A holiday trilogy. Version 2.0

Yes ladies and gentlemen the highly anticipated second version of 'A holiday trilogy' is now upon you...buckle up!

Well I had several things I wanted to talk about in this post so I thought and thought and then I thought some more and then I finally found a way to tie them together. With colors, not just any colors but two colors that seem to dominate the following subjects.

Red or Green?
If you're from New Mexico or have spent any period of time there you probably already have an answer for this question but considering that some of you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'll explain. I knew I was home when someone asked me "Red or Green?" They of course are talking about what kind of chile I wanted on/in my enchiladas. It is a great phrase cause when I hear it I know I'm home, cause it's the only place I've ever heard it (screw that texmex crap!).

So if you are a half evolved primate and haven't figure it out by now I was lucky enough to go home for the holiday weekend. It couldn't have come at a better time, as you could tell from previous posts I was getting worn down and a little frustrated but the break that the 5 oh 5 provided was much needed. Now I'm back to "full strength" and ready for 2008.

Another awesome thing that happened to me was two weekends ago I met Pat Green (keeping with the color theme). Some of you may know I am a huge Pat Green fan, probably due to the influence of one Ronald Bowron. I got to see him at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth and it was a great show, he probably played for an hour and 45 minutes...awesome. Afterward he went to sign autographs and take pictures and so I ran over to stand in line but to my dismay about 200 people had the same idea. So I waited but I finally met him and took a picture with him. By the way his favorite song is Carry On.

And last but not least a good friend of a lot of people ended up in the hospital this weekend. We went to see him and he is doing fine but he did have a lot of blood (RED, see I kept the color theme) on his hospital bed sheets. I'll spare the details, but he'll be fine. We love you Spike! Get well soon!

Color Recap:
Red or Green?: Which type of chile you want on your NEW Mexican food.
Red and Green: The colors of xmas
Green: Pat Fuckin' Green! (go ahead chant it over and over again...you know you want to!)
Red: Blood...ewwww

Stay tuned for Version 3.0...it will be a visual wonderland...maybe. Oh yeah in the airport on the way back to Dallas I got a breakfast burrito and once again I was asked "Red or Green?". I was feeling crazy, I told her "christmas".

A holiday trilogy. Version 1.0

I have quite a bit to write about but in an effort to not bore the hell out of you in one post, I'll spread my written form of torment over three post in the next few days.

So you say I'm on a break right now huh? Well it is the most intensive break I've ever been a part of. In the last 2 weeks I've worked nearly 100 hours and unfortunately my job in retail is making me begin to dislike Christmas (at least I don't have to deal with customers).

At the pinnacle of thebusy season at work, I feel tired in the time where I should be recharging from school and preparing for my final trimester. I can work a lot of hours that doesn't bother me at all and I can deal with any task you put in front of me, but what is getting to me lately is I'm tired of doing all the thinking. I guess this is the burden a leader takes on. I've always been in leadership roles, whether it's being a captain on one of my many soccer teams, being a manager at work (ever since my first job), or being put in several leadership roles with SAE. For once I would like to not have to do all the thinking in a given situation. I would like it so much if someone could think on their own without me having to spoon feed them direction. Is it so much to ask for a person to care about the tasks they are doing, and feel a sense of self worth when they have completed their task in an exceptional manner?

Now at the same time I understand that part of this is very possibly my fault. When something isn't going right I always try to look at myself first, after all it's usually easier to fix your own faults. What is it that I'm doing as a leader that may be causing my own distress? What practices need to change? Am I too focused? Am I asking for too much? Well you see if I knew the exact answer this blog post probably wouldn't have even existed so, sir I'm fucking clueless sir.

Everyone seems to do the minimal amount of work necessary to get by. Well guess what? In my short work experiences I've noticed that doing the minimal doesn't get you by, it gets you passed by. I don't think I will ever be able to just "exist" in the environments I'm in, be it at work or sports, I just don't work that way. I'm too competitive, I'm too stubborn, I'm...well shit I'm too damn good for that! (and a little arrogant) So I guess I'll keep leading and hopefully I can stumble into a couple free thinkers that can make my days in those leadership roles just a bit easier. And hopefully I'll be able to fine tune my own abilities at the same time. I'll live and I'll be alright, but for now I'm just a bit frustrated.

And I'm back...

Wow I just looked and I realize it's been 6 and a half weeks since I've blessed you with my outstanding wisdom (and modesty). So I figured I better update you on what's happened in the past 6 weeks
Here's 6 weeks in a nut shell:
I finished two classes this last week with a 4.0.
I graduate in April and only have two classes left.
Work is super busy with the horrible xmas shopping season about to kick off
The Mavs are doing well on the court but need to fix some things.
The Cowboys are dominating and need to keep dominating.
I am extremely happy and in a really good place right now.

So now that you have the nut shell how bout some actual content?

Last weekend my Mom came to see me, and it was so great to see her. It is the only time she has come to see my by herself and it was nice to have some one-on-one time with my Mom. Then this weekend my Dad is here to go to the Cowboys game. Then on Wednesday the whole troop is coming (Mom, Dad, Sister). So this month is a great one, I get the pleasure of finishing up a very rewarding trimester at UD. I think unfortunately this has been the only semester that I can say I got a whole lot from each class I took. Then my family comes to visit me...perfect! But I want to talk about two events that have just recently (within 24 hours) happened.

I have been to Deeley plaza before - the site of Kennedy's death - but this time I thought of how important Kennedy was to not only his generation but to many people to follow. He laid ground work for many of the ideals and standards that we now have in this country. He was such a ground breaking president and yet his impact was cut short by that one act.

The next thing event is something that happens more than just in the past 24 hours but, I was thinking how proud I am of my friends and how successful we have all become or are becoming. When my family sits down and talks to one of my friends I almost feel like a parent myself, so proud of the people I associate myself with. So how has it come to the point where I have collected such an amazing group of friends? I don't know. I may be lucky or I may have a good judge of character...we may never know.

