i'm currently in oklahoma city with all of its flatness and steeples. land of big hair, big trucks, big crosses.
i motored by night wednesday from austin to wichita falls, tx where i spent the night at my grandmother's house. my cd player in my truck is busted so i had to surf the fm and am and not finding much between metropoli i belted out my own noise. i sang a pretty amazing version of O Night Divine and accentuated all the high and low notes so well that my truck wept. i made it last about 30 minutes it was awesome. i get a little stupid in the car not unlike gabe gudding.
--
the reading at 12th street books the other night was a good time. it was great to see Dirk Michener and Charles Potts read and to get in some hangtime at the bar with them afterward. thanks to travis catsull for arranging it all. good times. great too to get some scotch drinking in with dale and the hot whiskey peeps jennifer and michael as well as Friedrich of small fires press (our newest transplant to austin.)
--
note, fries and scotch and beer do not provide a daily nutritional regiment, try as you might.
--
my boy Lucas has a blague. check it.
--
the rats are getting hardcore in my house and i am happy to be away from their invasion in progress(floyd is staying with a friend while i'm away). fucking rats. i saw a dead one that a neighbor killed and it was the size of a coke can and black as night. when i get home i am going to take the war to the rats. any suggestions from you NYC peeps? or anyone that has done battle with these devil spawn? i'm transitioning from frightened to pissed off.
i am about to hit the 3 week mark of quitting cigarettes. i have cheated a few times after a few drinks (and once before I read the other night) but i'm feeling pretty good about it all. not out of the woods yet (are you ever after quitting?) but i know this is going to stick.
--
merry kwanza to all my friends! (raises glass)
--
pictures from my xmas youth are coming. mema hooked me up with some photo albums as well as some pecan pie.
--
so okc. i've never liked this city. but it's good to see my mom and my other granny. and for the first time in many many years it is not freezing and cover with ice and snow while i'm here. but it's windy. it's always windy in oklahoma. i'll be in houston by sunday night and will see the other side of the family including my sisters and my bro and his wife. haven't seen them all in far too long.
05 family pain tour is in full throttle.
--
and you you you: i hope you cry.