Sunset On My First Month

Today was one of those free work days where I had the luxury of drifting from task to task. My list was so long that I was able to choose each chore as my mood struck. Only the IRS and the necessity of getting our quarterly payroll report postmarked before the post office closed at 3 brought me out of this lovely haze for a brief hour. It's a good thing, too, as  the computer I inherited in the Padre's office will rush for no one. Instead of getting frustrated, I used it as an opportunity to hone my zen-master skills. 

As the day drew to an end, I headed out to Holly's to check on her kitten. She left for Austin this morning, and we are trading cat-sitting gigs this week. The timing worked out perfectly; we will actually pass each other on I-10 sometime Thursday afternoon. Since the sun was going down, I grabbed my camera, hoping for a pretty sunset. It is so dreamy on this edge of Marfa, and as I passed the cemetery that runs along the road to her house, I imagined the lucky souls lying there only having to rise as far as the surface of the ground to be in heaven. 

Driving back into town, I fully expected to have some difficulty parking in my usual places right next to my house or the bar, and it would have been ironic as I had just boasted about the lack of parking issues in my last blog. Ballroom Marfa was hosting a concert at the Crowley Theater which is just a block over from my house, basically across the street from Padre's. Even though the show had begun by this time, I had my choice of parking spaces. Where were all of the cars? One of those mysteries of Marfa. I quickly changed from my cut-offs to a little dress and headed over to see the Dirty Projectors. It was nice to buy a glass of wine from two of our regular Padre's customers; their turn to play bar. 

I enjoyed the show, and for the first half tried to think how I would describe the Dirty Projectors' sound in words. Imagine six people playing their instruments as if they couldn't hear what the others were doing. It might not seem like such a good thing, but  the angelic vocals of the three women in the band transcended the music. In one song, in fact, all three clapped a different rhythm while singing in unison. I couldn't really imagine listening to their music without being able to see them. We were lucky. I spent the second half of the show wondering what I would eat if I could have anything I wanted, knowing that I couldn't get anything I wanted at this hour in Marfa. 
I came home and settled for carrots and hummus. 

Running on Empty

I was just thinking about some of the little differences I've experienced since living in Marfa. One is the fact that I have driven my car for three days with the gas tank on empty. Just about everything having to do with my car has changed in a positive way: no looking for parking, no driving in traffic, no visiting the gas station once or twice a week. In Austin, I easily spent an hour a day getting from one place to another, and that was with living only four miles from work. Now I spend that time at work. 


For the past week I've worked non-stop, and very intensely at times. The first annual Viva Big Bend music festival ended last night with Paul's band, the Texas Tycoons, closing out the events at Padre's. From where I stood - literally -  the festival was a huge success. The bands were great, and our stock of just about everything is pretty well depleted. It's a high note to finish out my first month on, and I am so ready for a break. Running on empty doesn't begin to describe how I feel. Between the workers remodeling the house we're staying in and the cats howling to go out as soon as the sun comes up, I haven't had more than six hours of sleep a night all week. I've rotated out my three pairs of work shoes to keep my feet from hurting in the same way at the end of each day. Even now that the festival is over, I believe the only way I'm going to tear myself away from working every single day is to get out of town, and that is just what I'm doing this weekend. 


I had planned this trip back to Austin before the move, and now I have the best reason ever to go. My boy is injured and I want to be with him. A few days before his accident, I called him to make sure he was going to set aside some time from his busy work schedule to spend with me on this visit. Now that he is bedridden for weeks, that won't be an issue. My son is one of the most graceful, athletic people I know, but because he spends so much time on his bike (and skateboards in the past), I guess the odds are just against him when it comes to keeping all his bones intact. This is his third break, and the worst in that it has rendered him immobile. I'm feeling the miles of distance more than ever, but am grateful that he's got others there who love and take care of him. 


Lying in bed for a week sounds pretty good to my weary bones and muscles. It is Monday, and we should be opening shortly, but I will not do it by myself today..I declare that Padre's needs a rest just like me. I've swept up the hay that covered the dance floor after the Hickoids' great performance last night, and will now cross the street back home. It's a beautiful day here in Marfa, and I'm going to get outside and enjoy it. 

