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!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Saturday, January 27, 2007
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.
**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.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
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.
**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.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
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
**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
Monday, January 01, 2007
Dick goes on Vacation (part I)
**Musical Selection**
**Eli Young Band**
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.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
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
*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!
Sunday, December 03, 2006
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!
Thursday, November 23, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
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?)
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?)
Friday, October 13, 2006
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!
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!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
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!
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!
Saturday, September 16, 2006
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.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
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!
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!
Saturday, September 02, 2006
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
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
Sunday, August 27, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
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!
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!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
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?
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?
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
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!
Saturday, July 08, 2006
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
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
Sunday, June 25, 2006
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.
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.
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