Trick or Treat...

What a day Halloween is around here.

Rose and Juan both have a birthday today. I think Cathy's brother John has a birthday today. It was also Granny Wallace's birthday.

In 1986 I ask Cathy to marry me on this day. That's pretty scary. She asked me all the time what I was thinking. I don't have a good answer.

So if any of these folks show up at your door tonight be sure to give them extra candy.

It is not even November...

And I've done burned up my share of the emusic downloads for next month. As mentioned you know we subscribe to the emusic download service and me and Cathy split the downloads each month. Great tunes to be had on this site, but it seems like every 30 days rolls around too soon. Kind of like a stone rolling down hill they know how to make you want more. You can always buy more, I think on the web site forum they refer to it as "booster pack crack."

Here is what I've got so far:

Albert King, "I want to Get Funky." Nuff said there. He has a ton of stuff to download.

Chris Whitley, "Perfect Day." desperate stuff. I know what you mean dude.

Merle Jagger, "Rancho Los Angles." All instrumentals, that fast country picking that makes you wish you never picked up a guitar. I wish I had not downloaded it.

Mofro, "Blackwater." Funky hip hop R&B. Downloading now. Never heard of them, I'm taking a chance. Getting because the last one makes me never want to hear country again.

Here is Cathy's scores so far:

Bela Laktos and the Gyspy Youth Project.

Les Primitifs Du Futur, "World Mussette", an R.Crumb project, just get it.

She got some downloads left. No thats not a cd, that is a state of being. Crank the tunes.

Fall weekends...

I guess outdoor stuff is just on my mind. I don't think we have had the boat out since school started. That's too bad. Fall is such a great time of the year to be out. I have spent my weekend working and studying. May be that will change next fall.

Take for example Friday afternoon at the grocery store in Huntington Tx. Seven out of 10 people had on camo. Trailers loaded with 4 wheelers in the parking lot. Everyone seemed extremely well equipped. A bright shiny day and deer season not even open yet. May be they held that ember of expectation in their hand as they they stocked up on ice, beans, sausage, and toilet paper. No doubt looking forward to next season if the wet dry thing goes through and they can buy beer at the same place they get all this other stuff.

By this time of a Saturday night the ember might be dim. I can imagine, out of beer, stuck in the mud, knocked a hole in the boat, 4 wheeler won't start, out of bullets, fat buddy ate all the sausage, used all the toilet paper and then dipped up all your snuff. Hey I know these things, just like I know all things, I feel see and radiate experience.

Here is me from a couple of years ago, radiating.

So it was a slow day on the net...

October 14th.

In looking at the visit stats for my Pbase photo site, see link on the sidebar, and I see that I had a 180 visits to my online photo albums that day. It was a Saturday. I was at work that day, you know, a job. What about you?

The most viewed image (four views) on this fateful day was a picture I had made about 15 years ago on a sunny day during duck season when the hunting was very slow. It was a nutria rat sunning on a log. No, the rat was not necked. He (or she) was not defecating. I say these things so I don't get 180 visits today by folks that might have some weird ideas and think I have a perverted picture of a nutria posted on my site. It was just a close encounter between two of God's fine creatures that did not result in death or injury to either one of us.

Maybe all those people were Googling beaver. If you don't know what a nutria rat is then go ahead, check it out.

It comes to this...

Some won't be surprised. They saw it coming. After all at least two pictures of toilets and one of a urinal, at least by my count, can be found on these pages. Then there are those that emailed and asked for this.

Yes it is a picture of excretment. You know, poop. Oline poop. Look like any blogs you may have read?

So I make an excuse that I post this doo for academic reasons. Does anyone know what this crap is? I mean what kind of animal. It has recently begun appearing in my squirrel feeder. That is why you see the sunflower seeds and shells mixed in. Something is getting up there and defecating while it eats. Kind of fibery saucer shaped pellets.

I feed squirrels, big fat bushy tails with names like Speedy, Sparkey, Spunkey, Squeeky and Shirley. Big old doves that have got so fat that they can't get off the ground fast anymore and El Guapo has to run past pretending he does not see them to give them a chance for escape come to dine. Red redbirds and blue Bluejays and those cute little whatever they ares all eat here.