So what does Deeley plaza and my friends have to do with each other? Good question...here's your answer. As I was sitting a top the infamous grassy knoll, I thought of my friends and how we all have the ability to make such a difference, probably not on the scale Kennedy did, but a difference none the less. We need to seize the opportunities we have now because we never know when we may lose our chance. We are all educated, intelligent, INCREDIBLY good looking (come one I have to be a little arrogant), and are in the prime of our lives. It's a feeling I have right now that I can do anything I want, I or we can accomplish so much in the next 30-40 years and we don't even know what that accomplishment is yet. Sure the face of not knowing is a little uneasy, but I think it is even more exciting.

So watch out for me and my posse when we role into your city (and we leave no corner unmarked, we're all over the country right now...kinda like fight club) because we will change something, accomplish something, make better the lives of some people. The only question I still need to answer is who what and where will that be?

I say Tony, you Say Romo...

Tony Romo has played in every Super Bowl...and won.
Tony Romo doesn't shower after games, showers take a Tony Romo.
Tony Romo doesn't throw passes he tells the ball what to do and it does what it's told.
Tony Romo has 422 TD in his career, and has been a starter for the Green Bay Packers for the last 12 years.
Tony Romo gave birth to Troy Aikman.
Tony Romo is your father.
Tony Romo has dated at least three girls way hotter than you will ever date (no really).
Tony Romo doesn't play in the NFL, he's just REALLY good at Madden on the XBOX.
Tony Romo's diet consists of cotton swabs of Brett Favre's DNA and actual pig skins
Tony Romo once played for both teams in one game...and both teams got victories
Tony Romo makes poops bigger than Tom Brady...no but seriously he does.
Tony Romo once wore flavor flav as a time piece
Tony Romo doesn't need a refrigerator, his food stays fresh out of respect for him (credit to Budda for this one)
Tony Romo isn't one four letter word...it's TWO!
Tony Romo was once a cherry tree and George Washington chopped down his friend. Good ole George didn't confess to chopping the tree down cause of his conscious...it's cause he was afraid of Tony Romo.
Tony Romo once attending a cock fight in Chile , and both chickens fought harder when they saw him in the crowd (another Budda gem).
Tony Romo thought 'Around the World in 80 Days' was a comedy...he once stepped foot in all seven continents, AT ONCE!

I say Tony, you say Romo
Tony!...

Be Better!

What did you do today? Did you make yourself better? Did you stay stagnate? I found some words of wisdom on TV, but isn't that where most of my wisdom comes from? Believe it or not I found this wisdom nugget from an ex NFL player, on a reality TV show. Flip This House had a guy who owns a company that "flips" homes and does it all in the dramatic face of the camera lens. This jock turned real estate investor is pretty pompous and arrogant but he did produce an eye widening moment for me. He was arguing with one of his employees, trying to get him to get a task accomplished and the employee was just making excuses for why he couldn't get the job done. This jock (a Yale graduate) told his subordinate "What did you do today? What are you dong to make yourself better today?" After an awkward silence (ten points worth) the employee swiftly ended the conversation and...you guess it, he got the job done.

Did Egor the real estate athlete motivate his employee or did a phrase make that employee think like it did to me?

So I asked myself "What DID I do to make myself better today?" I had no answer, I couldn't come up with anything significant enough that I felt I improved as a friend, employee, family member or any other 'title' I hold. Think how powerful it could be if we tried to make ourselves better everyday of our lives. [Insert Wayne's World dream sequence here]I'm not talking about this general "I'm a good person" type of lifestyle, but a genuine effort that is refocused EVERY SINGLE DAY. When you wake up in the morning and look yourself in the eyes while you're brushing your teeth or shaving or getting that nasty zit that crept up overnight (sorry had to break the seriousness up with a zit joke) say goodbye to that person...leave that person behind. Not because they were bad, in actuality they were probably a very good person. Leave them behind because the next time you look in that mirror when you get off of work, back from school, or just need to pee really bad, you'll be better. You will have done everything in your power to become a better person. Think how awesome that would be! [end Wayne's World dream sequence...Dude!...Excellent!...Shwing!]

I doubt that it is possible to be successful in accomplishing this goal, everyday. I'm sure on some days you may take a step backward. I also unfortunately don't know what will make you, me or anyone else a better person tomorrow or the next day. But just as tomorrow isn't set in stone for the outcomes it will bring, your outlook should represent the outlook of a person looking to become better, yet not knowing exactly how or when that moment will arrive.

"So, Ricky how do I find that moment that makes me a better person?"
I'm so glad you asked!

I'm no Dr. Phil or anything but here are my suggestions:

• Be positive
• Work hard
• Do or try something new

and most importantly

• Have fun!

I bet if you at least try to utilize these four things in your daily happenings...if you don't get better...you will have at least given it the ole' college try (and for some of us that takes 5 and a half years).

BE BETTER!

Vacation, Vacation, Vacation

Okay so I didn't get to really go anywhere for the beginning of my break from school - that all changed this past 9 days. Last weekend I was lucky enough to get to go home for a couple days. Then this for labor day weekend I went to Maine. In the last 9 days I have been in the following airports; Albuquerque, Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago, Manchester, and Baltimore.

I've talked about many a Albuquerque trips so I'll just skip to my trip to Maine. The weekend was Greg's birthday and it just so happened that Chris was going to be up there, and then we called Spano to make four of us. Somehow that poor little sleepy town off the rocky cliffs of coastal Maine was able to not burn to the ground when the four of us entered and exited the city in a weekend. Greg was pretty excited that we were all able to make it up to see him. It was great to see those three again but we were still missing a couple people in "the crew" so we weren't complete but we were pretty darn close.

It is a pretty exciting time in all of our lives. I don't want to publicize the lives of people without their express written consent but we are all in great places. We all are in careers that we want to be in, we all are beginning to be successful, and self sufficient members of society. It's a little weird to think that when we met in college only a few years back we were all eating off the dollar menu and scrounging for change just so we could go out on the weekends. Now we can afford to go across the country just to hang out and have a good time.

