Frickin' Ridiculous

Can't believe Leach was fired, here's some very interesting reading and watching.

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/

Can you spot me?

Can you found me in this Picture ? It was taken during tailgating at a football game. Hint: Look in the background.

Creepy or Cool?

http://www.freakingnews.com/Mouth-Eyes-Pictures--1741.asp

Really neat!

Found this on at www.wordle.net.

Football Yeah

• Does anyone else still look at the DMN for their high school alma mater's score? Not good for the Rams.
• Denton Ryan won 70-63. Had to check the box score to make sure it was football.
• Tech will play Rice today which could be interesting. Especially since we have the Longhorn next week.
• I still don't believe Michigan or Notre Dame are "back" Those defenses just don't quite do it for me.
• College game day just might make an appearance in Austin next week, assuming the Red Raiders crack the top 25. You know the pollsters like to help match up ranked teams.
• Have the women stopped reading yet? Here's one for you ladies. The San Angelo major skipped out on his swearing in. His excuse was he had to flee to Mexico to see his lover. Well, his lover was a 20 year old Mexican college student. Illegally here. How does all that happen? Don't forget to read the caption.
• 
  
• 

Password Wednesday

So today is the first Wednesday of my new ritual to change a password. I figure if I change one account to the same password every Wed., I'll have them all the same by Thanksgiving then start all over. This should keep things pretty secure. Join me, we'll have fun!

Oprah interview tonight at 10 with Gloria Compost. I bet it's crappy. LOTI

John Legend is actually pretty good. He ain't no PUFF artist, seems very classy. The older Peter Gabriel might could learn a thing or two. Nice voice but doesn't seem too be as classy.

I had a good thought but lost it. Why does that happen? Cleaning chemicals getting to me? Maybe I should stop snorting the Comet. Ouch!

Getting frustrated with the house selling. I'm not sure there's a cleaner house out there that isn't as clean (that's not new). It's odd to me that two comments were "too high priced" but they haven't made an offer or given a range that they are looking for. Oh well, the quest continues.

Til later, later.

Interesting Links

Need something intesting to look at? Give these a tray.

• Sugar snacks
• Chemical Free Shop
• Shopping for your iWhatever.
• What if the oceans rise? Cool interactive page.
• Creepy tears from a boy.

Weekend Thoughts

• Two house showings in the last 48 hours, cross your fingers.
• Looked at a nice foreclosure today. That means more work which isn't a bad thing.
• College football starts Thursday night. Does it matter who's playing? Tech vs. North Dakota State on Saturday.
• Vikings tomorrow vs. Houston.
• Sport sport sport. BTW, Twins beat Rangers today, another 2 out of 3 series. Nice
• George Carlin was not that funny to me. We listened to his tapes at track meets and laughed at the 7 words but other than that, big bag of nothing IMO.
• Dan Cook, not so much either. Too much filth. Although Richard Pryor had some filth and I thought he was genius. Mudbone, nuff said.
• I wish tomorrow were Labor Day. Do not want to work at all. Let's all psych ourselves into having a great week knowing there's a three day weekend coming up. Anyone want to puke?
• Song lyrics in my head: "I just smelled Haley's vomit, and I think I'm gonna puke too". Honk if you get it.
• I like ducks.

From My Favorite Book MMM...Cupcakes

New iPhone Apps-Gold

Anybody Out There?

So crucify me for not blogging, go ahead. I understand. Really, I do. What would happen to Denny if he skipped one of his 3 posts per day? Or Barry for forgetting the pics that keep you coming back? Problem is I just don't have the rabid fan base that they do. So here's some hot sports opinions to get you back on track:

1. Women can talk. They can also get loud when they talk. (revelation?)
2. Was the wheel that great of an invention? I mean, wouldn't somebody have stumbled across it eventually? Seems like a much overrated invention.
3. Stop the stories about the cowboys' stadium.
4. Stop the stories about the rainbow lounge.
5. More stories about hot moms in Denton.
6. Several teachers take Fridays off. It's amazing to see the number of classrooms and computer labs that appear to be doing nothing.
7. I don't think taking a chess class helps much other than you get more experience playing and have to play people better than you.
8. Let's talk chickens. OMG.
9. Did you hear that football season is in session? Bad Radio was talking about kids playing at 5 years old. OMG. Diaper change at halftime?
10. What time is too early to go to bed on a weekend? Ten p.m.? Ready to crash now.
11. Nothing is more frustrating that lack of communication. Can't we just try to keep everyone that needs to know...knowing? I've been doing this for 12 years and have never had so many last minute requests, moves, etc. "We've been planning this since the spring." Really. Hopefully never again. Right.
12. My favorite numbers are 5, 55, and for some reason 34. Lots of great athletes with 34. Pick three numbers tonight?

A little Fun at Work

Check out the video here: MacMondays

Friday Thoughts

• Kinda nervous about the middle Raider playing football. Keep your eyes open, head up, read the number on the jersey.
• Fence repairs...done.
• Mulch in the flower beds...tomorrow am.
• Pick out carpet for living room...tomorrow am.
• Kinda nervous about the young Raider not wanting to go to sleep. I miGHT LOOSE IT...serenity now.
• Would like to go to Shreveport again. That was a fun albeit short trip. Awesome that there was a Starbucks in the lobby.
• No baseball this fall. Very weird me thinks.
• Don't let me forget to wash the truck tomorrow.
• We have several boxes laying around right now, hope we get to use them. Is that bad? (Frank the Tank) LOL.
• I enjoy spending outdoor time with Mrs. CrappieRaider. We might not talk a lot but I know she likes it and that makes me happy. Happy to be there too.
• A couple of months ago on the way to see transformers, I told the boys we were going to see a movie called Where the Heart Is. Never heard of it but I guess it hit theaters near you almost 10 years ago. Thing is, might be a couple of hots in there. Wonder if I really knew that but didn't. Hmm.
• Double fake kitty arrest.

