Live in the Rock

PSA - May is special Month

2011-05-05T00:29:00.003-05:00

I learned that May is Masturbation Month @ http://www.examiner.com/sex-and-relationships-in-san-antonio/touch-yourself-it-s-national-masturbation-month

After learning that, imagine my surprize when I received this link for
'National Stroke Awareness Month', boy was I surprized!

AAADD - the warning signs

2010-09-30T12:08:00.004-05:00

My last post reminded me of this... I guess I have been a bit depressed and sortta talking to God at night about me being OK if this is my nite to go, I know that stupid and pitiful - but sometimes I see how people can get overwhelmed with the stuff of life and the daily grind.
This week in Austin, there was a 'Shooter' on UT campus - of course there is some history there if you go back to the 60's - the person only took his own life, but that is still sad.

WHOA, were did all that come from!?!

This is what I started this post to be about: something with a little more levity

AAADD
KNOW THE SYMPTOMS.....PLEASE READ!

Thank goodness there's a name for this disorder.
Somehow I feel better,even though I have it!!

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. -
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the driveway,
I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage,
I notice mail on the porch table that
I brought up from the mail box earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys on the table,
put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table,
and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back
on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think,
since I'm going to be near the mailbox
when I take out the garbage anyway,
I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my check book off the table,
and see that there is only one check left.

My extra checks are in my desk in the study,
so I go inside the house to my desk where
I find the can of Pepsi I'd been drinking

I'm going to look for my checks,
but first I need to push the Pepsi aside
so that I don't accidentally knock it over..

The Pepsi is getting warm,
and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Pepsi,
a vase of flowers on the counter
catches my eye--they need water.

I put the Pepsi on the counter and
discover my reading glasses that
I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk,
but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter,
fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote.
Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV,
I'll be looking for the remote,
but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table,
so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs,
but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers,
but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.

So, I set the remote back on the table,
get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to
remember what I was planning to d o.

At the end of the day:
the car isn't washed
the bills aren't paid
there is a warm can of Pepsi sitting on the counter
the flowers don't have enough water,
there is still only 1 check in my check book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
and I Don't Remember What I did With The car Keys.
Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today,
I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day,
and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem,
and I'll try to get some help for it,
but first I'll check my e-mail...

Do me a favor.
Forward this message to everyone you know,
because I don't remember who the hell I've sent it to.

Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!

Where Does the Time go....

2010-09-30T11:25:00.005-05:00

This new job is killing me.... I like the people I work with - that is a big plus, but the product is so 'flexible' there are so many ways to shoot yourself in the foot. It's taking me a long time to get competent testing this new software.
Plus I have been so tired, fall asleep looking at the screen - that sucks! not to mention embarrassing! Had a little episode in May that landed me in the hospital for an over night stay - I was at work when little pixelated black and white spots were flashing in my left eye - got so bad I could not see the screen. BP was sky high, called my Dr. and they said get to an ER pronto. Drs did not find anything wrong, called it a Cranial Vaso-Spasm... that is the second time now I've been diagnosed as spastic... I am starting to get concerned. The first time was 20 yrs ago when I was having really bad stomach pains/cramps - Dr's didn't find anything wrong then and the diagnosis was Spastic colon. Probably all stress induced, regardless. Before my Dad got so sick and passed away, I was suppose to get deviated septum fixed and tonsils removed - was not looking forward to that since an Adult recovery time to 1-2 wks. Mentioned that to Cardiologist - he suggest a sleep study before surgery... so I did that and I had 70 sleep interruptions/hr. which is on the extreme end. So now I officially have Sleep Apnea - Woo Hoo! I got my lovely little CPAP machine 2 months ago and really have not had much success with it. Went back to the Dr. who did the sleep evaluation. He said the Vaso-Spasm probably was just a migraine and would probably happen again -- well aren't you Dr. Good News... but added that probably is not a stroke warning at this point based on general health. Did say that the CPAP mask was too big and that is probably why I am not getting good results... and of course, since it is past 30 days the Sleep Lab that provided the equipment is resisting refitting me - even though I complained and told them the same thing. Well that is a continuing drama, we will see how that turns out.

Oct. is always a busy month of birthdays at our house... wife 5th, daughter 10th, among other friends and relatives... Plus in Austin, Oct. 8-10 is ACL - Austin City Limits Music Festival.... later in the month, we are going to NYC for daughter Bday... staying close to 30Rock, that should be fun/different... usually stay closer to Macy's area. Got tkts to some shows I really have been looking forward to: Promises, Promises (Sean Hayes will be there, but Kristen Chenoweth will not be there the week we are, boo), Memphis and Wicked. Going to catch a NY Red Bull Soccer game the first nite we are there and Jimmy Fallon on Monday. Hope to pick up some cheap TKTS on two other days that are currently open, Rather take a chance on TKTS booth and get a discount rather than paying full price... Did get modest discounts on the other shows though a Guild that my wife is a member of.

Been reading everyone elses posts and makes me a little meloncholy about things we missed out on when the kids were younger [Son is 21 and Daughter is going to be 25]...
I wish we could have gotten out on the lake more than we did and go skiing/tubing...
I wish we would have gone camping together more
I wish we would have finished the West Coast vacation we planned before the RV's alternation caught on fire between Bryce and Zion prematurely ending one vacation... but that is another post in itself.

Those were all things I loved growing up and wanted to share the experience with them...but we did a lot of fun things and think it did make a difference in their lives.
Did a lot of things that I did not do as a kid
Snow Ski once or twice a year, trip to Europe, did complete the East Coast vacation with out any fires... expect my parent's RV did get broken into in the City of Brotherly love... I hope they loved that crappy TV and broken VCR they took while we were at the Liberty Bell and Independence hall!

haha, I guess what I don't post in frequency, I make up for in quantity....
Hope this helps alieve some of the anxiety I have been having with everything in a swirl... I also wished that I could match accuracy with the speed of my typing... I can type fairly fast, yet my mind is racing faster and then I mess up typing and I loose my train of thought and so life goes on...

2010-03-09T00:14:00.002-06:00

We went skiing at Lake Tahoe for my son's 21st birthday for alittle gambling, drinking and skiing now that he is legal on all 3 accounts. We all actually had more fun skiing - whew, I was afraid he would take after my wife's side of the family... Crazy Cajun's and gambling go together like Hurricane's and Bourbon Street.

Missing the Olympics... I am one of the those weird people that enjoy the Winter version more than Summer...

Hosted an Oscar Party with themed food for the 10 best Pictures nominated...it was fun 0- even though I am not a big awards show person... now the Tony's I'll watch cause you get to see acts from the plays!

2009-08-24T18:12:00.002-05:00

Two videos - One is facinating and the other makes me smile...yes I am a sick person...

Long overdue post..found this post and got a smile

2009-08-21T14:11:00.001-05:00

As Ben Franklin said:

In wine there is wisdom,
In beer there is freedom,
In water there is bacteria.

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstratedthat if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. Coli) - bacteria found in feces.

In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop..

However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember:

Water = Poop,
Wine = Health.

Therefore, it’s better to drink wine and talk stupid,
Than to drink water and be full of shit.

What kind of blogger are you?

2008-11-21T17:36:00.003-06:00

I took the Meyers-Briggs personality assessment years ago as part of a team building exercise and I though I was ISTJ, but I've had a few beers since then. Also, I guess you can change over time...people do change, right?
Yet I definitely remember NOT being 'Feeling' and that is why I think I was also 'Judging' - I do recall the Introvert/Extrovert was borderline slightly "I".

