Lons Road Trip

Thank God I’m a country boy.

2010-09-12T09:58:00.024-05:00

Okay, so down south I’d be a redneck. But my last week in Michigan was definitely ‘country boy’ world. Topped off with having an alternator for my bike rebuilt (for $75) versus replaced like in the city (for $601 “plus labor”); to demolition derby and tractor pulls, you just don’t experience anything like this outside of “the Thumb”.

So, the weekend starts out at my brother, Dale’s house for a family gathering and celebration of my niece, Whitney’s birthday. And then progresses to Elkton for the Autumn Festival, where I of course park my house.

The first night of festivities includes the demolition derby. For the uninitiated, this is where a bunch of country boys, and a few country girls, spend the previous month frantically trying to get a car running, not so they can get to work, but rather so they can smash it against the cars of their friends (and sometimes enemies). For instance, this is a sequence of shots of one the heats. (You can double-click on the pictures to enlarge them.)

I know, you are thinking “Lon, HOW do you top THIS?” Well, imagine taking your average tractor out of the field, just before you’re are going to harvest this year’s crops, and souping it all up and challenging your buddies to see who pull the most weight the farthest down a gravel road! Yep, and you might as well set up a beer tent next to this road, because people are going to want to drink beer while they are cheering you on. I give you, The Tractor Pull:

And tractors come in all colors andshapes (and modifications)

And even trucks!

One day of this weekend event included a classic car show. This was really fun because it involved not only Model A’s and other older classics, but also many muscle cars that we all grew up with. Here are a few.

And here’s my brother’s car:

Yeah, I come from a pretty cool family.

Life is good, in the country.

Leitchfield, Kentucky

2010-09-11T11:41:00.003-05:00

That’s the last time I stop for gas in Leitchfield, Kentucky.

Okay, its not Leitchfield’s fault. See, I was on my way from Michigan back to Texas, and still not having decided how I’d return, or when, I chose to take the Western Kentucky Byway to enjoy the scenery; and when I stopped for gas, I noticed someone had leaked transmission fluid in the gas station lot. Well, that someone turned out to be me. Keep in mind I’m driving my F350 Diesel truck, pulling my house, with not one, but two motorcycles (thanks to the additional bike purchased in Michigan) loaded in the back, and my trusty dog, Coffey riding in the back seat of the truck. So here I am with my house and worldly possessions and a disabled truck.

Two and half hours later, my truck was on a flatbed tow truck heading 30 miles east and my house was connected Mr. Duvall’s truck heading 15 miles south to what I could only hope was a functional campground (did I mention I was kinda in the middle of nowhere in Kentucky?).

Long (trust me, very long) story short, I’m getting a new transmission put in the truck (and no, given that the truck is a 1997 with over 200,000 miles, it is not covered by warrantee) and I’m sitting in a campground for the next 4 days (in this case, a weekend is just adding to the shipping time of parts).

Yesterday, I made the most of it by unloading one of the bikes and going for a ride (8 hours, 100 miles, you do the math). But unfortunately today I woke up to rain and it looks like its going to rain harder, with possible thundershowers, tomorrow. So having 2 bikes isn’t doing me a lot of good.

If nothing else, maybe I’ll catch up on this blog thing.

(By the way, Mr. Duvall called me this morning, just to check in to make sure everything was okay, and to see how it shook out with the transmission. Folks in these parts have been very accommodating.)

It's about time, eh?

2010-09-11T10:27:00.007-05:00

I know what you’re thinking. “Oh my God, a blog entry! He hasn’t written forever.” You’re right, and I owe it to Larry Clark, whom I met in the parking lot of the Mammoth Caves National Park. But don’t worry, I’m not doing this for Larry (or you), but rather myself.

You see, Larry is another full-timer, and we were talking about travel and family and keeping in touch and all, and Larry tells me he writes a blog, so his kids and friends can keep up with him. And I told him that I used to keep a blog, but due to (and I’m ashamed to admit to this)…the instant gratification of Facebook and being able to just quickly post a picture or an update and be done with it….that I hadn’t taken the time to update my blog in a while. And then Larry says something very profound – he says that he finds his blog works great as a journal. When he and his wife are discussing things that happened two or three years ago, they can go back and see when it really was and who was involved. I’VE DONE THAT! I’ve gone to find a shop owner’s name when I’m going back to an area, or to remember where that really great restaurant was with the liver and onions. So I told Larry that he just gave me the incentive to get back to my blog. Be damned with Facebook!

So, how is it that I was in the Mammoth Cave National Park to meet Larry in the first place? We’ll I was out on the new little Dual-sport motorcycle that I bought while in Michigan. A “Dual-Sport” used to be called and “Enduro” when I was growing up. It’s a motorcycle that is licensed to ride on the roads, but at the same time is equipped to ride in the trails and hills. I’ve been shopping for one for almost two years when I sold my “second bike”, the Sabre. The Valkyrie has been good (obviously so, since I bought another one after totaling my first in May), but is not very well equipped for some of the dirt roads and trails I’ve taken it down. Anyway, I was out riding back roads of Kentucky and came to a ferry crossing run by the National Forest Service. The river was about 100 feet wide, so this was a short but cool ride. I got talking to the ferry boat driver afterward (he was heading up the hill to also do some weed-eating – yes, this was WAY in the boonies and his job was to maintain the place, as well as drive the boat. DARN – I just realized that I should have asked him if *I* could drive the boat?! Well, I guess I was having too much fun running around the back roads and trails with the new bike, that I missed that adventure.)

But I digress. While talking to the driver, he told me of another ferry, that does even more river crossings “up to 300 a day” versus his 40. Turns out, it is near the Mammoth Caves, which is also just up the road. And he says “if you haven’t seen it, you really should” (talking about the caves, not the ferry, but frankly I already knew I’d be riding that other ferry as well). So, I rode to the Caves and parked in the Visitor Center and toured and read. It’s the world’s largest underground caves. They have this cool picture showing the 300 miles of caves. Very cool. (Literally, too.)

It was after walking around and clicking a few pictures that I met Larry (you remember Larry, right?) and we talked in the parking lot for a half hour or so.

So I’m back. I’m going to not only keep up with the blog, but I’m going to try to work my way backwards and post some of the events that occurred since I last wrote. I’ll continue to post the pictures on Facebook, so if you want to see all of them, you’ll have to become my friend.

And yes, I DID ride that other ferry. I was still the only vehicle on it, so I got to visit with the driver for the entire 30 second ride.

Why am I in NoWhere, Kentucky riding a dirt bike and visiting with Ferry Boat Drivers? Oh, yeah, if you haven’t been keeping up on Facebook, maybe I should fill that little tidbit in.
Stay Tuned.
Life is Good, and I’m happy to be back.

I've Been Thinkin

2010-01-31T15:44:00.003-06:00

Anyone that knows me well enough, knows that while I enjoy listening to music, in no way do I ‘study’ it. Its probable that half way thru a song, if the beat gets to me deep enough, I’m so lost in my own thoughts that I have no clue what the words are. If you think that attention deficit is significant when it comes to just a song, then you can understand why I don’t typically buy albums. The idea of an entire compilation of songs relating to one another and telling a story has always been a mystery to me. Combine that with my motorcycle riding and fact that the radio in my truck died over a year ago and you can understand that listening to recorded music doesn’t play a large part in my life. The fact that I like to sit alone in the woods around a campfire is another indicator of my enjoyment of silence (and the voices in my head).

So, for me to ‘review’ a song, much less an entire CD is out of character. But over the past couple days, I can’t help but to sit down and write. A friend gave me a CD she burned (yes, boot-legged, but I’ll justify that by the end of this piece) of some music. Other than having heard the name of the artist from her (local to her blues scene), there was neither endorsement nor encouragement to listen to this particular CD (as a matter of fact, she gave me 3 to listen to, in no particular order).

Well, when I put this CD, marked only with “Gino Matteo”, into the player, my short attention span came into focus. The lyrics of the first song brought me a sense of connection with the artist

I been a full blown sinner, I been a liar’s son

I been a losers winner, I’ve only just begun

I used to live for fire, come quick out of my mouth

Where was he going with this? Is this another ‘to hell with the world and the rest of you’ song? You know, the type that talks about how bad he is and be damned with the rest of you? That was quickly answered

I been a full blown sinner, I been a liar’s son

I been a losers winner, I’ve only just begun

I used to live for fire, come quick out of my mouth

‘Til I got some holy water and slowly put it out

Chased a few dragons, knocked closed some doors

Now you don’t see me chasing any dragons anymore

Now I’ve gotta warn you first off, the lyrics alone are not nearly as powerful as when you hear them. The power, soul and ‘back beat’ as one reviewer put it helps to capture the emotion.

So, I start to want to know this guy’s story. A sinner, that’s gotten the taste of holy water and isn’t chasing dragons no more? I can relate. Probably older, weathered, seen some things in life. Keep in mind I’m drawn to Delta Blues, most of which comes from the trials of slavery, indentured servitude and “life sucks but with my music and my friends, I’ll make the best of it”.

I get up every morning and this is what I do

I thank the Lord above me, for helping get me through

I walked so many valleys, alone in the dark

‘Til I got some company and put ‘em in my heart

Chased a few dragons, knocked closed some doors

You don’t see me chasing any dragons anymore

Well the next song starts out

That woman took everything and left me for dead

Took me to the courthouse just to mess with my head

Left me blinded, beaten down and bloody on the floor

And I just KNOW this guy is older, till the next line tells me

“Well there's too much going on now, I'm only 24"

I’m sure this isn’t coming from someone that young. The songs have such a feeling that you just know this guy has lived it, and isn’t just writing some bluesy songs (by the way, this is not really a true blues album. I learn later when I look him up, that his influences run the gamut of blues, rock and a lot of N’awlins!) But I’m feeling from these songs that there is a certain emotion, a thread if you will, that ties all the songs together.

This might be a good point to give you a little background of where my mind was when I was listening to this CD (in case you didn’t notice, this isn’t so much about the CD as it is about ME! LOL). I had just come back from one of my little wanderings, this time on an airplane rather than the bike; and I was in my typical ‘return to the real world’ funk. That’s when I get mixed up in my head about living in the woods versus society. The idea of regular communications with people (and pissing them off if you don’t) and having to be places at certain times. Thinking about life; where I really want to go; where I am; and what I’m doing (or not doing) to get there! So I find myself getting up later, getting to the SoupMobile later in the day. Leaving earlier and not having a focus on anything longer term than the next hour. Like I told one concerned friend – some people need a good cry now and then. For me, I need a good funk now and then. I get all reclusive and listen to dark music. I didn’t expect this CD to be dark, but God has a way of bringing us into what we need.

So, boy was I slapped upside the head when I heard the title cut to the CD – “I’ve Been Thinkin”, about people not having it so good, and then he hits me with

Well I was so selfish, but now I can see

That some folks maybe got it a little bit worse than me

Started thinkin, yeah, I’ve been thinkin’

WHAT! I’m supposed to acknowledge that others have it worse? And I’m supposed THINK about it? Of course I’m being facetious here, but wallowing in my pity is part of the funk! My life sucks – I’m not living in the woods. I’m expected to answer my phone and even login to the computer. I’m supposed to go to the SoupMobile and support their mission of feeding, clothing and sheltering the homeless. I’m supposed to be building my personal business to support me in the future. All these things are not in direct line with my desire to sit by a fire and answer to no one! And here this 25 year old ‘kid’ has ME thinkin (and again, the WAY he sings it, especially when the instruments go quiet and it’s just his voice, is so powerful).

So powerful that I did something I don’t normally do – I got online and checked out Gino Matteo! With the CD in the player, I followed the lyrics of all the songs. I read his interviews (yep, he apparently really is only 25!) and got just a little feel for his influences. Not much about his life. That bit I’ll defer to the songs on his CD. Songs like “Chocolate Jesus” (a Tom Waits remake, but with Gino’s touch and placement in this CD), “Liquor Store Man”, “Hopeless Sinner” and “Fat Cat”, that I was sure had to be about something different than a fat cat. Or is it?

Well, after listening to this CD a half dozen times, which is REALLY out of character for me, I went for a motorcycle ride and pulled myself out of my funk. After all “some folks maybe got it a little bit worse than me”.

Perhaps you had to be in a funk to appreciate this CD, but I don’t think so. I really like his sound, and the way he doesn’t follow the normal rhyming of songs (see, I’m not a song writer or musician, or I’d know what his ‘style’ is).

And yes, while I was listening to a boot-legged CD, but I stepped out of my funk and got online and purchased the CD. Yeah, it was that good.

http://www.ginomatteo.com/music/

So, maybe I become a reviewer? Nah, too much stress. I’ll just continue to groove what sounds good, and share it on occasion.

Life is good, enjoy the music.

Chicago Blues, Family, and Friends

2009-06-19T22:06:00.022-05:00

I have to admit that after nearly 2,800 miles in 6 days on the bike, my butt was starting to get a little sore by the end of the last day. But (no pun intended) I'd do it again in a second. There's something so free about riding the bike, versus being cooped up in a car for that many miles and days.

This year's trip for the Chicago Blues Fest had more twists than normal. Besides actually starting out with good tires, fresh oil and a clean bike....wait, nope, sorry, the bike was definitely not clean. But that was because it was raining when I left on Thursday morning. Anyway, this years trip was going to not only include the blues festival, but also a side trip to Michigan for a family picnic/graduation party. And, rather than a quick night's stop-over in Memphis on the way home, it would involve an extra few miles south to Clarksdale, MS, Home of the Blues.

So, I leave Thursday morning in the rain and head north. The plan was to grab a room when I got to about 4 hours out of Chicago. Then, on Friday I would ride into Chicago and meet up with Joy, who was flying in from Denver. Well, after about 12 hours of riding on Thursday, I decided that 4 more hours to get there wouldn't be so bad. So, I called Casa de Bill and verified a late (or perhaps I should say early AM) arrival and cold beer would be permissible. Nothing like 16 hours on the bike to begin a weekend!

After about 4 hours of sleep, Bill and I ventured out on Friday morning for the festival. Very quickly we found out that "pot hole construction" had the expressway into Chicago shut down. So, Bill lead us thru some of the more colorful neighborhoods on the back way into the city. What a diverse city it is! It was a sunny, cool morning and people were out everywhere. There was music in the streets and everyone seemed to be in a festive mood, even though they were going about their busy Saturday morning routines.

Our tour finally came to an end in Chicago and we met Joy at Victor's condo. If you don't know the story of Victor and his 30th floor condo overlooking Lake Michigan, Lake Shore Drive, Grant Park (where the festival is held) and the city, well apparently you haven't been paying attention.

