(Note: This story was going to be published last week. However, due to my brother needing me in Dallas for reasons you can probably find on his Blog, it was delayed)
Last week I was contemplating dinner. Instead of the usual short drive to subway or jimmy johns for fast food, I decided to cook myself up a little something nice. Being the stereotypical late 20’s bachelor my dinner choices are greatly limited to the lack of supplies that typically found in such a kitchen. My infrequent grocery store visits mostly result in the purchasing of three items: yogurt, TV dinners, and bottled water.
However on this evening I was determined to make something of nothing. After extensively going through my freezer, fridge, and pantry, which wasted 45 whole seconds of my life, I had a chicken breast, one egg and a bag of rice, none of which were probably from 2011.
I break open my new/vintage 1982(year of my birth) Southern Living cookbook that Mom gave me for Christmas, and started charting a course. My very, very short course.
Now I’m no Emril Lagasse, but I like to think that I can work my way around a kitchen. I have had a decent amount of practice in my years, and the chicken and Rice, with a hard-boiled egg and a few choice spices recipe I found seamed very simple and should not be a problem.
My friends often remind me that I can get a bit OCD at times, so I immediately began calculating exactly how long everything would need to take to cook to ensure that all items hit the plate at the same time for a nice evenly warm meal.
The rice went on first because it took 15 minutes. Next it was time to brown the chicken and prepare a Chicken bullion cube for extra flavor with several extra spicy ingredients to get it nice and warm.
Now I had originally planned to boil my loan egg, but at some point I realized that my rice was cooking in my egg boiling pot. No problem, I would just use the short cut. I would just put the egg in a bowl and nuke it in the microwave for one minute.
Next I ran into a few problems. My rice started boiling over because I had the temperature too hot., and my phone rang. As soon as I got both of these things taken care of all taken care of I took off toward my IPod deck to change the song that was not on my cooking playlist when…
KAAAABOOOOOOMMMM!
Its sounded less like a 12-gauge shotgun and more like a Civil War cannon.
Apparently my dear little egg was not removed from its shell, and the blast actually blew the microwave door completely open.
Momentarily there was a dark fog, and when the smoke cleared (literally) there were remnants of egg from ground to ceiling of my kitchen. The smell was… well it was a blown up egg, use your imagination.
My wonderfully planned out Chicken, Rice, and Egg meal had just been reduced in total ingredients by 1/3.
Almost a full day later my right ear was still ringing from the blast, and it occurred to me that microwave hasn’t been cleaned in months, maybe years. I know that the Good Lord speaks to us in different ways. I just pray that the next time, for the sake of my eardrums and blood pressure, he uses his inside voice…
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Thursday Thoughts
Hello friends, Thursday thoughts are back up and running. I want to apologize for not writing in awhile, but I do have a very good excuse.
The reason for my slacking is that I am what my family likes to call a “bear.” I tend to hibernate during the winter. Let me be very clear. I do not like the cold, the short days, the lacking of wonderful sunshine, the ability to wear shorts and flip flops, no boating, no bikinis, no golf, and no good fishing, and no walking out to the back porch in my witey tittys to take a leak!
Usually the winters here do get cold, but this was one of the worst I can ever imagine. It was colder than a coal miners… I am pretty sure it has snowed here every day since September. However I will not bore you with the past.
The time has sprung forward, the sun has been shining, and I am excited for a fantastic Spring and Summer ahead! I got to dust off the golf clubs yesterday and took myself to the ole course for a little tune up before the season, and all I can say is WOW. Typically I get to play or practice “the greatest game God ever invented” at least 3 times a month during the winter, but its literally been November since I’ve picked up a club. I went to our local driving range and had a 13 year old girl feeling sorry for me. This was just after I shanked my first 5 shots in row ( I was a collegiate golfer damnit!). I told her that I hurt my back, a total lie. To tell you the truth, the rest of that bucket went about the same, but I didn’t give two dark chunks in a tuna can about it. It was 70 degrees, slight breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. I can’t even imagine what Heaven is going to be like, but I sure hope it is something like that day.
Spring also brings on another thing that takes up a ton of my time, Weddings. I love and love to hate weddings. I’ve got 4 so far this year in the line up. It really is great to see all the people you haven’t seen in ages, catch up, dress up, and for the quiet, weird uncle, drink up. It never fails, every wedding reception containing the ingredient that makes everyone halfway want to be there is alcohol. And there is always some crazy dude on the dance floor, showing off his 1975 disco moves, killing himself for shaving his mullet in 85,’ being the life of the party. I also love the best man and best bride (whatever you call it) speeches. The best man’s speech alsways contains some information probably not suitable for kids of all ages, and the woman’s speech is always way too long. Seriously darlin, if you’re crying for the happiness of the couple its one thing, but nobody cares that you made up dance rountines on weekends or had matching color bands on your braces in middle school. Once again I do love attending wedding and some that I am not invited to.
Being a single man and all, I have to look good for the ladies so I’ve started my usual Summer diet, which is not near as fun as my November/pre-hibernation (fatten up for the winter) diet. So I am now paying lots of money to the Bo Pilgrim family, consuming massive amounts of chicken, eggs, veggies, blah blah blah….
Hey, did I mention that it was 70, with the sun shining yesterday?
Well I’m headed out of Lubbock to Texarkanna for a wedding (hopefully I can get a good picture of a mullet sporting uncle), and then off to our nations capital, Washington D.C for some good vacation time with Momma D, Chadly, Jeana (Jenna), and the best Aunt in the whole world, Aunt Di. I’m sure we’ll have some good pics and stories from this adventure.
Adios and Cheers!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Hunting Season Winding Down
This past weekend forecast was calling for rain, sleet, nasty cold weather. This meant that there was only one thing to do, go hunting. My buddy Moon’s girlfriend was taking a trip with her friends to
Deer season has closed, so we were on the prowl for wild hogs, coyotes, and bobcats. The weather was exactly as predicted, cold and nasty which is typically great for these types of hunts. The first afternoon, we saw several deer but nothing we could shoot so we picked up the memory cards from the trail cameras and took them back to the lodge to see what kind of game has been in the area.
Upon reviewing the pictures, we quickly noticed that there were tons of hogs in the area, as well as a bobcat. This was very exciting because while hogs are very common, bobcats are usually very hard to come by. The next day we took off back to the blinds and on the way we spotted a bobcat just off the road on the lease. We knew that there was almost zero chance of stalking this thing on foot or in the truck but we decided to try anyway. We went about 150 yards into the lease and spotted him on my side sitting off in the brush. I quickly racked a shell in Moon’s AR15 and took aim. I could barely see him through the brush and could only see his head. These animals are very cautious, and he was not going to stick around for long, so I immediately took the shot. The bullet went right through his noggin and he was done for. This was the first Bobcat I had ever taking, so I was extremely excited.
We saw no other game for the rest of the hunt, but considered it a great success. Winter hunting season is about over, and it was a good one. While I do love to hunt more than almost anything I can not wait for warmer weather and to do activities that do not require 3 layers of clothing. Spring is right around the corner, and I can hear the fishing lakes and the golf courses calling.
Here are some pics from the Winter hunting season:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Bucket List Item Number One
Everyone has certain things they want to do or accomplish before they die; I now have my first one checked off.
Last week, four buddies (Sam, Michael, Moon, Zach) and I took the 10 hour trip from
Unlike the
We took the fields, which resembled nothing unlike a hunting field here in
On our first hunt, after I had run through my first two hundred shells, my shoulder was starting to get sore, and after taking a look at my clicker I realized that I had just killed 87 doves. We had been hunting for 24 minutes.
The next three days were no different, thousands of dove flying from all direction and we sent off hundreds of pounds of lead off into the blue sky. There would be times when I would just stand in awe at the waves and waves that would come over the top, from side to side, and come right in front at the same time.
One afternoon I even skipped a hunt to let my shoulder rest. I took a magazine to the pool and spent the afternoon taking in the Argentine sun, it was 85 degrees with a slight breeze (43 degrees in
It was great to take in the majestic scene in front of us, millions of Dove crossing the large soybean fields. Strangly we learned early on that it was just as fun to watch each other, including the bird boys, shoot at the birds. Everyone was very quick to laugh and trash talk at a missed target, but also quick with a compliment for a downed bird. We also enjoyed watching our bird boys shoot. These guys worked their tails off for us and we had no problem letting them partake in the fun. Later we learned that of the 12 years they had been in business, no group had let them hunt as much as we did.