Regardless, I saw this link and thought I would let it anal-ize my characteristic through my blog.
Here are the results:

ESFP - The Performers Are you sure about that?

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

They enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

Analysis: This show what parts of the brain that were dominant during writing.

I guess the front part of my brain is dead due to beating it against a wall at work!

OK, some of that is true, but the "soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells" I am not so sure about... not that I like 'unsweet' smells.
Case in point: Today, ok, I am wearing a soft fannel shirt, but that just cause it cold outside. Now bright colors: uh-uh
* Shirt: grey-black plaid,
* Pants: black jeans
* Undies: navy boxers (no skid marks) TMI, I know.
* Socks: white tennis bootie socks, OK I am a geek

...seriously, I not that swish am I? lol, whatever!

Why don't you give it a try @ typealyzer

If nothing else it's good for a laugh!

My kids cancelled out my vote....but I am still proud of them

2008-11-05T13:54:00.009-06:00

While I wasn't an Obamanite, both my kids were. I actaully voted Libertarian. Screw the lesser of two evils vote, even though I knew I was throwing away my vote -- but that was my political statement.
Libertarian Party is really not that bad on Fiscal issues, I think it is the 4:20 aspect that keeps them from wider acceptance :-) [sorry Bigg]

It really is funny though, while my kids grew up in a conservative, yet openminded house.... they really have not stayed 'republican' in nature. They agreed that Univ. of Texas in Austin was too liberal and too many strange people hung around campus... so they went to the conservative university that both their parent attended. I always told them they could go anywhere they wanted, but if the wanted me to pay for it, they would go to TAMU.

We live in the suburbs of Austin (to distance us from t.u. , all the extremist liberals and crazy tree huggers - my apologies to the sane tree huggers).
Anyway, back to the tangent thought: A few years ago the Austin Chamber of Commerce came up with the slogan : 'Keep Austin Wierd"
My Alma Mater, Texas A&M University - WHOOP! - is in College Station and being the "anti-t.u." came up with the bumper sticker slogan: "Keep College Station Normal"
Our home town, not to be outdone started: "Keep Round Rock Mildly Amusing".
...but I digress from the reason for this post, other than to point out the polarizing aspects of the community they grew up in.

I guess College Station/TAMU has drifted to Ultra-conservative. You would think that sending your kids there would instill conservative value, but no... my kids have become a more liberal and I didn't understand that until this article was printed in the campus newspaper, "The Battalion":
Young Conservatives

HEY DUMBASS: Freedon of Speech still comes with responsibility. I think the actions of this group (not all of which were included in this article - let's just say reminds me of KKK antics) has caused my kids to want to distance themselves from their ideals...and I can't say that I blame them. btw, that is my son in the picture...made the t-shirt himself.
I have heard that even the Young Republicans distance themselves from this group...go figure.

These are always fun...

2008-10-14T17:27:00.003-05:00

Golden Retriever
The Charmer
Laid-back, sociable and well-groomed, you've got your own hip little pack of groupies who just love to be around you. You have a brain inside that adorable little head of yours, though you use it mostly to organize your hectic social calendar. You never poop out at parties, and since you're popular with ladies and men, as well as children and adults, you dish out your wit, charm and luck to whomever is close enough to bask in it. The top dog likes you and wants to be your best friend, despite the fact that he doesn't really know what the heck you do. No one does, in fact, but everyone loves you all the same. A true foodie, you’ve got your keen ears fine-tuned to make sure you don't miss out on the opening of a trendy new place to nosh. But your youthful days of being able to wolf down food 24-7 are wagging behind you, meaning you've got to watch what you eat so you don’t pull a Brando and outgrow your coats. Learn more »
FAMOUS GOLDEN RETRIEVERS: Bono, Robert Redford, Joe Montana, Julia Roberts
LIKELY PROFESSIONS: Journalist, Intelligence Agent, Venture Capitalist

I might have to take it over again, there were some answers that I must have waffled on...
Hectic Social Calendar - Life of the Party... if I know everyone there maybe I'll be a wild and crazy guy, otherwise i am very reserved and I haven't been to a party in years!

OK I took it again and this is what i got...

Labrador Retriever
The Caretaker
Your family is what makes you tick, and you never "flea" from an opportunity to hang out with the whole gang. A family picnic complete with hot dogs, deviled eggs and a refreshing swim in the lake is hard for you to stray from. Your sparky temperament and dogged intelligence mean you are not only a blast to hang out with, but great to work with as well. Your close pals appreciate your patience and forgiveness, knowing you'd rather let sleeping dogs lie than dwell on the mishaps of the past. Your dashing good looks may one day lead to a modelling career, if only you can tame the unfortunate clumsiness that sometimes causes you to go flailing from the catwalk. Learn more »
FAMOUS LABRADOR RETRIEVERS: Bill Cosby, Jackie Onassis, Dr. Phil, David Beckham
LIKELY PROFESSIONS: Doctor, Sales Executive, Teacher

David Beckham sounds nice...

We are the Aggies, but...

2008-10-11T22:37:00.002-05:00

I was initially impressed when Mike Sherman was selected as the next A&M coach and you do have the give the guy a little slack in his first year, except the only thing he proves is that if you don't play the first string you will loose. He finally put Javorskie Lane on 4th and Goal from the 1 yd line and he came through.... then later he did put him in, much to his credit on 3rd and Goal from 2yrd line, but called the exact same play...well I guess if it worked once maybe it would twice....but then on 4 and Goal on the next play, just calling the same play to other guard - that is not brilliant play calling. J-train can run more than one play, just look at the film from last year! A little off tackle shift and the ends were vulnerable.... come on Sherman, be a little more creative and use him more! It's pretty obvious when he comes in on only 3rd and Goal, the few times that we get that close, that he will be getting the ball. Put him in at other times and punish a few linemen to free up some holes for the other backs once they get a little 'gun shy' and sore.

That last dumb ass coach we had decimated the defense - a once a proud spot for A&M and Aggies everywhere - called the Wrecking Crew. Well it's still wrecked... and it really is depressing. We have absolutly no secondary. We did have Peterson, but he's been hurt and did not even play today. ...and under Sherman there has been not real improvement

I will get off of Gray's back, he did finally have a couple of good runs. He does have moves, he does have speed, he just doesn't use them at the same time... he finally put it together a couple of times, but he is not Goodson! ...yet... He is a Freshman, so there is hope for the future.

Unfortunately the rest of our schedule is mostly Top Ten ranked teams except Baylor and even Baylor has been improving - so we may competing against ourselves for basement of the Big 12...

I would just like to see some improvement in the defense... Our offense can move the ball most o fthe time, but when the defense can't make a stop, it's hard to keep up... The offense could help itself by not turningover the ball, but that's another story...

I just hope we don't have OU or tu, or even TxTech score over 70 ... but sadly it may be possible - heck K. State put 44 on us and could have done more...

I will be glad when this wkend is over

2008-09-21T10:28:00.002-05:00

Well, I didn't expect the Aggies to beat Miami, but I didn't think that they would make themselves look so bad either. I figured we would loose by two scores and we were still competitive to the half...in the 3 qtr. they just gave away two touchdowns early due to errors and dug a hole they could get out of....
What a depressing weekend this has turned out to be!

My daughter's best friend has been living with us (rent free - that was our graduation present to her) since she graduated from nursing school in May and got a job working at the local hospital. Her mom moved to Houston while she was in college - that is one reason for the arrangement. She moved out this weekend. I thought she left a nice thank you note, but 'the wife' could find reason to find fault in it. What a surprize - that is one of the things I really hate about her and just drives yet another wedge between us that I don't see can be (or don't want to) repair.