Okay, this is where I have to tell you about Saturday's plans. Normally, Saturday is when my friends would come down and meet us at the fest. But this year I had a family party in Michigan to go to. You see, my Uncle Ric has been having family picnics for the past couple years (which I haven't managed to attend) and this year he combined it with my cousin Stephanie's graduation party. And since Uncle Vince was going to make the trek down from Northern Michigan; and some aunts and uncles (and as it turns out, cousins) from Canada were going to be there; and since Eric was going to be in town.....that's a bit of an understatement, since he lives in Egypt (http://backpackerconcierge.com/). Well, you get the idea. Oh, and I didn't tell my folks I'd be there, so that was kinda fun too. After all, it was only 5 hours from Chicago!

So, because I wasn't going to be at the fest on Saturday, most everyone was able to oblige me and come down to the fest on Friday. Due to the shortened schedule, I didn't get any great shots of musicians that I'd like to share, but I did get lots of good shots of friends.

Starting out with the Three Amigos/Musketeers/Stooge's/Friends (and Al! LOL)

Of course, also keeping in tradition, we have Russ and Ken and very dignified poses.

Here's a shot of the group early in the day.

And later in the evening.

I also managed to find MadDog and Tall Jim, whom I had met at the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival back in October.
Be sure to notice the banner in the background for the newly formed Windy City Blues Society (http://windycityblues.org/). There were other old and new friends, as is typical for the festival.

After the fest, Bill, Joy and I caught a cab to Buddy Guy's Legends for more music, and then another cab to the White Palace for breakfast. This last stop was a good idea, since I wouldn't make time to eat until about 1pm the next day.

Speaking of the next day, that's when I headed for Michigan. Just like Thursday, I started the day out in the rain. Unlike Thursday, it rained for HOURS on my trip to the family gathering. But, I managed to make it just fine without incident (remember the note at the beginning about new tires? Well I definitely tested their traction capabilities on this trip).

Like I mentioned earlier, there were aunts, uncles and cousins, many of which I hadn't seen in probably 20 years or more, and some of which I don't remember ever meeting at all! At this point, I'm going to post a few of pictures. If your family, hopefully you know who everyone is. If you aren't family, you don't really care anyway.

We'll start with a toast to the graduate (she's the one without the toast!).
And here's Dale, Kelly, my folks and Uncle Ric.

And still more family.

After the party, I followed my folks to their place for the night. After all, it was only an additional 3 hours north. We had a nice visit that evening and the next day, before I headed south about 2pm.

I took a day and a half, the half of which started out in the rain, as usual, to get to Clarksdale, where I was going to meet up with Mary Jane. And can you believe that as many times as I've been to Clarksdale, I've never been to the Delta Blues Museum? Well I toured it on Tuesday and enjoyed it very much. I also attended a reception at the Greyhound Station for the opening of the Farmers Market with MJ and Laura. I really like the town, and the people are so friendly and welcoming (as a note, I swung past Tricia's Italian Restaurant and Pie Hole, to check on their progress. Lights and the drop ceiling were being installed, so its definitely coming along. I'll keep you posted.)

Wednesday's forcast for my ride home was HOT! Yes, I'd have an 8 hour ride, facing west, in 90+ degree heat. Rain would have been very welcome. I arrived home to a happy dog, a dry yard and the reality that the next planned music festival isn't until the King Biscuit in October. But, I'm planning to go to Michigan in August for the Cheeseburger In Paradise festival so I've got some time to rest my butt and clean the bike.

Life is good, ride safe.

Juke Joint Fest

2009-04-24T21:13:00.046-05:00

We all know my preference is to attempt to write some entertaining story about my travels. But we've come to realize that when I'm in Texas, for some reason, I don't seem to write as much as when I'm on the road. I think it has to do with smoke. You know, the kind from the fires I cook over when I'm traveling.

So, before this becomes old news, rather than try to be creative, I'm going to just do a trip log of my recent trip to Clarksdale, MS for the Juke Joint Festival. I've heard and read about this fest for quite some time, but have never made it. After last year's King Biscuit, and then spending time with Ronnie and Tammy in Clarksdale, and their recommendation, I knew I wouldn't miss it this year.

So, lets get to the trip!
I rode the bike down on Friday. Got there in time to catch some music on the streets, including Pork Chop Willie (I'm sure the fact that a pretty lady on a fiddle caught my eye won't be a surprise to anyone that knows me, but the rest of the group was pretty good too! (8-) Alright, we gotta give props to Melissa Tong, Kinney Kimbrough and Eric Deaton, along with Bill "Pork Chop").

My main focus for Friday night, and the reason I made sure I was there before 9pm was to see Blue Mother Tupelo at the Delta Amazement Cafe. Ronnie told me about the band last fall, and the bar....well, its real name is the Delta AMUSEment Cafe, but I'm always AMAZED the place is in business, so I've renamed it. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you'll just have to experience it some day (a blog for another time). Anyway, Blue Mother Tupelo is a husband and wife team (along with a young drummer guy) that has so much energy and feel that the entire place was charged! I enjoyed them so much so that I made sure to catch them the next day for another round of great country blues music. And yes, that's the first time I've experienced a tambourine solo. There's just something about experiencing music when you can tell that the folks on stage are having so much fun.

Alright, I'm only into my third beer tonight and I can tell this is getting long, so I'm gonna just post some pictures.

Robert "Wolfman" Belfour (who I was fortunate enough to have caught at Red's Lounge on a previous trip to Clarksdale).

Mr. Tater the Music Maker. Actually, I didn't see Tater perform on this trip, but have many times on past trips. He was looking so fine this day that I had to get a picture. What a better shot than a blues man in front of a train? Okay, it would have been better if it was a box-car type train, but ya gotta work with what ya got, and there were no pretty ladies around at the time.

Now, if you wanna see a show, be sure to catch Reverand Payton's Big Damn Band. This shot doesn't give you a feel for the show. Check out the other pictures (I'll post the link at the end) that include his wife on washboard.Okay, its time to talk about friends. Like I mentioned earlier, I've been planning this trip since I left Clarksdale last fall. And Ronnie and Tammy (you remember them from last fall, right?) were again gracious hosts, giving me a place to stay, great food and great company. Last fall it was Tammy's birthday, and this trip it was their anniversary! These are great people.

Also staying at their house was Kim "BluesDawg" Mason. Here he is at Tricia's Italian Restaurant and Pie Hole, with LaLa. More on Tricia's later. LaLa plays a mean keyboard (again, follow the picture link). You can catch her solo, as well as with Super Chikan.

And lets not forget Vinnie C (he was playing on the streets as well) and Lori who also stayed out in Duncan with us. After all, Ronnie and Tammy live in a 2 bedroom house, so there was PLENTY of room for all of us, and Delta and Biscuit, their dogs.

Alright, its time to mention the really great part about this festival - THE PEOPLE! Blues folks are a great crowd. My estimate is that there were about 2-3000 people there, tops. Musicians on many, many streets and in the clubs at night. Chairs set up 5 feet from the band. By the end of the third day, you've basically been "hanging out" with all the same folks so much that you're old friends.

Speaking of ole friends, Joy and Kricket from Baton Rouge decided last minute to drive up for the fest (and even scored a hotel room in a town that's been booked up for 6 months!). The funny part is that they both forgot their cameras, so I ended up playing "photographer to the stars" all weekend, including this shot with Honey Boy Edwards on Sunday morning at breakfast.

Here's another Kodak moment with T-Model Ford. The series of pictures I took tells a story, although I'm not so sure I wanna know what the story was.

Now lets talk about magical musical moments. At an event like this, you never know who is going to step in and play with who. What's really special is when one of the older 'masters' plays with a younger blues player. Like when CeDell Davis rolled in and joined Malcolm of "Lightnin' Malcolm and Cedric Burnside".Of course Cedric has his time, with T-Model Ford.

Another great time was folks joining in with Honeyboy Edwards. First Billy Gibson.

And then it was Marquee (sorry, I don't really know the spelling of his name.) I saw him last fall at Hopson's during PineTop's Homecoming. He played with Michael Burke and tore it up! The great thing about this kid is his respect for his elders. You can see it in his face as he was 'following' Honeyboy. Here's Big George Brock's band (he's in red) when Malcolm joined them as well.

I I even managed to catch Rev KM Williams and Jackson (aka TrainWreck) at Ground Zero on Sunday. They are from Dallas and I actually got to visit with them a bit earlier in the day.
Oh yeah, we are way out of order of the weekend, but I got off track telling ya bout folks I saw. My pick for the busiest man of the weekend was Bill Abel. He played with and for pretty much everyone, including a few solo appearances.

Here he is with Cadillac John.

And here he is with Honey Boy.

And, with T-Model and Deak Harp.

Here's The Homemade Jamz Band at Ground Zero. I think I wrote about them at a Chicago Blues Fest. 3 kids and their dad. They've won many contests and awards. I was duely impressed when I saw their mention and display at the BB King Museum in Indianola, MS (I know, I still need to write about that part of the trip last fall). Be sure to notice the guitars. And yes, that's their little sister on drums.

Here's L.C. Ulmer at Trishia's

And of course Terry "Harmonica" Bean, who also ran one heck of a jam at Red's that night. By the way, if anyone knows who Jackie is, she signed my t-shirt and I don't much remember why. At least I woke up with MY OWN t-shirt, this time! (Just kidding Mom. I always wake up with my own clothes! LOL)

I could show you a picture of Robert "Bilbo" Walker and his band, but I kinda like this one better, since it also shows my bike!

Okay, its time to take a break from the musicians and talk about the people again. Unless you've ever traveled with me, its hard to explain how sometimes things "just happen". Like "Wildman's Den of Sin" next to the nuclear reactor in Mississippi. Or closing down PEARL after a great night of music. Finding a sword fish (less the sword) in the dumpster at The Hole In the Wall. Well, you get the idea. For this fest, the magic was in discovering Tricia's Italian Restaurant and Pie Hole. Yep, that's what its called. Or I should say that's what its going to be called, when they officially open. For the fest, HuckFinn was grilling sausage out front, Jo was serving food inside and Tricia and Steve were gracious (VERY gracious) hosts. Sorry, I can't remember Huck's friend's name, but she was running around helping a lot too.
Here's the story - They are all from Indiana! Steve and Tricia are moving down to Clarksdale to open their dream place. Aparently there were many road trips to get the place in a state where they could just open the doors (gut it from the previous furniture store?) and host a tail-gate style party! And pies! This lady can cook pies! These folks hauled polish/italian sausage down from Chicago! And cold beer! Okay, like I said, there's no way I can explain events of the weekend around this place. The people I met. The music I heard. The pie I ate (and got to take home!)!!! But most of all, the hospitality that they showed. If ANYONE ever goes to Clarksdale, MS you BETTER go to Trcia's (its across from Yazoo Avenue Park (and the Bluesberry Cafe) on Yazoo Ave. You might even mention my name. It probably won't help any, but I'm pretty sure it won't get you thrown out.

Well, time to wrap this up. Tricia's was my big discovery. I made a lot of friends I hope to see again, like Jeff and Mary Anne Norwood (Jeff is a musician and played there, Mary Anne is a photographer and was polite enough to hang out with me at many stages).

Of course there's Joy, my blues-twin. I think we hit just about every venue on Saturday and even drove out in the Blues Caddy to Hopson's to catch Big George Brock.

Here's the link to all of my pictures from Juke Joint Fest 2009 - http://tinyurl.com/JukeJoint09

See ya at the next fest.
Life is Good, So are the blues

THE Po’ Monkey Experience Part 2

2008-12-02T16:57:00.013-06:00

I’m back. Its time to finish the story about my trip to Po’ Monkey’s Lounge, in Merigold, MS.

Now you can go follow that link if you are interested to hear about how a sharecropper’s shack became a famous juke joint. Here’s another write-up, by the New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/02/us/02jukejoint.html.

Well, I told Ronnie (remember Ronnie?) all about Larry and that I was planning on running out there Thursday night and he was more than welcome to join for my little adventure. He also invited Greg, a friend of his from Helena to join us. So we pitched in to put gas in Greg’s car (you don’t think I’d take MY vehicle out there, do ya?) and Ronnie offered to be designated driver, and off we went. Given the lack of road markings, it was a good thing I had scoped the place out during the day so we found it without too much problem (we had more problems getting out of Clarksdale, but that’s another story).

To say we ‘stood out like a sore thumb’ is probably a bit of an understatement, but as I walked up to get a beer when we got there, a man approached me, offered his hand and introduced himself as Monkey, and welcomed me to his place! It was going to be a good night. It was still early and we pretty much had our choice of seats. Ronnie seemed to find comfort and a connection with Monkey’s interest in tractors as well and found a nice comfortable spot at the end of a table that turned out to be the perfect place to see EVERYTHING that was happening all night. Here’s Ronnie and Greg.

People were strolling in, with the DJ playing R&B (they don’t have bands there except for special occasions) and we were enjoying looking at the uniqueness of the place. There were stuffed monkeys and various other ‘decorations’ hanging everywhere, including beads, banners and a disco ball. About 30 minutes after we got there, Larry came strolling in. When he saw me, he told me he had called Monkey asking if a guy on a bike was there yet, and then yelled “hey, this is the guy I was calling you about!” Again, how much more comfortable can you feel when you realize they are checking to make sure you showed up. Or, perhaps…..nah, he was truly hoping I’d show up for good reasons. Right?

At this point, Larry started coming out of the backroom with various gag items, telling jokes and pulling coins out from behind the ears of some of the gals that had sat at the other end of our table. We were all having a big time. I told Larry I’d really like to get a picture with he and Monkey at some point and after a while he said “better get yer picture now before it gets too wild”. I’m the guy on the right. LOL

What’s hilarious is the fact that other than when this picture was taken, these guys were usually smiling! I guess that’s their camera faces. I hope this picture of Larry doesn’t offend anyone, but this was actually the least offensive of all pictures of him, but at least it shows him smiling, as well as an idea of his antics, and some of the crowd we were partying with. Also, Monkey is known to come out in brightly colored suits, which he changes quite often, but I guess since he’d been working in the fields all day, he settled for various wigs on this particular night.

I had a chance to visit with some regulars while listening to some fun music and having a great time. The place filled up pretty good, and probably even more so as it got even later, but we had a bit of a drive. Here’s a picture of some of the folks dancing, which also gives you an idea of the years of decorations. Looking at the picture I’d like to reassure you that the guy in the blue and white shirt is not throwing a punch, but rather dancing. Notice where his left hand is.

