The Night Shift... Continues!

[WildcatOne]

I just got back from dropping my wife off at the airport; she's going to be in Missouri in the Fort Leonard Wood area (St. Robert) working at her sister's Jackson-Hewitt office for the next 4 months until tax season has passed. As I am sure all of you have noticed, money is tight right now and although I will miss her being here, she's doing the right thing. We need the money. I had a talk with my son Kyle this morning and we're going to include him in helping out with the bills. He has a job, he lives here, so he agreed to take up some of the slack. If we're careful and don't get extra with stuff, we'll make it on this and what I make at my job and with the band. I hope we can all pull through until things get better. I am thankful that I have a job and an income but just making ends meet has been difficult. So far so good.

The last month with the Pee Wee Bowen Band has been an adventure, probably more so than during the non-holiday months, because we have been playing 99% of our shows to private parties. It just hasn't been the same. At these parties, we make 3 1/2 times what we make playing clubs, we wear formal or semi-formal outfits, and we're often given all the food and drink we want. I don't drink, but I eat. It's been good in that respect, but there are restrictions in the atmosphere with these crowds...the boss is there, so nobody will get out on the dance floor and shake their booty. I did see a booty or two shake, but not on the dance floor and it was out of the boss' line of sight. Everybody was uptight as all get-out at these deals . It's just not cool to get loose and interact with the band at the annual Christmas party. We made great money doing it, but no matter how good we played, it just didn't connect. We played everywhere in this region, from the top of the Exxon Building downtown to community centers from Freeport to Atascosita, Garten Verein in Galveston (a miserable night...hot, humid, buzzing electrical groundings, an interminable gig and we were stuffed into tuxedos. They hadn't had the air conditioning system fixed since the hurricane flooded it, but we made $285 per man that night) and all over Houston. The final holiday season show was New Year's Eve at the Lone Star Ballroom in Pasadena. Pee Wee turned down a gig the Sheraton offered us for more than twice what Lone Star was paying us because Lone Star books us all year round and the Sheraton had a series of 4 one-night-stands for us to do. Loyalty pays off in the long run, and we all agreed with Pee Wee on making the decisons he made about our holiday season schedule. The Lone Star Ballroom was sold-out, standing-room only. Debby went with me to this, and she got to meet and party with the Phantom Kruizers for the first time...they loved her. She was dolled-up, had her personality set on full blast, and she hit it off great with the whole crowd of them, who welcomed her (they had asked me if I really did have a wife...they'd never seen her...I said oh, yes, I have a wife. Just wait till you meet her!) and she danced and partied with them all night. It was GREAT being back on a stage again with a crowd that was there just for us. They danced, they yelled, they filled up the tip jar, they put on a show for us and we soaked it all in. After the second set, we were surprized when the band was presented with a sculpted glass trophy, accompanied by a standing ovation from the packed house, as we were given the People's Choice Best Band in the Houston Area award for 2008. Pee Wee had been adamant that it was not just HIM...he's been uncomfortable with that Entertainer of the Year tag. It is not mentioned once that he hasn't insisted that it was the band, not him, that deserved that award...that's Pee Wee playing down his greatness (he deserved the award) and deferring all credit to us for it...so we got recognized and life is good. Now, we're booked solid all the way deep into 2010 and places are starting to open back up and the phone keeps ringing. It's been a great ride to this point and the future looks terrific, even better than it did last year at this time. I'm ready for the drag racing season to start up again, though. Once football season is over, there's not much to keep me from climbing the walls but I'll survive. In another few months, I will have to have major surgery on my right leg. It hasn't healed well from the outpatient surgery I had on it 3 weeks ago, it's just about where it was before I had it done, this was something the doctor told me might happen. So although I hoped I could get a drive-through fix done on it, all it did was prolong the ordeal and make it certain that it will have to be cut again, onlly bigger and more of it next time. At least I know that the surgery will fix the leg and I can move forward from that point. I'll have it done in the spring when we have some bucks set aside to do it with. George is now a legally registered Antique Auto. That was necessary, and now that he's an Old Volks Home resident, I can get insurance that is much less than what I was paying and I also can use my expenses as tax write-offs when I drive him around...the only bummer was that I had to remove the DragList sticker from the rear window...it's not allowed...the Phantom Kruizer plaque can stay but no "advertising" can be on the car except for stuff like the plaque, which is attached to a bracket...other than that, it was an improvement over the legal status that George had before...I'll put the DragList sticker over the glove box...again, I hope we all have a great 2009. Cheers, WC1

[draglist]

Thanks for sharing as always, John. Lots of happy and said in one post. It sounds like we need "Blues for Cat" event. bp

[Rapid Randy Baker]

WC, thanks for the long post and the ride along with our own Rock Star!

I hope things all go well for you in the coming year. Sorry to hear you will be without Debby for the next few months. That part will be tough, but just keep thinking of the "Reunion"

[WildcatOne]

Thanks, Rapid...life is and will be good! Good luck to all in the coming months! WC1

[draglist]

Hi John. I updated WildcatScratch.com to point to this column for your writing and to the Pee Wee Bowen band for your music. bp

[pro70z28]

[WildcatOne]

Thanks, BP, Rapid and ProZ! As you know, I've been working on the DragList 2009 Calendar. It's just about ready. I should let you guys know now that next week I'll be having surgery to remove 2 sebacious cysts, one on my leg and one on my back. I'll be down for a while, I hope not for long. They've been giving me fits...I'll be taking a couple of weeks off from the band, and hopefully will be back by late January. Pee Wee has Doug Ardoin lined up to sub for me while I'm out. I've had these for years, but you know how it is...you keep putting it off. It's time now to get it done and put it behind me. Positive thoughts requested. Cheers, WC1

[draglist]

Best of luck, John. We will be there with you. bp

[Novel-T]

It will go well ,Cat.and your healing will be rapid[sorry Randy]

[bojangies46]

Its best to get it done and over with, prayers from Missouri