Dude From Texas

    So I'm at Izzy [Lake Isabella, CA], hanging out on Saturday morning talking to some dude, and this silver Mustang GT with Texas tags pulls up with a boat trailer loaded 6 feet high with equipment (must be one of them champion sailor fellas with all that stuff). My first thought is... this guy's all dialed in. He's found a solution to having a cool car and windsurfing. The first things unloaded from the stang are, in order,

    A twelve pack of Coors Light (which makes perfect sense in the connection to the Texas plates), of which the first is popped open immediately.

    A battery with an AC converter for a boom box, which quickly powers up the tunes.

    After shooting the shit for a while, he gives me a Neil Pryde quiver bag that he was going to throw away, and won't take any money for it. At that point I ask what his name is. Then it all makes sense. I recall seeing his name on some emails from Chris last year, wondering "Who is the dude Chris thinks is worthy of the Haul Ass Hotline?"
    But you guys TOTALLY failed to convey to me the importance of Manny in our troup. I had no idea we had a white trash, Coors Light drinking, Mustang driving, ass-kicking sailor from Texas in our group. He's fully dialed with all of our little routines: Beer and chips after sailing, Pizza Factory, ice cream after the pizza, laying out all the reading material at BK, cussing, getting drunk, etc., etc.
    We had a great time even though the wind wasn't stellar. We even went up to Kernville to a scary local bar to have a beer after dinner. Many good laughs anyhow.

-John

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