You Won't Believe Your Ears

Place Title Here

• Wanna buy a house? Please consider ours.
• Welcome to the Facebooks Fubar. Enjoy the time wastingers.
• Tickets are now on sale for Tech v. Baylor. Hmm.
• Dreyer's Drumstick ice cream is the bomb. I could eat the entire half gallon or whatever size it is now.
• Anyone tire of work yet?
• I fear change. Bills only please.
• I like Mrs. CrappieRaider's hair. Compared to the early 90's, well there's no comparison.
• I fear heights. I don't know what happened but I can't get close to the glass on the 9th floor, makes my calves feel weird. I used to love flying and jumping out of the hey loft into the snow. I'm sure I could still do that but not so sure about flying.
• I remember taking an elevator on the outside of a skyscraper in Atlanta to what seemed like the heaventh floor. I watched the outside pool shrink until it was a little blue dot. That was cool but kinda frightening at the same time.
• And then there was the dog that reported a murder. Seems someone shot his paw.

Weekend Thoughts

• The weekday starts tomorrow and I'm not really looking forward to it. Anybody with me?
• Does it make me weird that I enjoy cleaning the house? It's not really the act of cleaning as much as the sense of accomplishment. You should see the light coming through the windows after washing them. It's day time.
• Great movie: A Beautiful Mind. Maybe a little too long especially when there are commercials. Speaking of which, newest favorite commercial is getting SportCenter props. Guess who just leveled the playing field. Here are most of them, pure genius.
• Oldest boy said realtors and lawyers were the same, one just had more degrees. What?
• The best part of waking up is knowing you're still alive. KMA Folger's.
• Mrs. CrappieRaider is meeting with a realtor tomorrow to see what is available out there and what we could expect for/from our house. Hmm. Very interesting. Not saying we're moving, just testing the water so to speak.
• Hmmm triggers spell check but when you leave the last "m" off it doesn't. So when reading this, limit your "m" sounds as it's not correct.

Date night

I'm kinda psyched as the lovely Mrs. CrappieRaider and I are going to a movie tonight. The last time we went out as a couple was a few months ago and if I recall, we had fried pickles, me for the first time. I'm not a fan at all. They should soak them in beer batter instead, now there's a good idea.

Edit: No pickles thank goodness.

We're going to go see the newest Adam Sandler movie Funny People. We already have tickets purchased so there's no backing out now. Not sure if the wife is gonna rock the fried pickles again but you can bet I'm gonna need refills on popcorn. Gotta love the movie theatre popcorn. What's better with popcorn though, beer or Coke? Review might be posted later (both popcorn and movie). Someone look after the flowers on my farm please.

Edit: Funny movie, slow in the beginning. It could probably have been edited down about 20-30 minutes but then again we got our money's worth. B+

I got the 1/2 bucket of popcorn, no refills. I wish everyone would fill it half way, put butter on, fill it the rest of the way and add more butter. For that small snafu, I'll give it a B-. Lastly, I finally broke down and got the tanker. No refills though.

What would you do?

1. If someone got your password, changed your blog and got you in trouble with your boss or spouse?
2. If Sonic charged you full price for a drink at 3:00? What about 3:59?
3. If the neighbor walking the dog always left the dog's number 2 in your yard?
4. If your spouse woke up in the middle of the night and screamed, "Sandbagger"?
5. If your bicycle had a flat a mile from home? Yes, you are riding it.
6. If you suddenly realized you had two left hands?

Answers coming soon.

Weekend Approaching...

and I'm not sure I really care. Anybody with me?

We had Apple server training yesterday and today and it was pretty lame. Yes we learned some things but overall, poor. There was no structure and when I asked a question I was told "I'll get to that later, anything else you want to know right now?" Thing is, he would follow up with, "what else do you want to see or learn?" Um, yeah, I just told you what I wanted to see. This went on for a while before I finally said the heck with it, just act interested and ask an occasional question. Throw him a bone.

We imaged 8 computers at a time and it only took 20-25 minutes, pretty cool. We'll pick up again on Monday and hopefully have all 200 done by the end of the day. Keep your fingers crossed. Or not.

Anyone up for the Greenbelt in the morning? Bright and early? C'mon people get off your lazy arses and let's get it done. Currahee!!! Six miles up, six miles down. Maybe 9.5 up and 9.5 down. Got motivation?

What was that?

So I was riding bike on Tuesday and was right at 10.5 miles, finishing up. I decided to go around the block one time to cool down a little bit. As I turned I noticed a van backing out of their driveway. This is not out of the ordinary, vans back up all the time. So I slow down and pull in behind them. We are going about 10 MPH and the fumes weren't bad. I also noticed a parked truck on the left hand side about 20 yards ahead.

I'm now about 15 yards behind the van and something smacks me right in the mouth. I mean, scared the crap out of me. TWACK!! I jerked back but kept my hands on the handlebars, barely keeping myself from veering into the parked truck. My elbows popped as did my neck. Holy Crap that hurt (still does). I assumed something flew up from the van, maybe a piece of rubber. Thing it, it was stuck to my lips. HOLY CRAP. I used my left hand to grab this thing and felt it still moving. HOLY CRAP. Yes, a friendly little grasshopper decided it would take a free ride on my mouth to the end of the block. I understand, it was pretty warm at the time.

I threw the wicked beast onto the pavement and wanted to turn around and run it over. I did not so all you PETA people chill out (I like ducks). As far as I know it is still alive as I didn't hear or feel any cracking or popping when I grabbed or threw it.

