2001-03-15 Midnight
BIRTHDAY
Last night was really when the birthday began. Mark's band played their showcase at Antone's and did a fabulous job. I think they were truly at their very best. I watched with a sort-of friend and his friend. I've been to a party at this guy's house and he and his wife are friends of the sax players. Very very nice guy and I enjoyed his lawyer-student buddy too---and it wasn't just because he kept buying me beer. It is a nice guy that asks if you need a refill and gets you a beer, it is a great guy that just gets you a refill and brings it to you, unasked.
After the Seth Walker Band played, the Holmes Brothers from NY played. They were three old black men that really new how to chew up the stage with blues and gospel. They were good. Then Jim Suhler from Dallas played. I saw him in Dallas years ago and enjoyed it but he was more low-key last night and didn't do much for me. He's incredibly talented as a guitarist but there wasn't a lot of charisma going on.
After the gigs we went to Ego's for a bit and I got to see the end of the set by Billy Bacon and the Forbidden Pigs. I hadn't been in Ego's in months so that was a fun return. I miss that place. Mark's band had a falling out with the management so they haven't had a regular gig there in a long time.
We came home and stayed up even later watching Survivor and the new show "The Job." Good show--has potential.
Today, the actual day of my birth on this planet--42--gasp!-- years ago, I slept late and then opened many fun e-mails with attached animated cards. My dearest friend Beth called from Idaho and we laughed together for a while. My newest friend Perfect C drove in from Blanco to entertain me for the day. She brought me a big flat of bluebonnets for the garden and two cards and she took me to lunch at a fabulous Thai restaurant that she loves. Great food. She did all the ordering for me. Then we were talking about places we want to go and she said, "Do you know where I want to go?" and I jumped in and said, "The Horseshoe Lounge!" We'd both talked in the past about wanting to go to the dive on South Lamar that Slaid Cleaves sings about and John Kelso writes about. It was truly a great experience. They even gave me a free beer for my birthday. Fun place. I'll go back.
I went on to work and Mark had left me a little Mexican art pig (and now I've lost his little ear) and a sweet small vase of flowers. The vase is actually a double shot glass for tequila made out of pottery but it serves the purpose so well. It was filled with gerbera daisies.
I was slow getting work done because I kept reading more sweet e-mails and getting sidetracked. B.L. from work and I went down to B.D.Riley's and had a pint of beer to celebrate my birthday. Mark was playing down Sixth but with the cold and my lack of initiative I never got down there to see him play. I finally finished work after 11 when he was through too so we went to the Magnolia on Lake Austin Blvd. and had a great late night breakfast.
Now we're home and I've opened more cards and e-mails and a package from Beth (bath things and a book to read in the bath) and it is way past bedtime.