We're News

Yesterday afternoon a reporter from the Big Bend Sentinel came into Padre's while I was working the bar. He said he's doing a story on us. I said, 'Oh a story on Padre's for the Viva Big Bend Festival?' "No,' he said, 'I'm doing a story on YOU.'

This is what comes of living in a small town: we are news. People want to know how we came to be here and what our plans are for the place. After talking to multitudes of folks about it and writing almost daily, it was easy to put into words what drew us to Padre's and what we're doing. Paul mentioned my blog, which I had just renamed 'The Marfan Chronicles' that morning, and I was happy that the reporter seemed to be envious of the title.

While working the bar this Sunday and Monday, I noticed a phenomenon that is probably common knowledge to others who've worked in and frequented bars, but was something of a revelation to me. People who sit at the bar want to talk. At Padre's, they are the travelers and they all have stories. There was the German man who had just dropped his son off at camp in Ft. Davis. He told of getting stopped by a state trooper and asking the officer if he knew how lucky he was to have grown up in America. The German loved our country, especially West Texas, and was delighted to find chocolate from his village back home at The Get Go. Score one for Marfa! There was the truck driver from New Orleans who, with his minion who popped in once for some grub to take back to the truck, was stopping for the night. He stayed til close, buying Bud Light after Bud Light, and presented me with a fresh ten or twenty each time. He had a prophet-like quality about him, a sage of the road, and had great insight in running a bar. I listened carefully as he gave me valuable pointers such as, don't use glass ashtrays because they can be used as weapons!

I am finding that I have some stories, too, and it's been fun sharing them with my captive audience.

Dance Party, Marfa-Style

Ballroom Marfa, the non-profit organization that brings art in all it's forms to Marfa, hosted a summer camp for kids this week. Because the Chinati Foundation provides free art classes for school-aged children in the summer, Ballroom decided to focus on another form of expression: they taught the kids how to DJ. We saw several of the campers on a daily basis at Padre's for fries and RC Cola, so when we heard the music from the end-of-camp performances pumping at the Capri early yesterday evening, Paul and I walked over to check it out.  

I love how the poster says 'the entire community is welcome'. It was such a joyful celebration, and we couldn't resist joining in. Dancing is very bonding, and I felt like I was also celebrating my three weeks in Marfa and the strong sense of community I feel already. 


Afterwards, we headed to Padre's where the Moondogs were getting ready to play. They are an established band from Marfa, five men and women in their late 50's and early 60's. The Moondogs take their music seriously, but play shows just for fun. I knew that they focused on 60's music such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones, but was completely impressed with their song choices. Some stand-outs were 'Paint it Black', not the typical Stones cover, and 'Things We Said Today', one of my favorite Beatles songs. Not every cover band would attempt The Who's version of 'Summertime Blues', but they nailed it. What impressed me equally were the dancers. Older couples danced in that way that people who've been married for years and years do; they seemed to have their own steps but followed right along with each other. They danced to everything from the Yardbirds to the Doors. I was mesmerized by a couple who must have been close to 70. The man had so much style and his wife was right there with him, song after song. I asked the lady working door for the band if she knew him. 'Oh, that's the mayor!', she said. 
That's it, guys. I think I've found my happy place. 

No Car, No Problem

My car has been parked since returning from Alpine Tuesday. It rained on the drive back, and I didn't notice that my lights had been left on until several hours later. I haven't bothered to find a jump; I'm perfectly happy without it for the time being. 

I have walked to the post office, the thrift store, the Get Go, and back to the thrift store because they were closed the first time. I even walked to the Pueblo Market today to replenish our stock of hamburger buns. No biggie, it's only four blocks away, and those buns are pretty light. Last night I walked over to Holly's house to visit her and the kitten. She adopted him earlier than she intended, which turned out to be a great thing for everyone involved. Little Sherbet, as she calls him, is getting healthy and was happily batting little balls of crumpled up paper around the room while we talked. Holly said he likes to sleep in her hair, making biscuits 'til he nods off. Abandoned kitties are always the most grateful, and therefore the sweetest. 

