J.J and the Mystics at The Live Oak Listening Room...

It's not that I don't like Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones or Beyoncé. It's just that they have enough money, I don't need to give them any.  Mick Jagger, the 80 year old front man for the Stones probably never thought when he was a teen and trying to emulate American rhythm and blues that he would be filthy rich and I do admire him for recent statements that he would give profits from the sale of his back catalog to charity because, "my children lead comfortable lives." 

Last night we hit the Live Oak Listening Room, located in Nacogdoches, TX for the up and coming band J.J. and the Mystics. J.J. based in the Austin area shakes up a bunch of rock, soul, funk and reggae influences, adds in a powerful voice and some hot guitar and comes out the other side of all that with a hot band and some really good songs with danceable beats.     

If you don't know the Live Oak it's an old church which is also a home where the residents have turned the old sanctuary into a concert space. There's a nice foyer, comfortable seating and decorations by local artists. There's no admission but people are welcome to support the season as you would any fine arts program or since we all know what a show is worth in the big city to contribute by tip jar or venmo. As noted the Rolling Stones won't ever say, mudbelly, where were you last night? My friends call and say "are you going to the Live Oak tonight? There's a good band."     

 Music at the Live Oak starts at 7pm but the evening begins with a pot luck dinner at 6pm. Yes I know, they expect a donation and you have to bring your own food but I think last night had some of the best eats I have ever tasted there. Lots of good home cooked food with some of it made from things folks had grown in their garden. I know I had a piece of butter nut squash pie, made by a friend that grew it in her garden and it made me say to heck with pumpkin spice, this is a taste of fall right here. 

I made an eggplant casserole. I arrived, set my dish on the buffet table, walked 50 yards over to my friend Anne's house where we performed stand by assist duties while she got to her wheel chair, attached the electric motor and returned to find that them old hippies had fell on my cooking and just about ate it all maybe even licking the pan. They will do that you know. Me and Cathy got a serving each and that was it.    

Check out some J.J. and the Mystics. Support live music especially up and coming artists. Eat food your friends cooked. It's comfortable. 

Fell Off the Pumpkin Truck...

I've worked hard in my life. I've had hot, hard factory jobs. I've done physical therapy rehabilitation of all kinds  including neuro rehab and maximum assist bariatric patients which requires lots of core strength, correct lifting and cueing procedures. I guess I am getting old because yesterday unloading the pumpkin truck for the St. Patrick School pumpkin patch about kicked my tail.      

I say unloaded the truck. I really didn't get close because I worked a little over an hour passing and carrying the 1000 or so pumpkins loaded on an 18 wheeler pulled up in the church parking lot and when I felt like I was getting too hot and called it a day. 

Of course there were some people there like Mary, who worked all night at the hospital and then showed up in scrubs to unload the truck. I remember when I used to be able to do that but it's been a minute. 

I guess I still do pretty good on longer and slower paced projects where there is some built in rest times like the recent project, also at church where I helped move all chairs and tables to set up for the Fiestas Patrias Festival. In that you work a bit loading the trailer and truck, drive across the campus and then unload so there are those brief breaks to recover.  

I do exercise to try to keep in shape. With the hot temps this summer I put my garage gym on hold where I exercised four or 5 days a week in favor of Cathy's water aerobics class in the pool three times a week and it's pretty good work out. Maybe I need to throw on about 30 minutes on the exercise bike afterwards or cut down on the fried catfish. 

The pumpkin truck did not wreck my day. I still went by the tire place and got a flat fixed, practiced the tuba, fixed a left over catfish po-boy for lunch, baby sat Milo a bit, squeezed in a slight nap before  picking the big boys from school, taking them to soccer and then attending the Pregnancy Help Center Banquet. 

Maybe when you do what you can you are working hard enough. 

 

The Brother in Law Fishing Report...

