Red Chuck

The Wedding Itself

Two funny things occurred during the wedding itself. First, the ring bearer, or ring master as he called himself, Harrison, lost it. Not the ring, but his cool. I don't know what he thought was so funny but when he got to the front he just started laughing uncontrollably. It was really cute watching him try to gain his composure. He kept turning to the side and giggling as illustrated by the photo.

Second, my brother asked me to hold his phone during the ceremony. He said it was turned off when he handed it to me. The phone looks like an 80's TV remote control. Its enormous. Its not only a phone but its also a PDA. Anyway during the ceremony it started beeping at me. I figured it was a battery issue or something. Every 5 minutes it let out a nice little two pop. Great. So after the ceremony I whipped it out and discovered it was issuing a reminder from the PDA's calendar. And what was the reminder? On the screen it said 11:00am Wedding. When I returned the phone to my brother, I told him about the PDA alert and reminded him that he was a dork.

The Wedding

When my brother was 7 or 8 he planned a Super Event. The occasion was his birthday. The plan was astounding. It was to be a weekend long celebration. It was a schedule of events that included everything from roller skating to movie theaters. He foresaw all of his kindergarten friends spending 2 nights at our house to expereince a birthday party like no other. Explaining this vision was easy. He simply listed each event sequentially in a monologue to my parents that left them wide eyed and speechless. "First we will go roller skating, then after that we are going to eat ice cream, after that we are going to go see the Empire Strikes Back, and then we will have a spend the night party, next morning we'll eat pancakes for breakfast and then shoot off fireworks. . ."

The answer from my sensible parents was of course no and a compromise was met. One event was settled upon (I think we went roller skating) and the birthday was effectively celebrated.

This weekend I keep thinking of that story about my brother. Friends and family have flown across country to expereince all the things he enjoys. There has been golf, smores around a fire pit, a dance party, a dinner party, and of course the ceremony by the sea. It has been great fun. The weather has been amazing, the hotel has been amazing (this incidentally is where Chris and Sandi got engaged), the whole weekend has been superb. And in all the years we have joked about Chris and his extravagant plans, I now realize that he just wants everyone to have a fun. So my hats off to you bro. The Super Event is now alive. Its been an amazing weekend.

Half Moon Slapback

The Idea: Lunch — tacos of the fish variety, lime on the side, maybe even a cerveza.

The Scene: Flying Fish Taqueria, corner of Intersate 92 and PCH 1 — The child who will only eat french fries chugs lemonade until he has a tummy ache, starts screaming "I HAVE A TUMMY ACHE I HAVE A TUMMY ACHE!!!" then clutches his stomach and rolls on the floor.

The Promise to Self: Tomorrow — there is always tomorrow.

A Scottish Reverie and a Happy Stomach

Its beautiful and cold here this morning. Foggy. Katherine says she feels like we are in Scotland. I momentarily feel Scottish.

The flights went well. The kids did well. Having the laptop helped. We watched Mickey and Donald and Goofy on the second flight from Salt Lake City.

Amazingly everything yesterday went smoothly. From making our connection, to claiming our baggage, to picking up our rental car, we cleared each marker effortlessly. Smooth sailing. Gliding. We are a well trimmed sail of a family travelling machine. I swell with pride.

Driving into Half Moon Bay yesterday we passed a taqueria near a bus stop. Surfers and locals were loitering about. I made a Uey. What was I thinking passing a busy taqueria? I ordered tacos for me and a veggie burrito for Katherine. Helen was asleep in the back seat and Harrison was eating some Burger King french fries (his request). I inhaled the food. Everything tasted so fresh. The cilantro, the tomatoes, the beans. We are in food heaven here. I vow to always follow my stomach's instincts on this trip.

That said, we are heading back into town for lunch. I see ceviche and fish tacos in my near future. More later.

Half Moon Bay

Lunch Haiku

Summer lunch today.
Lima bean, mayonnaise, and
tomato sandwich.

Petaflop

The Petaflop race is on.

Lollipop Schtick

Ok. Let's get one thing straight. The lollipop schtick is fine and dandy in most situations except for one: phone conversations. Over the phone it draws unneeded attention to mouth sounds. Smacking and the like. Not cool. Gross.

Overall I'm all for the lollipop schtick. Its retro (think Kojak), its healthier than smoking (I'll take cavities over cancer any day), and it casts its user's oral fixation into stronger relief than other mouth accessories (toothpicks, tongue piercings, bubble gum). The lollipop is sensual and colorful. Its mobility astounds. Plus it can be a helpful tool in social interaction. For example, for the practised user, pronounced lollipop cheek swell can signify deep thought and/or concentrated effort more effectively than the subtly furrowed brow or clenched jaw that the rest of us naked—faced people regularly employ in order to signify that we are busy at work and/or emotionally unavailable.