All in all, this was truly a trip of a life time and we seriously had the time of our lives. It was unlike anything that I could even begin to describe and it was great to share it with great friends. The shoulder and 10 hour plane ride pain will soon pass, but the memories can never. I know that I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity and would recommend it to anyone who loves wing shooting.
Lastly, this experience gave me a great perspective of a different part of our world where people live in unimaginable poverty. I know its very cliché to say, but there are so many things that we have and have access to that we take for granted every day. I know for a fact that I got far more from this trip more than a just a fantastic time and a great dove hunt.
Addition!! I have been asked several times so I want to add that in our three days the five of us killed just over 7,500 birds.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Lately
A Catch Up
Apparently its two weeks from Christmas, and I am wondering where the past couple of months have gone. Here’s what I’ve been up to lately (and not so lately).
The first of November we went to the NASCAR races in Ft. Worth, which were absolutely awesome. We stayed out in the camping grounds and had wonderful food and got to catch up with the family. I rode 5 laps in a NASCAR going upwards to 170 mph, which was by far the coolest part of the weekend! Whooaaa
The next weekend I took on a home project that I thought would be pretty simple. I had some bathtub tile that were missing and needed replacing badly. I wish I would have had the whole process on video because it had to of been hilarious watching me take on this task. I easily turned an 8 hour job into 3 full days worth of work, but it was fun and the bathtub now looks pretty dang good.
Then Thanksgiving came around and my dog Kaiya and I took a road trip back to Gunter for a “fun” filled weekend of eating, putting lights on Mom’s house, putting up yard ornaments, playing slot machines with Mom and Ricky, eating some more, and of course watching Kaiya do her favorite thing in the world, roll around in cow crap. It was a great Thanksgiving and I even got to sneak out to my favorite place on the planet, Dino’s Deer lease in Sunset, TX, for some much needed time with Dino, his Dad, a deer stand, and my rifle. I saw over 30 deer, but didn’t see the right buck so I didn’t even fire a shot. It was a great end to a great weekend.
Last weekend we went out to my buddy Sam’s Ranch in Clarendon, TX to do cowboy things and to hunt. They actually work cattle so I get to ride around on a horse and try my hardest to act like I knew what I was doing, which I didn't. For some reason, riding a horse does not come natural to me, and to their own amusement, Sam and his Dad love to put me on the horse that loves to do his own thing and to scare the living bejesus out me. Needless to say I am still sore from riding that beast, and my hands still hurt from hanging on to him for dear life. I did survive and even managed to shoot an Aoudad, an exotic game animal from Africa that hangs out in the rough parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado.
I am looking forward to getting back to Gunter for Christmas and New Years to see what I can get into this trip. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Here are a few pics from my adventures.
Apparently its two weeks from Christmas, and I am wondering where the past couple of months have gone. Here’s what I’ve been up to lately (and not so lately).
The first of November we went to the NASCAR races in Ft. Worth, which were absolutely awesome. We stayed out in the camping grounds and had wonderful food and got to catch up with the family. I rode 5 laps in a NASCAR going upwards to 170 mph, which was by far the coolest part of the weekend! Whooaaa
The next weekend I took on a home project that I thought would be pretty simple. I had some bathtub tile that were missing and needed replacing badly. I wish I would have had the whole process on video because it had to of been hilarious watching me take on this task. I easily turned an 8 hour job into 3 full days worth of work, but it was fun and the bathtub now looks pretty dang good.
Then Thanksgiving came around and my dog Kaiya and I took a road trip back to Gunter for a “fun” filled weekend of eating, putting lights on Mom’s house, putting up yard ornaments, playing slot machines with Mom and Ricky, eating some more, and of course watching Kaiya do her favorite thing in the world, roll around in cow crap. It was a great Thanksgiving and I even got to sneak out to my favorite place on the planet, Dino’s Deer lease in Sunset, TX, for some much needed time with Dino, his Dad, a deer stand, and my rifle. I saw over 30 deer, but didn’t see the right buck so I didn’t even fire a shot. It was a great end to a great weekend.
Last weekend we went out to my buddy Sam’s Ranch in Clarendon, TX to do cowboy things and to hunt. They actually work cattle so I get to ride around on a horse and try my hardest to act like I knew what I was doing, which I didn't. For some reason, riding a horse does not come natural to me, and to their own amusement, Sam and his Dad love to put me on the horse that loves to do his own thing and to scare the living bejesus out me. Needless to say I am still sore from riding that beast, and my hands still hurt from hanging on to him for dear life. I did survive and even managed to shoot an Aoudad, an exotic game animal from Africa that hangs out in the rough parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado.
I am looking forward to getting back to Gunter for Christmas and New Years to see what I can get into this trip. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Here are a few pics from my adventures.
Blury Camera Phone Pic of my NASCAR, #14 Old Spice!
Ripped the bad tiles out
Just call me Bob Villa
Dino and Me in Sunset, TX
Dead Aoudad. Clarendon, TX
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Project Update
I've been asked several times this past week about the progress of my cooler. It is not 100% complete yet because I couldn't decide what kind of wook I wanted on the outside. However, I have found the perfect wood, and the cooler should be done it time for its public display in this weeks Thursday Thougths. Adios
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday Thoughts on Friday: Weekend Project
The weekend is almost here, and I have decided to make it a bit different than my usual. All of my running buddies are out of town in various places hunting Elk or Quail, so I contemplated heading to Dallas for the large Texas/OU weekend festivities. However, while browsing Craigslist this week I ran across something that caught my eye, a large customized, backyard cooler:
No, I’m not going to buy it from him. I am going to build my own. As far back as I can remember, I have always loved to build things and this cooler will(could) look perfect in my backyard! The problem is I may be over my head on this one, and I’m not sure I can even get close to pulling it off… I’m no Bob Villa(Trust me), and I have no wood shop. However, I do have determination and a brand new Miter saw that has been sitting in my garage, still in the box, for over a year. Is it bad that I don’t even know what a freaking Miter Saw is!….kidding. When(if) finished I hope to deck it out with some sweet personalized logos. Hopefully something like this:
I think this will be quite the expirence and no matter how ugly, unleveled, off balanced the cooler project ends up, it will be MY ugly, unleveled, off balance cooler! I will keep you updated, and hopefully someday soon you can come over and treat yourself to a frosty beverage out of it!
Here is what I am starting with, wish me luck:
Happy Friday and Weekend to all. For this weekend only Go TEXAS and HORNS UP!! Cheers!!
No, I’m not going to buy it from him. I am going to build my own. As far back as I can remember, I have always loved to build things and this cooler will(could) look perfect in my backyard! The problem is I may be over my head on this one, and I’m not sure I can even get close to pulling it off… I’m no Bob Villa(Trust me), and I have no wood shop. However, I do have determination and a brand new Miter saw that has been sitting in my garage, still in the box, for over a year. Is it bad that I don’t even know what a freaking Miter Saw is!….kidding. When(if) finished I hope to deck it out with some sweet personalized logos. Hopefully something like this:
I think this will be quite the expirence and no matter how ugly, unleveled, off balanced the cooler project ends up, it will be MY ugly, unleveled, off balance cooler! I will keep you updated, and hopefully someday soon you can come over and treat yourself to a frosty beverage out of it!Here is what I am starting with, wish me luck:
Happy Friday and Weekend to all. For this weekend only Go TEXAS and HORNS UP!! Cheers!!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday Thoughts on Friday
Back in Lubbock
I got home this week (finally) from a 2 week stay in Lake Whitney, Gunter, Dallas, and Grand Prairie. I was kind of a nomad, sleeping on couches, eating other peoples food, and living the big city life. Nice. Some of the highlights included: Blink 182 concert, a dove hunt, a weekend on Lake Whitney, and a horseshoe tournament. When you throw work in with these things, I was completely exhausted when I made it back to Lubbock, but it was a good time. I got the question frequently, “When are you going to move back to Dallas?” and my answer is still firmly “Not anytime soon.” Since my arrival back to Lubbock I have been in bed by 10:30 every night, eaten better, worked out more, spent less money, more productive at work, and even made it to Church. All of this, and not to mention the much needed rest that my liver has taken! Great to be home.
Our Red Raiders play Kansas St. this weekend, so Get your Guns Up people!
