I want a funny car!

**Musical Selection**

**Cross Canadian Ragweed**

**www.crosscanadianragweed.com**

**On the home page go to the 4th track at the top**

Considering that I am a business student, I figured I should use the most over used and over emphasized word in the history of over used and over emphasized business words...today's post will be a...are you ready for this?...SYNERGY!

Yes that's right folks I will be creating a SYNERGY between my musical selection of the day and my blog posting. Cross Canadian Ragweed was one of the first country bands that I started to follow and they have some amazing stuff. Today I want to create a SYNERGISM from one of their songs (Carney Man) with my experiences at work. I will be using the lyrics of the song and then describing the activity at work, as to add a sense of SYNERGY.

*Lyric: I want a big red nose I want some floppy shoes, I want a squirty flower squirt it on you. Like all the bad clowns do

*Work: I want to work in sports I want some fancy job I want to have a title and impress you with it like all the managers do.

*Lyric: I want to juggle bowling pins in the sun I want to join the circus, the circus looks like fun

*Work: I want to multi-task simple jobs I want to be in sports, sports teams look like fun

*Lyric: I'll sit and work the gate or I can guess your weight. I'll even sell the corn dogs I don't care, as long as I am there.

*Work: I stand and place price tags, or I can guess why you have a better job than me, I'll even sell the merchandise, I don't care as long as I work there.

*Lyric: I'll hand out baseballs at the dunk tank I'll ride my funny car laughing... all the way to the bank

*Work: I'll give our VP his wardrobe even though he sucks. I'll ride the mavs van laughing...all the way to the, the, the bank?

*Lyric: Cause I'm a carney man I'm a carney man, I'm a carney man, I'm a carney man, carney man, carney man

*Work: Cause I'm a sports fan, I'm a sports fan, I'm a sports fan, I'm a sports fan, sports fan, sports fan

*Lyrics: The human cannonball I'll rise above it all. Up higher than the trapeze I can fly, oh god I'm gonna die

*Work: The part time worker who works 50 hours a week, I'll still work harder than your employees. Oh god I better get OT

*Lyrics: I am a carney worker I make two bucks, every hour come to find out ... this job it really sucks

*Work: I'm a part timer I make not nearly enough come to find out for some damn reason I still love my job

*Lyric: Cause I'm a carney man I'm a carney man I'm a carney man I'm a carney man carney man carney man
*Work: Cause I'm a sports fan, I'm a sports fan, I'm a sports fan, I'm a sports fan, sports fan, sports fan

*Lyrics: You need a corn dog I can tell You need a corn dog I can tell I'm a carney man

*Work: You need a Dirk Nowitzki Jersey T-shirt I can tell you need a Dirk Nowitzki Jersey T-shirt, I tell I'm finally a Sports team employee!

Well from the beginning of the "song" you might have thought that I hate my job or the crappy things I have to do every now and again. But a wise man (my father) once told me that I have the ability to make any situation a bad one or a good one. The outlook I take everyday at my job is that I will work as hard as I possibly can everyday, no matter how mundane the tasks presented to me are. And one day someone will notice that they are wasting money by having me do the things I do and then, and just then, I WILL get to ride in my funny car all the way to the bank!

you might be a bachelor if...

**Musical Suggestion: Reckless Kelly. http://www.recklesskelly.com/tunes.htm**

My favorite Reckless Kelly songs are; Vancouver, I still do,

Wild Western Wind Blown Band, and Break my Heart Tonight.

I have lived on my own for 10 months now. You may say I live in "bachelorville". Since Jeff Foxworthy has the 'you might be a redneck if' stuff, so I figured I could do some you might be a bachelor if, and all from my experiences.

You might be a bachelor if...

...your energy saving strategy while in your apartment, involves less clothes in the summer and more clothes in the winter.

...there are multiple bags of trash on your balcony because you are too lazy to take them to the dumpster.

...you wash dishes not cause the sink is full of them but because the "good" knife is dirty.

...you make your bed only before you go out on the weekends.

..."de-smelling" the apartment involves lighting a candle and pouring some bleach down the sink.

...there's that thing in the fridge that you don't want to touch cause you forgot what it is.

If any of these apply to you (they definitely apply to me) then you might be a bachelor. If you are not a bachelor tell your wife or girlfriend, I'm sorry for you and I admire their compassion.

Oh by the way apparently J.R. Giddens isn't made of gold...theLobos lost...I'm sad.

Go Cowboys...I'm happy!

Thankful

**Musical Suggestion: Kyle Park. http://www.kyleparkmusic.com/**

In the grand scheme of life 37 days is but a flash of light in an otherwise colorful lifetime. Maybe just maybe you felt a little off the last 37 days, maybe you felt like something just wasn't right in your lives. Maybe you felt this way because you were wondering when I was going to post again, well 37 days after the "kidney" post here you go...


For anyone who actually reads this I apologize for my absence. Something new I am going to start as well is a musical suggestion line to start all my posts'. I enjoy so many different artists' that I feel you should have the opportunity to check out, so check out this posts' artist. My trimester at UD just finished last week and I'm finally getting the chance to write again. I would like to talk about Thanksgiving tonight, but first here are some things that have happened in the last 37 days.

The family came to Big D last weekend...great to see them.
School finished...3.5 semester gpa
My eye started and stopped twitching...apparently stress from school.
The Lobos are 3-0...J.R. Giddens is awesome!
The Mavs are on a 7 game win streak
I went to the Cowboys win over the Colts...I think I love Tony Romo.


Today is Thanksgiving, so I feel compelled to tell you what I am thankful for. Today was my second holiday alone (Easter was the first) but this is really the first major holiday that I've missed that is normally spent with family. Sure I would have loved to spend the day with the family but they were here last weekend and it was great to see them. So I just had a great day all to myself; I woke up late, I watched football all day (GO COWBOYS!), I went to Boston Market and got me a turkey dinner that was delicious, I took a great nap, and played poker online...the perfect day.

So my day was great but what am I thankful for this Thanksgiving? (I know this is probably the most cliche post I could have made today but bare with me) I've had the day to consider what in my life I am thankful for and there are the usual suspects that I am thankful for every year but some new entries have made the list as well.

Always thankful for:
My incredible family. The support they give me while I'm out here trying something new with my education and my life is amazing. I know I wouldn't be able to do what I am doing without all three of them and for that I am thankful.

My health. Even though I spent a night in the emergency room and have been stuck with a sore throat for the past month, I'm generally pretty healthy. I've never broken a bone or needed any serious medical procedure performed on me so for that I am thankful.


New entries to the thankful for list:
My Dallas friends. Maybe it was the 2 months without any socialization when I first moved out here that made me appreciate good friendships, but I believe it is more the people whom I've been lucky enough to associate with. Knowing that I would be without family this weekend I received several invitations to attend their Thanksgiving. It means a lot to me that these people would welcome me into their homes and open up their families to me on this day. I have thanked all of them repeatedly but I do not believe they understand the value those invitations had to me. Now I didn't take any of them up on their invitations because I really did just want to do nothing today (and it was everything I could have ever hoped it would be) but the fact that they would welcome me if need be was enough for me, and I for that I am thankful. Thank you again; Ben, Dave, Arielle, and Alyssa.

My smarts. As most of you know I was never extremely studious and don't claim to be able to out 'Trivial Pursuit' anyone but everyday I encounter people who have no concept of how to function in our society. I will never be book smart, because I just don't care enough about school, I feel most of it is just task management anyway. But I do feel as if I am lucky enough to know how to be a productive member of our society. I can succeed in any situation, whether I am forced to lead, follow, be part of a group, or even when there are no guidelines set and everyone is just thrown into the fire. From what I see around me everyday I know that I will be very successful in life and this quality I have is attributed to several factors; my parents, my sports involvement, and SAE. Without them I would not be the person I am or the success I am about to be, and for that I am thankful.