But I'm not here to explain the semiotics of lollipop use. I simply wish to issue a reminder that a lollipop's effectiveness is 100% visual. Don't call people on your phone with a lollipop in your mouth. Ever. Your mother agrees with me. Your mouth agrees with me. Its impolite. So stop it. We mean it.

Breakfast In Bed

Sunday's Menu:

Boondogs Interview on WAI Radio

Jason & Indy were guests this week on the inaugural broadcast of the Arkansas Times Entertainment 120 internet radio show with Jim Harris. The topic of conversation was the new Boondogs cd Fever Dreams. Jim played 4 tracks from the cd and quizzed the talent on everything from recording techniques to marketing plans. If you are going to listen, let me warn you, there is some serious hum in the WAI Radio studio. Hopefully they are going to take care of that soon. Anyway, other than the rumble, the highlight of the show for me was Jim's off the cuff comparison of the Boondogs to Steely Dan. Wow, if Indy & Jason are Walter Becker & Donald Fagen that means Chris is Chuck Rainey, Isaac is Steve Gadd and I am "Skunk" Baxter. Wait a sec. . . I think I've got a Skunk picture around here somewhere. Yep, here it is. And you know what? There are some similarities. Check it out. . .

Credits: Ok, so obviously the "Skunk" picture is not from my personal archives. It came from this site where you can also find a nice biography and a "career highlights" discography. The Red Chuck picture is from last July's "Bad Idea" party. Mmmm nostalgia. You should've been there.

I Feel Pretty, and Witty, and Gay

So this is not the new bumper sticker. On bended knee I removed it before diving into rush hour traffic this morning. I will say that I am impressed that you stuck this upon my car last night. You possess the determination, stealth, and cunning of a ninja. Unfortunately for you, I know who you are (Katherine spilled the beans) and that means one thing — beware bumper sticker ninja, beware.

Evil Marketing Idea of the Day

Hearing the news that TiVo is concepting banner ads that will pop up when users fast forward commercials inspired this insipid thought: TV Screen Savers

I know, its scary. Especially if the TV Screen Savers were rotating advertisements. Can you imagine turning off your TV and instead of a black screen getting a picture of a beach with a big Corona bottle on it. I bet someone is working on this right now — the TV that you can't turn off.

You think its crazy. "People would never go for it," you say. But what if the TV was free. That's right, the evil wheels are turning. The cable companies could provide you with a TV. All you pay for is your subscription. The only downside, your TV never goes off. Even if you aren't watching programs the TV could be rotating ads like a miniature billboard in your own home.

Scary stuff.

Patent applied for. . .

Telephone Call From 843

Hey. Thanks for the ZZ Top message last night.

Bose Endorsement

Eric loaned us one of these for our cd release party this weekend. It sounded amazing. We set the cylindrical radiator speaker column as a side fill. Amazingly there was no feedback even though the speaker was standing directly in line with the vocal mics. Now this is not exactly how Bose suggests this should be used. Their vision for this PA system is that everyone in the band plugs directly into their own column. I don't know if I buy it. Why? Cause to me an electric guitar sounds best through a tube amplifier. But setting up one of these for vocals and letting the vocal mics also carry the band's ambiance seems like it could be an ideal set up for us. Hey Bose, we like you.

Magnetic Hill

Just a reminder that this is also the last weekend to see Kathy's show:

May, 28 - July 19th, • Magnetic Hill, recent works by Katherine Strause • One Person Show • Gallery 26 • Little Rock, AR

Katherine Strause Artist's Statement and Bio:

Who will look at our photos when we are gone?

A box full of photographs, mostly portraits dating from the 1920s, through the 1950s, came to me by way of my Aunt Renee. She lives in Muscatine Iowa and acquired these images from a woman’s estate. The woman's heirs, not knowing or easily recognizing the sitters discarded the photographs. These once precious objects, had lost their value.

The idea that these images had to be attached to a memory to be important fascinates me.

Sorting through hundreds of photos, I realized that this was the woman’s personal collection representing all of her friends and family throughout her lifetime. People’s faces appeared over and over again at different stages in their lives and I began to take ownership of what I could discover from these pictures alone.

Captured by their universal beauty, I approach these images as subject matter and create my own relationship with these individuals. These portraits possess a look of determination and hope. They represent us all.

Katherine Strause exhibits nationally and is currently the Artist in Residence in Painting at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University.

You can visit her website at: www.katherinestrause.com

New Flyer

Church Sign Generator

Thank you Tony.

Early Warning

Get a sitter!