TiVO Filling Up
When I got home, I noticed that my DVR was at 100%. This is obviously due to my favorite shows starting their new seasons. In between football and baseball playoffs I’ve got some highly recommend shows for the fall: Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Gary Unmarried, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Office, and Nip/Tuck starts next week. I have also added a few new ones that are pretty solid so far: The Good Wife and Cougar Town. Check them out, and let me know of any shows that you think I should be watching.
A Truly Great Man
I ran across this story awhile back and thought I should share it. If you don’t know if you know who Mark Richt is you should. He is the Head Coach of the Georgia Football team, and is a great man with a great story. Richt is one of the few famous people in the world who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk. We should all cheer for his Georgia football team every week. When you get a chance and a few minutes check out his story (you might need a tissue Mom).
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3663225&categoryid=2564308
Happy Friday and Happy Weekend to all.... Cheers!
I got home this week (finally) from a 2 week stay in Lake Whitney, Gunter, Dallas, and Grand Prairie. I was kind of a nomad, sleeping on couches, eating other peoples food, and living the big city life. Nice. Some of the highlights included: Blink 182 concert, a dove hunt, a weekend on Lake Whitney, and a horseshoe tournament. When you throw work in with these things, I was completely exhausted when I made it back to Lubbock, but it was a good time. I got the question frequently, “When are you going to move back to Dallas?” and my answer is still firmly “Not anytime soon.” Since my arrival back to Lubbock I have been in bed by 10:30 every night, eaten better, worked out more, spent less money, more productive at work, and even made it to Church. All of this, and not to mention the much needed rest that my liver has taken! Great to be home.
Our Red Raiders play Kansas St. this weekend, so Get your Guns Up people!
TiVO Filling Up
When I got home, I noticed that my DVR was at 100%. This is obviously due to my favorite shows starting their new seasons. In between football and baseball playoffs I’ve got some highly recommend shows for the fall: Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Gary Unmarried, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Office, and Nip/Tuck starts next week. I have also added a few new ones that are pretty solid so far: The Good Wife and Cougar Town. Check them out, and let me know of any shows that you think I should be watching.
A Truly Great Man
I ran across this story awhile back and thought I should share it. If you don’t know if you know who Mark Richt is you should. He is the Head Coach of the Georgia Football team, and is a great man with a great story. Richt is one of the few famous people in the world who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk. We should all cheer for his Georgia football team every week. When you get a chance and a few minutes check out his story (you might need a tissue Mom).
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3663225&categoryid=2564308
Happy Friday and Happy Weekend to all.... Cheers!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Thursday Thougths: Pop Culture Update
This is my list of a few things that happened this week in the world that may be good, bad, or ugly. At any rate, you should know about them (at least a little bit) so you are not clueless at this weekend’s cookout (Mom).
MJ’s Hall of Fame Speech Gone So Wrong
If you didn’t see it, don’t worry, not many did, and I highly recommend that you do not either. It is sad... Sad... not in a tearful way, but in a bitter/cold way. Michael Jordan is one of the greatest athletes of all time. Period. However instead of thanking all the people who helped him along the way, he spent his time nit picking, and poking jabs at NBA people he didn’t get along with. Greatest Basketball Player of all time acting like a 7th grade girl is not my ideal of a good way to go out. Shame on you MJ.
MJ’s Hall of Fame Speech Gone So Wrong
If you didn’t see it, don’t worry, not many did, and I highly recommend that you do not either. It is sad... Sad... not in a tearful way, but in a bitter/cold way. Michael Jordan is one of the greatest athletes of all time. Period. However instead of thanking all the people who helped him along the way, he spent his time nit picking, and poking jabs at NBA people he didn’t get along with. Greatest Basketball Player of all time acting like a 7th grade girl is not my ideal of a good way to go out. Shame on you MJ.
Prime Time Jay
The freshly retired from the Tonight Show, Jay Leno, has moved to a new show called The Jay Leno Show in NBC’s primetime spot this week. I’ve seen one episode, and it’s pretty much the Tonight Show….only at nine o’clock. Enough said.
Patrick Swayze Dies
A great actor that played both funny and serious characters passed this week, losing his battle with a terminal cancer. Most known for his role in the movie Ghost, that I actually can vividly remember watching as a kid. I bet the VHS version is still in the movie cabinet at Mom’s house. How about that clay pot spinning scene, Nice!
Kayne, being Kayne
The VMA’s (Video Music Awards), presented by MTV, took place Sunday. During Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Music Video, singer/rapper Kayne West decided that he needed to steal the microphone from her and tell her that he thought Beyonce’s video was better. I was not watching, but you can find the scene on youtube.com. Kayne West is an idiot, and is an embarrassment to society. Beyonce, being a very decent human being, let Swift finish her speech. Check out this moron for yourself: http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/435995/taylor-swift-wins-best-female-video.jhtml
Adios Guiding Light
CBS’s daytime drama show Guiding Light is calling it quits due to a fall in ratings. This show has been around for 72 years. That's 72 years! But really, who wants to watch soap operas when you can watch Emmit Smith dance, a splitting couple with 8 kids embarrass themselves in a lovers quarrel, or a Bully Brit tell people how terrible their voice is. I digress...
Toddler Tosses Ball
Funny Story that happened Tuesday at the Philly’s game. I don’t care who you are, you will love this!
Happy Friday and Weekend! Cheers!!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
A Goodbye to My Favorite Season
Good Bye Summer
The kiddos are back in school, its not 110 degrees outside, and I’ve cleaned the guns for hunting season. This can only mean that Summer has run its course and Fall is here. Summer is by far my favorite, probably because the heat down here really doesn't bother me, and I am going to miss it....This is a sad thing people! However, really the only thing I hate about the Fall is the dang time change. How are you supposed to work and get your fun in a day that the sun only shines for 9 hours!!!?? Oh well, I’m sure we will blink and it'll be right back to see us. In remembrance of a great Summer, here are a few of my favorite highlights:
Dan, Travis, Nic, D-Lo, McQueen, and Myself in front of our cart in Memphis, TX
Selling Fireworks, sitting in the A/C
The kiddos are back in school, its not 110 degrees outside, and I’ve cleaned the guns for hunting season. This can only mean that Summer has run its course and Fall is here. Summer is by far my favorite, probably because the heat down here really doesn't bother me, and I am going to miss it....This is a sad thing people! However, really the only thing I hate about the Fall is the dang time change. How are you supposed to work and get your fun in a day that the sun only shines for 9 hours!!!?? Oh well, I’m sure we will blink and it'll be right back to see us. In remembrance of a great Summer, here are a few of my favorite highlights:
Memphis Golf Classic
Dan, Travis, Nic, D-Lo, McQueen, and Myself in front of our cart in Memphis, TX4th of July
Selling Fireworks, sitting in the A/CBarnett's Wedding
JJ, Cowan, Barnett, and Me in Fort Worth
JJ, Cowan, Barnett, and Me in Fort WorthBoat-a-Palooza 2009
Flip-cup Champions!
Lake George, Colorado
I found this sweet hat and caught a huge Pike!
Smitty Lake Party Reunion 2009
Me, Nic, and Chad getting some sun
Rocking out w/ Jerry (best guitarist I've ever played with)
Johnny G, Ferg, Me and Dave hittin the links
Flip-cup Champions!Lake George, Colorado
I found this sweet hat and caught a huge Pike!Smitty Lake Party Reunion 2009
Me, Nic, and Chad getting some sun Rocking out w/ Jerry (best guitarist I've ever played with)Broken Bow, OK
Johnny G, Ferg, Me and Dave hittin the linksHappy Friday, Weekend and Fall to everyone...Cheers!!!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Football Season is Here!!
Thank the good Lord, Football season has finally arrived! Here in Lubbock, TX everything and I do mean everything is focused around Texas Tech Football. Our team is probably not going to be as strong as last years, but we are very hopeful that a few things may turn our way. We do have a wild card up our sleeve that frightens everyone in the country, Coach Mike Leach. He is not afraid to do some wild things, and take some huge chances to get a Win. I had the pleasure of meeting him last night, and I will tell you that he could not of been a nicer fellow. He answered my question, took a picture, and actually seemed to be waiting on me to ask another. I often wonder what celebrities are like in real person, and I know not all of them are really nice people but it is sure good to know that our coach is a great guy. GUNS UP! and GO TECH!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Another Deer Lease Saga
This was interesting and is funny now. The following happened when my buddy Moon and I went out to his deer lease on Saturday in Benjamin, TX. Our main goal was to put out a large shooting target that he purchased, do some hog hunting, and to relax.
