Monday Meanderings - 11.4.2013

Halloween has come and gone, and once again I dressed up as a grumpy old man.

We were served at Chuy's the other evening by a young woman who, it turns out, emigrated here from up-state New York. We knew she wasn't from around here when she asked if we wanted a "pee-can" fudge brownie for dessert.  We worked with her for a while and I think she has the "puh-khan" pronunciation down pat now. We're still working on the "y'all."

I have mentioned the panhandler on a nearby corner with the long white beard. The other day he saw me and asked, "Is that a beard you have, or a 5 o'clock shadow?" I offered to bring him a razor, but he declined. Said it would make him too attractive; some woman would would want to take him home with her. Dubious.

From time to time, I hear a yappy dog coming up our street. It passes by the house, yapping away, and goes up the street, barking all the way. The other day I went to the window to see what was going on and there was a man walking two small collies. One was yapping away, and the other had his head down, as if ashamed to be seen with his boisterous partner. Reminds me of some married couples.

If you read this blog with Feedly or some other reader, you might not get to see the banner photo. Take a minute and go to the web site and check the photo by Reagan Hackleman. That's Stevie Ray, waist deep as a result of the "Halloween Floods" here in Austin. If you listen closely, you can hear him singing a song he recorded in 1983:

Well there's floodin' down in Texas
All of the telephone lines are down
Well there's floodin' down in Texas
All of the telephone lines are down
And I've been tryin' to call my baby
Lord and I can't get a single sound
Well dark clouds are rollin' in
Man I'm standin' out in the rain
Well dark clouds are rollin' in
Man I'm standin' out in the rain
Yeah flood water keep a rollin'
Man it's about to drive poor me insane