I don't normally comment on current events/news of the day, but the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut touched a nerve with me.
So here are some thoughts.
I have only three first cousins. One lives in Newtown, and is married with three kids, none of whom are first-grade age. I don't know how much sleep she's had in the last 48 hours. She has to be heartbroken-- violence has penetrated what seemed like a safe and quiet community, and she (and countless others) undoubtedly knows parents who are trying to make funeral arrangements. I saw her being active on Facebook during the day and it was reassuring.
For me, church is a place of solace-- a place where I say words, hear words spoken and listen to music. It helps me get my week off to a great start. We had a good discussion in Sunday School, and our priest had a good message. He spoke not as a priest but as a parent of a 10 and 6-year old, and the pain and hurt and confusion were evident in his words and in the furrow on his brow. I didn't find any answers in church, none of us did. But there was no anger in his voice, and it was soothing to me that hatred was not spoken and that God's love was.
Which brings me to parents. I'll include educators here as well. What is it like to go to work or to be a parent and send our kid to school, knowing the randomness could strike them next? Isn't school supposed to be a place where folks can learn and be safe?
The pattern is pretty much the same-- we've seen it so many times before. Shooting incident is followed by shock/outrage, which cues the media horde that descends to report/exploit the event by sticking microphones in the faces of those who grieve. Then we talk about the heroes who saved the lives of others, we make speeches and bracelets, get video of a few funerals, and hang around town for a few days until the buzz dies down, only to return in one/five/ten years to talk about it all over again. I can almost see the items being checked off the list as they happen.
And what makes me the saddest-- is that this will happen again. Newtown is the newest addition to the list of cities that have experienced this -- Phoenix, Blacksburg, Jonesboro, Paducah, Aurora, Littleton... And nothing has changed. To me, it means that folks in those communities died for nothing. They were struck down as tragically as those in Connecticut, but there has been plenty of time to figure something out so that this doesn't happen again. But we haven't. I believe that if a variable is changed, the result should change as well.
No variables have changed, so the result won't change. And the teachers and six-year-olds of Newtown, Connecticut will also have died for nothing.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Vegas III
So it's time to get back to work a little bit around here.
We'll start with cleaning up from the September Las Vegas trip which saw my college friends Drew and Heather get married. It's a little fuzzy and distant in my rear-view mirror now, but we'll do our best.
It was great seeing the old gang. They're different-- been through some things, made some choices, and raised kids. Yet they're the same good people that I came to know nearly 20 years ago at Texas Tech. I'm still incredulous that my path continues to cross the paths of so many good, solid individuals. I'm also pleased to still call them friends.
We stayed at the Excalibur. The rooms are no frills of course, since they want you downstairs spending money. There wasn't a whole lot of structure to the weekend-- no rehearsal dinner or anything like that. Just the wedding. Beforehand, we got out and about a little-- walked around some, drank margaritas, and watched football. It's amazing just how much infrastructure is there. It seemed like I could walk across town and not go outside, what with all the underground walkways and monorail systems.
The First Lady is typically in charge of the restauranting on our journeys-- we started at Fleur at the Mandalay Bay, where we observed happy hour and nibbled on fried chickpeas-- nothing too much, yet crunchy enough to satisfy us. Then we met up with the other married couple and decided to head to RM Seafood, also at MB. It was close to 9:00 pm by now, so I didn't order much-- a bowl of clam chowder and a Thai green papaya salad. Both were delicious. This was a great chance to catch up with Jacky and Kathleen, whom we'd not seen since our wedding three years ago.
As our last meal before heading to the airport, we stopped at Fleur again, having seen and tasted enough to want to go back to see what they could do. It was Monday lunch so it was not crowded, so we walked right in with our luggage and sat down.
Ann had a croque monsieur, basically a French version of a ham and cheese sandwich. She reports this version was toasted and had a very special sauce. I had a short rib lasagna that I now remember as being quite good.
The wedding, also hosted by the MB, was at sunset at the outdoor artificial beach and was nondenominational and secular in nature, as the newlyweds are not religious. I was perfectly suited for my role, which involved being the number two behind the best man. Jacky and Drew go further back (and also live considerably closer to each other), so the Jackal played the role of best man.
We went upstairs to the soon-to-be honeymoon suite and waited for the newlyweds. The reception was in the suite, and was limited to 15 to 20 folks. After some food, conversation, and fun, we said our goodbyes and went back to Excalibur for a nightcap.
Kathleen and Jacky also stayed at Excalibur, and we met up with them for a short breakfast and say aloha before they headed to the airport. Again, I moved to Oklahoma, Kansas, and now Alabama, so my time with these good friends is always very rare and never long enough when it happens.
Before long, it was our turn to head to McCarran and our flight back to civilization.
We'll start with cleaning up from the September Las Vegas trip which saw my college friends Drew and Heather get married. It's a little fuzzy and distant in my rear-view mirror now, but we'll do our best.
We stayed at the Excalibur. The rooms are no frills of course, since they want you downstairs spending money. There wasn't a whole lot of structure to the weekend-- no rehearsal dinner or anything like that. Just the wedding. Beforehand, we got out and about a little-- walked around some, drank margaritas, and watched football. It's amazing just how much infrastructure is there. It seemed like I could walk across town and not go outside, what with all the underground walkways and monorail systems.
The First Lady is typically in charge of the restauranting on our journeys-- we started at Fleur at the Mandalay Bay, where we observed happy hour and nibbled on fried chickpeas-- nothing too much, yet crunchy enough to satisfy us. Then we met up with the other married couple and decided to head to RM Seafood, also at MB. It was close to 9:00 pm by now, so I didn't order much-- a bowl of clam chowder and a Thai green papaya salad. Both were delicious. This was a great chance to catch up with Jacky and Kathleen, whom we'd not seen since our wedding three years ago.
As our last meal before heading to the airport, we stopped at Fleur again, having seen and tasted enough to want to go back to see what they could do. It was Monday lunch so it was not crowded, so we walked right in with our luggage and sat down.
The wedding, also hosted by the MB, was at sunset at the outdoor artificial beach and was nondenominational and secular in nature, as the newlyweds are not religious. I was perfectly suited for my role, which involved being the number two behind the best man. Jacky and Drew go further back (and also live considerably closer to each other), so the Jackal played the role of best man.
Kathleen and Jacky also stayed at Excalibur, and we met up with them for a short breakfast and say aloha before they headed to the airport. Again, I moved to Oklahoma, Kansas, and now Alabama, so my time with these good friends is always very rare and never long enough when it happens.
Before long, it was our turn to head to McCarran and our flight back to civilization.
Friday, October 12, 2012
It's Just Not Worth It
Okay, this time I think I've got it all figured out.
Well, of course I don't. But I have learned something very important here in the last few weeks.
It's just not worth it. It's really not.
Anyone who knows me understands that I have a scorching case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Nothing has been officially diagnosed, but I sure do seem to need a sense of order to things. Anything that's out of sorts sets me off. Someone not turning off a light. Not signaling for a safe lane change. Folks not waiting their turn. If I see a news story where order is not followed and rules are not obeyed, watch out.
This is where I just tell myself that it's not worth it. I used to want to fight every battle. I used to want to tell others and scream from the mountaintop when someone interrupted a speaker, or was rude, or whatever.
But I'm learning to release. Especially when I am merely an observer and it's not my problem. If I get worked up over every little thing, it'll eat me alive. It's someone else's concern and not mine.
Well, of course I don't. But I have learned something very important here in the last few weeks.
It's just not worth it. It's really not.
Anyone who knows me understands that I have a scorching case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Nothing has been officially diagnosed, but I sure do seem to need a sense of order to things. Anything that's out of sorts sets me off. Someone not turning off a light. Not signaling for a safe lane change. Folks not waiting their turn. If I see a news story where order is not followed and rules are not obeyed, watch out.
This is where I just tell myself that it's not worth it. I used to want to fight every battle. I used to want to tell others and scream from the mountaintop when someone interrupted a speaker, or was rude, or whatever.
But I'm learning to release. Especially when I am merely an observer and it's not my problem. If I get worked up over every little thing, it'll eat me alive. It's someone else's concern and not mine.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Vegas II
It's Las Vegas, so there's always plenty to see.
One of the first things I did was go watch college football from the sports book at the Excalibur, which is a unique experience. I'm used to being on one side or the other and rooting for a win or a loss. There, people are obviously more interested in the spread, so it was interesting to see who was cheering for who, and why.
The one thing I did most was walk. You can walk, and walk, and walk and still never get where you're going, even though you can reach out and touch the place you want to go. With all the walking there was lots of people watching. I saw one tastefully dressed person wearing K-State purple. I was not similarly dressed, but I did give him an EMAW as we passed one another. He replied in kind. This was not too long after the Cats beat Miami 52-13, so all was right with the world.
Many others chose to dress poorly, seemingly always wearing (or not wearing) things that do not flatter themselves or their body types. I'll let it go at that.
I also remember sitting in McCarran International Airport and looking out the windows. I saw mountains that really looked like the homeland. I know I've been away from the desert longer than I was a part of it as a kid, but it sure reminded me of the terrain in El Paso and seeing mountains as soon as I walked out the door. Kinda seemed like home.
Let's see-- what else am I missing here. Oh yeah, the casinos. I'd been to Sin City in 1998 or 99 with some different friends, and I was curious to see what all the gambling was about. So I tried some craps and some blackjack, and lost a minimal amount. But I'm older (wiser?) now, and I had zero interest in any gaming. None. May have something to do with being married to a financial planner, may have something to do with working hard enough for the money we do have. So we laid off the tables, except for the two bucks I lost on video poker. I kind of wanted to see my friend in action, since he's had his rooms comped by casino types because he's been there and done this. But no such luck.
One of the first things I did was go watch college football from the sports book at the Excalibur, which is a unique experience. I'm used to being on one side or the other and rooting for a win or a loss. There, people are obviously more interested in the spread, so it was interesting to see who was cheering for who, and why.
The one thing I did most was walk. You can walk, and walk, and walk and still never get where you're going, even though you can reach out and touch the place you want to go. With all the walking there was lots of people watching. I saw one tastefully dressed person wearing K-State purple. I was not similarly dressed, but I did give him an EMAW as we passed one another. He replied in kind. This was not too long after the Cats beat Miami 52-13, so all was right with the world.
Many others chose to dress poorly, seemingly always wearing (or not wearing) things that do not flatter themselves or their body types. I'll let it go at that.
I also remember sitting in McCarran International Airport and looking out the windows. I saw mountains that really looked like the homeland. I know I've been away from the desert longer than I was a part of it as a kid, but it sure reminded me of the terrain in El Paso and seeing mountains as soon as I walked out the door. Kinda seemed like home.
