Live Music

I love live music. Every show I go to I savor. And I would go often if I could. One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to see at least one live show per quarter this year. Hmm, well I'm 0-2. I was going to go see moe. in 1Q and subdudes in 2Q... missed them. Hopefully I will score this quarter and I do have a plan but more on that later.

You see the problem is nobody my age wants to see live music anymore. They don't want to go all the way downtown to Deep Ellum or Lower Greenville. And they don't want to stay out late. Doing this is a huge commitment and they really just don't care a lot about seeing live music. To each their own.

Dallas has even answered this to some degree by building a big fancy House of Blues in the new shwanky part of Dallas life. There is a band there every night practically. Sad but true, I have not been their yet.

About the only way I've really been able to satisfy the need in recent years is to run away to festivals. The wife and I used to go to the New Orleans Jazz Fest . Great festival, all types of music, and food to die for. But Katrina put that on hold. I ran away to Bonnaroo for a few years but the one and only person who would go with me said he had had enough. So the nearest festival to escape to is the ACL . A friend and I went down for this a couple of years ago. But since then it keeps getting scheduled on his daughter's birthday. Its a conspiracy I tell you!

What are you going to do? If you can't get anyone to join you then your beat. And beat I am I suppose. So I've moved to the middle aged man's social activity which is golf. But that is a whole different story.

So here you go, the answer. If you haven't seen any live music lately, don't want to stay out late and don't want to spend any money I have just the thing. And if all goes well I'll be there at least once! The city of Lewisville hosts the summer musical series. They put on FREE shows in the EARLY evening. In the old days it was put on at the vista ridge amphitheater (and Memories catered, remember them?). Now its split into two series, summer and fall . Summer is still at Vista Ridge but fall is at the new town hall lawn. And the fall series will start up next month. Its FREE and music is from 6:30 to 8:30, you'll be home before bed time. Go see some live music!!! Heck they will have Brave Combo there, everybody loves them so take your family and just go. I will be there getting my live music craving satisfied for the year!



And along these lines RIP Elvis, 30 years gone today :-( The king of rock and roll forever and what a live show that would have been.

God's Creation

Daughter number 3 has decided she wants to go off to college in Colorado. This is somewhat strange in that we had never taken her there. She really has never been around mountains. But this has been a strong draw for her in picking a college (nevermind the academics!). And she has been insistant about it. Its almost like Richard Dryfus in Close Encounters...

A couple of weeks ago she went off to Durango with a freind's family. When she came back she pretty much had confirmed her desire to be in the mountains.


So it makes me wonder why? Why would she be so insistant on this?

Some of it I'm sure is just leaving the nest. If your parents have always done certain things then you naturally want to go off in a different direction and set your own way. She isn't the adventurous type though so I would have never expected this from her. But I'm suprised by her everyday as she is changing into an adult before my eyes.


But still its a mystery why she is being drawn to the mountains so strongly. I can only assume this is her calling and that God is directing her there. And that she is awed and inspired by God's creation in such a beautiful place. And therefore she may not know exactly herself why but just knows that its what she must do.

Jerome John 'Jerry' Garcia
Aug 1, 1942 - Aug 9, 1995

"There's no way to measure his greatness or magnitude as a person or as a player. I don't think eulogizing will do him justice. He was that great - much more than a superb musician with an uncanny ear and dexterity. He is the very spirit personified of whatever is muddy river country at its core and screams up into the spheres. He really had no equal. To me he wasn't only a musician and friend, he was more like a big brother who taught and showed me more than he'll ever know. There are a lot of spaces and advances between the Carter Family, Buddy Holly and, say, Ornette Coleman, a lot of universes, but he filled them all without being a member of any school. His playing was moody, awesome, sophisticated, hypnotic and subtle. There's no way to convey the loss. It just digs down really deep." - Bob Dylan

Violated

Today started off really great. Our church has been without a senior pastor for almost a year now and today a new candidate was speaking! He is someone with a lot of available materials to review so we have been listening and getting excited all week.

Headed out a 8:45 for the usual morning service. Parked in the usual parking spot, a bit out there, 2 spots over from my teaching compadre. Went into the service and the place was packed. This kind of made the wife a bit angry. Fair weather church goers coming out of the woodwork. We couldn't even sit in our usual spot. But that ill feeling didn't last long. The candidate delivered an awesome service that left us feeling very up. He was great and the and we really hope he makes our church his home.