First let me describe a few things to help with the story:
Moon: 6’3. 270 lbs. from Seguin, TX, man of few words, not scared of anything. Short temper.
Moons Truck: Brand new, Chevy Z71, crew cab truck
Target: 400 lbs of pure steel. Two 4ft drilling posts for a base, stands 7ft tall on steel rods and has a ¾ in. thick circular sheet of steel in the middle that is on a hinge to absorb the shot.
A few of the names have been altered for various reasons.
Moon’s Deer Lease: 4 Miles North of Benjamin, TX. 2 ½ hours East of Lubbock, 1 ½ hours north of Abilene. East portion of the Spike Box Ranch. Up on top there is some flat land with Cedar trees and small foot hills. When you leave from up top to go into the bottom it does not have one flat spot anywhere. There are creeks, drop offs, large boulders, steep climbs, spread throughout. I would not recommend even the toughest of Jeeps or ATVs to go out in this area. It looks like a smaller version of the mountains in Afghanistan.
4:00 PM: Arrive to Camp, Unload luggage and groceries. Turn AC on in Camper and head straight out to find shooting location and place to put Target.
4:15 PM: Find good, high spot where you can see for days. Mark as shooting spot, and take off down through canyons on foot to mark off 500yds. Enjoying the great outdoors!
4:20 PM: Exhausted, we mark off the distance and make it back to truck. Get in truck to find a way to get to spot. Truck Temperature says its 109, feels like 119.
4:30 PM: Only one possible place to get down into Canyon. It’s pretty much a straight down decent. I put on my seatbelt, I am terrified.
4:40 PM: We made it and are making some progress. I ask Moon if he has Bob Seger’s Like a Rock (song from the Chevy commercial) on his ipod, we could have given Chevy some great footage for a commercial. He did, and I loaded it to play 20 times in a row. We are singing it at the top of our lungs. We think we are awesome. Still trying to get to Target location.
5:15 PM: After trying 3 different ways in, we can’t make it to location. We drag Target out of back of truck and decide we are going to have to put it on our shoulders. Crap. Temperature now actually reads 119. First hurdle is a 15 ft climb straight up a hill. We can only lift a carry this thing for about 15 yards before we have to break. We have 250 yards to go, you do the math.
6:00 PM: We finally made it and celebrate with high fives and chest bumps. Get out water bottles to replenish the 3 gallons each, we just lost. Decide that we are going to charge every person who shoots at Target a labor charge for what we had just done.
6:15 PM: Can’t find our tracks to get out of canyon. Moon goes off 2 ft drop and destroys his front bumper. Can’t tell what state his license plate is from. He is irritable and not amused.
6:30 PM: Still can’t find way out. This is not good. Like a Rock is still jamming until Moon hurls ipod out window and into canyon.
6:40 PM: Still can't find way out. The trucks bumper is barely hanging on. Moon is not a happy camper.
6:45 PM: Still can’t find way out. The feeling that we may be down here for awhile sinks in. I’m now irritable. A lone buzzard soars over, licking his chops. I contemplate taking a shot at him with .338 before he goes and tells his buddies what is going on. We find ipod.
7:00 PM: Finally make it out. Moons truck is in shambles and is smoking from under the hood. We celebrate, scream, chest bump, and I take a shot at Buzzard for being cocky. Missed.
7:45 PM: Pulling out of shooting station, where Moon hit target 10 times and I hit it once (there was something in my eye and he was getting lucky). Then we hear a hissing sound that is not a pleasant one. A small piece of dead cedar is sticking out of his front left tire. We had just run over full size dead cedar trees and this little twig does it. We patch tire and head back to camp.
8:15 PM: Arrive to camp with air gushing out of tire. We patch again and head to Benjamin to get some air.
8:30 PM: Benjamin, TX, one gas station. Air Machine says “Out of Order.” Crap. We decided to put spare on, Moon says “it’ll take 2 min.” Right.
8:45 PM: Spare tire won’t lower from bottom of pickup. We swallow pride and get owner’s manual out. We were using wrong end of rod to lower tire. We are idiots!
8:55 PM: Spare tire still not lowering.
9:20 PM: On road to Knox City, TX on 8 lbs of air pressure. A 12 mile drive at 30 mph. we get the feeling that we are on the road from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and this night could end up very much like the movie. Crap.
9:50 PM: Arrive to the Allsups in Knox City, Air Machine says “Out of Order.” We have a flat tire and there are super sketchy people driving by and staring at us. Moon buys 3 cans of Fix a Flat and 6 Chimychanga burritos.
10:00 PM: Pumped 3 cans of the “good stuff” in tire and it goes up to about 15 lbs of pressure, about half of what it needs. Sketchy truck pulls up right behind us. It has gold rims and blue lights glowing out the bottom of it. We make sure the guns are loaded, if we are going down, we are going in a “Blaze of Fire!” Jose walks up and says, “Hey, man. Whats the problem?”
10:05 PM: We are following Jose to another gas station, that “has air.” We are so desperate that we are actually following this guy. God help us.
10:20 PM: Tire is full of air, but is now leaking again. Jose says we are a bunch of morons, and that he can get the spare loose. He doesn’t. We demolish the Chimychangas (we shared with Jose) and brainstormed.
10:45 PM: An 18 wheeler pulls into gas station right beside us, Jose knows the man. He is dirty, and smells bad. We check our guns again, while they speak in another language for a bit. 18 wheeler man calls us morons, and tries to lower spare tire. He is unsuccessful and says we have “a real problem on our hands.” Now, there’s some new information for us.
11:15 PM: Jose’s buddy Frank shows up. Frank hasn’t seen a shower or a toothbrush since the 80’s. Frank gives us the moron spill again and goes for the spare tire. Doesn’t work. Frank confirms that we are probably dealing with the local drug dealer. We are not amused. Frank says his dad owns the mechanic shop in town, but its way too late to call.
12:00 AM: Jose and Frank are still helping us decide what to do. Moon offers Frank are decent sum of money for any tire that will fit his truck. Apparently this was equivalent to 3 months of work for Frank because he pulls a “Dukes of Hazzard” out of the gas station to look for a tire. I am now amused.
12:10 AM: Jose informs us of a “real nice” motel they have in town. I don’t want to sound conceited here, but our idea of a “real nice” motel may be a bit different. Now we’re thinking we will have to stay at the Bates Motel. Awesome. Neither of us are amused.
12:35 AM: Frank arrives with bad news. No 6 lug tires in town. Plus Sunday was the next day and no one would be open. “This is not good Mav.”
12:55 AM: Frank calls and wakes up his dad. I can hear his dad screaming in the phone before Frank gets out his sentence, “its #%$#% stripped, you’re gonna need a %^$%@ cutting torch to lower the tire.” Frank and Jose know where a cutting torch is. Now I am no brilliant person or anything, but I mention that tire is sitting right below the fuel tank, and a cutting torch just seems like a terrible idea, even in the middle of a crisis. Everyone agrees.
1:20 AM: Frank takes a look at the hole in the tire. Apparently, Moon and myself are morons. Frank patches the hole in 15 seconds and airs the tire up. No air escaping. We celebrate with screams, chest bumps, and give Frank and Jose big man hugs. I contemplate shooting at the buzzard again.
1: 35 AM: We are singing Like a Rock at the top of our lungs with Bob Seger and discussing how great the sleep is going to be in the cold camper.
1:55 AM: Arrive to camp and open camper door. It’s a solid 88 degrees inside. A/C unit blew a fuse.
I will go no further…
First let me describe a few things to help with the story:
Moon: 6’3. 270 lbs. from Seguin, TX, man of few words, not scared of anything. Short temper.
Moons Truck: Brand new, Chevy Z71, crew cab truck
Target: 400 lbs of pure steel. Two 4ft drilling posts for a base, stands 7ft tall on steel rods and has a ¾ in. thick circular sheet of steel in the middle that is on a hinge to absorb the shot.
A few of the names have been altered for various reasons.
Moon’s Deer Lease: 4 Miles North of Benjamin, TX. 2 ½ hours East of Lubbock, 1 ½ hours north of Abilene. East portion of the Spike Box Ranch. Up on top there is some flat land with Cedar trees and small foot hills. When you leave from up top to go into the bottom it does not have one flat spot anywhere. There are creeks, drop offs, large boulders, steep climbs, spread throughout. I would not recommend even the toughest of Jeeps or ATVs to go out in this area. It looks like a smaller version of the mountains in Afghanistan.
