Item 1: Let’s get started with a question: What do you call it when rats and gnats unite on an endeavor? A “Pest Quest.”
Item 2: Now that you are smiling maybe you can help me out with item #3.
Item 3: Snoop Dog, big rap star was signed on to perform at a Modesto bar and dance club in a couple of weeks. The venue holds 500 patrons.Tickets went on sale and within five minutes all the tickets had been sold out with a waiting list of another 1000 or so.
Item 4: Last week one of the top 5 bluegrass bands in the country, Special Consensus, and one of the top bluegrass bands in the state, Red Dog Ash, performed at the cozy, comfortable, bluegrass friendly West Side Theatre in Newman. One would think there would be SRO with a line of bluegrass fans clamoring to get in. There was a friendly group of fans who showed up but there were far too many unaccompanied tables sitting there waiting for bluegrass fans to take a seat and enjoy the more than two hour exciting show. Why the lack of support?
I am aware I am part of this ongoing problem. It takes a flood or a hurricane to get me out of my house and those who know me are aware of my almost compulsive desire to remain in the confines of my home in Turlock.After several years of various types of in depth therapy not to mention holistic “cures” I am getting better. The question remains,where are the bluegrass fans and supporters?”
Coming up at the West Side Theatre in Newman are three outstanding bluegrass shows scheduled by members of Red Dog Ash and the West Side Theatre:
Saturday: February 15: Red Dog Ash–High Country
Saturday: March 12: Red Dog Ash–One Button Suit ( who will be also be performing at this years Father’s Day Festival).
Saturday: April 9: Red Dog-Ash–Windy Hill
I will give you three excellent reasons to attend at least ONE of these outstanding shows.
You will feel soooo much better after watching these excellent musicians ply their trade.
You will be supporting bluegrass music, the CBA, and the West Side Theatre.Tickets are $12-$15. For a two hour show that is more than a fair price.
If members of the CBA and don’t attend the show then who will?
Finally, if you bring a copy of this column to one of the above shows find me and I will treat you to a grape Nehi and box of buttered pop corn.
Item 4: My sister, Maria Nadauld, (Above the Bay Booking) is taking a little overnighter with her good friends Pat and Sandy. The three amigos will fly the friendly skies of Southwest Airlines to the cheese and bratwurst state of Wisconsin to attend not one but two baseball games between the Milwaukee Brewers and our wonderful boys in black and orange, the SF Giants.After rooting for our boys they will be flying back to California and a couple of days later board BART to SF so they can attend opening day festivities between the Giants and the Dreaded Blue Meanies at beloved AT&T Park.
Maria has a bucket list and on it, item #12, is to visit all 50 states.She explains to me that a visit is defined only if she spends the night in said state. She informs me she has checked off 49 states so far. With her ability to be out of her native state so much I can only make an educated guess and say that the fiftieth state she needs to check off will be California.
Item 5: If you have read any of my columns you might surmise I do spend a bit of time musing about the onset of senior citizenship.In last weeks Modesto Bee an article that was originally run in the Miami Herald was reprinted. After reading it I took a long hard look at my “look what I’ve done!” attitude concerning my strenuous 6-7 mile daily walk.
“Marathon Man, 71 years young, piles up the miles.”
Perhaps the most astonishing fact about Larry Macon isn’t that he has completed 1,604 marathons since he began running just shy of his fifty- second birthday-but that at 71, he keeps coming back for more.
Two years ago, Macon entered the Guinness World Records for running the most marathons in one year: 239 in 2013. His average marathon time is about five and one half hours. “There are snails and tourists passing you,” he said, “but that’s OK.” Think about that for a minute or two when you feel put out because you have to park an extra ten yards from your local Raley’s.I know I will.
Item 6: In remembrance of Chuckles the Clown who while dressed as a peanut in the Minneapolis-St. Paul 4th of July parade in 1975 was assaulted twice by a rogue elephant in the parade.Chuckles unfortunately met his sad demise in the presence of hundreds of shell shocked parade goers.
Cassius Chew, head elephant trainer, was asked why the rogue elephant went back after Chuckles had already been knocked down once. Mr. Chew shook his head and with a salty tear streaming down his cheek responded, “You know how hard it is to stop after just one peanut.”
So closing today is Chuckles motto: A little song, a little dance, a squirt of seltzer, down your pants.” RIP Chuckles 1946-1975
Until Friday March 4 or until the 12th of Never whatever comes first:
Read a book, hug a child,pet a dog, stroke a cat, eat a bar of chocolate, and for heavens sake see a bluegrass show.