Also, there’s a little story involving the gal in the beige shirt up front. When we decided it was time to go, I went to the restroom before the drive home. When I came out, and I was crossing the dance floor, she grabbed me and said “you’re not leavin till you dance with me.” I didn’t have any problem with this (none of y’all were there to laugh at me), but as I started dancing I looked up to see Ronnie holding up my jacket and saying “we’ll see ya outside”, as he and Greg walked out the door! I guess they didn’t want to have to dance to leave, and I was on my own! LOL

Well, that’s an overview of my Po’ Monkey adventure. Another opportunity to experience blues history and meet some great people. I’ll definitely go back next time I’m in the area. I’m sure by then, Larry will have some new jokes and Monkey will have some other wigs or suits!

Life is Good. Po’ is relative!
Lon

A Commentary by Lon?

2008-11-23T11:58:00.004-06:00

I know, you came here hoping to find a story about a blues fest or a motorcycle ride, or perhaps some story written with a lot of poetic license involving references to beer and/or shaving my head. But, since I didn’t make it to church on this fine, overcast, fall Sunday morning, I decided to write up something that has been on my mind for quite some time.

Now, I’ll joke with my friends about political subjects, typically taking the opposite side of what they think, regardless of fact. But I don’t usually take a side or a stance, mainly because I can see both sides of many of the issues, and don’t usually agree 100% with either. But since the presidential elections and all the bickering I’ve gotten a little put out by some of the things I’ve been hearing. Namely people complaining about the ideas of “redistributing the wealth” and taking from the rich and giving to the undeserving. To my Republican friends, frankly some of you are sounding pretty selfish with your “its my money, I shouldn’t have to share it with anyone” attitude.

But this rant isn’t about politics. It’s about giving. What happened to people helping their neighbor because they want to, not cause the government tells them they have to? I can’t help to think that if people had more of a caring and sharing attitude, maybe we wouldn’t need so many rules, regulations and taxes.

1 John 3:17-18 (New International Version)

17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

And now we are talking about an economy that is in trouble, and the news is filled with stories about the “holiday shopping season”, and how retailers are trying to draw people in to buy from their businesses. Do these businesses care that people are losing their homes, or having problems paying their utility bills? Of course not, because those people are worried about maintaining their standard of living and their jobs. I’m not criticizing people that are trying to separate you and your money, but rather hoping you’ll realize that they aren’t looking out for your best interest. That “SALE” that is going on isn’t there to help YOU!

Last year, my sister and brother came up with a great alternative to exchanging Christmas gifts amongst the family. Each family researched and chose a “cause”, if you will, to make a contribution to. There were no rules with respect to what the cause could be or the contribution itself. The point was to bring the individual families together to help those that are less fortunate, in the spirit of the season. And then to share their choice with the rest of the family. It didn’t matter if it was shopping to provide products and services, or sending a gift of money, the purpose was to help other’s in any way we could, in the name of Christmas (and Jesus Christ, if I may add that).

Now, I’m not sharing this to toot our horns. I know there are families out there that are doing much more than this. My reason for telling this is to maybe provoke some thought as to what we can do to share our good fortunes with some that might be less fortunate. And sharing happily, not because someone tells us we have to. You might be saying “But Lon, I’m one of those people that is having problems meeting my bills, you can’t possibly expect ME to give money to some charity.” Definitely NOT! I’m not suggesting anyone jeopardize their own financial situation in the name of giving (although if you’d like to discuss my opinions and experiences with tithing, I’d be more than happy to have that discussion!). What I am suggesting is that you look for ways that YOU can help others. Maybe its mowing the yard of a neighbor that is unable to. Or perhaps your family volunteers to deliver meals to someone that can’t leave their home. Maybe you collect blankets from neighbors and family, to donate to a shelter. You get the idea – you don’t have to spend money to show compassion. Maybe you have time to give; or knowledge to share; or a skill to use to make someone else’s life just a little bit better. And imagine, if you can, how it will affect those in your family. Trust me, hearing about organizations, both local and international, that were helped by the Ricker/Roberts families was far better than watching anyone open a present!

So I challenge you that this year, instead of drawing names or buying presents for everyone in your family (be it immediate or extended), why not suggest volunteering everyone’s time to help a family or organization in need? There ARE two rules to this little challenge – 1) You must do it joyfully, not begrudgingly, and 2) you must not do it so you can brag about it!

Matthew 6:1-4 (New International Version)

1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Life is Good.

Give Joyfully.

Lon

Back in Texas

2008-11-20T17:25:00.004-06:00

I know, I have lots to write about, including my adventures at Po' Monkeys Lounge, Indianola, MS and the BB King Museum, and a weekend in Southern Mississippi with Rick and Tank. But, just in case anyone is trying to keep up with my whereabouts, I wanted to let you know I'm back in Wylie, TX.

The campground is open for business, so if you are in the area and want a place to park, or would like to come by for a bonfire, please do!

Life is Good,
Texas ain't bad.
Lon

Finally, The Po’ Monkey Experience - Part 1

2008-11-20T15:47:00.009-06:00

Well, I’ve already posted stories and pictures from some of my blues ramblings. You can check out this site for more information about the Blues Trail, which is the Mississippi Blues Commission’s effort to commemorate more than 120 historical and interpretive sights relating to the blues (http://www.msbluestrail.org/blues_trail/). I also want to mention my travel ‘bible’ with regards to blues sites and information, “blues Traveling – The Holy Sites of Delta Blues”, by Steve Cheseborough. Ronnie had recommended this invaluable book, which I picked up at Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, Inc., in Clarksdale (http://www.cathead.biz/).

This post is going to be about some happenings one day while I was running around on the bike checking out history and snapping pictures. I was in Tutwiler, MS , and even though I had just taken pictures of a local map to the site of Sonny Boy Williamson II’s grave site, I still seemed to miss my turn (somehow I missed “the intersection with the gas meter”, which turned out to be a few pipes coming out of the ground, covered by tall grass), so I stopped short of a stop sign, turned the bike off and pulled “the book” out.

About this time a pickup truck came down the crossroad from my right and made a left turn, heading in the direction I just came from. The truck came to a stop and the driver asked what I was looking for. I read him for a local just looking for an opportunity to help, and boy was I right! When I told him I was looking for Sonny Boy’s grave site, he shut off his truck, which was parked in the middle of the road, and hopped out to give me directions! I explained I was cruising around checking out old blues ‘stuff’ and besides the grave I was also heading to Po’ Monkey’s juke joint, and did he have any suggestions of other places I should check out.

At that point I couldn’t have felt more welcomed and fortunate. Turns out this man has been friends with “Monkey” for 30 years and told me all kinds of stories about Monkey, the place, and even some of the (unmentionable) happenings at the place!

Perhaps I should back up a bit. In case you didn’t read a previous post - who can blame you, some of these get a bit long winded and boring, and judging on the length of this one already, and the number of beers I’ve had, I’m pretty much expecting that this entry will also be quite long. But I digress. Po’ Monkey’s Lounge is an original, Delta juke joint! Its also one of the last remaining ones. Here’s a pretty decent site talking about the place, as well as about Monkey himself - http://www.southernspaces.org/contents/2006/brown/1a.htm.

Where was I? Oh, yeah, I wasn’t talking about Monkey yet, so don’t follow that link till later. Right now, I’m talking about Larry Grimes. He’s the guy that parked his pickup in the middle of the road and started telling me jokes, showing me the gold coins he carries in his wallet, as well as pointing out that the idea of “Dead Presidents” as a reference to paper money is a misnomer. He asked if I had a ten, but before I had time to wonder if this was a hold-up, he pulled out a wad of money and showed me Hamilton, who wasn’t a president, on the 10 dollar bill. Then, he asked who was on the hundred, and before I could even figure out who Hamilton was, he pulled out a hundred dollar bill and showed me Franklin, and said “He wasn’t a president. He just invented eye glasses and stuff”. LOL

Somewhere around this point a school bus came toward us from behind me, and when I suggested we move out of the middle of the road, Larry just smiled as the bus drove AROUND his truck! The driver opened the door and yelled “If it hadn’t been YOU, I’d run ya both over!” and laughed. Larry introduced us, telling me the driver also rides (motorcycles), and told the driver he was giving me directions to Monkey’s. I started wondering if maybe I wasn’t talking to the Mayor of the town or something. Turns out Larry is retired from Parchman, the Mississippi State Penitentiary where so many bluesmen have spent time and/or written songs about. He also makes….well…..steel art. Oh, I guess they call him an “Iron Sculptor” - http://www.arts.state.ms.us/folklife/artist.php?dirname=grimes_larry. Holy Crap! This guy REALLY is on the internet like he said! He was telling me about some of the things he made, and despite what the article says, he told me he’s sold quite a bit of his work and has a college fund for his kids. Then again, the article mentions “his wife”, so I’m guessing it’s a bit out of date. Let’s just say we spent QUITE A BIT of time talking at that intersection, and while they are “still friends”, they are no longer married. hahaha

Well, besides telling me all about Monkey’s – Okay, side story kinda – Basically, before venturing into an unknown place in the middle of the night to hear blues music, I usually like to run by during the day to find out where it is and to determine if I’ll be welcome. I mentioned I was gonna run over there and check the place out that day and Larry says, “Oh, the girls aren’t there today. He’s not open on Mondays when he’s working in the field.” What I hadn’t realized is that on Mondays, Po’ Monkey’s is a strip club!

Ooops, we aren’t talking about Monkey’s yet, are we? So, Larry tells me where he lives and how he has some of his art out in front of his place as well as some galleries and some work at Monkey’s – a steel monkey – go figure! He describes his helicopter that's on top of his shed and the tractors he makes out of sewing machines. I ask if I can stop by and check it out and take some pictures and he tells me no problem. He says “if you get too close to the fence, sirens will go off, but don’t worry”. SIRENS?

As we were parting, I told Larry I’d be there (at Monkey’s) on Thursday and he told me to be sure to bring my camera – “we have a lot of fun out there”.

So, here’s Po’ Monkey’s during the day. I’m glad I went looking for it in the daylight, as its a few miles down back roads, including a gravel, Po’ Monkey’s Road! Of course, since Monkey was out working in the fields (he drives tractor for a farmer), the girls weren’t there that day. LOL

Well, this has gotten long enough, so I’m going to call it “part 1” and get it posted. I’ll be back to tell you all about my journey the following Thursday to Po’ Monkey’s Lounge.

Life is Good.

Monkey ain't too poor.

Lon

Clarksdale and the Blues Highway

2008-11-05T22:36:00.016-06:00

Remember Ronnie and Tammy from the “King Biscuit” entry (if not, go read that first)? Well, their friendship and generosity extended beyond the days leading up to and including the festival. On Monday following the fest, Ronnie called me to suggest I come over to their place to see if there was room to park my house and stick around for a while. As you can see, not only was there room, but I lived like a king on my own city lot for a week or so!

This put me right near the downtown, blues section of Clarksdale, MS, which if you’ve been keeping up, you realize is the center of a lot of the blues tourism in Mississippi. Now, I’m not saying that I wanted to hang out in “blues tourism”, but once you realize that besides the location, Ronnie was also a source of knowledge about many of the Delta’s artists and attractions, you’ll understand why I was so fortunate to be there! I was able to use this as my base for motorcycle rides and other adventures.

Here are a few pictures I snapped of some of the better known sites.

On Friday, Ronnie and I went back to Helena and sat in on “Sunshine” Sonny Payne’s, King Biscuit Time, on KFFA! It’s the longest running blues show in the country, and Sonny’s been doing it for the past 54 years! We then stuck around the Delta Cultural Center’s studio for Terry Buckalew’s blues show, where Sunny guests. I’m not sure if it was an honor or not when Terry introduced me on the show as saying “Ronnie and Lon are here in the studio today. Lon showed up for the festival and still hasn’t left.” Yeah, well, like the rest of my friend’s, they’ll learn that an offer to “stay a bit” will be well taken advantage of! (8-)

Of course while in Clarksdale, I caught as much music as I could, including Bill Abel’s show at Ground Zero. Again, Ronnie knows these guys, so was a good source of recommendations of who to see. Here’s Bert Deivert from Sweden on the mandolin and Bill on the guitar.

Here’s Stan Street on the Sax and Mr. Tater joining them for a couple of his songs.

This is Po' Monkey's, one of the last remaining true juke joints in the Delta. The day this picture was taken, as well as the night we went are stories in themself and will have to be a future entry. Lets just say that the inside of the place is just as 'rustic' as the outside, but the people were warm and welcoming.

I enjoyed touring the Delta and again, I can’t thank Ronnie and Tammy and their ‘kids’, Biscuit and Delta, enough for putting up with Coffey and I!
Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of Ronnie and Tammy together. This was Ronnie at Po' Monkeys. He was our designated driver, so could only have 1 drink that night.

And here's Tammy, second from the left, at Hopson's Plantation during the Pinetop Perkins Homecoming, along with Deb, Jennifer and Terry, some of their other blues friends they introduced me to.

Life is Good,
New friends are great!
Lon

King Biscuit Time!

2008-11-04T20:05:00.018-06:00

Well, for anyone that’s been around me for the past 6 months, and to my music friends even longer, you’ve heard me talk about the King Biscuit Blues Fest (now, due to some legal crap, known as the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Fest). This is another fest that I stumbled upon when I was traveling back in the mid-90s. The gist of it was, camp in the levee area along the Mississippi River and walk into town for the 4 day, free festival. Then, at night, everyone sits around campfires and plays more music! Unfortunately, the past 12 years were full of excuses for missing this fest. But not this year! This was the driving force for leaving Michigan when I did, and I had finally arrived!

To give you an idea, here is a picture of the camping area on the day I arrived (I’m at the far side, behind the orange tent). And here is a picture on Saturday morning (while people were still arriving.) I guess I should mention that since it was one price to park here for as long as you wanted, I showed up on Monday, even though the fest didn’t start till Thursday.

Coffey and I had a great time both at the fest and the campground. As usual, there were more artists than I can list, but here are a few of the more ‘seasoned’ musicians.

71 year old Mr. Sam Carr.

Two time Emmy winner, 95 year old Pinetop Perkins is a festival favorite no matter where you go. It just seems so right to see him here since he’s known as “one of the last original Delta blues musicians." To give you an idea of how much I admire this man, I even let him have his picture taken with ME! Hahahaha Doesn’t he look sharp?

72 year old Willie ‘big eyes’ Smith.