Who wants to give me a kidney?

As I always do on Tuesday nights, I tuned into the most incredibly shocking show on television, Nip/Tuck. And as it always is, it was shocking. Usually it is Dr. Christian Troy who says something in the episode that sticks with me. He tends to say the most ridiculous, pompous, hilarious things you could ever think a filthy rich doctor would say, and I love it. The show continues to top itself with jaw dropping, "oh my god they actually did that", type of scenes. Here are some examples for those of you who have never scene the show; they showed a girl get hit by a bus last week, a character suffocated her burn victim mom...but it wasn't her mom, various sexual acts that make you wonder how the show hasn't been fined by the FCC yet, and the list could go on forever but I'll stop there.

Tonight's episode didn't stick with me like it usually does. Yes, there were some "oh my god" moments on the show, but the most interesting line in the show wasn't delivered by Dr. Christian Troy but by his much less arrogant partner Dr. Sean McNamara. The show was about their anistigiologist and trying to find her a kidney donor. McNamara was tested and lied about being a match for the operation, but in the end came around and when asked why he came around his response was "I made a list of people I would give a kidney to and it was pretty short, then I made a list of people that would give me a kidney and that list was even shorter".

I thought what if I made those respective lists and who would be on them. It's a very interesting exercise, try it...Go ahead...I'll wait...[elevator music]...Ok ready to continue? I wonder what your list looks like but I feel mine look similar to the lists' of Dr. McNamara. They look similar in the way that I believe that many people who I would give a kidney to wouldn't give one to me. If this conclusion of mine is true (and we'll hopefully never need to know if it is or not) there are several conclusions I can make about who I am now and who I have been in the past. These conclusions can either stand alone or be combined in any way; I am too generous of a person, I have lots of friends but not a lot of great friends, I haven't made the impacts on peoples lives I would have hoped I could have to this point, I value friendship more than others, I think of the rights and feelings of others rather than my own, I'm not that great of a friend, I need to be a better person.

I don't know what the proper order of the previous descriptions of my list is, but what I do know is the concept of donating kidney to a loved one or a close friend is intriguing. So I present the following questions to you, as I will ask myself as well.

Who would you give a kidney to?
Who would give you a kidney?
Is either one of these numbers too low or too high?
Is there a change in your life you can make to put more names on the list of people who would give a kidney to you? (It is more a list of who considers you a true friend or loved one...And isn't that what were all here for anyway?)

The greatest game ever...

Currently on the UNM Lobos website you can post a story of the greatest moment you have witnessed in "The Pit". As a die hard Lobo fan my greatest moment was easy to think of. I submitted my story and here it is:

I'm only 24 years old, and a recent UNM graduate, but I've been a Lobo fan since I was old enough to go to the games with my dad. I bleed cherry and silver and live for the Lobo basketball season every year. I know there have been many great moments in "The Pit" that I haven't seen due to my age but this moment I will remember forever...
During the 1995-96 season the Lobos, after hovering right around the edge of the top 25 polls all year had put together a nine game win streak to end the season, including a triple overtime win against Fresno State in the semi-finals of the WAC tournament. On the night of March 9th, 1996 the despised Lobo rival Utah Ute’s, rolled into "The Pit" with a team that had been ranked in the top 10 all year and beaten the Lobos twice that season. The capacity crowd that filled the hallowed seats of the greatest college sporting venue in history was ready to jump all over the Ute’s. The crowd erupted with boo's and screams as the opposing team, referees and even the Utah cheerleaders came down the infamous ramp. I remember standing and cheering with my fellow Lobo fans throughout the warm-ups before the game even started. It was an atmosphere like I had never witnessed before.
Lobo fans are the greatest fans in the world and for that game my dad and I sat near the best collection of fans we could have ever hoped for. There were the guys behind us in their mid 20s, who probably had been out before the game. There was the guy in his 40s that had his head phones on and was dedicated to listening to every word the great Mike Roberts had to say…then relaying it to us (it was actually pretty cool, we got some good stats info). There was a family of four in front of us who were die hard Lobo fans. Then there were your usual “PIT” suspects; the face paint guy, the Lobo mask guy (and his Lobo masked girlfriend), the screamers, the boo birds, the doubters, but we were all fanatics and about to witness the greatest of all the Keith Van Horn vs. Kenny Thomas battles.
The game, as most great Utah, New Mexico games usually are went down to the wire. The stars for their respective teams took over and each team went to them every possession. Van Horn scores, Thomas scores, back and forth they went like a heavy weight title bout. With the Lobos up by 2 points and little time on the clock, Utah called a timeout. I don’t know how they got anything accomplished in that huddle considering I was in row 8 (that’s 8 from the top) and had to cover my ears (while screaming) it was so loud. We all knew what they were going to do, the Lobos knew what they were going to do, they were going to Van Horn…again. Then right before the ball came in play the twenty something’s behind us started yelling “I’m gonna hug Kenny, I’m gonna hug Kenny when we win!” Being sports superstitious I was pretty upset with them, but as it turned out that was only temporary. The crowd came to a deafening roar, the level of sound that shakes your stomach if you haven’t had enough to eat that day, or seems to vibrate so much through your veins that it feels as if the other 18,017 Lobo fans are making your heart pulsate in rhythm with one of the many Lobo chants. Utah throws the ball in and they find a way to get the ball to Van Horn at the top of the key…seconds seem like hours…a ball fake…crossover…he takes his defender to the rim. Unfortunately for Keith Van Horn, that defender was Roland Hannah a defensive specialist who offered smothering defense on the future NBA player. Hannah was in his face but stumbled at the top of the lane…keeping a hand in Van Horn’s face he was able to throw off his shot (he may have had a handful of jersey, but that’s neither here nor there). Kenny Thomas got the rebound and the victory was all but sealed with only a couple seconds left. Thomas hit his free throws…Utah threw a 94 foot prayer…and the Lobos has just beaten the 10th ranked team in the nation in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship. The crowd seemed to jump in unison in jubilation. The students, and what seemed to be everyone in the pit (myself included) stormed the court, before it was the cliché it is now.
That night will forever live in my mind and my heart as the best moment I have ever witnessed in the world famous PIT. I tell people that don’t know about “The Pit”, of its greatness, and of the spine shuttering, bone chilling feeling I get every time I walk in the doors of that great arena. Although I tell people about “The Pit”, every chance I get, it takes a game like that or a lifetime of Lobo basketball fanaticism to truly know what “The Pit” is all about.
Oh yeah, that guy DID hug Kenny!

Books or Covers?

I'm am sure that all of you have heard the saying "don't judge a book by it's cover". Well this weekend I was told the same thing about a young man I was about to meet. This person was important to someone else in my life so I agreed to meet him. When someone tells you that prefacing the meeting of an individual...That can't be good right?

Well I've sat on the decision of what is more important in this world and today after 4 days of thought I have come to my conclusion. I base this conclusion not on what I feel is more important, but what in reality is more important. The "cover" I have decided is more important than the "book". Now I know some of you may say this is a very narrow minded and stereotypical view for myself to hold...Well it's not my opinion but the opinion of the world we live in. If it were up to me color, nor creed, nor outward appearance would mean anything but an expression of ones self or some other detail of a human life.

