Tulsa Skyline

Tulsa Skyline
Originally uploaded by banj.

Tulsa used to be a great place to live. I hear that it went through a sagging economy and a big increase in crime.

I did some business there last week and really appreciated being there. The older parts of town near the Brady Theatre and the Cains Ballroom are under renovation, somewhat like OKC's Bricktown or Dallas' West End.

Lack of Attention Here

I have been very, very busy lately. Probably the most busy I can ever remember. My job can be demanding to do it the way that it should be done and Trophy Bass takes up a bunch of time. In fact if I had the sponsors to pay for it, I would hire someone just to do marketing tasks on a daily basis.

Also the bluegrass band is very busy. We play almost every weekend. So as you can see, it's not about how much fun I'm having at the lake or how many Plano type parties I'm going to, it's just that I'm trying to break even. It's a money thing. Anyway. I'm still here and will be back from time to time. Hang in there if you are visiting. I've not aborted the "king" I'm just preoccupied. Yea that's it! Preoccupied!

I Knew It!

You may know of how much rain we've had in north Texas over the past few months. For a while there it didn't feel like summer. I can only remember one time since moving here 18 years ago that we had that much precipitation and it was in 1990.

I was saying all along not to gripe and moan too much, because Texas summers are normally brutal, and once the rain stops, it may stop for the summers good. I believe that prediction may be correct. We've not had a good drenching at my house since the week of July 4th and nothing shows up on the models to make us think we may have rain soon. Dallas is looking to push the 3 digit temp envelope during the latter part of this week. I think by the last of the month we'll be wishing we had something besides miserable heat.

TrophyBassSecrets.tv

We're getting closer to launching a full site with Trophy Bass. There is quite a bit of buzz going on right now with the show airing in 5 markets. It's a full time job keeping abreast of all the projects we are working with. I've posted a couple of new promotional photos on www.flickr.com. Plus there is a short clip of the show on youtube, so look it up. I'm still trying to figure out the best codec for them but it all looks like crap to me! Keep an eye on the site, more is coming really soon!

The Stanley Hotel

The Stanley Hotel
Originally uploaded by banj.

We've been on an impromptu trip through the Colorado Rockies. We were so tired of the rains in north Texas that we simply turned on the weather channel and headed to where the sun was shining. And speaking of "shining." This photo is of the Stanley Hotel where we stayed in the town of Estes Park, Colorado. It was here that Stephen King got his inspiration to write the movie "The Shining." The hotel is said to be haunted, and I did in fact hear bumps in the night along with witnessing our room door close 2 different times by itself. There were no breezes and it was very random. It seemed whoever it was didn't like the door remaining open. I got it.

Along with many famous people who have stayed here, the movie "Dumb and Dumber" had many scenes shot here as well. The scene where Loyd was handing out $100 bills to the help after parking his new Lamborghni was filmed on the front steps. They also shot a number of bedroom scenes from the movie here as well.

The trip for the most part was good experience. The 14,000 foot drive was intimidating, and the air was thin. But the temperatures were pleasant, the humidity low, and the sun was "shining" in Colorado.

Georgia

Well off to Atlanta this week. I actually fly in to Atlanta then drive for about 60 miles to Callaway Gardens. It's the Georgia Association of Broadcasters meeting. The weathers supposed to be Dallas-like so that means 90's and dry through the weekend.

Chuck Justice Blog

We've set up a blog for Chuck Justice right here on Blogger. If you are in to fishing, it behooves you to visit not only www.chuckjustice.com, but www.chuckjustice.blogspot.com.

We're expanding to not only Sherman/Denison, Waco and Bryan/College station television, but soon to be in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. We're also working on a new site at trophybasssecrets.tv. It should be up by mid June.

Hunker Down!

If you live in north Texas, be on the lookout. We had a funnel cloud pass over our little town last night after it had made a quick touchdown in Gunter. I wasn't even aware of the funnel until I got a call from my nephew who lives just a few miles to our west.

The weather models for the rest of the week call for severe thunderstorms developing from a low pressure system on the Mexico border in west Texas. It's not moving much, thus pumping up quite a bit of moisture from the gulf. That combined with unstable air masses cause this eruption we are seeing from day to day.

If you are new to the area, welcome to springtime in Texas and Oklahoma!

Wildflowers Alive!

Lupine
Originally uploaded by banj.

May brings the spring to Texas as the wildflowers are ablaze. This picture was taken just east of Anna, TX. It's called lupine. It's in the Texas bluebonnet family and usually grows about two feet tall. There's very little smell to this flower, but lots of beauty!

Stormy Night!

I had to drive to McKinney this eve on some personal business and got caught on the leading edge of the storms. I was tuned to WBAP and KRLD to listen to their live reports from around the metroplex. It seems that there were tornado sirens going off in multiple locations and rain that was blinding. I sit here writing my post under mostly cloudy skies but no rain. Checking wfaa.com it seems that it's on it's way. Stay in, and stay dry!

The Banjola

I made my way up to Blue Moon Music in Fayetteville, Arkansas earlier this week. I was visiting one of my band members and to my surprise I came across an instrument that I have had my eyes on for around 4 years now. It was a Gold Tone banjola. The instrument is a cross between a guitar, mandolin and banjo. At first glance it might fool someone not so much in the know as being a zitar. The banjola has a very unique sound that is nothing like the banjo (thank goodness). It has a great resonation, but is very soft and can easily be drowned out by other acoustics. My plan is to add a pickup to send to an amplifier. I'm curious to see how the flange affects it's sound. When I get pictures, I'll post them up on Flickr (to which I'm addicted).

The Real Hot Dog

The Real Hot Dog
Originally uploaded by banj.

Whole Foods Market produces these hot dogs. You can't tell the size of them but they're probably twice as big as an Oscar Meyer. No fillers, no artificial flavors, no parts you have to wonder about. You can taste the difference as well. They're $4.99/pound in the meat case. Once you've had em, you'll never go back.