Then one night I surprised a big Coon at the feeder. He looked at me like "who are you?" Another night when I had my drawers in a wad over a test and I went outside in the wee hours for scream therapy there was that big possum that rolled out of the seed sack itself right by the door. The dogs did not even bark he was such a familiar customer.

So it is one of these last two characters I suspect of fouling the feast. They are recent arrivals and the squirrels and birds have been around a while with no bad manners.

So if you know your stool, drop me a line, what is this crap?

Git Wood...

This past weekend people would say what are you doing Monday and Cathy would reply, "We are going to git wood." Git wood, that phrase just kind of rolled off her tongue. Since we were both off Monday and there was a bit of cool in the air it was a good time to stock up.

I guess it kept with the socially responsible early voting that we went to a local lumber company where you can get the cut off blocks from some kind of beam they make for $20 a pickup load. Recycle the throw aways, no trees downed. Lots of good red oak with just a little gum and piss ellum mixed in. I guess you are thinking "tree hugger" and think you know my politics but 23 years of burning wood in this old fire place and 25 years working at a paper mill till the place closed down leaves me not exactly pure in the environmental department.

The stack on the right is the blocks and the stack on the left is what was cut up from downed trees after the hurricaine last year so it is nice seasoned stuff. BTUs baby!

We built a fire Monday night, it was in the 40s and we both get chilly easy. Cathy kept it burning all day and even though it warmed up pretty good with the damp threat of rain last night it felt pretty good.

At this rate we might have to "Git Wood," again before winter is out.

Early Voting...

I usually like to leave the politics to other bloggers who do it better, but sometimes I can't help myself. So I do it my way and think how the situations effects me, or someone I know. I voted yesterday.

There was quite the line, the liquor thing has them out in force here in town so that's a good thing I think.

When it comes to state wide issues just consider education and health care. It's been easy for me personally, I got both. What about the people who don't. I think these issues are important for people to better themselves. They got to have it and if they are able to get one they get the other. Makes the world a better place. Who don't want that?

One guy don't, he has hurt kids health care, public schools and made college more expensive.

And don't throw your vote away because you think it sends a message. It won't.

Wreck pictures...

Here are some pictures just in from Katie and Travis' wreck this weekend in Indianapolis.

A sandwich job, the front:










And the back:












It may so pop culture to refer to them as "Survivors." but we are glad they are ok.

Cell phone found...

I think I mentioned the lost cell phone. It's found, by my wife of course and I know some of you may say, "well she bailed him out again," but I looked I really did.

I think I related the loss, early morning, on the way to work, gathering things needed to play music at church if I did not get off in time to come home for a change of clothes and instrument grab, checking the messages on the phone and seeing something from a classmate, and feeding dogs. In the car and I realize I don't have it.

Well I looked, moved furniture, road a bicycle 3 miles along the highway in case it was on the roof of the car, sifted trash bags, gave up the precious combination to my work locker to my wife (only other private place I have besides here, she never reads this stuff) so that maybe it was left at work, and questioned all likely suspects. Much worry and depression because of poor student status and high replacement cost.

Well Cathy found it. Almost one week later. See, my dogs have a little area of the yard where they lay and gnaw stuff. You know how the old boy in East Texas shoots an old doe deer and throws the leg bone on the side of the road thinking he gets rid of it? Well my dogs find this leg bone and bring it to this place in the yard. If my neighbor leaves his shoes on the porch they often arrive at this place in the yard. Nice shoes, too bad they are not my size. Anyway the phone was in this gnawing area. Has a few scrap marks on it kind of like you would see on an old wooden topwater lure in your dads tackle box that had been chompped on by large mouth bass. Still works after the two hard rains we had last week. The brand is a plain old Sprint phone, no bells and whistles, the cheapest one they sell. Go and get one now. They are idiot proof. When summer gets here I am going to make calls while water skiing. "Hey guess what I'm doing," I'll say.

So those dogs sat there all week and wondered, "Why did the man leave his thing out here? We will put it in the gnawing area, he always looks in the gnawing area and throws away what he finds there, so he will find his thing."

Score, dogs 1. Man 0.

No school today, a walk, but I gotta hit the books anyway...

Ministries Fair at St. Pat's...

dLast night at St. Patrick's the ministries Fair, an event to encourage participation in all the ways there are to be a part of the church community opened with a concert of all the various choirs that sing at the Masses each weekend.

