Ostentatious?

Is it okay to want to own a vehicle that costs upwards of a half a million dollars? Not only is it okay, it can also help you to get your priorities straight. I've had the Rolls-Royce bug since I saw my first one over forty years ago. Of course I was just a kid and had no idea Iwas starting to develop enormously expensive tastes. I'm sure I'm not the only person who can walk into any store and be drawn to the most expensive merchandise. It's a gift and a curse at the same time depending on your station in life. It's a gift because it shows your keen eye for extraordinary quality. I wanted a nice watch when I was in grade school. My mom took me to Sweeney's Jewelers and I started to look around. "Sir, could you show me THAT one?" He looked up at my Mom with an eager smile while she was shaking her head NO! "Why not, mom?', I asked. "Is that the only watch you like?" she asked. "Well, it's the best looking", I answered. Needless to say we left the store with a watch that was a small fraction of the cost of the Rolex President's Datejust that I so wanted. As I've gotten older, I've decided that a gold Piaget would suffice if I have money leftover after my Rolls is tucked away in my garage (said with a British accent). These types of experiences continue to this day. This is where the curse shows it's head. I could save a fortune if Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, and Cole-Haan would allow me to shop at Dillard's. It's just not possible. If I can't have the most expensive, I guess I'll just wait. And that's how you set your priorities. If you want it, but can't afford it, spend less. Or, just wait. You''ll become more aware of the difference between need and want. I know in my heart that I'm gonna have that Rolls someday, I just hope that I'm still able to drive when that time comes. The fact that I already have more than I deserve leads me to believe that hope may be the icing on my cake. I have a great family and great friends. I have a job. I play poker. I eat and drink what I enjoy. Most importantly, I have faith in Jesus. Sometimes I think He is the one who keeps those "carrots" dangling in front of me so I'll be more aware of my blessings. When I get my Rolls, would you like to go for a ride? I think pretentious sounds better than ostentatious, don't you?

Mr. President

Well I was gonna write a blog about Obama, but if you can't say anything nice....

One of a kind

Anybody out there recognize this wonderful man? He was quite a character. He was a singer-songwriter from the progressive country era. That's back in the seventies for all of you youngsters out there. His name was Rusty Wier and he had a style and talent that was largely missed by many people outside of Texas. His music helped lift Austin into the stratosphere of Texas music. He was joined by the likes of Jerry Jeff Walker, B.W. Stevenson, Tommy Alverson, Gary P. Nunn, Guy Clark and many other Texas troubadors. I started listening to his music back when I was in high school and I've never stopped. I last saw him perform here in Houston at The Armadillo Palace. Whenever he came to town, my kids and my friends would sit directly in front of the stage where we would enjoy his music, his stories, his jokes, and his friendly smile. He liked to call me "chief" because I would always sit with my arms crossed. I was one of many of his fans he could make gestures to or give a friendly wink to during his shows. After the show, we would acknowledge each other with a gracious hug. I was thankful for his performances and he was thankful for my support. We were friends. Not the hang out together kind, but friends through his music.

Unfortunately, Rusty was fighting a losing battle against cancer. He lost that battle on October 9, 2009. I'm gonna miss my friend. I'm gonna miss his performances and his big ol' Rusty grin. I wish he had a bigger fan base, because so many people will never know what a talent he was. Thank you, Lord. Thanks for sharing him. Thank you, Rusty. Thanks for sharing yourself with your loving fans. Rest in Peace, sir.

While we're sharing, I'd like to share a sample of Rusty's songwriting. The song is called Silly Rhymes. If you can find a recording, get it.

Take a look at the silly book,
Read between the lines
And find out it’s not even funny.

Take a train in the middle of the rain,
Step inside, it’s not the same,
Now, is it honey?

Try to fly in the clear blue sky
Get real high
But you’ll be back tomorrow.

Try to say in a funny way
It’s been a bad day
And that’s why you’re in sorrow.

Pick up your loose ends, take ‘em to your friends,
They’ll put ‘em back together again
If you let ‘em.

They’re all you got, believe it or not
They’re the only ones that mean a lot,
Don’t forget’em.

You drink your wine, you say it’s fine
And that’s the only line
You can remember.

Your head caves in, you can’t see sin,
You say you’ll never do it again
But you don’t remember.

The flowers grow the seeds to sow
But no one really knows
Where to throw’em.

Aw, they look real nice, they’re there to entice
But is it worth the price
We pay to grow ‘em.

Say the words you’ve always heard
Don’t they sound absurd
When you stop to listen?

Like shades of night they give up the fight
And in the mornin’ light
They start to glisten.

You wanna know the way to go and who to show.
You wanna know the way, but who’s to say.