Unfortunately I am not the word or the way (wouldn't that be scary?). So this young man who I met, I believe is a good person and definitely falls under the book and cover analogy. He's very respectful, looked me in the eyes when he talked (very odd these days), shook my hand (also unfortunately odd), and was well spoken...BUT. His "cover" needs some work. To me it's fine, I could care less the way someone looks, even though I too am a culprit of stereotyping people, it's hard not to. For that reason and the way of the world this young man will yield his success to society until he conforms or creates a niche of conformity for himself and his image. It is a shame that a person must look like everyone else to succeed, but that's just the way it is. He has aspirations of being an architect...Let me ask you this...When is the last time you saw an architect with multiple facial piercing and a Mohawk? I'm sure he is talented and I'm sure his work is fine but a firm will not send someone to represent them with a client who looks like a candy bar for a metal detector.

In this free society we live in, every now and again we find ourselves in places without or lacking freedom. We say we have the freedom to dress, pierce or say what we want..."IT'S A FREE COUNTRY". Well that it is, and for the most part I agree (I saw a man holding a sign protesting the current government on the street the other day...Wow...We don't realize how important acts like that are) but in this free society we live in we have decided on norms that shape the way we do business and proceed with the basic functions of commerce. So live your life, express yourself, but pick your battles, maybe a clean cut image isn't the end of expression if you have sky scrapers littering the skies in the land of the free and the home of the....BRAVE!

Logic Police

Alright we're gonna tap the breaks on the previous post. I do enjoy writting but seriously. I'll continue to write for fun...maybe someday down the line I'll give the song writting thing shot.

The hills are alive...

So today I helped a great friend set up a vendors booth at a local "Octoberfest"...Yes I know it's September...don't ask questions! He started a t-shirt company from scratch only a year ago and is about to start showing profits, Amazing! (by the way his link is on the right side of this page)

I got to thinking, "why can't I start something of my own like that?" There are so many things I'm interested in, but I decided on something so far fetched I'm gonna have to really try to make it work. I want to be a Texas Country Song writer. I know, I know, don't quit your day job. But I really do love writing in a casual diction, and I stopped doing poetry like I used to do. Why not write songs for a living?

I completely understand I will have to do lots of research on how to get "in" with the artists' or labels who produce the music. And I also completely understand that I may never sell a song to anyone...but why not try? My goal is to have 4 or 5 songs completed by the new year. That should give me plenty of time to work through the lyrics, come up with a good hook, and see if I can really do this.

"If we live our lives wondering if we can do something we will never know if we could have actually done it"- I'm sure some famous person said it...but if not I'll take credit for it.

So from now on the Texas hills will attempt to be filled with the sound of my music!

Bossier City BABY Bossier City!

In an effort to not go more than two or three posts' without some light- heartedness, I present you with this...

Timeline for Friday 9/1/2006 - 9/2/2006
5:30pm...Ricky and friends go to Chuys for happy hour and 'green chili fest' (yea that's right they are roasting green chili and everything...I love it)

6:30pm...Ricky and friends decided to go to Lousianna for gambling and fun

6:31pm...Ben realizes that he wants to go, but needs to be at a wedding in Austin, TX by 3pm Saturday.

6:33pm...Ben realizes he's not a bitch and decideds to come with to Lousianna.

7:30pm...Team Lousianna breaks for showers and second thoughts

10:45pm...After showers and nobody bailing out on the idea (amazingly) Team Lousianna leaves Dallas

11:56pm...Earnest turns the music down in his car looks at Ben and I and says in an authoritativly upset voice "This is f'in stupid, are we actually doing this?!"

11:57pm...Ricky and Ben laugh at how stupid this event is but continue eastward

1:12am...Team Lousianna arrives at "the boats" (all the gambling is done on river boats).

4:00am...Ben is down and sad, Earnest is even and okay, Ricky is up and dominating the poker table.

5:00am...I LOVE WAFFLE HOUSE

8:30am...Holy crap I made it back to Dallas without dying.

9:14am...Ricky finally gets to go to sleep after being awake for 26 straight hours

5:25pm...Good morning sunshine!!

Sometimes you just have to love poor decisions

Take control

Who is in control? The religous tend to think god is in control. The dreamers think fate may be the one with the answer. A gambling man may waiver from the cards to their skill being in control. To an addict the addiction is surely in control in that situation. So which one are you? Do the actions or reactions of someone or something control what you do on a daily basis? Does fate, god, the cards or anyone else dictate your life for you?

I maintain a pretty level persona and don't tend to get too excited or too upset about much...it'll even out won't it? I am very much in control of myself (or at least I think I am). But at certain times I like to release that control and become a follower not to a person or philosophy but to the world. Just wake up and let stuff happen to me, it's more interesting that way...but only if you do it every now and again. This weekend I just let the world take me around by the hand, it was wonderful, miserable, disgusting, and beautiful all within 36 hours. I didn't really have a plan, I had no restrictions, no weekend aspirations, I just went on the wings of the world.

I had a great time.

The more interesting point is why did I do that? Why do people give up control of their lives, be it for a weekend, a month, or a lifetime. In retrospect it wasn't all it could be. Maybe it's the alpha male in me or maybe just my control freak attitude but, not being in control scares the shit out of me. One of the definitions of insanity is "extreme folly; senselessness; foolhardiness". I got a little insane this weekend, I knew it was going to happen and I let another thing make decisions for me.

I'm a grown man...or trying to be...why can't I be in charge all the time? I'm an independent thinker (just like everyone else) I try to follow no one or no thing without careful decision making, but on the weekends, less often now as I grow older I tend to 'give up' that control. That's done, I'm better than that.

Take control, before control is taken of you.

The Holy Trinity of Tuesday Rants

I have three things of varying importance for ya'll on this early Tuesday morning, they deal with; baseball, snakes and myspace...Does it get better than that? I think not.

Baseball:
It entertains the hell out of me that when referring to the pitches a pitcher has the ability to throw it is common place to call it "his stuff". Does nobody else just find this to be completely ridiculous? America's pastime, the great ball game, more than a hundred years of play and the best term we have is "his stuff", you've gotta be kidding me. The best is when some well respected guy like Peter Gammons goes on ESPN and talks about another man (who wears tight pants and ALWAYS wears his glove before he gets any action) by commenting on how good "his stuff" is...but if they keep doing it I'll keep laughing so..."His stuff" is great!

Snakes:
Yes folks, as if I need to remind you but, Snakes on a Plane makes its long awaited debut Friday. Myself and a couple of buddies have come up with a genius way to enjoy this otherwise ridiculous movie. What do you know about 'Snakes on a Plane Bingo'? We already know Samuel L. Jackson will call a snake a mother fuc%$#, and hopefully he uses a racial slur...that will only leave me with 3 empty squares on my bingo card. If you want a bingo card hit me with your email on the comments and I'll send you one.

Myspace:
I HATE MYSPACE! But like the rest of America I sign on everyday, sometimes multiple times a day, to check my account. I have a theory that the gov't put crack in the ghetto to bring down the black man, and as revenge the NAACP put Myspace on the internet to "level the playing field". It thrives on the need for people to feel a connection with their fellow man --the most sensational social being of them all. Myspace connects old friends, I'll admit I've found several old friends that I had lost touch with thanks to Myspace. The site gives youth their first attempt at their 'own' (I tried not to use My there) space in this world. So why, why then Dick are you so against this site that seems to do no harm.

Let me tell you.

