Peter Murphy Tonight

He's playing at Emo's. Tickets are $15!

Shuttle Bus Days

I went out for another dog walk this evening and had another encounter. We were midway through our walk heading north on Shoalcreek when I noticed a woman putting a sewing machine in the back of her car. She smiled as we walked past and I then recognized her from my UT shuttle bus driving days. She rode my bus 3 times a week for a decade. I drove the Enfield route from the mid 80's to the mid 90's and she always got off at the turnaround every MWF. Her son also drove the UT Shuttle

I stopped to chat with her briefly (yes it was her) and we continued on our way. On the way back home, I started reminiscing about my days as a driver. I had put much of that chapter of my life out of my mind (though I have the occasional nightmare where I am driving the bus from the first passenger seat and I can't control the steering as I smash into car after car.)

I was a different person (sort of) back then. I was wild and care free, absolutely living in the moment. There were numerous occasions of dalliances with the fairer sex in the back of an otherwise deserted bus parked at the turnaround (while on break, usually.) Girls seemed crazier back then.

It won't be useful to reveal any of their names they know who they were and two of them live within a mile of me to this day. I am not bragging, that's just the way it was back then. Many of the drivers would congregate in the bus terminal employee parking lot and smoke a joint before picking up their keys and folders to the buses at the beginning of each work day.

There are quite a few stories I won't begin to tell, but I can relate one. Back in August of '86, my friend Leslie graduated UT with a Sociology degree. We were very close back then and she talked me into driving her and her roommate Tracy around the Enfield route with a cooler stocked with champagne and beer. This was a rare Saturday route as it was during second summer session finals. They lived right on the route and were waiting on me outside their front door with a cooler when I pulled up just after I began my afternoon shift.

The cooler was stocked with the aforementioned champagne, orange juice and a 12 pack of Busch. The UT shuttle buses back then were the orange and white Blue Birds that had stereos so we put in a cassette and drank and drove around campus and out to the turnaround near Lake Austin Blvd and back again and again. After a couple of laps, I called my roommates to come join us and soon we were all in good spirits cruising around my route. I don't think 3 passengers got onboard during my 4.5 hour shift.

I dug out a photo of the event and absolutely have no idea who took this. It was probably a passenger I knew. Anyway, from left to right (Kevin Cooper, Jim Casto, me without beard, Tracy Truesdale and Leslie with Kevin's brother Stuart in the doorway.) This wouldn't go on today. I have crazier stories, but those will NOT be published!

AUG '86

Girl With the Taffeta Hair Ribbon

I just returned from another dog walk in our neighborhood. We average 4 per week and they are 2 to 3 miles in length. We used to do much more, but Luke's arthritis has begun limiting our duration and frequency.

For the third time in ten days, we encountered a woman walking her dog that wanted to know if my two dogs would like to say hello to her dog or dogs. I always acquiesce, being the good neighbor.

The woman I met this evening had a nice looking 6 month old pup. We introduced our dogs by name but neither of us gave our own name. It might have been a mistake as she was a fine looking woman, roughly in her mid 30's and no wedding ring.

I sized her up pretty quickly. She was either a recent divorcee or widow. She didn't have any kids and funneled her affection into her dog, Gus. I'm sure I'll see her again, and next time I'll be ready!

I had a good weekend. I slept a lot. Also, I hung out with Maribeth on the 4th of July. We found a geocache or two, went to a lake party and then dinner. Good times. Yesterday was my birthday and I met my poker buddies for drinks and snacks at Opal Divines. I slept a lot, too. Oh yeah, i mentioned that. That's a good thing, because I usually don't.

Oh, I almost forgot. You won't guess who I ran into this afternoon. I saw Jill (from the Happy Hour Encounter blog entry) this afternoon.

At lunch today, Robin and I drove to Target to pick up household provisions (dog food and envelopes for me.) We go to check out (separately) and the check out girl is looking at me kind of funny. She seemed embarrassed at first and then a little angry. Finally she blurts out "You don't remember me do you?!?!" As she was saying that my recollection returned.

Neither of us could remember each other's names. I had to go back to the journal entry where we parted on less that stellar terms. She was cordial at the counter and I didn't even bother with small talk, though I did say goodbye.

That was funny, because when I first met her, I was worried that she would be disappointed that I wasn't a CEO somewhere. And there she is working as a Target cashier.

I believe that story would make O. Henry proud.

The Cripple at COMDEX

Judging by my emails, I gather that a large percentage of my readers have attended a trade show or convention of some type in their past either as part of their job or as a hobbyist/purist.

I attended my first trade show, COMDEX, back in 1985, as a guest of my mentor, Dr. Sutter. At the time, I was new to computers, at least the computers we all know today. I had taken a couple of programming classes in FORTRAN back in the late 70's, but the personal computer was just really beginning to make its way into everyday life in the mid 80's.

The photo below is a picture of me taken at the Lotus booth by Dr. Sutter. I had a beard back then. And let me pre-emptively nip the inevitable emails in the bud by stating we had separate rooms at the MGM Grand. Its now Bally's, I think. (Click on image for better resolution.)



I remember engaging in a heated argument with the guy in the wheelchair. He was continually blocking my way at the different booths or cutting me off as I wandered from vendor to vendor.

I don't know if he was doing it on purpose or not, but I finally snapped and yelled at him as I spun him around to face me. I want to say the people around me broke out in applause, but that would probably be revisionist thinking.

Dr. Sutter was horrified, of course, and his taciturn comportment on the flight back to Austin signaled to me that I had better get a new mentor.

That story is for a future entry.

Burger Time!

Growing up in Midland Texas in the 60's had its advantages. It was very easy to make friends and believe it or not, there was plenty to do if you were a young boy with lots of energy.

Midland is where I first started eating out at fast food restaurants. Dairy Queen and Burger Chef were the two main venues for most of the time I lived there. Burger Chef is no more as they closed their last restaurant down in 1996.

On the West Coast, In-N-Out Burger is a very popular chain and it reminds me a lot of Burger Chef, though I suspect In and Out Burger is considered more hip than Burger Chef ever was.


Not too different...





This is a 100 patty burger made at In-N-Out Burger. More details can be found here.




And, Burger Time was one of my favorite video games in the early 80's.