Life sucks and then you die

2008-09-19T14:52:00.002-05:00

Today has been the shits...
First off, i forgot my phone at home.
Arrived at work for TeleConf. @10 and dialed in ahead of time. About 5 mins past start time they finally bothered to tell us the callin number changed.
There were charts they were sharing over the internet and the presenter did not know he was suppose to advance the screens, someone finally spoke up on screen 5 that our view was not changing.
I work with idiots sometime - "Plans, we don't need no stinking plans!"
That mtg was only planned for 1 hr... lasted to 1pm... at least that was when I left.
Got back from lunch to learn that a mtg was called 30 mins ago to review the mtg that took so long...
and then 'the wife' called me to tell me she got laid off from work...

Life sucks sometimes

OMG! Is Austin going to have a FALL Season this year?

2008-09-18T10:10:00.005-05:00

After the cold front pushed IKE east of Austin, I figured it would be just another ONE DAY of 'cool-ish temps.' and then back to 90+ degrees in the waning Dog Days of Summer which usually last until Christmas. Indian Summer is putting it lightly. Yet it is still cool today!

Today was the first morning I got to ride the Vectrix into work and I had to zip my jacket up to the neck and I was thinking I need to either find the glove my Son lost or buy new gloves...
I was sortta thinking I would be able to just wait and put it on my Christmas Wish list, but now I don't know...

Other event: Went to Sargent, TX to see if the house was still there. We had heard reports about Sargent Beach having sustained the worst damage in 100 yrs, so we weren't sure what to expect... Luckily the house only lost the cable tv dish which we found on the side of the house and the down stairs was probably under about 2 inches of water the best we could tell and this house is one mile from the beach...
There was a lot of 'flotsom' from trees, piers and houses scattered in the yard so you could tell about where the water line was...
We drove to the beach and any house that was not on a bluff lost the first floor if not more. The storm surge must have pushed the walls and garage doors out... in those houses the top story usually survived. If the land the house sat on was 'beach level' there usually was more damage...
The beach is another story... there is no sand. It is all gone...much like they saw at Galveston. Before: About event 50 yards there were picnic cabanas with 'really' heavy cement tables and benches that had little driveways to park a couple of cars on... well, use to have a little driveways... now they are even smaller - if there at all - maybe get one car on and is four to six feet about the surrounding ground. The surge ate the dunes and excavated about 4 to 6 feet of beach sand down to the clay base. The beach use to extend about 30 - 50 ft from the Cabanas to the water, now is maybe 15-20 ft.
What's that bible verse about building houses on shifting sand!
We noticed that most of the tables survived, but may be moved, most of the benches might still be there, but no longer in the cabana.

Just lucky...thank God! yet, even here, there is going to be a lot of clean up - 45 miles S. of Galveston.

Last of the Family Contacted

2008-09-17T00:26:00.002-05:00

Finally got my brother, they do not have Electricity in Conroe area and all the cell phones died. They got a generator yesterday, but don't expect to get Electricity until 29th.... they are hoping that date is an exaggeration and will be sooner, but didn't want to tell people a date too soon and not make it.
Let's see it hit the 13th and will be 29th before they get Electricity again - geeze. That means the well isn't pumping water either.

But it was basically good news, the house withstood the winds and none of the tall pine trees fell on the roof, but it did leak a little.

Thank God for keeping them safe...

My son stayed in College Station and even though they were on the 'dry side' of Ike - they still got 3.5 inches of rain and flooded the yards.

Austin was breezy and warm - not a drop of rain and we really could have used 3.5 inches

Wha tis crazy is Ingleside - Port Aransas way down by Corpus experienced flooding from the waves of the storm surge making it all the way down south to Padre Island... I hear the Island had some flooding, but my Mom wasn't specific.

Hope if you have family and friends in the area that they are all OK

Smooth Sailing and Rough Waters at the same time

2008-09-16T17:01:00.006-05:00

It only took a few days to get the Vectrix repaired and I have been afraid to jinx it, but things have been going rather well with it lately...
Meanwhile, my son's EVT-4000e's charger when on the fritz! Suppose to hear from the dealer today about when the new replacement will be shipped...it's been two weeks trying to get that info!

We are going to head South tomorrow to Matagorda and see if the house is still there...
The report was Sargent sustained the worse damage in many years with Ike, but it was not anything like Galveston... We just finished a renovation on the exterior too...geeze - with any luck it will still be there.

Still haven't heard from my brother in Conroe... I am hoping it is just that they are busy recovering/recooping...

Early Adopter woes...

2008-07-30T22:21:00.003-05:00

I could not get the Vectrix to start this morning. I called the store. Apparently, the Tech and the owner are working out their differences. Yea for that!
Unfortunately, it looks like the circuit board that charges the battery is messed up and they came and picked up my baby and hauled it away to the shop. Hope it won't be gone too long.
The problem seemed to start when I rode it through the rain puddles... I hope that is not going to be a recurring problem.

Trouble in Paradise, tell me it is so

2008-07-25T16:34:00.004-05:00

The Vectrix Tech where we bought the motorcycle at said he wanted me to put some miles on it than come back so he could 'flatten' the batteries and then to reset some level so the batteries would get a complete charge each time. Plus run some diagnositics since the first bike I got had some problems.

Well I have a 200+ miles on it now. Everything has been going well ...until last Wednesday. I drove home after a heavy rain (Hurricane Dolly cast off) and I had a little problem. I basically was almost home when wife called on the cell, we were meeting for supper at a resturant. Not like you can talk on the cell and drive the Motorcycle very safely, so I pulled over... When I started back up, the bike started acting a little funny. The battery check light came on went off a number of time before staying on permanently. The expected range reserve when from 15 miles to 18, flashed to 12 and then 0 in a span of about 20 feet and I swear one of the gauges read, 'bullshit' -- later I saw it was 'buSult'... maybe that was polish programmer humor for you ain't got no more power dumb ass.

Anyway, today I called Scott on his cell to see if he was going to be at the store on Saturday... We have gotten to be friends and I trusted him. I felt he was really honest and upfront about everything that was going on in those first months of ups and downs. (New Technology bugs). He tells me his quit yesterday because of some disagreements with the owner over customer service issues/concerns. Plus she chewed him out in front of customers.... not really a confidence builder if you are the customer witnessing all that. ick!

Well, technically he still is the Vectirx service rep for this region - just not associated with the store that sold me the bike any longer. Unfortunately, the owner will not let him have the cables necessary to connect his laptop to the bike to run the diagnostics and Vectrix had previously told Scott not to release the software to anyone who was not a certified Vectrix Technician.... he was the only one certified at the store. Damn!

I wish/hope they work this out. I am left in the lerch if this really is a 'real' problem. Plus I like Scott - he seems to have strong ethics and is just a good guy, ta boot! The owner is fine, but I have felt that she would say what ever you wanted to hear without always knowing for sure or following up...or at least getting back in touch with you if you were waiting on a reply...

lBM is finally doing Family Day again

2008-07-25T15:30:00.004-05:00

Use to be that Family Day at IBM was a big free carnival on site with a giant ferris wheel, games, kid and adult rides, building tours and such - more food than a glutton could consume. They would always have local musical entertainment through out the day and have a concert with someone (i.e. some rudely say - hasbeen) formerly famous, but still was good time and good show following by a spectacular fireworks display. It was strickly for 'immediate Family' and you had to be creative to sneak in an extra relative or kid...