Let's see-- what else am I missing here. Oh yeah, the casinos. I'd been to Sin City in 1998 or 99 with some different friends, and I was curious to see what all the gambling was about. So I tried some craps and some blackjack, and lost a minimal amount. But I'm older (wiser?) now, and I had zero interest in any gaming. None. May have something to do with being married to a financial planner, may have something to do with working hard enough for the money we do have. So we laid off the tables, except for the two bucks I lost on video poker. I kind of wanted to see my friend in action, since he's had his rooms comped by casino types because he's been there and done this. But no such luck.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Vegas I
A good friend from college got married in Las Vegas over the weekend, and the wife and I got home last night at about 11:45 PM after a three-day and two-night excursion to Sin City.
I'll try to break things down a little bit at a time by category and not chronologically over the next little while. First up-- the traveling itself.
First thing Saturday morning was 3 o'clock, and we left the house a little after 4:00, stopping at the fast food joint on the way out of town. We got our order in decently enough, but decided to punt after sitting in the same line, in the same place for ten minutes.
So we headed into Birmingham without breakfast, and no prospect of it. Our Delta flight left the gate on time but took off 30 minutes late, which didn't help us, since we had to catch a connecting flight. The original plan was to fly into Memphis and then head west, but then the plan changed (and so did our seating assignment, thanks) and we flew into Atlanta and followed a half-hour flight with a 3:47 trip across the country. The vibe on a plane headed for Vegas is upbeat, and there were lots of folks with energy to burn. Given when our day started, we weren't among them. No checked baggage, so we went from the gate to the cab line and off to Excalibur.
American Airlines flew us home, leaving McCarran International at 2:45 Monday. We flew into Dallas and then to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth at 10:40 PM. It was really weird walking into an airport that was basically closed. All the shops were shuttered for the night and there were very few people who weren't travelers. It seemed like a ghost town. We headed west on Interstate 20/59, driving home in just under an hour.
We would also like to take this time to thank the Department of Homeland Security, who is keeping our country safe. They're also keeping a half-empty bottle of the wife's shampoo in the name of national security. They even ran a test on her contact lens solution on the way out of town Saturday morning. The bottles weren't the required size, I realize, but come on.
Anyhow, more to follow, including people watching, the wedding, my friends, the scenery, and more.
I'll try to break things down a little bit at a time by category and not chronologically over the next little while. First up-- the traveling itself.
First thing Saturday morning was 3 o'clock, and we left the house a little after 4:00, stopping at the fast food joint on the way out of town. We got our order in decently enough, but decided to punt after sitting in the same line, in the same place for ten minutes.
So we headed into Birmingham without breakfast, and no prospect of it. Our Delta flight left the gate on time but took off 30 minutes late, which didn't help us, since we had to catch a connecting flight. The original plan was to fly into Memphis and then head west, but then the plan changed (and so did our seating assignment, thanks) and we flew into Atlanta and followed a half-hour flight with a 3:47 trip across the country. The vibe on a plane headed for Vegas is upbeat, and there were lots of folks with energy to burn. Given when our day started, we weren't among them. No checked baggage, so we went from the gate to the cab line and off to Excalibur.
American Airlines flew us home, leaving McCarran International at 2:45 Monday. We flew into Dallas and then to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth at 10:40 PM. It was really weird walking into an airport that was basically closed. All the shops were shuttered for the night and there were very few people who weren't travelers. It seemed like a ghost town. We headed west on Interstate 20/59, driving home in just under an hour.
We would also like to take this time to thank the Department of Homeland Security, who is keeping our country safe. They're also keeping a half-empty bottle of the wife's shampoo in the name of national security. They even ran a test on her contact lens solution on the way out of town Saturday morning. The bottles weren't the required size, I realize, but come on.
Anyhow, more to follow, including people watching, the wedding, my friends, the scenery, and more.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Conventions
I've spent the last week or so watching the political conventions. The Republicans last week, and the Democrats this week. The First Lady and I watched most of last week, and we're on track to do the same this week.
Most times, I tend to get too wound up in the political process, but right now I've found the conventions to be great fun. We pay little attention to what they say (it's been said over and over) and focus more on the entertainment value. How bad his (alleged) hair looked, crowd cutaways, and what so-and-so wore are all fair game for us. Sometimes we share it with each other, sometimes with our friends on Twitter. And the folks we follow on Twitter usually have nuggets to share. I've done pretty well so far, keeping things in perspective-- understanding that 99% of this is just theater.
As for the political parties, my leanings are a little more toward the Democratic side. That said, I know that most (all?) are bought, sold, and paid for. On both sides.
What disappoints and saddens me is the hate. People wishing that evil things happen to decent people just because someone disagrees. We can and should and must do better.
Most times, I tend to get too wound up in the political process, but right now I've found the conventions to be great fun. We pay little attention to what they say (it's been said over and over) and focus more on the entertainment value. How bad his (alleged) hair looked, crowd cutaways, and what so-and-so wore are all fair game for us. Sometimes we share it with each other, sometimes with our friends on Twitter. And the folks we follow on Twitter usually have nuggets to share. I've done pretty well so far, keeping things in perspective-- understanding that 99% of this is just theater.
As for the political parties, my leanings are a little more toward the Democratic side. That said, I know that most (all?) are bought, sold, and paid for. On both sides.
What disappoints and saddens me is the hate. People wishing that evil things happen to decent people just because someone disagrees. We can and should and must do better.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Footy
Well, I guess we all know how that last experiment turned out, don't we?
I can remember being in junior high in the 1980s and being able to watch Australian Rules Football on ESPN, via a one-hour TV program sent to the states from our friends Down Under. Stephen Quartermain was the studio host, and they'd show standings (the ladder) and game highlights from the previous week in what was then the Victorian Football League. My recollection is that Hawthorn and Carlton were two of the better sides in those days, and that Richmond was always a doormat.
I don't remember a whole lot from those days, but I do recall the old Fitzroy Lions and Footscray Bulldogs, who now exist as the Brisbane Lions (nee Bears) and Western Bulldogs. Port Adelaide, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, and Fremantle are the squads that are still pretty new to me. I even bought a preview magazine plus a West Coast and St. Kilda t-shirt when my ship pulled into Cairns, Australia in 1993. I paid too much for them, but I was 21 and didn't care.
Unfortunately, these days, I've been unable to find any game to watch-- even the Grand Final, their Super Bowl. St. Kilda and Collingwood played two Grand Finals a couple years back (first one, remarkably, ended in a tie), and ESPN3 streamed it, but nothing since then. But through the magic of Twitter, I've rekindled my interest by following the AFL feed. I have no real rooting interest in any of the teams, but I enjoy getting the tweets, even if they play mainly during the overnight hours on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I can catch a little before I go to bed and the tail end when I'm having my first cup of coffee the next morning. Video highlights are even available on YouTube.
I don't pretend to know much about tactics-- to me it all seems like a big free for all. It's definitely not a sport for the faint of heart. But I've secured a promise from the First Lady that I'll be able to attend an AFL match should we ever travel to Australia during the season.
I just wouldn't know whose colors to wear. I'd probably just wear K-State purple to be safe.
I can remember being in junior high in the 1980s and being able to watch Australian Rules Football on ESPN, via a one-hour TV program sent to the states from our friends Down Under. Stephen Quartermain was the studio host, and they'd show standings (the ladder) and game highlights from the previous week in what was then the Victorian Football League. My recollection is that Hawthorn and Carlton were two of the better sides in those days, and that Richmond was always a doormat.
I don't remember a whole lot from those days, but I do recall the old Fitzroy Lions and Footscray Bulldogs, who now exist as the Brisbane Lions (nee Bears) and Western Bulldogs. Port Adelaide, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, and Fremantle are the squads that are still pretty new to me. I even bought a preview magazine plus a West Coast and St. Kilda t-shirt when my ship pulled into Cairns, Australia in 1993. I paid too much for them, but I was 21 and didn't care.
Unfortunately, these days, I've been unable to find any game to watch-- even the Grand Final, their Super Bowl. St. Kilda and Collingwood played two Grand Finals a couple years back (first one, remarkably, ended in a tie), and ESPN3 streamed it, but nothing since then. But through the magic of Twitter, I've rekindled my interest by following the AFL feed. I have no real rooting interest in any of the teams, but I enjoy getting the tweets, even if they play mainly during the overnight hours on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I can catch a little before I go to bed and the tail end when I'm having my first cup of coffee the next morning. Video highlights are even available on YouTube.
I don't pretend to know much about tactics-- to me it all seems like a big free for all. It's definitely not a sport for the faint of heart. But I've secured a promise from the First Lady that I'll be able to attend an AFL match should we ever travel to Australia during the season.
I just wouldn't know whose colors to wear. I'd probably just wear K-State purple to be safe.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Direction
I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about where to go with this blog. I've not been here much recently, because I just don't think my life is all that exciting to where I should come here and tell you about it. Besides, the important things that are going on under our big top need to stay there and don't need to be aired in a forum like this. The little things, such as my inability to return library books promptly, would bore you to tears.
We've tried the storytelling thing, I've enjoyed it and I'll probably still do it, but that ties into my perception that I'm not worth all that attention. I've thought about talking about current events, but I see how toxic that atmosphere is, and I don't really need any more angst in my life. I love running, but my Woodrow Miles blog (link at the right) satisfies that jones.
So right now, my thought is to write a short story. I've never done this before-- never taken a course for it or anything. I don't know who the characters will be or what they'll be like. I'm unsure if I'll even want to continue, though maybe the people in the story will want me to end things, lest they be left hanging out there in limbo.
But hopefully this will keep me coming back to this place and putting myself out there a little bit-- commit to something and see what I'm really capable of doing. I don't think I'll become Stephen King or anything, but I like the feeling of accomplishment after I write something on either of my blogs. There might be a little day to day and I might tell an old story or two as well.
So we'll see.
We've tried the storytelling thing, I've enjoyed it and I'll probably still do it, but that ties into my perception that I'm not worth all that attention. I've thought about talking about current events, but I see how toxic that atmosphere is, and I don't really need any more angst in my life. I love running, but my Woodrow Miles blog (link at the right) satisfies that jones.
So right now, my thought is to write a short story. I've never done this before-- never taken a course for it or anything. I don't know who the characters will be or what they'll be like. I'm unsure if I'll even want to continue, though maybe the people in the story will want me to end things, lest they be left hanging out there in limbo.