Brother in law John stopped by on his way up from Houston to check on a remodeling job that's under way at his lake house on Lake Jacksonville and me, him, Cathy and other brother Matt made a catfishing trip to Rayburn. It's been a slow summer for fishing but looks like things might pick up a bit with the cooling temperatures this fall. 

The day started hot and still but a swim and a bit of wind the bite picked up and fish were a little over average size.  

Here's brother John with a keeper. Hopefully with his retirement we will discover some fishing on Lake Jacksonville. 

Cathy and Matt take the shady end of the boat. Matt recently purchased a house near the Cassels Boykin area of the lake probably about 4 miles as the crow flies from this fishing spot. There's some work to be done on the place but certainly in one of my favorite areas of the lake.  

I get a catfish picture. The fish were deep. We caught 15 on punch bait. 

I put red beans and rice in the crock pot and made a secret sauce cole slaw ahead of time. Sometimes this kind of preparation can jinx you but we had a fine meal afterwards with a few left overs for today. 

We are way behind on the catfish count for the year but it might be the time to cook the few you catch, enjoy good company on the water and count the quality of the experience.    

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Garnet Rogers Live at Old Town School of Folk Music...

Cathy has always been a fan of folk singer Stan Rogers. She has a stack of his cds. Sadly Stan died in a fire aboard Air Canada Flight 797 on the ground at the Cincinnati airport in 1983 as he was returning from the Kerrville Folk Festival. His music was in a  traditional sounding vein exploring the lives of working people of the Canadian prairies and fishing villages and Cathy says no other singer songwriter paints a picture with words like he did. We never saw Stan but we did manage to catch his brother Garnet Rogers at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music this past weekend. 

Garnet is a more modern folk singer songwriter with great tunes about love, life, working and the time couple spend together. The music spoke to me because as a married couple spending some years together I know that it will naturally draw to a close one day as we age and it was pleasant to hear this expressed so poetically. Garnet was a man with a rack of guitars weaving tales on a small stage in a listening room with about 150 people quietly listening and laughing at the funny stories he told between songs. We had close seats and due to the intimate nature of the show I took no photos. 

Garnet mostly played acoustic guitar but he did do a couple of songs on an old worn Stratocaster using a volume pedal, delay and reverb to create interesting ambient sounds.

The stories he told between tunes were not always about to song itself but there were many cultural references to Noel Coward, Fred Astaire, Richard Nixon and Wavy Gravy. I'd say he definitely knew his audience. Who would you talk to about these people? Sometimes I think that's why we can't communicate so well with each other anymore because it's a broad world and we cram it all into what's on a screen and there will be many things we don't know anything about, especially between generations, races and nations. 

Garnet is also an author of two books. One Night Drive is the story of life touring with his brother Stan and the other 6 Crows Gold, which I am reading now is kind of a fast paced spy who done it type thing. Not my usual thing but an engaging read that moves along quickly.

I see lots of DAG (dude and guitar) acts around town. I occasionally appear as one myself. It would behoove us all to check out folk singers like Garnet and imitate them. You might risk being a cultural reference one day but least we won't be confused with Nixon.  

   

         

Chicago Fishing Report...

We made the flight to Chicago this weekend for a visit to our daughter Katie her husband Peter and the grandkids Wallace and Hamish. The trip was just the right amount of time where there was no rush but we enjoyed various activities such as fishing, boating, some live music and returned home without those feelings of "now I need a vacation from my vacation." 

As you can see from the photos all are doing well. Even old Beefcake, the dog from Mary's litter of half golden retriever pups that was sired by a sneaky neighbor dog. Beefcake arrived from East Texas by plane in Chicago and has never looked back except when his own ass needs scratching. Although in a big city like this there is ample nearby park space to run and fetch he is basically a house dog. He does like sleeping outside in their fenced area that passes for a yard but unlike a Game of Thrones character he does not yet know winter is coming.   

