SHATTERED SHATTERED SHADOOBIE

Winter is a great time of year for beer enthusiast. All the new winter seasonals, and upcoming barley wines offers a wide array of taste, aromas, and colors. The only problem is that the local store doesn't carry them all. You can however find many of them on liquid solutions.biz. They not only have over 700 beers, but they also sell mead, sake, wine, coffee and sodas.

Last spring I placed an order for what seemed to be a life time supply of barley wine. It only lasted a month. So one night Scott and I left Flag Brew and went to my place for a night cap or two. Upon going to the dishwasher for fresh glasses I saw the two glass stiens we had been drinking out of a month earlier. These WERE the big one litre Octoberfest Paulaner style. At that time we had them full off Old Crustacean and were slamming them together, harder and harder, seeing how much abuse they could handle. On seeing these I said, "Hey Scott, remember these?). I tossed him one and we hit them together, smash. Well, from that point on every bottle emptied, shattered. Every used glass, shattered. The following a.m. it took four bags to clean up the glass. It was well worth it. Plus, I didn't have to pack all the glasses when I moved.

If you are thinking at this point "I should order some barley wine and ship it to Free". All I have to say is, feel free.

Why John Wayne drank cheap bourbon

I received a package in the mail today and one of the items inside was Mick Taylors first solo album. I highly recommend this, and any albums that Mick plays on. Look at the company he has kept, John Mayall, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan to name a few. I remember a day back in '96 when I received a copy of this album on cd.

It all begins at a party at some girls house. I don't remember her name, but she was a bartender at the Grub Street Grill. Anyway, we were sitting at a table playing cards, old maid I believe. Across the table was a former friend. We used to get along real well until he did me wrong to the point of unforgivability. We had already been in a fight and realized that in such a small town we would just have to deal with each other. Well half way thru the night the urge just hit me. I stood up, grabbed my glass of vodka, and splash, right in his face. I turned to the girl, appologized and went home. I walked into the house and saw a padded envelope on the dining room table. The senders name was Robertta Zimmerman, aka Scarlet, Alice, and the Cats Pajamas, postmark Trenton NJ. Inside was the Mick Taylor cd and a Kieth Richards cassette, Main Offender.

So with my mood lifted I decided I would listen to the cd, the only problem being that I had no cd player. So I headed down to Stuffs. It appears as tho when I was leaving the party, Howie, the owner of Stuffs, was headed to the party. I got there and it was locked up. Or was it? The transum over the front door was unlatched. So I jumped up on the doorknob and pulled myself up onto the small ledge on top of the door. Now for the hard part. I had to lean in and from this crouched possition leap over the wood and glass transum. I made it over with the only catch being my foot on a narrow shelf that displayed bottles from the beer bottle collection. So I sat there drinking my beer and listening to Mick when up walks Howie. As he stood in the doorway asking how I got in I raised my eyes upward. He shook his head, laughed and joined me for a beer.

As for John Wayne, with all the bourbon showers he provided I can only assume that he wasn't buying top shelf.

We've all got to take our lumps

A while back I wrote about how needy people at the hotel can be. I have to amend to that petty and absolutely nuts. This is so unbelievable you know it can't be made up. I received a call to go to a room and help a guest with a problem, the bedspread was too lumpy. Thats right. Not the mattress, or mattress pad, the bedspread. lady. Man, thats crazy. It was a quilted thing and I showed her how it was stitched into 10x10 inch squares. She actually said that this would create cold and warm spots. Lady, take a pill or two a glass of vodka and get over it.

Needless to say I have slept in some less than comfortable places. One night I was hitching down the central coast of Cal and had gotten dropped off in Big Sur. I had been picked up by an older man in a "62 Jaguar. Although I am trusting enough to get into strangers cars, when the guy said I could spend the night at his place I just thought it kind of creepy. So I rolled my bag out on a patch ground off the side of the road, but every time a car came around the corner the headlights would shine on me. Well if I just move over a few feet the lights wont hit me. (have you ever been on PCH in the Big Sur area?). Watch the third step, its a doozy. So there I go tumbling down this hillside. If anyone was within ear shot they must have wondered what was going on. I couldn't keep from laughing as I was rolling towards my eternal sleep. Eventually I stopped and decided just to sleep right there and deal with reality when the sun comes up. When it did I saw that had I gone maybe six more feet it was at least another sixty down to the sudsy rocks. Tlak about one of those " what was I thinking moments".

So ladies and gentleman dont complain about lumpy bedspreads or I'll have to give you some matching cranial lumps.