I guess I should have known if I had thought about it, but it was also very special for me when Joe Jonas joined Anson Funderburg. I’ve seen Joe many times in Dallas, in every setting from sold out Festivals, to jam sessions where his golden voice mesmerizes a hand full of us lucky enough to be there on a night when he came in.

As always, the other festival goers were also a source of fun and entertainment. As I pulled into the camp area I was greeted by Ronnie (BlackOak on a blues forum) and welcomed into his camp. I was even invited to join them on Wednesday for the “pre-fest party” at Ground Zero Blues club in Clarksdale. It was a special invitation since they were also celebrating his wife, Tammy’s birthday! More about Ronnie and Tammy later. There were numerous other individuals and groups of folks, including Tent City (whom I had met the Mayor and many others on my first attendance of the fest in ‘95); the crowd across the ‘road’ from me, mostly from Kansas City; and who could forget the gals (and their many guys) from the Baton Rouge Blues Society, who shared media passes and “reserved” seats with me on more than one occasion.

Here’s a shot of the crowd (I was partying with the group under the green umbrella), as well as a collage of just a few of the folks I enjoyed the festival with. It turns out I didn’t do a very good job of getting pictures of some of the folks that were parked closest to me, but I’m sure I’ll be seeing them again (for instance, Maddog is from Chicago, as is Ellen, so I’m sure I’ll see them at the next year’s Chicago Blues Fest!

On Sunday I packed up the house and moved to the RV/Expo center in Clarksdale (about 30 miles away) for the Pinetop Perkins Homecoming (remember him, sitting next to me?) at the Hopson Plantation. Lon’s History Note – Back in the day, field workers and share croppers were most likely a source of the blues. Working in the fields by day and cutting loose and singing and dancing at juke joints on Saturday night. Well, ironically enough, the Hopson Plantation, which is becoming a big part of the re-emerging blues scene, is the place that the first mechanized crop of cotton happened! This was the beginning of the end of the need for labor in the cotton fields, leaving many workers without a source of income and perhaps a driving force in many musicians moving north to Memphis and Chicago! Here, read for yourself.

And here’s a picture of Hopson’s Plantation commissary, where the bands were playing for the Homecoming.

Also on the grounds of the Plantation is the “Shack Up Inn”, where they’ve turned a cotton gin into hotel rooms, as well as imported and built share cropper shacks to rent out as rooms

As usual, it was a great week(end?) of music and friendship.

Well folks, if you can’t tell, this is another festival weekend that will have to be a yearly event for me, and I suggest you try to make it as well. The music and the people are enhanced by the layout and accommodations, and it didn’t hurt that the weather was PERFECT!

Till next journey,

Life is Good,

So are the blues.

Lon

Michigan to Mississippi

2008-10-30T17:52:00.010-05:00

(Oct 30th - PM - I've spent the last 7 or 8 days parked at the south end of the Natchez Trace Parkway, near Vicksburg, MS. The really great part about this area was that not only was there no electricity, there was also no cell service nor internet access!!! For some silly reason I decided it was time to leave MS and head west. I'm somewhere in Louisiana and will attempt to get the blog updated with happenings from the past month.)

Well, after two months and the weather cooling down, it was time to leave Michigan and make my way to the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival. So I headed south through Ohio and Kentucky, into Tennessee. I picked up the Natchez Trace Parkway just south of Nashville. The Trace is a National Park System road which is 440 miles of uninterrupted road, with no buildings along its meticulously groomed shoulders and no commercial traffic allowed. This means no stops and no trucks to share the road with. Since I was traveling on week days, for the most part I was the only vehicle on the road.

I parked at the Meriwether Lewis site that has picnic and camping areas amidst the historic markers, one of which being this ‘broken shaft’ to commemorate Lewis’s untimely death at a young age. Lon’s History Lesson – one theory in Lewis’s death is that due to depression, he committed suicide. However, he had two gunshot wounds, one in the chest and one in the head. The intriguing thing about this theory was the fact that he would have been using a muzzle loader, which takes a quite a bit of effort to reload! Other theories learn toward a jilted lover or perhaps an angry husband.

Anyway, I met a lot of great people at the camping area. Vicki was the first, and had the most unique story I had ever heard. She was making quilts while she was traveling, to give to her grandchildren. The interesting thing was that she had written letters to many, many famous people (artists, sports stars, politicians, actors, etc, etc) and requested that they signed the enclosed material swatches, that she’d put into a quilt. Many not only sent them back signed, but also sent letters, cards and other memorabilia, addressed to Vicki and signed in their own hand. She had a couple books with all the letters and signatures that she shared with me. It was quite amazing. Folks like George Forman and Don Rickles. It was cute watching her eyes glisten as she showed me both McCain and Obama, and said “so, I’ll have a President soon”. (8-) I’m sorry to say that I was walking Coffey when I met her and didn’t have my camera with me.

I met Darryl when he pulled in on his Goldwing and set up near me. He was traveling between NASCAR races. The next morning over coffee, he suggested I join him on a ride across Tennessee countryside to Lynchburg, to tour the Jack Daniels Distillery. I’ll admit at first I wasn’t too interested in the tour, but the ride sounded good. Well, I was wrong! The tour was incredibly interesting, even if you don’t drink Jack Daniels! I learned so much about all that goes into making the varying versions of Jack, including that they make their own charcoal to filter the liquor in the process! Another interesting tidbit is that the distillery is located in a “dry” country (since its still on the original site, from before prohibition), so at the end of the tour, they offer you a glass of ice cold lemonade. Also, roughly 65% of the cost of a bottle is TAXES!

As usual, meeting people was another fun aspect of this journey. There were many full-timers as well as the occasional weekend visitor. JoAnn was another lady staying in the park for an extended period of time, and she and Darryl and I managed to share many meals (pot luck style, over the fire) and campfire visits. Here’s a picture of them on the night that a couple from Brussels (in the middle) joined us for some interesting political and cultural discussions!

I also stayed at a couple other pull-outs and campgrounds on my way to Helena for the fest. This was what I woke up to one morning in Alabama. As a matter of fact, it was a Sunday morning, so Coffey and I took a cup of coffee and my Bible and sat under these trees and had ‘church’.

Life is Good,

God is Great.

Lon

Catching up, keeping up

2008-10-19T14:02:00.005-05:00

Well, I've posted all I've written lately. There is WAY more to go to get caught up with where I am today, but you'll have to come back to check it out.

As a teaser, I'll post some pictures from my trip south, the King Bisuit, some side trips in the Delta and a few of the people that have made me feel welcome. You'll have to stop back to get the stories behind the pictures.

As far as I know, I'll be heading to the Rocky Springs campground, on the Natchez Trace Parkway, just south of Vicksburg, MS (for Oct 24th weekend). Course, like everything else, that is subject to change and I don't know where I'm going from there.

Life is Good, Travelin is better.
Lon

Call me a redneck, country boy or white trash

2008-10-19T13:34:00.014-05:00

After spending too much time in “the city”, it was good to be back home in the farming communities of Michigan, where I could once again relive some of the fun of my childhood. The draw back of flat, straight roads (not much fun on the bikes) was made up for by such activities as standing in pole barns watching guys prepare cars and livers for the upcoming demolition derby.

I’ve already told you about the Cheeseburger days and other activities, so lets do a run down of the rest of my Michigan stay (since I’ve been gone for almost a month now).

The above mentioned demolition derby was great. As mentioned, it starts months, days, or in this particular case, hours before the event, when folks gather to try to get a car running well enough to take into a field and smash it against other cars. I was fortunate enough to have an inside tract with an actual demolition derby driver!

From best I can tell, his qualifications were that 1) he had a car he wanted to smash, 2) he had friends that would bring beer over to encourage him to smash his car, III) they brought paint. And after the derby itself, you get to see really cool peaces of equipment getting used!

Also on the list of activities was the season finally at the Owendale Speedway! This is a ¼ mile clay, oval stock car racing track! I made a couple calls and got Todd to bring his son, and Chris to bring his boys (things like this are always more fun with kids involved!), as well as a couple coolers of beverages and we enjoyed the evening of dirt and noise (yeah, it’s a guy thing). Lots of action, much fender bumping and even a multiple roll over (no one was hurt). I can’t believe I forgot my camera, so I had to try to get shots with my phone, and alas, no shots of the guys.

A couple weeks later had me parked at the city park in Elkton, MI for the “Born to Be Wild” days, aka Hog Wild bike rally.

Jim rode up on Friday, in the rain and it pretty much didn’t stop the entire weekend. Kevin pulled in on Saturday and as things would have it, we were surrounded by other friends from past lives, so despite the weather, a LOT of fun was had (or so they told me). Due to the rain, this is where I lived for the rest of the next week till it was dry enough to move the house.

Michigan also included a trip down to visit Kevin and Sharon and family and see the sweet shop they are opening in Metamora, MI (www.chocolateinked.com). I’m sorry I didn’t get any pictures when I passed thru again as they were opening. I’ll be back, and thanks for the great time spent with you and the kids.

Can you believe that after all these years, my brother Dale and I hadn’t been on a bike trip together? Well, that was remedied by a trip north to get the hunting cabin ready for deer season. We had great weather and with Dale’s knowledge of the area, some GREAT riding. We even met up with the Liberty Riders Motorcycle Club from Mio and joined them for a bit and a tour of the club “compound”. Of course it wasn’t all fun, as we worked with Dad and Gary to cut wood and ready the cabin for hunting season.

My last hurrah while in MI was Bay City’s 10^th Annual Wine Walk! Before my smart-alec friends say anything, take a look at this picture and tell me that YOU would have declined the offer to go along! LOL The rest of the pictures will be kept under password protection, and only shared on a need to know basis.

Well, the weather starting to cool off, and the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival quickly approaching, it was time for me to pack up and start my southward, snow bird journey. It wasn’t without sadness of leaving family, friends and some very special newly acquired friends that I made my way out of the state. But, God willing, I’ll be back next summer (if not before) to pick up where we left off!

Olympian Party Efforts in Chicago

2008-10-19T13:14:00.009-05:00

As luck would have it, while I was in Michigan, Al, Micheline and Gabby planned a party to celebrate their 25th Wedding Anniversary, 50th Bday (Al’s) and the Olympics! That's Al above, posing with Michael Phelps, his main competition. And since I was only two states away, I hopped on the Valk and ran over to Chicago for the weekend. Tami even came in for the weekend and I got to play tour guide.

And furthering the luck, there was a Cubs home game on Friday, and after accosting a few street scalpers (honest, this guy wasn’t selling anything other than tickets to the game! I think maybe this was the universal sign for ‘hold the mustard’.), we were handed two free tickets!

The party on Saturday was a huge success, complete with opening ceremonies, many competitions which were rewarded with authentic Olympic medals, and of course silliness.
Since I had traveled the farthest, I got to carry the torch to set off the entertainment and fireworks show (since I was 'performing' I don't have any pictures of that!). You’ll probably recognize some of these guys from Stupid Bowl and other blog entries.

Thanks to our gracious hosts.

Of course getting to ride there an back (yep, the 300 miles took about 12 hours) on the bike was great. Followed the shores of Lake Michigan in both Indiana and Michigan, once again realizing the beauty of the states, if you stay out of the cities.

Blues Travelin

2008-10-19T12:56:00.007-05:00

Went down to the delta,

To listen to some blues.

Can’t seem to leave here,

Need to find myself a muse.

Stranded at the Crossroads

That sweet soulful beat.

Knowin I should move along,

But the music’s got my feet.

Went down to the delta

Found myself the blues.

The world, it keeps callin,

Please don’t make me choose.

I’m here in the delta,

Most leave for higher ground.

I think I’ve found my home site,

Great feelings all around.

Yep, I’m still in Mississippi. Clarksdale, MS to be exact. I realize its been a bit since I’ve last written, and many of you may be looking here for stories that involve you (most likely cringing in fear that I’ll include an encounter or picture of you), but, I’m sorry to say you’ll have to keep waiting.

Ya see, this is the first time I’ve had real electricity since leaving Michigan in September. Apart from an occasional run of the generator (to make morning coffee), I’ve been living ‘off the grid’ as much as possible. So, as you can imagine, any contact with computers has been a very low priority.

So, you’re just going to have to wait a bit longer to hear about the trip to Chicago for the birthday/anniversary and Olympics party; the demolition derby in Elkton; the stock car races in Owendale; the rained out Born to Be Wild Days (bike rally); and the 10^th Anniversary Bay City Wine Walk (no, I’m not gay , but when you’re invited to spend an evening walking around town with some very attractive ladies, tasting wine, you don’t say no, even if you don’t like wine).

You’re also going to have to wait to hear about the trip thru Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi on my way to Helena, AR for the Blues and Heritage Fest (aka King Biscuit Blues Fest). As a matter of fact, unless something changes by the end of this evening, you’re even going to have to wait to hear about the festival itself.

See, all of those events, experiences and the people I encountered along the way really deserve an entire entry of their own. But, since I finally have electricity, rather than sit at a computer and write, I’m gonna sit in front of the fan and have another beer.

So, if you are anywhere near Clarksdale, MS, or within 2 or three hundred miles from here, give me a call. Since I’ve scored a parking spot near downtown (can you say ‘Center of the Blues’?) and snuck an extension cord into a nearby shed, I think I’ll be here for a while.

Where I’m livin.

Where I’ll be Thursday night.

(Update - I wrote this a few days ago, but my uplink was so slow I couldn't post anything. Hopefully I'll be able to post a bunch of stuff I've written in the past couple days.)

Lon

Home, again.

2008-08-26T22:20:00.006-05:00

Since I’ve been here for ~~two~~ three weeks, I think its safe to tell you that I’m no longer in Texas, but rather have crossed a few state lines to make it up to Michigan. Besides it being part of my usual summer migration (it was WAY hot in Texas), this year’s trip had a special meaning – that of the celebration of my parent’s 50^th Wedding Anniversary! Yep, even with kids like me they managed to stick it out for 50 years together! And let me tell you, there’s nothing more special than to spend an afternoon with over 200 people telling you how much your parents mean to them! What a great day, despite a bit of a weather issue early on. Here they are with their grandchildren!

So, I’m currently parked here in “The Thumb” (look at a map of Michigan if you don’t know what I’m saying) and enjoying family and friends.

So far, besides the big Five-Oh celebration, I’ve gotten to tour an Alpaca farm with my niece Whitney and attended the 10^th Annual Cheeseburger in Paradise Festival in Caseville, MI.

For those of you not familiar with small town festivals, lets just say that the town of 863 swells to as many as 15,000 for 10 days of fun, silliness and more Jimmy Buffet bands than you ever thought existed!

Yes, that is a margarita glass they are about to fall out of.

