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Great news, John. I'm so glad you've found a place where someone can see what kind of man you are... fantastic. bp

Congratulations,on the full time employment,Cat.I'm sure you realize that you earned the job and trust by being the person you are.

I saw that Becky dropped in at Mike's earlier today

They just started racing at Pomona and I'm listening to the audiocast, so I will be sitting here till the first round is in the books...It's great to have Becky back. I played a gig last night with the Pee Wee Bowen Band in Galveston for the Mardi Gras 2007 kick-off. Thousands of partying, costumed and beaded folks were real busy shaking out their demons before the start of Lent coming up in a couple of weeks. Our gig was in the heart of the whole thing at a place called Trumpets, on the Strand. We played for the Z-Crewe, an affluent group that rented the place for this party. There were about 350 people in the place. It was an upstairs gig, from 7-11PM. I had to park 3 blocks away...they have the whole Strand district barricaded. I paid a guy 10 bucks to park Ludwig in the driveway of a motor bank downtown. I brought a 4-wheel dolly with me, and I put my 120-pound Fender Twin Reverb amp on it, with my guitar stand folded down and sitting in the back of it. I added a condensed version of my gig bag, just bringing a mic cord, 2 guitar cables (in case one didn't function properly), my compact digital tuner, my only microphone, a Radio Shack mic stand, and sitting on top was my precious 1969 Gibson Les Paul in its battered case. I very carefully strapped all of it down with bungee cords and pushed the whole contraption through the big party, down to Trumpets. The entrance was closed and I went around to the alley, where I was able to get in through the security guard's good samaritanism. He brought me to the freight dock and I was able to put my stuff on a hydraulic lift that took us to the freight elevator, which looked like it came out of a gangster movie. Up we went to the second floor, and I rolled into a wild and crazy party. I was wearing my Pee Wee Bowen Band shirt, and the first thing I know, I had babes grabbing me, kissing me, hanging beads around my neck, and gushing praise...I hadn't even downloaded my stuff yet...this was a guitar gig, and I very carefully got myself set up. Loren moved me to one side of the stage, then Frankie moved me back, then Loren moved me back, then Herb told me to move farther out to the left, then Pee Wee showed up and told me to move it back closer to the middle. I was cool to move it anywhere they wanted, but they couldn't agree on where to put me until Pee Wee said where I would go, which strangely enough, was exactly where I put my stuff when I first showed up an hour earlier...so folks start pouring in. The drinks flowed. I don't drink, I had a Pepsi but it rattled off the top of my amp halfway through the first set. Man, what a party that was. Those folks are going to have a really good Lent this year. They danced to every note and made it easier for us to jam out. I got paid $205 in cash by Pee Wee. At the end of the night, they let me pull Ludwig into the Strand district and I got to load out right into Ludwig when I left. I drove away at 12:20pm. I spent the night at my Dad's house...everything went great and they might need me next Saturday night for a gig at Garten Verein back in Galveston, for a wedding. I'll have to wear my tux, but getting paid 200 clams a week for a gig I enjoy, well, it's professional musician stuff...I used to dream about doing stuff like this...the only drawbacks are that I had a face full of lipstick after the women got through with me at the gig, and I am as deaf as a doornail. All I can hear is a Purgatorial cacophony of pounding drums, high-pitched hum, Bob Frey, sort of, and residual crowd noise from last night...not voices, specifically (this time, thank goodness)...blended in with "Rainy Night In Georgia" (stuck in my head for 3 days now)...Other than that, it was worth it...I just remembered the local NBC station showed up and made footage of us playing...I got home today at just after noon. My beautiful wife was very glad to see me when I walked in. I'd say this will be remembered by me as a great weekend. We're all going down to Galveston next weekend whether I play that gig or not, to spend the night at my folks' house and to have a little party for Nick (I mean Chris), whose 15th birthday is coming up on the 19th. My Dad is aged and frail, Muriel is still fine, but both of them are partially not able to get around much. They traded in their Buick for a new top-of-the-line Ford Focus wagon...power windows, all comforts. Muriel still drives, but my Dad quit driving after I jumped on him about it a few months ago when he totaled their other car. He got a clean bill of health from his doctor last week, having recovered from prostate cancer year before last. He had to go through a lot of treatment, but he survived, albeit in a very weakened state. At least he's OK now, and enjoying his life. I couldn't hear anything they said to me, but it was nice to see them and we'll all go back next weekend. Hope everybody enjoys the race later today. Cheers, WC1

great reading WC !! AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY to what's his name By the way you should be able to get a copy of the NBC deal.... like my mom got for me after i was interviewed by ABC SPORTS at the Craftsman Nationals.. it would make a cool U-TUBE clip for all of us to enjoy !!

Great stuff, John. The notes all sound right... bp

Wednesday night I played in League City with the Whiskey Saints, working up new material (obscure 50's rock and roll songs) and getting back on business card discussions, last night I played with the Citykings in Memorial in Houston, trying out some techno material and talking about doing "Love Train" by the Trammps, tonight I'm playing at Bojangles down at NASA with Pee Wee Bowen, from 9:30-1:30. Got an offer last night via email to start up a new band with Zack Tate, an outstanding songwriter with an acute knack for melody. I played with him last year and we hit it off great...I'll be at work tomorrow morning at 8, preparing a series of 4 X 8-foot posters for a Chevron conference. My classes at College of the Mainland start May 5th, I took a semester off so I could "cut back" on my musical activities...2 classes, "The History of Rock 'n Roll" followed by "All About Drag Racing"...those are the ones I'm really looking forward to...it'll pay great, and I'll become a better person for having done it. Life is good, but very busy at this point. I'll get through tomorrow but I'll be tired...Cheers, WC1

Well, I got through the last 36 hours pretty much running straight on through it. I don't intend to do that on a regular basis, but it has been more successful than I expected it would, all the way around. I just turned up the wic and tore through my tasks with full focus and all the energy I could muster. Pee Wee wants me to join his band. We get at least $100 a man for every gig now, and it's a very popular band...2-3 gigs a weekend...often it's private parties that pay twice what clubs pay, so you go between getting handed a c-note and getting handed 2 to 2 and a half c-notes, sometimes more, for every other gig. And it's fun, challenging and a totally professional gig.
It is very tempting to join up with Pee Wee. The music is about as good as it gets. I can't say yes, I'll join, because I'm still committed to other bands. It'd be like if a young, sexy chick came up to me and offered to be my girlfriend, and here I am married to a good woman who has stayed with me through thick and thin. That has happened several times, not just with young chicks but ones on up to my age and older. I just politely have to leave. I'm staying on Pee Wee's "A-list" and I'll be there for these great gigs, but I can't quit the Citykings or the Whiskey Saints, they're bands that although are not as popular regionally, they're my guys and they've stuck with me just like Debby has...Bill told me the other night that the Citykings website, although inactive at this time (no updates in a year), has had thousands of hits after our activity on several music sites has increased...he said the most popular song that is downloaded and listened to over twice the others is "Diablo"...I had completely forgotten about that song. I still sing "Meet Your Maker" while driving Ludwig around the Heights at lunch, Bill said we've had a lot of hits on all the sites and at least half are coming from Europe. "Four Lifetimes" is living on. Bill also looked for Danny's order but couldn't find it. Danny, PM me a mailing address and I'll send your t-shirt to you. The largest we have is XL...Doc, what do you think...I know yours'll fit, but what about JTP? Should I send 2? Cheers, WC1