The Bare All Blog

I just received an e-mail From my friend Kaori. I met her when I was living at the hostel in Santa Fe. She was just visiting the states and happened into my town and we've been friends since. I never made it to Japan, yet, but she did manage to make it to Flagstaff when I was living there.

So one day we were hanging out at the hostel drinking, and boys let me tell you, she can keep up. Well the point in the evening came where I found my clothing to be a little too restricting. Now to put this all into perspective, the hostel is right on Cerrillos rd, THE main drag. There is a deck at the front of the building bordered by the sidewalk and then the road. So the clothes came off and Kaori and I took a short stroll up Cerrillos road. People stared as if they had never seen a naked man taking an evening walk. And yes, there are pictures of Free free of clothing in Japan, and probably America too. I'd like to thank Mellisa for retrieving my underwear from the middle of the road.

Well thats the short version. The long can only be had in person.

Thanks for the memories

Just spent Thanksgiving at work. I really didn't mind working and management felt as tho I would be best suited to handle the different parties scheduled. I think they also think I have nothing to be thankful for. Well if you set aside one day a year to give thanks you're a fricking ingrate. I must admit that I did have my hands full tonight. The Manson girls fought over who got to carve the turkey. That argument came to an end when six of the people attending the acid test were convinced that they were turkeys. What a mess. Cranberry sauce everywhere.

Now I don't condemn or condone the use of drugs, but if there is one I would do again it would be acid, and I know who with. I really think that everyone should do it at least once. If you don't trust my opinion ask Aldous Huxley. New doors do open. Heres one from the vault.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Ventura CA, 6/13/87. It was between sets at the Dead show. I was about 20 feet out from the stage, dead center. I looked up and saw Jenny. As she later told my friend Jack (she was trippin' at the time, as was I) she was standing behind the fence looking at the crowd and picking up some bad vibes. We happened to see each other and I raised my hand and did the come here finger gesture. We spent the next two hours sitting on my sleeping bag conversing with words unspoken. In the middle of Morning Dew we both started to cry. The show ended and we hit the beach for the rest of the night. I didn't know her name until six weeks later when we ran into each other in Anahiem. I saw her one more time a few weeks later at the Whiskey where her band was playing. And just as the story began it ends.
Point being? Whatever you take from it.

As for my friend Jack Hyman he'll turn up again later.
Was there any continuity to this?

Whats in a name?

Until recently I would have answered, not much. As some of you know, I have recently changed my name to Free, last name Wheelin. I'm not legally changing it for one reason. Tho my family and I may not see eye to eye, hear ear to ear, or believe faith to faith, I still have love and respect for them, and am also proud of my heritage. For me to say that and change my name would be the same as those vegans or people who eat organic foods because they don't want to defile/contaminate their bodies getting tatoos and body piercings. I see it all the time tho.

As for the name Free Wheelin, most people instantly think it came from the Bob Dylan album. Here is how it really came about. It was a golden autumn day, sunday Oct .21. Must have been right around the time my sisters wedding was going on. I was in the midst of a soliloquy, or it could have been a prayer. Thinking about the cats pajamas girl (see impetus, sophia entry). The subject matter switched from the woman I wanted to the woman I need, and as soon as the words, I need a free wheelin woman, rolled off my tongue I laughed and said, man what a perfect name. I got back to the hotel and told the girl at the front desk and she agreed that it is a perfect name for me.

Well thats not all I have to say, but thats where I'll leave it. Actually, check out this life like garden gnome I found the other day.

Rejections and Elections

Coincidence or a curse?
Back in August my friend Scott came up from Flagstaff. So, actually planning ahead for once I requested the Friday night off. As far as I was concerned I had it off even though it wasn't definite.So when the phone rang that afternoon I didn't answer it, but I did listen to the message. "It's 3:30, where are you?" The following Monday my supervisor was fired. As I mentioned a few days back, last Fri. I got a call saying that I was supposed to be at work. This time I went in, but the results were the same. I went in to work on the following Monday only to find out that my supervisor was fired. Of course I will let my new boss know about this.