So there's my little story for the day. Hope you get a laugh out of my near death experience.

Wondering if...

• People think Seinfeld is still funny. Me? Golden!
• Humidity helps or hurts plants.
• LCD TVs will have staying power with the LED TVs now released. Very cool but very pricey.
• David gets bored in the pool. I mean really.
• DirecTv misses us. I can't quite get used to the verizon menu but I hope I do soon. It's driving me crazy but the picture is good. There are more HBO channels which is always good.
• Televisions still work now that we're all digital.
• The lesbian neighbors realize their kid is a tool.

Food Review

From vacation, in order:

Thursday

breakfast: homemade burritos on the road. A, would you expect anything else?

lunch: Whataburger, official restaurant of CC. C+, generic grilled chicken.

dinner: Pier 99 fried shrimp. B, the flavor was there, somewhere, buried in the Crisco. I think the shrimp was cooked too long in grease that was too old.

Friday

breakfast: cereal that we brought. C, same Kashi cereal, different place.

lunch: Chili's Chicken Baja Tacos. B+, plenty of lettuce (g00d) but not quite enough chicken. The baja sauce is really good and I don't need to mention the chips and salsa always rock.

dinner: Pizza Hut pepperoni and meat lover's. A, two large pies delivered to the hotel after hanging at the beach. Can't go wrong with the Hut after burning off some energy.

Saturday

breakfast: Whataburger taquitos. B, nothing special just good eggs n stuff.

lunch: Combo fajitas at Rita's on the Riverwalk. C again. Too much pepper on the meat and I think this meal is what gave me an upset stomach. Margaritas were too sour and did I mention the cost? Salsa had too much tomato taste.

dinner: I skipped this meal, still full from the mediocre fajitas.

Sunday

breakfast: cereal in the hotel. C, please see above.

lunch: Sonic popcorn chicken. C-, too crunchy and the honey lemon sauce wasn't that good.

dinner: chips and queso at home. B, was jonesing for it but didn't quite live up to expectations.

There you have it, official triple-fake meal review of unofficial origin. Huh?

Musings from Vaca

I can't remember the last time I averaged 80mph on a trip. That's greatness. I bought a GPS before we left and yes, that's greatness. I'm sure there are a few features that pulled us off course once or twice but overall I can't see why anybody that travels doesn't have one. At the same time, I can't believe I waited this long to pull the trigger.

I wanted to stop by the capital and take a tour but I'm glad we didn't. I was very happy to get home and I don't think the family wanted to do any more walking. That could be a two day getaway at some point.

The Riverwalk is waaayyyy overpriced. We dropped $90 on lunch Saturday which was by far the most expensive meal on the trip. All together we spent about $400 on food for the 4 days. That's crazy.

It would have cost about $90 for the aquarium in CC but I thought that was too much. We hung out at the beach instead...good call. The morning jog on Saturday was greatness. I left the ipod at the hotel, took a few sunrise pictures (one below), and didn't fall down once.

I'm ready for another trip. Somewhere a little cooler this time. It wasn't too bad at the beach but if there wasn't a breeze, it was pretty warm. There were only a couple of times that I was miserable though.

Not My Usual Post...But

Too good not to share.

Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch, is part drill Instructor, and part stand up comic. Here are a few of his observations on tactics, firearms, self defense and life as we know it in the Civilized world.

"The handgun would not be my choice of weapon if I knew I was going to a fight....I'd choose a rifle, a shotgun, an RPG or an atomic bomb instead."

"The two most important rules in a gunfight are: always cheat and always win."

"Every time I teach a class, I discover I don't know something."

"Don't forget, incoming fire has the right of way."

"Make your attacker advance through a wall of bullets. I may get Killed with my own gun, but he's gonna have to beat me to death with it, Cause it's going to be empty."

"If you're not shootin', you should be loadin'. If you're not Loadin, you should be movin', if you're not movin', someone's gonna cut Your head off and put it on a stick."

"When you reload in low light encounters, don't put your Flashlight in your back pocket.. If you light yourself up, you'll look Like an angel or the tooth fairy...and you're gonna be one of 'em pretty soon."

"Do something. It may be wrong, but do something."

"Nothing adds a little class to a sniper course like a babe in a Ghilliesuit."

"Shoot what's available, as long as it's available, until Something else becomes available."

"If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's Ridiculous.. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid for."

"Don't shoot fast, shoot good."

"You can say 'stop' or 'alto' or use any other word you think Will work but I've found that a large bore muzzle pointed at someone's Head is pretty much the universal language."

"You have the rest of your life to solve your problems. How long You live depends on how well you do it."

"You cannot save the planet. You may be able to save yourself And your family."

"Thunder Ranch will be here as long as you'll have us or until Someone makes us go away and either way it will be exciting."

More Excellent Gun Wisdom....... The purpose of fighting is to Win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more Important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The Final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.

1. Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.

2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.

3. I carry a gun cause a cop is too heavy.

4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.

5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and Asked him 'Why do you carry a 45?' The Ranger responded, 'Because they don't make a 46.'

6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous Regularity.

7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady Commented on his wearing his sidearm. 'Sheriff, I see you have your Pistol. Are you expecting trouble?' 'No ma'am. If I were expecting Trouble, I would have brought my rifle.'

8. Beware the man who only has one gun. He probably knows how to Use it!

If you believe in the 2nd Amendment, please forward. 'The true Soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' -G. K. Chesterton

A people that values its privileges above its principles will Soon lose both. DDE

'Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who Do not.'

~ Thomas Jefferson

Hey Dave!! Let's Do This!!