I would like to see the amount of time people spend on Myspace doing mindless bullshit, like filling out the same damn survey they filled out last week and sending it to the same freaking people, and telling me what kind of Laguna Beach character they are most like...I could care less. As I write this I am a victim of the later (I'm donatello, and the French guard from Monty Python) but that's not the point. The point is what could I have been doing instead of this? I got an email today with a survey in it, and the subject line said "for those of you who don't have myspace here's a survey"....AAAHHHH! Are the children we are raising and the young adults of this country so bored with their daily lives that they must create this false world of 'friendship' around them? And if they are so bored where is their, basketball, instrument, PARENTS, or real friends? Another downfall of myspace is the "top 8" which can now turn into a "top 24" cause apparently too many people had so many cyber friends they couldn't choose only 8. This section requires you to choose your favorite 8 friends and put them on display for the world to see. Whatever not a big deal right? Wrong. "Why am I not on your top 8?" "Why is that person ahead of me?" The answer to the previous questions is probably that you are annoying and ask questions like this. So today I changed my top 8 to contain only my sister, my best friend, an entity, a tv show, and my favorite songwritters. So if you're not on my top 8...get a record deal!

The ideas behind sites like; friendster, facebook and myspace are great, afterall communication is the most important survival tool (in my opinion). But get off your damn computer, go for a run, read a book, think, live, love, learn. And I'm out..to the 5 oh 5!

The facade

I like to talk about those moments in life that you don't expect, but that hit you like a handful of extra strength gold bond right out of the shower(refreshing yet a little too intense at the same time). You never know when one of those moments will happen, but when it does you know.

This weekend I was at the Pat Green concert, oh ya Kenny Chesney was there too, and I had one of those moments. It's amazing what the power of song, and the medium of music in general can do to people. It wasn't any special concert, a good one, but nothing spectacular. It was held at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco Texas, one of the first stadiums built just for soccer I might add, and there were 30,000 people packed into this place. I was there for Pat Green but a majority of the crowd was there to see this Chesney cat. He put on a good show and the crowd loved it.

But the thing I'll remember most about this concert was not the artists' who played it nor the music they played but the semblance of perfection that a sold out concert can give to a massive group of blended humanity. Granted this group of people were probably all pretty close demographically, they are still all so different. And in this period of time they (I say they like I wasn't one of them...but of course I was); sang the songs together in unison, cried together at a well orchestrated moving slide show, waived their hands in the air (like they just didn't care--I couldn't resist), swayed back and forth to the music, and they did all these things without anyone telling them to.

At one point of the concert (when it hit me) I just kinda stopped, did a 360 and was in awe of how one man can get 30,000 people to run the gauntlet of emotions within a two hour concert. Music connected these people to events, persons, or memories in their lives so much, that the song didn't have to be about them or their particular situation for them to feel this intense connection sounds...That's really all they are.

So what if we all are that simple, all week we put on this tough guy facade but come Saturday night a 5'6" redneck can bring a large majority of 30,000 to tears? What if we showed this human element throughout the week? What if it was okay to feel so passionate about something, that emotion spewed from your pours? I felt myself choked up at one point, but not because I was sad, but because I felt so united with these complete strangers that I was overwhelmed.

So go out tomorrow, and feel. Feel for something so strongly that it makes your heart beat faster, your blood boil, your eyes glaze over, your fists clinch tight, and your lungs fill with more air than ever before. Live your life not for yourself, but for a reason greater than you. Take that sense of humanity, that 30,000 people felt last weekend, and help bring it to the weekdays...WOW what great things could happen then?

Are you kidding me?

Right now it is 1:15am and it is 90 degrees! What I want to know is hundreds of years ago when there was no industry to keep settlers here as opposed to any other place, why did they stay here? They couldn't have possibly thought..."oh this isn't bad". WTF!

A home, house or here?

I'm taking a study break to bring up a subject I've been thinking about since I went back to Albuquerque last weekend.

On Tuesday afternoon my mom was taking me to the airport so I could catch my plane to Dallas. She said something that really got me thinking. I said "well it's time to go back home" and I was quickly told that "this is your home". It wasn't angry or anything like that, it was in a very loving tone.

So I got to thinking, truly where is my home? Is my home in my apartment in Irving where I lay my head to sleep at night? Is my home in my parents new house, that I only lived in for a year? Is my home a building that just got decimated by the renters that were in it, that I had lived in for my first 18 years of life? Or is it somewhere else? Is there a point in ones life ,where that intangible place we call home changes? Is it a turning point, a year, a promotion, a wife, a death, a birth or does it just happen over time? All these questions and I really don't have an answer yet, even though I've been thinking about it for the last week almost non-stop.

I know my Mom is going to say that my home is there with them, but is it? I don't ever hear her refering to Milwaukee as home (my Dad is a military brat so he's kinda outta the discussion). I guess I just feel that I really don't know where my home is right now (don't get all sad, not in a bad way). I just think that I'm in a sorta limbo. A point I keep going back to in my mind is that when I got back to my apartment Tuesday night my first thought was "ahhh home". I feel comfortable here, not that I didn't anywhere else, I feel like this is a place of my own and who says this can't be home?

Then you have the age old addige of "home is where the heart is". So where is my heart? Right now I am too busy trying to get my MBA and trying to prove my worth at work ,that I don't think my heart rests' anywhere right now. Maybe it's back in Albuquerque or Rio Rancho, or at a particular address, maybe it's with my family, or maybe it's wherever I feel at home. After all home, like I said before, is an intangible place...the unicorn of buildings if you will. So I think I'll continue to contemplate this obscure question (or series of questions), and continue to look for the answer to where exactly my home is...or maybe I'll stop looking...isn't that when you find things anyway??



I

fading into the friendship

When I first moved out here Ryan Horn told me "you really get to know who your true friends are when you leave". He moved from Albuquerque to go to school at Texas Tech. He said this because it seemed to him that a lot of his friends became disinterested in him once they were unable to go out drinking with him on the weekends. I too notice the difference in who my true friends are and who my drinking buddies were. There are only a handful of people that I still communicate with on a regular basis from back home, they'll call just to see what's going on or talk some shit about the Mavs, but it becomes apparent that they weren't just drinking buddies, but true friends (or brothers).

Since I was in the ER this week I was able to find out who my true fiends were out here in Texas. I have been astonished at the amazing friendships I've made while being out here. There were several people who were willing to leave the comfort of their homes and spend the night in the ER with a guy they just met a couple months ago. Now I know I'm not that awesome of a guy, so it must be that I have a great ability to find amazing friends. I can't count the amount of "if you need anything at anytime let me know" text messages and phone calls I got this week. I'm trying to say thank you to everyone but it is hard because fortunately there are so many people to thank. From my mom who had her bags packed by the time I hung up the phone, to Rachel who called cause she "sensed something was wrong with one of her friends". I didn't need anyone with me cause as it turns out it wasn't as serious as it could have been but...the people that mean the most to me were there if needed, and that's important.

I've been feeling a little home sick of late, but the friends I've made out here are easing that sickness. So as I recover from my physical sickness, the home sickness is fading into the friendship.

Can we fix Emergency Rooms?

So as I promised I did much thinking and much observing while in the ER on Monday night. {I'm a little high on hydrocodone right now so excuse and nonsensical statements}. The thing that got my attention the most was the complete lack of attention I received while in the emergency room. From start to finish I probably only had about 40 minutes of patient to hospital employee contact...That's in 10.5 hours! So being the aspiring manager that I am I thought how could this be better? What could I do as a hospital manager to make the experience better? Can it be made better? And here's what I came up with...

This first thing I would like to do is ask who ever is reading this to try to think of an industry that provides a service to its customers yet thrives without any attention to customer service.

Well I've thought about that for the last 48 hours and the only answer I can come up with is a hospital. As an economist, I am very interested in the fact that the demand remains high for hospitals that provide little to no customer service. It has become the norm for a hospital to sit you in a waiting room for hours on end, upset patients at the ridiculously high prices ($20 for an aspirin), and yet their waiting rooms are always full. So have they just found the greatest industry to be a part of? One which requires no focus on your end consumer. Or is it that we can't give ourselves the medical attention we require so we must sit through their maze of paperwork and then ask for more?

