DU3 Reintroduce yourself thread

[Doc Holliday]

226. Always late, it seems....

Hope no one's keeping track.

I'm Alan, and I live in that thriving bastion of Southern liberalism known as Lubbock, Texas.

I've been a human resources professional for nearly thirty years, and thanks to music I've enjoyed a comfortable supplemental income over the years-- not to mention some Class A stress management. I still get a lot of 'hired gun' work in and around Lubbock, playing bass and/or singing. At some point, I've played nearly everything from ABBA to ZZ Top and everything in between. Can't stand country, which may sound odd for a Texas boy. I've often used this analogy-- if music were sex, country would be anal...which means I charge more. (JMO, okay? You Toby Keithers in the back can put away the lynchin' ropes and relax.)

I'm an Army veteran who has served all over the place. After finally hanging up my jump boots, I lived in Germany for fourteen years as a civilian, working for our Uncle Sam. I met my wife (also a veteran) in the service...we served in the same outfit for almost a year.

My nickname comes from a combination of things-- when I was in the service, every medic's nickname was Doc. It might be a regulation or something, I'm not sure. The Holliday part is an homage to Dennis Quaid, whose portrayal of Doc Holliday is my personal favorite in all of filmdom. Besides, his "Doc" is more in line with my general attitude. (Specifically, his most memorable line from Wyatt Earp was, "Kiss my Rebel dick." Val Kilmer's from Tombstone was, "I'm your huckleberry." 'Nuff said.) But when someone asks me, at a gig or in a social setting, where the nickname Doc comes from, I explain that it's an honorary title-- and that I used to do a lot of volunteer work down at the breast exam clinic.

I've benn married to the same wonderful woman for over 35 years. That alone should qualify her for sainthood. We raised an outstanding girl who never fails to make her father proud, even if all too often her Dad was a shining example of "how not to." I was quite unprepared for the power this woman-child would have over me. Perhaps part of it was that we suffered through several heartbreaking miscarriages before finally having her. She's married (to a musician-- smart girl) and they have gifted us with two beautiful grandchildren.

I'm a recovering Trekker, and it is a historical fact that the only time I have ever cried over a movie was at the end of ST II: The Wrath of Khan. I occasionally infuse my conversation with quips from Trek and assorted movies, comedians, etc. Sometimes, it gets me laughs....sometimes, rolling eyeballs. It balances out, pretty much. The one I get the most mileage out of (usually in a bar) is Steve Martin's famous, "Yeah, I remember my first beer."

I only have three jokes... but they're pretty funny and I tell them well.

I'm just a good ol' boy from West Texas....what can I tell you? My dad was a self-described JFK Democrat and it must have been genetic. I tend to be "liberal", but there are the occasional blind spots. Not hobbled by consistency, that's me!

One thing my Dad taught me that has undoubtedly saved me a lot of grief over the decades is to never be afraid of being surrounded by people who may be better at something, smarter, more talented, etc. than me. It took awhile for it to sink in, but it seemed like the older I got, the smarter my Dad got. Funny how that works....

I don't remember just when I 'discovered' DU. (They say that the memory's the first thing to go, and so far that seems to be true.) I wrote a piece on here several years ago called "Taking A Crack at So-Called Bush Hatred" which was crude, but helped me get my feet wet here, so to speak, and made me think hard in order to organize and articulate my thoughts.

The only famous people I've ever met were James Pankow (trombonist for Chicago), Robert Plant and Frank Zappa.

I'm been a lifelong smart-ass....which in my book is 'way better than being a life-long dumbass.

Anything else you'd like to know, feel free to ask. I'll try to give at least a semi-serious answer.