I’m enjoying temps in the 70s and 80s, spending time with family and friends and a few side trips while I’m here in the mid-west. Watch here for an entry or two and be sure to contact me if you are anywhere close by.

Lon

Life is good, so is home cooking!

Route 66 – The Mother Road – America’s Highway – RELIEF!

2008-08-19T20:32:00.020-05:00

Yep, relief is what Rick and I felt last year when we jumped off the Interstate due to a traffic jam and ended up on Route 66 somewhere in nowhere Missouri. At that point its been in the back of my head to travel as much of 66 as I could on the way to and from this year’s Blues Fest in Chicago. So, as I crossed the state line from OK to MO I hit my friendly Visitor Information Rest Area and grabbed what few maps and brochures they had of the famous road. A real nerd would have used the internet prior to the trip to research the route and all the interesting places to see. So, it just goes to show I am NOT A NERD! So there. Okay, I feel better now.

So, with brochures neatly crammed into the saddlebags where they were as useful as a bald tire in a rain storm (that reminds me, I also need to write an entry about my ride to Colorado in July), I was heading East across Missouri.

At this point I’ll digress just a bit to tell you that if you haven’t seen the Disney-Pixar animated movie, “CARS”, you really should check it out. I had the pleasure of watching it with Justin (okay, so he invited his mommy along too) prior to the trip so I knew a little history of the road, and the characters that I’d actually come in contact with along the way!

The great part about 66 is that it is not interstate. It’s a trip through rural America, which is basically where I grew up. So things like barns, large trees, cows on the road and neighborhood taverns were all reminiscent of my days growing up in Michigan. You want to drop your stress level a bit, just get on a 2 lane highway with no set time schedule and watch what you’re capable of finding!

On the way to Chicago I traveled 66 in Missouri and Illinois, and on the way back to Dallas, I hit more of Missouri as well as Kansas and Oklahoma. Seems there’s a Route 66 Association(s) that has been working with the states and communities to get the road marked (in most places it now has highway designations other than Route 66, if it exists at all). So of course I took a picture of the respective signs in each state.

Some states, like Kansas and Oklahoma even painted it on the road, so you couldn’t get lost (brochures point out the fact that often road/direction signs are missing because they are such coveted souvenirs.

So, along the way I encountered some of the original structures, such as the Route 66 Drive-In (also showcased in CARS), and other roadside attractions.

Of course I had to stop along the way at a few of the watering holes, purely for journalistic purposes, of course.

But of all the sections of the road, Kansas provided the most surprises. That part of the trip started out at the State Line Bar, which actually had a line painted on the road in front, with one drive-way on the Missouri side (helmets required) and one drive-way on the Kansas side (no helmets required).

Just prior to Galena, KS I happened upon a couple other riders snapping pictures and stopped for a chat. We all moved a bit further up the road to the edge of town for the ubiquitous sign photo and after they rolled away I was greeted by the attendant at what looked like a gift shop in an old gas station. Well, it turns out that not only is it a Route 66 gift and sandwich shop (http://www.4womenontheroute.com/), but it was also a source for a great wealth of information. It seems that the director of CARS spent a considerable amount of time at this station and in this town while doing research for the movie! The gift shop even had a book from Disney-Pixar that showed pictures of a lot of the buildings and people from the town.

But right there, on the corner, next to my motorcycle was the truck that was the inspiration for Mater! (http://rwarn17588.wordpress.com/2006/11/12/meet-maters-inspiration/).

This was a fun and informative visit, which of course caused a lot more picture taking. Those two other riders that were “on a schedule” have no clue what they missed!

The next surprise was in Miami, OK (pronounced Mi-am-uh by the locals). As I was passing thru town I noticed a couple old (as in vintage) motorcycles propped up in a store front window, so I circled around and found the place. Upon entering thru the side door, all I found was a T-shirt shop. Now I’ll admit, they had some nice T-shirts (this coming from a guy that only buys T-shirts from blues and bike bars and events), but I couldn’t find the bikes. That is until I walked thru a narrow doorway between buildings and found a bike MUSEUM! It was the Route 66 Vintage Iron Works (http://www.route66vintageiron.com/), with many, many finely restored bikes. The neat thing is that the bikes weren’t just “shown”, but displayed with other period items!

I HIGHLY recommend this stop for bikers and non-bikers alike.

It took me 3 full, 12 hour days to make the 950 mile trip from Chicago to Dallas, if that’s any indication of the amount of stops I made. Now I figure I need to follow the rest of 66 from Vinita, OK, where I turned south, all the way West to California. Course before I do, I need to watch CARS again so I can pick out more memorable attractions. I wonder if Justin will invite me over to watch it again?

Be sure to check out the rest of the pictures!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=9922v5mu.9b81mxbu&x=0&y=hp6nhb&localeid=en_US

Lon

Life is good. Enjoy The Road.

Chicago Bluesfest '08

2008-07-30T20:46:00.010-05:00

If you'll remember (I seriously doubt anyone remembers. For that matter, I doubt anyone even cares), it was last year that I sold the house, moved out and hopped on the bike and headed to Chicago for the Blues Fest. Well, this year was the 25th Anniversary, so I needed to do it up right.

I decided this year I'd hit Route 66 for as much of the trip as possible, so it truly was about the journey as much as it was about the destination. The good news is, that's gonna be a posting of its own.
The bad news is it will probably take me till December to post it. But the pictures are worth the wait!

So the Blues Fest plans were similar to last years; I'd ride the bike to Chicago where Joy and I would stay at Victor's condo on Lake Shore Drive. We'd meet Bill at the fest all weekend, along with special guest appearances by regulars Russ and Debbie, along with Ken and Robin, Linda, and a bunch of friends of Joy's whose name's I can't seem to recall right now (probably best for their own defense).

One difference this year is that I picked Joy up in Quincy, IL

and she rode with me the distance that would take normal people about 4 hours to travel, to get to Chicago.

Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so get ready for a few thousand words!

Of course the ride had to include some stops.

And then we got to the festival, with music

friends...

more music...

and apparently rain...
And after the rain came the pondering......

Where did we park the car?

And there were autographs...

We even made some new friends...

And, we survived!

This part of the journey ended with me having the honor of giving Tillie a ride.

If I didn't know better, she was giving the international sign for "Does this look like I need a drink?". Nah, couldn't be.

But, come back soon for the adventures on Route 66.

For all of the pictures, feel free to visit here:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=9922v5mu.2t89r7ey&x=0&y=8yx9u1&localeid=en_US

Jazz and Heritage Fest

2008-06-02T21:54:00.008-05:00

I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but this trip was another one of those ‘must do’ events where we had no clue what was going to happen. Seems to be a theme with Rick and me. If you’ll remember, we went to the Crossroads Fest in Chicago where we picked up the tickets he bought on e-bay, at a sports bar between here and Chicago.

I’m not real sure if it’s our spontaneous nature, or the lack of willingness for either us to plan anything, but we never really know what’s going to happen along the way and often times where we are going. The only given is that every ride that leads us out of the state ends at the Ramblin Rose. The Rose is a watering hole that is exactly half way between Rick’s house and mine (if I mention that Rick and I live about 5 miles apart, you get the idea why the Rose falls into a lot of equations).

Alright, time to get to the point. This trip was to N’awlins for the Jazz and Heritage Festival. I was fortunate enough to be taken to this fest from Chicago by Al and Paul many, many years ago, and have been there 3 or 4 times since. There’s more than a half dozen stages and tents with continuous music ranging from Gospel and Blues to the Congo Stage with reggae. Throw in food and art vendors and of course the music around the city during the night, and you have 10 days of over indulgence. We would only be there for four days, which would prove to be plenty enough.

I left Dallas on Thursday on the Valk, taking back roads to Baton Rouge. LA and catching a blues jam at Phil Brady’s Bar and Grill that night. On Friday I rode into N.O., grabbed a po’boy in the French Quarter and then ventured out to the fair grounds to see if I could find a safe place to park the bike. Keep in mind that I had all my clothes, etc, for the weekend packed on the bike. Since Rick wasn’t coming into town till later that night, I had no place to stash my stuff. As a matter of fact, I had no clue where we were going to stay. I wasn’t even sure if Rick knew where we were going to stay. All I did know was that Rick would show up, some time.

This story will be long enough without me going into all the details of how I found a (relatively safe) spot to park, but meet Margaret along with her friends. We parked in front of her porch each day of the festival (which was across the street from the entrance to the fest!). After the initial night, we were greeted each morning with reserved parking, a cooler full of cold beverages, a chance to purchase rain ponchos (it rained HARD on Friday) and even the opportunity for tickets to the fest (this came in very handy on Sunday). Each evening after the festival, we returned to our well guarded bikes, a porch full of people, homemade hot tamales and the ever popular cooler full of beverages. Ok, to be fair, there were many coolers with a variety of beverages only rivaled by a well stocked 7-11. We met people from out of town/state that come to "Margaret's Porch" every year during the fest for the fun and friendship. They were gracious hosts, including inviting us in so we could change from our festival attire (shorts and sandals) to riding attire (jeans and boots). Okay, maybe she just didn't want us changing in the street in front of her house, but by the second night she'd just point and say "you know where the bathroom is".

But this trip wasn’t about the parking. It was about the Fest, and what a great fest it was. There were a lot of musicians there. Frankly, I’m getting tired of telling you who’s at these evetnts. You really need to start showing up yourself. Your next opportunity is June 5-8, when I’ll be in Chicago for the Blues Fest. So, come on down. But, as I was saying, lots of good music. I have to be honest, among Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, Marsha Ball, Sonny Landreth and of course the Neville Brothers, my favorite performance came in from Ruthie Foster from Austin, TX. Not only did she have guests performing on stage with her from the Gospel Stage, she also sang an A Capella song so sweet it would make you tell a movie star to shut up (okay, in my defense, I didn’t know she was an actress when I told her to shut up).

The best “moment” of the fest was meeting a young lady while watching, I think, Jimmy Buffett. It wasn’t the performance that touched me, but rather the message I received while sharing just a few words with Addi (course I told her I’d change her name if I write about her, so if you see a future story about someone not called Addi, you’ll know its about her). Anyway, one of the things I really like about blues and jazz type festivals is that everyone is so welcoming and friendly. There’s just a great feeling and vibe in the air.

The following picture is a pretty good indication of the type of values you find in the people at the festival. This picture was taken on the second Saturday of the festival, which coincidentally is also the busiest day of the festival. You have to admire a business-person that holds to their values above riches.

We made it a point to stop by on Sunday to show our support with the purchase of a couple…few…many pies. We highly recommend Mr. Williams pies and will make this a regular stop during all future fests.

Alright, so on to the adventure. Remember, I got in Friday morning and Rick was still in Minneapolis on Friday morning. I spent the day listening to music and enjoying the energy, having no clue where I was going to sleep and not being too concerned with it. Rick spent the day flying to Dallas, prepping his bike and then riding it the entire 400 and something miles into N’awlins! While sittin on Margaret’s porch eating tamales that evening, I get a call from Rick telling me he’s “an hour out” and to meet him at The Corporation, which is apparently New Orleans’s answer to the Ramblin Rose. (This next part is true) – Rick tells me that its near the Convention Center, and when (if) I find the Convention Center, try to call his buddy Willie to see if he knows what street its on. Seems Rick knows how to get there, but has no clue how to tell me how to get there! So, sensing an adventure, I get crude directions to the Convention Center from one of Margaret’s porch partiers (I think he was from Houston, but he spoke with such assuredness that I believed him) and headed off into the night. Sometime later I was surprised and quite proud of myself when I realized I was rolling down the street…with the Convention Center covering the three city blocks to my left! Well, that was easy. Now its time to find The Corp. I started scoping side streets, knowing that Rick was not sending me to a fern bar in the properly lighted section of town. After a couple turns, and as I came to a screeching halt to avoid running over a couple of kids on their way to their prom, The Corp made its appearance on my left. AND, between the bumper of a pick-up truck and the “No Parking Here to Corner” sign, there was room for my bike! (Okay, considering the shape the pick-up was in, I wasn’t too worried about it running long enough to run into my bike, so I knew it was safe to park there.)

Now, this is where it gets good (I know, its been good all along, but just like with life, things just keep getting better). Not even half a beer after I get there (without having to call Willie, I’d like to remind you!), Rick comes pulling in. Seems he got to spend the last hour or two riding in the driving rain, but he pulled in on time and in good spirits. And when he called his friends, who it turns out were setting up a show at the Convention Center, they were just walking out the door and were on their way to the Corp! Everything just fell into place! This is when I found out that one of the guys coming over was Willie and that we were going to follow him home and that’s where we were staying for the weekend. An escorted ride home! What more could you ask for? Well, a home cooked meal, that’s what! After a couple beers at the Corp we followed Willie on what would otherwise have been a nightmare ride thru some washed out neighborhoods (remember, they're still rebuilding from Katrina) and cool old cemeteries to Willie's house, where he wasted no time pointing out (yet another) cooler full of beverages and started cooking!

THIS was to be the purpose of the weekend. Not the cooler full of beverages or closed pie stands or music from international stars, but time spent with good friends. As it turned out, each evening after the fest was spent with Willie, Abe, cousins and other friends. Talk about a feeling of welcoming and love. I’m sorry I didn’t get more pictures of the families and friends I met, but this one of Willie, Abe and Rick (left to right) and 2 of the 3 killer dogs kinda gives a sense of the hospitality we experienced.

Like Crossroads, the Jazz Fest is another event that will only be missed in the future due to a wedding or funeral. Yeah, I thought the wedding part was pretty funny too.

Here's a picture of the bikes parked in front of Willie's house. Not too shabby, eh?

Till later,

Life is Good, Family is better.

Lon

Here's a link to more pictures.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=9922v5mu.3szr402q&x=0&y=-tmlhel&localeid=en_US

Bonfire and Bugs

2008-06-02T20:28:00.008-05:00

I made it!
They said it couldn’t be done! And frankly, after 2 previous failed attempts I too was starting to doubt my abilities. But as of April 20, 2008 I made it an entire year’s existence away from corporate

America

And what a better way to celebrate than with the 3^rd First Annual West Nile Resort Bonfire and Bugs (mudbugs that is) Party! And what a better place than the newly created Ricker Resort (seems West Nile has some negative connotations?).

As usual, the event that was planned for Saturday began on Friday evening with the pre-party party and a few close friends coming by to help. As you can see, their idea of help basically includes lighting the grill and testing the beverages in the cooler.