But hopefully this will keep me coming back to this place and putting myself out there a little bit-- commit to something and see what I'm really capable of doing. I don't think I'll become Stephen King or anything, but I like the feeling of accomplishment after I write something on either of my blogs. There might be a little day to day and I might tell an old story or two as well.
So we'll see.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Memorial Day
While I worked at the radio station in Clay Center, a coworker asked me to fill in as the engineer for a remote broadcast. Two guys were who knows where but in separate locations, and I was in the studio at base camp, in charge of recording their program for playback later in the day.
Turns out, I sat in on a Veteran's Day-themed broadcast on the said day. One of the two gentlemen on the show knew of my time in the Navy, and thanked me for my service. I thanked him for his remembrance. They asked me a little bit about my time, and what Veteran's Day meant to me. More on that in a bit.
I served from 1989 to 1993 and was stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and reported to the USS Benjamin Stoddert in February '90 and made one Eastpac deployment that October. The Navy tried to keep family members in the same neighborhood, and my brother was also stationed on a ship in Pearl.
Following the Stoddert's December '91 decommissioning, I worked on the base, doing various jobs until my new ship, USS Worden, returned to the islands. I cut grass with the First Lieutenant's office, then I worked with a Seabees unit that helped refurbish military housing. If there was ever a person miscast as a builder, it was me. I had no idea how to hang sheet rock. Still don't. But it was shore duty, and I wasn't about to complain.
While I was between ships, the Worden was in the Persian Gulf, early in 1992 as part of Operation Desert Shield/Storm. It was a time of instability in the Gulf, and USS Stark had been hit by a missile in 1987, and USS Samuel B. Roberts hit a mine in 1988, so there was precedent that bad things could happen. Shipmates told me a little bit about what it was like to be in that kind of situation. One story still travels with me: a friend not worrying about being on watch (in an area near the bridge, similar to where the Stark was hit), but about going down below to sleep, wondering if he'd get up, or if he couldn't get out of the berthing area. The Navy is serious business, but I'd never felt that kind of pressure or stress during my time on the Benjamin Stoddert.
So the Worden I reported to was full of battle-tested sailors who had to be at their absolute best. I stood watch with many of those same guys in 92-93 during Operation Southern Watch.
It's the primary reason why I don't really puff my chest out on Memorial Day or Veteran's Day-- other people were getting shot at or wondering if they'd wake up the next morning. Not me. I came to understand that it's a common thought among soldiers and sailors-- that the other guys were the heroes.
So I'm always honored by the kind words from folks, but others deserve them more than me.
Turns out, I sat in on a Veteran's Day-themed broadcast on the said day. One of the two gentlemen on the show knew of my time in the Navy, and thanked me for my service. I thanked him for his remembrance. They asked me a little bit about my time, and what Veteran's Day meant to me. More on that in a bit.
I served from 1989 to 1993 and was stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and reported to the USS Benjamin Stoddert in February '90 and made one Eastpac deployment that October. The Navy tried to keep family members in the same neighborhood, and my brother was also stationed on a ship in Pearl.
Following the Stoddert's December '91 decommissioning, I worked on the base, doing various jobs until my new ship, USS Worden, returned to the islands. I cut grass with the First Lieutenant's office, then I worked with a Seabees unit that helped refurbish military housing. If there was ever a person miscast as a builder, it was me. I had no idea how to hang sheet rock. Still don't. But it was shore duty, and I wasn't about to complain.
While I was between ships, the Worden was in the Persian Gulf, early in 1992 as part of Operation Desert Shield/Storm. It was a time of instability in the Gulf, and USS Stark had been hit by a missile in 1987, and USS Samuel B. Roberts hit a mine in 1988, so there was precedent that bad things could happen. Shipmates told me a little bit about what it was like to be in that kind of situation. One story still travels with me: a friend not worrying about being on watch (in an area near the bridge, similar to where the Stark was hit), but about going down below to sleep, wondering if he'd get up, or if he couldn't get out of the berthing area. The Navy is serious business, but I'd never felt that kind of pressure or stress during my time on the Benjamin Stoddert.
So the Worden I reported to was full of battle-tested sailors who had to be at their absolute best. I stood watch with many of those same guys in 92-93 during Operation Southern Watch.
It's the primary reason why I don't really puff my chest out on Memorial Day or Veteran's Day-- other people were getting shot at or wondering if they'd wake up the next morning. Not me. I came to understand that it's a common thought among soldiers and sailors-- that the other guys were the heroes.
So I'm always honored by the kind words from folks, but others deserve them more than me.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
One Year to the Day
Tomorrow makes one year since we began moving into our new home. I remember the early mornings, loading and unloading, waiting for the movers, and the never-ending process of getting settled.
It's all been worth it. We still absolutely love this place. I've had to learn to become a homeowner-- handling our own home repairs, dragging the trash can to the curb Tuesdays and Fridays, and cutting my own grass. Our small farm is doing well-- tomatoes and bell peppers require a little patience, but our mint yielded fresh greenery for our mint juleps on Derby a few weeks ago.
We've had the stop sign on the corner knocked over twice, the victim of drivers who fail to judge the curve correctly. Folks seem to come and go from the rental homes across the street, and I've found excellent places to satisfy my running habit.
We've come a long way, and there's more fun out there waiting for us.
It's all been worth it. We still absolutely love this place. I've had to learn to become a homeowner-- handling our own home repairs, dragging the trash can to the curb Tuesdays and Fridays, and cutting my own grass. Our small farm is doing well-- tomatoes and bell peppers require a little patience, but our mint yielded fresh greenery for our mint juleps on Derby a few weeks ago.
We've had the stop sign on the corner knocked over twice, the victim of drivers who fail to judge the curve correctly. Folks seem to come and go from the rental homes across the street, and I've found excellent places to satisfy my running habit.
We've come a long way, and there's more fun out there waiting for us.
Friday, April 27, 2012
It's Only Make Believe
I have a really bad tendency to get worked up over nothing. If there is no dissonance in my life, I'll think of something so that I can have some discord in my head. Something to stew and be upset about. It doesn't matter what it is-- some hateful words, an injustice, some disrespect-- I can turn it into instant angst. I seem to have a need to feel the sorrow of others and pull it onto myself. I know it's not healthy (I have problems of my own), but it's just how I am.
This is the end of a week when I've had to deal with that. I'm thinking of a situation at work where I feel there is injustice. The situation doesn't even concern me, and I realize that. It involves people who are grown adults, capable of making their own decisions. However, I can let my mind grab hold of this scenario, add a few ingredients, and whip it up into an incredible yoke to carry.
Thing is, I'm the only one who feels this way. I've worked with or spoken to each person recently, and there is no vibe from either of them to suggest that there is any beef or problem with me. I guess that's an important thing in my eyes, as well-- that I'm not bringing any discord into the world. But whatever's going on is not my problem. Might not even be theirs. But I've taken what I know (or think I know) of the situation, added a few details, thought about how I'd feel, and poof! I've got instant crisis. That I'm not part of the inner circle (which may be part of the problem-- flat out jealousy) and don't have all of the facts are irrelevant. I know what's best and I know justice isn't being served.
But it just doesn't matter what I think, and it never did.
So I'm working on getting control of what goes on in my head. It's been a challenge.
This is the end of a week when I've had to deal with that. I'm thinking of a situation at work where I feel there is injustice. The situation doesn't even concern me, and I realize that. It involves people who are grown adults, capable of making their own decisions. However, I can let my mind grab hold of this scenario, add a few ingredients, and whip it up into an incredible yoke to carry.
Thing is, I'm the only one who feels this way. I've worked with or spoken to each person recently, and there is no vibe from either of them to suggest that there is any beef or problem with me. I guess that's an important thing in my eyes, as well-- that I'm not bringing any discord into the world. But whatever's going on is not my problem. Might not even be theirs. But I've taken what I know (or think I know) of the situation, added a few details, thought about how I'd feel, and poof! I've got instant crisis. That I'm not part of the inner circle (which may be part of the problem-- flat out jealousy) and don't have all of the facts are irrelevant. I know what's best and I know justice isn't being served.
But it just doesn't matter what I think, and it never did.
So I'm working on getting control of what goes on in my head. It's been a challenge.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Story Time, Hockey Season
We're coming to the end of the first round of hockey's Stanley Cup Playoffs, which is one of my favorite times of the year. I won't bore you with why I like watching, especially since I've already devoted previous blog space to it.
I also saw where the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL just lost after winning 29 straight games, and it reminded me of the first game I saw live.
I joined the US Navy in August 1989, somehow surviving basic training, and proceded to my 14-week Operations Specialist "A" School, at Dam Neck, Virginia, near Norfolk in October. This is the off season in that part of the world-- rainy and windy and chilly. A sailor could do just about anything for a low, low price. Especially teenaged sailors who suddenly have a little freedom to move about, after 2+ months of confinement during boot camp.
As for the school itself, there were four classes of about 25 assigned to each barracks were we stayed, and the most senior class typically wasn't on the watchbill, for quarterdeck and rover watches, though the custom was to stay in the neighborhood, since you were still on duty.
The story picks up right around the first week of February, with my class, #90043, as the furthest along.
One Friday, a 'duty' day for my class, I was able to buy discounted Hampton Roads (as they were then known) Admirals hockey tickets on base and went, even though I knew I was taking a chance. So I got onto the bus headed to Norfolk Scope arena for the game against the Virginia Lancers. I remember buying a program and thinking I'd recognize a name or two on the rosters, but no dice. The final was 6-3, though I can't seem to recall who won.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the game was up. Of course I/we had been found out. It turned out I went in one direction, and some of my classmates had gone in another, so the safety was in numbers, and no trouble came our way.
I think I still have the program around here somewhere.
I also saw where the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL just lost after winning 29 straight games, and it reminded me of the first game I saw live.
I joined the US Navy in August 1989, somehow surviving basic training, and proceded to my 14-week Operations Specialist "A" School, at Dam Neck, Virginia, near Norfolk in October. This is the off season in that part of the world-- rainy and windy and chilly. A sailor could do just about anything for a low, low price. Especially teenaged sailors who suddenly have a little freedom to move about, after 2+ months of confinement during boot camp.
As for the school itself, there were four classes of about 25 assigned to each barracks were we stayed, and the most senior class typically wasn't on the watchbill, for quarterdeck and rover watches, though the custom was to stay in the neighborhood, since you were still on duty.
The story picks up right around the first week of February, with my class, #90043, as the furthest along.
