Memories of blizzards past.

I moved to Oklahoma from Colorado in 1995 and this is the first time I remember a blizzard hitting the Sooner State! Now back in Colorado this is not big news. A blizzard gets a crawl on the bottom of the TV screen but here in Oklahoma you can forget about watching any of your TV shows because all that will be on TV is weather coverage! I love a good snow storm so I'm not hating this weather all that much. It makes me think back to my first experience with a blizzard.
We had moved to Walsh, Colorado from Briscoe, Texas when my Mom re-married. My new stepdad owned a huge farm and ranch operation in Baca County. The blizzard hit and it hit hard! The snow drifts were so big our cattle were walking over the barbed wire fences! We had cattle scattered out all over the place! At that point, we had to get horseback! The horse I had at the time was a little mare named Shea. We saddled up and left the barn. The snow was so high the bottoms of my stirrups were dragging over the top of it! I don't know how that horse plowed through that snow all day but she did!
My sister and I have always thought it was funny how quickly the schools in Oklahoma will cancel classes during inclement weather. It took a major storm in Colorado for us to get a snow day! Around here, just the mention of a storm sends people to Wal-Mart in droves to stock up on lantern oil, water, potted meat and beans! My friend Chris works in a liquor store and yesterday morning they had run over $2000 in sales to storm-frenzied customers who didn't want to be without their booze in a white-out!!! Unreal.
The storm de-railed my plans to go to Yukon today to start celebrating Christmas with my family but in the grand scheme of things it's a small annoyance. We are all safe and warm and that is what's really important!
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers!

I'm feeling very Asian.

Went to the YaYa's Christmas party at Misti and Nathan's house last night. Also in attendance were Keely, Angie and Heather. Nathan was home but he stayed holed up in a back room. I think he just slept through all our fun! ;-)

It was so much fun to hang out with those gals! They are all so much fun and we spend most of the evening laughing! Ate some wonderful eats including sushi, had some yummy drinks, played a new, fun game called "Partini," played a little guitar and did a little singing. Good times!

I wisely spent the night at Misti and Nathan's house. Today we went out for one of my all time favorite meals: pho'. For those who don't know, pho' is Vietnamese noodle soup and it is simply wonderful, especially after a night of drinking! The healing powers of the soup broth does wonders for the body and soul! We tried a new place called Mr. Pho. It located by the HUGE Asian market on Western. Since I'd never been into an Asian market Misti thought we should go. It was so cool! So many different sights, sounds and smells! I loved it!

We continued our Asian themed outing by getting banh mi sandwiches to go from Banh Mi Ba Le on Classen Blvd. I brought mine home and heated it up for supper and it was sooooo good!!! Next time I'm gonna order it and eat it fresh! I'm sure it will be even better that way!!!

Overall, a great weekend spent with fab friends! As of tonight, all my Christmas gifts are wrapped, tagged and ready to be delivered! Bring on Christmas!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers!

Introducing: Drey Asher Taylor!

We got a bit of a surprise for Thanksgiving this year: a new baby boy! Felicia was scheduled for a C-Section on December 2nd but Mr. Drey Asher Taylor had other ideas! She started having contractions early Tuesday evening (11/24/09) and Drey made his entrance into the world at 11:20pm! He weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. I spent the night at Chris and Felicia's house with Tripp so Freddie and Fallon could go to the hospital. The next morning we went up and Tripp met his little brother! I don't think the reality of the situation is going to set in for him until he realized that Drey is coming home to live with them!!

The Taylor family got to come home on Thanksgiving day and we all pulled together to have a feast all ready! It was a really fun day! Little Olivia is almost three months old now and got to meet her new cousin on Thanksgiving Day, too! It was quite comical! She's not used to seeing someone smaller than her!

I know Nana was looking down from Heaven and loving it! She would have just loved having all these sweet babies around!

It was truly a Thanksgiving to be thankful for!

Time to say THANKS!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I'm so excited that's it's rolled around yet again! Thought I'd take a minute and say thanks for a few things.

1. My family: I'm so blessed in this department! The older I get the more I realize my family truely is rare in the fact that we're all still so close. Most people I know rarely, if ever, see their cousins on a regular basis. My cousins are like brothers and sisters to me and I've never really known anything different. I also have three of the coolest aunts you could ever ask for! And I don't know what I'd ever do without my parents and my brother and sister. My family is a gift and I love them all dearly!

2. My friends: My life would be quite dull without my crazy group of friends around me! They lift me up when I need lifting and cheer me up when I need cheering!

3. My work: My job as a chiropractic assistant really has changed my life. I look for the good in people because I've learned that when people are hurting it's really hard for them to be nice. I've learned to smile at everyone who walks into my office because I may be the only person who's nice to them all day. A smile can change everything! I work with two AMAZING women who have enriched my life and made me a better person!