The weather was perfect all weekend, and Saturday had folks coming by on bikes, cars and Mutt on the lawn tractor. We had about 35 lbs of crawfish, a couple guitars and of course a bon-fire large enough to signal the aliens. Not that I necessarily believe in aliens, but if they’re out there, I’m sure they were watching some of the evening's antics questioning their theory that there is intelligent life on this planet.

Since I catch grief about not posting pictures of myself, I thought this one was kind of fitting. Its much better than the one of me using the dog’s shock-collar on a gal that was eating more than her share of bugs. Besides, its my blog so I get to post pretty much whatever I want.

Rather than a midnight run to the Rose like in the past, this year we torched a Christmas Tree at midnight (Tubbs foolishly “bet me a dollar” I wouldn’t throw it on the fire. Little did he know that I would have paid HIM a dollar just for the idea!)

Its been a great year. I have to thank my family and friends for their support and strength along the way. The good Lord has brought many blessing on me. Its been so incredible to spend quality time with family and rekindling many friendships. There’s been a new relationship or two along the way, most ending similarly to that with corporate America – if they’ll pay me enough, I’ll go away quietly. Restraining orders work as well.

I’ve found a business opportunity that allows me to travel, have fun, and most importantly help others, so it looks like returning to telecom and the world of cubes is no where in my future. That means, when you least expect it you may find me parking my house in front of your house!

So, till next year’s Bon-fire and Bugs stay tuned.

Life is Good. Burn Something.

Lon

Hopefully this link works, for more pics from the party.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=9922v5mu.5ncjjhj6&x=0&y=y1wqe9&localeid=en_US

Fashion By Lon

2008-05-06T12:54:00.004-05:00

(I realize I owe write-ups for both the latest bon-fire party and now the Jazz & Heritage Fest in N'awlins. So, till I get the pictures uploaded and in the right mindset to appropriately convey the adventures of those events, here's a little story I wrote a couple months back. Make sure you have a coffee or a beer, cause as usual I rambled a bit. Lon)

Its funny the comments I’ve gotten as I’ve traveled, regarding my “looks”. As I come and go around the country, my hair, both on my head and my face changes with my mood, my ability (or lack there of) to attract women, and my access to such minor things as running water.

I’ve never been a fashion follower (okay, you can quit laughing now), so basically if I was clothed and didn’t smell, I was content (wait, what do I mean “was”, those are still keen indicators in my world of social graces).

After college I got a good paying job, a new car and a girlfriend. Julie was a real lesson in personalities (all of them), which you would have thought I would have learned from. No such luck. But I digress (as is often the case when the fingers get to spewing all over the keyboard). She was also very interested in image. Something that didn’t interest me. So, once I moved Jules (and Jeepers the cat) out of my apartment, I promptly sold the fancy car and bought a $400 Buick Skyhawk (with a hole in the driver’s floor – some people own cars for their entire lives before any worries of the front seat falling thru the floor, eh Russ?), brought my brother’s bike out from Michigan and started skydiving. I figured it was a sure fire way to guarantee that no self-respecting gold digger (is that an oxymoron?) would be interested in me! Well, it appears that wasn’t the case. Or perhaps I met women that are the type that find a stray puppy on the road and feel some need to bring it home and nurture it, but some women still wanted relationships. In case you haven’t figured it out by now, that wasn’t my thing, back then either.

Anyone that knew me back in my Clear Communications days in Illinois knew that I just let my hair grow for my “utter contempt for society” look (it was spoof on a spoof of a radio commercial for some speedy hair cutting place).

So, once I landed the job at this start-up company, I figured I wasn’t “customer facing” AND I was working around the clock and the hair thing just kinda got outta hand. Add to the long hair what it would look like after wearing a motorcycle helmet, and well you can imagine. Now figure what it looked like on those times (don’t tell Mom) that I didn’t wear a helmet when riding to work.

Well, pretty much since then I left the rest of the fashion industry behind. Blue jeans, t-shirts (typically with writing from either a blues fest or bike bar) and hair that, well, was clean but not neat was my statement.

Now gets to the fun part. Some women actually seem to be attracted to it (you women sure are interesting creatures). My ex- not only liked the longer hair, but convinced me to grow a mustache. Now, whether I looked decent in a mustache was never an issue. If that’s what she wanted, that’s what I was going to do. I’m now convinced it was a cruel joke to make sure that no other woman would talk to me in public. And it worked (but frankly, I don’t think it was the mustache).

But, since women talking to me was the LAST thing I wanted after the divorce, I kept it. I even attempted to trim it on occasion. One time, after not shaving for a week or so, after a few drinks, I even attempted to shave a go-tee, to see how it would look. I believe that turned into an email story about shaving my entire head, but that was in the days before blogs. Maybe I’ll dig it up and share it. Anyway, I kept the mustache until the night I had been drinking (go figure) and I attempted to trim it, but forgot to put the trimmer head on the razor, and well, next thing I knew I had half a mustache. Frankly, to me, it didn’t look any worse than a full mustache, but deep down inside I knew THIS look just wasn’t going to fly so I shaved the entire thing off. The ironic part was that this was AFTER I had been laid off. And, since I was tired of buying both shampoo AND conditioner, I got my hair cut shorter (I said shortER, not short). And, since I only go out in public every couple weeks and I make a special effort to put on nicer (cleanER) clothes, everyone is commenting about the fact that now that I no longer have a job, I’ve cleaned up my act and finally look respectable. (Notice no one has said anything about me looking good, just respectable).

So, I have this dilemma. Ya see, I have no clue what actually looks good on me. I surely can’t trust my so called friends to tell me. And I don’t want to look like some old dude trying to look young and hip. And do I REALLY trust a women’s input? After all, it was one of those that got me to grow the mustache. So, when its hair cut time, I stroll into a place and say “please do what you can” and they end up cutting it basically the way it was. Is that cause it looks good, or cause they don’t want to upset me, or cause they don’t know any better (most likely the case)?

So, even though recently I had an attractive woman tell me that my hair “looks good long”, I still had this sinking suspicion that she was just telling me what she thought I wanted to hear so I’d buy her a drink and leave her alone. And, knowing it was time for at least a trim, I decided to go to a “salon”.

I walked in at 5 minutes after closing (hey, the door wasn’t locked) and asked the lady if she was open. She looked at me, said “you need a hair cut, come over here and sit down”. Notice that was NOT a question. I told her I was ready to move into the 90s, and did she think she could help. She informed me it was 2008, and yes she could help. Perhaps at this point I should tell you that I found her to be quite attractive, so frankly paying her to run her fingers through my hair didn’t seem like all that bad of an idea, regardless of the outcome (remember the mustache?). She had all kinds of ideas and called over other women that were trying to scurry out of the shop, to point out my request to come into the nineties, and the need to get out of the 80s. She actually seemed to CARE about me. At this point, I was noticing pictures of kids, dogs and flowers around her station. No men. She made comments about us being about the same age. THEN I found out she OWNED the shop and I was instantly in love! I figured who better than to know a modern hair style for a guy “my age” than a woman that owned a hair salon? After all, if you wanted to buy a used car, you wouldn’t go to your butcher, you’d trust a used car salesman, right? AND a business owner to boot! It wasn’t till half my head was shaved (here we go again!) that she tossed in the dreaded “my husband blah blah blah” line. And this wasn’t as in “my husband left me for a younger woman so I buried him in the backyard and collected the insurance money” or “my husband that died of old age and left me the insurance money”, but more like “my husband will be showing up any minute to show me his new hunting rifle, complete with bayonet. Do you have insurance?”.

But, at this point it was too late. I was madly in love (there’s hope he’ll fall on the bayonet) and she was having her way with my hair. And besides, do I REALLY know what looks good anyway? Obviously not.

So, once again, I have a new hair “style”. Am I in the latest decade? Is it age appropriate? Will women still avoid me in the blues clubs (I know, it has nothing to do with the hair)? All I can say is, who cares! She was cute and I’m going back every 2 to 3 weeks for a trim.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how I got onto this tangent to begin with. Actually, I’m more sure that you quit reading this about 10 paragraphs ago when you realized there were no pictures of cool fall colors or campgrounds, but I’m going to continue anyway. Tonight I got a call from a research agency for a project titled “Beer Survey” (I know, I’m about as qualified for that as I am for….wait, I AM qualified for that!). Anyway, she was asking lots of questions, which I had to indicate my level of “agreement or disagreement”, which basically amounted to “Sir, you are cheap and drink too much”, BUT one of the questions was “I look to my favorite celebrities to show me the latest styles and fashions”. Well, I basically spit out my beer all over the phone laughing. She got the idea.

And it got me to thinking, who ARE my favorite celebrities?

Life is good. Send shampoo.

Its All About Image

2008-03-24T22:35:00.004-05:00

So it turns out parking your RV on a nicely treed piece of land in Wylie, Tx for any period of time is kinda looked down upon. In comparison, parking the same RV in a campground is seen as camping; or traveling; or better yet “full-timing”, which is the socially acceptable term for people that live in their RV. And just so I don’t offend any full-times, I’m sure that 95%....85… I’m sure that at least 75% of the people that live full time in their RV are doing so by choice and traveling the country and enjoying their leisure. Either way, “full-timing” is a lot more glamorous than living in your trailer on a nicely treed piece of land in Wylie, Tx.

So, I’ve decided to move the house to a campground, and once again take up status as a “full-timer”. I’m now parked in a “nicely treed campground” in Wylie, Tx. That’s right, I’ve officially declared the land a “Campground”, and thus improved my social status immensely.

And with that improvement of status comes a lot of perks. For instance, in a campground it’s socially acceptable to stand outside in plaid pajama bottoms and t-shirt and fry bacon and eggs on a portable stove set up on a picnic table. It’s also okay to wash your dishes in a couple basins and toss the water around a nearby tree when you’re done. After all, you’re just adding the bread crumbs and bacon grease back into the earth where the plants and insects can organically recycle them. Try doing those things in a subdivision or neighborhood.

So, I’m currently living high on the hog, so to speak in a nice little treed campground in Wylie, Tx. If you happen to get to the area, we’ll run an extension cord for you. We accept all types.

For example, just this weekend a stray border collie showed up, and since there’s always a dish full of dog food outside, she made herself right at home. Seems she likes us and has decided to stay for a while. Course as I just now look outside and see the two dogs sprawled out sleeping next to the pick-up truck, I can’t help to think, You Might Be a Redneck If…..

Life is good. God provides.

I'm THAT Guy

2008-02-09T22:24:00.000-06:00

While walking the dog the other night, I had a revelation. Ya see, living out in the country, with no street lights and no neighbors, when I walk the dog I don’t worry too much about “dressing up”. So, I was standing there in the middle of the field, in my house shoes, boxer shorts and holey t-shirt, drinking a beer while my dog was smelling along the fence row where the coyotes seem to play.

Now, I was staring up at the stars, pondering the universe, when it hit me. I’m that guy. You know, that guy you see on TV, standing there in his house shoes, boxer shorts, holey t-shirt and drinking a beer, explaining that while he was outside walking his dog, aliens swooped down and picked him up! And, because he’s standing there as he is, in his house shoes, boxer shorts, holey t-shirt, and probably still drinking a beer, you just don’t give his story much credibility.

Now, no one cares that I’ve climbed the corporate ladder. Okay, so I didn’t climb it all the way to the top, but Dad always taught me not to stand on the top rung of a ladder, else you fall off. And no one cares that every 6 to 8 years I quit my job, travel the country and “find myself”, knowing that if and when I’m ready to work I can always find a new state and insert myself back into that corporate world. And no one cares that I have a successful E-commerce business with the added benefit of being able to help people become financially free. Heck, no one even cares that I have TWO motorcycles, neither of which is a Harley, which means they both run and no one is interested in stealing them.

Nope, all anyone would care about is the fact that I was standing in the middle of the field, in the middle of the night, in my house shoes, boxer shorts, holey t-shirt and drinking a beer. And they wouldn’t believe that aliens swooped down and picked me up. And, once the aliens were done learning everything I know about the world, which really wouldn’t take too long unless they asked me about energy drinks or how to quit your job, they’d swoop down and drop me off, knowing that no one would believe me.

So, I decided right then and there that when I’m out walking the dog in the middle of the night, I need to have a much better image, so that way when the aliens swoop down and pick me up, people WILL believe me.

So from now on, when I walk the dog, I make sure I wear one of my best t-shirts. Preferably one without swears words on it.

Life is good, see ya in the National Enquirer.

Stupid Bowl 2008

2008-02-08T23:09:00.000-06:00

In 2007, the Chicago Bears were playing in the Super Bowl in Miami, FL. So, being the really intelligent guy that I am, I decided to fly from Dallas, TX to Chicago, IL to surprise some friends that were getting together to watch the game. The one thing that I remember (besides the fact that the outcome of the game sucked) was that when Bill and I left the Underground Wonder Bar after listening to some great music, it was -6 degrees!

But, that must have been short term memory which was lost, because when I heard that this was the Tenth Anniversary of Stupid Bowl, I had no choice but to book another flight north.

Stupid Bowl is where the guys book a condo in the Wisconsin Dells, which is a summer resort town, where we take over the indoor pool and hot-tub for the weekend and find some local drinking establishment to watch the game. It was started when the Green Bay Packers were in the Super Bowl, and when we were young enough to enjoy ice fishing, walking in the snow and 60 degree temperatures (yeah, this global warming myth is a bunch of crap!).

So, I booked my ticket based on Russ's sage advice (something about Wisconsin women and Spam) and the next thing I knew (did I mention that neither Chicago, nor Dallas, nor even Green Bay were even IN the Super Bowl?) I was stuck in the Memphis airport for 8 hours waiting for Chicago O'hare airport to open long enough for the snow plows to clear the runway.

The good news was that Debbie let Russ drive the All Wheel Drive SUV to pick me up. The bad news was that Russ had already drank 2 beers before I found out that Northwest had sent my luggage to Detroit.

Now, I'm not going to go into the details involving shopping for new underwear (you tell me, Victoria Secret or Kmart?) nor the two nights in Chicago prior to leaving for Wisconsin, but best I can recall White Castle hamburgers used to come in bunches of 6, not 3. Ken, you didn't fool anyone blaming it on the rabbits, or squirrels.

After driving thru a snow storm on icy roads, MANY accidents and emergency vehicles, and a pit stop at an abandoned port-a-john at a closed, truck weigh station, we arrived at the Caribbean Club Resort. Again, you must realize that this is on a lake, which is surrounded by resorts, and is known for the Tommy Bartlett Water Ski Show, which, in case you haven't been following along, requires LIQUID water. Something we did NOT have. So instead we had empty condos, ice fisherman, and a hot tub built for 12. As is often the case with this type of gathering, either I don't recall all the details, or they aren't fit for publishing on a blog that my mother might read. Either way, the New York Giants won the Super Bowl, we learned about spitting, Russ learned about lap dances and Depends, Ken's new knees made the trek half way across the lake, Jim could work at the Mystery Spot, house on the hill, Gary makes great pickled bologna and Al, well he's the philosophical one that probably said something we all thought was great but can't remember what it was.

