TexASS

[Drunk Monk]

I'm quite ready to come home but my flight isn't until this evening and there's more competition today, including sparring and lion dance. I'm really tired. The heat is relentless. The jam packed venue makes everything even more exhausting. My roommate has been cool - Phillip Luk, an old Cantonese tai chi master out of bellaire, very polite. 

I was up late texting and channel surfing (roommate was out to dinner with his nephew) when one of my jnk called looking for a reference for his bondsman. Damn. He had a blow out on the way home from some trim work and the cops got there before aaa. Had a bag of trim (no big) and some l he forgot about (felony). Fuck. Can't really commiserate about that here in texASS with my martial family, so I post it here. Poor kid. He's in his 20s and has great potential, but this might land him in the joint.

[Drunk Monk]

My flight home was miserable.  I thought I might get some sleep.  But I got the lucky seat in front of the family with the two screaming toddlers.  Nearly four hours of screaming.  The mom was smacking them.  The kids were kicking the seats, running through the aisles, causing mayhem for everyone.  When we hit a bout of turbulence, I know everyone was thinking 'if only it would bounce those kids off the ceiling'.  

But that's just air travel nowadays. 

My parting thoughts on this year's DallASS trip follow:

Everywhere I went there was MMA on TV and guys with gun shirts, mostly rifle ranges/gun clubs and full-auto product endorsements, plus a few 'open carry' advocates.

Food sucks for vegetarians.  I wound up eating at a BBQ joint at one point - their veggie plate was three sides.  Actually, that was one of my better meals.

DFW is the most oppressive overblown airport in the world.  Hate. That. Place.

African Americans work a lot of subservient jobs like janitors, wait-staff, drivers.  When you say 'hi' or 'thank you', they are really grateful to be acknowledged, because so few bother with such simple courtesies.  

They perfume their AC in many hotels.  I think this is to cover up their general stink.  

Texans are really big and really fat.

[Drunk Monk]

ttt 8 years later

in prep for next week...

[Drunk Monk]

Rough flight
Got a wicked depressurization pain flying into phoenix. Never had one that sharp before. For a sec, I was worried I had a stroke but I seem to be functioning fine. It left me with a harsh headache.
For the last 40+ mins, a kid had a meltdown 2 rows up from me. He kept screaming ‘Mom! Get me out of here now! I hate you!’ So unpleasant. 
Landed in Houston but no ride from the promoter. Fortunately my disciple brother has a dental and will pick me up.
Head still hurts.

[Drunk Monk]

Long ass day. Bit of a kerfuffle with pick up (but Xinghao, one of my dearest and oldest Shaolin Monk friends came to my rescue). Hotel was also a kerfuffle but sort by Mario, an old Shaolin friend. Met with my master Decheng & my Shaolin brothers Dieter & Demitri, plus a lot of old Texas friends that I haven’t seen in years and have a difficult time remembering. Shaolin one family.

I have my own room. My body is still vibrating but I think I’ll be able to nod off soon.

[Drunk Monk]

A local martial artist came by just to visit with me which was cool but we aren’t that close really. He’s a little intense, but knowledgable. When I knew him before, he was a sushiya. Now he works for Pinkerton. He was packing. I didn’t even notice until he lifted his shirt. ‘This is Texas’ he said. I eventually pawned him off on another friend, a wushu bro who shares my birthday who is also a security guy (xpd). That guy is in a different hotel where there’s a cosplay burlesque con happening. Maybe I was at the wrong party.

[Greg]

Maybe I was at the wrong party.

Isn't that all of our lives?

[Drunk Monk]

Nah, I’m pretty good at getting into the right parties. However this is the 2nd cosplay burlesque I’ve missed this year so I’m thinking it’s just a personal issue right now that begs resolution.

[Drunk Monk]

Back in the hellscape that is George Bush airport. 

Boarding in 20….

Can hardly wait.

---

boarded

YAY

Twas a good adventure except for the TexASS part.

[Drunk Monk]

Once more I have survived texASS

So good to be back in Cali.

Now I must just get over hwy17 to be home.