To Be Crazy", also recorded by Willie Nelson:



I know I've done wierd things, told people I hear'd things
When silence was all that abounds
Been days when it pleased me, to be on my knees
Followin' ants as they crawed across the ground.
I've been insane on a train, but I'm still me again
And the place where I hold you is true
So I know I'm alright, 'cause I'd have to be crazy
To fall out of love with you.


Brilliant lyrics. Brilliant.


Fromholz was joined on the stage by singer, songwriter, rancher, and novelist Mike Blakely. This guy is good. Great songwriter. Sort of a cowboy Harry Chapin. I WILL be going to hear Mike Blakely again as soon as possible.


Mike was Willie Nelson's ghostwriter for this western novel "A Tale Out Of Luck". Go here to see all the other books Mike's written. (My father and I used to read Western novels all winter long, back on the farm.) The Jihadist Safety Consultant knew both of these guys, and introduced me to them before the show. I can't believe I'm getting to meet all these people.

Here's some video on Mike's book. I apologize for the commercial at the beginning:

Watch CBS Videos Online


I worked at the Jukt Micronics New Everman warehouse Saturday morning. Thanks to Danny Ray for loaning help to put up all the new pallet rack. One day that place will be filled with pallet rack. One day, it won't hold any more. One day. One day. Thanks to Igor for help with taking apart things to make them another color (long story).

Saturday afternoon, I went to the DFW NORML meeting in Arlington. (That's the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.)

They had a speaker named Rusty White, from LEAP. (That's Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.) Rusty is a riveting speaker, and I'm going to try to get him to a Tarrant County Libertarian event ASAP. I'll post what he had to say sometime later this week.

Saturday night our neighbors Amy and Cheryl had a Halloween party. The Aggie came dressed as The Neon Color Spectrum. I came dressed as Geek Apnea.

Our neighbor April came dressed as a Monopoly board, and brought her daughter dressed as a lamb. Here's a picture of Zaria, the little lamb, being held by Mary. Get it? Mary had a little lamb? Get it? Get it?
Amy Don, one of the two hostesses of this event, came dressed as Dr. Peter Veckman (Ghostbusters). Her proton pack dispensed something she called proton nectar. Good stuff.

Here's Amy Don recharging the Proton Nectar dispenser. I participated in this party until about 2:00 a.m. Somewhere out there are pics of me smoking through the Sleep Apnea mask. Maybe even video. I don't remember. If they appear, I'll post them.

My sister and nieces came by Sunday morning to see the new babies. This bunch of puppies is LOUDER than any of Mandy's previous litters. I can't wait to see what racket the next month will bring....
I'm posting these dachshund pics every week so whoever adopts these little yipping balls of meat can show their kids what the dogs looked like as babies. (Compare these to last week's pics when they were newborns. They take up a lot more space this week.)

Sunday afternoon I met a friend to not have drinks with (long story), and gave a tour of some of our warehouses. That was enough to remind me that this next week will be a difficult one, but hey, at least I've got a job.

Here's my favorite line from the Steve Fromholz concert Friday night. I'm sure I've gotten some of these lyrics wrong. This was written by a guy who had a stroke and lost the ability to play guitar, to sing, or even remember lyrics written prior to the stroke:

Sometimes you think there ain't no point,
you haven't got a prayer....
Well, there ain't no use bitchin'
About the heat in the kitchen.
It's always been hot in there.

Words to live by.

Pics of Texas Theatre came from here.

2 comments:

TarrantLibertyGuy said...

Too bad I didn't find the NORML event! If that's a little stereotypical, it's purely by coincidence. Those browies I brought were straight from the store, I tell ya!

If and if your costume is really the 'Greek God' Apnea, I'm going to assume it's the opposing God of Eros?

The Whited Sepulchre said...

TLG,
You had to drive to the far, far end of the park to get to it. I had difficulty also, but had left work and cancelled other commitments to be there. When I say I'm going to show up at a pro - legalization rally, I show up at the pro - legalization rally. Yes, they did have brownies.

I talked with the officer from LEAP, and he's more than willing to speak at a Libertarian (or Broadway Baptist !) gathering. Will post details of his speech as soon as I can pull the details together.

And no, that's GEEK Apnea, the god of the socially and fashionably maladjusted who also happen to snore.