One Friday, a 'duty' day for my class, I was able to buy discounted Hampton Roads (as they were then known) Admirals hockey tickets on base and went, even though I knew I was taking a chance. So I got onto the bus headed to Norfolk Scope arena for the game against the Virginia Lancers. I remember buying a program and thinking I'd recognize a name or two on the rosters, but no dice. The final was 6-3, though I can't seem to recall who won.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the game was up. Of course I/we had been found out. It turned out I went in one direction, and some of my classmates had gone in another, so the safety was in numbers, and no trouble came our way.
I think I still have the program around here somewhere.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Chigger Bites
Well, the weather has definitely turned for the better here in Alabama... It's the six weeks on either side of summer that nobody talks about-- humidity is what we're famous for. But for those six weeks, mornings are temperate and the sunshine positively glorious. Warm enough to wear shorts and flip flops, but not steaming hot.
This means it's now lawn and garden season. I'd spent some time raking leaves in the fall and winter, but it's now time to mow, trim the bushes and the greenery surrounding the house, and (try to) control the ant beds that pop up.
So far, I'm two for two. Two lawn days this spring, two hay fever/allergy attacks. The first was two weeks ago, midafternoon on a Sunday, when I raked some leaves in preparation of mowing. Two allergy pills didn't help much-- I kept on sneezing and blowing my nose. It turned into a pretty miserable evening. In addition, I picked up a ton of chigger bites which I am still scratching. Cortaid and nail polish were of no help. Benadryl, though, has seemed to slow things quite a bit. The redness remains, even if the itching and swelling have been greatly reduced.
The second attack was Thursday, which was mowing day. The actual work started about 9:00 and took about an hour, since I had to work at noon. I thought I did a better job of not rubbing my face, but the sneezing and runny nose picked up once again. I stopped for provisions at the drug store, allergy meds and tissue, but my work shift turned into eight eternal hours, since I was so congested, and so thick-headed due to two allergy pills that were no match. The Kleenex also stood no chance, as I went to the store for more later on.
I tried the drugs, food, M and M candy, and even a late-night potable. As it turned out, the only thing that worked, both times, was a good night's sleep and a chance for my body to recover.
This means it's now lawn and garden season. I'd spent some time raking leaves in the fall and winter, but it's now time to mow, trim the bushes and the greenery surrounding the house, and (try to) control the ant beds that pop up.
So far, I'm two for two. Two lawn days this spring, two hay fever/allergy attacks. The first was two weeks ago, midafternoon on a Sunday, when I raked some leaves in preparation of mowing. Two allergy pills didn't help much-- I kept on sneezing and blowing my nose. It turned into a pretty miserable evening. In addition, I picked up a ton of chigger bites which I am still scratching. Cortaid and nail polish were of no help. Benadryl, though, has seemed to slow things quite a bit. The redness remains, even if the itching and swelling have been greatly reduced.
The second attack was Thursday, which was mowing day. The actual work started about 9:00 and took about an hour, since I had to work at noon. I thought I did a better job of not rubbing my face, but the sneezing and runny nose picked up once again. I stopped for provisions at the drug store, allergy meds and tissue, but my work shift turned into eight eternal hours, since I was so congested, and so thick-headed due to two allergy pills that were no match. The Kleenex also stood no chance, as I went to the store for more later on.
I tried the drugs, food, M and M candy, and even a late-night potable. As it turned out, the only thing that worked, both times, was a good night's sleep and a chance for my body to recover.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
South Plains College
I spent 2 1/2 years working at the radio station in Levelland, Texas-- April 1998-December 2000. KLVT, 1230 AM and 105.5 FM. I started out as half of the full-time staff, then I became the full-time staff when the gentleman who hired me took another job. I covered meetings, sold advertising (tried to), had the crime beat, anchored newscasts, hosted the morning show, etc.
Something else I did was cover ball games. It was the reason I applied in the first place. Levelland High School was my domain, and when the boss took off I did South Plains College basketball. My last year, winter 2000, I'd accepted a new job in Lubbock and did LHS and SPC games. Four nights a week, two games a night. Home games were a 30-minute commute. And the road games? High school was not too bad. A few games in Lubbock, but also trips to Canyon, Plainview and San Angelo (three hours). Junior college trips were a different matter. Two hours to Midland and Odessa, 1:45 to Big Spring, and two hours to Hobbs and Roswell, NM, plus a time change. Schools in Clarendon and Borger rounded out the conference (I would go to Clarendon but never traveled to Borger).
In addition, my job in Lubbock involved early mornings. That, combined with late-night drives home combined for some raggedness during the week. I remember the driving, the games, and the tired from those days vividly. It even got difficult to stay on the road sometimes.
After moving to Clay Center, I even had the chance to touch base with the women's coach at SPC, who'd brought his team to Salina for the national tournament. Seemed like he remembered me. There were even a few folks in the crowd who said someone that looked like me used to do their games.
Of course, all the success happened after I moved away from the area. First, to Oklahoma and then to Kansas. The men's team also went to nationals a few times, winning it all in 2008, and again tonight. Through the magic of the Internet, I watched the last nine minutes and found myself wandering back to Texan Dome, the road trips, and the miscues (of which there were several).
And the choices. I had the chance to go back to Levelland (since the job I took in Lubbock didn't work out), but I decided going back would constitute a step backward. I could've gone back to doing ball games and news, but ownership was new, I didn't know if I wanted to learn to work with them, and I didn't want to go back. They sank a lot of money into KLVT, and it would've been a better place to work than the place I started out with. the new people would've offered some structure and a real chance to learn. I never really got a chance to learn much under previous ownership, which was 1 1/2 hours away and with their own agenda.
It's truly one of the life choices I wonder about. I don't spend a lot of time second guessing-- wouldn't do any good. I'm almost 1000 miles and 12 years away from those circumstances. And so many decisions have been made since then.
Something else I did was cover ball games. It was the reason I applied in the first place. Levelland High School was my domain, and when the boss took off I did South Plains College basketball. My last year, winter 2000, I'd accepted a new job in Lubbock and did LHS and SPC games. Four nights a week, two games a night. Home games were a 30-minute commute. And the road games? High school was not too bad. A few games in Lubbock, but also trips to Canyon, Plainview and San Angelo (three hours). Junior college trips were a different matter. Two hours to Midland and Odessa, 1:45 to Big Spring, and two hours to Hobbs and Roswell, NM, plus a time change. Schools in Clarendon and Borger rounded out the conference (I would go to Clarendon but never traveled to Borger).
In addition, my job in Lubbock involved early mornings. That, combined with late-night drives home combined for some raggedness during the week. I remember the driving, the games, and the tired from those days vividly. It even got difficult to stay on the road sometimes.
After moving to Clay Center, I even had the chance to touch base with the women's coach at SPC, who'd brought his team to Salina for the national tournament. Seemed like he remembered me. There were even a few folks in the crowd who said someone that looked like me used to do their games.
Of course, all the success happened after I moved away from the area. First, to Oklahoma and then to Kansas. The men's team also went to nationals a few times, winning it all in 2008, and again tonight. Through the magic of the Internet, I watched the last nine minutes and found myself wandering back to Texan Dome, the road trips, and the miscues (of which there were several).
And the choices. I had the chance to go back to Levelland (since the job I took in Lubbock didn't work out), but I decided going back would constitute a step backward. I could've gone back to doing ball games and news, but ownership was new, I didn't know if I wanted to learn to work with them, and I didn't want to go back. They sank a lot of money into KLVT, and it would've been a better place to work than the place I started out with. the new people would've offered some structure and a real chance to learn. I never really got a chance to learn much under previous ownership, which was 1 1/2 hours away and with their own agenda.
It's truly one of the life choices I wonder about. I don't spend a lot of time second guessing-- wouldn't do any good. I'm almost 1000 miles and 12 years away from those circumstances. And so many decisions have been made since then.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
We Can Laugh Now, Vol. II
So anyhow, we continue with our travel story.
We got up at 6:00 the next morning and were on the road with a fast-food breakfast by 7:00. The trip into Alabama down I-20 was uneventful, save for having to drive through Tuscaloosa (our destination) to the airport in Birmingham to drop off our rental car, pick up a second rental, get our luggage, drive *back* to Tuscaloosa and check in to our hotel at about 3:00. We soon realized that the hotel we checked into was better than the one we left in Shreveport, but not by much.
So over the course of three days, not the four we'd planned on, we looked at houses and apartments, ate some outstanding food, did some church hunting, started to learn the territory, and met some really nice people.
Tuesday was the second travel day. We'd gotten off to a good start for our late morning flight and were well on our way back to Birmingham to return our car when we got a text message telling us our flight to DFW had already been canceled. Swell. Fortunately we were able to board a flight later that afternoon, so we only spent several hours waiting instead of an entire day.
The flight from Dallas, in and of itself, was uneventful. It left about 9:00, getting us back to KC about 11:30. Remember that noise we heard getting into the parking lot? Turns out two travel-weary people now had a flat tire to contend with. In the KCI parking lot at midnight. It's June in the midwest, so it's still steaming hot, and the sweat just poured off me as I worked to get things done. Someone driving out of the parking lot graciously shed some light on the matter, so that was very helpful.
We finally made it back to Ann's place in Manhattan about 2:00 the next morning, so I didn't get back to work in Clay Center until noon Wednesday.
We are able to chuckle about it now, but just about anything that could have gone wrong on that trip did. Wow.
We got up at 6:00 the next morning and were on the road with a fast-food breakfast by 7:00. The trip into Alabama down I-20 was uneventful, save for having to drive through Tuscaloosa (our destination) to the airport in Birmingham to drop off our rental car, pick up a second rental, get our luggage, drive *back* to Tuscaloosa and check in to our hotel at about 3:00. We soon realized that the hotel we checked into was better than the one we left in Shreveport, but not by much.
So over the course of three days, not the four we'd planned on, we looked at houses and apartments, ate some outstanding food, did some church hunting, started to learn the territory, and met some really nice people.
Tuesday was the second travel day. We'd gotten off to a good start for our late morning flight and were well on our way back to Birmingham to return our car when we got a text message telling us our flight to DFW had already been canceled. Swell. Fortunately we were able to board a flight later that afternoon, so we only spent several hours waiting instead of an entire day.
The flight from Dallas, in and of itself, was uneventful. It left about 9:00, getting us back to KC about 11:30. Remember that noise we heard getting into the parking lot? Turns out two travel-weary people now had a flat tire to contend with. In the KCI parking lot at midnight. It's June in the midwest, so it's still steaming hot, and the sweat just poured off me as I worked to get things done. Someone driving out of the parking lot graciously shed some light on the matter, so that was very helpful.
We finally made it back to Ann's place in Manhattan about 2:00 the next morning, so I didn't get back to work in Clay Center until noon Wednesday.