Holly's current abode is a cute little adobe vacation-rental cottage, but she is about to move to an amazing space on the west edge of town. We grabbed a couple of Tecates and headed over there before going to dinner. Her new casita is just a little smaller than my house in Austin, but is one big room. This has always been my ideal living space, and with her background in design I know she's going to make it fabulous. Her new landlady is away in New York for a couple of months, and apparently has an unnatural interest in birds. Large cages can be seen through every window of the main house which have held everything from songbirds to vultures. Lucky for Holly, the only birds that remain are the chickens, the fantastic chickens. There is every size, color, and pattern of chicken in the roomy coop, and they run freely around the grassy backyard. I only wish I had brought my camera, as the sight of 100 chickens in every variety running at you is something that must be shared! After snatching some of the beautiful, mulitcolored eggs, we watched the sunset with no sign of man between us and the horizon. 

We checked out the menu at Cochineal, but decided that Mando's better suited our mood this time. Both of us got the chile relleno burrito, and they were good. We swung by Padre's for a final drink before calling it a night, and found Norman and his family in search of some ice box pie. I had just about given up on the idea of selling pie in a bar, but they renewed my hope! I pulled out a whole lemon pie left from last week and gave it to them with a can of whipped cream to take home. Early this morning, I stole into the kitchen to make one more recipe: Paul's Mom's Grasshopper Pie. I will not desert you pie, not yet. 

A Good Day

Today was my favorite kind of day - no schedule and nothing that had to be done by a particular time. Pure bliss. Work blended with pleasure; they are becoming the same thing. 


My work errands took me to Alpine, although when I was about ten miles out of Marfa I realized that it didn't make a lot of sense to do the drive today for the two things on my list. But the scenery was beautiful, and I rationalized that my car needed to be driven for more than a mile (I think I heard that on Car Talk), so I decided to take my time and see where my nose led me.  On the way into town I passed the Bikeman's shop and circled back around the block to check it out. I was told by Holly to take my bike to him for the Marfa treatment which includes thorn-resistant tubes and a layer of special goo beneath the tires. He was pleased to meet me since I'm 'over 22' in his words. That's putting it kindly. 


I explored some other shops along the main street and was walking past one that seemed a bit touristy with it's metal winged pigs out front when it started raining. As a whole, the shop did seem to be a haven for visitors, but the items were a bit more pricey and carefully selected. I was directed by the nice shop owner to the clothes boutique in the back, and the sale rack where I found the West Texas desert dress of my dreams in my size. As I was checking out, she explained that it was brought from Italy by a friend of hers. Of course it was, I said, it's perfect. Not to be morbid, but if anything should happen to me, I want to be buried in this dress. 

When I have no social plans (which is most of the time) I think I prefer to work in the early evening. The Padre's office is between the main bar room and outside patio, and the building stream of activity at this time of day is comforting. I was called on to help some kids retrieve the balls from our vintage Dallas Tornado foosball table. Luckily the boys knew that, once unlocked, the whole top lifts up on hinges. The parents didn't seem at all concerned that I  was holding this very heavy table above their child's head while he fished around for the stuck balls. People are more trusting out here, and it's funny how at first that feels odd and unnatural. 

Bikes are left unlocked and thefts are practically unheard of. So much so that the city council voted to do away with the Marfa Police Department several years ago. But don't think you won't get a speeding ticket! The highway patrol was on my tail as I was heading out of Marfa today. I was unaware of the speed limit and unaware of the officer behind me; I was going slow just to be safe. Imagine my surprise when he suddenly sped up, passed me, then turned back in my direction with his lights on! A good day, for sure. 

End of Week Two

My grueling two day experiment in which Padre's was open on Sunday and Monday is over and we now know that there is enough demand to keep it going...with some help from the staff! I opened, worked, and closed both bar and kitchen with Paul playing lookout and bus boy. On Sunday, we posted on facebook that we needed a dvd player, and within a couple of hours one was delivered and purchased with a twenty from the register. It turns out that the main room converts very nicely to a movie theater, and we had several groups of people join us for our impromptu screening of 'Desperado'. If anyone knows where I can get my hands on the neon sign from the bar in that first scene, let me know! 

