Randy's Top Ten Lone Star Memories
Inspired by Chris I have my own top ten list of memories. Typed some time ago off screen I'm now transcribing to Chris' blog to be forever recorded until they turn off the interweb.
Unlike David Letterman I'll start with the top memory and count back...well actually I'll start with number 2 so that there is a little anticipation.
2. Nerd heaven. I had virtually given up collecting comics during high school and my first year of college, but then the family moved back to Texas and I didn't know anyone plus it was summer so no social outlet through college. I whip out the phone book looking for a comic book store. Lonestar on Abrams street. I check it out. Now this was back in its old tiny spot across the street. The place was amazing not only comics, but sci-fi and fantasy books plus gaming!!! ay caramba I was in heaven all my geeky fanboy needs met in one spot. This has continued from that day in June 1980 to the present.
Hey Chris I just realized that in 2 years it will be 30 years I've been going to Lone Star... how about getting Buddy to spring for some 20, 25, 30 etc. pins to award to customers that have been coming that long.
Now this is really my only pre the big store we all know and loved.
1. "organically grown". Chris is my number one memory from Lone Star. Most of my friends I made through being in the same group such as school, work, clubs, etc. you get to know someone, they introduce you to others blah blah blah your circle of friends widens.
Lots of places someone can be a regular and be on a "hello and chit chat plus" relationship with the staff, but I've never become true friends with anyone this way.
Except for Chris. Our relationship just organically grew through talking at Lone Star until we crossed the Chris-Randy friendship qualifier....that being you aren't really really true friends with someone until you've eaten a meal together with just the two of you.
Now you can be true friends before this point as long as the potential exists, but you must at some point cross the threshold. Now I wish I could tell you where Chris and I first ate together alone..probably J. Gilligans :)
He is one of my truest friends in all the world. I always enjoy his company and the chemistry between us. I'm truly blessed and not going to say more or I'll just get emotional and not finish typing the rest of the top ten.
I love you amigo.
The rest of these are in no particular order
3. The Victory Lap. Lone Star put your name in the hat for a drawing for store credit for comics etc. You got in the draw by spending a certain amount each week...though I know for regulars a blind eye was often turned if you were just below the threshold (hmm.. i think that is the second time I've used that word in this list)
When you came in on new comics night the name of the winner from last week's draw was up... well one week I win! so I take off on a "victory lap" all the way around the interior of the store, arms raised in triumph whooping with joy. Well this went over as a big hit... I was to win the draw many times afterwards. I think mostly to see me run the lap of victory which brings me to my next memory.
4. Sam Jackson. Great guy and someone I got to know through Lone Star and the comics night dinners. Sam is a funny guy who will crack jokes, play a prank etc., but you just didn't see Sam doing something goofy like running a victory lap....well Sam finally wins the draw and we get him to run the lap... not with the same enthusiasm that I displayed, but he does the whole lap. I'll always remember the grin on his face... I'm sure he felt a bit silly because as I didn't say above the lap was done while the store was open with other customers there, but I know he had fun too.
5. Never dress up as a hot dog and stand near a street. Kevin Donnini a character that Chris mentions in his own memories. Kevin telling the story in his getting higher pitched as the tale goes along voice. Kevin was working for sonic? and had to dress up in a foot long hotdog costume and stand out by the street to promote a sale. Well some little kids came up and pushed him into the street and given the rigid nature of the outfit he couldn't get up and had to roll out of the street to avoid traffic. Just remembering it makes me LOL. When he told it he never seemed to understand how others could find this to be so funny. If you ever run into Kevin get him to tell the tale.
6. Pat Bussey. Pat is another friend I made through Lone Star and Chris, but he gets a special mention for... well for being Pat. Pat looked like one of the biggest skate punks around totally counterculture even had a girlfriend named peanut? [CP says "Turtle! Haha."] Well don't judge this book on its cover Pat is a conservative christian. I love Pat for being the living dichotomy. I also find joy in his ever youthful enthusiasm for all his hobbies (most which overlap mine) I once was tagged as being a giant 13 year old...if so Pat is a not quite so giant 10 year old. Keep the faith Patrick Bussey!