We are able to chuckle about it now, but just about anything that could have gone wrong on that trip did. Wow.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
We Can Laugh Now, Vol. I
Everyone has nightmare travel stories. Here's the first part of one of ours.
Ann and I were married in late June, 2009. About two weeks before the big day, we traveled to Tuscaloosa to find a place for our stuff. I think we knew already, but we learned once again that the shortest distance between two points isn’t always a straight line.
Our journey started from Kansas City—Lenexa, to be specific, where we spent the night with Ann’s mother. Our flight took off at 6:30, so we got an early start. I heard a thumping sound as we drove through the parking lot, but we paid it no attention. We didn’t have time, really. As we were boarding for our flight to Dallas, the gate attendant told us our flight from DFW was already delayed due to thunderstorms. Swell. But we figured it’d be an extra hour or two past our scheduled 11:00 am departure.
Boy, were we wrong about that one. They were already backed up with cancellations from storms the previous day, and the weather didn’t make things any easier. The terminal was filling up with stranded travelers and started to look like the news video you always see in winter. 11 am became 1:30, became 2:00, became 4:00, and so on. The original plan had us in Tuscaloosa about 2 pm for some house hunting, so the plan changed a lot, and in a big hurry.
Eventually we got in the ticket line, and after a few hours (everyone else had the same idea), we found out the earliest flight we could get was 36 hours away. Faced with the possibility of spending two nights in an airport, we called an audible. So we got on the phone with the airline’s travel agency and booked a car one way, and got out on I-20 about 6:00. Our stuff was booked through Birmingham, so all we had was our carry-on bags, so we stopped at a Wal-Mart for toothbrushes and underwear, sat down for really fast food, and got on our way, arriving at our motel in Shreveport at about 11:00 pm. We were on the highway talking to the same airline travel agency, so they have no idea the dump they’ve put us in. We didn’t even want to go back downstairs for a beer to help us unwind. We’d been up since 4:30 and went to bed and sleep almost immediately, hoping the voices on the other side of the wall would soon go away, and that there would be no gunfire.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Downton Abbey
Ann and I typically aren’t appointment TV watchers. News, House Hunters and The Daily Show/Colbert Report are about the only shows we watch religiously these days. We were also huge fans of The West Wing during its prime time run.
We’ve also become addicted to Downton Abbey, one of the series that runs on Masterpiece Classic on PBS. The First Lady is a huge Anglophile, and she says she was hooked before it even came to America from the BBC. It took me a season and a half to get there, but once I did, I enjoyed seeing how things really were (on both sides) underneath the façade, for the Crawley clan and for the downstairs staff.
I also like seeing the interactions between servants and aristocrats—seeing them speak to each other quite candidly, enlisting their aid, even seeking advice, despite the class difference. I find myself drawn to the characters. Rooting for the nice ones and hating on the evil people. Also seeing that there is a bit of yin and yang at work—that there is some good in the bad, and some bad in the good.
I’ve never been a real big soap opera guy, but I suppose this qualifies.
What's kind of a bummer is that Downton only ran for eight episodes on PBS here in the states, and the current episodes that are airing now (season 3) on the BBC won’t make it here until the first part of next year. So we’re in for a bit of a wait, and January 2013 seems like a long time away.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Cotton Bowl, Conclusion
Okay-- final update on our trip.
Sunday began with a trip to Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Northeast El Paso. This is the church my parents have attended for over 40 years. Our previous church, Christ the King, merged with another church to form this one in the early 1990s, and set up shop a good bit closer to home. CTK is the church I was raised in, near Fort Bliss.
Anyhow, I was happy to get there and see people I worshiped with all those years ago, and hadn't seen in a few years. I was also pleased that my Aunt Cynthia joined us. Following a meal and taking the First Lady back to the hotel (she still wasn't feeling well), I drove about town for a bit. Looked at some of the old sights. It's when I drove past what was left of the old Northgate mall, as mentioned earlier. There really wasn't a whole lot for me to see-- I remember the old stomping grounds well, yet there was an air of unfamiliarity for me.
Next came the whole reason for this leg of the trip-- gathering in the parish hall for my parents' 50th anniversary shindig. It's when I got to see the folks who have been most prominent in their (and my) lives over the years. 78 people signed the guest book. So many celebratory cards, a well-decorated cake, (really) old pictures, good food, good people, and old friends. The whole family, Ursula (who is family, as well), who baby sat me as both parents worked, Father Martin, who baptized me at age four weeks, and various friends of the family all came by to share in their joy. And mine-- I was so happy to see them be the center of attention and be celebrated like this. I also enjoyed seeing and saying hello to more old friends. This was another event I wish could've ended around midnight. There was a postgame event at the house, which involved more storytelling and fun.
The next morning, which was getaway day, started with an early breakfast with the whole gang. After saddling up and leaving the hotel, we stopped one last time at the house for some goodbyes and photo ops. The only regret of my wedding day is I didn't get enough pictures taken, and I wasn't going to let that happen again.
We touched down late afternoon in Dallas' Love Field. One thing that should clue you in as to how sick Ann was is that she flew to and from El Paso without getting her customary copy of Vanity Fair magazine. She was very strong throughout, showing no signs of trauma. We were eager to get on up the highway, since this was the night of the national championship football game, and we wanted to get to our hotel in Longview to see Alabama play. We listened to the first half on I-20 and saw/celebrated the second half and beyond in our room. I spent halftime finding beverages suitable for celebration, since at the time, it seemed like it could be a good night. So I found a local Big Box Store and loaded up. And man, what a game.
The following day, Tuesday, got a leisurely start for two reasons. One was that was it was our last day of vacation, second was that we celebrated a little much the night before. We stayed on Interstate 20 the rest of the way and didn't really wonder why traffic got pretty thick with Bama fans where 20 merged with I-59 near Meridian, Mississippi. These were folks headed back home from New Orleans. I'm guessing it was a late night on Bourbon Street for many of them.
We touched down at the estate about 6 that evening, a little tired and road weary, but definitely happy to be home.
Sunday began with a trip to Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Northeast El Paso. This is the church my parents have attended for over 40 years. Our previous church, Christ the King, merged with another church to form this one in the early 1990s, and set up shop a good bit closer to home. CTK is the church I was raised in, near Fort Bliss.
Anyhow, I was happy to get there and see people I worshiped with all those years ago, and hadn't seen in a few years. I was also pleased that my Aunt Cynthia joined us. Following a meal and taking the First Lady back to the hotel (she still wasn't feeling well), I drove about town for a bit. Looked at some of the old sights. It's when I drove past what was left of the old Northgate mall, as mentioned earlier. There really wasn't a whole lot for me to see-- I remember the old stomping grounds well, yet there was an air of unfamiliarity for me.
 |
| Ann and me, with Uncle John (dad's brother) and Aunt Marianne |
The next morning, which was getaway day, started with an early breakfast with the whole gang. After saddling up and leaving the hotel, we stopped one last time at the house for some goodbyes and photo ops. The only regret of my wedding day is I didn't get enough pictures taken, and I wasn't going to let that happen again.
 |
| The two of us, with my folks, plus Uncle Chuck and Aunt Cynthia (mom's sister) |
The following day, Tuesday, got a leisurely start for two reasons. One was that was it was our last day of vacation, second was that we celebrated a little much the night before. We stayed on Interstate 20 the rest of the way and didn't really wonder why traffic got pretty thick with Bama fans where 20 merged with I-59 near Meridian, Mississippi. These were folks headed back home from New Orleans. I'm guessing it was a late night on Bourbon Street for many of them.
We touched down at the estate about 6 that evening, a little tired and road weary, but definitely happy to be home.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Tuesday
I know I still owe one more Cotton Bowl posting, but it's time for a scattershooting as I catch up a little.
We're still waiting for winter to start in Alabama-- it's been chilly a few times, maybe even cold once or twice, but it's been really nice most of the time. Maybe it's payback from the hideous weather we had last spring. Who knows. But nobody has freaked out three days in advance about a remote possibility of snow flurries, so it's a good thing.
I also find that as much as I love watching football and basketball (college, not NFL or NBA), I find that I spend too much emotional energy in these games. I let the actions of 18-22 year-old kids (who have more invested than me and want to win more I want them to) determine whether I'm going to have a good day. It's been like that for years and years as I watch UTEP and now Kansas State play. I'm starting to realize that nothing really happens to me during or after the games, and that I still have things to do after I watch, and that I am in charge of how I feel, win or lose.
It's a maturity thing and will probably will help prevent things like blood vessels popping. I'll try to have fun, of course, but try to have a little bit of disconnect, win or lose.
And following my marathon, I've found that I am a bit of a magnet as far as people asking me about it. I like these people, and I'm not upset about it, it's just that I'm not good at being the center of attention. It's kind of like at my wedding, where all our friends and family came to see Ann and me. It could be worse, I suppose-- I could've stolen a car and gotten attention that way. But it's been nice to have folks ask me about it or congratulate me.
And pitchers and catchers are starting to report. Yes, spring training is here, and baseball season has started for the colleges. For some reason I find myself wanting to watch baseball. Part of it is likely because of the nice weather, partly because I just read an autobiography of Braves broadcaster Pete Van Wieren, who spent 33 years calling Atlanta baseball games. I remember watching some of those games as a teenager and as an adult-- not religiously, but I vividly remember the technical aspects of those telecasts-- how spot on and informational and technically sound they were. No glitches, nothing. very easy to watch, even if the baseball itself was pretty hideous.
More to follow.
We're still waiting for winter to start in Alabama-- it's been chilly a few times, maybe even cold once or twice, but it's been really nice most of the time. Maybe it's payback from the hideous weather we had last spring. Who knows. But nobody has freaked out three days in advance about a remote possibility of snow flurries, so it's a good thing.
I also find that as much as I love watching football and basketball (college, not NFL or NBA), I find that I spend too much emotional energy in these games. I let the actions of 18-22 year-old kids (who have more invested than me and want to win more I want them to) determine whether I'm going to have a good day. It's been like that for years and years as I watch UTEP and now Kansas State play. I'm starting to realize that nothing really happens to me during or after the games, and that I still have things to do after I watch, and that I am in charge of how I feel, win or lose.
It's a maturity thing and will probably will help prevent things like blood vessels popping. I'll try to have fun, of course, but try to have a little bit of disconnect, win or lose.
And following my marathon, I've found that I am a bit of a magnet as far as people asking me about it. I like these people, and I'm not upset about it, it's just that I'm not good at being the center of attention. It's kind of like at my wedding, where all our friends and family came to see Ann and me. It could be worse, I suppose-- I could've stolen a car and gotten attention that way. But it's been nice to have folks ask me about it or congratulate me.