One Voice, a CD release occasion for them. If you want one, contact me, $10, money goes to the church.

Some of these folks were the main movers and shakers putting this show together.

Catholic music with a nice East Texas country twist.


Augustin on guitar with Hugo on key boards with their kids choir. The big kids were little when they started in this group, now some of them have guitars. The future, when the rest of us rest in the ground.




Joe Morales. Big voice, writes his own stuff and you have eaten his mammas cooking at Morales Mexican restaurant many times I am sure.
Hugo on keyboards with his adult Saturday Mass Spanish Choir.

Here is Jaime on grand piano, the piece was very classical sounding, don't know if it was an original or not. He has played with us on occasion on guitar.

Here is Jamie's brother Salvadore, good voice and good guitarist with his kids group. Also has an adult group. Here they are.










The picture I took of of Pat Powell's group, a traditional style organ piano choir came out blurry. They sounded great. Likewise, there are no pictures of our group here. The camera was in my pocket while I was playing. I have a nice picture of my keys instead to show for our effort.

The evening ended with all these folks doing a couple of numbers combined. A real full choir area with everyone singing.

I guess I have been at St. Pat's going on 18 years now and have kind of lost count of when I actually started getting involved with the music, I would guess 12-15 of those years. I have played with all these people pictured above in various combinations through these years. It's been a good place to be. Good folks here.

There are booths set up at the church for all the activities available. There is a music booth that combines all the choirs. We even have a cassette of a children's choir we recorded 10 years ago on sale half price with the money going to the building fund. If we sell a few I will kind of know how people like Bob Dylan and Sir Paul McCartney feel when their names get in the news and old product starts to move again.

In other Wallace gigs last night Mary and the Lufkin Panther Band made a First Division at UIL Marching Contest held in Longview.

Update to wreck...

Katie and Travis, snug in the boosum of the insurance company are now on the way home in a rented Hundy or something like that. They report it to be nicer than expected.

Those are made in the same factory where North Korea makes their atom bum.

The North Koreans said the same thing about that bum that Katie and Travis said about the rent car. It was nicer than they expected.

Details are a little sketchy

Katie and Travis had gone to Michigan to see his family. Yesterday they were in Indianapolis on the way to see Cathy's sister in Evansville Indiana and were rear ended. They are OK. The car is crunched. The dogs were with them, and they are ok.

Looks like things are fine, meet some kind people who took care of their dogs while they went to the hospital to get checked out and then took them in for the evening.

More details as the emerge.

My question was the last one...

I'll do anything for school points. Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) came to Kilgore College to speak to health care students on topics concerning them yesterday. My instructor said she would give 40 points to all who went. Buddy, for a bird nest on the ground like that I joined about 75 other students in a lecture room in the nursing building.

I would not put Mr. Gohmert down as a slick political type, I have seen slicker, he is quite homespun without being country. As he talked he mentioned not allowing the U.S to subsidize the health care of other nations. He mentioned some kind of medical savings plan, something that's been around, but I was not familiar with it that people could use to pay for medical so that those in health care would be able to give the best services. He mentioned the danger he called it of socialized medicine and compared it to farmers he had seen in Russia who sat in the shade because it paid the same as being in the fields. He scared everyone and made a very distasteful face at the thought of nasty prescriptions made without QC that people might obtain from Mexico to counter high drug cost. Pulled out the old stem cell fears. Then he took questions.

After a few questions he had been going on right at one hour. I raised my hand. I asked:

"Rep Gohmert, from your comments about not wanting to contribute to the health care of other countries, and about the need for people to save and plan so they could pay adequately when they fall sick and the possibility that health care professionals might not do a good job or use the latest equipment leads me to believe that you are all in favor of providing health care only for those who can afford it. How would you, in your position as Congressman deal with some global pandemic or an epidemic in certain populations of this country if the people or nations involved could not pay?

