memory lane...

i'm amused by the things that trigger memories for me.  I stole snoopy on the easter egg from a post on the facebook.  my thanks and apologies to the original poster but the image was likely "borrowed" from elsewhere so I think i'll be able to sleep tonight; but I digress.

seeing snoopy in repose took me back to the early 90's.  our middle son, c., was in his second year as a student in little a-town's children's theatre school.  he had auditioned once before without being cast which might have put the damper on a lesser spirit, but not the indomitable c!

the production was to be Snoopy, the Musical. I think c. identified with linus to a degree in that he had a favorite "blanky" which in his younger years apparently gave his some comfort in the scary, dark of night.  auditioning that day were veterans of the stage, high schoolers, and the daring soon to be middle schooler in the guise of our c.

I still get teary when I remember back to that day.  clutching that blanket he stepped out onto the stage singing to the exit sign, "i'll give him seven minutes... that's all i'm gonna wait... exactly seven minutes... it's quarter until eight... the song went on but when the last note faded away casting director l.h. was heard to say, "we've got our linus".  he was cast to play against kids 3, 4, even 5 years older.  and as they say, the rest is history. he stood toe to toe with those older kids, giving as good as he got.

things haven't changed much over the years.  he continues to push the boundaries. the latest rendition of linus stood in front of the dead music capital band at HONKTX! 2013 last weekend.  he and his scary band of zombies stood toe to toe with bands from across this great country, giving as good as they got, bringing tears of pride to the old man's eyes, yet again. it's a habit of his I guess i'll have to learn to live with but I can't wait 'til next time.

aio         

Get your groove on......

                                                                         

every Friday the AGN has a pull out section called, "Get Out!". entertainment editor chip chandler runs down local entertainment choices for the coming weekend.  many of the offerings are country bands but one headline caught my eye.  It reads "Deathfest promises brutal good times".  nearly 30 death metal bands take the stage here in little a-town.  if you have something against your ears, you might check it out.  be it death metal or country, there is a genre out there to satisfy most any of your musical cravings.

entertaining taking in Deathfest (NOT) takes me back to last weekend in big a-town and HONKTX 2013, a festival of community street bands. for the millions of "marching band geeks" who've not found an outlet for their music since their last ephemeral note in high school or college faded into the wind, the growing movement of community street bands might be just the thing to scratch an itch.

HONK , started in Somerville, MA.  the fun has since spread across the country with festivals now being staged in Providence (PRONK) and HONK WEST in Seattle.  HONKTX 2013, in Austin this past weekend featured 23 bands, both local and from around the country, showcasing styles from the zombiesque Dead Music Capital Band to the elementary Holly Lolly Band and every bent in between.  the likes of the Seed and Feed and the Minor Mishap Marching Bands favored the crowds with lively tunes, amusing hijinks and a splash of added color.

the weekend got rolling on Friday evening with the bands strutting their stuff at venues along S. Congress. a chilly Saturday was warmed up starting at noon, with bands playing some hot licks, alternating through venues around Pan-Am park. on Sunday, east Austin was treated to a parade starting at noon with the bands marching along with twirlers, dancers, the Austin bicycle zoo and others.  hundreds of delighted fans lined the streets of the neighborhood.  after minor mishap brought up the rear, a revue of the bands hit the stage in fine form, blowing the windy afternoon into happy conclusion.

the HONKTX organizers are to be commended for the hours upon hours spent planning toward making the spectacle that is HONKTX come to fruition and marvelous conclusion.  the festival represents all that is good about Austin.  this huge undertaking does its' bit toward "keeping Austin weird" and  that's a good thing.  Congratulations to all!

aio

until we meet again--

                                                                             

my aunt Christine will be laid to rest today. she had a full and fruitful life by all accounts and goes to her eternal reward some months short of her 100th birthday.  she made waffles for breakfast on a visit when I was quite young. it was the first time I can remember having them; how I marveled at their toasty brown, exotic to me, crunchy goodness. on another visit, I was probably 12 or 13, her older boys took me on a rabbit hunt.  I was just along for the ride and not allowed to take a shot.  as I recall, jack rabbits and cotton tails were so plentiful as to merit a bounty.