As for me, I have 4 classes left till my degree (I'm sure most of you know that by now) and I can't be more excited for the next 8 months of my life. The Cowboys are about to start their season, and for the first time I'll be at the season opening game...and many others. The NBA season is about to start and now work is finally getting exciting after our Baron "asshole" Davis induced long summer. Classes are starting for the fall, and I have been rejuvenated by my friends and family this last week and a half. So I have a lot to be excited for, a lot to be thankful for, and a lot that is up in the air and as long as I have a positive attitude the (sorry about to get cliche) sky is the limit.

...who thinks of the rights and feelings of others rather than his own...

The last month and a half was pretty ridiculous for me but I made it out alive and better than ever. As most of you know, I just finished quite possibly the hardest semester of school in my life, combine that with a 40 hour work week and well I was a touch busy. The good news is I only have 4 classes left now and I should be done in April.

And now on with the show...

When I moved out to Dallas one of the first pieces of mail I received was a plaque with a very important creed on it. A couple people sent it to me so I wouldn't forget what was important in life and how to go about living it. They told me I taught them a lot about how to live by it and it was their house warming gift for me (or I guess apartment warming?). Well sorry gentlemen but I forgot about that creed recently. I have so much in my life to be thankful for and I am doing so well right now, why would I ever want to make life even the smallest bit more difficult or harder for someone? I wouldn't. In the grand scheme of life it wasn't a big issue but I still feel bad about it. More than bad I think I'm more embarrassed than anything else. But don't cry for me Argentina! At least I know I've made a mistake, and guess what? I now have the chance to make it better. I don't know exactly what I'll do, but going through life without righting your wrongs is like swimming frontwards doing the backstroke (go ahead picture that...kinda funny huh?). So I'll make it better, I'll learn, I'll be better for it, and I'll move one.

Aside from this blemish, I'm doing well. Today it was ridiculously hot and humid, tomorrow looks like it will bring much of the same. Oh how lucky you Albuquerque cats are.

Lucky number 13?

Ahhhhhh....

So apparently taking 3 graduate classes and working at the same time is a poor decision. You would have thought I would have learned that after the last time I did it. But nope I didn't. I was at school till midnight tonight, and tonight was my night "off". It's almost 1am and I'm wide awake now...damn. There is 13 days left in the trimester (not like I'm counting or anything) and it's getting a little hectic. There is a bit of excitement in the air for me though, after these 13 days are up I'll only have 4 classes left. The light is at the end of the tunnel...I hope.

I wouldn't hold your breath for another post till after school's out, but hey you never know.

**Alert**
This educational update is brought to you by Ricky Herrera and (insert school supply brand name here) keeping the youth of tomorrow educated till freaking midnight.

post date this...

Well I'm back from Vegas and I didn't do amazing at the WSOP but the experience was amazing and I made a few dollars playing cash games. The following is the prequal...


I don’t know when I’ll post this but it was written at 10:00pm CST 6/29/07

Ladies and gentlemen welcome to a rickysroost first, I am coming to you live (well not actually live but when I find an internet connection to post this) from 35,000 feet up in the pitch black skies over Texas/New Mexico/Arizona or Nevada wherever I may be at the moment. As most of you may know I am on my way to the most fabulous (and no it’s not gay to refer to Las Vegas as fabulous) city on the planet…Las Vegas! I love Vegas, and Vegas loves the hell out of me, well they love my money but we can pretend can’t we? I am a little bored on this 2 hour and 45 minute flight so this may be a longer post than usual, but for the most part they are short enough to keep the attention span of a 13 year old with dyslexia, so deal with it.

This mid summer trip to Vegas brings about a couple topics of interests’ for me. First off, I will be playing in the World Series of Poker within 24 hours. Next I have found another couple things the “human” does that amuses the hell out of me, and last…IT’S VEGAS BABY!

The sole reason for my trip out to the bright lights and swirling booby tassels of Las Vegas, Nevada is the World Series of Poker (WSOP). I guess I must first start off by saying that it is not the main event where I can win 12 million dollars or something ridiculous like that, but of course that is what you thought of first right? The WSOP is actually made up of 55 events this year with a myriad of games you can choose from; Omaha, Hold em’, 7 card stud, razz then you have the types of games within those styles; no limit, pot limit, limit (you saw that one coming didn’t you?). I am playing in event number 49, a No-limit hold em’ event to be held tomorrow (6/30/2007). This will be the first time I lay down more than $500 dollars to play poker and I can’t wait. I must admit I am a little; either nervous or anxious depends on how you look at it. I have been practicing in big money cash games for the past several months in Oklahoma, and doing quite well I might add. But the WSOP brings on a whole new beast of poker player, I very well may sit down right next to one of the players you see on ESPN everyday such as; Mike Matusow, Daniel Negraneu, or Phil Hellmuth (who won his record breaking 11th bracelet two weeks ago). I don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow when the cards start flying and I’m actually playing in “the big game”. I may be awe stuck of the players I see around me, I may be so nervous I can’t stand it or I may feel right at home and sit down ready to play. Even though I don’t know how I’ll react to the conditions I’ll be in for the first time, I do know that I will not be scared. The last several years of my life I have learned a lot about myself (I’m sure a lot of 25 year olds could say that). I’ve learned that there aren’t many things I cannot do in life. This event is more than poker for me it is another challenge in life that has been presented to me, fore which I must learn to conquer. Take for example soccer, I was never the fastest or the tallest player on my team but there is a reason that I started every game my senior year at the most importatnt defensive position, and rarely came off the field…I refused to lose. Tomorrow when I’m looking in the face of an all in bet I may call or I may fold but one thing I will not do is accept losing, it’s not me.