I truly believe that we as consumers have the ability to change things we don't like...Even in the medical sector. So why haven't we done so? I will never go back to Baylor Medical Center of Irving. I know I won't individually change their balance sheet but if everyone who was dissatisfied changed the hospital they would go to...It would change.

So you ask "alright Ricky enough complaining already what do you think you could possibly do to make the situation in emergency rooms better?" Here's what I'd do, in a dream world if I ran a hospital.

The first thing I would do is make the waiting room a more welcoming place. Since it seems this is were most of my anger grew (and I'm sure most everyone else's), I would attempt to make it a place you wouldn't mind waiting. I would take out all those boring rows of uncomfortable chairs and replace them with a lounge or cafe atmosphere. I would begin with putting tables, ranging in seating capacity from 2-8 people, in the waiting room. These tables would be attended by nurses/waiters. I was told I couldn't have anything for my pain until I saw a doctor...What if a doctor saw you in the waiting room (all I wanted was some tylenol or something)? They could also bring you something to eat if it was feasible for your ailment/situation. Throw in some couches, better selection of reading materials, coffee on the house, and some soft music and the experience would be much better.

Unfortunately I don't have enough medicinal knowledge to explain how to fix the rest of the process, but it seems as if there was way too much waiting. For being highly educated, doctors seem to be highly disorganized and unconcerned with their patients needs. At one point I went up to the nurses desk and 8 of them noticed me but did nothing. I just stood there until someone asked me how they could help me...It took 5 minutes. One was having coffee, one was eating, and the 6 others didn't seem to be doing much of anything.

Maybe I'm just frustrated with my recent experience but I truly feel that we as end consumers of emergency room care can fix their problems for them with a reduction in demand at slow ER's. What do you think?

What an experience

If anyone needs to do a bit of thinking about; life, humanity, inefficency, or any other matter...GO to the ER! I just spent the last 10.5 hours of my life in the ER and if I wasn't so freaking tired I'd expand on this. But good for you I did so much thinking while at the hospital...there is MUCH to discuss.

p.s. I'm okay

I need bigger boobs

The Mavericks employees are getting flown out to the game on Sunday night and getting free tickets from the team. I knew that I wasn't gonna be able to go because I am classified as a 'part-time employee'. It's kinda crap anyway since I worked 100 hours last two weeks, but it's the classification of my position and I was over it. Until today. I was getting all the shirts that the employees were gonna wear to the game on Sunday together and noticed that 2 interns were on the list of people who needed shirts. I have been with the organization longer than both of them, work more than them, and since I get a paycheck and they don't I believe I get paid more than them...but apparently my boobs aren't big enough. They are two attractive 20 year old females and get to go on this free trip but poor little ole me gets to stay at home and watch it on tv. Either I need bigger boobs or we need some horny female VP's so I can hit on them! but I guess that's just the way the world works...just have to prove my worth the old fashion way.

sorry...

And we were singing
bye bye mr. mustache guy
took the razor to your face
now the stache is replaced
them good ole boys were laughing and cryin
singing this'll be the day that it died.

Yes everyone I'm sorry to upset the masses...but I shaved the stache. Two days ago I looked in the mirror and realized it wasn't funny anymore, but begining to get creepy. It was so creepy I almost signed myself up for the local sex offenders list in my city. An intelligent and fun to look at young lady said something very appropriate for the situation "A mustache has never added to the look of anyone...can you picture someone who you can say, you know that guy would look better with a mustache?"

So there it is my experiment and therefore the laughs are over. I'll try to keep the masses entertained but using a less...sex offenderish route.

World cup rant

In the 6th minute!!?? So you're the 5th ranked team in the world and you get your freaking medicine in the most important game of your lives? I can't believe how horrible the United States national team played today. In their 3-0 loss they seemed as if they had never played a game together before in their lives.

Here's what needs to happen before the USA can be a soccer power:

1. Play real competition. You can't win 30 games against 3rd world countries and then come into a world cup and expect to be ready for competition. Go play in Europe, go play Brazil...so what if you lose, you will learn the standard.

2. Have a clue what to do with the ball. The US didn't know what to do with the ball once they recieved it. The Czechs were moving passing and being so creative...it was a clinic for the midfield.

3. Teach the beauty of the game and not the arrogant US image of "you need to score for people to want to watch/play the game". Soccer is a beautiful game and we need to play it as if it is so.

I'm pissed.

Chics might not dig the stache

I don't grow facial too fast so it is taking some time but it is still looking pretty funny. I don't know how much longer I can take it but...it's funny so I'll let it slide.

Day 10

Chicks dig the stache

Well I've decided that it is time to grow a mustache. Not for the reasons you might think; it looks cool, some girl wants me to do it, I think I'm burt reynolds. I'm not doing it for any of those reasons, but because it will look hilarious! Yes folks I am putting myself at the hands of comedy. If you're mad that you won't be able to see the humor...WAIT! I will photo-document the process. Enjoy!!

Day 1

Day 3

Hump day

wow what a finish to a boring ass day...So I get to work today and we called in extra help for an average amount of work to get done. I decided I was gonna leave early and since I was sitting on the table playing with the tape guns...the man incharge felt that was okay. I thought (remember this is just a thought) hey it's 4 o'clock and I got nothing left to do today, gonna go fix myself some food watch a little tv, hit up a little myspace action, then knock out a good hour or two at the gym...WRONG!

On the way home I realized that my truck was very near overheating and when I turned on the heater to cool off the engine (yes it does work try it, it could save you thousands) it only blew out cold air...problem number 1.

So I figured that was a priority for the evening. I went to the bank to deposit my checks and get a money order for rent tomorrow (the damn bank hasn't sent me my checks yet) they were only open through drive-thru and guess what...they only give money orders inside (but that was closed AT FREAKIN 4:30PM!!!...problem number 2

Well at least I got the money in the bank I can use my lunch break to get the rent money, not that bad. I then proceed to find someone to check out my vehicle. Turns out my radiator was cracked and i was probably about a day or two from a blown head gasket ($3000 to fix). A cracked radiator sux but at least it aint three grand...problem number 3

I make an unsufficient amount of money to have "hey someday my radiator might crack and I could be (for lack of a better word) thunderfucked (yes it is one word)" funds available...problem number 4

Gotta rent a car cause one of the busiest days of the year at work will be tomorrow before game 5, and need to be there. So I got a car reserved but need a car to get there...doesn't make much sense does it? Apparently the airport enterprise doesn't abide by the famous advertising slogan of "We'll pick you up"...problem number 5

The crazy ass chinaman that drove me to the airport knows about 7 english words so hand signals were very valuable...but apparently road signs weren't on the test to aquire his visa! I was about 2 seconds from losing my right leg and most likely breathing from a tube for the rest of my life. Oh how I love anit lock breaks!...problem number 6

I get to the rental car place...and they don't take debit cards from local renters. Why? I don't know they don't like money or something...problem number 7

Well if you've been following along (you like how I pretend like have all sorts of readers who are following along with my life? Even though I know I don't, the last post was only checked 8 times) I was just presented with 7 problems here are their solutions in the appropriate order; called dad he said not good so i stopped driving asap, i get to spend my lunch break tomorrow at a bank of america, at least I caught it in time, dad does make enough money to have "hey my son's vehicle might have a radiator crack some day, crazy chinaman drove me there, seriously I almost died, i have primetiime negotiating skills. So it is now almost 9 and I'm beat...WTF just happened to my sweet ass evening? Good thing today was hump day!