Crying is a blessing

We were fortunate enough to have our grandsons in for a visit this past weekend. They are a handful, but they are a beautiful handful to say the least. When you don't get to see them very often, it really makes the visits that much more meaningful. Of course with all of the cuteness comes a dose of tears now and then. Having helped to raise four kids, I know there can be times when you just can't get them to shut up. It can drive you crazy for sure. As I've gotten older, I have a better tolerance for the noise. Not because I can "give them back" to their parents, but because I have a different perspective on this behavior. You see, all too often we take for granted our blessings. So here's a suggestion on how to better handle a toddler tantrum. The next time your child is crying hysterically, be thankful they have healthy lungs to cry with. Be thankful they're at home crying and not in a hospital being treated for a serious injury or a life threatening disease. Think of the families who would love to hear their baby crying instead of the silence of a house caused by the loss of that little screamer. Think about parents who are unable to have or care for their own children. Think about all of the orphans around the world who have no one to listen to their sobbing and sniffling. Most of all, think about how you are blessed to have a child that you can comfort, rock, and kiss away those tears. Yes, they can be a giant pain in the a$$, but think about your life without them. Now look who's crying.

Pointless Pride

As I grow older, I am trying to figure out why so many men feel compelled to color their hair. Even more puzzling to me, is why toupees are popular. In my opinion, these are two of the worst attempts at trying to fool anyone who isn't blind. Older white males prefer a rust color over natural grey. Most realize that a sixty plus male with jet black hair is just not possible, so changing to red will definitely fool friends and loved ones. As if. I get a kick out of seeing black males with hair that's twice as black as what God gave them. Do they really think that this artificial color makes them look better and/or younger? Have you ever seen a toupee that isn't painfully obvious. Check out this combination. He doesn't look a day over thirty and his hair is the reason for the youthful look. Bud! You look sick, dude. I bet he has clear polish on his nails too. Gross!

And here's another young lad.

Seriously? It's okay guys, gray and bald looks just fine.

Even though you may not like the guy, you've got to admit his hair is better looking than the two imposters above. I'll admit that I still have all my hair, but it's turning gray like it's supposed to. You won't catch me buying Just For Men hair color nor will you see me with a rug on my scalp if I go bald. I understand why men want to look younger, but I believe looking your age makes a lot more sense. Besides, old, gray, bald guys can have fun too!

Humility

I'll get to the picture momentarily. I first need to acknowledge that this blog idea is not as easy as I thought it would be. My daughter Cara has a wonderful blog and I guess I'm just not as creative as she is. In fact, I'm not even in the same ball park as she is when it comes to the particular talents it takes to create interesting topics on a weekly basis. I'm quite certain that I have a following that consists of just a couple of faithful family members, but I'll post as if the whole world is anticipating my attempts at entertaining dramaturgy. This whole process is a very humbling experience. My hat's off to all of the bloggers who can captivate an audience and keep them coming back for more.

My initial intentions for creating a blog were self indulgent at best. I wanted a medium to share my specific musical tastes. I wanted my millions of instant followers to enjoy the music I love while reading Pulitzer quality prose. Unfortunately, the music available on the gadget I chose, just barely scratches the surface of my superior musical preferences. If I could share music from my iTunes library, there is no doubt my following would grow exponentially.

Also, I wanted to share recipes of food that I enjoy and different brands of Kentucky bourbon.My problem is that I don't have a Nikon 1 Zillion camera to enhance my recipes and reviews. Somebody else I know is able to capture the very essence of food preperation with the aid of appetizing pictures. Wouldn't you love to see pictures of a person inhaling a plate of crawfish po'boys while washing it down with a glass of bourbon? Who cares if they're laying on the kitchen floor, you know they're enjoying the feast. Sure, kids are cute with chocolate tattooed all over them, but what about adults with grease on their Polo's? They need recognition too. Maybe even pictures of vice-principals in different stages of hurling or passing out. Now those are pictures my endless followers would love to see while listening to Chris Knight and John Prine.

So anyway, about the picture above. I have for the past forty years, enjoyed playing poker with anyone who wants to play. For those of you who don't know, the picture is one of the Godfather of Poker, Doyle "Dolly" Brunson. I have followed him since I was in high school and I would love the chance to meet him and to play poker with him. My chances of that happening are slim and none, but dreams are what help to keep hope alive. There's no harm in dreaming big as long as you can keep it in perspective. Have a great day and please excuse my prolixity.

Update

I thought I'd share a couple of updates. First, the Sunday birthday segment of Matt's birthday didn't happen. By the time he finished celebrating Saturday night, he was done for the weekend. Oh well, I got some yardwork done instead. Second, it looks like the grandkids moving closer will be delayed for the time being. Our prayers were answered even though we would have enjoyed the other option. Anyway, we're all healthy and living on love. That's most important. If you read this, I hope you're having a blessed day.

Great news!