When times got hard in the Dot.Com bust, Family Day ceased to exist. They said it would be biennial or every 5 years, but that has not happened - at least in the old form. IBM actually sold off half the property in Austin (where the carnival was held). It has evolved into 'field trips' to Fiesta Texas Six Flags in San Antonio or this year it is Sea World. You pay a reduced rate to get in, but this year you can get 6 tickets no questions asked.... so the sneaking in visiting relatives has gotten easier :-)

We haven't gone in the past cause, first we had season tickets to Fiesta Texas when the kids were younger, then there were other reasons others years. But this year we are going to Sea World and bringing two extra guests - not having to sneak them in. Yippee! Hope it doesn't rain....

yet I still miss the old local carnival atmosphere at the IBM Century Oaks Park...progress.

Wow, I was going to be happy with something in the 80% range...

2008-05-14T21:15:00.000-05:00

You know the Bible 90%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

3 bucks was my limit, not Global Warming - geeze

2008-04-04T00:41:00.003-05:00

We have a Honda Hybrid already and I bought the kids an Electric Moped from Alien Scooters in S. Austin to use in College Station, however, I said to myself when Gas hits $3 bucks I was going to do something ....buy a Vectrix Electic Motorcycle...or start riding my bike to work....

I also play games with the Honda, like just how high MPG can I get on this tankful. This week I have been trying not to go over 50mph, and if I have to only go 55 mph. I am getting 49.5 - 50.3 mpg! ...and while that is really good mpg, the allure of the motorcycle kept call ing to me... call it a mid-life crisis, but it really is an economic decision.... really Regardless, we ordered it today and should be here in 10 days.... WOO HOO!

Gigilo Meter

2008-03-20T23:43:00.002-05:00

Dang and i was hoping I was worth $5,500 like a NYC whore... Oh well I guess I'll be keeping the day job...

Powered By Shop for Toys

Bittersweet

2007-08-17T22:48:00.000-05:00

I was asked to play music at this funeral, I can not imagine the grief the family must be dealing with....
http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/081307kvuemeningitis-cb.2f51a5fe.html
Hey let's go out and have one last fun weekend before school starts back up, what a great family outting to have it end like this ....scarey

Hug you loved ones, you just never know.

Yup, I am officially GREEN now.

2007-08-05T23:11:00.001-05:00

I had the Hybrid Honda Civic for over a year now and bought my wife the Electric Bike so she doesn't drive the Mazda Pickup to work anymore if the weather is nice.
Here is her Bike. http://www.tresterra.com/portia.html
My son and I were using it a lot this weekend and it really is fun. Generates a lot of looks and questions. I beginning to feel like a salesman, I wonder if i should ask if there are any kickbacks for referrals?
Well I bought/ordered my son (freshman) and daughter(senior) an electric Scooter to use at A&M.
http://www.alienscooters.com/component/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,37/page,shop.browse/category_id,9/
They live together in the duplex we bought a few years back... They opted for the sporty looking one cause you could (conceivably) sit two more comfortably on the bike. I like the one that looked more like a Vespa, but this way maybe I won't have to buy two - ha...now I just hope the use it.
It's suppose to come in on Wednesday, don't know if we will pick it up then or wait till the weekend - but I figure I will ride it home - probably be the only time I get to ride it!

now all I need is a leather motor cycle jacket and some leather chaps - lol

I forgot to add, this is what I want for my birthday/Christmas/Anniversary present...
http://www.vectrix.com/Portal/1/Language/47/Page/1/Home_(US).aspx
Alien Scooters has one in the show room, haven't gotten the courage to test drive it yet though.... didn't want to torture myself yet if I really liked it, like I'm not - HA!

OMG - next I'll be movin' to S. Austin

2007-07-27T23:19:00.000-05:00

Boy, i didn't think I was ever going to have time to make a post again....finally!
Well it has taken 25 years, but Austin has turned this conservative into a tree huggin' liberal!
I bought an electric bike and looking at an electric moped for the kids to use at college. I also took the quiz here and beat my daughter by two points....I was 268.

this is cool:http://www.earthlab.com/carbonProfile/LiveEarth.htm?ver=13

I refuse plastic bags many times just because I only have one or two things and I hate throwning them away, so that pile up at the house until we take them to the store to recycle. It more out of guilt than ecology that I recycle.
We recycle aluminum cans cause that was the kids allowance money when they were little - they look a little pissed at me now, tho - lol. Although I noticed my son cashed 'em all in when he came home a few weekends ago. They do get some allowance, so i am not a total orge....in spite of what they may say behind my back. (yes I am not totally deaf you dumb-a__'s!)

Actually, the tree hugger is not really that far a stretch for me. I don't know why being conservative politically means you are an eco-terrorist also. I actually know some rather wasteful liberals that it drives me crazy. I mean how hard is it to toss the drink can in the blue garbage can just around the corner in the break room when go by to the bathroom... I'm just sayin'....
I grew up on the coast was alway litter conscious. Rode my bike cause I enjoy it and it was a way to get out of the house with the 5th degree of where you going, who you going with, .....the usual Mom things....that we did to our kids too.

Anyway take the quiz, share the link and make just one change to become less an eco-terrorist this yr. It is suprizingly easy to do just one new thing a year, and make it become routine rather than trying to radically change your whole existence and getting burnt out in the process - some people can do it, but some people also have farther to go than others....

OK, I probably just opened a can of worms, but...

2007-02-21T18:52:00.000-06:00

I received this note from one of the yahoo groups I subscribe to. While I am totally sympathetic to the author's sentiment, the whole argument riles me. Maybe since i was a statistics minor, it just makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck, or maybe it is just the short sightedness of the comments and comparison.

Here is the note:

A federal Justice in Australia's High Court made a comment the other day which really puts things in perspective. He made an observation while the court was considering an appeal against a man convicted under Australia's new anti-terror laws -- the first person to have been so charged. Justice Michael Kirby's remarks were made in response to the Solicitor-General stating that Australia was more vulnerable to terrorist attacks since the events of September 11, 2001 in the United States.
Kirby said, "Yes, but the Americans, with all respects, have become obsessed with September 11. That is not an event that occurred in this country, and I think we have to keep our eye on the threats to Australia." Justice Kirby added that more people died every day from the [AIDS] than died in September 11. According to the UN, 7,761 people died from AIDS-related illness each day across the globe in 2005. Approximately 2,900 died in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. That's more than two and a half times for a single day -- or 975 times over the course of just one year.

I've been thinking this since 2002, when I realized that "9/11" and "September 11th" had become little more than catch-phrases. AIDS is still being ignored, especially in America, while people still talk about the events of ONE DAY nearly five and a half years ago.
Some perspective, isn't it...?
Dave --

NOW WHY couldn't I just let it lie and not respond, I must be PMSing....

Here is my response:

I 100% sympathize with your intentions in sending this note. AIDS research and cures do not seem to be a high priority in the US, probably because of the stigma that it is a 'gay disease'. That is not true in Africa - it is an equal opportunity bastard to whole community's health - men, women, children, gay, straight and everything in between.

However, with all due respect, the judge is an idiot and needs remedial basic math skills. I am not sure about the 9/11 impact on Australia and I do agree with the they should be concerned about their own safety. Yet I am sure that if the US economy tanks due to terrorist attacks, there will be a lot of other countries that will get taken down with it....so I guess there is an economic interest there for Australians to consider.