Another huge item was checked off our list when Paul learned how to program the jukeboxes to play continuously, which is not nearly as simple as it sounds. We can now enjoy hearing great songs whose numbers are not normally selected, instead of having to endure 'Right Down the Line' by Gerry Rafferty and 'Luckenbach, Texas' by Waylon Jennings 10 times a day. They are both GREAT songs, don't get me wrong, but I was starting to hear them in my dreams.  We opted for vinyl again on Monday night, and it felt like a positive sign when one of the handful of customers asked if we had any Thin Lizzy. Why, yes, we do!


As it pours rain today in Marfa, I am grateful that the casita is clean and the power is still on so I can sip my coffee and write. I'm also thankful that my sheets are in the dryer instead of on the line. Someone up there likes me. I'm doing my wash in the Padre's washer today, and as I creak through the quiet building, I hope Penskie, the cook who is prepping chili and red beans for the week, doesn't mistake me for a ghost. A customer at the bar last night told of 'seeing' her dead relatives at Padre's, but she later explained that she wasn't seeing ghosts, she just liked to imagine them there. What reason would a spirit have to haunt a funeral home, after all? (as I typed that line, the bells from St. Mary's began playing a very somber tune for today's 6 o'clock serenade-spooky)  

Paul is headed back to Austin for a few days, but I've still got a couple of weeks before my first journey back. I expect we will each have feelings associated with these visits that will help shape our futures. At this moment, it is easier to imagine staying in Marfa than going back to my old life in Austin, but how all of the people in my life fit into that plan is the bigger question. 

Kitten, Limes, Adam Bork, and the Door

I was awoken at 8am from a dream in which I was having an intelligent conversation with Brad Pitt by the sound of men hauling off the piles of debris in our backyard, and I didn't even mind. No one believed that we could find someone to do this work one day, and have it finished the next. If you want something done quickly, efficiently, and WELL in Marfa, Faron is your man. He and his crew took about 5 trailer loads of boards, ceiling tiles, insulation, doors, windows, and COUCHES in about 2 hours, and left the yard spotless. The moment they drove off with the last load I let the cats out into the yard. Within 30 minutes, the smallest little kitten appeared and desperately wanted to make friends with them. She wanted nothing to do with me, but was hungry for the comfort of a mama cat or the closest substitute she could find. Neither of my cats were willing to play this role. I will give them the benefit of a doubt since they themselves were just establishing themselves in the yard, and not jump to the conclusion that they are stone-cold bithces. I, on the other hand, desperately wanted to comfort the kitten, and even sat in one place for 5 minutes meowing in response to it's constant cries while it circled me, but each time I reached my arm out to grab it, it turned tail and ran. 

Meanwhile back at Padre's, the prickly pear margarita we've had since Thursday has been a huge hit. It's bright pink color draws a lot of attention, and it's been hard to keep up with the demand. So much so that we've blown through over a case of limes in less than a week, and I made two trips to the Pueblo Market yesterday for more. We use fresh-squeezed lime juice in all of our margaritas, and this is another par that I need to up! 

Before heading to the bar for sound-check, Paul and I walked over to the Marfa Book Company for the opening of Adam Bork's video installation. He is the mastermind behind Food Shark and the late night grilled cheese parlor in his Museum of Vintage Electronics. A collector of cool old cars and 8-track tapes, Adam is at the top of my list of people that make Marfa the very special place that it is.  I ran into Holly at the opening, who said she would love to take the kitten off our hands when she moves into her new place in a couple of weeks. A cute little kitten seems like a much better trade-off than a yard full of dangerous debris, but I'm sure these next two weeks will be as grueling for my cats as their first two. 


Back at Padre's, I worked the door for Slowtrain and Jason Blum, and had a good time greeting people as they came in. A woman in a group stopping by for a beer after the play at the Crowley Theater proclaimed that she hadn't been in the building since she buried her husband! In it's most recent past life, Padre's was a funeral home, and I've heard that there are some people in town who refuse to patronize it due to superstition. She was not one of these people, and said she liked what had been done with the place. 


We ended our evening with delicious gourmet grilled cheese at Adam's, my first since moving here two weeks ago. Late night grilled cheese kind of sums up the Marfa philosophy: you can't get it all of the time, and that's what makes it special. 

