Category: About Town

I have always been drawn to the underdog. Growing up in a town that saw extreme change, like most people I resent change. Change is inevitable.

At some point I understood the necessity to embrace change. Eventually you must cease to kick against the goads. If you fail to get my meaning, read the Book of Acts in the New Testament.

I have been in the East Valley in Arizona for less than a decade. In less than a decade I have seen landmarks disappear. Progress always wins. The weak fall by the wayside and are trodden under. Continue reading “Things Change”

For Christmas, Liz bought us a family gift. It was a tour of a local distillery in Tempe, AZ. Arizona Distillery is a small batch distilling company. They distill whiskey, gin and vodka.

We were shown the distilling process from beginning to end. It begins much like brewing beer… with whiskey it is called mash, with beer it is called wort (pronounced wert).

Unlike beer, the grain, whether wheat or corn or rye is crushed into a powder. The grain is mixed with water and cooked for up to eight hours at around 160°F , which brings out the sugars. The mash is then cooled, and then pumped to another container where yeast is added and it ferments until the proper alcohol content is reached. Continue reading “Getting my drink on”

I spent Thanksgiving holiday in San Diego. Liz and I stayed in Little Italy, close to the harbor. The weather was wet and dreary, and I8 was actually closed due to snow a half hour after we passed through.

California is a pretty state, it is unfortunate that it is California. Politicians in LA and San Francisco have screwed the state royally.

Walking through Little Italy we passed a dozen homeless people sleeping on the sidewalk on cardboard. It seems that typhoid fever, tuberculosis and typhus are the new in thing in Los Angeles. Continue reading “San Diego Maritime Museum”

TAPS

When I was young I used to go to church.

Church is the house of god. But the bible says you are a temple… so any time I am with myself, then I am at church.  Continue reading “Taps”

Local blues legend Carvin Jones has been coming to Apache Junction on a regular basis this year. I am pretty regular in AJ, but then again, I live here.

Born in Texas, from what I hear, Carvin calls Phoenix, AZ his home. Clapton and Albert Collins both called him an up and coming star in blues.

Carvin has toured on three continents and who knows how many countries? The only one I care about is ours, when he is in Pinal County.

Not true, he has toured and played for our troops across the globe. He plays for the troops.

Last week he was at Lucky Strikes in AJ. Lucky Strikes used to be Jake’s O’ Mine, a biker bar. Lucky’s is within crawling distance of our house. Lucky for me.

The first time I saw Carvin Jones was at the Monastery in Mesa. He was solo that night, and rocked the house on a Monday night.

If you want to hear Stevie Ray Vaughn and Hendrix and Buddy Guy in one night… Carvin does it all.