An easier goodbye

This weekend my parents came up to see me, and it was great. I tried hard to be a good host and take em' to do stuff but it's hard when all you do is go to school and work (don't really know any 'tourist' stuff to do). But more importantly than having things to do it was just important to be around family. I spend all my time with the people at work or the computer, and while I really like my friends at work, it's not home. They are the friends I've grown up with or more importantly they are my brothers, whom I also miss dearly. My parents provide me a piece of home away from home...green chile can only do so much. And really they gave me a chance to see them, I can't believe I've already been out here 4 months and the thing I miss most is the family, from the parents to the sister, and yes even all the way down to the puppies (are they even puppies anymore?). It was instilled in me early that family is more important than anything else in life and I completely understand why, now that I am away from home (if you don't know...you need to find out).

The weekend was great, relaxing and all I could ask for (even all the sweet left overs). But the thing that was odd for me and I think will stick with me the most from this trip was how easy the goodbye was. I've had to say goodbye now 4 times to my parents either leaving home or them leaving here. The goodbye wasn't easy cause we were tired of eachother or we don't care. It seemed the goodbye was so easy cause we have slowly become desensitized to it. Is that a good thing? Does it matter? I kinda liked that the goodbyes were so sad, it made the time seem more important. I'm not saying I would like a tear jerking goodbye 'session' everytime there is a goodbye because it just doesn't work that way. I think we has humans have the ability to let things that we do more often not effect us; a doctor who has a paitent die, a star athlete who lets his team down, a family that says goodbye a lot. I know the goodbyes will continually get easier...it's just a fact of life and our ability to cope. I do think that it is important to realize how important moments in our lives are and not let them slip by the wayside just cause..."ya we've seen that before". So for now I guess I will just have to deal with an easier goodbye.

More Funny pictures

Here's more pictoral goodies for my humor loving fans...sorry this is all I got. I figured the last picture in this set was a fitting "finish".

Well you know what they say...A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is 5,000 of the funniest words I've ever written...I'm gonna add more too (they only let me download 5 at a time).

A different perspective

A different perspective...is what I've been given here in 'big D'. I was yanked, by my own accord, but yanked none the less from the friendly confines of the 5o5. Now at the 3 month mark I have had the opportunity to see and experience several new things.

For those of you who don't know I was just hired on with the Dallas Mavericks. I am thankful I've been given an opportunity in the industry I want to be in, to show how great I really am. I know that if I work, like I have my whole life I will be successful with the Mavericks and the sports industry.

Now, being that I am from a relatively small city, when compared to Dallas, there are few things I have noticed in the past month or so. Along with my new job comes a drive into the heart of downtown Dallas every morning...a great site. The view is very dramatic and for those of you who take for granted the skylines in big cities look again. It seems so powerful, so grand and unforgiving, but it is everything American, what we preach to the world. Its great. Also I get to drive by Texas Stadium everymorning...not the prettiest stadium in the country, but Gods favorite team plays there so it can't be all that bad right?

Summer trimesters started today; work, school, sleep, that's about it for 12 weeks. At least for the weekdays. With this job comes new friends and a new "life", I get to go out, go to basketball games, do stuff, meet people, live from a different perspective.

on the friendship market

Well hello everybody! So what's new in Texas? Well a few things are new actually. I just had a job interview with the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. I think it went pretty well, they said they are going to call next week (I feel like a school girl waiting for her crush to call here cause he said he would). So I'll wait by that phone all day Monday, wondering...they like me, they like me not, they like me, they like me not, they like me.

As for school I'm finishing up this semester and I'm actually quite impressed with myself. I will finish this semester with a 3.5 most likely, so that's good.

I did see a TV show that almost mirrored my "no friend" situation. On the show 'Yes, Dear', the lead character is a mid to late 30 year old guy who hasn't done much socializing since getting married. In this episode he realizes he doesn't have any friends anymore. He explains how weird it is for guys to just "make friends". That being said he is completly right, but I think I made a friend. It was a little weird. During the break from my class tonight we were talking outside and it was almost like trying to get a date with a girl (get all your stupid homo jokes out of your head right now). It must have looked and sounded pretty ridiculous, but we started talking about stuff we do for fun, and well I don't do anything cause I don't know anyone...he wants to be my friend LOL! I wanted to laugh so bad but I held back, so were gonna go to a strip club or a bar next weekend after our final, hey at least I got something to do. The funniest part was when he asked for my number...seriously guys should not have to make friends after the age of 22 it's just plain weird.

Shame on you!

Sorry to keep my fans waiting (if anyone even reads this), I took a little break from blogging to, like study and stuff...but I'm back bitches!

So after a short hiadeous what should I talk about...how about misconceptions? So what do I mean about misconceptions? The Duke Mens' Lacrosse team, the guys who raped that girl, right? Wrong! Isn't this the land of the free, the home of the brave and the place where you are innocent until proven guilty? Today as I was watching Sports Center I saw something that made me laugh hysterically, not cause it was funny, but becuase it finally shuts up all of the uninformed persecuters. Of the 46 men who gave DNA samples to the North Carolina district attorneys office ZERO matches were found. That's right ladies and gentlemen...ZERO! So for all of you who were part of the jury that already convicted them in the court of publich opinion, and especially those of you who protested on the Duke campus, apoligize. Don't apoligize to me or the lacrosse team, apoligize to your country for going against all that we stand for. Sure it's your right to protest, and I respect that 100%, but wait till you know what the hell you're talking about first (not too much to ask for right?). So what happens to these young mens lives? Guess what they're rapists not because they are but because someone said so...the near future for these young men is ruined. All 46 of them will be rapists in that community until...I dunno...another J.J. Reddick comes along. It's unfair and not what, we Americans, are supposed to be about, so to those of you who had them already guilty...SHAME ON YOU.

friends

the chairs all are empty the last guest has gone
the candles burn lower and lower
and sputter on and on
but after the last guest departed
haunting the smoke laden air
remaineth a lingering presence
the ghose of good fellowship rare
Friends, friends, friends
You and I will be
whether in fair or in dark stormy weather
we'll stand or we'll fall together.

That's about the best way I can describe it. Nothing like a good ole SAE song to define something for ya. Like I said it was nice to be back home and here is my blog on my buddies.

I didn't even seem like I was gone but a day or two. It is odd how nothing ever changes when you're with true friends. Seeing everybody was great. Love you guys. PA.

the 5 o 5.

So as some of you may know I went back home this weekend for my birthday. I have a ton of stuff to talk about, but I know this probably won't be read unless I break it up into small parts. So this post will be about the family, the next about the friends, and then the last will be about V for Vendetta...it was great, then I might throw down with a post just about the 5 o 5 in general.

It felt so good to be home again. It had been two months and boy was I home sick. I didn't think I would miss everything so much. Seeing my Mom at the airport was great, nothing like the first thing you do back home, being giving your mom a hug. Seeing my sister was also great, you don't realize how close you are to a sibling till you don't see them everyday. And seeing Dad was of course great as well, we got to go to a game in the best basketball arena and one of my favorite places in the world, the PIT (unfortunately the lobos didn't make it to that round).

Just sitting around and watching TV was very relaxing for me, I was surrounded by the people I love and it is a better feeling then you realize. So without getting too mushy, sit back and think of how important your family is to you cause when you're gone for a prolonged period of time, you come to realize they're importance.

So kids stay tuned for details on my adventure in the 5o5, cause there's more to come.

house keeping issues...

So I get to go home tomorrow and I'm so excited you have no idea, but there are some other things I got to get out there:

Does anybody know who Mr. Bean is? Well I found him, that's right, he bags my groceries at Tom Thumb in Irving. I will never change grocery stores cause it's too damn funny I want to go shopping everyday....damn he's funny.