4:00 PM: Arrive to Camp, Unload luggage and groceries. Turn AC on in Camper and head straight out to find shooting location and place to put Target.
4:15 PM: Find good, high spot where you can see for days. Mark as shooting spot, and take off down through canyons on foot to mark off 500yds. Enjoying the great outdoors!
4:20 PM: Exhausted, we mark off the distance and make it back to truck. Get in truck to find a way to get to spot. Truck Temperature says its 109, feels like 119.
4:30 PM: Only one possible place to get down into Canyon. It’s pretty much a straight down decent. I put on my seatbelt, I am terrified.
4:40 PM: We made it and are making some progress. I ask Moon if he has Bob Seger’s Like a Rock (song from the Chevy commercial) on his ipod, we could have given Chevy some great footage for a commercial. He did, and I loaded it to play 20 times in a row. We are singing it at the top of our lungs. We think we are awesome. Still trying to get to Target location.
5:15 PM: After trying 3 different ways in, we can’t make it to location. We drag Target out of back of truck and decide we are going to have to put it on our shoulders. Crap. Temperature now actually reads 119. First hurdle is a 15 ft climb straight up a hill. We can only lift a carry this thing for about 15 yards before we have to break. We have 250 yards to go, you do the math.
6:00 PM: We finally made it and celebrate with high fives and chest bumps. Get out water bottles to replenish the 3 gallons each, we just lost. Decide that we are going to charge every person who shoots at Target a labor charge for what we had just done.
6:15 PM: Can’t find our tracks to get out of canyon. Moon goes off 2 ft drop and destroys his front bumper. Can’t tell what state his license plate is from. He is irritable and not amused.
6:30 PM: Still can’t find way out. This is not good. Like a Rock is still jamming until Moon hurls ipod out window and into canyon.
6:40 PM: Still can't find way out. The trucks bumper is barely hanging on. Moon is not a happy camper.
6:45 PM: Still can’t find way out. The feeling that we may be down here for awhile sinks in. I’m now irritable. A lone buzzard soars over, licking his chops. I contemplate taking a shot at him with .338 before he goes and tells his buddies what is going on. We find ipod.
7:00 PM: Finally make it out. Moons truck is in shambles and is smoking from under the hood. We celebrate, scream, chest bump, and I take a shot at Buzzard for being cocky. Missed.
7:45 PM: Pulling out of shooting station, where Moon hit target 10 times and I hit it once (there was something in my eye and he was getting lucky). Then we hear a hissing sound that is not a pleasant one. A small piece of dead cedar is sticking out of his front left tire. We had just run over full size dead cedar trees and this little twig does it. We patch tire and head back to camp.
8:15 PM: Arrive to camp with air gushing out of tire. We patch again and head to Benjamin to get some air.
8:30 PM: Benjamin, TX, one gas station. Air Machine says “Out of Order.” Crap. We decided to put spare on, Moon says “it’ll take 2 min.” Right.
8:45 PM: Spare tire won’t lower from bottom of pickup. We swallow pride and get owner’s manual out. We were using wrong end of rod to lower tire. We are idiots!
8:55 PM: Spare tire still not lowering.
9:20 PM: On road to Knox City, TX on 8 lbs of air pressure. A 12 mile drive at 30 mph. we get the feeling that we are on the road from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and this night could end up very much like the movie. Crap.
9:50 PM: Arrive to the Allsups in Knox City, Air Machine says “Out of Order.” We have a flat tire and there are super sketchy people driving by and staring at us. Moon buys 3 cans of Fix a Flat and 6 Chimychanga burritos.
10:00 PM: Pumped 3 cans of the “good stuff” in tire and it goes up to about 15 lbs of pressure, about half of what it needs. Sketchy truck pulls up right behind us. It has gold rims and blue lights glowing out the bottom of it. We make sure the guns are loaded, if we are going down, we are going in a “Blaze of Fire!” Jose walks up and says, “Hey, man. Whats the problem?”
10:05 PM: We are following Jose to another gas station, that “has air.” We are so desperate that we are actually following this guy. God help us.
10:20 PM: Tire is full of air, but is now leaking again. Jose says we are a bunch of morons, and that he can get the spare loose. He doesn’t. We demolish the Chimychangas (we shared with Jose) and brainstormed.
10:45 PM: An 18 wheeler pulls into gas station right beside us, Jose knows the man. He is dirty, and smells bad. We check our guns again, while they speak in another language for a bit. 18 wheeler man calls us morons, and tries to lower spare tire. He is unsuccessful and says we have “a real problem on our hands.” Now, there’s some new information for us.
11:15 PM: Jose’s buddy Frank shows up. Frank hasn’t seen a shower or a toothbrush since the 80’s. Frank gives us the moron spill again and goes for the spare tire. Doesn’t work. Frank confirms that we are probably dealing with the local drug dealer. We are not amused. Frank says his dad owns the mechanic shop in town, but its way too late to call.
12:00 AM: Jose and Frank are still helping us decide what to do. Moon offers Frank are decent sum of money for any tire that will fit his truck. Apparently this was equivalent to 3 months of work for Frank because he pulls a “Dukes of Hazzard” out of the gas station to look for a tire. I am now amused.
12:10 AM: Jose informs us of a “real nice” motel they have in town. I don’t want to sound conceited here, but our idea of a “real nice” motel may be a bit different. Now we’re thinking we will have to stay at the Bates Motel. Awesome. Neither of us are amused.
12:35 AM: Frank arrives with bad news. No 6 lug tires in town. Plus Sunday was the next day and no one would be open. “This is not good Mav.”
12:55 AM: Frank calls and wakes up his dad. I can hear his dad screaming in the phone before Frank gets out his sentence, “its #%$#% stripped, you’re gonna need a %^$%@ cutting torch to lower the tire.” Frank and Jose know where a cutting torch is. Now I am no brilliant person or anything, but I mention that tire is sitting right below the fuel tank, and a cutting torch just seems like a terrible idea, even in the middle of a crisis. Everyone agrees.
1:20 AM: Frank takes a look at the hole in the tire. Apparently, Moon and myself are morons. Frank patches the hole in 15 seconds and airs the tire up. No air escaping. We celebrate with screams, chest bumps, and give Frank and Jose big man hugs. I contemplate shooting at the buzzard again.
1: 35 AM: We are singing Like a Rock at the top of our lungs with Bob Seger and discussing how great the sleep is going to be in the cold camper.
1:55 AM: Arrive to camp and open camper door. It’s a solid 88 degrees inside. A/C unit blew a fuse.
I will go no further…
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Thursday Thoughts
Dove Season Approaching
Since I can recall, September 1st the opening day of Dove season has been a holiday in my family. I can remember being very young and my Grandfather (Papa) driving his red and white truck down to the back of our pasture for the opening day Dove hunt. He would set me on the back of his tailgate, and made me sit real still. I was one of his huntin’ buddies, and I can remember loving the sound of the shotgun. Well 20 years later, I still love that sound and though some of my huntin’ buddies are different, my love for Dove hunting hasn’t. September 1st is my favorite holiday for sure.
Colorado Trip
Me and a few buddies are taking a “Man’s Vacation” to the Rocky Mountains next weekend. It has been a solid 100 degrees here for about 10 days straight now, and though I do like warm weather, I can not wait for a change in temperature and view. Lubbock, TX and the Rocky Mountains do resemble each other greatly, so the weather is mostly what I am looking forward to. We took the same trip last year and it was “eventful” at the very least. The cabin sits right out on a lake stocked with trout, and there is a Casino about 15 miles away. However, the best part of the whole deal is the Player Piano that has over 80 songs that come from like the 1920’s. After a few cocktails, this thing is better than any Karaoke machine. I’ll post pictures.