Now about the numbers, that is just an asinine comparison. You are not comparing apples to apples, more like apples to oranges.

There were 7800 people die of AID over a 365 day period in 2005 - that is about 22 a day.
On 9/11, one day, 3000 people died. To make my point about the bad comparison, then if we had a similarly vicious attack over a 365 day period, then 1,095,000 would have died as a result. That is an outlandish statement as well.

Now I can not even figure out the math of where the comment for: "or 975 times over the course of just one year" can from. I think it ruins the whole argument and make the speaker sound exceptionally ignorant. Until then, I could support the speakers sentiment. Personally, I think this comparison is an insult to the 9/11 survivors and to those living with or died from AIDS.
I do feel badly about your situation and why it must weigh heavy on your mind and I do hope there is a genius researcher out there who will turn the corner and find more effective drugs to treat or even better, eradicate AIDS. Everyone is entitled to their opinion based on their perspective and this is just mine

jc

I believe the author, in earlier post, mentioned that he was positive. I am not, at least not the last time I got checked. ...and my perspective would be different if it was, I am sure.
It is just like the Gov.'s edict that every young woman get that new vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. There are many people afraid since the medicine is so new and so much is not known about the future side effect....would they be worse than the disease? And then you see the cancer survivors lobbying the Tx. Legislature about the importance of getting this new drug in everyone hands, or arms, or buttocks, where the shot it put :-) They certainly have a different perspective on the issue.

Yet I know this is probably going to general a lot of hate mail backlash, but I just couldn't let it go by without a response.

So, just how wrong was I?

Do you have a Barbie Fetish?

2007-01-26T17:09:00.000-06:00

My daughter, who is away at college [Texas A&M, WHOOP!] sent me this. We live in Round Rock, I thought this was great: http://theotherdustin.net/shame/austin-limited-edition-barbie/ although, I am concerned about how my money is being spent.... maybe this was an Marketing Assignment - ha!

Hopefully you don't have to be from the area to appreciate it. Actually when I read the first Mattel offering, I almost believed it was true.... then I noticed the scroll bar and read that rest and almost died laughing!

Hope you enjoy them as well.

I have always loved George Carlin....

2007-01-11T10:25:00.000-06:00

George Carlin's Rules for 2007

New Rule:
Stop giving me that pop-up ad for classmates.com! There's a reason you don't talk to people for 25 years. Because you don't particularly like them! Besides, I already know what the captain of the football team is doing these days: mowing my lawn.

New Rule:
Don't eat anything that's served to you out a window unless you're a seagull. People are acting all shocked about what was supposedly found in a bowl of Wendy's chili. Hey, it cost less than a dollar. What did you expect it to contain? Trout ?

New Rule:
If you need to shave and you still collect baseball cards, you're a dope. If you're a kid, the cards are keepsakes of your idols. If you're a grown man, they're pictures of men.
WAIT: I don't get this one, wasn't that the whole purpose to ogle your He-Man Idols?

New Rule:
Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: do you have two of them ? Okay, we're done.

New Rule:
There's no such thing as flavored water. There's a whole aisle of this crap at the supermarket but without that watery taste. Sorry, but flavored water is called a soft drink. You want flavored water? Pour some scotch over ice and let it melt. That's your flavored water.

New Rule:
Stop messing with old people. Target is introducing a redesigned pill bottle that's square, with a bigger label. And the top is now the bottom. And by the time grandpa figures out how to open it, his ass will be in the morgue. Congratulations, Target, you just solved the Social Security crisis.

New Rule:
The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the ass hole. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a "decaf grande half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one Sweet-n'-Low and one NutraSweet," ooh, you're a huge ass hole.
Oh man, this is sooo true. One of many reasons to hate an overpriced cuppa joe....

New Rule:
I'm not the cashier! By the time I look up from sliding my card, entering my PIN number, pressing "Enter," verifying the amount, deciding, no, I don't want cash back, and pressing "Enter" again, the kid who is supposed to be ringing me up is standing there eating my Almond Joy.
Ya know, there have been times I have felt like that....also standing behind someone who seems credit card challenged....kindda like that commercial, Hey Lady, if I wanted to get in the slow line I would have gotten in a line where everybody was paying cash...gee, we have gotten so impatient in our old age!

New Rule:
Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it doesn't make you spiritual. It's right above the crack of your ass. And it translates to "beef with broccoli." The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to God you weren't pregnant. You're not spiritual. You're just high.
I have wondered how many people really know what the Chinese characters are really says on their ass. "Easy Access", "Eat at Joe's", "Enter at your own Risk"

New Rule:
Competitive eating isn't a sport. It's one of the seven deadly sins. ESPN recently televised the US Open of Competitive Eating, because watching those athletes at the poker
table was just too damned exciting. What's next, competitive farting ? Oh wait. They're already doing that. It's called "The Howard Stern Show."

New Rule:
I don't need a bigger mega M&M. If I'm extra hungry for M&Ms, I'll go nuts and eat two.
Is this M&M's answer to movie line in 'Drop Dead Gorgeous', "I have a big bag of little donuts".

New Rule:
If you're going to insist on making movies based on crappy, old television shows, then you have to give everyone in the Cineplex a remote so we can see what's playing on the other screens. Let's remember the reason something was a television show in the first place is that the idea wasn't good enough to be a movie.
As I think about it, there probably is a lot of truth to this...and I would include reunion shows 20 years later. I don't mind a 'where are they now' episode, but seeing a 50 yr old Cindy Brady still in curls with a lisp would be a little creepy.

New Rule:
No more gift registries. You know, it used to be just for weddings. Now it's for babies and new homes and graduations from rehab. Picking out the stuff you want and having other people buy it for you isn't gift giving, it's the white people's version of looting.
This is just classic....

Why, Why, WHHHYYYYYY!

2006-12-20T09:51:00.000-06:00

My aunt is a very educated ~68 yr. woman, computer savvy, retired Middle School Texas History teacher who has about 3 books published. ...but why does she forward this crap...

The subject line was:
"Fwd: FW: FW: We're gonna be R I C H !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Money Angel

This is a money angel

Pass it to 6 of your good friends,or family and be rich in 4 Days.
Pass it to 12 of your good friends.or family and be rich in 2 Days.

I am not joking. You will find an unexpected windfall.
If you delete it, you will beg.

Trust me!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, let's 'anal-yize' this:
1. Note the subject line with not one, nor two, or even three carefully placed exclamation marks to indicate importance and emphasis.
2. The alluring animated GIF.
3. followed by the threat of breaking the chain.
4. The illiterate (did I spell that right) use of peroids and commas in the Pass it On sentences...
5. Now, considering the numerous times it has been forwarded,you know it has been over 4 days since those first people sent it. I wonder if I emailed them and ask if it was really true, have they reaped their windfall yet? ...or was it really the scam my jaded opinion has labeled this as... or am I just a fuddy-duddy that has missed the humor and frivolity of it.

I'm sorry that is just the kid of person I am - non-conformist with an angelic facade (lol). I have no shame in breaking the chain thus preventing my aunt from obtaining her rightful windfall.

Hummm, maybe I should just forward this one cause if once she gets her millions maybe she'll not forward stupid chain letters to me electronically anymore cause she will have found better things to do.

You know, now that I look back at it, it only says you will be RICH!!!!...!!! It did not qualify that with what you will be rich in...I think it may be richly endowed with spam mail and not money like the GIF and Title lead you to believe...

Sorry Aunt Doris, it's going to the bit bucket. You'll have to live on Teacher Retirement a little longer.