And pitchers and catchers are starting to report. Yes, spring training is here, and baseball season has started for the colleges. For some reason I find myself wanting to watch baseball. Part of it is likely because of the nice weather, partly because I just read an autobiography of Braves broadcaster Pete Van Wieren, who spent 33 years calling Atlanta baseball games. I remember watching some of those games as a teenager and as an adult-- not religiously, but I vividly remember the technical aspects of those telecasts-- how spot on and informational and technically sound they were. No glitches, nothing. very easy to watch, even if the baseball itself was pretty hideous.
More to follow.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Marathon Man
I got an early start to my Sunday-- waking up at 4:10 am, which I can confidently say I've never done before. Anyhow, the purpose was to run the Mercedes-Benz Marathon in Birmingham. Ann and I got a lucky parking spot and I got in the starting corral with a few minutes to spare for the 7:00 start.
I won't bore you with details here-- if you're interested in specifics, please head over to the On the Road With Woodrow Miles blog. The link is on the far right column. But it was the hardest thing I've ever done. 26.2 miles, 4 hours, 12 minutes, 35 seconds of my life. But I got it done. My legs (ten hours after the completion) still don't want to be associated with me. But what a sense of accomplishment.
After a post-race meal, we drove home for a quick nap and cleanup. Our bishop was the celebrant at church and we didn't want to miss it. This service, after a big run, made me realize just how much standing and sitting I do in church. More ouch. But one of the Scripture readings was from the 9th chapter of I Corinthians, which included words like, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." Pretty powerful stuff for me.
So now I'm home, parked on the couch with the First Lady/wife/support staff/pit crew. And some really sweet victory swag:
What a day. And yes, I got my prize.
I won't bore you with details here-- if you're interested in specifics, please head over to the On the Road With Woodrow Miles blog. The link is on the far right column. But it was the hardest thing I've ever done. 26.2 miles, 4 hours, 12 minutes, 35 seconds of my life. But I got it done. My legs (ten hours after the completion) still don't want to be associated with me. But what a sense of accomplishment.
After a post-race meal, we drove home for a quick nap and cleanup. Our bishop was the celebrant at church and we didn't want to miss it. This service, after a big run, made me realize just how much standing and sitting I do in church. More ouch. But one of the Scripture readings was from the 9th chapter of I Corinthians, which included words like, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." Pretty powerful stuff for me.
So now I'm home, parked on the couch with the First Lady/wife/support staff/pit crew. And some really sweet victory swag:
Friday, February 10, 2012
Cotton Bowl, Vol. IV
Following K-State's Cotton Bowl loss to Arkansas, we loaded up our stuff (we are notorious overpackers) and headed for Dallas' Love Field for a flight west. There were lots of folks wearing purple at the airport just before noon, most presumably headed back to the Sunflower State.
We, on the other hand, were headed to El Paso, city of my formative years. Keep in mind that my poor wife is still sick, so flying in a pressurized tube at 30-some-odd thousand feet isn't our idea of fun. Touching down midafternoon, mom and my brother dropped us off at the hotel. On the drive to our part of town, I remembered that this city is not the one I grew up in-- so much has changed and is changing. I still know my way around for the most part, and it all seemed familiar yet foreign at the same time. When we finally got to our room, we were greeted by this, left by my parents as a welcome:
It was a much appreciated and very nice surprise-- check out the sticky note, as well.
We unloaded and decompressed a little, then I went to the house while Ann stayed home and rested up for the evening's events. This is about the time my aunts and uncles John and Marianne (dad's side) and Chuck and Cynthia (mom's) joined us. Our family is very small-- dad has John as his only sibling (he has two kids), just as mom has Cynthia (one daughter) as hers. So the couples all crammed into the dining room for the evening. Mom cooked up a terrific brisket meal, with rolls, salad, potatoes, and my favorite, tomato pudding. Home cooking.
What I also enjoyed was sitting in the dining room listening to three army officers and their army wives spending the evening telling 50-year old stories about their earlier years on bases in Germany, a few of which may have involved libation. Cynthia and John also told stories about my parents' younger days. I also didn't know that John had stopped in Mt. Gilead, Ohio (where mom is from) once upon a time many moons ago, and Dr. Ingmire (my maternal grandfather) housed him for three days while things worked themselves out. I don't remember the circumstances, but it's really wild that two separate sides of my family, with only one thing in common connected like that. I wish these stories could have gone on forever, since they were taking about sides of my folks that I don't know too well.
This whole evening made me very happy-- to have these wonderful people wanting to come together to celebrate like this. And excluding Ann and me, only Chuck and Cynthia are on the short side of their 50th wedding anniversary themselves, but only by a few years. So nearly 160 years of marriage was represented in that house, of which we can contribute only two. So we've got some catching up to do.
The nice thing is that we have some terrific role models.
We unloaded and decompressed a little, then I went to the house while Ann stayed home and rested up for the evening's events. This is about the time my aunts and uncles John and Marianne (dad's side) and Chuck and Cynthia (mom's) joined us. Our family is very small-- dad has John as his only sibling (he has two kids), just as mom has Cynthia (one daughter) as hers. So the couples all crammed into the dining room for the evening. Mom cooked up a terrific brisket meal, with rolls, salad, potatoes, and my favorite, tomato pudding. Home cooking.
What I also enjoyed was sitting in the dining room listening to three army officers and their army wives spending the evening telling 50-year old stories about their earlier years on bases in Germany, a few of which may have involved libation. Cynthia and John also told stories about my parents' younger days. I also didn't know that John had stopped in Mt. Gilead, Ohio (where mom is from) once upon a time many moons ago, and Dr. Ingmire (my maternal grandfather) housed him for three days while things worked themselves out. I don't remember the circumstances, but it's really wild that two separate sides of my family, with only one thing in common connected like that. I wish these stories could have gone on forever, since they were taking about sides of my folks that I don't know too well.
This whole evening made me very happy-- to have these wonderful people wanting to come together to celebrate like this. And excluding Ann and me, only Chuck and Cynthia are on the short side of their 50th wedding anniversary themselves, but only by a few years. So nearly 160 years of marriage was represented in that house, of which we can contribute only two. So we've got some catching up to do.
The nice thing is that we have some terrific role models.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Carson's Comedy Classics
I've been a longtime fan of Johnny Carson's comedy sketches-- not so much from watching them in real time, but from the 30-minute programs my brother and I would watch on late-night TV, many of which are accessible via youtube. Floyd R. Turbo, Carnac the Magnificent, and Aunt Blabby were always favorites.
Very high on that list is also the Tea Time Movie with your friend, and his, lovable Art Fern. I won't bore you with the premise, but he'd always talk about directions to a sponsor's location by taking the Slauson Cutoff and cutting off your slauson and turning left until you come to...
This particular fork in the road is at Camp McDowell, where the First Lady and I spent this past weekend at church retreat. We love the people with whom we worship every Sunday, and many of them were there for at least some of the time. There was some 'church' stuff going on, but this annual retreat, our third, is a chance to meet people and get to know everyone better. It was a success on both counts.
Camp adjourned after lunch Sunday, at which time we drove back to Tuscaloosa. I had to haul pizzas as a deliveryman the last two seasons (and replace a car battery a year ago), so I was very happy to get home this year in time for a Sunday nap knowing I didn't have to work soon afterward. This gave the First Lady and me the chance to watch the Super Bowl with our trivia friends. Since the Kansas City Chiefs were not part of things (and they seem to wipe out earlier and earlier each year), we were all about the party.
We enjoyed the game and the 17 prop bets that were a part of the evening, such as halftime point margin, which side wins the coin toss, etc. Winner got first pick of six exotic flavored sodas. It was great fun. After scoring five points, I took fifth and chose a non-alcoholic sangria. Good food and good people. And for the record, I think the halftime show sucked.
This weekend reminded me of how privileged I am to be surrounded by so many nice, fun, and wonderful people. Even moreso, they don't seem to mind me hanging around.
Very high on that list is also the Tea Time Movie with your friend, and his, lovable Art Fern. I won't bore you with the premise, but he'd always talk about directions to a sponsor's location by taking the Slauson Cutoff and cutting off your slauson and turning left until you come to...
This particular fork in the road is at Camp McDowell, where the First Lady and I spent this past weekend at church retreat. We love the people with whom we worship every Sunday, and many of them were there for at least some of the time. There was some 'church' stuff going on, but this annual retreat, our third, is a chance to meet people and get to know everyone better. It was a success on both counts.
Camp adjourned after lunch Sunday, at which time we drove back to Tuscaloosa. I had to haul pizzas as a deliveryman the last two seasons (and replace a car battery a year ago), so I was very happy to get home this year in time for a Sunday nap knowing I didn't have to work soon afterward. This gave the First Lady and me the chance to watch the Super Bowl with our trivia friends. Since the Kansas City Chiefs were not part of things (and they seem to wipe out earlier and earlier each year), we were all about the party.
We enjoyed the game and the 17 prop bets that were a part of the evening, such as halftime point margin, which side wins the coin toss, etc. Winner got first pick of six exotic flavored sodas. It was great fun. After scoring five points, I took fifth and chose a non-alcoholic sangria. Good food and good people. And for the record, I think the halftime show sucked.
This weekend reminded me of how privileged I am to be surrounded by so many nice, fun, and wonderful people. Even moreso, they don't seem to mind me hanging around.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Northgate Mall
In the early 1980s, mom worked at the Northgate Public Library in El Paso when I was a kid. There used to be a chess club that met Saturdays 1-3 pm in the auditorium there, and I'd go down there and play a little. I wasn't very good, and I don't even remember the impetus behind going or how long I went there.
But when it was 3 o'clock and everyone packed up the pieces and boards and went on with their lives, I hustled a few bucks from mom and went over to the Detour video arcade across the parking lot. I'd go home with mom when the library closed at 5:30 Saturdays, so I had a few hours to kill. More on the arcade in a moment.
The library was a separate building in the mall parking lot, next to the old Northgate Twin Movie house (where I saw Red Dawn and Ferris Bueller's Day Off), a GFC Insurance place and I think the driver's license office. The mall was across the lot from these two buildings, and housed The Popular department store, which was where local Cub Scouts got their accoutrements. I think it was at this store where the famous Talking Christmas Tree story originated. As a wee lad, I didn't realize someone could possibly be using a microphone from a little ways off. I was pretty mesmerized. Anyhow, The Popular also had the old Viewmasters, which had round discs that slid into the camera and showed 3D photos to little kids. Pull the lever and the next picture would come up. It was great.