Our First Rock Show

Last night Austin rock duo Not In The Face! graced our stage, and we couldn't have been happier with the turn-out and response. They sounded amazing in the room and put on a very energetic, crowd-pleasing show. I was busy behind the bar for a few hours slinging drinks, and enjoyed watching both the band and their audience. Paul and I hope this sets the tone for more great shows to come! Working behind the bar isn't all fun and glamour, and while others went out to continue the party (as we close at midnight on Fridays), I got trained in shutting down Padre's from our pro, Yvonne. It was all good, though, and I just wish every night could be exactly like this one. 

Days are feeling less like work as a lot of the harder jobs involved in getting the bar in order are being accomplished. Yesterday afternoon as I strolled around taking pictures while waiting for my laundry, I really got the sensation that I was on one big vacation. Even though I'm working hard, I'm doing what I want to be doing, and isn't that the goal in life? Doing laundry is a sure sign that you aren't just passing through, and when a big group of teenagers from a summer camp pulled into the coffee shop next door to the laundromat for ice cream, I was asked, 'what is there to see in town?' They had just come from a Chinati tour, and since they had eaten and were too young to drink, I directed them towards the galleries on the main street one block away. I wanted to say that they could just wander around and find things (like the amazing building pictured above which we just stumbled upon the other day), but this charm of Marfa is hard to put into words. I guess that's why so many photographers love it here - google it and see what I mean. Here is one of my favorites images from local artist Leslie Brown, who had her opening at the Hotel Paisano earlier in the evening. I love Leslie's stuff and had even purchased some of her pictures from the Railroad Revival Tour show in Marfa before we met. Small world, small town. 

I am a Bartender

I was only planning on helping out last night behind the bar. I envisioned jumping in to make a few drinks ONLY when I felt comfortable with the order while trying to stay out of Leslie's way. It turned out that two bartenders were really needed several times during the night, and like the first day I cooked, my comfort level was established pretty quickly out of necessity. I was able to make every drink that was ordered from Long Island Iced Tea to tequila shots, and thanks to all of the practice making margaritas at our farewell party, I looked like a pro with the shaker. My biggest challenge is actually reading credit cards and buttons on the register in the dim lighting without pulling out my glasses like a grandma, so I will have to work out some 'modifications'. Working behind a bar is a great way to meet people. I shook many hands and had many names pass through one ear and out the other. A few stuck, and like everything else I'm learning, more are sticking every day.  


We debuted french fries and fried pickle chips yesterday, and both were huge hits! Overall food sales are higher than normal...who knew fries would be so revolutionary? An emergency order is coming in tomorrow, which, with any luck, will keep us stocked through the weekend. I feel like I have created a monster, and now must work to keep it fed. 


Last night was a fun one at the bar with local creative force Tavahn playing tunes by candlelight on the back patio. This was something new for Padre's, and the response was positive. Nikki, the lovely and sweet music coordinator of Ballroom Marfa, texted Paul today to say the word on the street is that we are doing good stuff; 'way to rock it!' she said.  


Marfa is feeling more like home every day - hard to believe that I've only been here for 11 days. The traffic, crowds, and stress of Austin are fading away like a dream I had last week. The only thing I've missed so far besides my boy is going to the movies, of all things. There is definitely enough to keep one busy when one isn't working behind a bar or grill, though. Tonight Paul and I are heading over to The Lost Horse, run by Marfa's own Marlboro Man, Ty. A couple who stood in line behind us at the Food Shark yesterday noticed the flyer for Padre's events that Paul was holding, and won us over with their enthusiasm for everything on our calendar. We're going to see them play while we enjoy some $1 beers. Giddy-up!

You Want Fries with that Shake?

Well, we don't have shakes but we DO now have fries at Padre's! Fried pickle chips, too. We've been closed for the past few days, but Paul and I have been hard at work. I've organized & taken stock of our food while Paul has worked wonders with our stage, backstage, and sound equipment. There's lots of music coming this week and we can't wait. Tomorrow local record collector, musician, and all-around great guy Tavahn will spin some tunes, and this weekend we'll host two bands of friends from Austin: Not in the Face & Slow Train. We just need to get my old blue Christmas lights hung on the patio and we'll be set! 