Hurry up and Wait

Sitting in the network closet waiting for this install to finish. OMG. I guess if the database weren't ninety-seven-hundred-dozen megagigwatts it might go faster. So here are my latest thoughts:

Servers are incredible when you think it all comes down to zeroes and ones. For that matter, the Internet is even more incredible. I mean think of all the zeroes and ones that are flying through your computer as you read this. Now quaddoublefunction that number. What if there were only letters? Would IBM has chosen A's and B's or would they have gone outside the box and chosen L's and P's? I'd stick with X's and O's. Then we could say Vince Lombardi invented computers and Bud Grant invented the Internet.

Ducks are cool.

I will probably miss not having the Sunday paper but what the heck. Just saved $80 a year. Let's party!

Ever wonder why people imitate Andy Rooney? I mean really. If it weren't for that guy some people wouldn't have a career. And did you ever notice he has big eye brows? I mean really. Imitate somebody that means something to somebody. How about Barry? today's pick me up, two chicks in bikini's. On second thought that might be too easy.

Check out the poll I posted. Please triple fake vote even if you haven't seen any of them.

Skattershooting While Jogging

I've been biking and running for about 6 or 7 months now and have kept a log, sorta. I know I missed logging a few days in June but May should be pretty accurate. Here are the numbers:

May Biking: 93 miles

May Running: 18 miles

June Biking: 75.5 miles

June Running: 16.5 miles

So far this month I've got about 25 biking and about 9 running. Just need to keep it up as I'm shooting for 100 biking and 25 running. We're headed to CC for a few days and I hope I have the time and energy to go running on the beach. Sounds like fun.

So what runs through your head as you run through the neighborhood? I've got some doozies. Ever seen a sunrise that looks like the center of a Longhorn logo? Well it's pretty ugly. The moon was out this morning too and it appeared as though the sun was going to catch up to it.

By the time I reach the 1/2 mile mark I'm wondering if I'm going to make a mile. Then at the mile marker I'm feeling pretty good and thinking I'll go further today than last time. About a half mile from the house I'm thinking, "Please don't let me collapse in the neighbors yard. No way I'm going further than last time."

This morning I kept going as the last two jogs I've logged 5K or more. Since I get cooled down by all the sprinklers I figure I can go another 1/4 mile. I try to think of other things to divert my pain but I just can't. If I do, it's something negative and I push it out of my head as soon as possible. Well, after all that I completed another 3.2 miles this morning. I followed it up with edging and weed-eating in the front yard which completely drenched my shirt...again.

Please tell me your workout thoughts that keep you going. I'm counting on you to help me meet my monthly goals.

Once a Month

Yes, I have decided to blog once a month only and since it's July, here you go.

I spent three hours rewiring network closets today. About 2 in the MDF and 1 in the IDF. It is a task that needs to be done every summer. I spent about an hour last week reorganizing an MDF at an elementary school. Drives me crazy. I think I'll write some people up next time they're jacked like this.

Went to see Princess Bride at the theatre last night and was disappointed. It was played on a DVD player and data projector. I can do that at school and have good air conditioning. They could have saved the night if it were Blue ray but it weren't was not ain't.

You know it's hot when you can't get motivated to go fishing at 6 am. It was 80 degrees on the way to work today and it's only going to get worse.

Delkus teased the weather with "rain in the forcast?" but returned to tell us it will be in the 100's for the next 7 days. Talk about cheap "stay tuned" tactics.

I hope Delkus reads this.

I hope somebody reads this.

Fubar is a great nickname, wish I would have gotten it first. I think the first decent nickname I got was ELZI but it sucked because it was the same as my brother's. Other than that, I was known as F'n Leon in the fraternity. Not really a nickname you want to stick. Oh, and then the Army basic training nickname that I distanced from as soon as I could: Frogger. That's a story for another blog.

Happy rain delay is over on the Cubs game day!

Good Things

1. Forrest Gump
2. Naps
3. Baby Animals
4. VACATIONS
5. Bura
6. People who aren't mean
7. Haircuts
8. New shoes
9. Steak
10. Quitting time

Very random list, eh? What better way to waste time? Oops, almost forgot one, Sportcenter (DP and KO).

Where's Waldo?

Don't know why I've stopped blogging, but let's get this fired back up.

• It was friggin' hot yesterday...and Friday.
• Started watching year one of The Shield and they went full throttle at episode one. Pretty good stuff so far.
• Vacation plans include more house updates. Again.
• I'd like to go to a move this week. A real good movie. Any suggestions?
• Not sure why teaching never really made me nervous but speaking in front of the board, other administrators or teachers does. Sometimes I can't sleep the night before.
• FIOS is looking more and more appealing every day. The "sun spots" are kicking in today.
• Spent almost 2 hours in the yard today and was exhausted. Funny because it wasn't nearly as hot as I thought it was going to be.
  
• The only kind of gum that should be allowed in stores is bubble gum.
• How about Denzel's new movie? Trailers look good and Cogill liked it.
• Not another Twilight movie. Ugh.
• Can we stop with the digital TV help lines? Please. People won't get reception in their caves anyway.
• Paving stones for the yard.

This Again?

This makes me tense.
I can do this. Not!
How many times do you think they've done this?
This is a large candy bar.
If you like rolls of skin, puppies and butt shots, click on this. Gets really good about half way through.

Farmer John

So I've been busy lately with my farm. Virtual that is. Joey told me about the FB application and I blew him off the first couple of times. Now I could be hooked. Calculating how much I can earn and how quickly, gotta get those field full and harvested. I'm waiting on tomato plants now. I like potatoes, I guess it goes back to the blue ribbons we won at the county fair. Oh the memories. It's a very ugly farm right now as I'm planting as much as I can and working towards the barn and a house. Feel free to send me a give, I like cows...and ducks.