The mall also had the first Chuck E. Cheese restaurant, which hooked up studious kids with game tokens for stellar report cards. It opened when I was in fifth grade, and we couldn't get enough. Pizza, coke, video games-- man it was great.
Anyhow, back to Detour. The vids of the time were very rudimentary-- graphics were the best we had at the time, but nothing compared to now. Pinball (lots of it), Tank, Atari two-on-two basketball, skee ball, even a trap shooting game that I think I only tried once or twice. An old favorite was the tabletop Atari game that featured 11 Xs against 11 Os. Each side had a track ball (remember those?), a 'pass' button and four offensive/defensive plays to choose from. I liked this game, and it was a good day if I had enough coin to play a little bit.
And then there was the annual carnival that would camp out in the parking lot for a week. I wasn't (and still am not) a big 'rides' guy. Even the tilt-a-whirl makes me nauseous. I liked the midway games, even though the odds are stacked in favor of the house. Favorites were the squirt gun race and the pinball/horse race game.
And then there was the annual carnival that would camp out in the parking lot for a week. I wasn't (and still am not) a big 'rides' guy. Even the tilt-a-whirl makes me nauseous. I liked the midway games, even though the odds are stacked in favor of the house. Favorites were the squirt gun race and the pinball/horse race game.
So I have a few memories of old place.
But when I was home for a few days this month, I saw that the old Northgate/Northpark Mall had been reduced to rubble. I don't really know much in the way of details, but after a few tries at building it back up, it had fallen on hard times and there were fewer and fewer tenants for the place. This pillar of the Northeast, gone, a victim of big honking malls on the east and westside of town. There are those who spent more of their teen years there than I did, so I can't really say I'm disappointed, but I am a little sad. I moved away too long ago to be disappointed-- I've gotten along a long time without it.
Just kind of a bummer, that's all.
Cotton Bowl trip, Vol. III
Continuing with the Cotton Bowl Chronicles...
The night before ran a little long, and since Ann was in the throes of being sick, we gradually worked our way into the day. As she stayed in bed, I went into town to see my friend Joel once again, who came with his wife to see us two nights before. He's a life coach these days, and it was really good to see him doing so well. He's even getting me charged up about things.
Anyhow, I got back to base camp and cleaned up, then the two of us went back to Humperdink's a little bit after noon, and I had what turned out to be my only meal of the day. I'm a big fan of microbrews, so I had one with my sandwich. This is pretty much where we stayed until it was time for...
...the famous Jerry World. It's either a very large stadium, or a small continent. Man, it's huge. Tailgate parties were set up, and it would've been nice to be a part of one, but we went into the corporate party area after they did a brisk search for contraband. If it'd been cold like the Pinstripe Bowl last year, then it would've been easy enough to hide things in layers. This year-- temps in the 60s. So no dice. But we went on in and checked the place out, and I paid for my first $8 adult beverage. There was lots of purple there, and I even thought I recognized the tool store guy from Clay Center who'd always record ads via telephone.
By this time, Ann and I were just kind of itching to get inside and check this place out. We weren't disappointed.
This was about 1 1/2 hours from kickoff, when the sun was still peeking in. I sat in my end zone seat while Ann went to go find (more) friends. The pregame show on the mega-jumbo-tron was a good time killer, done in part by Brad Sham, voice of the Dallas Cowboys and a gentleman whose hand I shook back in 1998. I got my chance to case the joint a little-- but the place was very segmented and it was hard to get from one section to another. Besides, I wasn't sure how long it'd take to get back. So I cut my losses and stayed in the vicinity. There was a ton of room behind our end zone seats, filled with several vehicles for our viewing pleasure. Like I said, the place is just immense. The crowd was about 60-40 in favor of Arkansas. But the Wildcat Nation represented well.
I'm on record as saying that this is one of my favorite things-- band pregame. Fight song, alma mater, Wabash Cannonball, etc. I can't get enough and still watch the youtube video on occasion.
Obviously the game didn't go as we wanted. My hope was that we'd be able to stay on the field with Arkansas, and we did, but I didn't think it was hard to tell who the better team was. A few things went our way toward the end of the half and into the third quarter, but it just didn't come together. I cheered and yelled as best I could, but my poor wife could only sit next to me, since she still wasn't feeling well. The folks to my right were from the Wichita area. It's never hard to have a new friend for a few hours during the game, but the father of three to my right wasn't really interested in banter. Oh well-- it didn't interfere with my enjoyment. Final score-- Arkansas 29, Kansas State 16.
After adjourning to the hotel, I stayed downstairs for a nightcap or two with Ann's friends as she went upstairs to rest. I really felt bad for her, since she really wanted to stay with us, but just couldn't. Razorback fans that we spoke to seemed surprised that purple seems to travel so well, even though all you have to do is pay a little bit of attention to know how well Cat fans travel to bowl games. It's not our first rodeo.
So with that I went off to join my wife. It had been a big day-- one I'll always remember. But there was still plenty more where that came from. We were scheduled to leave on a jet plane the next day.
The night before ran a little long, and since Ann was in the throes of being sick, we gradually worked our way into the day. As she stayed in bed, I went into town to see my friend Joel once again, who came with his wife to see us two nights before. He's a life coach these days, and it was really good to see him doing so well. He's even getting me charged up about things.
Anyhow, I got back to base camp and cleaned up, then the two of us went back to Humperdink's a little bit after noon, and I had what turned out to be my only meal of the day. I'm a big fan of microbrews, so I had one with my sandwich. This is pretty much where we stayed until it was time for...
...the famous Jerry World. It's either a very large stadium, or a small continent. Man, it's huge. Tailgate parties were set up, and it would've been nice to be a part of one, but we went into the corporate party area after they did a brisk search for contraband. If it'd been cold like the Pinstripe Bowl last year, then it would've been easy enough to hide things in layers. This year-- temps in the 60s. So no dice. But we went on in and checked the place out, and I paid for my first $8 adult beverage. There was lots of purple there, and I even thought I recognized the tool store guy from Clay Center who'd always record ads via telephone.
 |
| K-State band, priming the crowd for the big game |
By this time, Ann and I were just kind of itching to get inside and check this place out. We weren't disappointed.
This was about 1 1/2 hours from kickoff, when the sun was still peeking in. I sat in my end zone seat while Ann went to go find (more) friends. The pregame show on the mega-jumbo-tron was a good time killer, done in part by Brad Sham, voice of the Dallas Cowboys and a gentleman whose hand I shook back in 1998. I got my chance to case the joint a little-- but the place was very segmented and it was hard to get from one section to another. Besides, I wasn't sure how long it'd take to get back. So I cut my losses and stayed in the vicinity. There was a ton of room behind our end zone seats, filled with several vehicles for our viewing pleasure. Like I said, the place is just immense. The crowd was about 60-40 in favor of Arkansas. But the Wildcat Nation represented well.
I'm on record as saying that this is one of my favorite things-- band pregame. Fight song, alma mater, Wabash Cannonball, etc. I can't get enough and still watch the youtube video on occasion.
Obviously the game didn't go as we wanted. My hope was that we'd be able to stay on the field with Arkansas, and we did, but I didn't think it was hard to tell who the better team was. A few things went our way toward the end of the half and into the third quarter, but it just didn't come together. I cheered and yelled as best I could, but my poor wife could only sit next to me, since she still wasn't feeling well. The folks to my right were from the Wichita area. It's never hard to have a new friend for a few hours during the game, but the father of three to my right wasn't really interested in banter. Oh well-- it didn't interfere with my enjoyment. Final score-- Arkansas 29, Kansas State 16.
After adjourning to the hotel, I stayed downstairs for a nightcap or two with Ann's friends as she went upstairs to rest. I really felt bad for her, since she really wanted to stay with us, but just couldn't. Razorback fans that we spoke to seemed surprised that purple seems to travel so well, even though all you have to do is pay a little bit of attention to know how well Cat fans travel to bowl games. It's not our first rodeo.
So with that I went off to join my wife. It had been a big day-- one I'll always remember. But there was still plenty more where that came from. We were scheduled to leave on a jet plane the next day.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Cotton Bowl Trip, Vol. II
Continuing with the cotton pickin' theme I seem to have started around here...
My wife and I were in Dallas/Fort Worth for the 2012 Cotton Bowl. Our first full day in the metro was Thursday, January 5.
After a quick run/workout at the dungeon that passed for a hotel fitness area, we drove to Frankie's in the Sundance Square area in Ft. Worth, where we once again witnessed an establishment underestimate the droves in which Kansas State fans travel. The place was packed for Thursday lunch, mostly with purple. That said, the service and food were both decent. During the meal, Ann heard from some of her bowl friends. Seriously-- she stays up with these folks she sees basically only during bowl trips. Anyhow, we met them at Humperdink's, closer to the stadium, for a beverage. Our plan was to congregate there in preparation for the pep rally. I made some new friends and Ann reconnected with some old ones, since she goes back over 15 years with these folks.
Following some refreshment from some unseasonably pleasant January weather, we adjourned to Rangers Ballpark.
This is what became a crowd of about 20,000 Wildcat fans. For a pep rally the day before the game. Not all Cat fans had made it to town yet. The band, cheerleaders, and Classy Cats all found the travel much easier than they did for last year's Pinstripe Bowl. As I've said before, this is the only in-person dose of KSU football we get, so we were both really excited. After an hour and a half of videos (including stadium renovation projects and Wildcat bowl highlights set to Brooks and Dunn's "Proud of the House We Built"), player interviews, a talk from Coach Snyder and general purple merriment, we went on our way. Ann was pleased that the former President of K-State did not speak, as I hear he could be a little, um, windy during these events.
Then the group of what became about 20 was off to Cattleman's in the Stockyards-- a good old-fashioned steakhouse in a neighborhood where you'd expect to find one or two really good ones, of which this was one. I think I had an eight-ounce steak, baked potato, salad and rolls. Very good eats. A late (about 8 pm) and very filling meal, but well worth the time.
Something we also had to do-- play hard. It was on this day when Ann caught a cold that morphed into a ear infection. We got her some drugs after the pep rally then went and ate. She wore it very well and played very hard and didn't seem interested in this ruining her good time.
We'd done a lot, seen a lot and had a damn good time this day, and the best part of this leg of the trip was still to come. Tomorrow was gameday.
My wife and I were in Dallas/Fort Worth for the 2012 Cotton Bowl. Our first full day in the metro was Thursday, January 5.