So there are all these debates and election talk going on at this time, much of it centering around New Hampshire. Back in late '99 and the spring of 2000 I got to witness this circus first hand. Every hopeful was seen strolling the streets of Manchester. There was one time in April when the being that is now our president was scheduled to have a meeting with the Young Republicans New England chapter. Two blocks away my friend Gwen and I were quenching our thirst at the Strange Brew Tavern, the best place in Manchester to go for a beer. (check out their web site) At primary time you will see CNBC , CNN, Fox etc doing stories from there. It becomes a weird mix. The sign on the door reads "bikers welcome but please, no colors". Politicians, reporters, and bikers. "Lawyers, guns and money"

Back to the point. Gwen and I are leaving and when we get to the intersection by the Holiday Inn we see the sidewalks lined with people in their teens and late 20's. Now this isn't the holiday inn most of us knew as kids. This was 5 stories with huge meeting rooms, a parking garage, and a long horse shoe driveway. I believe they have valet parking also. They kept hidden tho after I mistook them for a red vested car jacking ring. So when I see this group of people I tell Gwen she's not going home until she stands up thru the sunroof and chants Bob Dylan over and over as I do a couple loops around the driveway. Semi reluctantly she complied, and soon got into it. But we couldn't go yet. "Gwen, you drive you drive". We changed positions, and the attitudes of the young republicans changed too. Some cheered, and some chimed in, "Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan". I remember to this day the girl on the corner with the long brown hair holding a Bush sign but calling for Bob. I can only hope that she followed the sound of her own voice.

Dusty

Sitting here watching the Packer game and thinking about the last time they won the super bowl. I was out in Oregon watching the game at Stuffs (now Howiees on Front) with among other people, Dusty. Every one should know some one like Dusty. Unfortunately he died a while back in a sadly miserable manner. We used to close Stuffs quite often, and after every one was gone Dusty, Howie and I would sit back for a few beers and the ensuing buffoonery. The night/morning would always close with Dylans Blood On the Tracks accompanied by our vocals. I hadn't seen him much lately, but one of the last times was in Feb. of '99. It was my last night in Medford before I flew back to New Hampshire with plans to go see Dylan and Natalie Merchant in Portland ME that same night. As we were putting down the Chimays and listening to Billy Bragg and Wilco, Mermaid Avenue, some one came up with the idea of writing messages to Bob and Natalie on my body. So out came the marks a lot and with inspiration from the cd, "this machine kills fascist" was written on my chest, and "way down yonder in the minor key" on my back. The next a.m. on the plane I just kept looking down my shirt and laughing.
Anyway, just last month I was back in Medford. I saw a lot of old friends and drank a lot of beer, but when I got back home some thing just didn't seem right. I realized that despite the good times, I didn't get to sing "Lily Rosemary and the Jack of hearts" at the top of my lungs while spilling a beer on Dusty. My point being stay in touch with those people who mean a lot to you, and every time your with those people let the meeting end on a good note...even if you can't sing well.
For those of you that have my # with the OR area code, thats kind of the reason why I have it. When I was out there I got mad at a dear friend, and tho I meant what I said, I could have been less blunt and crude about it. I figured she was mad enough not to answer a call with a 208 area code. Some times you have to be deceptive to do the right thing.
In closing, Bob was great. Natalie was a bit disappointing, but does look a lot better in person.

Funny thing happened on my way to the brewery

I thought I'd go down to the brewery today and see if Pink was there. Pink is not his real name, its Jonah, but his last name is Lloyd, hence Pink Lloyd. Hey, it makes me laugh. Well the funny thing is that I never made it out the door. The phone rang and it was work. It appears as tho the schedule was changed and no one bothered to call me in advance. So nice guy that I am, I go to work. For those of you who don't know, I work at a hotel. Now the irony is that when I lived in Flag I was working with people with special needs. Now in Poky I am working with especially needy people. Having spent time with the only roof over my head being the sky, I find it hard to empathize, or even sympathize with people whose rooms are too hot or too cold, or they don't know how to use a toilet properly. The sad fact is that I am getting paid more to drive people to the airport than I would working with disabled adults.
There's another reason why I am working at a hotel. About 10 years ago I was living in New Hampshire, working third shift ( not that that matters), and at lunch myself, Mike Duddley, and Charlene went out to Mikes car and started drinking some beer. Now, Mike and I had both lived in Oregon and we got to talking and decided that we should go. He starts the car, drives over the snowbank, and down the freeway we go. Well Charlene starts to worry and we only got as far as Boston. We went to one hotel and were told there were no rooms available. The next stop allowed us to stay. In the lobby was a grand piano and on seeing that I knew where I would be for a while. I began to play a piece that I call Rain. I start on the high notes, tapping on the keys like raindrops on a flower. Then bam, slamming on the low keys to produce thunder. Little did I know that during this 30 minute overture the front desk called Mike and asked him to come get me. His response was "do you know who he is? you should ask for his autograph".