Not much has happened lately besides work, so there isn't much to tell. We grabbed a beer at our neighbor bar, Planet Marfa, Sunday night and met some nice people from Ft. Davis who work at a bistro in the local hotel there. Paul sat in on the open mic and played Lost Highway and a Stones tune with Jon the owner of Planet Marfa sitting in on harmonica. Jon told us stories of Sister Marge, who he lovingly calls Sister Sarge, from St. Mary's, the mission style Catholic church (pictured above) next door to his cantina, and of recently running into an old friend from his college days (in the 60's) named Daddio. Or is that Daddy-O? Sooner or later, everyone comes to Marfa, and if you run the local bar you've got a good chance of bumping into them. That's my hope, at least. 


Tonight Paul and I are getting cleaned up and are headed to Ft. Davis for dinner at the bistro, and then to the Star Party at McDonald Observatory. Of all of the times I've visited Marfa, this will be my first time at the observatory, and I'm ready to be amazed. 

Paul is Here

There are two special people in Marfa this weekend: mega-millionaire, pop star Beyonce, and Paul. I have not seen Beyonce yet myself, primarily because she has not been to Padre's and I haven't been anywhere else. I had heard that she was spotted at both of the two very nice restaurants in town, so I had Paul take me to Maiya's the evening he arrived. Maiya's has been closed every time I've been to Marfa in the past, and it was great to finally experience it. I had an amazing vegetable plate that balanced out the cheeseburgers and tuna melts of recent days. We later learned that Beyonce opted for Marfa's gourmet grilled cheese parlor Friday night which is right next door to our casita. 

I'm sure Beyonce would have had a good time if she had crossed the street over to Padres after her grilled cheese. In order to test out the sound system, Paul hooked up my turntable and we pulled out some great albums to share. Some people came up to flip through records and were excited to see particular ones that had special meaning to them. We are encouraged about having some sort of record party be a regular weekly event as an alternative to the jukebox on band-less nights. 

Saturday night we had our first big show: Grupo Exito, a local Tejano band was requested for Marfa High School's 20 year class reunion. Of course, the graduating class of '92 consisted of less than 30 people (and they couldn't all make it) so this show was open to the public and drew a decent crowd. I felt a little sheepish for proclaiming to the reunion organizers that Paul would make the band sound great  - no one could make this band sound great - but, they were fun and everyone had a good time. There was a steady flow at the bar, lots of dancing, and only one guy had to be kicked out. I was grateful to have Junie behind the bar tonight: it was only his second shift and he was a natural. Yvonne and I were convinced that the lack of 'trouble' from the crowd was due in large part to his large presence behind the bar. With Junie training, there was no room for me to learn behind the bar tonight, but I did bar back when needed and I made my first drink for a customer: a vodka tonic. Paul and I were beaming all night; this is definitely a dream come true for us and we couldn't think of anywhere else we would rather have been. 

Padre's is closed for the next 3 days according to the old schedule, and we will get down to some serious business during this off-time, as well as have some time to expand our fun beyond this one block of Marfa. Maybe we'll catch Beyonce at the taco stand on her way out of town today. 

A Rainy Day in Marfa

Here is proof: it has been raining in Marfa. 
Tex Toler posted this picture on facebook this evening, and if you look closely you can see the reflection of the longhorns on the front of that iconic car in the puddle below. 


I experienced a small miracle this morning as I was getting ready to drive to the Verizon store in Alpine in the rain to get my new phone checked out. It hadn't been working since Tuesday, and something compelled me to give it just ONE MORE TRY before setting out. You guessed it: came right on. A coworker commented, 'that happens here,' as if Marfa were some sort of Bermuda Triangle of unexplained phenomena. 


The time saved really meant nothing to me, as time itself has lost all meaning. I just grabbed my coffee and huddled for most of the day in the newly-cleaned-out Padre's office. I tackled some big tasks such as projecting our cash flow - big, because it included side tasks like creating a spreadsheet to  calculate sales & mixed beverage taxes, and researching payroll data to figure out how far behind in those taxes we are. This is what I've been dying to get to for the past several weeks, and it took being in Marfa and getting the 2 foot pile (no exaggeration) of papers on David's desk in order. It's what I do and I like it. Some of you will understand, most will not. I keep seeing little areas for improvement, and that is encouraging. 


