Sunday, June 9, 2024

BOTB RESULTS: 2024, JUNE 1 (Or, ZZ TOP Versus GEORGE THOROGOOD)



Hi, Hello & Howdy, Y'All.
My sincere gratitude goes to everyone who graciously and generously took the time to visit my BOTB's Battle Of The Booze installment (HERE) and voted in the contest while I was mostly away on my vacation 'Stop 'N' Go, Slow-Moving, Burning Carcation'. Also known as 'Travels Without Muddy'. It was one hell of a trip! (Muddy is my stuffed dog and road trip good luck charm. Like a dern fool, I left Muddy at home this time and we suffered the consequences!)
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The Booze battle was between ZZ Top ('Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers') and George Thorogood ('I Drink Alone'). It began as a massive blowout in ZZ Top's favor. At one point they were ahead in the voting 7-1. But then George's fans sobered up enough to cast vote after vote after vote.
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Although I have always liked BOTH of these hard-rockin' songs a great deal, I slightly - only very slightly - favor the Thorogood tune for these 4 reasons:
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1. The wacky humor in staunchly drinking ALONE... along with Jack, Jimmy & Johnny.
2. The nasty sax.
3. (100-proof) Old Grand-Dad is my favorite family member!
4. Because.
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FINAL TALLY:
ZZ Top = 7 votes
George Thorogood = 6 votes

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Thank you, friends, for making this such an outstanding Battle! ZZ Top's 'Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers' will advance to BOTB's Battle Of The Booze playoffs, while George Thorogood is left behind, drinking alone.
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The 4 Highlights from my brief road trip were:
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1. Seeing my sister, >Bonehead, for the first time in two years.
2. Being served the very best Old Fashioned cocktail I've ever tasted, thanks to Bonehead's husband, Eric (the man should have become a bartender!)
3. Learning the word "bourbonomics" from M.W., a former member of The League Of Soul Crusaders.
4. Getting to stay for free one night in a Big Bear Lake cabin with Billy Gibbons Billy Buck, who sings ZZ Top's famous song 'La Grange'. (When I found myself sharing a room with Billy Buck, I knew it was an incontrovertible omen that ZZ Top was destined to win this Battle!)
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I hope to return here again on June 15th with a new Battle. And I hope YOU will return here again to vote in it! Until then, may you all... 
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Bless & Be Blessed!! (And try to remain somewhat sober, but without overdoing it too much.)
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy 

9 comments:

  1. Great battle, Stephen T.! Billy Buck is quite talented ;-) Hope you Road Warriors didn't encounter too many adverse events. Burning Carcation? Temps surpassed the record only once last week - I think ;-)

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    1. Thanks, dIEDRE!
      Billy Buck sounds zactly like Billy Gibbons. I think he deserves an Oscar for 'Best Impersonation of a Human'.

      On our way TO Phoenix we encountered a car fully engulfed in flames on Highway 395. Fortunately, I don't think anyone was injured. But we'd never seen a car aflame to that extent before. As we drove by, even with our windows closed, we could feel the heat, like we had just driven through a furnace. It was almost like a Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego experience.

      Then, on the way home FROM Phoenix, there was another vehicle fire. This was on Highway 10 in the Chuckwalla Mountains area and included a chemical spill. Traffic came to a stop, and then proceeded stop & go and forced us to take a detour. What should have taken us about 4 minutes to drive took about 2 hours!

      Because things often happen in threes, I was half-expecting another vehicle fire.

      The next day, back on 395 again, I saw a couple of lightning bolts strike ahead of us. I turned to my Brother and said, "Watch this! Lightning is going to hit our car and *WE* are going to be the third vehicle fire on this trip."

      Fortunately, that didn't happen. Maybe the lightning saw how worn out we were and had pity on us.

      Yes, closer to a Burning Carcation than a vacation. And I'm *still* quite tired. 64 ain't like 24 was.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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  2. You had a tight battle. That's purdy goody! So, happy you got back safely from your travels and you collected a few good memories. Anywho, so glad ZZ Top came out victoriously. Have a bandtastic week, Stephen!

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    1. CAThy! ~

      It was a pretty fantastic BOTB contest taking place while I was away and being exhausted. We definitely bit off too much on this trip. Too many miles without enough time in between them in which to recuperate.

      Road Trips are no longer my friends. When I was young, I loved them. But that was THEN and this is NOW.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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  3. Nice to have such a close battle! And yay! My choice won. ☺ Sounds like you had a good trip, including Billy Buck.

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  4. DEBBIE ~

    A good trip?
    No, I think grueling would be a better adjective to describe the trip.

    I'm *still* inordinately tired, and need a vacation after that "vacation".

    ~ D-FensDogG

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    1. Sounds like you're gettin' old, buddy! I can relate. 🤗

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    2. Yes. And, actually, I don't think I'm getting there. I believe I have already arrived. Ugh! I was Tom Sawyer, and Tom Sawyer warn't never s'posed to age! It seems Someone didn't get the memo. ;^)

      ~ D-DogGtired

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    3. You are not alone! Everything takes SO MUCH more effort these days. 🤔

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