"You might want to bring a sleeping bag. It's cold here..." Landon says over the phone while I drive through the endless string of silo-laden small towns of West Texas.  He's already in Lubbock - he caught a flight in and I drove so that I could bring the PA.  Why am I so distracted while I'm driving?  Snow. Why is there MORE snow falling?  It's been less than a month since the freezing cold of the Midwest had it's icy grip on us, and somehow this winter, we can't seem to escape it.  Well, at least it's pretty...

Scene change to La Diosa - our concert venue for the night.  Low-lit electric candelabra and couches that span from red velvet all the way to 1950's modern provide an awesome environment for a little vino drinkin' and music listenin'.  Amongst the barrage of decorative pieces around the room, I spy an awkwardly heavy lampstand in the corner...at least, I think that's what it is.  It's in the way of the PA speakers, so I move it adjacent to the mic stand and set my drink on it momentarily.

"That's a great idea dude," Landon interjects while I'm plugging in guitar cables and tuning.

"What?"

"The drink holder - where did you find that?"

"I think it's some sort of gas-burning lampstand."

"Oh...it looks like a sangria glass holder to me."

It's settled then. The lampstand-turned-wine-stand/holder stays next to the mic stand for the rest of the evening.  It provides a bit of eccentric, but classy decor throughout my set and Landon's set, and is consistently a conversation piece throughout the show. I certainly don't have a knack for interior decorating, but when the curtain fits...

It's great to be back in Lubbock. Friendly faces familiar and unfamiliar respond in kind throughout the show, and I try out some new songs and some new jokes. Something New...maybe I'll write a song about that one day.

One day until Amarillo and all I can think of until then is - I love lamp...stand.

-TRMJ