I worked with the office door open all day and went from jeans, boots, and a sweater this morning, to shorts and flip-flops this afternoon. It was fun watching group after group of tourists walk up and find their way in (making our front entrance more obvious from the busy street is an immediate priority). I had no trouble focusing over the laughter and music from the game room jukebox. The other day I was told that people from Marfa are loud, and I could easily distinguish the locals from the visitors by the level of their conversation. I am in love with all of our customers right now, and want nothing more than to make them happy. 


I tried to resist eating any Padre's food today - spending the day in the kitchen yesterday took something out of me - but as Yvonne, the head bartender, and I were looking over the menu discussing what, if anything, could be left off, I had a strong hankering for a tuna melt. You know that saying about how a sandwich tastes better if someone else makes it? Maybe that should be our motto. 

Today, I Cooked.

Today was David Beebe's last day; he is pictured above in the Padre's kitchen. I found this picture in a 3 year old online article in the Austin Chronicle about food in Marfa. This was me today. 


I have officially taken David's place, and that means that when there is no cook to work the evening shift, I am the cook. OR we tell everyone that the ktichen is closed, but I wasn't about to have that happen on my first day. So, I cooked. It wasn't very busy, but orders were pretty constant and all over the menu. There were only about 3 items that I didn't want to attempt, but I made lots of burgers, patty melts, and even a tuna melt for a very satisfied customer. Liz Lambert herself called in an order of patty melts, and I threw in a piece of peanut butter cup ice box pie for being my inspiration. I'm sure finding it in her bag raised more than one question in her mind!


Being here is giving me a feeling of happiness that is hard to put into words. I stepped outside the kitchen door a couple of times this evening between orders to feel the cool air, watch the sky change colors, and hear nothing. Padre's is across the street from an old feed mill which is very lovely viewed against the evening sky, especially when there's a train passing on the tracks behind it. This means the train is close to my house, but it is surprisingly unobtrusive. I've always loved the sound of passing trains, and hearing it makes me feel at home. I think the cats like it too. 


The full moon is making me pine for my honey who will be here very soon, and making the cats feel more strongly than ever that they need to be outside. Buttercup talked me into letting her out when I got home late tonight, and I can tell you that won't be happening again very soon. She went all around the perimeter of the yard and even crossed over to Padre's. I guess she's been watching me headed that way all day long and wanted to see what it was all about. Even though the moon is bright, many stars are visible. I realized that there hasn't been a clear night since I've been here. Will I ever get used to seeing the stars night after night? We will see. 

Day TWO

It's funny how today felt very relaxed, yet I got so much done. I've been spoiled with the bar being closed for the past couple of days allowing me to move around furniture and deep clean without distraction. Today I focused on the main room, and am very pleased with the progress so far. Just arranging tables and shining up liquor bottles makes a huge difference; it just FEELS so much better in the room and is a much more inviting place to eat. 

What will make it even more inviting are the pies I made tonight. I felt like a thief in the night, whipping up four ice box pies and carefully removing all traces of the completely unhealthy, white trash ingredients I used. That will be our little secret for as long as possible. Tomorrow's flavors: Summer Lime & Peanut Butter Cup. Seriously, how can the staff at Padres not love me? All I've done so far is clean and make pie. 

Being in Marfa is like living in a really great neighborhood where you can walk anywhere you want to go. You've got the best food trailer, pizza place, coffee shop, bar, etc, all within blocks of your home. Except the neighborhood is the whole TOWN. My car has remained parked except for a fruitless trip to Alpine (25 miles away) today to change signature cards at the bank. I made the most of it by stopping at the grocery store and getting some ingredients for pies and sandwiches. After getting home and realizing that I needed one more cup of cream, I was overjoyed to discover a comparable market right here in Marfa. We've also got a post office, and it was there that I felt the only stress I've had since driving with the cats. Oh, USPS! Why must you be so predictable?

Living across the street from work has been nice and I hope that doesn't change once the bar is open for business. I rationalize by thinking that when it is busy (and potentially loud), I will be there working. I feel very comfortable in the building now, and am really looking forward to seeing some action tomorrow. I'm even more excited for Friday night when Paul arrives and we have our first band. Posters arrived today for the first new band that Paul booked, a rocking duo from Austin we both like called Not in the Face. I hung them up and it feels like home. 