Once when we fished Palmisano Park, an old rock quarry about a 10 minute walk from the Tulloch house, we caught good google eye perch on meal worms. Since then on our walks in the park we have only used artificial baits which the fish have rejected but even without the good fishing the Texas grandkids enjoy these boys will whip the water to a froth and their luck may improve since they do have a new boat which I'll post about in coming blogs.  

I'm not sure I've caught a fish with Hambone but he has a keep your hook in the water instinct which will surely pay off for him,  

Wallace did spot a large carp, probably about four pounds finning in the shallows. There is probably no telling what kind of fish might be in an urban pond like this. I had a nice conversation with an Englishman who stopped to watch us fish and while we compared British and Texas fish tactics he told me the quarry pond was 300' deep, probably out from the shear rock walls across from the dock. That brings visons to mind of fish that can swallow a Volkswagen  lurking along the bottom and just for a snack they snatch up the city provided blue rental bikes as they sink to the bottom after teenagers run them off the embankments and docks.  

I think the neighborhood bait shop where live bait was available has closed. Maybe next time I bring a pack of meal worms. We might not catch a thing but a day on the water with kids is always a full stringer. 

 

Festival Time at St. Patrick's...

We had a very successful Fiestas Patrias at St. Patrick's Catholic Church this past weekend.  Church festivals are fund raisers with the profits from food sales, of which many different cultures are represented, games and more to benefit education at the church. Cathy and I played music for the Mass, along with brother in law Matt we operated the jail and me and Matt helped with the set up and take down of the festival infrastructure. Cathy and I have a long history with the church festivals going back to the early 1990s. 

At that time the Feast of our Patron Saint, Patrick was the big festival. For a few years Cathy and I, along with a rotating cast of movers and shakers served as chair people of this festival renting the Expo Center, transporting every chair and table (we talking back then those big old elementary school tables built to shelter from a nuclear blast) from the church campus and Knights of Columbus Hall to the venue, having Mass there for 1000 people, entertainment and games. One year we even raffled off a Cadillac car donated by a local dealer. Seems like at the time a Caddy cost about $30,000 and we made close to $50,000.   

Interest waned in this kind of huge effort. After a few years when fest time approached and I began calling volunteers once I said, "This is Carl from St. Patrick's," I started getting hung up on. Now in the time of cell phones they would see my name and reject my call. The fest was pulled back to the church campus dwindling in size until now for a few years it has been a potluck dinner.

Parishioners that are the age of my kids remember these big festivals. They sometimes ask me why we don't do that anymore. I tell them because back then I was in my mid 30s and now I'm closing on the late 60s. Whoever wants a big festival needs to put it on. I think I participated well in the physical work setting this year's fest up and there were adequate volunteers but it would be nice to see a few more strong men in the 18-35 year old range.       

Always good food at the festivals. I can tell you though from long St. Patrick's experience that while green food coloring cakes and cookies do pretty well but with all the great Mexican food Irish Stew does not sell. 

Lots of good local entertainers. Would you dress, dance, sing or do something to represent your culture at a festival? We have such a rich heritage here I would like to see some multicultural event. The world would be a better place if we all educated each other about ourselves.   

The jail that me, Cathy and Matt ran. It's a big fundraiser. $5 to put someone in jail, $5 to buy their parole and $10 for a get out of jail free all day card. After apprehending so many 10 year old bad hombres I had to rest so I would have some legs left for loading chairs at the end. 

I didn't get this band's name but they were great. 

The Lufkin Police Band, the Crimestoppers has played Fiestas Patrias two years in a row. They like the gig. 

The children's choir. This is an up and coming group and I may write a blog on them later. 

Thanks to everyone who pitched in for the work of operating this event. It was good fun. See you at the next one. 

 

Leavings...

