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The Night Before Thanksgiving Part XI (11) written 11/22/23.

On a dark desert highway.... no wait that Henley & the Eagles. Busted Flat in Baton Rouge... Sorry Kristofferson(RIP), I'm not in Louisiana. Just type dumbass, there we go. That works.

This is the twelfth night I've sat down and slapped at the keys on the night before Thanksgiving. I haven't been tumbling much. I've opened and scrolled here and there, but I think this is my 2nd post of the year. Probably less than 10 since I sat here last year.

On the way home earlier, Tom Petty's Free Fallin' came on and it made me smile, then it made me sad. I miss ole Thomas Earl. I am thankful that his family, wife/daughters/Heartbreakers have continued to unearth and release music. There is that, and it's better than anything else being played today.

When I was a teenager, the night before Thanksgiving usually meant a trip to Pizza Hut. Later on when it was usually just my brother and myself, it was Chinese Buffet. I miss both of those too. Yeah, I could have either, but neither would be exactly the same. Kinda like snow days as a kid were king, and now they are just another pain in the ass.

I've mentioned before in this collection of whatever you want to call it, how one of my traditions was to read Ron Green Sr. Mr. Green passed away earlier this year and he had retired from even that column a few years ago. Scott Fowler has offered his version a time or two. It's not the same, but I've still read it.

Maybe one of these days I'll copy all of these into word and save it as a PDF so it's easier to read straight through. Not that anybody has ever done that.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Well, most everyone.

Versions 1-11 can be found here:

Versions 1-11 can be found here:

https://thoughtsthatstray.tumblr.com/post/68324997296/the-night-before-thanksgiving

https://thoughtsthatstray.tumblr.com/post/103673334078/the-night-before-thanksgiving

https://thoughtsthatstray.tumblr.com/post/133975673298/the-night-before-thanksgiving

https://thoughtsthatstray.tumblr.com/post/153586877568/the-night-before-thanksgiving

https://thoughtsthatstray.tumblr.com/post/167790727293/the-night-before-thanksgiving-aka-wednesday-part

https://thoughtsthatstray.tumblr.com/post/180365975008/the-night-before-thanksgiving-part-6

https://thoughtsthatstray.tumblr.com/post/189344218103/the-night-before-thanksgiving-part-7

https://thoughtsthatstray.tumblr.com/post/635816573209296896/the-night-before-thanksgiving-part-8

https://thoughtsthatstray.tumblr.com/post/668796346416988160/the-night-before-thanksgiving-part-9

https://thoughtsthatstray.tumblr.com/post/701772301624082432/the-night-before-thanksgiving-part-10

https://thoughtsthatstray.tumblr.com/post/734753797753208832/the-night-before-thanksgiving-part-11

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52

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The Myrtle Beach Bowl what could have been.

Just the thought of it puts a smile on my face. Had this bowl game been in existence in the 80's/90's, I'm sure I would have attended more than one of them. Probably a couple of them as a kid with my Dad, Uncles/Cousins etc, and in the late 80's/90's as a teenager/idiot in my early 20's with my group of idiot friends.

Lucinda Williams has a song called "Stolen Moments", written about Tom Petty.

It is a touching song, but when it comes to these bowl trips, I think I would massage the title into "Missing Moments". I can visual various events, that steal from memories with friends, and how I can visualize certain things happening at points, a, b, or c. Maybe that's what the previously mentioned Thomas Earl Petty meant by "I woke up in between. A memory and a dream." in "You Don't Know How It Feels". I've always loved that line and feel far too many times to explain.

I can see some trouble being caused, some hands being thrown and a beer or sixty being kicked back. From beach trips, nights out on the town, nights in a small town, yes, chaos could easily happen. On here some where, I'll try to find it and link to it, I had another similar stray thought/vision about the same group venturing out to Woodstock 94 or whatever it was. I looked, it must be on a sub blog that isn't currently published. Oh well, I tried.

I doubt there would be much of a rooting interest in team x or y, and at that point it might be based on the best looking cheerleaders, or the easiest cheerleaders. Just being honest. Just "Missing Moments"

Miss you #33. I know you would have been front and center.

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And it's hard to say Who you are these days But you run on anyway Don't you baby?

-Tom Petty, "Saving Grace"

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You were the first thing that I thought of When I thought I drank you off my mind When I get lost in the liquor You're the only one I find

-Clint Black, "Killing Time"

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Passed Clark Griswold on the road today.

Sorry Clark I'm not a hot blonde in a Ferrari.

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The Night Before Thanksgiving Part XI (11) written 11/22/23.

Where to start, where to end? This is more of a ritual than anything at this point. Eleven nights, I've sat here and let the soul bleed. Is it for the better? Who knows. To quote the great John Fox, "It is what it is.

I've mentioned the former Charlotte Observer writer Ron Green Sr. And reading his traditional Thanksgiving column. It ended a couple years ago but Scott Fowler has continued the tradition. I'll give it a read. It might take me back. It might not. We will see. I hope it does.

Sitting here IPO think to moments missed mentioned in previous installments and I ache. I can't do a damn thing about it, but I ache.

I started this at 40 years old; I've probably tamed that wild streak even more at this point but I can drift back in my mind. My pops passed at 52 and at 51, it's a bit hard to take day by day knowing I might surpass his days on earth. That will be eerie.

Happy Thanksgiving to all three of you.

Parts 1-10 can be found here:

I'll try to clean it up next week.

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Bo Diddley/Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers singing Diddley's classic "Mona".

This showed up on YouTube today, and it's been a bit of time since I listened to it. It's simply amazing. There used to be two versions of the same video on YouTube and I guess the other one is long gone, but there was a comment under by a black guy that started out something like this.

There is no way this whitebread from Florida is going to attempt to go toe to toe with Bo Diddley. He continued with his post and ended up saying something like this: but boy was I wrong. That boy has some soul.

I don't think he was trying to go toe to toe with him, just admiring him as they jammed together. I think the cool kids used to call this game recognize game.

I'm sure they are jamming out in some Smokey corner upstairs.

Yes, Elvis was the King but Diddley is the Daddy

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28 years

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"Out on the road today, I saw two deadheads sitting in a Cadillac."

"Boys of Summer", -Don Henley

With a fall twist

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Game recognize Game

Jimmy Buffett covers Tom Petty's "Wildflowers"

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We played and stayed in the desert shade 'Til we played up every song -"Furnace Fan", Robert Earl Keen

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Megan Maroney & Jamey Johnson - cover “Angel From Montgomery” by John Prine

When you was a young girl I was just an old cowboy Wasn't much to look at Just a free ramblin' man That was a long time And no matter how I tried Them years just flow by Like a broken down dam

Gotta love live music

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"Fear stimulates my imagination."

-Don Draper

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"All Summer Long", Kid Rock

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51

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Spending the afternoon listening to the late great Gordon Lightfoot. The legendary Candian Folk singer passed away yesterday at the age of 84.