Sherlocking with Jim Cox

As a Sherlockian, I have the luxury of visiting fellow Sherlockians around the globe. Michael Whalen, Wiggins of the Baker Street Irregulars, once told me I was the Johnny Appleseed of the Sherlock Holmes world. It is rare, however, to have another Sherlockian visit me. This was the case recently when Californian Jim Cox flew in for a long weekend stay at my house. 

I fetched Jim at DFW International Airport. We then drove the few short miles to my house in Flower Mound. Joyce was there awaiting our arrival and after a few hugs and kisses we headed out for pizza. Jim and I have known each other for the better part of two decades. We have attended Sherlockian events on both coasts as well as in Kansas City, Omaha, and Minneapolis. I have been to San Francisco numerous times for work and for pleasure, but this was Jim’s first time to be at my place. We ate and then upon our return, we retired to the library.

Two amigos in the library.

Friday was a full workday for Joyce and me so we left Jim home, alone. He acted better than Macaulay Culkin on many levels. The Hobbs-House tradition, especially when out-of-town guests are involved is to go to Mia’s Tex-Mex on Friday night and stuff ourselves with their world famous Brisket Tacos. We stuck to our plan and Jim was thoroughly stuffed and impressed. We returned home for another round of perusing the library.

Saturday was free from any obligations except hitting as many bookstores as possible. Our first stop was 30 miles north in Denton, home of Recycled Books and Records. This place is one of those throwbacks to an era when used book shops were a mass of cluttered nooks and crannies, piled high with possible unknown treasures. It is one of those places that is impossible to explore without several hours. This is precisely what we had and did. Jim amassed a double-armful of books before we departed. Jim also discovered that the old adage ‘Everything is Bigger in Texas’ also applies to Sherlock Holmes, as the picture below proves. He was equally impressed when the owner of the shop came out to personally thank him (for dropping a wad of cash on an otherwise slow Saturday).

Everything, even Sherlock Holmes books are larger in Texas

Sunday was the regular monthly meeting of the Crew of the Barque LONE STAR. Jim had prepared a talk on Christopher Morley. The fellow shipmates were an attentive and interested audience. After the meeting, Dean Clark joined us at our house for dinner and more Sherlockian revelry. We ended the evening with copious amounts of red wine. Jim was left on his own again on Monday. He had a six o’clock plane to catch so I picked him up after work and drove him to the terminal.

Even though the four days flew past, we accomplished a great deal in the allotted time. It was mutually agreed that we would do it again before too long. Jim was already making plans to return in September and ride with me to Tulsa, where I will giving one of the talked for the Afghanistan Perceivers during their Fortieth Anniversary meeting on September 20. So with that, all I need to say now is…

Happy Blogging!