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.”