Life is good people! I hope you can find something to be thankful for today!

AC/DC tonight!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW7srJ8qJU0

Going to see AC/DC tonight at Ford Center in OKC! I saw them the last time they came through town several years ago and had front row seats! It was awesome! My seats this time around aren't front row but they're still pretty good. Section 227. Not bad.

Rock on!!!

Happy Birthday Kelsey!

Today my cousin Kelsey turns 23 years old!

I'm so proud of this girl! When she was little she was hell on wheels and many of us in the family were unsure as to what she would amount to. She has turned out to be such a great kid!

She went to Murray State and became a veterinary technician. After she got out of school she moved in with me for awhile while she decided if she would like her new job at Marlow Vet Clinic. I was a little unsure about it but it turned out great! We had so much fun together and really became close friends. We had many fun adventures together and we still go out together as much as possible.

She may not know what couscous is, or that England is a country in Europe but to me she is awesome and I love her! Happy birthday Kelsey!!!!!!!!!!

Billy Joe Shaver

As mentioned in a previous blog Kelsey and i went to see Billy Joe Shaver on October 17th at Muscle Car Ranch here in Chickasha. I just love Billy Joe! He's a true legend who, in my opinion, has never gotten the recognition he truly deserves. It was a great night and here are some pics.

His book "Honky Tonk Hero" is a good read if you ever get the chance. He's led a crazy and sometimes tragic life.

I'm a Scentsy consultant!!

I've signed up to sell Scentsy!

Check out my website: https://shaylasanders.scentsy.us/Home

REK Show!

What a full weekend of music!

Kelsey, Russell, Chris and I met my friends Rene' and Dale at the WinStar Casino in Thackerville, OK on Friday night to see my all time favorite Robert Earl Keen! I never tire of seeing him and his fabulous band! They have influenced so many bands but not many come close to the original.

Russell, Chris and Dale were experiencing the REK show for the first time. I think they all enjoyed it! Here are a few pictures I took.





It was so nice to hang out with Rene' and Dale! Rene' and I used to work together at KRPT in Anadarko. We have remained close friends and I can always count on my "Nay Nay" for sound advice or just an ear to vent to! She is one of my favorite people in the world!



After the show the three of us went and ate Italian at a very good restaurant inside the casino.

As soon as I can get the Billy Joe Shaver pics from Saturday night off the camera I'll post some here. I got some great shots!

Cheers!

A Dream Weekend!

WOW! We've hit the 300 views mark here on the 'ol blog!

Thanks friends!

This weekend is a big one for me. Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about Robert Earl Keen. Any time I get to go see him live it's such a treat and I always enjoy it. I never go to shows alone but I've gone to see REK at the Wormy Dog in OKC on a Wednesday night alone before. I love him that much!!! Anyway, my Aunt Carla got me four VIP tickets for his show at the WinStar Casino in Thackerville, OK for this Friday night. My dear friend Rene' and her husband Dale are also coming! This is Dale's first REK experience and I hope he digs it!

Then I find out that the lengendary Billy Joe Shaver is playing right here in Chickasha on Saturday night! I almost fell over when I heard that! I may just die of musical happiness on Sunday!

Found this old REK video on YouTube. It's from an old show called "The Texas Connection" hosted by Jerry Jeff Walker. He still had the "junior" attached to his name back then! I would guess it was the early 90's. Bryan Duckworth was playing fiddle in the band and that makes this little gem even more enjoyable. I've always liked the tune "Jesse With The Long Hair Hanging Down." Good stuff!

A Whole New World.....

It was about a year ago that Jimmy and I decided to try and have a baby. A few months later we found out we were expecting and would have a baby come September. Those nine months seemed to fly by, but at the same time felt like an eternity. Luckily, my pregnancy was very smooth an uneventful until the very end (see Shayla's previous blog entry about all the waiting!). September 7, 2009 our lives changed forever when we welcomed our little Olivia Shay into the world at 3:41pm. I can't even begin to describe the different emotions I felt that day. Everything from anxiety, to fear, to excitement, to joy, and finally to complete and unconditional love for this little 7 pound 2 ounce baby. I once again fell head over heels in love with my husband that day. His compassion, attentiveness, heart, and so much more shone through on that day and I will never forget it.

I can't believe a month has already past since she was born. It has probably been one of the hardest, but most rewarding months of my life. I haven't slept a full night since she arrived. In fact, I probably haven't slept for more than 4 hours at a time since then! There have also been nights that I haven't slept at all. Totally worth it, though. When I hold her in my arms and she looks me in the eye before gently falling asleep; totally worth it. When we lay next to each other and her little body keeps me warm; totally worth it. When she cracks a little smile; totally worth it. When she wraps her tiny little hand around my finger; totally worth it. She has changed my entire and life and how I see the world. How could this tiny little creature do that? I now know what unconditional love is. I would do anything in the world to make this child happy. I would give my own life just to give her another breath. I would go to the ends of the earth if it would stop a tear from rolling down her cheek.