He went to town answering that. (My comments in parenthases.) He told of trying to pass a bill that would withdraw aid to any country that did not vote with the U.S. in the United Nations for one year. He admitted that this bill had earned him the nick name of the meanest man in Washington. He claimed that all to often money given for aid by the U.S. propped up dictatorships. (We usually prop those up with guns don't we.) He did tout the use of charities if you wanted to help. (I don't know if he was trying to plant the idea that this guy who asked a difficult question was not helping in everyone's minds, Americans do not seem to give unless they get something.) He said it might be more effective for the U.S. to give aid through charities. (That sounds good.) Then he pulled the Christian card. (Was he infering that since I was bound to be on the other side I was not Christian?) Take care of the meek he said the Bible asks. (I thought that everything he just proposed was harmful to the meek.) He also stated that the U.S. gives more aid that anyone else in the world. (I count as my friends certain Catholic priests that often have spent 20-30 years in the third world. This is not what they report.)

He packed it in after that, thanks, he said and shook everyone's hand. Well most everyone's.

Outside my instructor said, "That was such a good question and he did not answer it. He had his own agenda and did not expect multi-national views." As they say in East Texas, she is not from around here. I replied, "How did you like the Christian thing, he said he was one and all he proprosed was not Christian at all." She said "No! It was not."

So there, I reported this to the best of my memory. The question might have actually been worded a bit different, the answer was quite long, but I think I captured it.

So to sum it up, I guess the meanest man in Washington nails it for some folks and gets the vote in some places. Not here.

The lost cell phone...

A great mystery.

I arose for work Sunday morning. Sat at the computer, drinking coffee and making sure the internet had gone nowhere during the night and reading important emails. Got ready for work, check cell phone, it's charged and there is a missed call. Playing at church this evening I dress in scrubs for work but grab a change of clothes and a few other items that I will need if I don't get off in time to come home. Cathy will bring guitars.

I fool around, pick up Sunday paper, feed dogs and set out for work. On the way I realize I do not have my cell phone, which might be needed for calls if I am running late. I assume it's left at home. I work, go to church and so on and return home to no cell phone.

So to make a long story short, I have torn up the house. Looked all in the yard, retraced every step. Nowhere to be found. It was a pretty new phone, one of those they give you free for signing up two more years. I don't know if I'll qualify for that plan any time soon.

I know that cell phones are evolving the way we live our lives, but this one evolved some legs and got the heck out of here.

I swear...

You may have read here about my nomination as Homecoming King at Kilgore. If not go back a few entries. The voting was yesterday. As I walked through the Student Center a young man, with his ball cap turned around backwards sighted me. This is a person I have never laid eyes on in my life.

"There Carl Wallace," he exclaimed to those all around him. "You the man!"

I might have to change my message to fit the demographic model of those voting for me.

Rainy Blues...

Rain like heck all night. I got a head ache, stuffy nose and tossed and turned on wadded sheets. Can't find my cell phone, it just disappeared. A test today, a test tomorrow and an extra long school day today.

I met a fellow one time, he said having the blues aint all that bad.

I told him that it must not have been the older you will get blues he had.

The Killer...

Jerry Lee Lewis has a new CD out. He also has a little white dog. I scanned this picture out of the most recent Rolling Stone magazine, used with permission of course. The music Jerry Lee waxed at Sun records has to be some of the greatest rock ever recorded. I have tried to listen the new psycobilly but it does not even come close. Now I don't encourage folks to be like Jerry Lee and you would certainly not want this man coming over to your house, but I listen to his records and even play some his songs now and then. In fact I even have a little white dog. One time at the New Orleans Jazz Fest me and G.W. stood right on the front row and watched Jerry Lee play. It was pretty much what you expect, fiery music, drunken stage stalking and the destruction of a piano bench. His set finished and with the backing band going off like a North Korean bomb. The Killer perched on the edge of the stage, ripped off his Ray Bans and stared right at us. It was a scary moment. Made us straighten up. Well, really we did not straighten up right that minute. It was some years later, but we did. Thanks, Jerry Lee.

Bow to the King...

It started as kind of a joke, I think. Each club at Kilgore College, I'm in the PT Club, gets to nominate a King and Queen for the homecoming court. No dummy, I was not nominated Queen, it was King thank you. So a good laugh was had.

Then I had to go get my picture made. This was so that when the student body votes, they can pick their candidate on looks. Works just like a real election. While I was having my picture made, the photographer asked what I would do if I get to be King. I said, "Free the minds of all slaves to ideology, pop culture, massive credit card debt and their asses will follow." No I did not say that. I said, "Get chicks." No I did not really say that either, and I would be joking because I have a "chick" but I can say anything here because Cathy never reads my online diarrhea anyway. I just mumbles something and tried to strike a pose that would identify me to the student body as a cat that falls somewhere between the suave cool of James Dean and the madcap intensity of Lee Harvey Oswald. Without the rifle in the back yard of course.