Now that I have gotten my self help speech out of the way (It was a necesscary motivator so I apoligize if you had to drag your way through it). I will switch to the more humorous side of this blog post…people. Since I’ve moved I have become quite the airport junky. I know use the side luggage scan at Love Field that nobody knows about, I pass all the idiots waiting outside in the Texas heat to check their bags and go straight to the e-ticket counter, etc. But more than anything else there is one thing that sticks with me every time I fly. I think it is absolutely absurd the way humans fight for position in a line that intends on getting you to the same place in the same amount of time as the person ten places in front of and behind you. The main problem is probably that Southwest Airlines uses the boarding group system that puts people in one of three categories; A, B, or C. Although I love SW they must fix this problem. It causes pandemonium at the gate with people making sure they are in the right line. Oh and if you’re not, don’t worry it won’t be long till a weary traveler reminds you that they were in the “A” group before you were. I guess it’s the whole “hurry up to wait” theory we dumb ass humans utilize on a daily basis. Okay we do this, and may never stop, but why? Is there a need to be FIRST in line? I wonder if it is just the American way of life that makes us believe that we must be the first one or the one in charge so on and so on. I wonder if Canada Air (the airline of a much more laid back country) had the same system as SW airlines if the passengers would be just as inclined to make sure they held their precious territory in line. I usually fly by myself so I really could care less where I sit and I usually just take the first seat available to me. But I do enjoy my time in the terminal while the mongoloids of human kind argue about whether or not they can be the 45th or 46th person in the “A” group…and god forbid you end up all the way in the “C” group, I actually don’t even think those passengers are human…maybe THOSE are the monsters and I’ve misdirected my hate this whole time….hmmmm?

Damn I love VEGAS!
(just thought I’d throw that in there)

I don’t know what your weekend plans bring to you on this warm end of June. Whatever those plans may be, try to enjoy the opportunities in life that are afforded to you. Who knows if I’ll ever be able to play in a WSOP event ever again, who knows if I’ll ever be able to laugh at my fellow homo erectus and their silly antics in the airport again? All we can do as inhabitants of this Earth is try to enjoy the time we have, because as Kayne says “nothings ever promised tomorrow, today”.

I’m just livin’ the dream baby!!

Changing for the better

It's been awhile since you've received a quality post that has not only my incredibly intelligent comments, but has some good funnies, I'm gonna hit you with a whole comedy troupe. I promise...try these guys out and you will find something you like.

www.derrickcomedy.com

The last time I posted was at the end of May, a lot has happened in the last three weeks and I haven't had the time to get on here and share with the public. The first thing I want to talk about is the transformation I've gone through recently, and the next will be my trip home and all that went with that last weekend.

For those of you who know me well I've always been a "meat and potatoes" guy, I never ate vegetables or fruits or anything like that...well I'm all grown up now and believe it or not I eat completely different. For some reason I had a change of heart about 3-4 weeks ago when I went to the grocery store and I bought a bunch of vegetables and a bunch of fruit, stuff for salads, lean meats, fish and stuff like that. I don't know why but I suddenly had this urge to begin eating healthy...I guess after 25 years of treating my body like a piece of shit I decided it was time to change. So today you may find me eating a salad for lunch, a banana for breakfast, an apple for snack and who knows maybe some tilapia for dinner (yes ladies I can cook...just so you know). With this sudden change in diet I have accomplished two things; I feel better everyday and would recommend it to anybody, and second - but maybe most important- I shocked the hell out of my parents when I went home. It's not important that I mess with the folks but, I did enjoy the look on Moms' face when I ordered a salad and was content at lunch. The other symptom of my recent diet is I set a unique fitness goal, I don't want to run a mile in a certain time or bench press a ridiculous amount of weight...I want to have a six pack. Even when I wrestled and was pushing 119lbs. in high school with 3% body fat I never had a six pack...those days are soon to be over. I do sit ups every night until my stomach wants to kill me. It may be an odd goal but I figure if my abs are tight I'm sure I've done alright with the rest of my body to get to that point.

Now for my trip home. I went home for one of my favorite brothers weddings and it was great. I saw lots of SAE's there that I haven't seen in a long time like Copple, Faiz, Nate, Les and so on. I forget how much those guys meant to me while I was still discovering who I was at the "ripe" college ages. At one point I told Billy "it's going to be weird being 25 and getting hazed by Faiz and Jackson again" (they didn't mess with me too much) but those guys were who I looked up to when I was 18 and 19 years old, and I still do. They taught me a lot about SAE and about being an adult. I never had older 'blood' siblings so I didn't have a peer to teach me growing up but they filled those roles for me very adequately. I owe a lot of my success to them and I hope they know that.

Another group of people of whom I owe a lot to is my parents. I was amazed at the operation my dad had going on when I was home. He has grown from a guy in his truck making deals to just get some business to a man with a huge company, more employees than I could count, and much success. Parents are supposed to tell their children they are proud of them, but I was really proud of what my parents have become. Coming from modest beginnings to realizing the "American Dream" of owning their own businesses and being able to do what they want and when they want to do it...a son could not be more proud. They talk about the day I graduate from my MBA program and how proud they will be, well I'm already proud of you two! They may think it's because I'm dedicated to what I do, or because my sister has a good head on her shoulders that we are both going to be "somebody" in life...it's not, it is because of them. This last weekend when I was home it was fathers day, I didn't get him a gift or anything like that, and it wasn't because I didn't want to but because I didn't think there was something out there that would show him how incredibly proud I was of him and the life he has created for his family.

Change is hard sometimes, I will be going through a big change at work in the next month or two and a great friend will be moving away in the process. So whether it is the change in your personal life, or the progress you make in your career...DON'T be afraid of it. Change is good, necessary and will lead you in the right direction.

Help me help you.

First thing's first...I only got 4 hours of sleep last night and I'm still up taking a study "break" to do this--Why am I in school again? Oh yeah! The bigger picture (remember the last post?) anyway, I digress.

I was just trolling around the internet trying to do something mindless before I went back into school mode for another hour or two before I go to bed (its 1:03am right now). As I was doing this I went to my "bosses" blog, and now I shall steal an idea which I think is quite good. Mark Cuban is asking his readers to give him ideas for his television network HDnet. Although I am but a young, meek lad, I still wish to keep the things I do in my life fresh and entertaining. On this site I've tried giving you songs I enjoy, and funny clips I stumble across on the internet. As for the content I try to mix it up with stuff like; the mustache, political or societal commentary, things that piss me off, and of course my "adventures" here in Texas.


So here's is what I want from you my incredibly intelligent and always beautiful (beautiful only if "you" refers to a person who has two X chromosomes...go ahead Google it and figure out if that's you, I'll wait--okay proceed), morally and ethically bound, followers. I want YOU to tell me what YOU want to see on this site. Other than a handful of people who told me they read this stuff, I have no idea who you are or what you want. Of course I'll continue to be myself but if I can entertain and inform at the same time that would be fantastic. So either email me, if you are privileged enough to know my email address, call me and tell me, text me and tell me or hey why don't you just post it on here for everyone to see...DO YOU HAVE THE GUTS?