Hung out after service in the cafe, discused what classes we would take this fall. Then headed downstairs to teach the kids during second service (me 5th grade boys, the wife 2nd graders). Finish up and time to go home.

Headed out to the car and the compadre is sitting there in his car waiting for us. I don't see it but the wife spots it right off. We get closer and I see it. The rear passenger window of my car is smashed in. The wife's purse that was tucked under the seat is gone :-( We are very upset.

Walk around in a daze for a bit then call the cops. There is glass all over the interior of the car so we brushed off the seats. Panic for a moment thinking the house key is in the purse along with the address on the drivers license. Did they head to the house? Also the car key to the kids car was in there, did they go to steal the car? The neighbor comes out of church so we tell him to watch the house when he gets back and call us if he sees something.

Finally head home. Called the credit card company. The robbers bought a big screen TV at Walmart and a $100 gift card at Appleby's on the discover card. Shut that off. Put a stop payment on the checks that were left in the checkbook. Cops come by and take pictures then go off to Walmart and Appleby's Realized later that the house key was not in the purse (whew).
We probably won't hear anymore about this from the cops. The wife will have to get a new lisence. We will have to get the glass man to come out and fix the window. The credit card company will take care of the charges. We lost about $60 in cash and another $60 on a gift card for the home school store to by the kids' books. We will spend the week kicking ourselves for being complacent and cursing the robber for having put us through this. Most of all we feel violated. Intruded on in our car while at church.

Coincidence of these two events? I think not. A wake up call, a reminder, that we must depend on Him. And from this he will make our ashes the oil of joy.

Interns

Next week is the last week for my summer interns. They gave their final presentations today summarizing all that they had learned over the summer. I've had a lot of interns over the years and they always impress me. They come in not knowing that they know a lot. They leave knowing more than they knew. The interns are always fast learners and have tremendous talent. Its satifying to be an old guy and help and watch these junior engineers develop. They eagerly await every bit of time given to them, they thrive on the learning, and they are inspired by the creation happening all around them. This is the first time these future engineers get to see the translation from engineering school to actually being an engineer. All are very appreciative. Each one gives me praises for all that they have done over the summer. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to be their mentor. So next week is the sad goodbyes. But both sides will know that these engineers have been set on the path to the future.

Happy Birthday, Jer (Aug 1)

These are the days between for a deadhead. Jerry Garcia was born on Aug. 1, 1942 and died on Aug. 9, 1995. All know him as the leader of the Grateful Dead and a 60s icon. He certainly was that but also so much more.


From a music perspective Jerry played selflessly. He loved to play. For 30 years he led the Dead through music alone. There were over 2600 dead shows documented and add 1000s of Jerry's side project shows to go with. And his sound both on the strings and the vocals is uniquely Jerry. His music stands as its own and its shear volume is overwhelming. Thirty years of endless touring with a mantra to never use set lists, never play any night the same as any other night, to improvise, explore, and to play the songs rooted in Americana. Jerry was the focus, the center, the heart and soul of those thousands of hours we deadheads relish now only on tape. And the tribe is big and is a culture all unto itself. It was Jerry who said once the notes were played they (the fans) could have them when asked about audience taping. Despite what the industry said the dead built a legion of followers and a fortune on their music by first giving it away for free. (hear that RIAA?)


Jerry was more than just the lead guitar and vocalist for the Grateful Dead. He also produced and played on many other artists albums and always had side projects of his own. He played bluegrass, folk, jazz, soul, blues, funk, and good ol' rock and roll. Many don't know that he played the banjo on the highest selling bluegrass album of all time (Old and In the Way). To listen to Jerry was to discover music.

He was also an exceptional artist that many know by his ties. And who doesn't love Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia!

Jerry was the headlight on the North bound train, walked by the black muddy river, traveled so many roads, always had a a touch of the blues, a birdsong, and he was a friend of mine...

The long and strange trip officially ended on August 9, 1995, but the notes left behind will keep Jerry alive. Not fade away.