After a quick run/workout at the dungeon that passed for a hotel fitness area, we drove to Frankie's in the Sundance Square area in Ft. Worth, where we once again witnessed an establishment underestimate the droves in which Kansas State fans travel. The place was packed for Thursday lunch, mostly with purple. That said, the service and food were both decent. During the meal, Ann heard from some of her bowl friends. Seriously-- she stays up with these folks she sees basically only during bowl trips. Anyhow, we met them at Humperdink's, closer to the stadium, for a beverage. Our plan was to congregate there in preparation for the pep rally. I made some new friends and Ann reconnected with some old ones, since she goes back over 15 years with these folks.
Following some refreshment from some unseasonably pleasant January weather, we adjourned to Rangers Ballpark.
Then the group of what became about 20 was off to Cattleman's in the Stockyards-- a good old-fashioned steakhouse in a neighborhood where you'd expect to find one or two really good ones, of which this was one. I think I had an eight-ounce steak, baked potato, salad and rolls. Very good eats. A late (about 8 pm) and very filling meal, but well worth the time.
Something we also had to do-- play hard. It was on this day when Ann caught a cold that morphed into a ear infection. We got her some drugs after the pep rally then went and ate. She wore it very well and played very hard and didn't seem interested in this ruining her good time.
We'd done a lot, seen a lot and had a damn good time this day, and the best part of this leg of the trip was still to come. Tomorrow was gameday.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Cotton Bowl Trip, Vol. I
The First Lady and I have settled back into our daily routine after getting back home from our trip to Texas to see Kansas State play in the Cotton Bowl, and to see my parents and commemorate their 50th wedding anniversary.
We hit the road right at 3:15, after I worked my retail shift and loaded up the car and headed west on I-20/59. Our first stop was in Jackson, Mississippi (pronounced Missippi by the locals) for food, and we camped for the evening in Monroe, Louisiana. Following an early start and lunch in Kilgore, Texas, we got to our hotel about 2:30.
I also may or may not have been pulled over just on the outskirts of D/FW, doing 76 in a 65 mph zone. The state trooper spent more time calming me down than telling me what I did. I was just wanting to follow the playbook-- you know, keep my hands where he can see them, etc. But he and Ann both noticed that I seemed to be freaking out. And it doesn't always pay to be completely honest: like when he asks, "have you ever been in trouble," it's not always proper to respond, "well there was this one time..." This caused him to ask if I'd ever been arrested. This time I put my shovel down and said no. He also asked me to take my rear license plate frame off, since it blocks the state name. So I drove the rest of the time without my UTEP Miners representation.
Anyhow, the hotel, such as it was, was a few miles away from Cowboys Stadium, site of the game, and under renovation. Our room, on the only unrenovated floor, had no functioning A/C unit, so we got a second room with a nasty bathroom. The third room measured up to lukewarm status, so we rested a spell.
Our first stop was a local watering hole for happy hour, then off to the Gaylord Hotel. The place is kind of like it's own separate city and you could well get lost and spend several days there without getting claustrophobic. This where the team stayed, and we went to be amongst friendlies and watch our men's basketball team play KU. We also caught up with an old college friend who lives in the Metroplex. Good food, good times and good conversation.
Following the game, we hung out for a spell and went back to the room. It had been a big day and a long day as well, and there was much more to come.
We hit the road right at 3:15, after I worked my retail shift and loaded up the car and headed west on I-20/59. Our first stop was in Jackson, Mississippi (pronounced Missippi by the locals) for food, and we camped for the evening in Monroe, Louisiana. Following an early start and lunch in Kilgore, Texas, we got to our hotel about 2:30.
I also may or may not have been pulled over just on the outskirts of D/FW, doing 76 in a 65 mph zone. The state trooper spent more time calming me down than telling me what I did. I was just wanting to follow the playbook-- you know, keep my hands where he can see them, etc. But he and Ann both noticed that I seemed to be freaking out. And it doesn't always pay to be completely honest: like when he asks, "have you ever been in trouble," it's not always proper to respond, "well there was this one time..." This caused him to ask if I'd ever been arrested. This time I put my shovel down and said no. He also asked me to take my rear license plate frame off, since it blocks the state name. So I drove the rest of the time without my UTEP Miners representation.
Anyhow, the hotel, such as it was, was a few miles away from Cowboys Stadium, site of the game, and under renovation. Our room, on the only unrenovated floor, had no functioning A/C unit, so we got a second room with a nasty bathroom. The third room measured up to lukewarm status, so we rested a spell.
Our first stop was a local watering hole for happy hour, then off to the Gaylord Hotel. The place is kind of like it's own separate city and you could well get lost and spend several days there without getting claustrophobic. This where the team stayed, and we went to be amongst friendlies and watch our men's basketball team play KU. We also caught up with an old college friend who lives in the Metroplex. Good food, good times and good conversation.
Following the game, we hung out for a spell and went back to the room. It had been a big day and a long day as well, and there was much more to come.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Down and Clear
Our week-long football bowl trip, family excursion and tour of Texas is complete, and the First Lady and I got home Tuesday night around 5:30.
The only bad thing to say is that Ann picked up an ear infection on our first full day in Dallas/Fort Worth, so we had to scale things back just a little bit. We did get the chance to reconnect with some old friends, and in my case, make some new ones.
Obviously, the football game didn't go as we'd hoped. Cowboys Stadium is everything people say. It's incredible. We sat in the end zone, so we didn't have one of the obscenely huge replay boards, but we did have one staring at us (and in turn, us staring at it) when play was at the other end of the field.
Following the game, we flew to El Paso to commemorate my folks' 50th wedding anniversary. Had a great time seeing family, some who lived near and some who traveled from afar, as well as friends I'd not seen in years, and in a few cases, decades.
We flew out Monday and stayed the night in Longview, Texas to watch the Crimson Tide beat LSU, driving the rest of the way yesterday. Total mileage driven and flown is approximately 2,024.
Now, it's back to some semblance of normalcy, as Ann has begun teaching for the spring semester, and I return to work tomorrow.
There were no negatives at all during this trip, and I hope to spend the next little while going in depth into some facets of our trip.
The only bad thing to say is that Ann picked up an ear infection on our first full day in Dallas/Fort Worth, so we had to scale things back just a little bit. We did get the chance to reconnect with some old friends, and in my case, make some new ones.
Obviously, the football game didn't go as we'd hoped. Cowboys Stadium is everything people say. It's incredible. We sat in the end zone, so we didn't have one of the obscenely huge replay boards, but we did have one staring at us (and in turn, us staring at it) when play was at the other end of the field.
Following the game, we flew to El Paso to commemorate my folks' 50th wedding anniversary. Had a great time seeing family, some who lived near and some who traveled from afar, as well as friends I'd not seen in years, and in a few cases, decades.
We flew out Monday and stayed the night in Longview, Texas to watch the Crimson Tide beat LSU, driving the rest of the way yesterday. Total mileage driven and flown is approximately 2,024.
Now, it's back to some semblance of normalcy, as Ann has begun teaching for the spring semester, and I return to work tomorrow.
There were no negatives at all during this trip, and I hope to spend the next little while going in depth into some facets of our trip.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
50 years
December 30 is a very important day for me. For one, it's the day back in 2007 when I proposed to Ann and she accepted. Nothing really fancy about it-- we'd just come home from dinner in Clay Center. We got inside from a crisp, clear night and I just asked. No drama, no theatrics.
December 30 is also the day my parents were married. In 1961. So two days ago marked their fiftieth and golden wedding anniversary. I've only been around for 18 (and some change) of those 50 years, but I truly can't get my head around it. 50 years. Dad got some leave time from the Army and he and mom ran back to First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Gilead, Ohio to tie the knot. They didn't know where they'd wind up or how things would go.
But they're here. It's truly remarkable, given all the bumps and bruises along the way. I've been away from the family now for longer than I was at home (and it predates me by ten years), but I know the gist of the story. And that's the part I don't get. With the places they've been, things they've seen and what all has happened over the last half-century, mom and dad have put one foot in front of the other and have made it this far.
Happy anniversary, y'all.
December 30 is also the day my parents were married. In 1961. So two days ago marked their fiftieth and golden wedding anniversary. I've only been around for 18 (and some change) of those 50 years, but I truly can't get my head around it. 50 years. Dad got some leave time from the Army and he and mom ran back to First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Gilead, Ohio to tie the knot. They didn't know where they'd wind up or how things would go.
But they're here. It's truly remarkable, given all the bumps and bruises along the way. I've been away from the family now for longer than I was at home (and it predates me by ten years), but I know the gist of the story. And that's the part I don't get. With the places they've been, things they've seen and what all has happened over the last half-century, mom and dad have put one foot in front of the other and have made it this far.
Happy anniversary, y'all.
Resolutions
So 2012 is here, and the old is once again replaced with the new. Spent the evening eating good food, talking, playing dominoes and watching fireworks and football. The rest of the crowd left about 11:15, but we stayed to see the new year in before going home. Ann and I love this crowd and look forward to every chance we get to spend time with them.
I don't recall it as a topic of conversation last night, but resolutions are always a hot topic this time of year. A few years ago, I decided to quit making resolutions, and it seems to be going pretty well. I understand why we make these choices, since a new year gives us a chance to start over.
But what I don't get is why wait til the calendar changes? Perhaps we make a change without all the fanfare and attention. It's definitely something I try to do. We don't really have time to wait to make ourselves better. My guess is that most of us set our minds to doing better all the time, just that the decisions don't get the publicity that comes with a New Year's resolution.
With all that being said, I've come to understand that I've accepted my limitations. that I can't do something because I've never done it before and I won't be any good at it. It's something that I'm learning through my marathon (Feb 12) training-- finding out what I'm capable of. Running faster and longer has taught me that I'm more able than I thought.
So I'm resolving to not accept these boundaries and test them whenever possible. And to do a little bit better of a job each day, whether it be at work or at home or in the other things I need to be doing.
Happy new year!
I don't recall it as a topic of conversation last night, but resolutions are always a hot topic this time of year. A few years ago, I decided to quit making resolutions, and it seems to be going pretty well. I understand why we make these choices, since a new year gives us a chance to start over.
But what I don't get is why wait til the calendar changes? Perhaps we make a change without all the fanfare and attention. It's definitely something I try to do. We don't really have time to wait to make ourselves better. My guess is that most of us set our minds to doing better all the time, just that the decisions don't get the publicity that comes with a New Year's resolution.
With all that being said, I've come to understand that I've accepted my limitations. that I can't do something because I've never done it before and I won't be any good at it. It's something that I'm learning through my marathon (Feb 12) training-- finding out what I'm capable of. Running faster and longer has taught me that I'm more able than I thought.
So I'm resolving to not accept these boundaries and test them whenever possible. And to do a little bit better of a job each day, whether it be at work or at home or in the other things I need to be doing.
Happy new year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)