As money got tighter, I became more edgy and less tolerant of Rich's antics around the house. He still wasn't working full time, but was helping out at Savvy's doing odd jobs as needed. He brought an entourage home with him most every night after the club closed. I was becoming alarmed that too many strangers were being paraded through the house. Part of my paranoia was due to the two times I'd been burglarized in recent years by people who'd been to our house, or apartment, during parties. Jim's house had one bedroom that was a dedicated studio. It was full of recording equipment, musical instruments, and computers. It would have been a burglar's gold mine. Rich's overnight guests would roam the house all day while he slept in until late afternoon. 

Jim helped me buy ceiling fans for my parent's house. Dad was undergoing chemotherapy, and their house didn't have central heat or air. The old AC window unit wasn't keeping it cool enough on its own. The ceiling fans made a big difference and dad was able to get comfortable at last. After installing the fans, I cleaned up and went to Savvy's. Nat Davidson (from Molly Maguires) was sitting in with a band called Anthem. Ricky Lynn was playing out of town, so his girlfriend Laurie was at Savvy's too. We visited for a brief time. She looked beautiful as usual, and made my heart go pitter-pat. 

Tragedy struck close to home when on August 2nd, Delta Airlines flight 191 crashed at DFW airport killing 136 passengers, and decapitating a motorist as the plane came too low to the highway near the airport before impact. Wind shear would officially be blamed for the incident, and as a result, entire new radar systems would be implemented to monitor freakish downward winds near major airports. 

Buddy Magazine mentioned the "Rock Orchestra" jam at Savvy's, and my name was included as one of the musicians sitting in. I was surprised, as I didn't expect to see my name in a rock and roll publication again - not that soon anyway. On a whim, I purchased a new banjo. It was probably the last thing on the planet I needed at the time. I was doing a lot of "mascot" appearances, and was also picking up some extra gigs operating a remote controlled robot at special public appearances for McDonald's Corporation.

Posing with McD3 the Robot at the McDonald's Restaurant
in Lake Worth, Texas. 

 I took over full scheduling of the Robot schedule. There were so many requests that I had to train Jim Wise and Ryan Brennan to handle extra appearances. Rhonda moved to a two-bedroom apartment with a room mate. Jim and I went in together and bought a huge above ground swimming pool. It was used, and we had to drive to Everman and take it apart and haul it home. It took a full day to dismantle. Jim wanted to buy a used one to save a few bucks, but the time and work we put into moving it was worth twice what we'd have paid for a new one. As worn out as I was from moving it, my nightmares with that pool hadn't even really yet begun.

I started learning a few interesting banjo songs that I discovered on the B side of an old Steve Martin comedy tape. Restless, I rearranged the furniture in my room. It was a struggle to confine everything to one room after living in my own houses and apartments for so long. Somehow I managed. Rhonda's black Schnauzer was having problems, and had taken to peeing in the house - being too sick to go outside. The pet had ruined Rhonda's couch, and she had to finally get rid of it because of the smell. Gretchen had been the family dog prior to Rhonda's parents divorcing. After the family split up, Rhonda took the dog with her. That old dog was the last reminder that Rhonda had from her good old days back home before things fell apart. 

Things got worse with Gretchen. The vet gave us the news that the dog had developed a tumor on her rear end and needed surgery. The surgery went well and Gretchen came home to the new apartment, and new couch. Things at the house were heating up. Rich had a new girlfriend named Lor'ia. She was (I think) French, and had a heavy accent, and temper to match. Lor'ia was a real beauty, and had a voluptuous figure. I frequently crossed paths with her in the hallway late at night as she made her way from Rich's bedroom to the bathroom, and was always happy to see that she wasn't shy about going topless. Still, the racket that went on all night, every night, was keeping me from being able to sleep. It was becoming a real problem. 

Soon after Lor'ia started coming around, Rich's ex girlfriend, Tammy, called. I told her that Rich wasn't there, and she said she didn't want to talk to Rich. She wanted to talk to me! Tammy didn't realize how obvious it was that she was just essentially trying to get back at Rich by flirting with me. She'd been drinking and so it wasn't a very convincing job, or I might have taken her up on it. It wouldn't matter anyway because she never called again. That was the end of it. I was relieved because I might have just gotten myself in trouble with that one.

I spent the weekend from hell preparing the back yard so we could set up the pool. The other guys weren't in the mood to help, so it was up to me to level an area 30 feet long by 30 feet wide. It was the toughest job I'd ever taken on. It would've been much easier if I'd had the proper tools. I'd only leveled about one fourth of the area when I was ready to give up. It was hot. I was blistered from being in the sun. But I kept going. It had become a challenge, and I imagined how good it would feel once it was all set up and full of sparkling cool, clear water.

Completion of the pool would have to wait until after Labor Day. I had a series of "mascot" gigs lined up that would have me appearing on the Jerry Lewis Telethons in Waco and Austin. A businessman from Waco invited me to use his personal jet to travel back and forth from Waco to Austin - and back, for the appearances. I was the only passenger, and was allowed to sit in the cockpit in the co-pilot's seat. It was a real thrill that would stay with me for a long time to come. As a result, I would be a sucker for every home computer flight simulator program that hit the market after that. 

My brother Ray got partial upper dentures. Dad's chemo was going as well as could be expected. I had to do a Robot gig in Palestine, which was a very long drive. The gig required pulling a trailer the size of a porta-potty, and it put a strain on my car. Jim went to Ohio on business. Ricky's band was playing Savvy's for the week so I dropped by and sat in with them. Gina Hume was there. Rhonda's new apartment wasn't working out because the room mate was giving out keys to people that Rhonda didn't know. She ended up moving to a one-bedroom apartment alone.

Rhonda and I made plans to go to Disneyworld in October. It was going to be interesting to see if we would be able to stay together that long. I was in a perpetual bad mood, still trying to adjust to life after the music business. Rhonda was waiting to see if I was going to pull out of the funk. The idea of going to Disneyworld was exciting to us, and helped hold us together during that rough period. I did a Robot gig in Lake Worth, and afterwards went to visit friends Cliff and Carla Valentine. 

While eating dinner at On The Border one night, Jim and I heard a band playing at the club next door. Hearing the live music inspired me to want to start playing again. The pool was finally up and running, but for some reason we barely ever used it. The idea of having a pool was evidently more important than actually having one for real.  I opened my first checking account and wrote my very first check for groceries. Rich scratched his eye. Rick Miller's niece Trina announced that she was getting married. We had a party at the house and invited Rhonda's family. It was a backyard cookout, and the pool was sparkling clean and ready to go, but nobody got in. 

September passed, and it was looking as if Rhonda and I would make it to Orlando after all. We needed this trip to help us determine once and for all what was to come of our relationship. I was the only one around the house who was keeping the pool clean, so I decided to go on strike. If Rich and Jim didn't want to fool with it, I wasn't going to do all the maintenance on it alone. It didn't take more than a week or so for it to begin turning a nice green color. The pool had been a really bad idea. Jim bought a cover and we closed it up for the winter, not realizing the importance of making sure the water was clean and treated beforehand. We would be in for a big surprise come summer! The only water I was interested in seeing was the lake in the heart of EPCOT Center.  

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