Check out some free music from the vault: http://dead.net/features/tapers-section

'Fee Bill'

Thats the term LSU uses when its time to pay again. And daughter #2, Amanda Grace, called me from BR this week to let me know the Fee Bill for fall had arrived :-(

These aren't cheap of course! I remember reading when she was little about how I had to start saving for her college education early because the cost of education would be out of the roof when she went. Well I didn't have to many nickels to save back then so I figured I would worry about that another day. Eventually I did manage to start a college fund and save up for her. When she graduated from Marcus in 2005 I had a whopping $3,ooo!!!! Lets just say that is pathetic, you know what I mean if you have a kid in college...

Somehow by the grace of God I have managed to pay these fee bills without borrowing a dime so far. Many things lined up to make it possible that I wouldn't have ever imaged. Its by no means easy, in fact, its down right painful making the fee bills go away each semester. But I'm happy to be able to do it and I'm happy to do it for her.

Like any parent I worried about her going off to college. But Amanda dived and has blossomed at LSU. She has great grades, works on campus, and has made great friends and roommates. College is a molding and transforming experience in many ways and I'm so happy to see how she is growing there. I'm proud of what she has accomplished.

So here is to the junior year of my pre-vet LSU Tiger daughter! Bring on those fee bills, the investment is worth every penny!

P.S. If you have little kids start saving for the college now! Everything you read about the cost of sending a kid to college is all true....

From Somewhere

My parents both grew up in a very small town called New Roads, Louisiana in Pointe Coupee Parish. This is near Baton Rouge and sits on an oxbow lake that used to be a part of the Mississippi River. Even today this town looks like its stuck in the 1950s. Things move very slow in New Roads and most things just don't change. My Dad's family has a plantation there that has been in the family since before the civil war.

As a kid I moved around a lot since my Dad was in the Air Force. But we were from New Roads. We lived there for a while when I was in elementary school but even when we lived elsewhere it was always home. And during the summers when we were away we would head back to New Roads.

Of course, the place to stay was Grandma and Grandpa Gremillion's house. Days were spent down on the lot, a camp my Grandpa bought on False River. The lot is where the fishing happened. Cleaning fish was just something you did! And fish fries were the best. Grandma and Aunt Helen would make the special mustard based corn meal breading to fry in. Plus you got lots of hush puppies. All the Gremillion cousin's were there. There was lots of swimming, jumping off of the pier, boating and water skiing.

Dad's parents lived on the 'river'. Visits to Grandma and Paw Paw Morrison's house on False River was good fun. This was across from the backery so fresh donuts would be had by all. The snowball stand was just down the road too! And Grandma kept those small coke bottles in the closet down the hall. Chris and I would then head down to the river and check out the crawfish towers and play on the pier.

Some days we would head to Gretchen street. This is were all the first cousin's lived (14 of them total). Often we would play kick the can until late at night.

And the fancy diners were at the original Ralph and Kacoo's before it even thought about becoming a chain.

New Roads remains strong roots for me. I could go on and on about so much of the place. These are my memories and traditions.

The thing I wonder is what my kids will think about when somebody asks them where are they from? They are a product of the burbs. My wife and I are from different places and we have moved here after moving around ourselves. Our parents gew up in small town America. Our generation has moved around to where the work is. And now our kids have these extended roots but not deep roots. Some gravitate to our past roots and some of the kids want to chart their own course into unknown places. I guess they would just say they are from Flo Mo...

Work....

Work seems to go through a continual change. I'm sure its because I'm getting older but its all a changing work place in the U.S. these days. Ten years ago we did everything right here in Fort Worth, design to manufacture. Now a days we design in 5 locations across the world including the UK, 3 locations in the US and China. And we manufacture in China, Malaysia or Mexico, no manufacturing in the U.S, period.

On top of going global we are also shrinking. Attrition is eating us up and hiring is not allowed in the U.S. You see we are premium engineers here and only low cost engineers are hired. They live in Beijing, Hangzhou or Shanghai.

And in addition my industry is technology. So what used to be a concentrated effort and a couple of years to produce go anywhere communication devices has now turned into a fast turn of a brand new technology for high speed data anywhere!

All of that translates to being extremely busy at work. From the moment I walk in the door to the moment I walk out I'm literally using every single minute to accomplish many tasks that have to be done right now!

