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Dating? In Waco?
I graduated from Midway in 1997. I was so frustrated with the dating scene. I hated it. There really wasn’t one. We were 15, 16, 17, 18 and everyone was in “exclusive” relationships. Isn’t anything before marriage about figuring out what kind of people you want to spend your time with - what type of person might make it as a permanent fixture in your life?
I spent the summer after my junior year with a friend in Virginia and was shocked at all the offers of “dates” I had. Not exclusive romances. Just dates. It was so much fun. Then I got back to Texas and realized I was back to the reality of exclusivity.
Exclusivity led to me getting married at age 18. I’ll never regret marriage to Spider or the beautiful children I’ve had as a result of that relationship. However, now that I’m single again, I want to date. I don’t want to tie myself down. I want to get to know people and have a good time. That would probably be easier in a different town.
I was talking to a friend last night who had the same gripe. I’m wondering if any of you other guys are facing this issue? Is it just me?
Georgia Satellites have my sympathy this morning with their lyrics to “Keep Your Hands to Yourself.”
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To-kill-ya (tequila)
Tequila has never been a friend of mine. I now consider cheap tequila my enemy. I went out with some friends while I was on vacation. I caved to peer pressure and had a shot of the CHEAPEST tequila I’ve ever had. I could feel it hit my stomach! Yuck! I only had the one shot, yet I felt bad the whole next day. Cheap liquor ends up costing one too much! However, the people I was with were drinking the cheap tequila as more of a joke than anything. But, I’m going to face up to the fact that I can’t hang!
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A black sheep vacation
Jodi, a.k.a. Black Sheep Betty, is taking a couple of days of deserved vacation. Check back later this week for new blog entries from our favorite counterculturist.
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In honor of bad boys
I admit it. I have a thing for bad boys. This isn’t a secret. Remember, it all started with CryBaby(refer to earlier post).
I know you guys are going to verbally flog me, but I went back out with pig roast guy … and had a really nice time. Yes, I got an explanation for the other evening, and I decided it was good enough for me. Did I really buy it? Does it really matter?
So, this time involved watching wrestling and splitting a six pack. I’m moving on up, my friends!
So, in honor of bad boys, I’m linking to one of my favorite songs this morning.
Tim McGraw: “Real Good Man”
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Guitar Hero meets recorder
I don’t normally blog much about my children, but my older son, Lane, amazed me this morning. Last year, we put Lane in guitar lessons. Not long after, we bought Guitar Hero and Lane’s Fender became a dust collector. Spider (their dad) plays lead guitar, bass guitar and the drums by ear. I want my children to have the same talent. So, I was very disappointed when Lane put the “real” guitar aside.
Well, today, I discovered that my son does love music. I was getting ready for work when I heard him playing a recorder that he got from school. (They have a recorder choir.) Lane had opened one of the guitar hero clips off of YouTube and was playing his recorder while watching the notes go by. He was recognizing the notes and playing them. I think it was “Sweet Child of Mine” that he was honking along to.
Yeah, my child has the gene for music appreciation! Now if I can only get him to find a cooler instrument!
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Got front fender?
A co-worker just came by and mentioned that this lovely rainy weather we’re having sure doesn’t make for a nice bike ride. I just got off the phone with my ex and he also was grumbling about the weather. His house is down a gravel easement, so he has problems just getting out of the driveway in this mess.
Thinking about rain and bikes made me think about Spider’s first bike he built. It was a 1978 sportster. I loved that motorcycle. It looked like something out of a piece of David Mann artwork. But part of what “made” this bike’s look was that it didn’t have a front fender. When it rained whoever was nearest the back tire got a continual stripe of wet muck down their back. But hey, we looked cool when it wasn’t raining!
So, how far should we take looking cool? Should it be more important than safety? Comfort? From what I’ve seen, the older people get, the more likely they are to forsake looking “cool.”
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Wanda Jackson
When rockabilly began women were there, and one of the most famous was Wanda Jackson. With her gorgeous looks, petite figure, throaty voice and energy, she was (and still is) a force to be reckoned with.
I actually saw her at the Pistons ‘n’ Paint car show in Denton a couple of years ago. Her voice hasn’t changed a bit.
Hard-Headed Woman:
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Eat pig with the one who brung ya
So, here I am cast back into the world of dating. This weekend it involved a bartender, girl fight, roasted pig, outhouse, traffic jam and hotel room invitation.