The trip back to Dallas was nearly as eventful as the trip there, with a "fuel stop" in Austin due to weather in Dallas and the shuttle bus driver dropping me at at Nate's Seafood for a Fat Tuesday celebration complete with blues music and a LOT of boiled crawfish. It was good to be home and I'm already starting my lobbying for next year's Stupid Bowl to be held in Texas, or where ever it is that my house is parked, which HAS to be warmer than the Midwest.

Life is Good, Send...whatever it is you cook with Spam.

Into the new year!

2008-01-22T13:25:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, I need to do a better job of keeping up. Its just that I still hate computers just like when I worked with them, so given the choice of trimming trees, riding motorcycle, or poking myself in the eye versus computers, I'll grab a beer and think about it.

I'm currently holed up in Wylie, TX, where I've been trimming trees, riding motorcycles, and (prior to getting the trees trimmed) poking myself in the eye. Yep, life is good.

I'm setting the property up for my own little campground, complete with water, electricity and (when the neighbor isn't looking) a sewer connection. (face it, their garden needs all the help it can get).

So, till the next update, that's where you can find me. If you are anywhere near here, be sure to let me know and we'll burn a brush pile in your honor.

Life is Good, Bring a chainsaw.
Lon

Rick helps set up.

Initial parking place while I clear the woods.

A burning ring of fire.

Georgia....on my mind

2007-12-02T21:41:00.000-06:00

Okay, so once upon time I dated a lady named Georgia. A Scottish lady that wanted to experience all things "Georgia", including taking the "Midnight Train to Georgia". Well, I'm sorry to say I didn't experience that train ride with her, but I finally did make it to Georgia (the state) myself. This story has nothing to do with her, but you know how my mind wanders on occasion.

So, after seeing Mike and his family in Michigan the weekend of the class reunion, and Jon (along with Jim) on the bike trip thru Canada, I decided it was my turn to reciprocate with a visit to their state (I later learned they both live on hills and there would be no place to park my house - Note to self, get friends that live in the flat lands). It took me a few days to get there from Chicago, including a stop over to ride some great roads in Tennessee, but I finally made it to the Peach State.

Luckily Jon and Mike, who had never met (and, now that I think about it, still haven't), were considerate enough to live within about 20 minutes from each other, on the north side of Atlanta. I was able to find a campground in between them, with this great view every morning from my front door.
Yeah, life is tough.

Besides getting to spend time with their families, I got to spend a day on the boat with Mike seeing just how low Lake Lanier is (as well as dreaming about life on a lake while we looked at 50 foot houseboats - may have to try that the next time I retire.).

But the highlight was that both Mike and Jon, on separate days, took me on some GREAT bike rides in the Appalachian mountains, in the northern part of Georgia. Once again, I was blessed with incredible fall colors. Of all the colors I've seen this year, combined with the incredible roads, this was by far the best.

Like I've said, spending time with friends has been the best part about this journey. Here's Mike's family.

As well as Jon's.

From Georgia, I worked my way across Alabama and into Mississippi. I couldn't very well pass through Mississippi without catching some blues music. I spent one night parked in the Municipal Courts parking lot in Indianola, MS, AND since they didn't have their Christmas lights up yet, I was able to plug into the empty power plug!

The next night I stayed in Rosedale, but since there was no music there, I drove 40 miles to Clarksdale and went to Red's Lounge to listen to Robert Belfour.

I'm now back in Texas! My house is parked on the property and I'm staying with a friend. Hoping to get a lot of riding in, mixed with a bunch of visiting. Who knows, maybe I'll even find a job.

Yeah, that made me laugh pretty hard too.

Well, you can check out the Georgia and Mississippi pictures here.
Enjoy, keep in touch, and remember,
Life is Good, Send Smiles.
Lon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13971363@N05/sets/72157603159225587/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13971363@N05/sets/72157603159477493/

Sweet Home, Chicago

2007-11-26T19:37:00.000-06:00

Yep, before leaving the Midwest, I had to trek to Illinois to reconnect with folks. I played 'Cousin Eddie' at Gary and Bev's house on the southern side of Chicago. They, along with their 3 chihuahuas, played gracious hosts and provided good times, great food and lots of dog biscuits.

I was able to see lots of friends, including one I hadn't seen in probably 20 years. That was the good news. The bad news was that it got cold shortly after I got there. I got in a couple bike rides, but for the most part after the 2nd day I was stuck with taking the truck anywhere. That was till it started leaking diesel fuel in everybody's drive-ways. These suburban guys can be so picky about the toxic waste that, often to no one's fault of his own, can be mistakenly left behind.

Well, fortunately Bill was able to help me track it down and a "simple" trip to a Ford dealership and $65 later, I was no longer marking my territory. Nor was I having to fill up every 40 miles or 4 hours, whichever came first.

Also added into the cold was the fact that the gauge for the propane tanks actually does work, and RED does indeed mean they are BOTH empty. I also verified that the LCD thermometer inside the RV will continue to work all the way down to 40 degrees.
Oh, and that running all of your appliances on electric (versus propane), as well as the engine block heater on the truck, your apt to blow a fuse in Gary's garage. Sure, now they say I should have woke them up at 4:30 AM when it blew, but I'm guessing they would have been groaning a different tune if I had. And afterall, I just opened the door on the fridge to warm up the RV. Besides, it was just another adventure. Like when I ran out of water in the holding tanks while I was taking a shower....while parked in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Those Wal-Mart greeters have NO sense of humor I'm telling ya.
But I digress. As always, I had a great time. There were some friends I wasn't able to get together with, THIS TIME, but I will be back.

One of the many highlights of the trip (besides sleeping in Russ's basement with his rabbit), was a little gathering that Ken and Robin threw. It was like early Thanksgiving with all the great food and good friends.

It was with a full belly and warm heart that we began our journey south for the season. I'd like to express my thanks to all my Midwest friends and family, and just say ....WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!! Its COLD up there! Move south.

Life is good, send long-johns.
Lon

Pictures for this portion of the trip can be found here. After clicking View as Slideshow, click on the "I" on the picture to see the notes as they scroll along.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13971363@N05/sets/72157603158876719/

Its good to be home

2007-10-29T08:54:00.000-05:00

Sorry its been so long since I've updated the blog. Once I got to Michigan (on September 1st), computers and blogs were definitely not a priority. Also, Yahoo shut down their photo hosting, so I had to move all my pictures and find a new place to store them. I let all of that be an excuse to not write. I even have a dozen or so pictures from "last" rides, lunches and other gatherings before I left Texas, but those will have to wait.

I'm currently in Chicago-land, visiting friends and past co-workers. The month and half I spent in Michigan was focused on spending time with family. Hopefully I'll make time to update with stories and pictures, but to recap, I attended my 25th Class reunion; visited the Octagon Barn Days; parked at such places as the Born To BeWild Days in Elkton; toured the new Wind Farm of thirty-two 400 foot wind generagtors (windmills for us less technical folks); and spent some time with the families of old friends. But mainly I hung out with my folks and brother and his family.

Before leaving MI, I joined Jim and Jon (two college friends) for a cycle ride around Lakes Erie and Ontario. We went up thru Canada and saw Niagara Fall as well as some other great scenery and fall colors. And then I loaded up the dog and the bikes and moved the house to the northern part of the lower pennisula. We worked on the hunting cabin for a bit and then I spent time riding the great roads, again with more scenery and fall colors.

Like I said, hopefully I'll make time to write some stories with pictures, but I wanted to catch you up, in case anyone is passing thru Chicago and wanted to get in touch.

Till the next update -
Life is Good. Send Gas Money.
Lon

Crossroads Adventure

2007-09-27T11:47:00.000-05:00

The whole idea of quitting my job and traveling is so I can do what I want, when I want without the need to plan for deadlines, deliverables or paid days off. And this little side trip was EXACTLY that. It started with one of my riding and music buddies, Rick, mentioning that Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Fest was happening in about a week and a half, in Chicago. Being Eric Clapton, he’s able to draw the likes of BB King, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill and many, many other respected guitarists and musicians.

Well, of course the festival was sold out within minutes of the tickets going on sale, but it seems Rick is an industrious little devil. Once we decided to ride our bikes north for the day (its only like 900 miles), he went on a massive hunt to get us tickets. I won’t put you thru all the highs and lows of E-bay bids, called in markers and I’m sure threats and promises to high people in low places, but the day before we were supposed to leave, Rick made a connection with Jim Smith (*note, I normally don’t use complete names, but come on, its "Jim Smith"!) from somewhere in Illinois. Yeah, seemed pertty fishy to me too, but Rick reassured me that he "talked to the guy for 5 minutes on the phone" and could tell it was legit. I knew all was going to be just fine when the plan to get the tickets was to meet the guy in some bar along the expressway in Joliet, IL!

So, the stars were lining up and we were on our way to the festival. Day one had us riding up thru Oklahoma on our way to St. Louis where we were to stay with Rick’s cousin Bob who was also joining us for the ride and concert. True to the adventure, we came upon a traffic jam on the expressway, which had people out of their vehicles, walking around. Being 100 degrees, on motorcycles with 6 cylinder engines (Rick also rides a Valkyrie), and wearing black helmets, life was not good at this point. However, Rick spotted a place up the road where, with a little creative riding, we could go down thru a ditch and up a hill to a side road that was paralleling the expressway. Traffic jammers stopped and watched as these two large bikes went off-roading, and I think I even heard some cheers as we crested the hill and pulled out onto…..ROUTE 66!!!!!!!!

Yes, God put that traffic jam in our way to get us off the stressful super-slab and onto what is probably the most famous road in the country. At that point, life was VERY good, as we casually wandered over hills and around turns, passing some old stores and gas stations, small stick homes and generally enjoying a true taste of Americana! So what if we went about 100 miles out of the way to make it 40 miles up the road. What a ride!

A couple hours late, we were greeted in St. Louis by Cousin Bob, carrying a couple cold beers and informing us he threw the steaks on the grill when he heard us coming down the street (Rick has custom pipes). We had a great evening of catching up on old times (new for me) and Bob took us to a couple of the "classier" bike bars in the area. That’s also where we learned that Cousin Bob’s idea of "just up the street" could actually be across a large metroplex, so needless to say we were very cautious when he was leading the rest of the weekend.

Friday morning had us doing some last minute mods to the bikes and heading to the Bull Pen Sports Bar to meet Jim Smith to get the tickets.

Lets just say that by the time Jim actually got there, we had made an impression (not necessarily good) on the bartender (pictured, from behind) and the regulars in the place (after all, it was about 1:30pm on a Friday, so it wasn’t like the place was hopping). The tickets were legit, as was Jim, and after a few more rounds (quite a few!) we were on our way to the Embassy Suites in some Chicago suburb.

For anyone that’s never been to an Embassy Suites, one of the draws is that they have a breakfast buffet in the morning that is included in the room rate, complete with a chef making omelets, etc, etc. However, an even bigger draw for us was the "Manager’s Reception" in the evening, complete with bartender making vodka tonics!

Some of my friends from the Bell Labs days were able to make it down for a few drinks and more BS’ing. The rest of the night is pretty blurry, and could probably explain some of the looks we got from the other hotel guests the next morning at the buffet breakfast, but apart from pounding heads, bloodshot eyes and occasional shakes, we seemed to have survived.

The concert was to start at Noon, and we got there just in time for Bill Murray to come out as master of ceremonies for the day, attempting to sing Gloria, soon to be backed up by Clapton himself. Folks, there is NO WAY I can convey how great this day went. The weather was perfect – plenty warm, but with enough scattered clouds that we weren’t baking in the beating sun.

The seats were perfect, that we not only had a good view of the stage, but also low enough that we could people watch all day as the people in the general admission "floor" area wandered around and laid out on their blankets.

As was usual for the trip, we ended up partying with the entire section around us.

But the music – WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Besides the earlier mentioned stars, we also saw Jeff Beck, Roberty Cray, Cheryl Crow, Steve Winwood, Johnny Winter, John Mayer, Hubert Sumlin, Susan Tedeschi, Buddy Guy and so many more! They used a revolving stage, so there was only about 15 minutes between bands, with constant music from Noon till 11pm! Clapton came out to play with many of them. For some, like BB King, he stood on the side of the stage with a big grin on his face (and even taking pictures!). It was a great show, and well worth $500 a ticket (an inside joke, with our new friend Jim Smith).

Sunday morning, we checked out of the Suites, readied the bikes and headed for Memphis. What would a trip be without a stop at Beale Street and since Rick and Bob hadn’t been there, it was my turn to play tour guide. Due to some fuel issues (turns out, all three bikes do indeed have 5 gears – another inside joke) we got into Memphis a little later than planned, but still made it to Beale Street for some good food and better music.

On Monday, Cousin Bob continued on south to New Orleans, to see family and friends. Rick and I were moving slow, and then decided that maybe one more night on Beale Street was just was the doctor ordered (not like I had a job, or life, to return to!). And, if we were going to stay in Memphis, we might as well see the sights. We went to Sun Records, where Elvis Presley recorded. Cruised thru some of the lesser desirable neighborhoods. Stopped by Graceland. And then had lunch at the world famous Interstate BBQ, billed as the best BBQ in Memphis. It was there that we met the owner Jim, also rider, and found that we were "just up the road" from the Crossroads. That’s highways 61 and 49, where folklore has it that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil to be able to play (blues) guitar. Well, since we are both blues lovers, and since the theme of this trip was Crossroads, and since we didn’t have anything better to do, we rode the 70 plus miles to Clarksdale, MS! Again, just imagine two schoolboys with great big grins on their faces as we stopped for the photo op.

We also went by Ground Zero Blues Club, which is owned by Morgan Freeman and the Cat Head Blues emporium.

After the trip back across the flat, HOT delta land, we cooled off in the pool with a few beers before venturing to….yep, Beale Street for the night. But not before a little excitement in downtown Memphis. This is another "you had to be there" moment, but I’d like to point out a couple things that might not be apparent from the picture. First of all, the bike did NOT belong to me nor Rick (and we’re not too sure it rightfully belonged to either of these guys either). Second, female cops aren’t afraid to offer their nightsticks for "assistance". And lastly, while I did get an opportunity to experience those zip-tie type temporary handcuffs up close and in person, neither of us ended up in jail (this time). We once again caught some great blues, met a few folks and had another stellar night.