We may be living a little closer to our grandkids if all goes well. My oldest daughter, Cara, and her husband Adam are looking into relocating from McKinney down to League city or Clear Lake. We live in Houston and would love to be closer to Adam and Cara along with our only two grandchildren. Landon will be three in June and Grant will have his first birthday in a few weeks. We'll be saying our prayers that whatever happens will be best for all of us. I can see right now that I'm going to need a camera to post pictures of the grandkids as well as other points of interest, but for now I'll just steal a picture of the boys. The placement of the picture on this post will be an adventure.

Grant

Landon

Party Time

Good morning. It's now officially day three of Matt's birthday weekend. He played golf with his buddies yesterday and that lead to some serious beer drinking. He told us before the golf game that he was going to BBQ for his birthday when he got home. Apparently the beer killed those intentions. So he has decided to cook today to celebrate more of his birthday and to start the festivities early for my daughter Sara's birthday which is next Saturday. We don't need much of a reason to host a party around here, so this is as good of an excuse as any to eat, drink, and be happy.
I've decided to put together some snacks for the occasion. I'll share a couple of easy recipes to compliment the BBQ and booze. Standard around here is a kicked up cheese dip. I should own stock in Kraft Foods for as much Velveeta that I've bought over the years. Here is the recipe:

2 lbs. of regular Velveeta (it's very important not to substitute with a generic brand or Kraft's low fat brother. If your looking to eat healthy, don't follow my blog recipe's.)

1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes(mild or hot)

1 small yellow onion(chopped)

3 large jalapeno's(chopped, with seeds. Don't be a wuss, it's kicked up, remember?)

In a large double boiler( this is by far the key to a nice, creamy texture) add the veggies and heat them up to a full boil for about five minutes. While you're waiting for the veggies to heat up, cube the cheese by slicing the loaf lengthwise horizontally(both sides) and then slicing vertically every half inch or so. Now add all of the cheese cubes to the veggies and stir until completely melted. Heaven has come early. Please, please, please don't get lazy and use a microwave. It changes the consistency of the cheese after it cools down. You can also use a crock pot to keep it warm, but keep it on the lowest setting or else you'll end up with lumpy yellow rubber.

This next recipe is for little snack-sized pizzas I call Ritz-za's:

1 box of regular Ritz crackers(remember, no healthy low fat crap and not the un-salted kind.)

1 can of tomato paste(a small can should do depending on how many crackers you're using. I prefer the regular Contadina paste)

1 bag of Hormel sliced pepperoni( hot & spicy if it's available at your store. Don't use turkey pepperoni. Healthy is not conducive to great taste.)

1 block of extra sharp Cracker Barrel cheese(red package if I'm not mistaken)

1 container of Kraft parmesan cheese

sliced jalepeno's with seeds(optional)

1 container of chopped oregano

Spread the crackers with tomato paste. Sprinkle on oregano. Place two slices of pepperoni on the crackers. Place slice of jalepeno on the pepperoni. Place a slice of cheese on top. Sprinkle with parmesan. Place crackers on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and bake in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for about 13 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Also, as with any food preperation, it's best to have your favorite drink handy. I hope you have a great day. I know we will.

Lousy fundraiser

I just came home from a charter school fundraiser where my wife works. Country/Western was the alleged theme. When is the last time Selena, Michael Jackson, and Kool & The Gang sang at the Grand Ol' Opry. For the love of Pete, give me a f**king break. Line dances were popping up all night long. They even played YMCA. Now that's alright if you like just any stupid song that makes you feel good, but when you're sitting there dressed in your finest cowboy duds and sipping on some of Kentucky's finest, a few more cheatin' songs are in order. I think the DJ just wanted to hear his tired ol' crap regardless of how many guests were dancing.
We're talking about a very small charter school trying to raise some much needed funding, so you know it wasn't a sold out venue. They had meatless lasagne (lent) and BBQ. It was b.y.o.b. (good call) and they sold set-ups. This was a good recipe for some good times, but the polyester DJ from hell made sure there would be little joy for country music fans.
There was a silver lining, however. We went to Denny's after the dance to eat breakfast. My oldest son, Matthew, turned 26 today and since Vic & Anthony's was closed, an All American Slam was the perfect medicine to help forget about the crappy music and to increase my sagging cholesterol level.
So here I sit on this beautiful Houston Saturday listening to my "porch" music and trying to figure out how to make my blog more entertaining. Oh well, as I said before, please be patient...

Progress

Okay, I figured out the profile photo. It's a pencil drawing called "old hand". I don't know who the artist is, but I love the details. That silly grin, holding a jar of moonshine, it just fits right in to the spirit of my blog agenda. Let's see if I can post a bigger image. Crap! I hate being a computer nit. It didn't work. I'll keep trying.

Getting started

I have no idea what I'm doing. Be patient. This is just a test, but I promise it will be worth following when I figure out what to do.