Guardian of the Non Sequitur

bare pate roue

Good Night o’ ‘Stros

I spent a nice evening watching the Astros with Cary Brock, Jim Henkel, and Tomas Escalante.

We started the evening at Inn at the Ballpark. A nice lobby to rangle a beer in preparation for the game.

A great game - a 2-4 4th inning. That was the final, a grand slam home run.

We had a nice traffic-scatter beer back at the Inn. Good conversation, a few strangers in on the conversation. And I think I sold Danielle and her “husband” on the roller derby in three weeks.

I’ve been listening to the Marfa radio since I got home, but haven’t heard Alderman David’s voice in the last 20 minutes. It’s recording, so perhaps I’ll make it available somewhere.

May 21st, 2008 Posted by bshirley | astros, family, houston, sports | no comments

Pre-Parade Photo from The Chron

AllenOldiesBandParade2008Chron.jpgAllen and I are number 11 in a collection with 50 other photographs from the Chronicle. The photo is as we were driving into the staging area of the 2008 Art Car Parade.

About one third are from this year, one third from 1988, and the rest of various other places and times: last year, in studios, etc.

May 12th, 2008 Posted by bshirley | art car, houston, inthenews, weekend | no comments

Art Car Parade Prep - Allen OldiesMobile

Whew! I’m still breathing hard. Just got back from the beer run for Saturday morning.

I usually have regular thursday night and friday night plans. I bailed on both of them. No thursday games with friends. No friday running sound for the Ringwalds.

I helped out Allen Hill in preparing the OldiesMobile for the Art Car Parade on saturday. Lot’s of starts and stops, and success and failure, as art cars are want to be. But I think we’re ready for the morning.

I borrowed a generator from our service department. It is built to support an ambulance, so it’s totally over engineered for running a band. Loading into my car with a fork lift was the first warning - this things gonna be heavy.

Thursday, Allen and I moved it from my car, tested it, it worked great. We moved it into the Mobile. Friday I get home, he’s in my driveway, we move it from the Mobile, it’s a no-go. We call Sir Henkel and with three, we 1) pick it off the ground to a table, 2) off the table to the hood, 3) off the hood to the roof. Job performed, Sir Henkel retreats. (more…)

May 9th, 2008 Posted by bshirley | art car, friends, houston | 2 comments

Art Car Season

group.jpg

This motley group can only mean one thing.

Okay, it can mean many, many things. And most of them are dubious. But not this one. It means it’s time for the Art Car Parade.

(This photo is from the parade 2007 - photo by Virginia)

I’ll be driving the Allen Oldies Mobile this year.

May 5th, 2008 Posted by bshirley | friends, houston | 2 comments

The El Orbits on a Monday Night

Between today and the last time I was at the Continental Club, with the El Orbits, and letters and numbers, it’s been a while.

satcust.jpgI saw quite a few familiar faces last night, some whose names I know, and some I don’t. Virginia O, Pete G, Allen H, Thomas E, Bob S, Lance, Mark & Catherine, Jennifer N, Christopher, Adrian, Squid.

Nothing used to keep us from the Satellite Lounge and the El Orbits. Do you remember Ally McBeal? We skipped out on that skinny fad. Instead we had a Lonestar and/or a martini with our lounge music and new Houston friends. I met more than one friend that I still have to this day on a Monday night with the El Orbits!

Going out on a weeknight has been a bit unfamiliar of late. It used to be my standard operating procedure. Now, I like my sleep. I have a commute.

Others need to start coming out on Monday night again, enjoying the evening. You can leave by 10:30 or 11:00 and still get plenty of sleep for that tuesday morning meeting.

April 22nd, 2008 Posted by bshirley | friends, houston, latenight | 2 comments

St. Arnold Imperial Stout in Bourbon Cask

It’s been an insanely busy week - and I still haven’t had time to deal with my apparently broken air conditioner. Stopped off for dinner/beer/wi-fi before an evening of board games at the Stag’s Head.

They have the most awesomely amazing St. Arnold’s Imperial Stout aged in whiskey barrels on the cask pull. It’s an amazing beer, and being served at the perfect temperature. Austin Beer Boy should be salivating! I’ve only had this beer once before - at the 2007 St. Patrick’s Day Gonigel competition and party. Sean Lamb had brought a chocolate cake he made me eat with the beer, at the same time. It was amazing!

After laundry and chores and trying to fix an A/C on Monday (didn’t work), I had dinner and Power Grid at Sivco’s on Tuesday, edited a lengthy podcast last night with more laundry. Games tonight. Tomorrow is Ringwalds sans Jennifer plus derby in-service if I can make it. Saturday is crawfish boil (in the 281 - eep), and Sunday is roller derby with an after party at Onion Creek. I’ll be late to work on Monday for sure.

April 10th, 2008 Posted by bshirley | beer, friends, houston | one comment

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