I'm kinda excited about the feedback I may get from this so don't let me down minions...or very smart people whom I love. A little flattery never hurts right?

To post on this site just click on the underlined link that has a numerical value and the word comments after it...then make the magic happen.

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Summertime in Big D

I enjoy this clip I hope you do too...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPdFrW076R0


So what am I up to you ask? I have recently been given a full time position with the Mavs. You know that team that was supposed to win it all this year but went out in the first round. So I sit around and play computer games all day. I am quite lucky though it seems the part time positions may not have much time left, well unless we can keep coming up with things for them to do, so I must be thankful that I still have a job. School is starting up for the summer and I will be taking 3 classes now that I will have some free time this summer. And now the exciting news. I have made my plane reservations for Vegas. I will be playing in the World Series of Poker this summer, not in the main event but in one of the other 50 some odd events they have going on there. I will be there from June 29th to July 3rd and hopefully playing poker that whole time. But if not I'm gonna need some friends to get crazy with. So if you're reading this come on out to VEGAS and let's have some fun.

I was also looking back at some of the previous posts and noticed that I was supposed to keep you up to date with any Texas slang I've heard. Well how bout "Big Time". Used in the following manner..."Last night was a big time".

4/16/2007

Here's your funny haha for the day...
*http://bahb.net/index.php?page=playvideo&id=457*


Okay hopefully you have wiped the tears of laughter out of your eyes from the previous video, now on to the mooshy stuff.

As everyone by now knows April 16th will go down as one of the worst days in American history. This was a horrific event that is hard to understand. This being said I don't want to waste your time talking about the same stuff you've heard on CNN and Foxnews for the last 48 hours straight...so I'll take this on from a different angle.

33 people lost their lives yesterday (way to set the mood I know...sorry). Through all the "breaking news" and repetitive reporting one thought had been continually running through my head the past two days, "what if I lost 33 people in my life". I understand this maybe a selfish point of view considering the recent events but stay with me now. I had no immediate ties with anyone at VT, but what if that happened at UNM? Wow. What a thought huh? What if that did hit closer to home? What if it happened at SAE and I lost 33 brothers? I am not in anyway trying to lessen the events that took place, rather put them in prospective for me.

It makes you wonder what's the point of holding grudges against your closest friends and family. Sure you're allowed to be mad at people or upset with them every now and again, it's natural that someone is going to do something to piss you off sometimes. But what if tomorrow morning you woke up and that person was gone and you could never talk (or argue) with them again...would you feel guilty? What if when you woke up tomorrow morning you knew that your last memory of that person was going to be of a fight, disagreement, shit talking...whatever. Someone once told me that the people you are nearest to are the ones who can make you angry the easiest. I think that's true, but you need to also remember why they are close to you. True friends and family may be able to upset you, but what would your life be like without them?

So before you go to bed tonight, let's hope that you don't have any outstanding feuds with those closest to you, and if you do...resolve them, because in the grand scheme of things it's probably not that important. Make sure those around you know that you care for them, and surround yourself with people who care for you. We can only hope that something this tragic doesn't happen to us...

Define this!

I believe the music section of this blog is slowly becoming stale. To put an end to all stale activity I declare a change! From here on out...or till this gets stale as well, I will add a link to a website with a high "fun factor". These websites I have compiled over the years and believe them to be humorous.

The first submission to the humor file is...
**http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/2006/03/gatorade-conspiracy.html**

Okay so I was trying to come up with a unique way to deliver today (or tonight...or this mornings) message when I came up with this, hope you likey.

I will offer words for you in a dictionary form and then define them as they so effect my life.

Boots- noun, plural:
The shoes I wore today to the horse track. The shoes that make me look at least an inch an a half taller than I really am. The shoes that make girls think I'm at least an inch and a half taller than I really am. The shoes that turn my jeans into a designer 'outfit'.

Eli Young Band- noun, persons:
As in the band that was amazing today live. The band that sings one of my favorite songs "So Close Now". A band with an amazing drummer who is amazingly interesting to watch live. A band I can now add to my "I've seen them live" list.

Quinella- a type of bet, esp. on horse races, in which the bettor, in order to win, must select the first- and second-place finishers without specifying their order of finishing. A way to make me think that I know what I'm talking about when in fact I am just some dumb kid with spending money that enjoys drinking beers and watching ponies run in circles.

Ponies- the reason I've had a great night 2 of the last 3 nights. Sure I may not have won every time I've bet but damn I still love them ponies. Okay well most of them were thoroughbreds, but that's besides the point...it's way more fun to call them ponies.

Imus- noun, currently an adjective, describing a person of high stature that believes he can say whatever the hell he wants but in reality he can't. A person who shouldn't have been fired but should have been punished. A person that makes Adam think I hate him but we're brothers so he'll have to do a lot more than enjoy Don Imus to shake me.

Scissors- Damn that was a funny south park episode!

1920s Reporter guy- to speak in a 1920s voice to describe sporting events that are taking place. A moniker I took on in full while at hooters, and couldn't stop. I took on this moniker so much that I called the entire 2006 hot dog eating championship at Hooters and had people high fiven' me and shaking my hand cause I did so well. "Kobeashi has 49 dogs down, he goes back to the water, back to his mouth, Chestnut has 48 dogs and his on Kobeashi's heels, it's Chestnut it's Kobeashi, its chestnut, neck and neck they are coming down to the bun Kobeashi is first to the half century mark and, but Chestnut is chewing with the will of a wildebeest"...if you want more you should have been there.

Saturday 4/14/2007 - A fun filled day with my buddies; Big Earn!, C. Fox, Budda, Baby Moog, and the BOs. A day filled with horse racing, beers, hot dogs, Eli Young Band, Robert Earl Keen, hooters chicken wings, Kobeashi eating way too many hot dogs, and an overall great time.