Tuesday we road back across Arkansas and Texas in a mixture of 100 degree temperatures and cold driving rain. But, I don’t think either of us quit smiling the entire time. After over 2000 miles in those 4 days, the trip came to an end, as many of my trips have, at the Ramblin Rose for a final beverage amongst friends.

That was to be my final side trip before finally leaving Texas, and boy was it a good one!
Till the next adventure, just remember,

Life is Good. Send Money.
Lon

Cast of Characters ....

Rick and Cousin Bob

Vegas, Baby!!!!!!!!

2007-07-07T19:20:00.000-05:00

No, I was not one of the many thousands that flocked to Las Vegas to get married on July 7th, 2007, better known in the superstitious world as "7-7-7".

I was also not one of the many tens of thousands that flocked to Las Vegas on 7-7-7 to win their fortunes.

I was however one of 6 guys that decided it was as good of an excuse as any to set aside our jobs, families and pets to spend a weekend in a city of lights, noise and the occasional prank amongst friends.

And, since I had the plane ticket since before the layoffs, I was committed to going. Besides, I didn’t want to be the guy that backed out, and I didn’t want to miss out on any of the adventures I knew would occur.

This was mostly the same group of guys that went in September (I think the excuse then was someone’s birthday, but frankly I don’t remember any cakes or presents, so how important could it have been?)

Now on to the story. I’ll be the first to step up and say that I’m sick and tired of this "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" crap. We all like to tell stories and spread gossip as much as the next one.

So, I’m going to tell you every gritty little detail that I remember from the trip!

We landed on Thursday, which happened to be the hottest recorded day of that particular day of any year since they started keeping track of hot days. At 106 degrees we were thankful for the waiting limo to take us to the hotel.

At that point, the rest of the weekend is kind of a blur. I remember a slice of pizza in the back of a casino and an entire case of "complimentary" playing cards (either we had overstayed our welcome at that particular casino, or we bought it).

This appears to be the only picture that came out clear.

BUT, I had a blast and would vacation again in a second with these guys! Rumor has it that we all signed up for the Running of the Bulls for next year. At the very least, there was a lot of bull on this trip.

Life is good. Send Chips.
Lon

Home is where you ...

2007-07-02T19:23:00.000-05:00

….park it!

This may not be any big revelation to my friends and family, but apparently I actually like living in a trailer. Is it the confined spaces that require you to put everything in its place or it won’t fit? Or perhaps the neighbors in their trailers that I relate to? Or, maybe it’s the idea that if I don’t like the neighbors, or more accurately I piss off the neighbors, I can hook the house to the truck and MOVE!

Whatever it is, I found my dream home, and upon returning from Chicago I drove down to pick it up. It’s a 34 foot 5th wheel toy hauler.

For those of you lucky enough to not have spent the past year listening to me dream, dwell and shop for such, let me explain what I’m talking about.

This trailer/RV/dream house has a ramp as the back wall, with a 10 foot garage for me to pull the motorcycles up into! Yep, its my dream house with an attached, enclosed garage!

There is a wall (with a door) between the garage and living quarters (just like any upscale house would have). Although I have to admit that I keep the door open in the evenings so I can admire the bikes when they are back there. When the bikes are unloaded, I have carpeting that lays down, so it’s a whole other room!

You just have no clue how good life is.

So, throughout these adventures, you’ll be sure to hear about and see pictures of where I park the house. Probably more than you’d like.

Life is Good. Send a Maid.

Chicago Blues Fest 07 Road Trip

2007-07-01T13:14:00.000-05:00

Sorry its been so long since I’ve updated this, but it turns out that retirement is REALLY hectic. Last we left our hero (that’s me in case you haven’t been paying attention) I sold my house on a whim and the new owner actually expected me to move out. Go figure.

So, on June 6th at 3pm I called the new Maintenance Lady (formerly known as the new Homeowner) and informed her that the keys were on the counter and I was vacating (I left a roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, and 2 Bud Lites in the fridge (no connection)). At 3:01pm I was on the motorcycle and on my way to Chicago for the Blues Festival.

My main goal given the late start was to get out of Texas, which, in case you’ve never tried to cross it, is ONE VEY LARGE STATE! Anyway, if you’ve been keeping up with this story you’ll know that I spent the first night in Hope, Arkansas about 4 hours from Wylie. Given possible weather in Illinois, I decided to take the backroads thru north east Arkansas the next day. I had a great ride, including lunch in Poplar Bluff, MO (again, you read that story, right?) and stopped about 2 hours out of Chicago for the night.

Now we’re getting to the meat of the story. In Chicago I was meeting up with Joy who was coming in from Colorado. And Joy has connections. Frankly, I had no clue what kind of connections until I was standing on a balcony on the 30th floor of a condo looking south down Lake Shore Drive!

We had a view of Lake Michigan and all the boats, as well as Grant Park which was where the Festival was held! We could even see Millennium Park, Michigan Avenue and Pitrello Band Shell, which was the main stage of the festival. Needless to say, we were able to walk to the festival each day. The ability to stumble home without worrying about driving was equally important.

The festival is 4 days of blues on 5 different stages, and best of all, its all FREE! Its in June and I plan to continue to go each year as I have the past few. So, next year I expect to see you there!

The really cool thing was that friends from the burbs actually packed their families up and came down to the fest while we were there. I know more friends would have made it down had they been in town, not had plans, or had their shots.

But it was fun to spend time with Al, Micheline and Gabby and their friends whose names escape me, Russ and Debbie, of course Bill, and Joy and her nephew Eric and his girlfriend.

I’ll be honest, the entertainers we saw were all great, but to list everyone by name isn’t going to happen. I saw a LOT of great blues artists, often on stage with other headliners. So, rather than go thru the program and list names, lets just say you need to go next year. But, you can go here to see some of the reviews and write ups of the fest (http://chicagobluesfestival.org/).

So, Monday morning I packed my stuff on the bike and headed south. I rode down to Memphis and stayed there for the night, including a visit to Beale Street (more blues) which has become a tradition for me for any trip south from the Midwest. Beale Street is probably like any other entertainment district in any other city, just that its geared toward blues, so its my favorite.

The next day I headed back to Texas, with the realization that I sold my house and everything I owned was either in storage, parked in someone’s back yard, dumped at a friend’s house, or packed on the back of the bike.

Hmmmmmm, seems I need a place to live.

If you don't listen, is it still cheating?

2007-06-27T15:59:00.000-05:00

Probably like any other transportation discussions, there’s a sometimes heated debate on the motorcycle forums about the use of GPS and other navigational devices. Many people feel that anything more than a map briefly consulted prior to the trip takes away from the adventure of the ride. This is often backed up with such sayings as “it’s the trip, not the destination, that is the adventure”. The idea of heading across the country (or state, or town) with only a general direction in mind is half the fun.

Other people feel that the adventure is in knowing where you are and where you are going and being able to experience the things that have been planned along the way. Not having to worry about where you are going to get gas or sleep leaves you to enjoy the other adventures you’ve planned for.

Well, knowing I’d be spending a lot of time on the road, and at times actually wanting to get somewhere, I decided to purchase a navigation system. From a previous system, I knew which features I wanted, needed or didn’t particularly like. I ended up with the Garmin Zumo 550, which they claim was created specifically for motorcycles, but comes with adapters to work in a vehicle as well. It also has the ability to get XM Satellite radio, which I figured would be handy as I cruise thru some of the more rural areas of the country. I was also able to plug in the memory card from my MP3 player, which plugs into an amplifier/speakers on the bike so I could take my blues with me until I subscribe to XM.

My trip to Chicago on the bike was the first run with the new device. I took an atlas along, just in case, but for the most part followed the instructions of the soft-spoken voice that would warn me of upcoming turns and “recalculating route” when I missed turns (I’m gonna need to name this “lady” that will be traveling with me).

Here are some highlights of my trial run –
The first night, as I pulled into Hope, AR to find a room, I discovered that the GPS had a selection under Points of Interest for “Entertainment – Bar/Night Club”. I was thrilled, until I entered “find nearest to Hope, AR” and it came back with “You’re Screwed”. Seems most of Arkansas is still “dry” and the nearest adult beverage was back in Texas!

But, the next day it redeemed itself when it lead me to Myrtle’s Place for lunch in the old part of Poplar Bluff, Missouri. And, I figured if it was the special of the day, the liver and onions was as good of a bet as any. And it was.

The rest of the trip was stress-free as far as directions were concerned. As the bike would near empty, the unit would warn me (a “motorcycle only” option) and then show me where the nearest gas stations along my route were. This allowed me to know if I needed to stop immediately, or go the additional 20 or so miles I had on that tank of gas.

So, I’m still able to wander and get lost (the true purist would be proud), but when it comes time for food or gas (or alcohol if I’m not in Arkansas), the Zumo is going to be very handy. And did I mention I can set a point for “Here”, so that way I can find my way back to those favorite places, like where I parked the camper!

Simple Things

2007-06-27T15:44:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it’s the simplest things in life that give us the most pleasure.
For instance, I’ve been shopping for a camper/toyhauler since November. I’ve searched the internet, the local papers and numerous RV stores and used lots trying to find just the right model (yes, I’m a bit picky when it comes to spending that much money on the “house” I plan to live in). Well, just before leaving for Chicago for the Blues Fest, I found one! So, on my ride north, every time I passed an RV lot, that I did not have to stop at, I got this big silly grin on my face.

The simple things.

You know, like when the cute little girl working the front desk at the motel asks if you qualify for an AARP discount. You have to figure that if she’s that young, and you look that old, take the discount.

The simple things.

Like the satisfaction you get when you break down on the side of the road on your motorcycle and you’re able to fix it with duct tape and JB Weld.

The simple things.

Or when you actually took your parent’s advice, and it proved right (who would have thought clean underwear was so important?).

But, the simplest thing of all, that gives me so much pleasure as I’m going thru this adventure is knowing that God is taking care of everything! Sure, I have to be cautious and responsible, but I know that He’ll watch out for me, and as long as I listen for His signs (and give him the glory of the successes I’ve been experiencing) I don’t have to worry a single bit about what’s around the next corner.

The simple Thing.

WOW!

2007-06-05T21:50:00.000-05:00

As they say, watch what you wish for.

I knew I wanted to travel, and ultimately work in or own a campground or some cabins. So I had to decide what to do with the house. I could rent it, sell it, or possibly lock it up and have it as a "winter place", assuming I come back in the winter. Either way, it needed work.

I decided to list it to see if it would sell "As Is". Well, it did. The same day I signed the Seller's Aggreement! I had about 2 weeks till closing and then 6 days after that to get out. Needless to say, the last few weeks have been very hectic and quite stressful. A lot of friends stepped up and helped out. Everything from garage sales, to working on my bike to dinners and dog sitting for me. Come to think of it, I've never had so many friends before. Do you think its because they WANT to help me get out of town? (8-)

Seriously, as stressful as its been, its gone very well. I've kept God in front of me along the way and let him lead. That's how I know selling the house is the right thing to do (and the lady buying the place is perfect for the location and the neighbors I leave behind). While I've had some minor trials, He's set things up pretty well.

So, as of tomorrow, I am "home free" as the title agent put it.

I'm heading to Chicago on the motorcycle for the Blues Fest this weekend. When I return, I'm picking up a Toyhauler, which is a 5th Wheel trailer with a 10' foot garage in the back part. Then, its on the road!

I'll post more, along with pictures, when I return and get parked somewhere and get some time.

In the mean time, here's the house I've spent quite a bit of the past 7 years in.

So, its back on the road, and as in the past,

Life is Good. Send Money.

Lon

Retirement Tip #1

2007-04-26T16:30:00.000-05:00

When combining things like bottles of mustard, but sure to pour them into the bottle with the expiration date farthest into the future. That way, the mustard will be good for a longer period of time.

If you base your combining decision on the bottle with the least mustard, you may find your mustard expires sooner (or, you have to re-pour it all into the jar with the later expiration date).

Time for a ride

2007-04-23T19:45:00.000-05:00

Retirement started out with a little roadtrip with Mutt (a friend, not the dog) to Ingram (the "Texas Hill Country") to meet up with the Sabre Riders, a group of folks I met thru the internet that, at one time or other, owned Honda Sabre Motorcycles.

As usual, the trip involved at least one new beverage stop, this time at the Horny Toad Bar and Grill in Cranfills Gap (http://www.hornytoadbar.com/). This is a nice little stop, and I'd recommend it (and the burger) to anyone passing thru this part of the country.

Day two involved me leaving Ingram at 8:30 AM to ride 5 hours to Houston to meet my cousin Carly. She and Twig were performing in the Aurora Picture Show's "Media Archeology: Below Fi" festival (www.aurorapictureshow.org). While I didn't get to see their performance (it was the night before) we got to spend the day sightseeing in Houston, including museums, the Turrell Tunnel and the Imax Theatre.

But the real highlight for me was the show they took me to that evening. It was held at The Orange Show (www.orangeshow.org) which I could NEVER begin to describe. Go to the website and be sure to view the Orange Show film. Those that know me and my like of deep bass, slow blues will be surprised to find that I enjoyed the techno style show. Not just the beat of the music, but the instrumentation and "show". That night we saw Tristan Perich and his 1-bit Music (http://www.onebitmusic.com/) as well as Quintron and Miss Pussycat (http://www.quintronandmisspussycat.com). I tried taking a few pictures, but there is no way I could capture the experience and energy of the night.

After the show Saturday night, I ended up at the Spring (TX) Crawfish Fest (just in time for it to close). So I went back Sunday morning and from there, I went to Ugly's Sports Bar & Grill for $5 all you can eat crawfish! For any biker or crawfish eating friends, I highly recommend this place (crawfish EVERY Sunday, and the bartenders and waitresses were definitely easy on the eyes).

Well, that's a long winded recap of my first weekend of unemployment! Here's a link to all the pictures at Yahoo (I've added captions for each picture). (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/lricker2001/album/576460762399188165)

Day One (again)

2007-04-23T19:21:00.000-05:00

Well, its once again time to hit the road. Of course, like the previous two times, I have no clue what road, in what direction, nor even if a road will be involved. But, given my disdain for computers, I figured this was the best way to show my contempt - make you come here to find out what I'm doing.

And, since this is my first attempt to use a computer for anything non-work related other than searching for things like motorcycle parts and blues events, it will be a trial and error experiment. Thanks in advance for your patience, and boredom to be here.