As Shayla said in a previous blog, if you told me five years ago that this is what my life would be today, I would've said you are crazy! The same is true for me. Now I can't imagine my life without her. I often think about the future and what it holds. I cannot wait to watch her grow and see what kind of person she will become. What will her personality be? What will her interests be? The future holds so many wonderful things for my family and I cannot wait to open the gift of each new day!

In closing, I would like to share some pictures I recently took of Olivia. They were taken when she was about 2 1/2 weeks old.

Enjoy!

One Month and Counting!

I can hardly believe our little Olivia Shay has been on this earth for a month! I still remember the amazement at seeing this ultrasound picture and then the thrilling moment when we met and held her for the first time. Just this past Friday we went to lunch and then took a trip to Target. If you would have told me five years ago that taking an almost 2 year old and a month old baby out for the afternoon would be fun I'd have said you were nuts! We did have a great time though! My how things change!

And here I sit blogging and listening to my new REK cd!

It's all good in the hood!

Robert Earl Keen - "The Rose Hotel"

Robert Earl Keen's new album, "The Rose Hotel" is in stores TODAY! I can't tell you how happy this makes me! We REK fans have been waiting 4 years for a new studio album! I ordered the combo pack vinyl record and cd. Yes! REK on vinyl!!!

Anyone who knows me knows that REK is my favorite of the Red Dirt/Texas artists. I was actually shocked one day when Jimmy and I were having a discussion about REK and Jimmy said he doesn't even consider him a part of this scene.......he transcends this scene and the many carbon copies that have followed in his wake. This surprised me only because Jimmy likes to tease me by saying REK sounds like what Forrest Gump would sound like if he were a singer! Nice to know Jimmy does, in fact, recognize greatness in some instances!

My friend Misti compares being a fan of REK to being in a club and knowing the secret handshake. I like that analogy.

When you hear him sing you might be taken aback. He's not the greatest vocalist I've ever heard! But when you really settle in and listen to the lyrics he writes you'll see what I'm talking about. Amazing!

I've loved REK for many years now. Had several awkward meetings with him. Even interviewed him on the radio! He's at the top of my list and I cannot wait to hear this new album!

Down in Flames

This is my Nana and Papa's house in Briscoe, TX. They bought this house and the over 300 surrounding acres back in the mid-seventies. They loved this place. All of us grandkids have spent countless hours in and around this house. Most my fondest childhood memories revolve around this house and this land. Soon, this house will be reduced to ashes. It seems it's cheaper to have the fire department come out and burn it as a training exercise as opposed to simply bulldozing it. I won't go into who made this decision and their reasons for doing it. I'll just say I'm not too happy about it. In fact, it kinda pisses me off.

It seems like such a violent end to such a peaceful place. I can't imagine my Nana and Papa would like this idea very much. Like I said, they loved this place. It was a dream. It was a sanctuary. It was home.

I am happy knowing that my memories of this place can never be smoked out of my heart.

Mom, Aunt Cathy, Fallon and I are going to Briscoe tomorrow. Aunt Carla is going to meet us there. We're gonna get the remaining valuables out. It's gonna be hard to drive away knowing that the only time I'll ever see this house again will be in pictures.

And, of course, in my memories.

Look at that face!

Seriously. How cute is this damn kid??? Hard to believe Tripp will be 2 years old in November.

Holly took this picture of us at Fallon's birthday party last week. I made him come take a pic with his Aunt Shayla.

He seems pretty happy about it.

Introducing: Olivia Shay!

Monday, September 7th, life changed yet again. My first niece, Olivia Shay Hamilton was born at 3:44pm. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 20 inches long.

The doctor had told Holly that if the baby hadn't arrived by Thursday (Sept. 3rd) they would induce labor. Well, when Holly went to her appointment on that day the doc changed her mind! Holly hadn't changed any since her last visit and to induce would probably mean a C-section and the doctor just didn't want to go that route. What a let-down. We were all prepared for a baby but it was not meant to be. Mom later told me Holly broke down in tears upon hearing the news. She was so ready for the big moment!

I went up to Holly and Jimmy's house in Yukon on Thursday night for "Baby Watch: 2009." We just knew at any minute Holly would say, "Okay, it's time to take me to the hospital." Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock. Felt like we were living in slow motion. Poor Holly! I know the pressure had to get to her a bit. It must have felt like we were all staring at her and waiting for something to happen!