Late Friday night, I showed up at a watering hole to meet up with a new guy friend (he’s a bartender). We ended up in a field where the entree was barbecue boar, which I actually love by the way. Shortly after showing up I went to the operable outhouse. (Awesome outhouse. This thing had real plumbing.) When I emerged my “date” was leaving for a minute.
He came back with another girl. They went off in the woods together. There was little I saw of him the rest of the evening until I pulled him to the side to ask what the heck was going on. I explained that I am high maintenance enough to expect my “date” to spend time with me. Well, the woods’ girl takes umbrage with me holding two minutes of this guy’s attention and attempts to drag him back off. When I told her to hang on a minute, she got mad. We exchanged words. The bartender ended up acting as referee. (Have I sunk low or what?) I at least have the excuse that I’ve had a bad couple of weeks.
So, he left … with her! Maybe I need some dating pointers. Oh, and after I left I got stuck in a traffic jam for TWO hours! Meanwhile, the guy behind me in traffic (just happened to be woods’ girl’s brother) came to my window and asked if I wanted to get a hotel room. He even offered to take me to Six Flags! He was going to lavish attention on me. Sheesh. I need help, people.
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Nail tattoos (stickies)
My favorite new thing this week is nail art. To be specific, nail stickers. The above picture is of a sheet of stickers I just purchased. I’ve been transported back to junior high and I love it! Look for similar products where nail polish is sold. I know it sounds stupid, but, ladies, buy some and go crazy. They’re actually pretty cheap.
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2 dollar pro? Wow!
On a recent posting, a poster took umbrage with me not appreciating it when people sneer at my appearance. He went on to explain how offensive my appearance (and those of others like me) is to him and said I looked like a $2-dollar whore.
In a previous posting, you wrote that you didn’t like for people to stare at you overlong or sneer at your appearance. You choose to appear in public, and probably at work, looking like a $2.00 whore and you’re offended when people stare or sneer?
I didn’t write that Jodi [Black Sheep Betty] WAS a $2 pro, only that she looks like one. I don’t know her or need to know her to make that appraisal. It’s not rocket science. I just look at her pictures on this blog site. That does it, at least for ME. Perhaps if I knew her personally I would find her to be as you describe, despite her appearance that would nevertheless offend me.
Without a modicum of morality and value judgments, and lives lived with some sense of right and wrong and personal restraint, this world would return to the chaos of every man and woman for him/herself. Because I’m SERIOUSLY offended aesthetically by most tattoos and piercings, I make an instant appraisal of the wearer, and it’s seldom favorable. Knee jerk reaction. I never, ever say anything to the wearer and never will (I’m not stupid), but I can’t help but stare and sometimes glare. If I can keep my mouth shut, so should the wearer, Jodi (if words are spoken, that WOULD BE rude and out of bounds for either of us). You won’t be any more offended than I. - poster Sammy
Sometimes, actions speak louder than words. Morality and values? Restraint? The non-tattooed world does not have a corner on this market. Some of my closest friends are women with LARGE tattoos. They are also strong, Christian women and wonderful mothers.
When snap judgments are made, mistakes will follow. I don’t dislike “normal” people. I’m related to a whole lot of them, and friends with even more. Sometimes, I just prefer to avoid the issue by doing things like sitting in the smoking section, even when I’m not smoking.
I put myself in the public eye and I expect censure. However, it is wrong to assume that people who choose to look different are somehow inferior or have low morals. I am a Christian, but people who act like Sammy make me feel unwelcome in the house of God. And that’s a shame.
(On a side note, starers beware. I happen to think that staring overly long, and especially glaring, is enough of an offense for me to ask what you’re looking at. That’s just rude and shows poor breeding.)
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Name tattoo - Kiss of Death?
Several weeks ago, before I started posting my blog, I put my husband’s nickname under a large tattoo on my upper right arm. We’ve been married almost 11 years. I wanted to do something special for him.
Next week, we’re filing for divorce. We’re still friends and always will be. But our lives have taken different paths. So, I have to admit: The name curse got me. Anyone have similar experiences? What did you do with the tattoo? Since we’re still friends, I plan on leaving the name alone.
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Yes, I’m a mom … and I’m cool
Sometimes, I wish I could connect more with other parents. I face many of the same issues they do, but I look at the world a little differently.