Cousin Jenna
I spoke with Cousin Jenna today and she says that she hasn’t posted a blog in a long while because it “stresses her out.” I don’t even know what she means by this. Does she think we might pull a AP English teacher on her, and mark up her misspelled words and grammatical errors in red ink? I figure, if we all bug her enough she will get back on board with us. So please, if you know, think you know, are related, have dated, or see her on a regular basis, please let her know that she should write a lil something. Thanks Jeannaa
A Good Clean Joke (for a change)
A man was riding his Harley along a California beach when suddenly thesky clouded above his head... In a booming voice, the Lord said "Becauseyou have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you onewish."The biker pulled over and said, "Build a bridge to Hawaii so my friendsand I can ride over anytime we want."The Lord said, "Your request is materialistic. Think of the enormouschallenges for that kind of undertaking; the supports required to reachthe bottom of the Pacific and the concrete and steel it would take! Ican do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldlythings. Take a little more time and think of something that couldpossibly help mankind."The biker thought about it for a long time. Finally, he said, "Lord, Iwish that I, and all men, could understand women; I want to know how shefeels inside, what she's thinking, why she cries, what she means whenshe says nothing's wrong, and how I can make a woman truly happy."The Lord replied, "You want two lanes or four on that bridge?"
Happy Friday and weekend to you all, CHEERS!!
Since I can recall, September 1st the opening day of Dove season has been a holiday in my family. I can remember being very young and my Grandfather (Papa) driving his red and white truck down to the back of our pasture for the opening day Dove hunt. He would set me on the back of his tailgate, and made me sit real still. I was one of his huntin’ buddies, and I can remember loving the sound of the shotgun. Well 20 years later, I still love that sound and though some of my huntin’ buddies are different, my love for Dove hunting hasn’t. September 1st is my favorite holiday for sure.
Colorado Trip
Me and a few buddies are taking a “Man’s Vacation” to the Rocky Mountains next weekend. It has been a solid 100 degrees here for about 10 days straight now, and though I do like warm weather, I can not wait for a change in temperature and view. Lubbock, TX and the Rocky Mountains do resemble each other greatly, so the weather is mostly what I am looking forward to. We took the same trip last year and it was “eventful” at the very least. The cabin sits right out on a lake stocked with trout, and there is a Casino about 15 miles away. However, the best part of the whole deal is the Player Piano that has over 80 songs that come from like the 1920’s. After a few cocktails, this thing is better than any Karaoke machine. I’ll post pictures.
Cousin Jenna
I spoke with Cousin Jenna today and she says that she hasn’t posted a blog in a long while because it “stresses her out.” I don’t even know what she means by this. Does she think we might pull a AP English teacher on her, and mark up her misspelled words and grammatical errors in red ink? I figure, if we all bug her enough she will get back on board with us. So please, if you know, think you know, are related, have dated, or see her on a regular basis, please let her know that she should write a lil something. Thanks Jeannaa
A Good Clean Joke (for a change)
A man was riding his Harley along a California beach when suddenly thesky clouded above his head... In a booming voice, the Lord said "Becauseyou have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you onewish."The biker pulled over and said, "Build a bridge to Hawaii so my friendsand I can ride over anytime we want."The Lord said, "Your request is materialistic. Think of the enormouschallenges for that kind of undertaking; the supports required to reachthe bottom of the Pacific and the concrete and steel it would take! Ican do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldlythings. Take a little more time and think of something that couldpossibly help mankind."The biker thought about it for a long time. Finally, he said, "Lord, Iwish that I, and all men, could understand women; I want to know how shefeels inside, what she's thinking, why she cries, what she means whenshe says nothing's wrong, and how I can make a woman truly happy."The Lord replied, "You want two lanes or four on that bridge?"
Happy Friday and weekend to you all, CHEERS!!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Thursday Thoughts with a Thursday Catch Up
Catch Up
It has been awhile since I have sat down to write a few lines, so here is a brief update on what’s been shakin in my world.
Firework season came and went like a crazy whirl wind. We had a great year, sold lots of fireworks, put on 2 city shows and had a blast spending quality time with our family and friends. Plus I am pretty sure that I gained about 10 lbs from all the great food that we ate literally 3 times everyday, something I am definitely not used to in Lubbock. Thanks to all my family and friends who helped out and made the 2009 4th of July a very special week.
Post firework season was time to get back to real world, and included me getting a new insurance license that would allow our business to work for a much broader line of businesses. If you are not familiar with Commercial Insurance Packages, let me tell you that it is very interesting business. However, the test, studying for the test, and passing the test was as boring as watching C-Span for 10 days straight. All of this to be told that 90% of what we were learning and studying was never going to be used in the real business…Awesome. After a 8 hour/ 3 day study course and many hours of home study, I did pass the test, and am greatly glad it is over. I’ve only been out of college for 4 years, but getting back into that student/study mode was not an easy task.
TV Recommendation:
If you are like me, you are always searching for a new show or series to get into. Well I have a great one that came highly recommended to me, and it has not let me down at all. The show is called Mad Men and it airs on the AMC Network. It is set in the 1960’s Corporate America and is the story of five men who work in the Advertising agency in New York. The director and producers go to great lengths to throw the audience right back into the early 60’s with over-the-top business suits, crazy wallpapers, and enough cigarettes to make a viewer crave an oxygen machine. A real classic show that is going to air its brand new 3rd Season at the end of this month, so you have plenty of time to catch up!
Upcoming
I am very excited of two events coming very soon; Dove Season and College Football Season. These are two things that I cannot live without and two things that I prepare for endlessly. I will have full blogs devoted to both.
A Recipe for You
And last but certainly not least, I have a recipe for all you cookers that will knock the socks off of your family or guest. I found this in a magazine and tried at a cookout last weekend and it surpassed all the hype from the article, and comes from Barbecue World Champion “Oklahoma Joe” Davidson. A perfect fit for any cookout, its call the “Best Beans on the Planet,” (and yes they just may be):
Ingredients:
2 15 oz. cans of pork and beans
1 15oz. can of dark red kidney beans
1 15 oz can of black beans
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and diced
1 small red onion, diced
2 cups of brown sugar
1 lb. chopped barbecued brisket (I got mine from Dickies)
1 18 oz jar of your favorite barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
Preheat oven to 350 degreed. Drain beans and mix with all remaining ingredients in an aluminum-foil pan. Place the pan on a cookie sheet and cook at 350 degrees for two hours. Let stand 30 min before serving.
Please let me know if you try them and how they come out!
It has been awhile since I have sat down to write a few lines, so here is a brief update on what’s been shakin in my world.
Firework season came and went like a crazy whirl wind. We had a great year, sold lots of fireworks, put on 2 city shows and had a blast spending quality time with our family and friends. Plus I am pretty sure that I gained about 10 lbs from all the great food that we ate literally 3 times everyday, something I am definitely not used to in Lubbock. Thanks to all my family and friends who helped out and made the 2009 4th of July a very special week.
Post firework season was time to get back to real world, and included me getting a new insurance license that would allow our business to work for a much broader line of businesses. If you are not familiar with Commercial Insurance Packages, let me tell you that it is very interesting business. However, the test, studying for the test, and passing the test was as boring as watching C-Span for 10 days straight. All of this to be told that 90% of what we were learning and studying was never going to be used in the real business…Awesome. After a 8 hour/ 3 day study course and many hours of home study, I did pass the test, and am greatly glad it is over. I’ve only been out of college for 4 years, but getting back into that student/study mode was not an easy task.
TV Recommendation:
If you are like me, you are always searching for a new show or series to get into. Well I have a great one that came highly recommended to me, and it has not let me down at all. The show is called Mad Men and it airs on the AMC Network. It is set in the 1960’s Corporate America and is the story of five men who work in the Advertising agency in New York. The director and producers go to great lengths to throw the audience right back into the early 60’s with over-the-top business suits, crazy wallpapers, and enough cigarettes to make a viewer crave an oxygen machine. A real classic show that is going to air its brand new 3rd Season at the end of this month, so you have plenty of time to catch up!
Upcoming
I am very excited of two events coming very soon; Dove Season and College Football Season. These are two things that I cannot live without and two things that I prepare for endlessly. I will have full blogs devoted to both.
A Recipe for You
And last but certainly not least, I have a recipe for all you cookers that will knock the socks off of your family or guest. I found this in a magazine and tried at a cookout last weekend and it surpassed all the hype from the article, and comes from Barbecue World Champion “Oklahoma Joe” Davidson. A perfect fit for any cookout, its call the “Best Beans on the Planet,” (and yes they just may be):
Ingredients:
2 15 oz. cans of pork and beans
1 15oz. can of dark red kidney beans
1 15 oz can of black beans
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and diced
1 small red onion, diced
2 cups of brown sugar
1 lb. chopped barbecued brisket (I got mine from Dickies)
1 18 oz jar of your favorite barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
Preheat oven to 350 degreed. Drain beans and mix with all remaining ingredients in an aluminum-foil pan. Place the pan on a cookie sheet and cook at 350 degrees for two hours. Let stand 30 min before serving.