The Little Rock 9

**I didn't feel a song was appropriate for this post so here is the story that this post refers to, it is a long story so prepare but it will be worth your time, I promise.**
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/the_bonus/04/05/little.rock0409/index.html

Sometimes the ignorance of the human race scares the hell out of me. This ignorance was not recently seen or witnessed by myself, but read about in Sports Illustrated. I don't read much more than what's in my textbooks or about sports, so I feel lucky when I have completed a story such as this with so much meaning.

Blindsided by History by Gary Smith, was about Little Rock Central High School, the years of segregation from 1957-1959, and the transformation the school has endured in the last 50 years. This story was told from the vantage point of the schools football team, who in 1957 was the best team in the country and had a history of being so. When the orders from the supreme court came down that the school must allow black students to enroll, the town's people were outraged. It took tanks, helicopters and fully armed military personal escorts to get these kids to classes. The schools football team was dismembered as white players went to other schools, many of the kids never graduated white or black because the school closed its doors for a year in 1958.

In September at the 50th "anniversary" of that date, the old timers will be in attendance, but they won't be there to gloat about how they have a great job, or about that great season they had as seniors. No, they will be there to tell the story that needs to be told of a time that needs not to be forgotten. These now 65 year old men, have taken a tragic turn mainly due to their unfortunate timing on this Earth. Many of them never received a high school diploma, even the ones from affluent white families, the article tells of a man who worked in a cardboard box factory for the last 37 years (and that pretty much tells the story for most of the players). When quoted in the article the 65 year old men repeatedly showed remorse for the actions they took (or didn't take) in that era. "I was a kid just trying to fit in. If I saw her [Elizabeth Eckford one of the black students] now, I'd say I'm sorry I didn't hug you and hold your hand. If I could do it over, I'd be a friend."

The thing that impacted me from this article is how their ignorance and acceptance of the mistreatment of other human beings ended up being the essence and simultaneously the shame of their existence. Most of these men didn't feel any ill feelings toward their new black peers, it was the community and their parents and the cultural environment that told them what to think about the situation. One man even said that he now makes sure to say hello and make small talk when he sees a black man or woman, and that he makes sure to buy from the black salesman. Its over the top he knows, but he wants to make sure that his child doesn't feel the eternal grief that he now feels for standing by the wayside and letting horrible things happen.

So what can we learn from Sports Illustrated this week? I'll tell you. We can learn that throughout time whether it be: a person of a different color, a person of a different gender, a person of a different religion...WE ARE ALL THE SAME. It seems so simple doesn't it. If I were born 60 years ago, a white male in the south I would hate to admit it but I would have probably been a racist. I can only hope in my heart that I would have the courage to stand up against these injustices, but odds have it that I wouldn't and neither would you. So now that we have shown that women are equals and that minorities are equals let us not turn to another group of people and persecute them for what we feel are inferior qualities. Let us please learn from our mistakes (this time) and treat all with the respect that the men of the 1957 Little Rock Central High School football team wish they could have treated those 9 black students that year.

Wanna talk about skiing?

*Musical Selection*
*Corey Smith*
*http://www.coreysmith.org/music.cfm*

*I would recommend downloading them all but if you are going to pick one pick 'If I could do it again*

On Sunday morning at 3:30 am I did something I don't think I normally would have done. Okay before I tell you what that something is you can try and guess...go ahead...done yet? Okay here it is, I went on a ski trip to two states away with 18 other people and I only knew 1 of them. Sorry to disappoint, if you had guessed I got drunk and did something dumb and/or funny.

I went with the brothers from Phi Sigma Alpha, a local fraternity at Austin College in Sherman, TX and a few of their friends. I understand the closeness a group of guys can have and especially a group of fraternity brothers. I was the guy nobody knew, I was the guy that everyone was whispering about when I sat in their living room on Saturday night/Sunday morning. I have always been a confident individual but I don't know if I would have wanted to go on a ski trip for 4 days with people I don't know (the one guy I did know I only knew because he worked part time with the Mavs during the playoffs) if it hadn't been for my recent experiences.

Moving to a place where I knew nobody has probably widened my social horizons a bit. Being the new guy in the group, in almost every situation I've been in for the last year, has been a great learning experience for me. I've always thought that real life learning will beat anything you do in a text book any day. For example I will never EVER home school my child because, the things he/she may not learn because its a public education will never out weight the knowledge they gain, and increase in both maturity and communication skills they get from interacting with their peers. Sure I am getting my MBA and that knowledge is supposed to help me in the "real world", but I believe that will only get me interviews and get my foot in the door. It will be the times like this week that will make me an attractive candidate for any job, one of the older guys in the group told me "If I was the guy nobody knew in a group this big I'd probably be sitting in a corner and keeping quite". He told this because I was hanging out with everyone, laughing and joking and having a great time...GREAT TIME.

It would be completely unacceptable for me to not thank these people for having me. I had so much fun and they were great to me. Like I've said I was "the outsider", but they took me in and treated me like they had known me for much longer that 24 hours. I believe some of these people could end up being friends for a long time to come. I completely appreciate their welcoming me to their group and must say, Thank you.

So these last four days I went from the guy "that everyone was whispering about when I sat in their living room on Saturday night/Sunday morning" to the guy "who was shaking hands and giving hugs, promising to keep hanging out"...what a trip.

62-54

Your musical selection will follow the post.

March is the best sports month because of March Madness. But tonight the inevitable happened, the Lobos season ended before the madness could start. I sat listening to the entire game on the internet and for the last two minutes of game play I just listened as my heart slowly tore apart, I think I was so upset I might have even squeezed out a tear or two. You would think I would be prepared for this moment, I mean we have sucked ever since we had to start playing teams with less than one direction in their name. But it felt like a relative dying of old age, you know they are close to dying and you have prepared yourself for the moment, but it still hurts oh so bad when it happens.

*your musical selection*
So on that note, let's all sing the fight song together now...

Hail to New Mexico
Thy loyal sons are we,
Marching down the field we go
Fighting for thee.

GO FIGHT WIN

Now we pledge our faith to thee
Never shall we fail.
Fighting ever, yielding never.

HAIL HAIL HAIL

Don't worry Lobos I still love you...there's always next year.