My 8-year-old tells me almost every day that I’m the best mommy he could ever have. (Awwww.) And since God gave him to me, I hope that he’s right. I’m not a “traditional” mom, but I hope he turns out OK. I think he’s doing just fine.
I have a pretty much 8 to 5, Monday through Friday, job. I live in Lorena and have one nice car, and another OK car. I have two dogs. I take my kids to church (sometimes). I pray with my children at night. I read with my children and play games with them. I am proud of my kids when they make good choices, win awards and bring home good grades. I give them baths, buy them clothes, clean those clothes and brush their teeth. I take them to the doctor when they’re sick. I even teach them southern manners.
On the other hand, my kids have grown up at motorcycle rallies, biker get-togethers, nostalgia drag races, rockabilly weekenders, etc. My kids are friends with the children of bikers, tattoo artists and greasers. My older son watches scary movies like they’re going out of style. I let the kids sleep on the couch because they seem more comfortable and content there.
But they’re thriving. They’re included in my life and treasured for the individuals they are. My kids actually seem well-adjusted. I tend to approach the world more realistically than idealistically. I want my kids to have the tools they need to face situations that will surely come their way.
So, do others out there feel judged as bad mothers, even though they love their kids dearly and take care of them? Does anyone else find it difficult to find people who won’t look at them in horror for letting their kid watch Chucky? Or do you guys disagree with me and feel that parents should teach their kids an ideal?
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Piercings too special?
So, piercings…. Where should one draw the line? None. Ears only? Belly ring OK? Eyebrow? What about ummmm different areas? Sexy? Painful? Icky? Would you do it? Have you done it?
I’ve had four piercings in my whole life. You guys wouldn’t believe the grief I gave my dad about the first two. I’m talking about my ears (I was only 10 years old). I was terrified of needles, so I begged my dad to take me to a doctor who would numb my ears before piercing them. He caved in and gave me permission. I don’t even want to think about how much more that cost than just going to a Piercing Pagoda. Well, it backfired on me. I didn’t realize that the numbing process would be more traumatic than the piercing! Lidocaine burns … a lot. At least I’ve kept my ears pierced these past 20 years.
My friend Zac, owner of Southern Culture Kustom Tattoos gave me my fourth piercing - above my belly button. It hurt, but not too bad. Although the healing process took forever, and then a few months later I was pregnant and had to take it out.
Did you guys notice that I skipped over piercing number three? Well, that was the MOST painul and LEAST successful. Fat Cat talked me into getting a special piercing. That’s as far as I’ll go in explanation. It wasn’t very practical, was excruciating and was short-lived.
Now, my affairs with piercings are at an end. No more for me. I’ll stick with tattoos.
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The Horrifics in Waco
Psychobilly bands playing in Waco? Yup. Through the grapevine, I’ve found out that The Horrifics and Triple Six Shooters will be playing “The Rock N’ Roll Horror Show” at Scruffy Murphy’s on May 3rd. Scruffy’s is at 1226 Speight near Baylor.
The Horrifics:
Triple Six Shooters live video:
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Soul searching
Wow. I was shocked to get so much of a response on my “Thanks for Smoking” entry. I’m pretty apathetic about most things. I actually put less thought into that blog than I have most. However, I thought everyone raised some good points that I should address.
Are tattoos still counter-cultural?
Well, they still are in my family. I’ve found that people are more accepting of small tattoos here and there. It’s when people are confronted with men and women with tattoos crawling all over their bodies that they get uneasy. Tattoos are counter-cultural if they’re A) Large B) Highly visible C) of questionable nature.
Do I secretly like the attention?
Gee. I like good attention. I dislike bad attention. And it’s usually pretty obvious which type of attention is directed my way. I don’t get riled unless someone is going out of their way to glare at me. Then I have been known to call them on it. I understand that by looking in any way different from most people that I am bringing some attention upon myself, but that does not entitle other people to be rude. Should I pass around cards that say, “I have big tattoos. Stares welcome. Glares free?.”
Do I think I’m better than other people because I have made some unconventional choices?
Of course not. I talk a lot about my tattooed friends, but I have very dear friends who are without tats. I don’t think I’m cooler than my parents because they don’t have tattoos. I simply live and let live. The only people I have a prejudice against are those with poor manners.