Giant Fun Roller

Auntie went to Washington DC last week and brought back a giant fun roller for the kids. As a service to fellow parents let me just say I've got 2 words to describe this contraption — hell wheel. Part of it is that my kids were in a bad mood yesterday afternoon when they were trying this thing out but part of it is that this thing just doesn't work. My son kept screaming "THIS IS NOT FUN!!!" as he tried to roll around the backyard.

Things to do with fun roller:

New Bumpers

So this weekend we broke down. Actually last week our '94 Honda Accord broke down. So this weekend we caved in to that tiny voice that has been whispering "minivan" to us over the years. Actually its not just the word "minivan" but the phrase "they have a minivan" that we've been hearing. If you haven't heard these words then consider yourself lucky. I've been hearing them in my sleep.

The minivan culture grows in numbers daily and it takes claim of souls through attrition. First, one set of friends gets the new Honda minivan and you hear about it when you get home from work. "Hi Honey, how was your day? By the way, did you know that Jake and Amelia just got a minivan." Then, your son makes a new friend at school and when a playdate is arranged, a minivan appears in front of your house. Mentally you chalk up another family as "minivan people." Then one fateful day you notice that every vehicle parked on your street is a minivan, every single one but yours. And the voices in your head get louder.

My beef with minivans is that they are ubiquitous. I mean, and this will show you how far I have fallen, they are also safe, reliable, and roomy. My problem is that they have no soul. Driving a minivan makes you invisible. I know this because in my 20s I used to drive a coral colored GMC van affectionatley dubbed the "Pink Lady." The "Pink Lady" was not invisible. But our new phantom gray Toyota Sienna defintely flies under radar.

I am not totally giving up. And this is where I need your help. I refuse to be invisible. I've decided that the one thing that can save me from becoming unperceivable is a really good bumper sticker. Traditionally my wife has flown some controversial ones. I remember driving through Nashville one day in K's car and wondering why a redneck was spitting at me as he gunned past in his pickup. Then I remembered that her car carried a PETA bumper sticker. That said, we are not afraid to shock with our bumper apparel.

So here's the deal, we need one really good bumper sticker to set us apart from the crowd. Any suggestions?

Also, feel free to relay whatever bumper stickers have caught your eye recently, even if its not for us. Its good to know what's out there.

Weird War

When I was 8 years old, I received a football uniform for my birthday. It consisted of a green jersey, shoulder pads, and a helmet with an elaborate 3 bar face protector. I was very excited by this present. I was just getting into football at the time and at that age, sports are all about the uniform. Therefore, I couldn't wait to try mine out. After eating a lot of birthday cake, my father agreed to take me to the neighborhood field to run some plays. Proudly sporting my new uniform, I walked with him.

When we got to the field, my Dad proposed that our first play be a long pass. I got in the ready position. He called out "hut" and I ran for the far end of the field. My temples were trobbing, sweat was pouring down my face, and before I could turn to catch the lobbed pigskin, I doubled over and vomitted. Brown bile dripped through my face guard as the ball bounced to the ground in the distance. It was the excitement, it was the heat, it was my nerves. Post-egestion, I remember my father patting me on the shoulder saying, "Son, we'll try again some other time."

Historically I do not perform well in a uniform. Therefore I respect those who can. Take Ian Sevonious. Here is an individual made for a uniform. I know because I have seen him perform in many. Once in a yellow, tennis ball fuzz-ish three button suit, once in maroon leisure wear, and last night in a military issue olive jacket.

Ian's new band, Weird War, is an abbrasive yet loveable psychedelic groove machine that made its Little Rock debut in the Downtown Music Hall around midnight. Ian struted onstage like James Brown or Iggy Pop. Throughout the set he struck furious funk poses while screaming like a banshee into the microphone. The show held 2 worlds together, it was punk rock aggression over flower power expression. It was both primal and soulful. And at its center, a man in a uniform.

Check it out.

AK-47

Sailing Takes Me Away

No Rest reminisces about a sailing excursion with yours truly.

Live Music Thursday

6:30pm — Boondogs @ Box Turtle

9:00pm — Jim Dickinson @ Cornerstone Deli

11:00pm — Weird War @ Downtown Music Hall

Kyran's Blog

Kyran moved her blog from here (Notes from the Edge) to here (Kyran's TripBlog). This summer it will be fun both hearing about her adventures up north and seeing her customize her blog.

Notes from the Edge

Here's Kyran's new blog about her trip back home to Newfoundland. Installment #1 includes her reflections on travelling 3000 miles with 3 small children!

Today's Your Boy

Savers>Men's Clothing>Sportswear>Razorback visor>yes, the meth—head singing along to Supertramp is Your Boy