Your Loving Nephew,
Jody

Oh yeah, I had one of those milestones after Thanksgiving....

2006-12-19T22:32:00.000-06:00

We always loose the remotes to the TV/VCR/DVD - what is really pathetic is all are universal remotes and work all 3 applicances and we loose all 3 remotes! I don't loose them, I always put it back on the end table when I get through channel surfing. My daughter got tired of me always groussing about not being able to find the remotes and gave me this for my birthday:
http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/product/sku__SI676FUN
We also put one on my wife's keys, cause she is always running through the house yelling "When are my Keys, I'm going to be late!" One time we found them in the freezer...and she ain't that old - just scatter brained at times.

The only problem with it is a couple of the beepers have a really high frequency, so I can't hear it....so I just keep punching the button until I drive all the hearing people crazy and they bring it too me....kind of like pavlov's dog experiements....is that sadistic?

Summertime Romances

2006-12-19T03:25:00.000-06:00

My son was a German Exchange Student this past year and met he first girlfriend that he was 'really' serious about - she was from Deutschland, one of the german exchange students. All he wanted for Christmas was plane tickets to go back and see her. So we agreed to it. A few days before he left, he heard through the 'german-american' grapevine that she had kindda cooled off... Oh great, should have gotten the refundable tickets for twice the price. Well actually there were a lot of friends that he really want to see, so he went anyway....
after numerious delays and 24 hrs. later than he should have, he finally arrived in Frankfurt and made his way to Kassel, where he was staying. (see details of the adventure @ http://billytheskid.livejournal.com/8352.html)

NEWAY, I made this post for Summertime Romances as food for thought for him...
http://billytheskid.livejournal.com/8928.html?thread=22752#t22752

Great Play for the Holiday Season

2006-12-17T01:13:00.000-06:00

This is a quick post, it's late and we have been up celebrating our 24th Annv....excerpt of earlier mail

I just saw a really cute play tonight...
If you have time you need to catch it - it runs until Dec. 23rd, "Abuelita's Xmas Carol" at Play! Theatre on 1204 Cedar Ave. (East of I-35 between 12th and MLK - Closer to 12th, but there is a light for Cedar on MLK)
It is a mix of Dicken's "Christmas Carol" and "It's a Wonderful Life" themes all rolled into a great story about a family and their Grandmother.
http://www.playtheatregroup.org/abuelita.html call for tkts@512-619-5327
It is such a nice story, bring Kleenex's or handerchiefs cause you will be laughing and crying at the same time!

... and Yes, for those who might be wondering... It was a successful Anniversary Celebration! ....Good Play, Good Food (Kababalicious on 7th just W. of Neches), Armadillo Christmas Bazzar, followed by dessert @ Katz's, I mean how can you go wrong with that! :-)

Hope you get time to see it, Joel

2006-12-12T13:03:00.000-06:00

Good food for thought on tolerance from many different angles.
Got this from another thread. I think this is good, well at least it makes me feel better about myself and how I feel at times....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/12/us/12evangelical.html?

Interesting View on Religion and Culture

2006-12-11T17:44:00.000-06:00

I received this email from a discussion group I joined, made me stop an think...

Subject: [discussion] From the pen of a baptist minister...
From the pen of a baptist minster...OpinionWhen religion loses its credibility
By Oliver "Buzz" Thomas Mon Nov 20, 6:40 AM ET

What if Christian leaders are wrong about homosexuality? I suppose,much as a newspaper maintains its credibility by setting the record straight, church leaders would need to do the same:
Correction: Despite what you might have read, heard or been taught throughout your churchgoing life, homosexuality is, in fact,determined at birth and is not to be condemned by God's followers. Based on a few recent headlines, we won't be seeing that admissionanytime soon. Last week, U.S. Roman Catholic bishops took the position that homosexual attractions are "disordered" and that gays should live closeted lives of chastity. At the same time, North Carolina's Baptist State Convention was preparing to investigate churches that =are too gay-friendly. Even the more liberal Presbyterian Church (USA) had been planning to put a minister on trial for conducting a marriageceremony for two women before the charges were dismissed on a technicality.All this brings me back to the question: What if we're wrong? Religion's only real commodity, after all, is its moral authority. Lose that, and we lose our credibility. Lose credibility, and we might as well close up shop. It's happened to Christianity before, most famously when we dug in our heels over Galileo's challenge to the biblical view that the Earth, rather than the sun, was at the center of our solar system. You know the story. Galileo was persecuted for what turned out to be incontrovertibly true. For many, especially in the scientific community, Christianity never recovered. This time, Christianity is in danger of squandering its moral authority by continuing its pattern of discrimination against gays and lesbians in the face of mounting scientific evidence that sexual orientationhas little or nothing to do with choice. To the contrary, whether sexual orientation arises as a result of the mother's hormones or the child's brain structure or DNA, it is almost certainly an accident of birth. The point is this: Without choice, there can be no moral culpability. Answer in Scriptures: So, why are so many church leaders (not to mention Orthodox Jewish and Muslim leaders) persisting in their view that homosexuality is wrong despite a growing stream of scientific evidence that is likely to become a torrent in the coming years? The answer is found in Leviticus 18."You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination." As a former "the Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it" kind of guy, I am sympathetic with any Christian who accepts the Bible at face value. But here's the catch. Leviticus is filled with laws imposing the death penalty for everything from eating catfish to sassing your parents. If you accept one as the absolute, unequivocal word of God, you must accept them all. For many of gay America's loudest critics, the results are unthinkable. First, no more football. At least not without gloves. Handling a pig skin is an abomination. Second, no more Saturday games even if you can get a new ball. Violating the Sabbath is a capital offense according to Leviticus. For the over-40 crowd, approaching the altar of God with a defect in your sight is taboo, but you'll have plenty of company because those menstruating or with disabilities are also barred. The truth is that mainstream religion has moved beyond animal sacrifice, slavery and the host of primitive rituals described in Leviticus centuries ago. Selectively hanging onto these ancient proscriptions for gays and lesbians exclusively is unfair according to anybody's standard of ethics. We lawyers call it "selective enforcement," and in civil affairs it's illegal. A better reading of Scripture starts with the book of Genesis and the grand pronouncement about the world God created and all those who dwelled in it. "And, the Lord saw that it was good." If God created us and if everything he created is good, how can a gay person be guilty of being anything more than what God created him or her to be? Turning to the New Testament, the writings of the Apostle Paul at first lend credence to the notion that homosexuality is a sin, until you consider that Paul most likely is referring to the Roman practice of pederasty, a form of pedophilia common in the ancient world. Successful older men often took boys into their homes as concubines, lovers or sexual slaves. Today, such sexual exploitation of minors is no longer tolerated. The point is that the sort of long-term, committed, same-sex relationships that are being debated today are not addressed in theNew Testament. It distorts the biblical witness to apply verses written in one historical context (i.e. sexual exploitation of children) to contemporary situations between two monogamous partners of the same sex.
What would Jesus do?
For those who have lingering doubts, dust off your Bibles and take a few hours to reacquaint yourself with the teachings of Jesus. You won't find a single reference to homosexuality. There are teachings on money, lust, revenge, divorce, fasting and a thousand other subjects, but there is nothing on homosexuality. Strange, don't you think, if being gay were such a moral threat?
On the other hand, Jesus spent a lot of time talking about how we should treat others. First, he made clear it is not our role to judge. It is God's. ("Judge not lest you be judged." Matthew 7:1) And second, he commanded us to love other people as we love ourselves. So, I ask you. Would you want to be discriminated against? Would you want to lose your job, housing or benefits because of something over which you had no control? Better yet, would you like it if society told you that you couldn't visit your lifelong partner in the hospital or file a claim on his behalf if he were murdered?The suffering that gay and lesbian people have endured at the hands of religion is incalculable, but they can look expectantly to the future for vindication. Scientific facts, after all, are a stubborn thing. Even our religious beliefs must finally yield to them as the church inits battle with Galileo ultimately realized. But for religion, the future might be ominous. Watching the growing conflict between medical science and religion over homosexuality is like watching a train wreck from a distance. You can see it coming for miles and sense the inevitable conclusion, but you're powerless to stop it. The more churchleaders dig in their heels, the worse it's likely to be.