It was nice, however, to spend a weekend with my family. Having Mom there to cook three squares a day was pretty awesome, too. Kinda like being a kid again! By Sunday we were starting to wear down a bit. The anticipation was just too much. A few weeks prior, we had a patient in the office who was due any day. She came in one afternoon for an adjustment and went to the spa next door for a massage. During the massage her water broke!! I called Dr. Logsdon to see if she could help. She told me she could to some acupunture points for relaxation so off to Doc's house we went. She gave Holly and adjustment and did acupunture.




Doc took out the head and low back needles but left the rest in and I drove us home. The needles ended up being in for almost 2 hours. We decided that night would be game night! Holly told Jimmy if he wanted to drink some Red Bull and vodka he could go right ahead and do it! I went to the store and picked up some beer for Big M and me and game night began! We had a lot of fun and everyone relaxed and didn't think about baby for awhile! Holly didn't say anything to us but she had started feeling "something." The parents went off to bed and Holly, Jimmy and I played a little longer and then we went to bed, too. It was around 1 or 1:30 AM I would guess. She started having contractions that night and around 5:45 AM she poked her head in my door and said it was time to go to the hospital!!! I heart jumped!!!

The parents-to-be were cool customers! My Mom on the other hand started a pot of coffee! Mom, we're heading to the hospital remember? It was quite funny!

Off we went to the hospital! Jimmy got her all checked in. He did try and check her in as Holly Sanders but quickly remembered, he had in fact, married her two years prior! The doctor told her she was dialated to a 4 and would be admititted! We got all settled into a room and the waiting began. I was expecting a whole lot of drama but Holly made this stuff look easy! She got her epidural early on and I guess it made all the difference.

We had lots of our family show up and wait with us. Tripp came and entertained us with his antics! We did a lot of visting and catching up. Around 2:30 - 3:00 PM the doctor annouced she was at 9 and the pushing would probably start in about an hour! The excitement was really building now! We were kicked out of the room shortly thereafter.

That hour of waiting in the lobby was a killer! Nurses were going in and out but were keeping mum about the goings-on inside the room. We'd go to the door and listen hoping for clues. I'm sure we looked like a crazy, not-so-patient family out in that lobby! Here's the moment that will stick with me forever: We were standing outside the door and we heard her cry! My mom was looking at the door, heard the cry and turned around and the tears started flowing! I started to cry as Aunt Cathy came over and hugged my Mom. Kelsey hugged me and started crying! Tears of joy!!!!

My next concern was Holly. I wish I could have heard her cry! I just needed to know my baby sis was fine. Finally either a nurse or the doctor told us Momma and baby here both fine! Whew!!! What a relief! We had to wait quite awhile to get into the room because they were struggling to get her to eat. We later found out the cord was around her neck but the doc and nurses didn't waste any time and getting it off. They were all wonderful! And now, her she is.....Olivia Shay Hamilton:






Cute, huh? She's pretty amazing! We're all just so happy! Holly and Jimmy have been doing great! The are just the best parents! It's so cute to see! I'm enjoying my role as Aunt Shayla. The fact that they used part of my name in hers is an honor I can't even begin to describe. I have tears in my eyes right now as I think about it. Months ago when Holly told me what they wanted to name her I have to say I was stunned. It really and truly is an honor.

Life is good.

The (baby) Waiting Game

9 months ago I thought September would never get here but here it is! My sister's baby girl is due on September 7th. On her last doctor's appointment (8/27) she was told that if the baby wasn't here by the next doctor's appointment (9/3) they would induce labor. Every time the phone has rang this week I jump for it! I'm just waiting for "the call." The past two nights have been very restless for me. I think subconsiosly I'm still thinking about it........can't get my brain turned off!!
I know I won't miss the call since I'm a very light sleeper but for some reason I'm just not getting into a deep sleep.

I can't wait for that moment when I hold my little niece (and namesake) for the first time. I remember when Tripp was born like it was yesterday. The experience of holding him for the first time will stick with me forever!

We went out to Chris and Felicia's house last night for Chris's birthday party. It's pretty neat to see what kind of parents they have become. I can't wait to see what kind of parents Jimmy and Holly will be. I know they're going to be awesome! I can only imagine a little girl with Holly's beauty and independence and Jimmy's practicality and kindness. Olivia is a lucky girl indeed!

Now back to the waiting...............

Chicken, Pasta and Veggies

Seems many of my blogging buddies are posting their recipes so I thought I'd join in!

This is a favorite of mine and I eat it often! Gotta give my sister Holly some props on this one since it was her creation. I'd like to think I've added a few things to it and made it a really great dish. Here we go:



You'll need diced up chicken breast, spaghetti, chopped bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, Italian seasoning, fresh basil, EVOO and balsamic vineager.

I usually buy my peppers in a tri-colored three pack but it just so happens this week red peppers were on sale so that's what I got!