I miss being a kid. Sometimes I miss being an adult too. Check this out for both.

Only 2 more baseball games for the spring. We still have end of year tournaments that are double elimination and finished in a couple of days. Go Rangers, Go Mariners. That last part was painful.

One of my sisters dropped by for about 5 minutes tonight. Very weird since Chandler left the door open to take out the recycles and she just walked in. At first I was like...Can I help you? Then I realized who it was. Double fake double take. Not sure what that means. That was kinda cool. I'd like to live near my siblings where we could just drop in on each other..but then again...

Evening Thoughts

• When purchasing a product, how much emphasis do you put on what others say? Does it depend on the source? Do you trust friends more than the internets or magazines? I'm getting the attitude that you ignore all and just take a chance. BTW, anybody got a used Yugo?
  
• I knew it was pretty warm during my run but when Dingus on Ch. 8 said the high was 96 degrees I about fell off the sofa. He didn't mention the wind speed but I'll wager it was less than 3 mph. Brutal at times.
• I biked the Greenbelt yesterday and there were several areas under water. Most tracks went around the puddles but upon further investigation it was less risky to got straight through. I had the mud strip on the back of my shorts which can be funny...and gross.
• I wish people were nice to each other. Present company included.
• Why don't dinosaurs talk? Because they're all DEAD.
• Breakfast: pea soup Lunch: pea soup Dinner: pea soup. What did I do the rest of the night?
  
• These storms came out of nowhere...um..I mean Boyd.
• Brought to mind the old saying that if you don't like the weather, wait X minutes. Man I hate that saying.
  
• Ever been Care flighted? Seems scary but cool at the same time. If you have a heart problem wouldn't that elevate your blood pressure and heart rate? What if the paramedic were Danica Patrick? Double fake by-pass.
• The above cartoon was from www.cartoonstock.com. Very cool as you can search for historical cartoons by artist, topic, keyword, etc. Don't search for Abe Lincoln.
  

Sunday Cats

So we checked the jug lines and I'll be darned if the first one doesn't jump off the hook and right back into the water. There was another one on the third hook that was about the same size. Between the two of them they moved the cinder block about 20 yards. I thought we had a big one when we were approaching.

The second jug line only had one cat on it and all other hooks were bare. Two more to fry up!

The water was nice and the weather even better especially since there was a small breeze. The best part of the trip was that Ben had fun and he smiled the entire time. He's a very sweet boy and I hope to take him on a few more trips. Complete different child when not around his brothers. I can see me, the wife and Ben making more trips like today. I just need to find the fish so he stays interested and entertained. Here's the two from today.

Fish for a Day

Fished yesterday for about 6 hours and caught a few. I set one jug line Friday evening and got two catfish off of it the next morning. I will head out later and check the two we baited yesterday afternoon. We're about stocked up for the fish fry now to just find a day and time...and guests.

This will mark the third day in a row that I've been on the water. That's a good. Third different fishing buddy, that's a good too. Today's victim? Wife and Ben.

Pictures? You're gonna have to wait. Above from yesterday. Those crappie were all 1 pound or bigger with the exception of 2. The larger catfish was at least 5, probably more. Great looking fillet.

Keep the fire burning, it's a bitch getting it restarted.

Yeah Us!

We won tonight, 8-7. Scored one in the bottom of the fifth. I don't think we had any RBI's tonight, all walks, stolen based, passed balls, bad throws, etc. I'm not a big fan of that kind of ball but we'll definitely take it.

We've seen every team now and there's not way we should be 2-5-1. These other teams better watch out for us in the end of year tournament. If we don't start sculling baaas we're gonna be alright.

I like working from home, even late, but when nobody is around to help it really sucks. Nobody can access the gradebook or parent portal from home and I think it's a DNS issue. Well my provider works 8-5 and I can't do anything to verify my theory. That is not a good. Now that we've gotten bigger it's more of an issue and we need that support. I think it's time to start shopping around.

Bark like a dog for me.

Kids with long hair drive me crazy. It almost always looks greasy and when they sweat it smells bad.

We had a retirement ceremony at work today and one of them just didn't look good. He hasn't been at work for a while although I know he's been sick, I didn't think it was that bad. He's been with the district for 23 years and seen a lot of people come and go. I hate to see anybody in that shape. I mean anybody. News stories on kids with cancer hurt every time.

Musin' on Monday

• My blood pressure was up a little bit this afternoon, 137/87.  I've averaged things out over the last month and I should be around 125/74.  Still a little high but nothing like the reading I had at the Back institute.  160/120.
• I've reached a plateau on weight loss and am looking for direction.  Should I run/bike further or decrease my time with current distances?  Eating less chocolate is not an option.
• Ray Roberts is finally at the correct level.  Only took 14 inches of rain in 10 days.  I can't imagine the tree stumps I was barely missing two weeks ago being 4 foot under now.
• The front and back yards still look like hell.  Not that I've been there (hell) but I've been close...Newark.
• Too much attention spent on the ref's blown call in the Maverick game?  How about that wild ass shot Dirk took with less than a minute to play.  How about the 4 missed free throws in the last 2 minutes?  How about...oops almost looks like I care.  I don't really.
• Speaking of Dirk, Boogie Nights overrated?
• Planning a vacation can be a beating.
• Live in the Now!!!

Happy Mother's Day

IN PASSING

Sometimes Mom in passing
Would pat you on the back
And sometimes in passing
She'd show you the right track.

Sometimes Mom in passing
Would say, "You sure look nice!"
And sometimes in passing
She could, make you, think twice.

Sometimes Mom in passing
Would lightly touch your hair
And sometimes in passing
She'd show you what was fair.

