Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Lost Bayou Ramblers

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OK... I have to tell the truth.... I am not a real big 4th of July fan.  You either stay in town.... with everyone who cannot afford to get out of town.... or you end up in a crowded resort area.... with everyone woho could.  These days I fall into the former category.

I avoided going to the lake front, where our little 'festival is going on.  The odors of midway diesel fuel, fried grease,  and unwashed armpits  rather, ah, turn me off. Plus, all the beer is Budweiser and I hate Bud.  I relented a bit and road my bike down on Saturday, to listen to a little Zydeco.  One hour is all I could handle.  Much to my distress, when I arrived home, I discovered I had lost my checkbook down there, somewhere, in the great unwashed horde.  Needless to say, it threw me into a bit of a funk.  So Sunday I avoided it all and went for and extended bike ride.  When I got back there was a note stuck on my apartment door, "the check is in the mail".... and sure enough... that is where the checkbook was.... nothing missing.  Someone found it, tracked me down from the address and returned it.  Maybe there is a clean conscience int he unwashed horde.

I relented on going to the lake front yesterday.... stopped at Lee and Denise's to see what they were up to.  "Tuba Dan, at 12:45," is what Lee said. "Main Stage, be there!"  Now, Tuba Dan is a Polka Band, I think they have been around since 1874 or such.  But Lee gets a bit obsessed with things and the latest is Polka Music, so there I was at 12:45 soaking up a sound that well, I would rather not.

So.... have a limited 'om-pah-pah' tolerance we rotated between the polka band and the Cajun music on the other side of the park lagoon.  Now, there are some similarities between Cajun and Polka... but they are best not talked about.  Cajun is much more fun, and as far as I know, there are no polka bands with fiddles, so right away the advantage is to Cajun.  And the Cajun food is better.... really... ever try Red Beans and Cabbage?  No no no no.

But that was it.  Small times, small towns.  Trust me... it is not all that bad... and the check is in the mail.

8 comments:

Sherry Peyton said...

You got some nerve! You denigrate my tv viewing habits, and you listen and LIKE polka music? Good grief, what next? A trip to the Corn Palace?

okjimm said...

no.... I do not like polka... I was shanghaied... but Zydeco is good.... Ya know....I thought the Corn Palace was just a comedy club that told bad jokes.

nonnie9999 said...

stories like that restore my faith in humanity. with all the horror stories we hear every day, we forget that people, for the most part, are pretty honest and will do the right thing when push comes to shove.

Randal Graves said...

Holidays are only good for days off which makes it all the more maddening that there isn't a day off affiliated with the greatest celebration of all, Michael Myers Day.

okjimm said...

nonnie.... ya... I was surpised as all get out that I got it back... and that quickly

Randal... every day reading yoru blog is (almost) like Mike Myers day...

squatlo said...

Cool that someone returned your lost checkbook... but a polka band? Oh yeah, you live in polka country, I forgot. Down here we'd get the Cajun music thing, mixed in with a little bluegrass, and an unhealthy dose of Hank fucking Junior, whom we never would have heard of had his dad not been a genius... (if his last name was Wilhoit instead of Williams, no radio play)
Hollerdaze are maddening...

okjimm said...

Squaztlo... I normaly have about a two song tolerance for Polka... and that, at weddings only. (Course a polka funeral could be fun).... I tolerated it only because it is Lee's new obsession. Denise and I just tolerated it. The check book thing was a miracle. I have been in love with cajun music and food since a trip to Nawlins back in the 70's... Now if we could only raise shrimp in Lake Michigan... boy and howdy

susan said...

Any day's a good day for Cajun music. Would you believe there's a sign down by the harbor here that tells everyone the little island across the water was where they put all the French Loyalists that were shipped south to New Orleans. There were some days last winter when I was wishing they'd ship me.

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