Today's song of the day is Rose Tattoo's "Nice Boys". I saw Angry Anderson perform this song with all of Guns 'N Roses, with the exception of Axl Rose, at the Whiskey (I think) in the early 90s. It was probably 93 or 94. Angry Anderson completely blew me away.
9.30.2011
Song of the day - Angel Dance
Today's song of the day is "Angel Dance" by Robert Plant. A cool version of the Los Lobos tune.
9.29.2011
The Gila Monster in the Bathtub
I am trying to get inspired to write, so I'm re-posting some of my stories... Maybe it will work.
The gila monster in the bathtub was not only scary to look at, but as it turns out, was also a highly venomous endangered species. A gila monster is a big lizard. I think of it as a small monitor lizard rather than like the cute little lizards I would catch and play with outside my house in Phoenix as they innocently did their little push-ups in the sun. Monster is a good description for this particular bathtub critter and I have always thought of the monster as a “he” so I will refer to him as such.
His skin was a series of little black, brown and white bumps forming dramatic bands and splotches. He was held up by squat legs that jutted out sideways at roughly 90 degrees ending in funny little fingers. Held up is probably not the right term because the belly seemed to rest directly on the bottom of the bath tub. The gila monster moved by wriggling and twisting its middle from side to side in a slithery, snake-like way. He had a black tongue that flicked in and out of his mouth. And as I remember, this gila monster was big. He took up more than half the length of the bathtub.
How, you might ask, did the gila monster get into the tub? It wasn’t for a bath and that is for sure. As it would happen, a knucklehead put him there. One of the many knuckleheads my dad surrounded himself with during my childhood. And this was an Arizona knucklehead. This means the fella had a pickup truck and a gun. It was with this gun that the Arizona knucklehead shot something he saw moving in the desert. Shot his eye out he did. The knucklehead blinded that poor old Gila Monster.
My first contact with the bathtub Gila Monster was when he was thrashing wildly in the back of a pickup with a lowered tailgate. It was early evening and we were going to dinner at one of my parent’s friend’s homes. I remember walking up the dark driveway, the truck under the circle of amber from the street light above, and seeing quite a few people standing around the truck bed. I immediately tried to join them, but my dad, being taller, saw what was in the truck and put his hand on my shoulder to pull me back. I didn’t really get to look in the truck that night. But I did listen to a kind of thrashing. I heard my dad scoff as he pulled me away. He was probably muttering, “knucklehead”, or “idiot”, or something more choice and less suitable for my six year old ears.
The gila monster stayed in the back of the pickup until the next day when he was somehow transferred to the bathtub at my dad and grandpa’s shop. The shop was actually a house in Mesa, Arizona where my family tried to run an aluminum siding business. Western Living was the name on the building. I remember the logo was very nice and professional. My dad liked to point it out whenever we drove past. He was very proud of the logo and the sign.
Somehow the knucklehead had convinced my father to allow the gila monster to be placed in the tub. I think he may have done it without my dad’s knowledge. Because really, who would want a blind gila monster in the only bathroom in his place of business. My dad didn’t even like dogs.
The monster remained in the tub, for at least two weeks, when someone decided to make up a story and call Animal Services. This resulted in a description of the animal and the realization that this was both a dangerous, poisonous lizard, something a kin to the venom of a rattlesnake and also an endangered and protected species. What impressed both my dad and the knucklehead was the large fine levied for injuring or killing an endangered species.
The threatened fine and the knowledge that the monster in the bathtub was venomous spurred my dad and the knucklehead into action. This is what I heard happened. After two weeks of indecision, someone put the gila monster in a metal tool box with a gas-soaked rag. They killed that poor, giant, bumpy, blind gila monster.
And I wonder, all these many years later, why I still think about that gila monster in the truck, then in bathtub, then finally in the tool box. I still somehow feel bad about him trapped in that metal coffin because the knucklehead was shooting in the desert.
The gila monster in the bathtub was not only scary to look at, but as it turns out, was also a highly venomous endangered species. A gila monster is a big lizard. I think of it as a small monitor lizard rather than like the cute little lizards I would catch and play with outside my house in Phoenix as they innocently did their little push-ups in the sun. Monster is a good description for this particular bathtub critter and I have always thought of the monster as a “he” so I will refer to him as such.
His skin was a series of little black, brown and white bumps forming dramatic bands and splotches. He was held up by squat legs that jutted out sideways at roughly 90 degrees ending in funny little fingers. Held up is probably not the right term because the belly seemed to rest directly on the bottom of the bath tub. The gila monster moved by wriggling and twisting its middle from side to side in a slithery, snake-like way. He had a black tongue that flicked in and out of his mouth. And as I remember, this gila monster was big. He took up more than half the length of the bathtub.
How, you might ask, did the gila monster get into the tub? It wasn’t for a bath and that is for sure. As it would happen, a knucklehead put him there. One of the many knuckleheads my dad surrounded himself with during my childhood. And this was an Arizona knucklehead. This means the fella had a pickup truck and a gun. It was with this gun that the Arizona knucklehead shot something he saw moving in the desert. Shot his eye out he did. The knucklehead blinded that poor old Gila Monster.
My first contact with the bathtub Gila Monster was when he was thrashing wildly in the back of a pickup with a lowered tailgate. It was early evening and we were going to dinner at one of my parent’s friend’s homes. I remember walking up the dark driveway, the truck under the circle of amber from the street light above, and seeing quite a few people standing around the truck bed. I immediately tried to join them, but my dad, being taller, saw what was in the truck and put his hand on my shoulder to pull me back. I didn’t really get to look in the truck that night. But I did listen to a kind of thrashing. I heard my dad scoff as he pulled me away. He was probably muttering, “knucklehead”, or “idiot”, or something more choice and less suitable for my six year old ears.
The gila monster stayed in the back of the pickup until the next day when he was somehow transferred to the bathtub at my dad and grandpa’s shop. The shop was actually a house in Mesa, Arizona where my family tried to run an aluminum siding business. Western Living was the name on the building. I remember the logo was very nice and professional. My dad liked to point it out whenever we drove past. He was very proud of the logo and the sign.
Somehow the knucklehead had convinced my father to allow the gila monster to be placed in the tub. I think he may have done it without my dad’s knowledge. Because really, who would want a blind gila monster in the only bathroom in his place of business. My dad didn’t even like dogs.
The monster remained in the tub, for at least two weeks, when someone decided to make up a story and call Animal Services. This resulted in a description of the animal and the realization that this was both a dangerous, poisonous lizard, something a kin to the venom of a rattlesnake and also an endangered and protected species. What impressed both my dad and the knucklehead was the large fine levied for injuring or killing an endangered species.
The threatened fine and the knowledge that the monster in the bathtub was venomous spurred my dad and the knucklehead into action. This is what I heard happened. After two weeks of indecision, someone put the gila monster in a metal tool box with a gas-soaked rag. They killed that poor, giant, bumpy, blind gila monster.
And I wonder, all these many years later, why I still think about that gila monster in the truck, then in bathtub, then finally in the tool box. I still somehow feel bad about him trapped in that metal coffin because the knucklehead was shooting in the desert.
9.25.2011
9.23.2011
9.20.2011
9.12.2011
song of the day - White Freightliner Blues
Today's song of the day is Redbird's "White Freightliner Blues". It's a nice version of Townes Van Zant's song.
9.09.2011
9.08.2011
9.06.2011
song of the day - I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You
Today's song of the day is Colin Hay's "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You".
9.04.2011
9.01.2011
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