Oh yah....FUCK YOU RITCHIE MCKAY
and while I'm at it...FUCK YOU FRAN FRASCHILLA

She...

I decided to go straight to a song recommendation instead of giving the whole band.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=16452630
On the page click on "Oklahoma Breakdown"
It's my song of the week, I'm lovin' it.


I'm looking for someone, you may have seen her. So if that is the case I figured I should tell you a little about her so you can send her my way when you track her down for me.

She is about 5'7", cute blonde girl with blue (or was it green?) eyes.
She enjoys sports, especially cowboys football.
She is a strong woman who won't back down from a challenge.
She is educated and has a bright future ahead of her.
She can talk intelligently about anything...or fake it really well.
She looks just as amazing in sweat pants and a hoody as she does in a fancy dress.
She thinks it's funny how I know all the lines to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
She has an affinity for short red-heads...with a great personality.
She doesn't feel like I'm "too dedicated" if I call her just to tell her how beautiful she is.
She likes drama and controversy, like I like cancer.
She is laid back
She gets up early during the week, but on the weekend might sleep till the clock strikes PM.
She loves me...or so I hope.

I'm looking for this girl. If you or anyone you know fit this description please contact your local authorities ASAP...I got a hot date with her planned.

You are not alone!

Four weeks exactly since I've posted, I've had a several requests for some new reading material since then, so I apologize. I'll try to make this one a good one.

I usually write when I'm inspired or feel the need to share something with the world. Today and for the last several weeks I've felt an extreme hate for a certain group of people, and I have finally had it. I wish I could take them to Antarctica, strip them down to the nude and sail away in my sweet ass boat as I laugh and point at their certain demise...ya I hate them that much!

So by now you are probably wondering..."Wow! He has hate in his heart. I wonder who this group of people is."

Well to tell you the truth, unfortunately there are probably some 'rickysroost' readers that are part of this group. I like to call this group....drum roll please....the "I think I'm the only damn person on the planet and my actions don't effect or bother or impair the living of any other human being on Earth" group.

Here are some descriptions of the people in this group: The guy downstairs from me that believes that turning his TV up so loud that my floor vibrates (like frickin' right now!!) doesn't bother anyone in an apartment complex. Or how about the chick on the cell phone who disregards any traffic signals (chicks are bad enough drivers they don't need cell phones). Or the car that drives through my parking lot and honks their horn for 30 seconds till their friend comes outside (how bout you walk your fat ass up the stairs, it may do you some good). Or Ben's favorite, the person who sits at a red light in the right lane and then turns right when it turns green. There are so many of these people around us everyday that it blows my mind. And it just serves further evidence that you should have to pass an IQ test to be able to produce a child (of course I don't really believe that but, what if?).

In order to not make this a complete hate fest, I end with this. Wake up tomorrow and try to be aware of the people around you. Try and not just sit on this planet and be an oxygen bandit. Try to make something easier for just one person, whether that is holding open a door or teaching someone something...CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY! Just think if everyone did just one small something for someone everyday, how great would that be?

P.S. I feel there are more of "these" people out there, if you know of one you should leave a comment at the bottom of this post, in hopes that we can eventually track them all down and send the to Antarctica!

Look mama I made it!

**Musical Selection**
**Pat Green**
**http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=30902701**
**The music should start playing when you click on the link.**

I've been waiting a long time for a special post to put Pat Green as the musical selection, I figured this was that special post. Today is a special day for me; 987 hits to rickysroost, 48 posts', and more imporantly 365 days since my residence was in New Mexico.

Yes that's right, you heard correctly, it's already been one whole year that I've been a Texas resident. Looking back on my past 12 months I've had a myriad of experiences.
I remember the day I left with my uhaul towing my truck behind it, like it was yesterday. I don't think I will every forget that day for as long as I live. I was excited to get "my" life started, nervous that I was starting something that I knew nothing about, and sad that I had to leave my family behind.
The next portion of my year was the hardest part, and quite possibly the hardest several months of my life. I'm a very social person and moving here without knowing anyone was incredibly more difficult than I could have ever imagined. I just went to school two nights a week with people who were 2o years older than me and then...THAT WAS IT. That's all I did. If it wasn't for me going to the gym 5 days a week I'm sure I would have went insane. I would go to sleep at 4 or 5am, and wake up in the afternoons. I played xbox and watched too much tv. As I wrote on the website on March 10th, 2006, describing the hardest things I've ever done were/are... "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."

After the initial shock and events that came with moving to a place where I didn't know anyone the next portion of my year may have been the most exciting. I met a girl, I got a job, and I finished my first trimester in graduate school. In March I met a girl that I thought was pretty awesome but, as most relationships it didn't work out. Although it wasn't as good as it could have been dating her was a great relief in my life because I was finally able to socialize with someone and get out of my 700 sq. ft. prison cell I had created for myself (my apartment). After volunteering with a professor at UD I was able to get him to recommend me to the Dallas Mavericks and low and behold I finally got myself a job. The playoffs started and evertyhing got exciting, I met some awesome people and was able to finally begin to feel like I could stay in Dallas.

The next portion of my year was a touch stressful. I had classes that I had to finish up and the NBA season was getting ready to start so work was ramping up. My eyelid started twitching uncontrollably - apparently a sign of stress - and I was on the end tip of three consecutive trimesters without a break. I got through that with some quality library time and the help of the great friends I have in Dallas.

So today...my new years eve...I sit and reflect on how far I have come in the past 365 days. I went from wanting to go back home everyday to shopping for houses in Dallas. My goal is to own a home out here by May. I guess you could say I've made a bit of progress in one of the largest cities in the country. As Jay-Z said "look mama I made it!"


Love you all.

Dick goes on Vacation 33 and 1/3

**Musical Selection**
**Pretty Ricky**...no really that's their name!
**http://atlanticrecords.liquidbuilder.com/prettyricky_lns/**


First off I feel the need to clarify my musical selection tonight. No I do not enjoy the musical stylings of Pretty Ricky but shit they do have a sweet ass name. when you go to their website listen the the beginning of the song that starts up. Once they actually start singing it basically turns to crap. But it's oh so good to start with.

