Home, 12:28pm

Last night is another of those many instances where I am kicking myself in the ass for not bringing my camera.

Was working Jumbotron cam for a UT basketball game when got a last-minute call from Tessmer about a private event that night. Was trying to wrangle a $1000 guarantee, which we got so we did it. Got home from the Erwin Center with enough time to change and tend to the dogs before Tessmer picked me up in the Saturn en route to Jonestown then the gig in Lago Vista. Not many details, something about it's a Christmas party and on an airport. Maybe in a hangar.

Fog turned into pea soup as we left Eric & Richard's place for the short drive to Lago Vista. Took a wrong turn as per the damn GPS thing and were suddenly on a windy/hilly backroad with fog so thick Tessmer is sticking his head out the window to see. Finally end up where we are going, and yes it is the airport. Sure enough we see a hangar with a buncha cars parked like their's a party. Meet the guy, I think his name is Carl, who takes us thru the house real quick (wow, he LIVES at the airport) which is connected to a sizeable aircraft hangar where we will be playing.

And holy shit. Here's where the kicking-self-in-the-ass thing comes in to play. The centerpiece is a Vietnam era twin engine turbo prop/jet hybrid, designed for surface attacks as later explained to us. Parked behind it is this BADASS black experimental British jet, with wings and cockpit like an F-5 but this weird split tail. Unlike anything I had ever seen. And it was wet, meaning he either just washed it or had taken it for a spin earlier. I am thinking the latter. Also inside were an Army jeep, various jet parts and stripped down fuselages, wings and tail parts stacked against various walls, and a sailboat. Suspended above our heads in the corner we would be playing was a stripped Cessna fuselage. Just, wow. Took some phone pics which I will no doubt post!

The sound wasn't too bad for a big fuckin hangar, heh! Gig was fun, everyone was very nice and the people who dug the music were totally into it. Also free food and free booze. That and being paid $250 to potentially be crushed by a Cessna body mid-song. Living the dream!!! Also nice to have a well-paying gig like that fall in our laps. 6th Street has been very slow and I've been struggling to keep my head above the water financially. This will be a nice chunk of change to pad my acct with.

But I had to miss JB the Mother Truckers super-fan's party last night to do the show. I needed the money so did what I had to do, but made sure to call him and tell him I wouldn't be making it. Called Josh as well since I wouldn't be seeing any of the Truckers family for awhile. He wanted to get together soon and discuss a vague game plan for next year before they go to NorCal for Xmas and to Cambodia for vacation in January. Bring it on, sounds like they want to do another album. Which is great because the new tunes are really good and the last one got some great press and reviews.

What else... Friends on Friday was alright. Picking up but nothing to write home about. But must mention that I was planning on taking it easy that night, but I wasn't even finished with my first beer and drank 1 Jager shot, had 2 more sitting on top my amp and another beer. This was the first song in. And that pattern continued. Needless to say, I got a little tipsy by the end of the night. Call me old fashioned, but turning down free drinks isn't good manners, heh!