First of all, get your spaghetti going. I usually use Ronzoni Smart Taste Thin Spaghetti or whole wheat pasta but you can use whatever pasta you like. Dice up your chicken breast and season it with Italian seasoning. Chop up your peppers and mushrooms. Heat some EVOO in two different skillets. Stir fry your chicken in one and your peppers and mushrooms in the other. Since it's summer and I have basil growing in my herb garden, I chop some of it up and throw it in with the veggies. I also splash a little balsamic vineager on the veggies near the end of cooking.




When your spaghetti is done, drain it and toss it into a bowl. I usually toss it with a bit a EVOO and some balsamic vineager as well.



Next, add your veggies.



Then your chicken.




Top it all off with balsamic vineager. I love balsamic vineager so I use lots of it but you should season it to your taste.

And there you have it folks! A tasty, healthy meal that is easy to make. I usually eat it just like this but if I have company I'll serve it with a salad and/or French bread w/balsamic vineager and EVOO for dipping. Delish!!

One more thing. I was reading a Rachel Ray magazine awhile back and she was sharing some of her kitchen must-haves. One was a garbage bowl, which is basically a bowl you toss all your trash into while cooking to save yourself trips back and forth to the trash can. My friend Chris came up with the idea of using a coffee can. He cut out the top so only the edge remained. He lined it with a bag leftover from bringing veggies home from the store. Snap the top on and you've got a garbage bowl you empty like a trash can! I don't drink coffee so I used a leftover margarita bucket!!! Imagine that! :-) Here's mine:



I know it doesn't seem like that big of a deal walking across the kitchen to throw stuff away but you'll be amazed how much time this little dude will save! It's also a great way of recycling those little plastic bags we use to bring veggies home from the store in. I keep a stash of bags under the liner at the bottom of my bucket so they are always there and ready to go.

Cheers!

The Sunday Blues

I'm not a big fan of Sunday.

I'd have to say Sunday is a lonely day for me. You work all week, play all weekend and then Sunday rolls around. I very much enjoy laying around all day and being lazy but sometimes it just sucks. You'd think after many years of working on the art of being single, lonliness would cease to bother me anymore. I feel very alone on Sunday. Sunday is the day I'm most likely to ponder the fact that I'm still single. And worry about it. And obsess over it. Everyone says the right guy will come along someday. Well, I wish he would hurry up.

Maybe we'll meet on a Sunday.

That would be nice.

Booted Out of the World's Largest Honky Tonk!

This past weekend was spent in Fort Worth, TX celebrating my Aunt Carla's
50th....um...I mean........40th birthday. We stayed in the stockyards. From my hotel window I could see the huge Billy Bob's Texas sign in the distance.

Back some years ago I worked as the Program Director at KRPT radio in Anadarko, OK.
We had a trade with Billy Bob's, which meant we ran ads for them and they gave us free general admission tickets to all their shows. Back in the day, we thought Billy Bob's was pretty cool. I've since come to realize that it's no more than a Texas sized tourist trap. I've seen some good shows there, but unless you've got reserved seats its just not that cool. Anyway, one weekend a bunch of us from the radio station went down to see The Charlie Daniels Band. I had also managed to get us backstage passes. The CDB put on a kick-ass show!! We were all pretty pumped to go backstage and meet a legend! The backstage meet-and-greet area at Billy Bob's is a big room with cement walls. The walls are painted with band logos and such and the bands/artists sign the walls. Well, Charlie was taking his own sweet time getting to his meet-n-greet. By this time we'd all had our fair share of adults beverages to drink, myself included. I was getting bored. I asked my buddy Aaron for an ink pen and proceded to sign my name on the wall. Hey, I was on the damn radio! Does that not make me a celebrity?? Anyway, Aaron took the pen after me and signed his name too. Before too long, most of the group had signed the Billy Bob's Wall 'O Fame! My buddy Zac's parent's, Mike and JayDena were with us on this trip. Before I know it, Mike is telling me its time to go.
"But Mike, we haven't met Charlie yet!!"
"I know but we have to go."
"But Mike.........."
"They say we have to GO!!!"
"Why???"
"You can't write on the walls."
"Shit."
So, we are escorted out of the backstage area WITHOUT meeting Charlie Daniels. I had even spent five friggin' dollars on an 8 x 10 glossy specifically for autographing! In my depressed state, I went and sat on a step out in the club area. Pretty soon here comes Mike again.
"They say we have to leave the club."
"What!!! Why????"
"They say you've had too much to drink."
"Shit."
So, we leave the world's largest honky tonk in pissy moods and minus a Charlie Daniels autograph. I still maintain that if his old ass would have gotten out there a little quicker, we would never have gotten bored and this incident would have never happened! But no!!! Thanks a ton Charlie.
Also, JayDena was so distraught by what us little heathens had done she called the owner of Billy Bob's (Pam Minick) bright and early Monday morning and ratted our asses out and apologized profulsely for what we had done. Pam said it was fine....they were about to re-paint that old room anyway.

