FEB 24 - APRIL SKYWATCH IS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE MEMBER'S AREA. A letter from Lance - February 19, 2009
19 February 09It’s about 85 miles due north and if you look at the map of Texas, it is a city exactly in the center of the curve of the Texas coast and a place with a lot of history that was once a bustling city. The sign said the population was 12,000 souls and that’s probably true. But the town is much bigger than the sign says – it’s the curse of small towns on the south Texas coast to shrink as time goes by. Everyone had bigger ideas for the county seat of Calhoun county years ago. But the fishing and the money ran out some years back. Now there are lots of empty houses and buildings. The downtown is four blocks long, half empty stores, with the vacant movie theatre on the end of the street that dead ends at the docks and the beach. It’s a really cool set up to think that long ago you walked out of the theater to fresh ocean breezes and a Full Moon rising out of the waves and there was the ocean. But Walmart and fancy stores on the highway sucked out the guts of the old downtown section, like it’s happened all over the state, the country. Locals pride themselves in calling the football team the Calhoun Sand Crabs. And their biggest rivalry is with the Robstown Cotton Pickers. Sand Crabs vs. Cotton Pickers. That’s funny, I know. But there is something warm, genuine and out of time in this place. I picked up some damn good smoked brisket and chicken from a funky joint that a lady in a gift shop tipped me off to: “Mike’s Q.” I will stop again the next time I am up that way.
I passed a lot of burnt sections of prairie along on the road on the way up. We are in a bad drought cycle right now. We’ve had an inch of rain in the last four months – not good. Farmers here are not planting anything until they see some rain and a chance for the seeds to grow. Momma was right: Farmers and ranchers are the biggest gamblers. And right now, they are not drawing good cards. There’s no grass for cattle to eat and while beef will get cheap now, it won’t be after all the ranchers have sold their herds because they can’t feed them without rain and some good pasture. And soon. Best meal of the month came when I stopped at this old, funky burger and taco joint on the way to Sam’s Club. Rico’s Tacos? Can’t remember but I have passed it 300 times and finally opened the door to find this little 8 table joint with people, prices and food that go back 40 years. I ordered a cheeseburger basket combo, with drink, for $4.59. The gal behind the counter was as friendly as your favorite aunt and I sensed immediately that this place would be a winner. They are open six days a week from 5 am to 2 pm. And when I got the cheeseburger I knew I had found paradise. It was exactly the taste of those cheeseburgers at the Rexall Drugstore in Oklahoma City in 1963 where I usually had lunch in high school. The fries were fabulous and a splendid compliment to this perfectly assembled cheeseburger. And when I finished I felt not only full, but loved. I want to try their breakfast tacos, but I’ll need at least five more cheeseburgers first just to satisfy my craving. The lesson? Swing doors, as an old comrade advised. Check out the spots you haven’t been in. Look for options in your life. A perfect cheeseburger, or something better, could be right around the corner…
Swings doors, I like that, Lance. It comes at a time in my life when I’m trying radical departures from the past and venturing way out into the unknown. The timing of your splendid little essay couldn’t have been better. Thanks, and don’t OD on those cheeseburgers.
sam
— sam Feb 20, 10:31 AM #A little Uranus energy could do us all some good. Change, experiment, do something new or different from your norm, just for the heck of it….
You might find something wonderful you’d have missed otherwise!
— dutch Feb 20, 04:08 PM #Splendid indeed. Thank you for that nudge. This definitely feels like a “beam me up” kind of atmosphere.
— Didi Feb 21, 08:49 AM #Lance…I love your writing…you are a great story teller. Thank you for the gifts you share with us all!
— Sally Aderton Feb 21, 05:18 PM #Your Forever Fan, Sal
Lance. Just to let you know my door-swinging is producing results at mach 3 speed. YOU rock.
— Didi Feb 23, 09:14 AM #you don’t write enough of these – we all enjoy them :)
i can always visualize the places and people (and cheeseburgers) so clearly.
— tremolo Feb 23, 10:03 AM #I lived in Port Lavaca back in ‘58.Have to say I hated it. Man next door raised fighting cocks & that’s just the beginnng. Anyway, having lived in Fulton and Corpus for years I can just see the places you write about. There is/used to be a great mexican cafe in Tivoli. Wish I could send you some of the wet here…it’s snowed for what seems like all month it’s piled up to the 2nd story windows. But it is my own briar patch and I love it.
— Sue Feb 23, 10:58 AM #Yes yes yes, I’m swinging open new doors, kinda scary, definitely thrilling and full of possibilities.
— Laurie Sulopo Feb 23, 11:23 AM #the whole world was boring in 1958…I was in Oklahoma City…and it was still dry – you couldn’t buy whiskey or a drink, unless you belonged to the country club which had a well stocked bar…
ok…New Moon and good stuff in the heavens this week – let’s get going. I’ve got a list of things to do before Venus goes Rx on Mar 6.
— Lance Ferguson Feb 23, 12:32 PM #I just started working on a PT after-hours work project—a new door is swinging….
— dutch Feb 24, 01:30 PM #okay Dutch! there you go! now you have money to replace that tranny….
— mac Feb 24, 05:48 PM #good luck
Mac
i might end up buying a 2000 zx2 today (found a good deal on one—going to look at it later) and parking the 1992 escort wagon until summer.
that’ll give me zero down-time, as well as time to find a cheap used trans to stick in there, and then i’ll have a back-up car….
— Dutch Feb 24, 06:29 PM #Turns out the thing just sold, so back to plan a….
— Dutch Feb 24, 06:54 PM #If the snow would stop falling, maybe we could open the door to get outside! heheh, in spite of the snowdrifts, yet another door is opening, change is exciting, in all of its transmutations. Fun to listen to Obama last night…
— Patty Feb 25, 08:59 AM #