Sometimes Mom in passing
Would ask, "What do you mean?"
And sometimes in passing
She would get in between.

Sometimes Mom in passing
Would give you, "that look"
And sometimes in passing
Would give you what it took.

But this time, Mom is passing
From this world to the best
And this time in passing
She'll pass the final test.

And when Mom has passed
And the pain is so unkind
Just look and you'll find her
There in your heart and mind.

Submitted By: Del "Abe" Jones

Remember Me?

Man have I fallen down on the job.  For anyone that really cares, here is the latest.

1. Very disappointing loss tonight.  The kids were talking how the game was almost over and it was only the second inning.  Can anyone say baseball jinx?  You just don't do that.  Keep playing hard and assume the other team will get theirs.  Final verdict, 13-12 as the other team scored 3 in the bottom of the last inning.  
2. Storms all around us tonight and we got bubkus...so far.
3. Dead fish off of 380 bridge and I mean a bunch.  I think a group of stripers got lost in the high water and then when it went down, so did they.  No small fish.
4. I'm starting to really really dig the MacBook.  Very very fast machine.  If I can get others to buy into them to, Lord only knows what can happen.
5. So Gordon Keith has now reverted to inserting pictures of scantily clad women.  Not gonna happen here.
6. It's late, I'm tired, Letterman is so-so, I'm out.  BTW, how's them beans Dave?

Scoreboard

Any chance I get to scoreboard the hated Longhorn, I'll take it.

February, 2009 Texas Bar Examination Results

1. Baylor 97.06% (33 of 34)
2. U of H 89.19% (33 of 37)
3. Tex. Tech 88.57% (31 of 35)
4. St. Mary’s 87.50% (28 of 32)
5. SMU 83.61% (51 of 61)
6. UT 83.33% (20 of 24)
7. South Texas 80.67% (96 of 119)
8. Texas Wesleyan 77.36% (41 of 53)
9. Texas Southern 40.74% (11 of 27)

Cerveza de Mayo

Happy to you and it is and everything. Sounds like I've already had a few huh? Today is the second annual Cerveza de Mayo at our house. Not sure of the head count but we have baby back ribs, brisket, sausage, drumsticks and all the trimmings. It shall be quite the event so bring on the rain.

I spent almost 3 hours doing yard work yesterday and boy are my arms tired. One weed eater will start then die and I'm not a mechanic so the heck with it. The other one is pretty heavy, a co-worker gave it to me for that very reason. It works like a champ you just better be in shape to use it. It was difficult to get it done with all the rain we've had but it looked like crap and actually still does.

The Ford is paid for and I couldn't be happier. I would love to get a new one but I like the idea of having the extra $$$ to put into savings. Or spend it. Or give it to charity.

Have a good weekend.

My Two Cents

The schools closing for swine flue are strange. Yeah, hot sports opinion there. I guess only time will tell whether it's panic or not. I've heard lots of information but still am not sure of the difference. Can anyone enlighten me? Is it just that they don't have an antibiotic for this strand of the flu?

I wonder how much impact this leaves on the TAKS testing and since the UIL shut down the sports events, how much longer will the playoffs take after school is dismissed for the summer. I remember the state baseball playoffs going on after school was out back in the day.

Why does the rain sound, smell and look so good? I just love it. Don't get me wrong, I don't love it enough to move to Seattle. I don't like their sports teams except the Huskies. Cool mascot.

My weight fluctuated 11 lbs. in the last 24 hours. Went up 5 yesterday after my bike ride then when I weighed this morning I was down 6 from bedtime. Net gain/loss -1. It took just under 58 minutes to complete the 12 mile greenbelt. That's averaging about 12 mph. (Quick, huh). If I average 13 MPH, how long will it take. First correct answer gets a triple fake Internet prize.

No pictures today although it would be very easy to throw any of the following on the blog: 2 pennies, surgical mask, bicycle, scale, picture of Seattle, two deer. Saw two very large does on the greenbelt yesterday hauling ass. How many of you read that word right?

Sunday Happenings

So I went organic with my gardening and lawn care a couple of years ago and it's not working all that well. I guess it's not that big of a deal since I was frustrated with chemical treatments not working either. I've used molasses, corn gluten, organic fertilizer, ant killer, and have an compost pile although it isn't kept up very well. I need to put out some more fertilizer since it's supposed to rain. Problem is, if we get too much rain too fast won't it just wash away? Hmm.

I also need to get the boat cover strapped down tight. It's on just not strapped down tight enough to allow the rain to flow off. It has a tendency to puddle up.

We were thinking of going to the Denton Arts and Jazz festival this afternoon but do we want to be victims similar to the May Fest crowd of about 10 years ago? One of the wife's co-workers son has a band that is playing and Brave Combo always ends the festival.

We also need to get one of the faster growing sons new shorts. Is it possible that we are shrinking his clothes? He is almost as tall as his mother now so my money is on another growth spurt.

Movie Time

I remember watching John Wayne movies with my parents and brother (sometimes) and thinking John was the greatest. Tough, cussed every once in a while, almost never died, had great horses, I could keep going on but you get the picture. Seems like the movies hold up to the test of time. I'm watching Chisum and although the opening is quite cheesey I am enjoying the production. There is a little bit of bad acting but I imagine John had nothing to do with that. It's also in HD which guarantees the mountains look like mountains and the rivers look like water. Two thumbs up. Based on the real life experiences of Mr. Chisum.