Macca's Still Got It!

Paul is the man.

The show last night was great as expected! It was the one-year anniversary of the BOK Center in Tulsa. Good choice!

The first time I saw Paul back in 2002 in OKC I was blown away. I think it was because I didn't really have any expectations. Obviously, I know who the Beatles are and I'm a fan. I dig Wings. Love the solo stuff but still just didn't really know what to expect. It was incredible!!

I loved this show too but it was missing the impact that first show had. Still and awesome night of rock-n-roll by a music legend!

Did I mention is band is top notch! Well, they are.

Here's what sucked about the night: The drunk ass dude who occupied the seat next to me. When he came to sit down, he had a beer in each hand. I just figured he would be joined by a girlfriend or buddy. When I realized that wasn't the case I knew I was in trouble. Now I've gone to concerts and consumed my fair share of adult beverages but I've NEVER ruined the experience for someone else!

First of all there was his commentary. He had a comment for everything. He was talking to NO ONE! Just drunkenly blabbering away to himself.

Second of all he stunk. It smelled like a brewery and a whiskey still collided head on at a very high rate of speed. Later on in the evening I would actually see him drinking out of a bottle of whiskey he snuck in.

During "Live and Let Die" he spilled beer and it hit the back of my leg and went into my flip-flops. The bastard was lucky I was really into the song or my tirade would have started then. I let it ride for awhile. When he was stumbling around and bumped into me I lost it. I turned around to him, put my hands up to his chest and screamed "GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!!!!!!" Of course, he just drunkenly stared at me. I told him I was sick of him touching me, being a loud-mouth and spilling beer on me. He mumbled something about not wanting to be close to me. I turned away but he just kept yammering on. I yelled at him several more times. My Mom and Aunt Cathy finally realized what was going on. They moved me over to the aisle. My Aunt said she'd heard stories of my tirades in bars and thought the best of it!

Folks, I did this all stone cold sober so you KNOW I was pissed.

Aside from that, the concert was great! Thanks for the memories Paul. As for drunk-ass Tonto who annoyed the hell out of me: I hope you got a DUI and spent the night in the drunk tank.

Asshole.

Dirt Shoe

Check out my friend Misti's blog:

www.dirtshoe.com

She and Nathan post all sorts of tasty recipes as well as blogging on many different subjects. It's a great read!

Sir Paul!

Tonight is the night! Mom, Aunt Cathy and I are going to see Paul McCartney in Tulsa at the BOK Center! We all went to see him in OKC.....I think that was in 2005.
What a show! I've always liked the Beatles but to actually see Paul McCartney on stage was really something! It really felt like you were witnessing history! Last time we didn't get to sit together but tonight we'll all get to enjoy it together! I love doing this sort of stuff with my Mom and Cathy. I get a kick out of watching them cut up and laughing and, of course, singing along with every song!
Got me to thinking about who all I've seen through the years and who I'd still like to see. I think tops on my list would have to be Paul Simon. I've loved him and his music for many years. I also think Andrea Bocelli would be amazing! What a voice!
What about if you could go back in time and see someone? For me it would be: The Beatles, Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty, Simon and Garfunkel. What are your thoughts on this subject?

R.I.P. Justin

My friend Chris' cousin Justin passed away this morning.

He was a nice guy and I'm lucky I got to know him.

Sad news.

Rest in peace buddy.

Friggin' Farmtown

So. Vacation was great as expected. Who would have thought the oldest grandkid (me) and the youngest (Russell) could roll up to Colorado and have a kick ass time!

My addiction to Farmtown is unreal. I can't believe I've been sucked into this but I love it! Farmtown is an app. on Facebook in case you're living under a rock.

My little farm is growing and I just love it! Shame on me!!! ;-)

Gettin' ready to head NORTH!

Today is my last day at work.

Vacation starts tomorrow!!!

Me and my cousin Russell are heading to the family's cabin
in Cuchara, CO. He's taking his 2 four-wheelers. I think
this is going to be fun!

At the very least it's gonna be cooler!!

Wonderful Weekend!!!

Don't know about you, but I had a great 4th of July weekend!

The rodeo dance in Canadian was a great time. I don't think Tracey was too traumatized!!

It was so nice to see some old friends I haven't seen in awhile! The Doug Moreland Show was a nice surprise. The last time I saw Doug was years ago in Weatherford when he still had his dog Jalapeno. He and his band play some great swing music!

Always good to see the Stragglers! They sounded great! Jason is so slim!!! WOW!!