The whole pay it forward thing...I had a response from an older wiser SAE on that, he said he leaves his change in the vending machines when he gets something...cause seriously how cool is it when you find change! So I did it today I had to make copies for a presentation I had today and I left $.50 in the copy machine at the library...the equivelent to 5 copies, it's not a big deal but just think how awesome that will be for a stressed out coed when they find it!

Now for the deep stuff (you know you can't go that long on here without me getting all deep on ya). Be HAPPY, don't be what others want you to be. Why are we all here anyway...[insert answer here] no matter what you put, nobody really knows. So in our short time here on Earth be happy, if that means getting an MBA, do it! If it means dropping out of school and writing songs, do it! If it means....whatever you get the point, do it and do it now cause that's all you have that you can reallly count on--the now.

pay it forward

Ya I know it was a movie, with a novel idea, but try it. Do something for someone, something they aren't expecting, something they aren't asking for, something nice. Do it not for them, nor for yourself, do it in hopes that it will make their day better and maybe encourage them to do something for someone else.


There is so much that people have to be miserable about, I'd mention the stuff but uh...it's not that kinda posting. Sometimes all they need is a little piece of humanity that tells or shows them how awesome life really is.


So if someone has done something nice for you recently, pay it forward. Or be the one that starts that chain of pleasantness, it'll make your day too.

"don't you think life would be awfully boring if the good times were all that we had?"-Pat Green.

uh it's wet

Ok...un...I'm from New Mexico and have never seen rain like this. I was just wondering, can I drown out here. Ya, ya I can. It seriously has been raining for like 30 straight hours, I don't think it rains any 30 hours in NM. Last night I got up at like 5am and looked out side to see what was so loud and I thought I was inside a tornado (never seen one before). I couldn't see across the parking lot and there was rain going sideways...frickin' sideways! The thunder was so loud that all the cars owned by my idiot neighboors, had their alarms going off every 15 seconds. I may be a sweetie pie, but good thing I'm not made of sugar...I'd be screwed.

NW st, UW-mil...I love it!

We are currently in the midst of the greatest 4 sports days of the year! Currently Kansas is down by 10 to Bradley, Texas (my national champion pick) is down at the half to Penn, UConn had to make a 35-9 run to squeeze out a victory against Albany. It just doesn't get any better than this.

College football needs to take note of the growing popularity of college basketball (the new American pastime) and do a tournament. Just think USC gets upset in the first round by some po dunk, ass backwards, team with more than one direction in their name, how awesome would that be? Now of course USC would probably win. But that's not what sport is all about. Sport is the ultimate reality show, these young men--I'm actually older than all of them now--must compete on the grandest of stages, at the highest level and leave their hearts and souls on the field.

March Madness, simply the greatest thing in the world for a sports fan, besides for the early games I missed on Thursday (I went to beautiful San Antonio and hung out on the river walk...quite possibly the most genious attraction a city has ever come up with) I have seen all of the games. Oh shit...school, I wonder if the University of Dallas gives "hey I was watching Northwestern state make their dreams come true at the buzzer" passes. Cause damn I need one!

So to recap...The first weekend of the mens college basketball tournament is by far the best 4 consecutive days of the year, EVERY YEAR!

the hardest thing I've ever done.

I got to thinking today about how difficult it is being on your own. So I began to ponder what was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, here are my thoughts, as I know them to be true, in chronological order: Well I would assume that the day I was born had to be pretty rough. I'm sure being born was definitely the hardest thing I had ever done. Well it was my first day of life so I guess any activity would have to be the hardest thing I've ever done. So what's next?...I guess we can clump together things like; learning to communicate (talk), learning to walk, learning to tie my shoes and all of that stuff when you're a little kid. Even though I don't remember any of those moments I'm sure at that point they were the hardest things I'd ever done. Now we're getting into the stuff I remember. My first crappy memory is when I found out my grandma died, I was like 6 or 7. I didn't understand all that stuff yet, and getting over that was definitely the hardest thing I'd ever done. Well I was never really peer pressured that much, and didn't have much trouble fitting in, so I guess I get to luckily skip those times that most people have. For the sake of time and humility I will just clump all the sports teams that said I was a step to slow or just a needed a little more skill. Taking those disappointments were the hardest things I'd ever done. [Just a side note: I started every game my senior year in soccer for a top ranked team...GET IT!] High School was a breeze...I didn't even read a book and graduated in the top 10% of my class. Seriously, what the hell are we doing in America that shouldn't be possible? Finishing my pledge ship at SAE, ya that was hard, boy was that hard. I don't think I can even count the number of times I was close to quitting. But I didn't. That semester was the hardest thing I'd ever done. Calculus...I HATE CALCULUS. NO, REALLY. I HATE CALCULUS!!!!! Heart break, yes ladies, guys go through it too. That night seemed like the longest day ever. I didn't think I could ever feel that way and didn't think I'd ever be better. That was the hardest thing I'd ever done. I'm going to group the next two together; graduating and my alumni ceremony. My alumni ceremony was one of those moments that you need to sit back and take everything in. It was a hard night for me, to leave my boys. It was the hardest thing I'd ever done.

So what's left?...You guessed it, moving to Irving. This has been a rough six weeks, I got nobody to play with, I got no job, and I got no dogs to wrestle with. I moved out here with only my determination, enthusiasm, and my perseverance. This is the hardest thing I've ever done.

In retrospect, I can tie my shoes, I'm pretty proficient at walking, I was a late bloomer athletically, I became a member of the greatest fraternity in the world, I PASSED CALCULUS, and I graduated. So I guess this too will pass...didn't someone famous say that? I'll beat this too like everything else, but F$%K this is the hardest thing I've ever done.

let me see what I can see

{transitioning from one guitar to the next, the lighting changes, the crowd sways from side to side in anticipation...following the slow guitar melody to start the song...}

Set me free
Set me free
I need a little more room to breath
And the freedom to do what I please
mama set me free
set me free
set me free
let me see what I can see
have mercy on a boy like me mama set me free

And at that point in the concert I was free. I moved out here to start my life and "see what I can see". I moved out here with the intention of doing things on my own with out the ease of Albuquerque and the help of anyone else. I enjoy the fact that if I fail or succeed it will be due to me and only me.
On Thursday night I skipped class, and the rathskeller, for a better opportunity. Reckless Kelly was playing at a bar in Denton (about 40 mins north of Irving) and I had to go see em' play. I figured finally the chance to see a Texas country band in Texas, I'm there. They played for quite some time maybe close to 2 hours and it was a great show. They played lots of songs I knew at an intimate venue of about 200 people.
You would think that moving only 10 hours away and staying, generally in the same region there wouldn't be much of a culture change...wrong. I was in culture shock for the first part of the evening. Honestly who told Texans that huge ass belt buckles your name carved in your belt was 'in style', I smell an episode of Queer eye for the Texan guy (although I'm pretty sure gay guys aren't allowed in Texas). It was acutally quite amusing to watch all of the 'cowboys' at this place. They would have definetly been made fun of back home, but here they were the norm. I didn't stick out, I don't think, but I definetly was not in "Texan" attire.
But the treat for me at the 'Rockin' Rodeo' (actual name of the place) was not the music nor the experience although, both were pretty great, but the girl. Yes ladies and gentleman Uncle Dick found himself a date last night. By the time 'set me free' came on I was already free, it was a poetic moment for me. I was here on my own with this amazing girl and ya I'm free. Free in the sense that life on my own has begun. Now it's only been one date so I'm not thinking all serious or anything but being there with her was a begining that I won't soon forget.
As I sit here and listening to music, kinda studying and watching the planes take-off outside my balcony...set me free!

