David Vidal's Blog (32)

After the wells collapsed and my family moved from the ranch in southern New Mexico, we lived outside of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. It's nestled high in the Rocky Mountains, in the southwestern region of the state. We moved there just in time for me to enter second grade.



"Pagosa" is a Ute word meaning either "stinking" or "healing". There is a hot springs in the town with a strong, sulfurous odor.



When we moved there, the lumber mill was still in operation. It has long since… Continue

People sometimes comment on the fact that I'm "still chasing my dream". I think that the underlying message is "what the hell are you doing... grow up, you moron", or something to that effect. Fact is, what I do has nothing whatsoever to do with chasing a dream. Dream chasing sounds like a total exercise in futility. If it's something you enjoy, then great. But be careful lest you actually catch one. They're not at all what they appear to be.



All I'm doing is living a life, and doing… Continue

After an aborted show in Beaumont, where the manager of the place double booked and Ed Starkey and I wasted gas and time driving over there and then darn near killed ourselves with bad food at a waffle house on the way back, I left Houston for Georgetown, Texas. None the worse for the wear, having made some new friends, and with a little money in my pocket.



Georgetown is just north of Austin, a handsome town with a quaint square and well kept shops and houses. My buddy Rick Dinsmore… Continue

The next night was at a different restaurant. Same chain. If you can get a couple of money gigs in a row, it will start to foster the illusion that you are actually making a real living. Hey, you will be... for a couple of nights. Kenneth booked the next weekend as well, at the same places. And a show at the Taqueria el Patron in between.



"The Tock", as it is known, is a local family owned humble yet nice eatery in a Houston strip mall where the plans of Flyin' Dog Records, with whom I… Continue

The next morning was sunny and bright. I slept in, which I'm prone to doing, given the opportunity. I made some coffee when I got up. Took another hot shower. (You've got to take advantage of these things when they're available). Watched cable news. There was some tragedy or another going on. I slowly got my stuff together. It always amazes me how quickly I can make a mess out of a clean room.



I called the mechanic shop. They were working on the van. I took what I had brought with me… Continue

Texas is a big state. I know that's stating the obvious. But seriously. It is. Though it's not that tall. Having grown up in the Rocky Mountains, I assure you Texas is not very tall relative to some of its neighbors. But it has tremendous girth. And one tends to feel a bit swallowed up by it.



West Texas has some mountains. Lots of dirt, too. Cattle ranches and such. After a good long while, you pass through that region of girth, and enter the hill country part. Gently rolling hills,… Continue

I was born in Gallup, New Mexico. A coal mining town. A railroad town. The two go hand in hand.



Historically, Gallup was a community of hard working, hard drinking immigrants who lived right next to the huge Navajo Reservation. It was built because of the huge coal reserves there, and named for the paymaster, whose last name was Gallup. People would say "I'm going to Gallup" when it was time to get paid. The name stuck. Bobby Troupe mentioned the town in his famous song, "Route 66". I… Continue

I recently returned to California from a month long jaunt through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado. And then back through New Mexico and Arizona. A big loop that took me out of the Los Angeles area on Interstate 10 and returned me via Interstate 40. All this in an '83 Toyota van (the very first year Toyota made vans for the American market) with 188,000 plus miles on the odometer. Of course, the odometer stopped working years ago.



When we speak of… Continue

I thought there was a reason to carry on. There is. But it wasn't what I thought. This is what I thought lying in bed, before the crack of dawn.



Tough times are not theoretical. For the most part, the haves have less, and the have nots most definitely have not. It's easy to package things up in nice little numbers, and bandy them about. But in the real world, the digits get restless, We're flesh and blood, and our children get hungry. Often.



It's easy to cast blame. Just… Continue

I was born on a cold night in a high desert. Raised by crazy people on a highway. The first song I remember hearing on the radio was "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley. The next song I remember hearing on the radio was "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles. I liked 'em both. A lot. I rambled and ambled for years. Only stole one car, only spent one night in jail. Eventually landed in Hollywood. A parody of itself, where I never became a parody of myself (and hope never to). I've dined at exquisite,… Continue

I believe I would like to spend just one Thanksgiving with Santa's elves. They seem like they could use a good feast before the crunch time of Christmas happens. And they seem like such an industrious and creative bunch. Cheerful too, at least by reputation.



I had thought the reindeer might be nice to invite... but having spent a bit of time around deer, I know they have trouble controlling their bowels in public situations. And besides, they have more opportunity to get out and… Continue

The ghost didn't really feel it ever had much of a chance.



It was an average ghost, of average height and girth. It had an average personality, and an average i.q. It had experienced, yes, quite an average life before being relegated to ghostdom.



It had died on a gurney, whilst being wheeled to a waiting ambulance, after choking on a large chunk of tuna in a sushi restaurant. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't squeeze that goddamn piece of fish out of… Continue