What are poor manners? 1) Staring overlong, particularly with a snotty expression. 2) Getting in the middle of other people’s business. 3) Gossiping. 4) Interupting others’ conversations. 5) Messing with other people’s stuff without permission.
Anyone want to add to my list?
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Thank you for smoking
I’m not a smoker. I may light up at a bar every great now and then, but I’m the type who has to throw away a pack of cigarettes because they always go stale on me. I also have asthma, which puts a hitch in any plans of habitual smoking.
But I love smokers. And smokers love me. When I go to a restaurant, I usually request the smoking section. Why? Because this is where the people who love me (smokers) gather together.
T.G.I. Friday’s is one of my favorite places to eat, but only if I can sit in the bar. When I sit in the “normal” part of the restaurant, I get rude stares from other patrons. I feel anything but welcome. Sitting in the bar, I might get a few looks, but at least they tend to be appreciative.
Anybody else not smoke, but sit in the smoking section? If you smoke and have lots of tattoos, or just look different, try sitting in the “normal” section of restaurants for a change and prepare to feel the stares.
However, if you’re a non-smoker who always sits in the “normal” section, remember that noticing people like me is fine, but staring (or glaring) is just rude. Go back to your own meal, thank you.
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Hanging out at Tokio
Well, I just got home from a dang good time. From the moment I walked in the door, I was greeted warmly at Tokio Store - even after telling them who I was.
I knocked back a couple of Lonestars and spoke with the owner, Charlie. He was very open about all the fuss going on about the store.
After spending a pleasant evening with good people, I have to say that this store is in no danger of closing anytime soon. The locals would lay down in front of it if it ever came down to it. I think I might even join them.
After about five different people came up to me and told me how they’d grown up in the Tokio Store, I was about in tears. These are good people who value this familiar stomping ground. Whatever trade-offs happen between the neighbors and the store, I’m sure Tokio Store will still be standing at least another fifty years from now.
And for the record, I didn’t see anyone peeing on the county road … and I was watching.
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Betty’s crib
Take a tour of Black Sheep Betty and Spider’s casa: (Actually, the video just shows the living room, kitchen and a corner of the garage).
I wanted to make special note of a couple of items in the video:
1) Pinup girl curtains: Spider’s grandmother made these curtains for us. Cool granny!
2) Sturgis picture: I’ve written before about how special tattoo legend Fat Cat was to us. Dave Mann signed this copy for Fat Cat, and Fat Cat gave it to us for our first anniversary.
3) Wallpaper: I put up the wallpaper in our kitchen. I was very proud of myself, although if you look to close their are a few teeny mistakes.
4) Garage: I only filmed a corner of our garage. It was too dark for all the bikes to show up.
So, what do you guys think? Most men have to keep their beer signs in the garage. Spider and I decided it was our house and we didn’t have to decorate it in a “normal” fashion. We wanted our home to reflect who we are, not who others expect us to be.
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“Death Proof”
Our friends Baby and Stephen introduced us to this Quentin Tarintino film a few weeks ago. The movie’s broken up into two main parts. The first part was filmed in Austin, which makes the movie that much more entertaining. This movie is just typical Tarintino. It was originally part of a double feature that premiered at grindhouses. I remember seeing previews for it at one of the Alamo Drafthouses. For anyone interested, I’ve seen the movie for sale at Target and Wal-Mart.
*WARNING: This trailer is pretty tame, but the movie itself is pretty graphic. Body parts fly everywhere. *
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Culture clash at Tokio Store
It’s been several years since I’ve been out to the Tokio Store, currently owned by Deborah and Charles Kirkpatrick. I think I’m due a visit. Watch out, here comes Black Sheep Betty, biker extraordinaire.
The Trib ran a story on Monday (April 14th) by Tommy Witherspoon about a dispute between the Tokio Store owners and its citizen neighbors. Read the story here. The neighbors complain about overflow of patrons from the bar onto the public land and into the county road that runs in front of it.
I spoke with one of these neighbors, Mike Cook, who said the neighbors don’t necessarily want the store to shut down — They just want the store to “get right.”
Neighbor Pam Young told me the main issue is space. She said the bar hasn’t grown in proportion to its patrons. There are single stall bathrooms for men and women, which she says leads to a lot of people urinating outside in the parking area, which happens to be on the county road.