Please let me know if you try them and how they come out!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday's Thoughts
Fly Fishing with the Boys
We are headed out to Brokenbow, OK for a bit of fly fishing and golf this weekend, and I can not wait! Big Time (Coach Gage) will serve as our official guide/teacher and it is sure to be a weekend of fun and hilarity. We have been talking about doing this for awhile now, and it’s finally going to happen. I don’t think anyone really cares if the fish are biting or the golf swings are top notch, but just that a bunch of great ole friends are getting back together to have a large time.
The Weather
I am not a big fan of being cooped up indoors, so these past two weeks in Lubbock have been absolutely unreal with the weather averaging 80 degrees and a 5 mph wind (unheard of!). I've got to play tons of golf, do lots of yard work, and even took Kaiya Bear to a park. This is a drastic change from the average 35 mph wind that we had here for a solid two months. I know that the heat is coming but, hey, that is way better than it being so cold you have to stay inside!
Firework Season Approaching
At the end of June will officially begin Firework season. This is the time of year where Dino and I, and our friends and families, try and run a firework business. This is my absolute favorite 10 days of the year that is filled with good times with family, friends, fishing, hunting, spotlighting, games, food, sweets, ice cold beverages, and of course Fireworks! We were born full blown pyro-maniacs and once a year we actually get paid to blow stuff up. There will be more to come on this subject.
Did You Know
Any Baptist reading this? On this date, May 28 in 1664, the first Baptist Church was organized in Boston, MA. Believe it or not, there was no dancing following the potluck dinner. I wonder if they discussed the right or wrongs of playing slot machines for my Mother? I’ve got jokes!
A Quote
"What would men be without women? Scarce, sir. Mighty scarce."
-Mark Twain
We are headed out to Brokenbow, OK for a bit of fly fishing and golf this weekend, and I can not wait! Big Time (Coach Gage) will serve as our official guide/teacher and it is sure to be a weekend of fun and hilarity. We have been talking about doing this for awhile now, and it’s finally going to happen. I don’t think anyone really cares if the fish are biting or the golf swings are top notch, but just that a bunch of great ole friends are getting back together to have a large time.
The Weather
I am not a big fan of being cooped up indoors, so these past two weeks in Lubbock have been absolutely unreal with the weather averaging 80 degrees and a 5 mph wind (unheard of!). I've got to play tons of golf, do lots of yard work, and even took Kaiya Bear to a park. This is a drastic change from the average 35 mph wind that we had here for a solid two months. I know that the heat is coming but, hey, that is way better than it being so cold you have to stay inside!
Firework Season Approaching
At the end of June will officially begin Firework season. This is the time of year where Dino and I, and our friends and families, try and run a firework business. This is my absolute favorite 10 days of the year that is filled with good times with family, friends, fishing, hunting, spotlighting, games, food, sweets, ice cold beverages, and of course Fireworks! We were born full blown pyro-maniacs and once a year we actually get paid to blow stuff up. There will be more to come on this subject.
Did You Know
Any Baptist reading this? On this date, May 28 in 1664, the first Baptist Church was organized in Boston, MA. Believe it or not, there was no dancing following the potluck dinner. I wonder if they discussed the right or wrongs of playing slot machines for my Mother? I’ve got jokes!
A Quote
"What would men be without women? Scarce, sir. Mighty scarce."
-Mark Twain
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Thursday's Thoughts
Calendar Filling Up
It is well known between my family and friends that I am a spur of the moment kind of guy, and that making “plans” doesn’t suite me. There are several reasons I feel this way, like what happens if things fall through, or what happens if someone is late, or what if its not as exciting as you thought. There is no let down on just winging it, but as I stare at my summer calendar this morning there are only 4 weekends open to anything from now until September.
Weekend
My Brother and Cousin Jenna are coming to visit for the weekend. This should be a great time to catch up and to have some fun. The weather is supposed to be nice and enjoyable. I have not seen them in quite sometime and they haven’t had the LBK experience in awhile either, this could make for a large time. Even though Jenna tried, we have absolutely no plans at all, but that is what will make it awesome!
Completely Useless Information
During the California Gold Rush of 1849 miners sent their laundry to Honolulu for washing and pressing. Due to the extremely high costs in California during these boom years it was deemed more feasible to send the shirts to Hawaii for servicing. Dude, its 1849, go chunk that shirt in a river!
A Quote
“I wish my name was Brian because maybe sometimes people would misspell my name and call me Brain. That's like a free compliment and you don't even gotta be smart to notice it.”
-Mitch Hedberg
It is well known between my family and friends that I am a spur of the moment kind of guy, and that making “plans” doesn’t suite me. There are several reasons I feel this way, like what happens if things fall through, or what happens if someone is late, or what if its not as exciting as you thought. There is no let down on just winging it, but as I stare at my summer calendar this morning there are only 4 weekends open to anything from now until September.
Weekend
My Brother and Cousin Jenna are coming to visit for the weekend. This should be a great time to catch up and to have some fun. The weather is supposed to be nice and enjoyable. I have not seen them in quite sometime and they haven’t had the LBK experience in awhile either, this could make for a large time. Even though Jenna tried, we have absolutely no plans at all, but that is what will make it awesome!
Completely Useless Information
During the California Gold Rush of 1849 miners sent their laundry to Honolulu for washing and pressing. Due to the extremely high costs in California during these boom years it was deemed more feasible to send the shirts to Hawaii for servicing. Dude, its 1849, go chunk that shirt in a river!
A Quote
“I wish my name was Brian because maybe sometimes people would misspell my name and call me Brain. That's like a free compliment and you don't even gotta be smart to notice it.”
-Mitch Hedberg
Friday, May 8, 2009
My Mother
It’s Mothers Day weekend, so here is a little something about Momma D.
If I had to write about how great my Mom is, and all the wonderful things she has done for me and my brother, it would take me way more storage space on this computer and until Mothers day next year to finish it, so I will keep it short and sweet.
If you would like to know a bit about Momma D, a man named Solomon did a pretty good job explaining her in Proverbs 31:11-31. She taught my brother and I so many things and raised the two of us better than what is even imaginable. She was the perfect example of how we should live our lives and someday (years) raise our children.
I want to point out just one of my very favorite Momma D stories, which actually happened not that long ago. It was maybe 2 to 3 years ago, after I had already graduated from college and was at least 7 years from living at home. I went back home for a weekend to visit, and had a great learning experience.
We went shopping in Frisco and for some reason decided to check out the new IKEA store. So there we were wondering through this huge store and looking at all the household items. We were probably just catching up on what was going on at the time. We get over to the section of the store where there are tons of kitchen items, and I pick up a bowl with holes in it and casually ask Mom what it was called. Without missing a beat Mom puts on her “Mother/Teacher hat,” raises the pitch in her voice but says it very softly in her best Motherly voice and says “It’s a Colander Greg” as if I was 5 years old with bubble gum in my hair. She figured out what she had done instantly, and we laughed out loud so hard in that store the people around us had to of thought we were on drugs.
I knew then and there, that no matter how long I’ve been out of the house or how old I get, as long as she lives, Mom will always be teaching me new things and giving me advice, which I do need. Ever since that day, if I am digging through my pantry or walking through a grocery store and see a Colander, I can’t help but think about my wonderful Mother and how lucky I am to have her…
If I had to write about how great my Mom is, and all the wonderful things she has done for me and my brother, it would take me way more storage space on this computer and until Mothers day next year to finish it, so I will keep it short and sweet.
If you would like to know a bit about Momma D, a man named Solomon did a pretty good job explaining her in Proverbs 31:11-31. She taught my brother and I so many things and raised the two of us better than what is even imaginable. She was the perfect example of how we should live our lives and someday (years) raise our children.
I want to point out just one of my very favorite Momma D stories, which actually happened not that long ago. It was maybe 2 to 3 years ago, after I had already graduated from college and was at least 7 years from living at home. I went back home for a weekend to visit, and had a great learning experience.
We went shopping in Frisco and for some reason decided to check out the new IKEA store. So there we were wondering through this huge store and looking at all the household items. We were probably just catching up on what was going on at the time. We get over to the section of the store where there are tons of kitchen items, and I pick up a bowl with holes in it and casually ask Mom what it was called. Without missing a beat Mom puts on her “Mother/Teacher hat,” raises the pitch in her voice but says it very softly in her best Motherly voice and says “It’s a Colander Greg” as if I was 5 years old with bubble gum in my hair. She figured out what she had done instantly, and we laughed out loud so hard in that store the people around us had to of thought we were on drugs.