Caught a guitar pick. Got a couple of t-shirts (thanks CK). Didn't go to jail.
It was all good!

Got back to Chickasha at 4:15p on Saturday afternoon, hopped in the shower and rode to to OKC with Scott, Pam and Elesha to watch Chris and Camille play in Bricktown at Bourbon Street Cafe. Great food, great music and great friends!!!!

Had supper at Aunt Cathy's house Sunday evening (YUM!) and set off a few fireworks for Tripp. He was okay until the loud ones then he started bawling!

All in all, a great 4th of July weekend!!

Up next, my birthday (UGH!) tomorrow and the birthday party (YAY!) Saturday!!

Canadian, TX 4th of JULY!!!!

I am so ready for Friday!

A couple of weeks ago Kelsey asked me if I wanted to go to Canadian for the 4th of July. I immediate answer was no. The last 4th of July I spent in the 'ol hometown was drama-filled! Then she told me Jason Boland & The Stragglers were playing on Friday night. Now this changed everything. The Red Dirt/Texas music scene has become watered down recently by a bunch of Ragweed/Pat Green knock-off's trying to be the next big thing, but the Stragglers are the real deal and I'm proud to say they are from OKLAHOMA!!!!! Jason recently had major surgery on his vocal chords and returned to the road just this past Thanksgiving. I haven't seen the boys since before surgery so I'm stoked!

Of course I didn't believe Kelsey and had to get on the Stragglers website and check the show schedule! Turns out the little shit knew what she was talking about....this time.

Now let me tell you about 4th of July in Canadian, TX. This is my hometown and I love it but there is not much going on. Until the 4th of July that is!!! There is the annual rodeo and parade. And then there's the dance. Folks, I have had more fun at 4th of July dances over the years than I can remember...........mostly I can't remember!!!!! The dance is held at this great big open-air pavillion out by the rodeo grounds. Everyone brings their own beverages and has one hell of a time. There's always a band and them Texans fill the dance floor! I've seen some great bands play and I've also seen some shit bands play but we all have fun just the same!! Of course, when my crazy Aunt Carla is involved, it's always a good time! Throw in Kelsey, Jacob and me and you better watch out!! This year, I'm bringing my friend Tracey with me. She's all about a wild time!!!

Come on Friday already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Celebrity Encounters Vol. 2: Dierks Bentley

Once again, Holly and I were at Calf Fry. So many interesting and exciting things have happened to us at Calf Fry over the years. Hmmmmmmm..........wonder why??
Anyway, Jimmy was with No Justice and so we had our backstage passes. They have free beer if you get there early, so we got there early of course!! Calf Fry is held outside The Tumbleweed so the "backstage" area is just a fenced off area beside and behind the stage. There is a big, cement ramp that goes up to the stage. It makes it easier to roll equipment, amps, etc up to the stage. Anyway, Holly and I come thru the side gate and we're strolling towards the cement ramp and we see that year's headliner, Dierks Bentley, walking up the ramp. I say "Hey Dierks!" He never stops walking, glances at me and gives me a little wave from his hip. I don't even know if you could call it a wave.........it really seemed more like a brush off motion.

Now, with that said, my sister has a totally different account of how this story went down. I'm sure she'll get on here and give you her side of it but this is how I remember it!

Celebrity Encounters Vol. 1: Charlie Robison

The other night I was telling Tracey about the many times I've made a fool of myself when meeting a "celebrity." She was laughing her ass off and told me I should put them in the blog............so here we go.

First off: Charlie Robison. He played Calf Fry in Stillwater one year. Jimmy must have been working for No Justice 'cause Holly and I were backstage. I could not wait to meet Charlie and get a pic taken with him. Unfortunately, I had to go to the bathroom really bad and went into the club. In those days, we always carried a disposable camera to all the shows.......back before we were digital!!! Anyway, I had the camera in the back pocket of my jeans and when I pulled my britches down the camera fell into the toilet. Damn! Never one to be deterred, I scooped the camera out of the toilet and went to find Holly. We met up with Charlie for our photo op. I gave the camera to some guy in Charlie's crew to take our pic and explained it had just come from the toilet. He had a real funny look on his face while taking the picture. Charlie just laughed! Unfortunately, the pic didn't turn out.

On a related note, years before meeting Charlie I met the Dixie Chicks in OKC. They were on their "Fly" tour. At this time, Charlie and Emily were married. She was the last one in line and when I got to her all I could say was "I love your husband!"
She said, "I do, too."

Good-bye Virginia.

The day started off on a sad note.

One of our favorite little patients passed away yesterday. Almost 96 years young!

She's had chiropractic care since she was 10 years old!!!

Even married a Chiropractor.

Until recently she was still zooming around town and rocking
the leopard print spandex like nobody's business!!