Cook and Young both feel the solution is a parking area on the store’s own property, off of the public road. They say they could live with the noise, even if they aren’t excited about it, but they’d prefer as much noise as possible be kept inside the building.
The Tokio Store is popular with a lot of riders. It also has a rich history. I find the quaintness of the place appealing, although I hang around with what the owners feel are probably “less desirable” club members. Actually, if my friends were hanging out at this bar, they wouldn’t have these problems. The bikers I know and spend time with police themselves.
It looks like both sides are going to need to give a little on this issue. There probably isn’t a lot that can be done about the noise: music, loud pipes. But a parking area in the back would probably be a really good idea. Jim’s Cycle Shop in Axtell has a few annual biker blow-outs, but EVERYTHING is conducted on private property. To participate or see what’s going on, one pretty much has to pay money for a wristband to get inside.
I’m encouraged that both sides appear willing to negotiate on this issue. The Tokio Store has a right to conduct business. The riders who congregate there have the right to a venue to water their thirst. But the neighbors also have a right to not have grown men peeing in view of their children.
What do you guys think? Anybody been there recently?
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Real bikers
“Biker.” How the image has changed over the past few decades. Even 20 years ago, that word brought to mind scruffy, tattooed men on oil-leaking Harleys (and what’s wrong with that?). Today, we see that word applied to men and women who look just like everyone else, with just a little more, or a lot more, money in their bank accounts. Honestly, that label shouldn’t be applied so lightly.
There are hoards of people who ride motorcycles. These are “riders.” Some ride dirt bikes or sport bikes. Some ride Harleys. Triumphs. Ducatis. Yamahas. Suzukis. Buells. Hondas. The list goes on and on. Many riders have comfortable road bikes, soft tails, dressers, etc. Many, like my own dad, enjoy long bike rides through beautiful parts of the country. Some rough it along the side of the road in tents on these trips, getting a very full taste of life on the open road. Some riders gather together and ride and party in large groups. All of these people are riders. There’s nothing wrong with being riders … except when “riders” think they’re really “bikers.”
Riding your bike to work every day does not make a person a biker. Wearing chaps doesn’t mean anything when the fastest you get your bike to is 70. Being a biker is an attitude. A way of life. A different culture. Real bikers are the same today as they were twenty years ago. These are people who would be riding a Harley even if everyone around them thought they were trash for doing so, in fact they’d relish it. Real bikers are depicted in Dave Mann artwork.
Has anyone seen the movie Wild Hogs? This movie infuriated me. I was about spittin’ nails by the time I left the theater. (I’m not even going to do the film the service of posting a link to its trailer.) The movie made the weekend “yuppie” riders out to be genuine. The real bikers were made to look like stupid jerks without spines. Peter Fonda even arrives to tell everyone to get along at one point. Fonda tries to make the bikers look like the washed-up jerk he really is. The biker culture may appear watered down, but there are still those who are true to the original mentality, and such are the people I call “bikers.”
Well, this opinion comes from a chick who hangs around with the real thing, and it is not about all getting along. It is very much about a hierarchy of respect and loyalty. It might even be about live and let live to a certain point. But the biker world is not a melting pot.
The bikers I know live by the following motto:
“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do, and doing it with the people you love.”
So, ride free everyone, but don’t call ‘em bikers just because they can ride.
Latest comments
Teqilla equals the death of millions of brain cells.
... read the full comment by Fred | Comment on To-kill-ya (tequila) Read To-kill-ya (tequila)
Aaaahhh, Mexican mouth wash. Just the mention of it brings back memories I wish I could remember. Or maybe I don’t. Jodi, you were well advised to quit after one shot. Too often, one of the side effects of cheap cactus juice is vanishing clothes
... read the full comment by Petey Wheatstraw | Comment on To-kill-ya (tequila) Read To-kill-ya (tequila)
That was my first tequila shot. Did you see me forget to lick the salt and then do it at the end instead? :) Fun times!
... read the full comment by Kelly C. | Comment on To-kill-ya (tequila) Read To-kill-ya (tequila)
OMG, I remember back in the early 80s before BWI laws we used to drink cheap to-kill-ya and go tubing on Lake Waco (could not stand on ski’s). The Lord must favor me because I am still here to this day. Almost drowned and almost broke my neck. I can
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