Oliver "Buzz" Thomas is a Baptist minister and author of an upcoming book, 10 Things Your Minister Wants to Tell You (But Can't Because He Needs the Job).

And then Life happens...

2006-12-11T17:21:00.000-06:00

I had good intentions when I started this. Every week or two I would append something here for fun or therapy. Everyone told me it was good to vent and share...and I needed something to lower my blood pressure.

Well I guess that wasn't bad advise, but how can you posssibly keep up with it and have a job, a family, outside interests. I guess there is the adage, 'If you want something done, find a busy person to do it'... cause someone who is idle, may be aiming to stay that way and it will never get done...
hummmm, so which category does that put me into...

S. Germany

2006-07-17T17:14:00.000-05:00

I guess I am just a southern boy at heart no matter where I am. Munich is my kind of place. - and it's NOT just the beer! I was in Stutgart about 3 years ago and fell in love with the place.
We have been taking the trains, U-Bahns and S-Bahns everywhere. That will be one thing I miss. We did our first overnighter on a train too - Berlin to Munich...tomorrow it is Munich to Venice!
So far so good, we haven't tried to kill each other

Northern Germany

2006-07-17T17:10:00.000-05:00

It seems that in N. Germany EVERYBODY smokes....really young kids, too. Just crazy! It also is messy cause they really don't use ashtrays - especially in the train station....that and the lack of A/C makes everythgin dusty. I doen't think i will ever get all the Berlin dust out of my computer! Oh well- that what i get for leaving it open one night....
We did stay in a neat place - Pension Kima just off Fuerkerstandamm ( I think that was the street - Fasion district) Really nice people.

Travel Plan Observations

2006-07-17T17:04:00.000-05:00

It does not matter how much you plan, something always happens to screw them up. For instance, we stayed at my daughter’s (College Station) to be halfway to Bush Airport (Houston) to make the drive easier. She decides she needs to mail a package before leaving town, so we spend 30 (extra) mins at Post Office – unplanned delay. We make a reststop halfway to the airport, I had switched my glasses for my sunglasses and I am driving my son’s Jeep Cherokee since we have all the luggage. There is no place to really set my glasses down so I just set them in my lap – I guess – and forgot about that when I got out, cause when we got to the airport we could not find them anywhere...I ONLY have my sunglasses for the whole trip!
Oh well, on the plane it wasn't too bad make sleeping easier.
Had the movie start aura going...lol
The family we were visiting in Kassel took me to her Eye Dr. and I got contacts and reading glasses and non-Rx sunglasses. Lasik is look pretty good right now, but can do it on both eyes due to astigmatism - damn! The contacts are not that bad, but Have the hardest time getting them OUT! Too many years of conditioning when something is coming at your eyeball you look away

Work, Work, and MORE WORK!

2006-06-30T23:55:00.000-05:00

I just love my job sometimes...unfortunately this is not one of those times.... Our project is seriously behind schedule and the people who are responible for correcting the problem are all on vacation for the 4th, but do we get to take the time off too? Well, NOOOOO! In the wisdom of Micro Management Anal Retentiveness, we are are not only working the weekend but the 3rd and the 4th! There may be 3/4 of a day worth of work we have to do, then we just sit and stare at each other... but at least I have a job, it could be worse...

Oh well, my one saving grace is in 11 days we leace for Germany and they "said" I will not have to cancel...I hope that is not because they don't think they will ship until I get back - Das wäre schlecht! My son has been an exchange student and we are going over there to 'pick him up' and then manage to spend two weeks finding our way back home....I wish I had Adam Sandler's remote control to fast fwd time...

Guten Tag - Auf Weidersehen

Father's Day Falafels!

2006-06-18T23:08:00.000-05:00

I came across a fellow Texan blogger and have rather enjoyed his Blog. You should check Jim's Blog at Texas Stream of Consciousness - if just for the occasional recipes.

Anyway, he has this falafel recipe that I have been meaning to try out for a couple of weeks.... and I need to say, "Cudos Jim!" I had a little problem with them breaking apart in a patty form, either needed to add more bread crumbs or eggs - I just made smaller patty's, that helped too. However I must say that Cumin is my new favorite spice. It was sealed when I bought it, but when I opened it I had to stop and just inhale the flavorful aroma. I started to kindda laugh at myself inhaling it....the movie "Blow" came to mind...need to make a couple of lines and snort it.
Inspite of them breaking apart everyone said they tasted great, yet the real testament came when everyone went back for seconds! I was a little surprized, my family does not always appreciate my culinary experiments.

Thanks Jim, you are my new pal....keep the recipe's coming!

fun food

2006-06-13T16:17:00.000-05:00

I don't know why, but I think this is great...
http://www.bluegum.com/OddsEnds/Temp9/veg/

I guess you never grow up to your mother...

2006-06-10T14:15:00.000-05:00

Let me start by saying I am not a morning person...it beome relavent later...
A friend of mine was in the hospital on Tueday, when I got home from visiting him I received a phone call from my Mom (81 yo, oldest in her family) that one of her younger brothers (68 yo) has died rather unexpectedly. Gibby was one of my favorite uncles and it came as quit a shock to the whole family because he is fairly active, always positive and had just been to the Drs. Anyway I got the info that my cousin wanted me to be a pall-bearer and I needed to be at Marshall Funeral Home at 9AM Friday.I live about 4+ hrs from home, so after work on Thursday, I set off and arrived in Corpus Christi around 11:30PM - My mom is a night owl (see, i come by it naturally) and she wanted to talk cause the death has really shaken up the whole family....I mean I thought I would be the next cousin to have to be planning a funeral after my Dad's scare and utilmate 1 month stay in the hospital this past December. Let's just say it hasn't been a very good year the Mircovich Clan... anyway we were up until 1Am talking...I said I was going to set my alarm for 7AM so I could get up and have plenty of time to get to Aransas Pass Funeral Home...usually takes 30mins, but I still think of thing in Austin terms, so figure'd I'd allow an hour for CC rush hour... At 6:30 AM my mom woke me up to be sure I set my alarm for 7AM - "Yes Mom, I'm going back to sleep,now"... 6:45 AM: "Honey, I make you some oatmeal for when you get up so you don't have to waste time", "Thanks Mom, I'm going back to sleep now" as I tossed and turned for the final 13 minutes before the alarm - my mind was racing. Forget-about-it, I'm getting up. I left the house at 7:45, thinking I would be dealing with Austin type morning traffic and opted to drive down Ocean Dr. instead of the Freeway.If anything it would be a nice veiw with the sunrise on an otherwise sad day. OMG, I pass more cars getting out of my neighbor just trying to get to work at home than I passed all the way to downtown Corpus Christi. I forgot I grew up in Mañanaville, I don't know when rush hour is, but it's not 8AM in Corpus Cripsy (as an Austin friend refers to it). I never hit any traffic and arrived in Aranasas Pass around 8:20.The staff was just arriving, I think I might have freaked them out being so early, but it did give me some time to pay my last respects, find a mirror to tie my tie, and take a short nap on the overstuffed couches before the day's activities started.My cousin who was handling organizing stuff for the family got there around 9:15, so I had to give him a hard time about telling me to be there at 9AM!He said I thought your wife was coming, so we told you a little earlier...alas they know her well. We have friends who tell Mary to be places 30 mins early cause they know she will invariable be late."Oh well, my bad, I should have said I was traveling alone..."
Now that everything is over and i have started to catch upon my sleep, I guess it's nice to know you can count on your mom no matter how old you are, I just wish she would believe me when I say I have set the alarm...We will miss my uncle, he was special to a lot of people in his little comuunity of Ingleside and we are all better for it. I am glad to have had such an excellent example of how a person should live their life.
Goodbye Gibby...and thanks Mom.