She will be sorely missed but I'm grateful to have known her
and happy she's gone on to a better place.

'Til we meet again Virginia..............

Heading back out on the Red Dirt trail!!

So. Jims is going back to work for No Justice after this weekend. This is good news for me. I dig Aranda and think they are great guys and a great band but my heart lies in the Red Dirt/TX scene. This news makes me happy. We're getting a jump start on it tomorrow night. Going to Medicine Park to catch the show. Tracey is going too. We're saving her from a holiday weekend playing cards with the folks.
You're welcome.

Sex on Fire!

Downloaded the Kings of Leon song "Sex on Fire."

Thanks for suggesting it Camille!

Love this song!! I may have to have the entire album!!

It's a GIRL!

Found out Friday that Holly and Jimmy are having a little girl!
Let the pink rain down!!!!!!!!!!

Long time no blog.....

Damn! Been awhile! But I'm the only one who actually gets on here and blogs to who cares! LOL!

Well, Holly's eggo is preggo and tomorrow we find out the sex!
Exciting!
I'll keep you posted.

Possible severe weather tonight.
Let's be weather aware kids!

That is all.

Bye.

Bonny is out of the office today...........

!#$$&&()_&^$$#%#&$%&^%UH(*)*&)^(*&*^#&#%^$^$%&^^%*!@$%$^&&^+_()+))(&&$#*()%^#^@*&(%)*(_(_*$&#*^&(*&)))*((^*&%%#@%%*&+()+_)*(()&*(^%*&%^&$%^&$^&%*&^()*&_!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK. Glad to get that out of my system. The 3 o'clock hour was a BITCH!

I'm fine now.

Carry on.

David Brent - The Office UK

Watched The Office UK version. Great series. In case you're not familiar, Ricky Gervais plays David Brent the office manager. In America, it's the character Steve Carrell plays. He sees himself as not only a boss but a motivator and, above all, an entertainer!

At the end of the office David is let go and sets out to become famous as an entertainer. He records a song and video, a re-make of "If You Don't Know Me By Now." This makes me cry with laughter!!!!!!

Ice, ice baby!

Closed the office today because of the ice storm.

It's just me, the critters and the TV.

Oh yeah.

Adios Asshole!

Good-bye Bush, Hello Obama!!

What a great day this is!!

Gervais on "Inside the Actor's Studio"

This should be good!

You can check out a few sneak peaks at Bravo's website.

Movie Review: "Gran Torino"

I loved this movie! I was expecting something dark and sinister (which it was) but not all the humor. I laughed out loud several times! Man, Clint Eastwood is gettin' old but he's still got the chops. There was also some great young actors in the film. Very worthy of all the Oscar buzz!

Favorite Songwriters

G' morning!

Thought I'd post my top 5 songwriters, maybe spark a little debate! I stuck to "pop" music for this list. Maybe later down the line we could hit some other genres. Drumroll please............................

1. Billy Joel
2. Elton John/Bernie Taupin
3. Paul Simon
4. John Lennon/Paul McCartney
5. Neil Diamond

So there ya go. Thoughts? Opionions? Please discuss............

Bradford returning to OU!

Sam passed up on a chance to play in the NFL for now. He's coming back to OU for his junior year. I'll be glad to have him back on the team but I don't think we're going to be very good next year. We're losing a bunch of seniors. Guess we'll have to wait and see. Personally, I don't want to think about OU football for awhile.....

Movie Review: "Appaloosa"

Skip it.

Unless, of course, you'd like to see Renee Zellweger's face looking like a lumpy old baseball glove. Seriously, I thought it was some sort of joke, like maybe she was a man pretending to be a woman or something. No joke, she looked like shit. Like a Botox experiment gone bad.........but they didn't have Botox in the old west did they?

I love this bitch!

Finished reading this one last night! Love her!!!

If you're a lewd, foul mouthed, pirate hooker I think you'll love her, too!

Tribute to ROBERT EARL KEEN

UNDONE

The new REK tribute album is out! It was recorded last year in Steamboat at MusicFest. I've listened to some of the tracks on MySpace............sometimes you take for granted just how great his songs are!!! He and the band also do a short live set at the end of the cd. They do a fairly new song called "Goodbye Cleveland." I've heard this one live a couple of times. I think REK said he wrote it with bass player Bill Whitbeck. I'm glad to see it on the album........love the track!!!
Can't wait to get my hands on this one!!!

OU v Florida

Well, tonight is the National Championship game in Miami, FL.

I must say, I'm extremely nervous. I don't like our chances against Florida, especially since Murray and Gresham are not playing. Our special teams are not very good although I hear they have been working very hard on special teams for this game. Plus, we have a shit record recently in bowl games.

I shall keep the faith and cheer loudly as ever for my beloved Sooners!

BOOMER SOONER!