7. ...and all the rest. I'm sure I'll leave someone out but I've met a lot of other great people through Chris and Lone Star. Chrissy, Ben, Marlena, Maria, and Lori. stand out. I also indirectly met Mr. Baxter through Lone Star. We were short a few players in our gaming group so JP and I put up an ad at LoneStar to which Mr. Baxter and some dork responded to...well a 50% hit rate was pretty good as Mr. B has been a good friend and opened up a whole new branch of the friends tree once he revealed his new secret gaming group to his other friends :)
8. King of the cutting sarcastic remark. In high school this was me... I'm sure most of you will find this hard to believe ?? Well there was this guy about whom I'm sure we could make many list called John Scarpellini. his girlfriend was the store manager for a couple of months. I can't remember her name [CP says "Later on, it was Lily. It started out Brandy"], but was a real ice queen bitch who was mean to fellow employees and regulars alike. I had great fun going back to high school for a few minutes by verbal tagging her whenever she was mean to someone else. I'm not sure a great memory, but certainly memorable.
9. "you're fired" and osmosis. Chris in a WWII movie would've been that guy who could trade a few bottles of wine and get you a battleship. He has the most amazing ability to locate resources. One of his finds was a shoe company that did custom sneakers, etc. You picked colors, etc. He ordered a pair of yellow shoes with a word tag on each shoe. One said "you're" and the other said "fired"...they were the shoes he wore to fire people.
Through osmosis I've picked up a little bit about retail management. To paraphrase a line from an X-files episode "I didn't spend all those years in a store with Chris without learning something about bossing people around. I liked to tell employees that Chris was coming over soon and they wanted to dust that shelf or change those light bulbs over the comics rack etc.
This reminds me of a bonus memory of the look on new employees faces when they realized you were a good friend of Chris. you could see the wheels turning as they wondered did they treat you nicely and sell like they were supposed to when they saw me leaving the store with him
Last of the top ten and after Chris at number 1....my other fave thing. I loved Saturdays and Lone Star was at the heart of it. I got to sleep in late watch a Batman cartoon and then head to "The Lunch" at J. Gilligans. This was followed by a long session at LoneStar shopping. Then home to enjoy new purchases while sports or a re-run sci-fi show ran in the background. This many Saturdays led up to dinner with Chris and others and frequently a movie or late night bookstore run... ah how I miss Saturdays.
I can't wait to visit the new Lone Star and start new memories. I've been trying some future viewing exercises to come up with my top ten future memories of LoneStar, but I'll wait until I've been in the new store before posting that.
Adios,
Randy
Unlike David Letterman I'll start with the top memory and count back...well actually I'll start with number 2 so that there is a little anticipation.
2. Nerd heaven. I had virtually given up collecting comics during high school and my first year of college, but then the family moved back to Texas and I didn't know anyone plus it was summer so no social outlet through college. I whip out the phone book looking for a comic book store. Lonestar on Abrams street. I check it out. Now this was back in its old tiny spot across the street. The place was amazing not only comics, but sci-fi and fantasy books plus gaming!!! ay caramba I was in heaven all my geeky fanboy needs met in one spot. This has continued from that day in June 1980 to the present.
Hey Chris I just realized that in 2 years it will be 30 years I've been going to Lone Star... how about getting Buddy to spring for some 20, 25, 30 etc. pins to award to customers that have been coming that long.
Now this is really my only pre the big store we all know and loved.
1. "organically grown". Chris is my number one memory from Lone Star. Most of my friends I made through being in the same group such as school, work, clubs, etc. you get to know someone, they introduce you to others blah blah blah your circle of friends widens.
Lots of places someone can be a regular and be on a "hello and chit chat plus" relationship with the staff, but I've never become true friends with anyone this way.
Except for Chris. Our relationship just organically grew through talking at Lone Star until we crossed the Chris-Randy friendship qualifier....that being you aren't really really true friends with someone until you've eaten a meal together with just the two of you.
Now you can be true friends before this point as long as the potential exists, but you must at some point cross the threshold. Now I wish I could tell you where Chris and I first ate together alone..probably J. Gilligans :)
He is one of my truest friends in all the world. I always enjoy his company and the chemistry between us. I'm truly blessed and not going to say more or I'll just get emotional and not finish typing the rest of the top ten.
I love you amigo.
The rest of these are in no particular order
3. The Victory Lap. Lone Star put your name in the hat for a drawing for store credit for comics etc. You got in the draw by spending a certain amount each week...though I know for regulars a blind eye was often turned if you were just below the threshold (hmm.. i think that is the second time I've used that word in this list)
When you came in on new comics night the name of the winner from last week's draw was up... well one week I win! so I take off on a "victory lap" all the way around the interior of the store, arms raised in triumph whooping with joy. Well this went over as a big hit... I was to win the draw many times afterwards. I think mostly to see me run the lap of victory which brings me to my next memory.
