Guardian of the Non Sequitur

bare pate roue

Groupo Fantasma, Light Rock Express, Trinity, Colosseum

Started a busy weekend with the usual Molly and the Ringwalds - running sound for them. Less than an hour before the show, Crease showed up with new monitors and a new rack-mounted effect. I plugged the new monitors in - all reports are they’re much clearer and a little louder. The effects i left in the box for him to fiddle with.

The rest of the night I hopped back and forth from watching Groupo Fantasma and the Light Rock Express. Maggart was out with his chica at Groupo. And I chatted for a while with Savage Rose at the Big Top. Of course I ran into dozens of other friends.

Saturday was a trip to Trinity and Allen Bartel’s new 13 acre homestead. He’s still working on it and isn’t fully moved in, but that didn’t keep a disheveled mix of bikers, educators, and random Houstonites from drinking most of a keg of Shiner Bock and lighting all kinds of things on fire (fireworks, bonfires, motorcycle tread). And listening to Sean Reefer. We camped there for the evening and headed back in the morning.

Orange Asset TileSunday evening was topped with a first playing of James Civco’s Colosseum - and some grub and wine. Very cool game. And a good preview of the 4-day weekend I will have in the tween of DFW at BGG.Con.

Yesterday was Veterans Day; today random people (esp. government) get the day off. When will they finally move Veterans Day to coincide with election Tuesday?! (last week) What better celebration of veterans could we have than exercising our democratic freedoms?

November 12th, 2007 Posted by bshirley | friends, latenight, weekend | no comments

Weekend of Beer and Games

Here’s the lineup of beers for the coming fantabulous weekend in Wimberley to be spent playing games, sampling beers, cooking food, and perhaps walking down the road once or twice.

Click the image to get a closeup of St. Peter’s Cream Stout1, St. Peter’s Old Style Porter1, Unibroue 161, Malheur 101, Bayhawk California Pale Ale1, Left Hand Brewing Company Imperial Stout1, Shiner 98: Bavarian Amber, Samuel Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner, Bitburger Premium Pilsener, Brewery de Block Dendermond Tripel, Brewery de Block Special-Block 6, Brewery de Block Kastaar, Westmalle Dubbel1, Westmalle Tripel1, Mactarnahan Brewing Company Mac’s Ale.

I had the Sam Adam’s Imperial Pilsener, not fully chilled (as the fridge) but cool, and it was amazing!

The list of games is prob’ly longer than this.

1 I have only one of each of these.

October 11th, 2007 Posted by bshirley | beer, weekend | 3 comments

Dad’s View



dad’s view

I was in Canyon Lake a few weeks ago for the show in Gruene.

Took this picture from the balcony outside the breakfast area - it’s the same view as the living room. The lake was quite high, and the damn was running full open. You can see the peninsula across the way is partially submerged. It was totally under a few years ago during their major flood. All the trees survived over a month under water.

Below the picture, out of view, is the bocce court and the horse shoe pit.

September 18th, 2007 Posted by bshirley | family, picture, weekend | no comments

Music and Derby

Saturday afternoon - a nail-biter with UT barely taking home the win from Central Florida.

Went to the Astro Arena for a concert Friday night. Free tickets + $10 to park. The Killers were the main act. They added a super sucky opening opening band. Louis IV played second.

Louis IV was good, but like the entire night, the balance was super crappy. I think it’s indigenous to all large venues - pumping too much bass and sub-bass to inappropriate music, and leaving the vocals inaudible.

We left soon after the Killers started. I continue to be underwhelmed by them. They are now enhancing their tepidness with gaudy stage theatrics (which were at least a little cool).

I ran into Richard Naudin, Law, and Wiley at various times. Law: “The Killers? Really?” Me: “free tickets”.

Then I tried to get as much sleep as possible, then spent 11+ hours at Verison Wireless for The Governor’s Cup of Roller Derby - 4 bouts. Then several more hours at the after party. I slept hard after that.

Apparently  while I was doing derby, the Texans won their game to be 2-0 for 2007.  The 8-8 season may be within their grasp.

September 18th, 2007 Posted by bshirley | music, sports, weekend | no comments

Game weekend

KeythedralSaturday: Stayed home and worked around the house.

Sunday: 3-man after the pool party, with mostly young-un stangers.  It was fun.

Monday: James, TG, and Romy over to play Indonesia and then a 2-man game of  Twilight Imperium 2.  Both long, both fun.  Even if I came in last in both - still working on those strategies.

Tuesday: Went to Woody & Rebecca’s with TG and played Keythedral (which I got for my birthday).  I finally won a game.  It was close and everyone enjoyed.   First time to play it with 4 - much more complex dynamic.

September 7th, 2007 Posted by bshirley | friends, weekend | no comments

James McMurtry @ Gruene Hall

Last Friday, Tricia (aka Ruth Ann) and I had a one-day road trip to see James McMurtry at Gruene Hall. We first went to my dad’s place on Canyon Lake. Hung out and chatted. The water is very high and the gates are wide open, so we went down the 306 side of the river.

James McMurtry (photo by Cynthia Kinney)We met up with Faithe, who recently moved to San Antonio, at the Grist Mill and had a nice meal. We noticed that James was eating a few tables away. Tricia had a chat with him for a while, and we all said hi before we left. He mentioned we should go down to the river to check it out.

The Guadalupe was flowing over the bridge just down the street, and quite a torrent it was. We headed back and caught the Ded Ringers. We both quite like this young band from Austin. Good songwriters for being so young.

Most of the perimeter and picnic table seating was taken when we went in, so we stood back from the stage near the sound board. Becky (aka Lynn) and several other friends (including James’ girlfriend) showed up during the opening band. Between sets a very tall boot wearer asked us if there was “any reason we were standing here?” It being the implication that we were blocking he and his wife’s lazy asses view in the back of the room.

(more…)

August 30th, 2007 Posted by bshirley | music, weekend | one comment

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