I too tired of that and went up to the room to crash. As I got off the elevator I noticed all the furniture in the landing area. So for the next few hours I rode to every floor pulling the chairs, tables, pictures and fake trees and then depositing them in the landing area of our floor. We're talking over 30 chairs, 15 tables, 30 fake trees, and however many pictures, trash cans and mirrors. I wound up falling asleep in the hallway only to be awoken by the sound of Mikes laughter. "You've been a busy man" he said as we walked the narrow path to the elevator door. The point is, some one had to put all that stuff back, and I'm paying for it now. But it was worth it.
There are more Master Duddley (say it with an english accent) stories to come, involving such things as police, horses, and Bela Fleck.

Just to let you know where I'm at, I am now living in Idaho. The city is called Pocatello tho I have a few different names for it, Podunkatello, Pocahellhole, and Roop-Scoopvile. Its a slow little town, really. Nobody ever does the speed limit, always 5-10 under. Getting on the freeway you find yourself at the end of the on ramp with the car in front of you doing 40! A lot of rednecks and mormons up here. Kind of an odd mix. Talk about wondering where one fits in. When I first got here the mormons were knocking at my door at least once a week. Being the nice and understanding guy that I am I would let them have their say, toss out my opinions, and that would be the end of it. Then the day came when one of the guys is looking at my t-shirt. It turns out that they have a great fear of Charles Manson, maybe thinking he might put the whamie on their girls.
This brings me to the buzz word of late, green. Every one is going green. Even the NBC peacock was green for a week. Of course in most cases it is just pc buushee. Back in the early 70's there was an organization formed called ATWA, air, trees, water, animals, or All The Way Alive. This was founded by the one and only Charlie M. Now I'm not saying he's an innocent man, but he's also not guilty of all that he's been convicted of. Even former members of his family say that books such as Helter Skelter are more fiction than fact. At a later date I might bring up some evidence or conflicting testimony, but there is just too much. So check out www.mansonfamilytoday.info and www.mansondirect.com and a great insider website www.beausoleil.net. There you can read convicted murderer Bobby Beausoleils q&a section.
Hows that for scatter brained?

I found it Sophie

Impetus, Sophia

The idea for a blog came from the devine one, Jill Devine, www.oneyearofopus.blogspot.com. The impetus at this time was Sophia, a dear friend of mine from Oregon. Last week I was doing some cleaning and I found an old phone book of mine. Her name and # were in it and she still has the same #, tho yet a new name.
I meet Sophie back in '92. I had left L.A. in '91 to kick the pony and wound up moving to Oregon in '92. If it weren't for Sophie I believe I would have either wound up in prison, or been dead by now. Although I got off of heroin, when I met Sophie I was still smokin' pot, droppin' L and snorttin' coke, along with some very heavy drinking. (Sophie if you are reading this I'm sure you recall). So coming 12/10 I am 15 years drug (illegal) free. Now, having met her changed my life in more ways. For better or worse her little sister...well I don't know what it means, but "is the cats pajamas". Kind of funny throwing about cliches not really knowing the origins. No sense makes sense!
"So Free, whats the point?"
Bear with me and we will get to it at the same time, just not now.
Oh Sophie I owe you an appollogy. Do you remember the Thomas Merton you colligraphed for me? I went to pull it out to take a pic of it but it wasn't there. In that you summed me up. "Thomas you never hold silent. Dam your words and your poetry will out in other ways..." More or less, what it said is that I can't keep my mouth shut, and if for some reason I am unable to speak I still get my point made. Where is it? I can't believe this. You gave it to me 14 years ago and I lost it now?
Well hocus pocus my dear friend, its gone. See, here is the reason for my blog. Oddly enough I remember her telling me that she had seen this in a bathroom at a home she was taking care of.
Yes, in the bathroom, freak.
Sorry Soph. Man I hope it shows up.
(you always did make fun of me for saying "man" so much)
More on Sophie and her sister in the future.

alright

Well I think I'm getting somewhere. I just need to figure out how to get pictures onto this and then I'll be set. I still have beer in the fridge and some Deschutes 19 in the glass. My goal with this is multi-faceted, to entertain and in a bizzare way, educate. Also, as often as I have moved or just had things happen in my life, a lot of people have come and gone. Many were/are very important to me, and if we have lost touch some one may stumble across this who knows some one who knows some one...Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. I promise I wont take you to hell in a bucket.

no idea

I thought this was going to be easy, but I have no idea how to get the main page set up. I suppose this just lends to me reason for attempting this, giving people something to smile about or laugh at. Hopefully I will figure this out before all my beer is gone.