Once I had a coworker, I won't call him my boss exactly but he was of a superior rank to me. Sometimes he would say, "hey, I don't have time for this today, do you want to do it?" I don't know how he was paid but I was paid by the hour and to do what he wanted me to do equaled the purchase of about three cheap Chinese made fuzz pedals that I could put to good use with an electric guitar when I was being my other other self which was sound architect. Castles made out of sound are kind of like castles made of sand in that the don't last, they don't sell but I often told people that I made a good living off my coworker's leavings.

I don't work anymore but for some years now I have refurbished my whole wardrobe from other people's leavings by shopping at thrift stores. I might own a few brand new dress shirts and a couple of suits that I bought brand new because it's kind of hard to lay a hand on a large sized suit quickly at a thrift store or a dress shit to go with it that has a 22" neck. Maybe guys that size don't wear suits and ties but sometimes in my job as sound architect I have to look the part. 

This week at the thrift store I picked up this walking stick from Boquillas Mexico. Nowadays, especially since 9/11 when Boquillas was closed for a period they have made it a port of entry. There is a ferry, you need a passport and are only permitted to bring back one bottle of liquor. The day I crossed me and the wife and kids all got in a flat bottom boat along with a couple of other guys who had a G.I. can full of iced Shaefer beer (which was always one of my favorites) and another man waded the Rio Grande towing us and the beer to Old Mexico. I rented donkeys for the kids to ride and we made a walk around Boquillas. I think they have made it illegal for you to take your kids to a drag show these days. They should probably make it illegal for you to take your kids to Boquilllas. There is video tape of this trip and it's at the converter changing to digital media courtesy of my children as I write this. We should have some more info on this trip soon. 

Chances are I won't be back to Boquillas anytime soon. The day I purchased this stick my knee was hurting pretty bad due to the fact I had picked up a bunch of sound architect equipment and turned the wrong way and it seemed like it might be time for such as this. The knee did start to get better so for now I have a good fire poker which it looks like this has been used as.  

         

In addition to 22' neck shirts I don't often find a pair of shoes in good condition that fit a big man but I scored these. I had some like it when I was a kid and we called it a Wellington Boot. Actually a Wellington Boot is some kind of rubber boot which I'll probably need a pair of also for winter outdoor activity. These are Justin Standard Ropers, a $115 boot. Could be re-heeled but very good condition and brings my boot total to five pair not counting a pair of chest waders, hip waders and rubber boots all available for various levels of you know what I encounter. 

By the way you know how these tourist treasures like the walking stick are made don't you? Some guy rents a shack, puts on the novellas all day and women sit and paint various ethnic items. I would imagine it's actually a job with advancement possibility because sooner or later an actually artist comes along, the worker has developed finer skills to better interpret the artistic vision and they make a pretty good living off that guy or gal's leavings.    

The good stuff like that may not make the thrift store but the things I found this week are good enough. I;; take those leavings.  

 

This Might Be the Last Time I Don't Know...

I have been marking my mortality this year. I'm the same age as my dad was when he passed. My knee hurts. Cathy made our wills. Every few days I see an obit for some one I know. Not an old person but someone close to my age. 

 When  I was about 17 years old I spent a summer working construction. Good pay for the time at $2.25 an hour. I was a big old boy and did well pushing wheel barrows full of dirt and concrete. I don't remember it even being hot. I do remember there were older guys on the job who seemed cool. They arrived each day to work in late 60s/early 70s muscle cars, not real clean muscle cars but cars that had been once owned by cooler guys who had already got the goody out of running the heck out of those big motors. My guys did ok with a fill up the oil check the gas kind of muscle car.  The morning after a night of racing around in these cars and they usually had a pretty good hangover. 

I remember one of these guys was nicknamed "Fish." I saw Fish's obit the other day and even though it did not mention what his nickname had been (I want ya'll to make sure and list "mudbelly" in my obit) it did have a photo of him in which he looked just about how I recalled his appearance from that summer we worked together. It also listed his age as 72. So that means when I knew him I was 17 and he was 23. I thought he was 72 back then. 