I knew then and there, that no matter how long I’ve been out of the house or how old I get, as long as she lives, Mom will always be teaching me new things and giving me advice, which I do need. Ever since that day, if I am digging through my pantry or walking through a grocery store and see a Colander, I can’t help but think about my wonderful Mother and how lucky I am to have her…
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Thursday Ramblings
A Few Things that are on my mind, plus some complete Randomness
Day of Prayer
Today is the National Day of Prayer which was started by Harry S. Truman 1952. It basically is a day for our President to issue a proclamation asking Americans to pray. President Obama is reported to scale it back this year. The press secretary said that Obama would issue such a proclamation Thursday but not hold any public events with religious leaders as President George W. Bush did. With the Economy problems, ongoing War, and Swine Flu outbreaks, this does not set very well with me. At this current point in time I think we should be looking to scale up, not back. I am pretty sure we could go for a National Week of Prayer!
Cousin Fergie D
My cousin, but pretty much older brother, Justin Ferguson has landed a spot on the Plano Fire Department, and not in an ordinary way. For the last year he has basically worked two full time jobs (40 hr in an office, 40 hr in a classroom) and his taken care of his family with two young kids, to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a Firefighter. President Bush may have been the only person in the world who got less sleep than Fergie D in 2008. There is no one who exemplifies commitment and dedication to their life’s goals, Church, and family more than my cousin. He is a person we should all strive to be like and a true hero. Congrats Fergie D!
Random Facts on my Favorite Board Game
Monopoly was invented by Charles B. Darrow during the Depression in the 1934 and at first it was rejected by Parker Brothers due to ("52 design errors") Streets in Monopoly, that are taken from Atlantic City and New Jersey. The Game was very popular in Cuba until Fidel Castro took power and burned all the Monopoly sets (probably because his buddies would never let him be the Car). Standard Monopoly bank starts with $15,140 and it is estimated that Monopoly has been sold 250 million times through out the world. I don’t think it gets much better than good friends and family and a good ole Board Game!
And Finally a Quote
"The day after tomorrow is the third day of the rest of your life"
--Geroge Carlin
Day of Prayer
Today is the National Day of Prayer which was started by Harry S. Truman 1952. It basically is a day for our President to issue a proclamation asking Americans to pray. President Obama is reported to scale it back this year. The press secretary said that Obama would issue such a proclamation Thursday but not hold any public events with religious leaders as President George W. Bush did. With the Economy problems, ongoing War, and Swine Flu outbreaks, this does not set very well with me. At this current point in time I think we should be looking to scale up, not back. I am pretty sure we could go for a National Week of Prayer!
Cousin Fergie D
My cousin, but pretty much older brother, Justin Ferguson has landed a spot on the Plano Fire Department, and not in an ordinary way. For the last year he has basically worked two full time jobs (40 hr in an office, 40 hr in a classroom) and his taken care of his family with two young kids, to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a Firefighter. President Bush may have been the only person in the world who got less sleep than Fergie D in 2008. There is no one who exemplifies commitment and dedication to their life’s goals, Church, and family more than my cousin. He is a person we should all strive to be like and a true hero. Congrats Fergie D!
Random Facts on my Favorite Board Game
Monopoly was invented by Charles B. Darrow during the Depression in the 1934 and at first it was rejected by Parker Brothers due to ("52 design errors") Streets in Monopoly, that are taken from Atlantic City and New Jersey. The Game was very popular in Cuba until Fidel Castro took power and burned all the Monopoly sets (probably because his buddies would never let him be the Car). Standard Monopoly bank starts with $15,140 and it is estimated that Monopoly has been sold 250 million times through out the world. I don’t think it gets much better than good friends and family and a good ole Board Game!
And Finally a Quote
"The day after tomorrow is the third day of the rest of your life"
--Geroge Carlin
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Relaxed Weekend of Randomness
I often feel like the most random of things may happen to me more than the next person, and this past weekend is a decent example. I had absolutely nothing planned for this past weekend, which was amazing. That’s not totally true because my calendar had two very important things that were going on: Dave Matthews was playing in Dallas and the Kentucky Derby. At one point in time I had full intentions on going to one or the other, but couldn’t find anyone to ride with me to either so I just decided to stay in the LBK and relax.
Our friend Will Smith (real name, not black) came in from Midland to have sort of a last hurrah before he takes off to Norfolk, VA. He has signed a contract to a huge Sail Boat for a full year. I tried on my first pair of Sperry TopSiders about 8 years ago, since then this is pretty much been my dream job. Will is my new hero, and I will be making a trip to Norfolk for a weekend of sailing.
We did it up right for Popeye, took him out on the town, introduced him to some ladies, had a late night concert at the house, pool tournament, and even included a home cooked breakfast at around 5:45 a.m. I think he was kind of glad when his Last Hurrah was finally over.
Saturday did not come early because we had already seen a good part of it, but we did need to prepare ourselves for the greatest 2 minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby. I wanted to be there so bad, and once again I made a promise to myself that next year I will. My horse “Nowhere to Hide” apparently had a Friday night similar to mine because he was moving sloooooowwww finishing 17th of 19. However, I did get to live the Derby vicariously through my buddy Cade “Walker” Culver (see picture) who did make the trip, and to quote him “had the best time at any sporting even, ever.” You can’t tell me this doesn’t scream awesome, and I will be there next year!
That evening at dinner, we ran into some old friends that had placed a large wager on the 50-1 Mine that Bird, and were chartering a Jet to Vegas that left at 11 p.m. and came home Sunday afternoon, and wanted us to go. We had about 20 minutes to decide, and declined (Idiots!) knowing that come Monday we would be absolutely worthless zombies. Besides, private Jet rides to Vegas come around all the time (Idiots!).
Sunday might have been the nicest day so far this year. About 75 degrees with no wind and we played a really fun but confusing round of golf. There were 5 of us: Rick, Greg, Sam, Greg, Greg (not kidding). Every single hole someone would say “Greg,” and three of us would answer. I three-putted my way through a 7 ½ hour round, but did win money in the Wolf game.
The weekend turned out to be wonderful and jam pact that as usual, did not last long enough. I did feel great on Monday, but can’t help but wonder what Vegas would have turned up. Ahhh well, there’s always next weekend!
Our friend Will Smith (real name, not black) came in from Midland to have sort of a last hurrah before he takes off to Norfolk, VA. He has signed a contract to a huge Sail Boat for a full year. I tried on my first pair of Sperry TopSiders about 8 years ago, since then this is pretty much been my dream job. Will is my new hero, and I will be making a trip to Norfolk for a weekend of sailing.
We did it up right for Popeye, took him out on the town, introduced him to some ladies, had a late night concert at the house, pool tournament, and even included a home cooked breakfast at around 5:45 a.m. I think he was kind of glad when his Last Hurrah was finally over.
Saturday did not come early because we had already seen a good part of it, but we did need to prepare ourselves for the greatest 2 minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby. I wanted to be there so bad, and once again I made a promise to myself that next year I will. My horse “Nowhere to Hide” apparently had a Friday night similar to mine because he was moving sloooooowwww finishing 17th of 19. However, I did get to live the Derby vicariously through my buddy Cade “Walker” Culver (see picture) who did make the trip, and to quote him “had the best time at any sporting even, ever.” You can’t tell me this doesn’t scream awesome, and I will be there next year!
That evening at dinner, we ran into some old friends that had placed a large wager on the 50-1 Mine that Bird, and were chartering a Jet to Vegas that left at 11 p.m. and came home Sunday afternoon, and wanted us to go. We had about 20 minutes to decide, and declined (Idiots!) knowing that come Monday we would be absolutely worthless zombies. Besides, private Jet rides to Vegas come around all the time (Idiots!).
Sunday might have been the nicest day so far this year. About 75 degrees with no wind and we played a really fun but confusing round of golf. There were 5 of us: Rick, Greg, Sam, Greg, Greg (not kidding). Every single hole someone would say “Greg,” and three of us would answer. I three-putted my way through a 7 ½ hour round, but did win money in the Wolf game.
The weekend turned out to be wonderful and jam pact that as usual, did not last long enough. I did feel great on Monday, but can’t help but wonder what Vegas would have turned up. Ahhh well, there’s always next weekend!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
