At eight-thirty sharp the dogs started barking outside, because Dennis and Boomer had arrived, so Tony and I went outside to greet them. After howdys, hugs and handshakes we went into the trailer and they ate scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and biscuits and we drank smoothies for breakfast, while we took turns catching up with each other's news.
Since it has been two Octobers ago since we last saw them—we had a lot to talk about. When Dennis started talking about the Grateful Dead I started playing "Sitting Here In Limbo" by the Grateful Dawg, on my iPod and he loved it so much I loaned him my Grateful Dawg DVD to watch and then I gave him a copy of my new book and signed it to him, Boomer and Marilyn and he was delighted, since both he and Marilyn are prolific writers and incredibly talented people. Here are a couple of pictures that I took of Dennis giving Boomer a biscuit for being such a nice house (trailer) guest.
I love Boomer so much. His story "Every Dog Has A Story" is in my first book, The Road To Utopia: How Kinky, Tony & I Saved More Animals Than Noah. We rescued Boomer the day after my birthday on October 18, 2003 from an angry, old country woman that I didn't care too much for, who told us that if we didn't take him she was going to take him home and shoot him in the head and the rest is history—great history—the kind of history that I love.
At ten-thirty, when it was time for Tone and me to go to Kerrville, so we could meet and have lunch with Starla, her mother Betty and Starla's daughter Jennifer, I invited Dennis to join us, because I was having so much fun visiting with him and Boomer. Unfortunately, Dennis declined, because they needed to get back to Austin—so two minutes after they drove away—we drove away.
I figured that we would follow them to Kerrville, but I was wrong, because we got behind a small, white car traveling at the speed of molasses that had a TCU bumper sticker stuck on their plastic bumper. Let's just say that T. was not real happy about having to stare for twenty minutes at a proud, purple horned frog or the proud parents behind the wheel, who wanted the world to know that their kid was earning their college degree in Fort Worth. "They drive like you do, Nance," Tony snapped. "Why can't they at least go the speed limit?" I ignored him, as I remembered the fun-filled days I spent being a football secretary for Coach F.A. Dry and his staff at the TCU Football office. Talk about fun. "Go Frogies!" Tony growled. And I started laughing, because they were doing forty miles an hour in a fifty-five mile an hour stretch. "We're going to be late, because of them. I don't understand why this is happening."
"Tony it's Karma," I said. "You must have done this to some people who were in a hurry and now it is payback time for you." I said, as T. shot me one of his weird looks, because I wasn't being sympathetic with him. "They say that Instant Karma is happening a whole lot faster nowadays and..." Tony started laughing when Highway 16 turned into two lanes and we whizzed past the parents with purple pride.
"I say it's Medina Bulldog—one. Horned Frog—zero!" Tony declared, happily as Buttermilk raced past them at fifty-five miles per hour. Before we reached the restaurant I had told T. my story about meeting the famous Houston Oiler— Earl Campbell in the TCU weight and workout room downstairs, when he came out of a sauna wrapped only in a towel and getting him to autograph two retired, used TCU footballs for me.
When we walked inside the restaurant we spotted Starla, Betty and Jennifer sitting at a table and we joined them. After apologizing to them for being ten minutes late, Tony explained why, but he left out the Karma stuff that I had explained to him.
Our lunch was so much fun and filled with non-stop laughter, and once again I felt like these lovely women were family and that I had known them forever, too—just like with Jimmie and Nelda Dunn and Cheryl and Walter Ratliff to name just a few.
I ate Tortilla soup and after removing a string of runny cheese from my face I asked everyone what signs they were and found out that Starla was an Aries, Jennifer was a Taurus and Betty was a Pisces. "You're a leader, Starla. Jennifer, I love Taurus people, but you're stubborn. And Betty, you like to talk as much as me. Tony is a Leo and I'm a Libra. This is good, because we're all compatible..."
Everyone laughed at my weak Linda Goodman imitation and then out of nowhere Betty looks at me and says in a serious tone, "Nancy, after my husband passed away a cowboy came out of the woods and I fell in love with him and neutered him." I stared at her and was speechless for the very first time this month and then Betty's daughter and granddaughter burst out laughing.
"Maw-Maw!" Starla half-hollered, followed by a hearty laugh. "I can't believe that you said "a cowboy came out of the woods!" T. shot me a wink and then we chuckled even though we didn't know why. "Cowboy is a cat that Mama rescued years ago," Starla explained, before wiping a piece of stringy cheese from her chin—she was eating a bowl of delicious Tortilla soup, too.
To say the least, Tony and I loved meeting and having lunch with Starla, Jennifer and Betty, our new found friends and we hope to see them again—real soon. We love you, Starla, Jennifer and Betty! Thank y'all for a fun lunch—never to be forgotten.
Y'all have a great evening and keep laughing!
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