Good morning, Gary

Gary Floyd modeling with his new Dicks From TX and friends cd's

This morning, I woke up to see this wonderful picture and endorsement from Gary Floyd. Like a lot of other people, I love Gary Floyd and for a lot of reasons. He is kind and thoughtful and also, sassy and funny. He wrote those wonderful Dicks songs and lots of others. Sometimes when I'm feeling scared, I can call Gary and feel better almost immediately.

When I write a lot of my writings, I write like I'm sitting here talking to Gary. It goes way back. Back to when I first met Gary at this dump we worked at called Rumour Hazzit..I always have to spell it, just because it was such a D.U.M.P. They had everything on the menu. I remember Biscuit when he used to cook at the Tavern on Lamar and was apalled at having to fry everything in the same old black-brown rancid grease every day..fish, french fries, everything went in there.

That's how Rumour Hazzit was. I was the bartender, or beer tender, because they didn't even have a liquor license. Gary was the night cook between midnight and four a.m. He'd come in solid drunk from prowling the bars and then falling asleep and having to be pried off the bed by his roommate, Toby Mauldin. Toby would come in with Gary and stand there at the bar and drink. We'd all drink. I even gave beer to the street people who lived on the drag. We were probably rotten employees.

That place had ham, eggs, pizza, enchiladas, hamburgers, everything you could imagine on the menu. They kept closing down and re-opening. Barry Gavin was our manager. When the checks started bouncing, we had to start going farther and farther out to find H.E.B.'s that would cash our paychecks. Finally, Barry, who had a set of brass knuckles was the only one who got paid. He went out to the chicken hawk who owned the place and sold double-wides out north and got his money. After that, we were all out of a job.

Martha and I went to work at Matt's El Rancho #3, a franchise across the street from the Cotillion. Gary went to work at Sebastian's right off campus. I think Barry went to work at Raul's and we all remained close friends all these many years. A couple of years ago, I got ahold of Barry's number and called him. It was like we'd just seen each other the day before. I guess that's was a real friend is, somebody who you don't see for many years and can pick up with, just like that. That's what kind of friend Gary Floyd is.