Wednesday, August 20, 2008

The Vodka Express. It’s a bad day to be flying on an MD-80, but that is just where we (Gary and I) have found ourselves, flying back to Austin, but not without a stop at DFW. I woke up this morning to the news showing wreckage from a Spanish MD-80 from earlier in the day. I pretty much assumed our flight on American Airlines would be on an old hunker of an MD-80, which seems to be just about all they have. Of course both flights were on MD-80’s. Being 27 and all, I almost started to think twice about flying back to Austin from Phoenix, but, can’t be afraid of flying. No matter any musician/airplane death/musicians that were 27 history anyways. That would make me a near complete hypocrite. I'm a pilot myself for the love of, well, not MD-80's. Gary asked me if I would be able to fly one of those things if the you know what hit the fan. I hope I never find out! I am pretty sure it is nothing like a Cessna 210, which is about the fastest thing I have flown. (You might say we should have just gotten the direct Austin flight, but you can’t argue with $99 three days advance.) We made it back to Austin in fine shape, other than all of the Vodka. I wish I could say the same for all those flying out of Madrid, Spain on Spanair today. Best wishes to the survivors, and my condolences to everyone else.

The shows throughout the west coast this week have been quite enjoyable for all of us, and I must say, especially myself! I always enjoy getting out and farther away from home. We hope to get back up to those parts within a decent time frame. I must say I love getting up to the Northwest. However, I only have one complaint: I couldn’t find fresh Halibut in Seattle. What is up with that? I thought I knew my fish, but, apparently, (at least I hope) it was out of season. At least they managed to have Atlantic Cod on the coast of California. And they wonder why their pollution is so bad, and everything costs so much. Try not flying it from across the country and look in you’re upper backyard for it instead!

Well, it is certainly nice to be in my own bed, if at least only for a night. Tomorrow it is off to Corpus Christi, followed by Floore’s Country Store, and the Red Dirt Roundup. Hopefully, we will see some of you out there this weekend!

Mark

P.S. We are working on the Trademarked apostrophes, by the way-and all the other junk that shows up with it.

Sunday, August 17th, 2008

Hollywood/Los Angeles is one expensive place to hang out. After getting half drunk at the Dodgers game, which they unfortunately won, I ended up spending half my life’s savings for a Heineken. (O.K., not really, but you get my drift.) I think we all spent a good chunk of the rest of the day/night at the Powerhouse on Highland, just off Hollywood Blvd. Best dive in Hollywood, and no pretentious wish I could a beens either. And only $3 for a PBR. (not trying to say that I favor PBR, but they are cheap, and I actually like them, but only if there is no Blitz Weinhard to be found if I am drinking cheap!) What am I saying, it’s Hollywood, and nothing is cheap. Later we went bowling across the street, and I bowled the sorriest game in quite a few years. 99. My only excuse was that I had my first beer at 11:30 that morning, and it was midnight. (Like a scene with Jim Leahy from the Trailer Park Boys (you Canadians know what I am talking about) it wasn’t me doing the bowling, it was the liquor!)

Mark