All year is the season, really.

Barbeque smoke floating like silk on spring air caught me earlier today, and I was glad when we followed that rich scent of barely-hot post-oak down the street and around the corner to one of the best pits in Texas.

Chicken. Sausage. Brisket. Pulled pork.

We shared.

Not Lenny's

But now the lips need a cure...

and those gums look I-don't-know - red?

Escalation

Human behavior never ceases to amaze me. And these didn't even happen at Lenny's:

I read about this one this morning, and just found out about this one. Worse than that, though, is this one.

Virtually educated

We headed north halfway early this morning, just to run some errands, and by the time we swung back around to the southbound homestretch, it was lunch time (or dinner time, depending on what part of this magnificent land you were raised in), so Alpha pulled in to the last slot in front of Lenny's Bar and Grill and Swapmeet.

Good thing there was still a spot in front, because to park in the lot down the street makes it a bit of a hike. Not a 5-K or anything, but a hike, nonetheless. So I was glad. Wagged my tail. Drooled a little.

Of course, I'm always glad to stop at Lenny's.

Alpha made my day. He ordered some bacon-wrapped sausage thing that Wendy had found a recipe for on the internet, and Lenny had made in the kitchen, and he carved me off a hunk of it. Was just a one-day noon special, according to the signs, but oh-my-momma, it was tasty. Very tasty. Bacon. Sausage. Together.

Heaven.

So while I'm snarfing and licking and inhaling, I'm listening to a conversation at the table in the corner to my right, and this young gal is telling her momma about the courses she's taking at school: speech and P.E. and blah-blah-blah, and I have about half an ear on it, and then I realize she's talking about on-line courses.

And from there, I honestly don't know what to say. To me, either one would be a little like taking a course in squirrel-chasing on-line: you can mash a mole, but you can't catch a squirrel. Nor can you speechify or exercise.

It took most of the ride the rest of the way home, but the bacon-sausage concoction did settle nicely.

(updated for photo and linkage)

'Bout time

I want one

Dependable income in a dire economy

According to The Onion, America's favorite source for the facts about what's going on, shooting hoops is now the most reliable way to make a living.

Now, I know that "The Tournament" starts in just a couple of days, so come Thursday, 32 people will have a chance to make their nut for the year, and I commend them.

But I have a critical holiday to get through tomorrow before I'm ready: 164 years ago tomorrow, the rubber band was patented. So we're going to drive out to Lenny's Bar and Grill and SwapMeet, and have us a couple of beige beers. And some fried potatoes that might have been green on the edges before they were dropped in the grease, to go with a couple of burgers that are red in the middle.

Rainy season in Texas

We've had an inch and a quarter (or so) of much-needed precipitation in the last forty-eight hours, and we have the hint that more may come in the next few days.

Like I said, it's welcome: the stock tanks are filling up, the lawns are threatening to green a bit, and the mosquitoes are promising to lay eggs as soon as it warms up again.

But all the rain and the chill has kept us close to the furnace, so when Alpha suggested we head to Lenny's Bar and Grill and SwapMeet for a libation or two and a hamburger, I had to allow as that wouldn't be an all-bad idea: I bolted for the door and jumped up several times (I didn't jump up and down - I have no idea where that expression comes from, as gravity pulls me down after I jump up).

Anyway.

We got to Lenny's, and Alpha settled onto a stool at the bar; I curled up around my bowl at the door, and Wendy brought us our beers. We settled in to watch the Big 12 basketball tournament, which this year is abounding in upsets, and therefor made for TV.

About twenty minutes later, the hinges squeaked, and a guy walked in with a monkey.

Now this is the same guy that came in a couple weeks ago with (what I assume was) the same monkey and ordered a drink. While he was at the bar chatting and drinking, the monkey entertained himself by running all over the place and getting into everything.

Wasn't too long, and Wendy said to the guy, "Didn't you see what that monkey just did? He got into the fruit tray and ate up half of the fruit!"

"I'm sorry," said the guy. "Yeah, he's crazy and he'll eat about anything. Just put it on my tab and I'll take care of it."

About that time, the counter bell rang and Wendy went and grabbed our burgers for us. She set them down, obviously in more of a hurry than usual, and said to the guy, "Did you see what your monkey did this time? He jumped up on the pool table and swallowed the cue ball!"


"I told you he's crazy and he'll eat anything", the guy said. "Please just put it on my tab."

Not long after that (we hadn't even finished our burgers), the guy finished his drink, settled the tab, and left.

So we're there this evening, sipping and trying to decide whether to order curly fries or onion rings with our burgers, and the same guy comes through the door with that monkey on his shoulder and orders a drink. The monkey again starts getting into everything.

Not two minutes later, Wendy says to the guy, "Did you see that? Your monkey just took a cherry out of the fruit tray, stuck it in his butt, pulled it out and ate it!"

"Yeah", says the guy, "he's still crazy and he'll eat anything, but now he measures first!"