4. Sam Jackson. Great guy and someone I got to know through Lone Star and the comics night dinners. Sam is a funny guy who will crack jokes, play a prank etc., but you just didn't see Sam doing something goofy like running a victory lap....well Sam finally wins the draw and we get him to run the lap... not with the same enthusiasm that I displayed, but he does the whole lap. I'll always remember the grin on his face... I'm sure he felt a bit silly because as I didn't say above the lap was done while the store was open with other customers there, but I know he had fun too.
5. Never dress up as a hot dog and stand near a street. Kevin Donnini a character that Chris mentions in his own memories. Kevin telling the story in his getting higher pitched as the tale goes along voice. Kevin was working for sonic? and had to dress up in a foot long hotdog costume and stand out by the street to promote a sale. Well some little kids came up and pushed him into the street and given the rigid nature of the outfit he couldn't get up and had to roll out of the street to avoid traffic. Just remembering it makes me LOL. When he told it he never seemed to understand how others could find this to be so funny. If you ever run into Kevin get him to tell the tale.
6. Pat Bussey. Pat is another friend I made through Lone Star and Chris, but he gets a special mention for... well for being Pat. Pat looked like one of the biggest skate punks around totally counterculture even had a girlfriend named peanut? [CP says "Turtle! Haha."] Well don't judge this book on its cover Pat is a conservative christian. I love Pat for being the living dichotomy. I also find joy in his ever youthful enthusiasm for all his hobbies (most which overlap mine) I once was tagged as being a giant 13 year old...if so Pat is a not quite so giant 10 year old. Keep the faith Patrick Bussey!
7. ...and all the rest. I'm sure I'll leave someone out but I've met a lot of other great people through Chris and Lone Star. Chrissy, Ben, Marlena, Maria, and Lori. stand out. I also indirectly met Mr. Baxter through Lone Star. We were short a few players in our gaming group so JP and I put up an ad at LoneStar to which Mr. Baxter and some dork responded to...well a 50% hit rate was pretty good as Mr. B has been a good friend and opened up a whole new branch of the friends tree once he revealed his new secret gaming group to his other friends :)
8. King of the cutting sarcastic remark. In high school this was me... I'm sure most of you will find this hard to believe ?? Well there was this guy about whom I'm sure we could make many list called John Scarpellini. his girlfriend was the store manager for a couple of months. I can't remember her name [CP says "Later on, it was Lily. It started out Brandy"], but was a real ice queen bitch who was mean to fellow employees and regulars alike. I had great fun going back to high school for a few minutes by verbal tagging her whenever she was mean to someone else. I'm not sure a great memory, but certainly memorable.
9. "you're fired" and osmosis. Chris in a WWII movie would've been that guy who could trade a few bottles of wine and get you a battleship. He has the most amazing ability to locate resources. One of his finds was a shoe company that did custom sneakers, etc. You picked colors, etc. He ordered a pair of yellow shoes with a word tag on each shoe. One said "you're" and the other said "fired"...they were the shoes he wore to fire people.
Through osmosis I've picked up a little bit about retail management. To paraphrase a line from an X-files episode "I didn't spend all those years in a store with Chris without learning something about bossing people around. I liked to tell employees that Chris was coming over soon and they wanted to dust that shelf or change those light bulbs over the comics rack etc.
This reminds me of a bonus memory of the look on new employees faces when they realized you were a good friend of Chris. you could see the wheels turning as they wondered did they treat you nicely and sell like they were supposed to when they saw me leaving the store with him
Last of the top ten and after Chris at number 1....my other fave thing. I loved Saturdays and Lone Star was at the heart of it. I got to sleep in late watch a Batman cartoon and then head to "The Lunch" at J. Gilligans. This was followed by a long session at LoneStar shopping. Then home to enjoy new purchases while sports or a re-run sci-fi show ran in the background. This many Saturdays led up to dinner with Chris and others and frequently a movie or late night bookstore run... ah how I miss Saturdays.
I can't wait to visit the new Lone Star and start new memories. I've been trying some future viewing exercises to come up with my top ten future memories of LoneStar, but I'll wait until I've been in the new store before posting that.
Adios,
Randy
posted by CP @ 4:48 PM
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