So at lunch that day the club meets and arrangements are made for another picture, this one of the club for the annual next week and it happens to be on the same day as the election. The program director mentions that the club has had a couple of people on the court and all you do is grab the apathetic masses walking by and say, "Vote for my people." This is sounding more and more like politics all the time.

Anyway there are 30-35 people in the club. If I get their votes and a few more no telling what might happen. It will be inconvenient, I have to work that day of the Homecoming game. Cathy works that night. I have arranged for Mary to be my escort. If necessary, have a plan I say.

If elected, expect sweeping changes in Kilgore.

So they got the bomb...

Must be soap box time.

North Korea has the bomb now. You old cold warriors may understand a little more of what I write here so please hang with me and try to see my thoughts on this subject. Nuclear strategy has always fascinated me. I have read a little on the thoughts of men who were prepared to wage nuclear war and it's pretty frightening to think they make these plans that have to do with the deaths of many people like it was a game.

I am not surprised small rouge countries want the bomb. Think back to recent news where the U.S. has mentioned in the press that the possibility of military action against Iran, North Korea, you name the place, is not ruled out. The invasion of Iraq is proof enough to these countries that we back up our actions. No wonder they want to level the playing field.

Think of economies also. You old cold warriors, quick, name all the countries with the bomb. They are doing ok, right, pretty good shape. Now think quick, name all the countries without the bomb. Just kidding about that one, but I am sure this comparison does not escape anyone's notice. That's the worst fear about this situation, that the bomb would be sold to terrorist. That is a sure money maker and when you have problems like North Korea, money comes in handy.

So all that said, in the fine American tradition of speaking your mind, if it was my country I think I'd have a fine beginning to a foreign policy program that could be developed from these few statements above.

Off the soap box. Next please.

To the person in Michigan...

...who visited the blog today, call your mom.

She works Wednesday night, will sleep late Wednesday morning to prepare for the beginning of her shift.

She says any time tonight or tomorrow afternoon is fine.

Out on the outcrop...

Driving home from school in the afternoons I have seen a sight at a location just north of Nacodgoches that brings back some old memories. It is a geology class from SFA climbing all about a rock outcrop beside the highway. I used to room with a coupleof geology majors all those long years ago when I went to school at SFA so I know the sights.

An outcrop is a rocky protuberance above the ground. Geology majors were all ways excited to go to the outcrop. My guess is that they were relieved to be able to get to a big rock without a lot of digging. Closest thing to compare in physical therapy would be when you go to see a patient in the hospital and they are already sitting up in a chair. No digging out of bed so to speak. All these years you would wonder if any changes were affected to that big rock with all those feet scampering over it.

Geology majors were a lot of fun. Maybe they still are. They had big nice boots. Wonder if they still wear them, everyone wears tennys today. They had good parties. I bet they still do. Geology majors collected rocks and kept them in sacks and boxes under their beds. Sometimes after the good parties they came home and pulled these sacks and boxes from under their bed and made them receptacles for vomit caused by the drinking at the good parties. I bet they still do.

I guess it is still a good field. There is a lot of oil drilling going on right now in this area so there is still exploration to be done. I think of the geologist I knew, one went to Australia and I don't think ever came back, one left on graduation and I never heard from him again, one recently discovered some oil and made a million bucks and one I know works for the IRS. A different kind of digging maybe but I think they all did alright.

Busy weekend...

Picture from the Panther game last Friday night.





Here is a picture from a church choir rehearsal we held at our house. There was 100% attendance. We served food. There is an upcoming ministries fair and all groups at St. Pat's are taking part in a big concert with each doing a few tunes.
Left to right, Phil, Joanie, Monica, Angela with El Guapo in her lap, Cathy, Mike, Isabelle, Me and Morgan.

I spent the rest of the day yesterday other than this rehearsal time in a disability simulation for a class at school. I donned adherent eye patches with dark glasses to cover them to simulate blindness. I spent the morning at home, I showered, drank coffee, fixed myself a bagel, took a shower (nothing to do with the coffee or bagel) and walked completely around the outside of my home by myself. That evening we went with Mary and boyfriend Jacob to eat sushi in Doches and then we stopped and looked at cds and books at Hastings. Well, they looked.