Still Kickin' @ Roberts

The winds were probably the highest they've ever been tonight (18 MPH) when I was on the water. After we left the creek and got back out on the main lake it was pretty bumpy. We were very fortunate to be headed right into the wind so we didn't get wet and there was no side to side action going on. That's the most dangerous part. The boat handled very well and we made it back no worse for the wear. Count tonight...188. That's my counting technique to keep track...Caught 18 and kept 8. My partner didn't fare as well but he put another one in the live well. I took a couple of pictures but am kinda beat so maybe I'll post them tomorrow. Another fine bag of fillets in the freezer. Now who should I invite to the fish fry???

Thoughts

Is it old age or what? I have several thoughts during the day and say to myself "you should put that in the blog". But later I have no idea what the hell it was. I mean these are really good things that the world needs to know. But I draw a blank. I guess I could put notes in my iTouch but when I'm working on the boat or in the yard, well you know. How about an old fashioned notepad? K. I'll just add the pocket protector and I'm all set. Maybe the black socks with tennis shoes too? I can see myself now. Tucked around the corner hiding from all the neighbors. That would cut down on the yard work though. Hmmm.

CrappieRaider is Back

Newest information from Ray Roberts. We fished a creek that averaged 6 inches to 6 feet of water. The fish seemed to like the deeper water as if they are just waiting to go shallow. Most fish were caught in 12-18 inches of water on jigs, they preferred something with white on them. I caught a few fish on minnows but the only keeper was a sand bass.That 's a picture of the eleven keepers just before cleaning and the 2-2.5 lb bass that I released. That was pretty fun on a 9' rod with 4 lb test.

Feel Good

This video is all over the Internets so I bet most of you have already seen it. My observations:

1. Simon is greatness.
2. The crowds over there are a little more into it than they are in America.
3. I have trouble understanding the British.
4. Was there any doubt that she was going to be that good?
5. I like pie.
6. That female judge is hottt. (insert Jeff Dunham dialect here)
   

Struggling

I'm watching "Totally 80's" videos on VH-1 Classic and recalling ZZ Top greatness. Do they stand the test of time? The videos might look cheezy now but digitize them and put them in HD...pretty sweet still.

I jinxed the boy as he struck out yesterday. He also walked but that broke his 1.000 OBP. Their game was one of the worst I have every seen at that level. They did very little right and when they did, "mean coach" found something to berate them about. I asked one of the other coaches if he felt we confuse or overload them. His response was "Maybe it will pay off in the future." The future is now, we're almost half way there.

My 8 year old asked a great question that I couldn't answer. "Dad, why is there a bunny that hides candy on Easter?" I never gave it much thought but here evidently is the answer.

Next scheduled crappie trip: Tuesday and/or Wednesday evening(s). I've got an area targeted and hope it pays off. I think the weekend rain and some daytime heating will pay off this time.

Update? What Update?

• Struck out on Tuesday, didn't get but a few bites. The two creeks we have fished in the past are pretty dried up. One is gone the other is about 2-3 ft deep and very difficult to get to. Trying to find a spawning area has been hard.

• Had one good sized crappie at the boat today but he got off. Did land a very nice sand bass and gave it to a couple of guys at the ramp. We fished in several depths with jigs and minnows but the front last night and the 15-20 MPH winds really hurt our chances.
  
• We will not lose all of our games in baseball this year. Came back to tie in the last inning and with the tie limit, final score was 14-14.
• I might try my luck with the crappie again tomorrow evening if weather permits. Kinda want it to rain so it wouldn't break my heart if I didn't make it.
• Side note, I've dropped 13.5 lbs since the beginning of the year. I think that's a good pace and hope I can keep it off. Let's try to have that number doubled that by the end of June.
• Chandler has gotten on base every at bat this year (jinx). He's 3-3 with 4 walks. I owe him $3.00 for tonight, one hit and two RBI. Money well spent.
• In two weeks the truck will be paid off. WOO-HOO!
• Zach is building an MG-42 out of Legos and it looks pretty impressive. Maybe I'll post a picture. He's is also trying to get it in working order minus the bullets.
  

Tuesday is For Fishing

Today is my annual TAKS fishing trip. Since all classroom computers are shut down and we can't get into the classrooms, it is a good opportunity to check it out. Should start warming up in an hour or two so I'll run an errand or two then hope to head out about 10:00. Wish me luck.

I scheduled the MRI for my back for Thursday. Oddly enough the place I have to go is in the same parking lot as the Back Institute. After cooling down from my previous rant I came to realize that you can't just sit there (MRI machine) waiting for people to come into the office. However, they had several openings for today so there is a lot of flexibility in their schedule. Just saying.

Seems like everyone is getting caught up in the Facebook thing now. I saw where two of my friend's mothers are involved int his phenomena. Next? The 115 year old in Georgia who voted for Obama because he is for the "colored". It's her quote not mine.

Bunch of Crap

So I went to the Texas Back Institute so I could get a good diagnosis of my problem and a plan of action. They actually asked what I wanted from the visit and that's what I wrote. They took an x-ray, blood pressure, then came time to see the doc. He was fairly young, asked me to do a few things, touch your toes, bend backward, etc. Nothing extreme. He then told me nothing was really wrong and I could get an MRI if I felt it was needed. Excuse me, isn't it your job to tell me whether it's necessary or not?

We discussed the cost of an MRI and how it might take some time so...I told him to schedule one and if I feel better in a few days I can still cancel. This is the exact same thing that happened when I had my knee checked out. These specialists did nothing that my regular doctor wouldn't have done and that kinda pisses me off. I didn't see any rubber gloves which is a good sign but c'mon people. Shouldn't they have the option to give an MRI at their facility or one nearby? What do Institute mean?

The follow up is in 6 weeks and if I don't feel like I need to keep it I can cancel it too. Seems like this place is for people that have major problems and don't have time for the less severe cases. Which bring me to the reason I went in the first place. I've had some pain since last summer but recently aggravated it enough to where I could barely stand or walk. I wanted to find out how to correct his before it gets worse. IMO another $35 down the drain. And I wasn't shown my x-ray which I thought was pretty standard.

