On a train
I’m on a train headed to El Paso for the night. Flying east to play some solo shows. The train was so late. Four hours late. In the meantime I found a good spot for enchiladas. El Jardin in Alpine, Texas. For those of you that don’t know the climate of the far west Texas Chihuahuan desert well it’s hot. Excruciatingly hot. Imagine yourself as a tater tot inside a toaster oven just baking your ass away. No humidity. I walked around Alpine for about 30 minutes. first I was going to check out this food truck but then a quarter of the way there I had a feeling it was closed. I didn’t want to chance it so I stopped by the local coffee shop and grabbed a cold brew and walked over the other side of the tracks. Was going to check out this art/snack place but the distinct waft of frijoles caught my attention quick. I followed the scent to the back of the art place and booyah, I found a spot called El Jardin. I saw three people savage eating the hell out of some Tex-Mex to go plates. Taco grease and cheese all over their mouths. This tells me it’s good when you see humans eating like humans from 200,000 years ago. I needed to have what they were having. I walked up to the window of the mobile home converted into a food spot and ordered the first two things that caught my eye, rojo chicken enchiladas and watermelon fresca. As the lady spoke to me in Spanish she gave me a fist bump and with the other hand an extra sauce. It felt like a drug deal. It was a drug deal but with food and probably a little diarrhea. Made it back to the station and thanked the lady for watching my stuff. Scarfed the food, boarded the train. Was supposed to sit next to an old black man nicknamed “Catfish” whoe pants were on inside out and backwards. I‘ll pass. I’m sitting here in the observation car with my leftover cold brew and listening to a few Mascis songs I might cover this weekend out east. Oh yeah I’m on a mini tour. Solo act. Me and my guitar and a toothbrush. Headed to El Paso first. Looking forward to dinner with some friends to talk about an upcoming overseas trip for the travel show I host. A lot has happened since last I wrote. A lot. See you soon but late El Paso. I’m riding the Con Air train but this one has a snack bar with soggy microwavable cheeseburgers and Fanta. JS