I don't know why I'm telling you this. It just seems amazing me at this time how surreal the whole situation is becoming. And looking ahead to the next 5 years is beyond anything I can even image. In the next few years when your enjoying your WiMAX, LTE and UMB, I'll be cranking out the next technological revolution with the last 2.3 premium engineers left in America.

Carpooling

I've been driving to work 35 miles each way for 13 years. That's about 220,000 miles! And I did it all by myself. Most of that time the price of gas was under $1 a gallon (remember that). Since my wallet wasn't really impacted I wasn't thinking about green Earth or greenbacks.

Now that gas is approaching $3 a gallon I've succumbed to the carpool. I broke down and committed to restrictions on my freedom to come and go. I've had to give up the freedom to drive my car all alone 70 miles a day any time I want :-(

They guy I car pool with lives maybe 2 miles from me and he has been driving the same 70 miles a day. And he committed to giving up his right as an American to drive unrestricted anytime, anywhere as well.

But you know what, I wish I would have done this a long time ago. Its nice to only have to drive every other week. Its nice to have someone to talk to. And it's cost saving and earth friendly.

MLB Stadium # 7

Some recent discussion came up on Brent's blog about 10 things you always wanted to do. One of his was getting to every MLB park for at least one game. This used to be a big dream of mine as Joan can confirm. But like all things has slipped by the way side over time. After a recent trip and aquiring number 7 maybe the excitment is back! I can't do it in one long summer road trip like Brent wants to but maybe I'll get to at least half of them in my life time.

Visited so far:

1. Dodger Stadium - this was my first, seeing the penguin

2. Angel Stadium - just down the road, more so cal baseball

3. Arlington Ballpark - the Rangers old stadium, probably shouldn't count on this list!

4. Fenway Park - this was a dream come true to visit the big green monster

5. Wrigley Field - another dream come true to visit the friendly confines

6. The Ballpark at Arlington - the Rangers new, and very cool stadium

and now

7. Camden Yards - I got to see the Orioles beat the Yankees with Clemmons pitching!

P.S. As a side note I did have some sad misses.... the old Tiger Stadium even though i visited Detroit many times in college and the old Komisky stadium in Chicago despite being in Chicago several times as well :-( Maybe I better get to New York and visit Shea and Yankee stadiums before the wrecking ball.

Words of wisdom from Brave Combo:

Do Something Different

---

Don't believe anyone.
Don't read your mail.
Make light of every word you hear.
Turn off your radio. Quit your job.
Do something different. Disappear.
Do something different. Disappear.

Think like a child. Laugh at cocaine.
Never ever ever do what's proper again.
Understand everyone crystal-clear.
Rid yourself of fashion. Disappear.
Remove yourself from fashion. Disappear.

Reverse your morality. Listen to bands
That play only music you can't stand.
Forget how to worry. Enjoy your fears.
Stop your life insurance and Disappear.
Stop your life insurance and Disappear.

DC

Ventured to DC a couple of weeks ago for work. Fortunately I did have time to go down to the mall and revisit all of the monuments.

Its amazing these idealic men who lived in a pretty harsh time were able to accomplish what they did. Today's United States seems very far removed from those beginnings.

For a citizen it is awe inspiring to stand in the presence of these men and makes one proud to be an American. While at the same time its heartbreaking to walk the walls of the war's fallen and know that more fall every day.

Thomas .... we hold these truths to be self evident

and Abe ... Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

And my generation's legacy... the wall. After walking the Vietnam (and Korean) wall you only wonder what the Iraq wall will look like and what its legacy will be.

Camera phone

A sampling of what has built up over time in the camera phone:

Joan and Amanda - two beautiful people!

New Years 07

Coal train - these cross my path on the way to work

The crawfish that got a way. This guy is sitting at the bottom of my pool!

Another brutal day in the lab - life at the mother company!

The Prince

A full rainbow!

My old office

Snow in Texas!

"The bean" - Cloud Gate, Chicago - with the son standing in front

T Rex! (at the Smithsonian)

Abe

There you have it! Aren't camera phones fun!

There was a time when you would do that....

Hmm, boy have I thought about that in recent years. You know your middle aged when you realized many of the things you planned to do just aren't going to happen. And many of the ambitions you had just aren't there anymore.