In other news, Buttercup took her first steps out into the backyard this morning while I sipped on my coffee. I had to catch her before she climbed all over the piles of fiberglass insulation strewn about. She ventured out a couple more times, getting bolder and going further each time. I've spotted a couple of small dogs that seem to roam freely in the morning and late evening. Butters spotted them too. We heard a few firecrackers tonight, and she is happy to just curl up on my bed in the end. 

Day One, the rest

Today was filled with satisfying work. To me, that means taking a mess and making it beautiful. I accomplished this both with the merchandise display in the entryway at Padres, and on the large patio where I spent a good hour picking up each and every cigarette butt, drink straw, and miscellaneous piece of trash. To reward myself for the grunt work, I finished by arranging all of the patio furniture in smart little groups. Yep, I'm a Virgo alright! A very strong wind blew big dark clouds all around while I was working, but somehow it hasn't rained.
The sky is probably the thing that I love the most about Marfa; the sky at night with it's incredibly big, bright stars, and the dramatic displays of billowy clouds on bright blue in the day. Being 100's of miles from any civilization of note has its advantages. No lights or skyscrapers  to keep the sky from us.

After working on the merch display and meeting with David the outgoing Padres manager to go over payroll, I walked over to The Get Go for some provisions. I was hoping to run into Kim's friend Luann, but she was off today. Instead I met a nice girl named Marcy who said she just got a job at El Cosmico-lucky! I'm back to my healthy habits, definitely no over-eating going on here, but that may change once the grill is fired up at Padres on Wednesday. They are currently closed Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, and I feel more strongly than ever that this should change. Many people have called or come by hoping for one of their great burgers, and there's nothing to be gained by disappointing them anymore.

I may venture out to Planet Marfa, the bar across the street from Padres, tonight. The only human interactions I've had all day besides saying hello to a few passers-by have been with David and Marcy. Somehow, I'm OK with that, but also feel that this is my chance to get to know some locals.


(disclaimer: I lifted the pictures here from the internet as I can't get pix from my camera yet)

Day One, morning

The kitties and I pulled into Marfa yesterday evening around 6:15, just 45 min over the 6 1/2 hr drive time that we quote the many friends who ask. Not bad considering my unhappy passengers! The drive was beautiful, as it had just rained in most of the area and things were nice & green. I passed a huge field of giant sunflowers somewhere around Fredericksburg that made me think of Paul and the fields he described from his trip to France. It was raining in Austin that morning, and I spent most of the drive turning on & off windshield wipers, taking on & off sunglasses, and turning on & off the A/C to give my car a break on the hills. We stopped only for gas (Ozone per Paul's recommendation) and for restroom and stretching breaks (Junction & Fort Stockton), if you don't count the couple of times I had to stop to restrain Baby in the first 10 miles. Let's just say that if I had kept with the plan to 'test drive' them around town to see if the long road-trip would work, I probably would not have brought the cats. I decided, instead, to just go for it, not wanting to know if it would be smart or not, as is my style! It turned out to be just fine, and 6 hours after our arrival, they came out from hiding and are actually eating, drinking, and purring (well, Baby is purring; Butters isn't growling). 

I got to work immediately on setting up the casita. I was warned that it would be 'dusty' and a bit of a mess. Within a few hours I had it mostly dust-free and set up with things from my bedroom at home to make it feel more cozy. I brought my portable turntable for music, and in the last minutes before leaving Austin had to choose just a few albums to keep me entertained in this first week before Paul arrives. I chose Cat Stevens, George Harrison, and 'The Harder They Come' to be the soundtrack for my first days here. The familiar music seemed to comfort the cats, and they began to venture out from under the bed to the soothing reggae. The wireless internet from Padres reaches across the street to the casita, and we all enjoyed our ritual South Park episode from Netflix at bedtime. 

The air feels amazing on this first morning. I've got the sliding glass door open and there's a nice breeze blowing. The backyard is too messy and dangerous for the cats, but they aren't quite ready to venture out yet. Butters is enjoying looking at her potential new territory through the safety of the screen, while Baby has figured out how to get in my underwear drawer from under the dresser. Bad kitty! I had to borrow a glass pan from Padres to heat water in the microwave this morning, so think I can do without the electric kettle I didn't have time to buy. My coffee tastes good here-I think I'm going to like it