I Got Nothin'

It was a long week and will more than likely be a short weekend. The End.

Email at Work

Contents of an email that I received at work. True, so very true:

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee . .

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions–and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else–the small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. “Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first–the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

Early AM Thoughts

while I sit hear waiting for a server to do it's part of the rebuilding process, I had a few thoughts:

1. School buildings are kinda creepy at 4:30 in the morning. I've been in the server closet dozens of times sometimes earlier than this but it will always stay this way.
2. I'm trying to come up with a new fitness goal now that the 3P is over.
3. What time does the sun come up now?
4. There was an interesting piece on 60 Minutes regarding viruses. The server I am working on includes the one they were referring to. I'll try to find the video later. Aptly named "The Internet is Infected".

I'll be back later, time for the next step on the rebuild. Oh Happy Day!!!

Why BB Drives me Crazy

How is this not carrying the ball? Watch his hand go under the ball and turn over. He's making the exact motion that the referee makes when making the call.

Incredible Art

1. I like the ones that appear to be one continuous strand. Right here baby.
2. Genius or not? Bonus knowledge at the end if you can hang in there for it.
   

Because You Asked for It

Here's how things went yesterday. First a timeline:

6:15 Arrive at the 428 area, sign in and get all our stuff, including long sleeve t-shirt that will come in handy later. Yes, it's snowing.
6:30ish Partner shows up and we get everything set in our area just missing the first shuttle run.
7:00 Shuttle bus takes us to the 455 start line where there are dozens of canoes awaiting the 91 teams. We muddle around, get our life jackets and paddles then select a canoe.
7:30ish Our heat consists of three 2-man teams one of who I know.
7:35ish We're on our way.

There are several other little details in that first hour but none really worth mentioning other than hearing our team name on the megaphone. Funny. BTW, we chose "That's What She Said". I received shirts from Amazon on Friday so that was cool too.

I had two goals. First, finish the event. I've been working towards this for a few months as a method to get in shape so finishing would kind of legitimize the miles I've put on the bike and running shoes. Second, don't fall in. This is pretty obvious since it's 35 degrees outside. Plus all the pictures from last year that show people underwater...let's just say I had a few laughs.

We are moving along pretty well down the river, even passing one or two other groups. I wondered out loud how much further and another contestant said, "I don't think we're quite half way". Wow. There were several obstacles, low water levels, rocks, etc. but we were navigating them pretty well.

Shortly after the half way point there was an obstacle, then a sharp turn to the left and the current was pushing us to the right. We both started paddling on the left and with the weight from both of us on that side, well, we tipped. F'in cold at first. I think we both submerged but kept our paddles and canoe. It was very difficult getting the canoe tipped over and after about 5 minutes we manager to get going again. I was more shocked that pissed. Goal number 2: FAILED

We kept going and were navigating the course at a more cautious pace. We were getting passed by a few but still managed to keep up with the main group we started with. There were a few places that were only wide enough for a canoe and several tree branches that we had to duck or bob one way or the other. That's how the second dip in the pool happened. I think the canoe got stuck on the branch as we were ducking, there was another canoe hitting us in the rear and we just tipped. Still not sure what really happened. We were in shallow water (2 ft.) but it was still cold. Goal number 2: FAILED AGAIN

It was another 20-30 minutes to the end of the line and when we got there we carried our canoe up the bank and about 20 concrete steps. That was not easy. We were drenched and the bank was nothing but mud. About half way up the stairs some of the Parks and Rec people were helping everyone out, thank god.

We headed to our staging area where I grabbed my duffel bag and went to the restroom and changed. It took about 10 minutes because the clothes were just clinging to my body. I was wearing: shorts, running pants, lined wind breaker pants, t-shirt, 2 long sleeve t-shirts, team name t-shirt, windbreaker, sideline jacket from football team in Jal, NM. New gear included: two long sleeve shirts, team name t-shirt (wasn't that wet), shorts, fleece sweats. I also had two extra pairs of socks and my running shoes. The main problem was I didn't bring any extra under garment. Nothing warmed up the rest of the event...if you know what I mean.

We met back at the running area and took off walking to hopefully get some circulation going. After a couple hundred yards I told my partner I was gone. "I'll catch up to you in a bit." After the 1.25 turn around area, I started looking for him assuming he would be right behind. I can't remember where I was but I did pass him and we high-fived. At the finish line they called our current time but I don't remember what it was. I was surprised that I was able to complete the 2.5 miles without stopping.

My wife was there and came to see how we were doing. I was probably rude to her as I was cold and still wet in some places. The last part, biking 12 mi. was actually the easiest part. I did not wait for my teammate but knew we had to finish together. I wanted to keep moving. For the first 2 or 3 miles I saw very few teams. Things started picking up and I was passing a few occasional bikers but nothing significant. I remember shortly past mile 4 seeing a few of the younger more athletic and gung-ho teams coming the other direction but wasn't discouraged. Figured if I just kept a good even pace we would be fine.

After the turn around I started passing more groups and that was encouraging. However, I still had not passed my teammate. Not sure how far he had come but I remembered one gentleman that was extremely slow and figured he would surely get past him. There he was at the 8 mile mark, coming the other direction. Not my teammate, the other guy. At that point I figured he was not coming so I kicked in up a notch. Now I'm not bragging here and remember the teams have to finish together so there's a handicap there. But in that last 4 miles I estimate passing 20-25 people. The last 2 miles was brutal into the wind with no protection from the trees. But the most important thing was Goal 1: NOT FAILED