Now back to the trilogy (I hope at least some of you got the Naked Gun reference in the title). I know you have read the book and know how this trilogy ends but trust me the blog is much better...better graphics (?). Well I have talked about the NYC and the 5 oh 5, so it is only obvious that I talk about the big D, right? But you might say "hey Pretty Ricky, I thought you were talking about your vacation?" Well young lad I'm glad you brought that up --and thank you for the compliment--but you see after spending two and a half weeks away from Dallas, it felt like a vacation getting back here.

So I get back to Dallas on New Years day and Ben is there to pick me up, I think he would have been there no matter what. Every time I called him with a new plane reservation he didn't even hesitate to let me know he'd be there. Once I landed in Texas and my friends were dying to tell me stories of the weeks past and the times they had while I was gone, not to rub it in but more of a wish you were here tone.

I get in my truck, drive home, turn the key, open the door, and then finally felt relaxed. It was an odd feeling. I had the same feeling on December 15th when I turned and locked that same door knowing I wouldn't be back for a long while. Sure I did a lot of just relaxing and sleeping in on my vacation but for some reason I felt exhausted. Maybe too long of a break from the norm or not having a sense of being established in the places I was...who knows. What I do know is that I definitely needed a vacation from my vacation.

Now I'm back, school has started, I'm back at work, I got a fresh dome shave, took down the 8 week old beard and now time to start a new year. As for resolutions, they're all great and everything but I don't believe in them. I'd rather attempt to make myself better every single day...why wait for a certain day on a calendar to make yourself better?


p.s. 9 days till my 1 year Dallas anniversary.

Dick goes on Vacation (part duex)

**Musical Selection**
**Swollen Members**
http://www.swollenmembers.com/06/
**Check out 'Deep End' and 'Fuel Injected' Right on the home page.**
In my last post I spoke of the incredible ride of a trilogy you may choose to take a ride on and not to disappoint (or maybe it's disappointing who knows) here is part duex.
After my action packed trip to the NYC, I figured my time in the ABQ would be the opposite. I thought I'd be able to hang out and just relax to finish off my 2006...oh boy was I wrong. I got home and it seemed as if all the little socialites that had spread across the country were back in the 5 oh 5 for the big weekend filled with Judeo-Christian celebrations a plenty (how's that for politically correct?). Friend I hadn't seen since I left for Dallas last January were back and of course there were the friends that never left...even the ones who are "too smart to be here". I ended up going out every night I was back home except the "eve's" both Christmas and New Years. It is so much fun to go out with different people every night, this is the first trip back home that I think I got to see almost everyone (sorry if I didn't hang out with you...I promise next time). It actually got to the point where my dad would ask me "where's the party at tonight?", I think he actually found it a little entertaining that I came home at 3-4am every morning. So if you bought me a drink, shot, cocktail, hooker, or late night hot dog...thank you and in most cases phi alpha.
So that was the fun...now for the RIDICULOUSNESS! So it's December 29th and I'm sitting on my plane ready to leave on my way back to big ole freakin' D and the following were the events that occurred as I believe them to be true: {it has been snowing for an hour but doesn't look that bad} plane gets de-iced and ready for take off, we taxi out to the run way, we make a U-turn (not good), I see the terminal (really not good), after sitting on the plane for an hour and at the gate I call southwest and tell them I want to fly out the next day, wish granted, my bags are still checked but it will be alright I'll get them tomorrow when I get to Dallas right? Wrong! Not only did I have my Friday morning flight cancelled, I also had my Saturday morning and new Saturday afternoon flight cancelled. So I go to stay and play in the snow...and play we did. Since we are desert kids and not used to this amount of snow we went crazy; snowball fights a plenty, a 9' snowman...that's right 9 FLIPPIN FEET TALL, and full contact football in 18" of powder FUN. So I wasn't able to get out of Albuquerque till New Years Day and was finally able to acquire my luggage which missed me dearly after 4 days on its own.
So as chapter duex came to a close it was such a relief to get on that plane and head "home" to Dallas on New Years morning. How fitting after the year I had and the turbulent ending to 2006 that I was able to get the first flight to Dallas in 2007, a fresh start for me and a new year to learn and grow. And what did I learn in part duex? It can best be summed up in this lyric..."friends, friends, friends, you and I will be, whether in fair or in dark stormy weather, we'll stand or we'll fall together

Dick goes on Vacation (part I)

**Musical Selection**

**Eli Young Band**

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=8237588&MyToken=db2c9c7b-6115-44a0-9821-27409985f342

So I just spent the last 17 days in every time zone except the pacific and oh boy do I have some stories. I figured to be able to deliver all the stories I have, I needed to break them up. Here enters the Dick goes on Vacation trilogy. Yes that's right folks a freakin' trilogy, that's how action packed the last 17 days of my life were. So sit back, stay glued to your computer, and wait for the next two installments, but for now here is part I.
To begin my vacation I spent 5 days in New York City. Our hotel was located right in the heart of midtown Manhattan. When we got there the hotel had screwed up our reservation and they only had one room left...the freakin' penthouse! No not the kind with dirty pictures but the kind with several rooms and a wrap around balcony with amazing views of the entire city...it was amazing.
We did all the major "tourist" things you should do while in NYC; Statue of Liberty, ground zero, the top of the empire state building, central park, two broadway plays, times square (during the day and night), Rockafeller plaza (you know the place with the big ass tree), the UN building, Grand Central Station, and pretty much wore ourselves out.
It was a trip that every American should make in their lifetime. So many great sites and sounds (apparently honking your horn is like a language out there). So much to do and just an amazing place. Everywhere you look it feels as if you are about to be swallowed up by a monster with buildings for teeth.
I guess if I were to take one thing from that trip it would have to be the pace of life. People are in such an amazing hurry to get things done. I guess when you live with 9 million other people you can kinda get left behind if you don't make yourself known. A lot of those people know no other way to live, but that lifestyle is definetly not for me, an amazing city, yes...but a place for me to live, no. I enjoy having downtime, I enjoy friends and family and not needing to always be in your face or on the go and that seemed to be the NYC way. So adios east coast, and hello again southwest.