Not so much a bad thing but certainly a perspective shift when one realizes his life is half over. Some things that used to be important just aren't anymore. Some dreams that used to be ahead just wont happen.

C'est la vie

Always be honest in your dealings, always tell the truth. And if you make a mistake admit it right away.

Abundant Life?

So what is abundant life? This is a tough question. My mind quickly wants it to be about wealth and a carefree life! But the scripture is talking about quality of life in God, not quantity...

So then what does this abundant life mean?

My thought, its the love and security of God in my life. That no matter what happens I'm secured in his hands. So good times or bad, I just look forward and know the hope is secured. To know this and stay out of the gap... thats what my abundant life is.

Big Brother

Very recently my big brother moved to town. Wasn't the best circumstances for him, he moved here from LA hoping to get work. My parents worry about him a lot and wish he would 'grow' up. The family is always wishing he would change.

But he is my big brother. We are close in age, 1.5 years apart and I grew up wanting to be him. To me I always envyed his talents and intelligence. A part of me always wants to be him, the artist, the free spirit, the man who is who he is no matter what.

So him being here is good, part of a bigger plan I'm convinced. Him being here will make us all better and we in turn will be there for him.

Molly Ivins passed away today, 2/1/07. In her honor:

Bubba, we -- yes, we --have to stop the war now

By Molly Ivins

Creators Syndicate

The president of the United States does not have the sense that God gave a duck -- so it's up to us. You and me, Bubba.

I don't know why George W. Bush is just standing there like a frozen rabbit, but it's time we found out. The fact is that WE have to do something about it. This country is being torn apart by an evil and unnecessary war, and it has to be stopped. NOW.

This war is being prosecuted in our names, with our money, with our blood, against our will. Polls consistently show that less than 30 percent of the people want to maintain current troop levels. It is obscene and wrong for the president to go against the people in this fashion. And it's doubly wrong for him to increase U.S. troop levels in this hellhole by up to 20,000, as he reportedly will soon announce.

What happened to the nation that never tortured? The nation that wasn't supposed to start wars of choice? The nation that respected human rights and life? A nation that from the beginning was against tyranny?

Where have we gone? How did we let these people take us there? How did we let them fool us?

It's monstrous to put people in prison and keep them there. Since 1215, civil authorities have been obligated to tell people the charges against them if they're arrested. This administration has done away with rights enshrined in the Magna Carta, and we've let them do it.

This will be a regular feature of mine, like an old-fashioned newspaper campaign. Every column, I'll write about this war until we find some way to end it. Every column, we will review some factor we should have gotten right.

So let's take a step back and note that before the war, one of its architects, Paul Wolfowitz, testified to Congress that Iraq had no history of ethnic strife.

Sectarian and ethnic strife is a part of the region. And the region is full of examples of Western colonial powers trying to occupy countries, take their resources and take over the administration of their people -- and failing. The sectarian bloodbath we see daily completely refutes Wolfowitz.

And let's keep in mind that when the Army arrived in Baghdad, we, the television viewers, watched footage of a bunch of enraged and joyous Iraqis pulling down the statue of Saddam Hussein, their repulsive dictator, in Firdos Square. Only one thing was wrong: The event was staged, instigated by a Marine colonel and a psychological operations unit that made it appear spontaneous.

When we later saw the whole square where the statue was located, only 30 to 40 people were there (U.S. soldiers, press and some Iraqis -- and one of several U.S. tanks present pulled the statue down with a cable). We, the television viewers, saw the square being presented as though the people of Iraq had gone into a frenzy, mobbed the square and spontaneously pulled down the statue.

We need to cut through all this smoke and mirrors and come up with an exit strategy, forthwith.

The Democrats have yet to offer a cohesive plan to get us out of this mess. Of course, it's not their fault -- but the fact is that we need leaders who are grown-ups and who are willing to try to fix it. Bush has ignored the actual grown-ups from the Iraq Study Group and the generals and all other experts who are nearly unanimous in the opinion that more troops will not help.

It's up to you and me, Bubba.

We need to make sure that the new Congress curbs executive power, which has been so misused, and asserts its own power to make this situation change.

Now.

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

--Martin Luther King, Jr.