it's odd that a life of 100 years can be reduced to two distinct memories.  we didn't visit that often, usually only when she and her clan would come to visit her mother, my grandmother, in Lubbock.  i haven't seen her or any of her family since my grandmother's funeral too many years ago.

still, after all the years, I can hear her voice in my head, I can see her perpetual smile and sparkling, mischievous eyes.  my aunt christine was an elegant lady.  I will miss her, holding her memory close until the time we can sit down together once again. and I wonder, are there waffles in heaven?

aio

HONK TX 2013

                                                                          

this past weekend took us to the live music capital of the world for HonkTX  2013.  It is one of several such music festivals staged across the country which draw Community Street Bands from near and far for a weekend of music and flat out fun.

our connection to the festival is our son's zombie themed group, the Dead Music Capital Band.  It was DMCB's second year to play the HonkTX festival, but our first time attending.  Privately, this proud papa had some concern as to how DMCB might stack up against bands like the "Biohazard Brass Band" from Fort Sam Houston and the others.  There was not a slouch among the 23 bands performing.  Putting parental pride and prejudice aside, DMCB stood toe to toe with all those groups musically.  In the entertainment category, DMCB was several lifetimes ahead of some others. you can see videos of DMCB's performances at http://www.youtube.com/kenemac47  the videography isn't the best but you can get and idea of what was our ears were privileged to hear.

www.dmcband.org
www.honktx.org
www.krewedcm.com

if the t-shirts I wore last weekend had buttons on them going in to the festival, they most assuredly would have been decorating the streets of Austin at the end.  My heartfelt congratulations to all of you drummers and tooters performing as the DMCB at HonkTX 2013. Forgive me as I get a bit misty at the remembering. You make me proud.  The blood, sweat and tears you each contributed toward your outstanding performances, individually and as a group, was evident.  Keep up the good works.

aio

happy days are here again...

I was pleasantly surprised to see a post at www.monkeyheartdiscourses.blogspot.com this afternoon.  it has been a minute since her last but, having not posted on kdg in a bit myself, I know full well that one has to be inspired to write anything; anything at all. to write something that might be seen as mildly amusing, entertaining, thought provoking or moving requires at least the hint of an idea.  without that, it ain't happnin'. 

I so admire my friend, JMB, who writes a general interest column for the AGN. More often than not his piece brings a tear to my eyes.  He has a way with words that was evident back in the days when he worked in sports. I expect that he has some help coming up with a topic to write on, still he has to conduct an interview and from there glean the bones on an article.  Fleshing out the piece into something people might like to read is his forte. whether from a tip or from the germ of an idea hatched in ones head, without a hook any piece-- whether from JMB in the AGN, from me at kdg or ksmw at mhd , likely remains unwritten.

the post today at 'the monkey heart discourses' brought a tear to my eye.  not that the piece was meant to be moving as such but in the manner it was conceived and executed.  it did my heart good to see any post at all but more so that I can see that my baby girl is well on her way to picking up where she left off. full steam ahead k****cita.  mucho amor, tu padre   

  

just 7 days ago...

a week ago today, the bleezard of 2013, sped through little a-town pacing winds at 50-60 mph with gusts recorded to 77.  and by the way, on her way out of through town, mother nature left off 19 inches of heavy, wet snow.  not pretty while it was happenin' but a blessing just the same. the experts are saying the snow storm was not a drought buster, I get that, but it will give a reprieve to the thirsty parts here about for a time.

what a difference a week makes. yesterday, we saw temps in the middle seventies and today it was around there.  all that snow is gone! gone, that is , with the exception of deeper drifts in shaded areas and the mountains of snow pushed  into piles in parking lots across town. el grande sol, working his melty magic.  right on!

mother nature can be a ferocious force while leaving life giving moisture in her wake.

momma, you come on back now. ya' hear!

aio