Sight is a large part of the sushi presentation, so I figure this was as much chance as I could come up with to experience true loss. Later today I will don eye patches again and attempt to play some music to try to experience the difficulties that might have to be overcome there.

Not too bad eating. I did not get my wasabi mixed up like I like it, but I guess that's the point, things won't be perfect. I had a story ready on why I lost sight, but no strangers engaged me. Cathy mentioned one gentleman looking at us sourly, may be he was on to my fakery. I tried to be out of town in Doches so no one knew me.

The paper on this is due Dec. 3rd so I nice to get the actual act out of the way. Writing about it is not a problem.

Distractions...

My wife worked last night. I have been working on a take home test that really has me screaming, slinging snot and pulling my hair.

Some guy is swooping low over the house every few minutes in a small plane. Low and loud. I went outside and made obscene gestures. I was smart though. I stood in the neighbors yard down the road.

Now he is swooping lower over their house.

Bet he's glad this wasn't a shotgun I was aiming.

A young man comes up to me after the game...

He says, "I can't believe you did not get on the jumbo tron tonight."

I have had greater disappointments in my life, just not lately.

Oh well I think the next televised game will be ESPN, I don't think much of the Fox Network anyway.

Tonight...

Panthers Vs. Longview on Fox sports. 7:30.

Watch for the man in the Panther Hat.

If you don't know, use the search feature of this blog. "Panther Hat."

The jumbo tron was just the beginning.

Changes everywhere out here...

Big road construction project in my area. Just down the road what was formerly paved Texas Farm to Market has been converted back to its previous status as wagon trail. They are coming this way with it. New culverts for all that have drive ways opening on the mail road. This causes me to sin, I covet my neighbors culvert.

Another big change is to a privately owned piece of acreage a half mile from my place on the way into town. Once it was a pretty little spot inhabited by goats, cows and a couple of horses who grazed under tall straight pines that must have been 30 to 50 years old or older. Not a natural forest, but a crop that a far seeing person, now I would think they are dead planted long ago. It has now been logged.

I used to stop every now and then and help the owners catch a goat that had escaped. They were regular folks, not some big company and I bet the money from this sale came in handy. One thing I will miss about those trees is that in the afternoons the western sun was behind them and as you drove down the road at 50 mph it created a daytime strobe like effect as the light shined around the long straight trunks.

Maybe they will put even more goats there, more escapes, more fun. Or may be they will plant again. I won't be around when they are tall enough for sun light strobing next time.

Mistaken Identity

Cathy answers the phone. She says "no I'm looking at him." The she says, "I just put him out."

It was the neighbor. she called to report the demise of the Big White dog. When Cathy informed her that this report was premature, she thought may be it was El Guapo, the Little White dog. He is alive and kicking also.

Seems a pretty good size white dog had come to be dead under her house. Stinking dad. When she had called we were just walking out the door, I did the neighborly think walking out to see if I could help, but she said she was OK. That was good, I think maybe she did not want me to see her throwing up when she pulled that stinking mess from under the house.

If you are curious about what the Big White dog might look like dead, look back a few posts, there's a picture. Looking at that it is pretty easy to see when some people might suspect lifelessness on his part.

Done burned up the music downloads...

Every 30 days the emusic downloads renew. That renewal happened on Sept 30th. We had got them all as of this morning. So for music fans here is the groove this month.

Chris Whitly, Reiter In, the poem on the side bar comes from here. His last recording, another guy gone too soon. Great modern slide player that made every recording so different that it ensured Wal-Mart will never stock his tunes.

Sadies, live Volume 1 disk 2, Got Jon Spenser on it, Yeah baby!

Finished up with a greatest hits from Sun Records, Carl, Jerry Lee, Billy, Lee and more. Real rockabilly.

Emusic has free tracks available and I hit them up for a Tom Waites, Rickie Lee Jones with the squirrel Nut Zippers and more for another various artist cd.

Cathy has burned her cuts also, Midival Puditz, Todd Snider, Leningrad, and Kultur Shock are some of the new entries in the download manager. I'll have to get back to you on some of these, but if you don't have the new Todd Snider, get it.

Music is a big thing around. If you say music aint like it used to be, you are wrong.