Later this week I'll get these documents signed and notarized. Godspeed Fish. I'll think about your nickname from time to time. I think my knee feels a little better. 

  

Time for the Big Screen Give Away Contest...

 If you are a long time reader of this blog you remember how we financed those early days on the internet. I'm talking about those days before all the millions of dollars, before Drum and Tuba Christmas was so profitable and all the ways that the rich people we became make money that ya'll don't even know about. 

So it's time we take a step back in time to those days when you could send in $39,000 and we would enter you in a drawing for a big screen TV. Let's do that now. I'll leave a link to my Venmo at the bottom of this page. Send the money and you are entered. 

I guess my first TV was a service award 12 inch black and white that my dad got from his employer which he gave to me and severed me well until I was a full grown man and them my dad got in on a deal at the savings and loan where if you opened an account you got a 15 inch color portable, remember color portables? He also gave this to me. My dad did not need these TVs because he had one of those Curtis Mathis serious furniture wooden models which took four large sweating men to deliver and had about 4 working parts that the repair man carried on his truck. If the set had operating problems the repair man came to your house and just replaced which ever part was found faulty. With four parts it was not hard.

Later when I had kids and needed an automatic baby sitter I bought one of those little sets like your boss uses to play the safety video on at work with the built in VCR. I think it was color. The kids watched it till the drool pooled in their laps. I was a terrible parent, not because of the drool but because I never gave any of them a TV. 

So apparently TVs got bigger, hey what ever happened to the miniaturization of the future, and no one fixed them anymore and they threw them out like a cigarette during a burn ban on the side of the road and actually I'm doing a public service if I pick them up and give them away. 

A few years ago the kids did give us a TV. You know how it is when your parents are so embarrassing. It was not too big, maybe 24 or 30 inches. I did have to add a sound bar to hear it well because, well, Fender amps and so far I have not needed to give it away or throw it out on the side of the road. I usually watch it one to two hours most nights. I do wonder what I was doing with that time in all those years before when I was unknowingly under TVed.

Enter for a big screen by scanning the thing below. Probably the first one to put in $39,000, which is a significant number because the first math problem my drummer learned to work was 13x3000. She just took to it, IDK. 

      

New Fishing License Gets Broken In...

There is at least one person in Texas that has died from brain eating amoeba this past summer. That was not one of us. Yesterday two people in Texas caught and ate 6 catfish. That was us. There are about 330 million people in the USA. If they grouped up two by two and each group ate 6 catfish that would be 990 million catfish. If they all went swimming the numbers for the brain eating amoeba would still be pretty low.  I don't know if my three month old grandson, Milo is included in the latest population figures but from the looks of him once he gets off the chi chi leche those catfish consumption numbers will be skewed to the high side. Like all my grandkids he's going to be pretty smart and judging from the size of his head those brain eating amoeba are going to have a job of it.     

Fishing is slow. Even with the recent cool of a few degrees it was hot and still on the lake yesterday. Last September I had a big stump I tied to and caught big blue cat. Even with dropping lake levels I can't locate the spot again. I;m going to have to get with the other 330 million and start using that GPS that's a incorporated feature in my depth sounder. 

Nothing special on the size and we both caught 3 so somebody had their feelings hurt or anything like that. New fishing licenses were purchased Sept 1st. Don't do the math on on that for 6 catfish but we should be able to reduce operating average costs over a year's time.  

For a holiday weekend not too many people on the lake. Looks like the campsites that have been out of commission since they flooded several years ago have been repaired and a nice collection of campers occupied them. It always makes me feel good to see folks enjoying the outdoors. 

I had spent the morning on a pot of red beans so when we got home I fried the 6 catfish, the fillets and the backs with some zucchini from the farmers market. Cathy cooked the rice for the beans and we ate the fish and gnawed those crisp fried backs like my parents used to do.  

Remember the name of this blog is, "the older you will get..."

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