Rear cover in Mexico
I yelled a phrase that can be reduced to a three letter acronym and I wouldn’t say in front of my mother. I said it loud enough that it actually made my head hurt...
Yearly Archive: 2008
Where’s my passport?
(Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico)— Several years ago, I established the 80-20 rule in regard to what I write publicly about the behind-the-scenes parts of my work. Eighty percent never gets written. Twenty percent is written...
State of the Otis at 35
(Houston, TX)–I think I actually said “Wha?” out loud when my alarm went off at 5am today. I think I actually used a Scooby Doo voice. I was kicked out of a dream where...
Road head
His hair was cut in a 1985 five-inch spike and not in a cool way. He was watching a show about a serial killer on the Discovery Channel. I don’t remember his name and...
Secret handshake
Last night, I met a guy who slings hemp bracelets. That’s not drug code or anything (the drug dealer was a different guy a few seats down the bar). The bracelet guy actually makes...
Riding bitch in a Honda Karma
“You’re inviting some bad karma,” my wife said before she shut up. That I had already picked up a speeding ticket and sat in stop-and-go traffic for a few hours didn’t seem to factor...
Winning dirty
(Florida) — The boy was supposed to be napping. He was a sweaty, tired mess. The morning began with meeting a beach Santa in a torrential downpour. When the skies cleared, he led us...
Oblivious
(Florida) — We found a joint with some character today and went for some po’ boys. The place was packed and played the Beatles. I dug it, including the part where the menu was...
When I’m wrong, I’m wrong
I woke up this morning in a house worth more than I’ll probably make in my lifetime. The bed was as comfortable as any I’ve ever enjoyed. My wife was beside me. She opened...
Applause
(Somewhere near Destin, FL)–The old hippie stood on the steps and held a half-smoked cigarette between his lips. He clapped slowly, a lazy waltz beat on his hands. And I thought, “What? Is this...
XM-Sirius merger outlaws alt-country
I was a kid when Springfield, Missouri’s Rock 99 changed its format to adult contemporary. I sat in my younger brother’s room and looked at what we called a jam box. Even then, at...
Otis funk ramble
Let’s face it. I’m grumpy. I’ve been grumpy for three weeks. I’m a real jerk when I’m grumpy. I’m also not very smart. This weekend, I pulled out of my garage in my wife’s...
Russ Brown, a lucky path to cross
Several years ago (and that several is getting to be more than I’d like) I ran into a guy named Russ Brown. We were both part of a blogging and poker scene. I came...
Friday Mental Massage: The Toxicity Edition
This was not the best week I’ve ever had. It wasn’t the worst, by far, but in terms of week’s I’d rather not re-live, this one ranks in the top 50 or so. I...