There's an old country song...

2006-05-26T22:56:00.000-05:00

Willie has done it and others, "Ain't it fnny how time slips away". When I started this Blog I was really going to be hot and heavy ....which to me means I was going to post once a week - HA! Then life happened...
Work has become almost entirely all encompassing...which is good that I have a job and I still like it most days, but I would like a personal life. I work for IBM and the project (like most in IBM anymore) has people in Hiafa Isreal, Bangalore India (we call it bang-a-whore, but that's another story), there is a group in China, and shore to shore in USA. I am in the Central Time zone, which I guess is really not that back, except I am NOT a morning person and meetings start around 7:30/8:00 AM ...my usual wake up time - My eyes still can't focus, but that is only because I stayed up late the day before working on code and debugging problems and writting up problems and blah blah blah...just got boring. I think I even forgot my point :-)
but anyway it just hasn't left anytime for the things I like to do. Like going to Hippie Hollow, although I have a friend and he and I have played hookie one Friday a month to go swimming and have some fun later (wink wink)....
I also play bass with a group at church, if it weren't for mandatory Tuesday rehersal's for only 1 hr. I would get NO time to practice the music before Mass. I use to practice one or two time more before Sunday, just so I'd be comfortable with the music. I haven't played bass in 30 years - since I was a teenager playing with a group. Since that time, I mainly played guitar and it really is different. I forgot how different, when I was young it was no big deal switching from one to the other and singing at the same time. Now I feel challenged to walk and chew gum at the same time. It's coming back, although slowly...but I like it and I think I am getting better - don't know how everyone else feels ...hummm
And finally, Riding my bike, but I do think I have resolved that one....after the morning mtgs on Wed and Fri....I am usually just a little frustrated as to why I really have to attend all these stupid meeting just in case there is 'one' question that might come my way AND why I had to wake up earlier than normal so I could focus on the computer screen...I was really having a problem this morning, with allergies and all. But I rode my bike in from Round Rock to Austin - about a 10+ mile ride, NOW I am getting exercise which my pants have been telling me I drastically need to attend to and the stress relief is really the bonus....when I get to work (after a pleasing shower at work) I am ready and renewed to face the frustrations of working with computers that don't want to cooperate with you...like NO ONE can understand that - lol!
I had been taking long rides on Saturdays since my Tennis partner has kinda pooped out, he is traveling more again and everything is busy for him too...and it has gotten warmer and he is not in the best of shape.
I actually rode my bike to a friends house on 51st in Austin, not a bad ride. I had scouted out the route in the car a few weeks earlier and it seemed like a piece of cake, but on the bike I thought I was climbing the Alps ala Lance... mere speed bumps to him- haha . anyway I made it there, had a 'fun' shower with him then we went to lunch, visited for awhile, rode home and lived to tell about...no haeart attack, no stroke, and no wipeouts...
Yep, that happened two wks ago, Thruday nite was stormy lots of rains and wind, my bike route goes through a major road construction area for new toll way and the path was covered in mud. I ride a Mtn. Bike and it picked up a ton of mud, I was coming down a slight hill, but still enough to pick up some speed....when I noticed the right hand side where the road Tee's and I make a right hand turn had standing water.... so I move a little left and try to make a sharper than usual turn....I kept my speed cause I saw a car half a block down the road and I knew I had plenty of time ...well plenty of time on a dry road... since I had to make a sharper turn and with the mud and water on the road the bike just slid out from underneath me. I almost stood up, but got a little road rash none the less on my elbow and forwarm (more like a burn than a scrape) and a couple of dings on my knee cap...after the embarrassment of having the car have to stop and go around me I had to decide....i was 1/3 of way to work, do I tuck my tail under and go home and doctor myself up and take the truck in or go on to work and just get a bandaid from the company nurse... being the he-man (ie. idiot) I am, I chose work. Took my shower and cleaned the wounds with soap as best I could - honestly was surprized it wasn't more sore or tender, but 7 miles on the bike probably the injured area was in shock.... I went over to Security to find where the nurses office got moved to, only to find out that IBM does staff a nurse locally - bit by downsizing again...the nurses are only in New York, convenient. But they do have a First Aid kit and they call the security person with medical approval. I should have known I was in trouble when it took 20 mins for them to locate the first aid kit. All I wanted was some anti0biotic ointment and a bandaid. He said he was not approved to dispense medicine, but could give me alcohol wipes and bandaids. Oh yes, that is what I want on a scrape and burn - an alcohol wipe. He said if I was really hurt, then just call EMS. I toughed it out and did wipe around and over ever boo-boo and got my bandaids, but what an experience! I think I will just go to HEB and get my own ointment and bandaids....if I had the truck I would have had first aid stuff, but if I had the truck I would not have been sprawled out on Bratton Road either, geeze.
Oh well, I was a dumb ass for trying to out run the car when the tires were muddy and it was wet on the road...probably would have qualified as a dumbass even if the road was dry and there was no mud.... OK, so I got a little reality check - damn it, I am not invincible!

Just when you think you know yourself

2006-03-06T09:20:00.000-06:00

I took this politics quiz, it is suppose to tell you what your 'political personality' is:
http://www.okcupid.com/politics
I would have said I was socially liberal and fiscally conservative before the test, but either was I very sleepy or I can't read because here are my results:

You are a
Social Conservative
(36% permissive)

and an...
Economic Liberal
(33% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Totalitarian

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

maybe i should quit taking these polls?

I am such a dweeb

2006-02-27T00:33:00.000-06:00

The title says it all, I just installed Yahoo Messagenger with Voice and tried it out. It actually works rather well on my laptop. I did not know that it had a built in mic. and that was so cool. I find that I am strangly excited and yet no one in my friends list is still up at 12:32 AM Monday morning...well maybe that IS a sign I should be in bed to, but I want to call someone....eventhough I hate talking on the phone.

The first Living in the Rock post

2006-02-25T20:54:00.000-06:00

Well, I have been a reader of BLOGs for a couple of years now and finally have made the jump to be an owner. I live in Round Rock, Texas, which for the geography challenged is just up the road from the State Capital of Austin around the center of the state. Home to the Longhorns from t.u., as us Aggies refer to it. You might be familiar with them if you caught the Rose Bowl the last couple of years. Teas A&M and Texas have been rivals for a long time, and having to endure the 'big heads' that first week after the Rose Bowl, OMG you would have thought it was equivalent to the cure for AIDS or something. ...maybe you've seen the bumper sticker a few years back "Steers and Queers, no place but Austin" - that's why I live here. ;-) lol