May 28, 2002 10:04 am

Memorial Day

Is it time for the workweek to begin already? I thoroughly enjoyed my time off and could use a few more days of it. I probably would just waste it and get frustrated. For the two days I was off, I got done exactly what I intended to get done: A whole lot of nothing.

We had a "vacation day" Sunday more than the Monday Memorial Day holiday. Mark and I went to the Mexican flea market on 290 and found more crap than I've seen before, ever. But if you need a giant belt buckle, a cheap hat, a giant stuffed animal, a slutty halter with "Angel" written in sequins, a ringlet of fake hair, tires, heavy wooden furniture, NASCAR hats, or illuminated pictures of Jesus, this is the place.

We headed toward Hoover's for lunch. I haven't been there in ages and we wanted something reasonably healthy (cream gravy=healthy, greasy cheese=unhealthy). Just as we got there a nice man in a shirt and tie (a fine church-going man obviously) waved us down and informed us that Hoover's had just lost power and couldn't serve us. We moved on.

We ended up on 6th Street at the Boiling Pot. I've passed it for three solid years and always wanted to stop so this time we did. Interesting seafood place that almost succeeded in turning me into a vegetarian. Cute waitress, cute place, cute fan system run by a single motor and one long rope cirulating above. But the food is one of those places where they just dump it out on the paper in front of you and you dig in with your fingers. I've certainly peeled many a shrimp in my day, but still don't like it when they have head/faces/EYES. Ick. Crab claws weren't too bad. But the blue crabs and all the icky green CRAP inside their bodies was enough to send me to the closest Whataburger. The gumbo was great, the sausage was great, the corn-on-the-cob and new potatoes--all great. I pondered how many of us would be vegetarians if ALL meats were served this way? You go to Ruth's Chris and they dump a boiled steer on your table and hand you a sharp knife... Hand me the salad!

We drove around some in Tarrytown and admired our city then ended up back at our destination for the day: Auditorium Shores for the Travis Tritt/Wheel/Derailers show. Mark had never seen a show at Auditorium Shores so it was an Austin experience for him. I saw my first on Texas Independence Day during the Sesquicentennial/1986. I saw Joe Ely and Joe King Carrasco and I wish I knew who else. It was a great time. This time didn't have quite the exhuberance that that did (I was more sober and it was a lot hotter!).

We walked around and I found the folks from the radio station. Saw the good boss and his wife who I worked with at the mall last year and hadn't seen since last fall. Visited with my good radio friend but didn't know a lot of the folks that were there. Took a beer from their cooler and moved on around to see what was what at the deal.

Ran into Kramer (yes, I know how to insert links but I requires thought, so you'll just have to cut and paste: www.astrofish.net) and his Cajun friend. Fun to run into a friend and have an Austin-y chat.

We rounded back up to the radio camp and I spied our morning man, who I was going to take Mark to and introduce him, but then I spied the evil radio men that I used to work with and I wasn't quite ready to deal with them so we reversed course. I know, I'm a wuss.

We sat and enjoyed the Derailers immensely, though they made me hot wearing their hot suits. Their drummer is a good friend of ours and this was his first Austin gig with this band. Nice to see a good kid doing well. (he and Mark met at an audition for the Dixie Chicks years ago in Dallas. They had just signed Natalie Maines as their singer. They hired Scott to be their drummer. He played with them a very short time when the group Perfect Stranger called and offered him a gig. Perfect Stranger had had one hit on the chart already. Scott examined the situation, decided that these girls playing bluegrass would never make it and took the job with Perfect Stranger. We'll never let him live THAT decision down.).

The Derailers were great and Asleep at the Wheel was good. I've seen them be much better. I missed their sax player.

I'm not much good at sitting still through long shows anymore. We got bored during Asleep at the Wheel and decided to go home. I'm sorry I missed Travis Tritt because I like his music and I bet he is good in concert (as Kramer writes), but it had been a long day. I find myself at concerts thinking "okay, move on, next song..." Too impatient. I need to live in the moment more.

We came home and watched TV and I enjoy that a bunch.

Monday, holiday, slept late, friend Perfect C came by on her way to California and we ate lunch. She was a little down, a little mellow. Never know if it is that she is down or just stoned. I think she is smoking a lot more than she should. But that is another story.

Lots going on at the station that I won't go into here, though it is on my mind constantly. I am going to try my best to keep my mouth shut, do a good job, and see where things go over the next month or two. If things haven't changed in a big way by the end of the summer, I really will need to be deciding where my career lies in the future.

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Older Entries
Book Club - Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014
A Good Saturday Ahead - Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014
Back to Work - Monday, Jan. 06, 2014
The New Year Arrives - Wednesday, Jan. 01, 2014
Engaged - Monday, Dec. 30, 2013
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