...and not a moment too soon

So today I thought my Mom and my sister were going to come up and see me, I was wrong. It was even better everyone came...well them and my Dad, which makes everyone. It was great to see all three of them this weekend. I have been bored out of my mind lately and they were a good refersher for me. Now we didn't do much but we hung out together and that was great. It's funny cause I couldn't wait to leave Albuquerque a month ago. I wanted to get away and see if I could make it but I also was tired of living at home. No offense to my parents because they were great this last year, but it was different going from living at SAE for 3 and a half years to moving back home at 22yrs old. They never pushed me or hassled me but I needed my own space. Now that I have it I couldn't wait to see them and be around them. Don't get me wrong I'm glad I'm out on my own but I needed to see them and they came...not a moment too soon. I was able to recharge my batteries and now I only have a month till I go home for my birthday.
So for now, I'm out, I have a job fair to attend tomorrow and a huge test on Tuesday...woo hoo go Finance!

It's a little blurry cause I took it with my phone. But it's me and Bigelow at graduation 

Tyler, Preston, Jeremy, and me before I left for Texas 

The Rathskeller

So today I didn't have much to do, like always, so I decided to go to campus a few hours before my class to check stuff out. I found a nice place I could get on the internet and check out the girls that were passing by at the same time. As I began to do some of the reading for my upcoming class I was amazed by the amount of beer signs and lights that were in my view. So I decided to ask somebody about the area I was in. Apparently The University of Dallas has a BAR on CAMPUS! Ya, I was just as shocked as you. The guy said that if I were to come back after my class there would be a bunch of people there for TGIT (thank god it's thursday) ya it's pretty cleaver uh?
So considering that I didn't have anything worth while to do until 8am Saturday morning, I decided to stop by after class. Holy crap they have a bar on campus! And I know I've talked about the lack of little cute blonde girls in Texas, well that problem has been fixed, they are apparently everywhere. This place was crawling with them. Did I mention this campus has a bar?
I got my beer and watched a pretty good guitar player do covers like everyone else. The interesting part was that I was in the cool place to be on a Thursday night and I didn't know a soul there. I could have pretty much been the guy that stood infront of me the whole time. You know the guy...dorky kid, glasses, khaki pants that have wrinkled pockets, wearing the white on white tennis shoes (basically freshman greg, sorry buddy). At first I thought well this is pretty shitty, but then I figured hey nobody knows me...pretty cool. I watched this guy...did I mention this campus has a bar?...play his music, but mostly looked at all of the hot Texas girls that were parading around like it was New Years Day and they were covered in roses. I think I may have found a new spot to hang out, at least on Thursday nights. No I didn't meet anyone or really socialize, it's kinda hard when you don't know anyone...but I will.
So tonight I hung out at the Rathskeller, and it was pretty neato.

Grettings from Texas

Well I've been here 6 days now and all is well. I've had three job interviews up to this point and all of them have asked me back for a second interview. I have one 'second' interview left and the position seems to be what I want. So Monday morning I need to be ready to earn my spot at the company I want to be a part of.
These six days have given me the chance to realize and discover a few things here in Texas. One of the more obvious things and probably my first observation of my new living quarters, was that I live directly under a flight path. I live approx. a half mile from DFW airport and from my observations their landing strip is in line with my apartment. At first it was really annoying and bugged the hell out of me, then I went outside on my balcony to check it out and it was amazing. At around 7:00pm if you go out and look in the opposite direction you can see the light of as many as 12 planes in the air waiting to land. When they do make their approach it is awesome, they come with about 200 feet of the roof of my building...so close you can read the logos on the planes. I don't know why but I think it is really cool now. Another observation is that I haven't found nearly as many beautiful little blonde girls as I had imagined, but then again I haven't really been in any "younger" areas of the Dallas area yet...so stay tuned on that topic for now. The crapiest (is that how you spell it?) observation I have made so far is that the water here SUCKS. I went without water for the first 3 days here (I now have 5 gallons from the store in my fridge) and apparently that was a very poor decision. I went to the gym yesterday for my first time back to the gym in maybe 6 months and had a trainer session. Good thing I had a trainer with me becuase I started getting dizzy and seeing stars...apparently I was dehydrated. So I'm going back tomorrow and have been drinking water like a champ.
I'll leave you with one of the funny things I've heard on the radio (there have been quite a few funny things). A helicopter traffic guy was giving the traffic report and said "We've got a three car insurance seminar down there".

Peace out...Ya'll!

54 hours...

So here I am only 54 hours from leaving the only place I've ever known. Have you ever been at a time in your life where you feel you need to just stop and soak everything in? Well that's how I feel right now. I felt this way in my last high school soccer game, at both my graduations, when I was initiated into the greatest fraternity in the world, and now that feeling comes upon me again. A turning point, I guess would be the best way to describe the point that I have arrived at in my life. I get to "start over", nobody knows me, nobody cares, nobody is going to feel sorry for me in Texas if I fail. So why then am I going? I enjoy being who I am here, I love the life I have created for myself here in the 'Land of Enchantment'.
I leave behind so much it is hard to image that a better life is awaiting me in the land of cattle and oil. Tonight I went out for possibly the last time with 4 really good friends (Greg, Matt, Sam and Adam) but they are only a small fraction of the amazing friendships I've made here. There are so many more people who have helped create, stabilize and encourage the person I am.
If you were an SAE between 2000 and present you probably had a part in that. A lot of people don't realize how important SAE is to me and will always be. I feel forever indebted to the fraternity and the bonds within that I have made. I watched over my 5 and a 1/2 years as an undergrad and saw many people use the fraternity for the right and many for the wrong reasons. I hope in my heart that I used SAE for the right reasons. It is not for the people who want chicks and beer, you're in college if you can't get those two things without SAE you're pretty much a chump anyway. The people who used SAE for those reasons didn't end up doing to well; they transfered, dropped out, or disappeared. But then there are people who saw SAE for what it truley was, an amazing opportunity to make the most out of the little time in our lives we have between high school dipolma and career. Those days, although sometimes not the most graceful were the greatest days of my life and I thank many important brothers (you know who you are) for that.
For any of you who know me well enough, you understand how important my family is to my life as well. Without those 3 I don't know what or who I would be today. My dad is pretty much my best friend, my mom is...well a mom...the loving, caring, amazing person everyone wants their mother to be and then I have my sister, to whom I wish I could have taught and molded more. I made many mistakes in the last 5-6 years and I have been too busy to sit and guide her along a different path so she doesn't make my mistakes again. I feel as if I have let her down in a way. But fortunately, I feel there isn't much to worry about, she has a solid head on her shoulders and doesn't let the 'unmentionable' side of college life catch up with her.
So tonight I sit in my computer chair with an amazing past, a past I don't think anyone would like to undo, but what lies ahead? I don't know, you don't know, nobody does. But honestly how much better can this day get? I have the love and friendships of those behind me and the opportunity and freedom of my future. Wow! 54 hours...and a turning point.

"One who advances confidently in the directions of his dreams and endeavours to achieve the life in which he has imagined, will achieve success unexpected in common hours" - Henry David Thoreau

What's this?

So on this site you can check in on me from wherever you are in the world. That's an odd concept. Although you can find out what I'm doing anytime you want I think this might be more for me than any of you. I'm 15 days away from being in a place where I know nobody, and have no idea what to do. I will be attending the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas. I will persuing my Master's degree in Sports and Entertainment Management and hopefully will be finding a job out there.
Some things you can expect from this site are updates on what I'm doing, where I'm working, what I think of Texas, any Texan slang I tend to pick up on the way and of course a little humor.
This is a new concept to me and I'm sure I'll get better at this as time goes by but for now this is all you get...stay tuned.