A little surreal

This morning I helped write the official retirement announcement for my father.  It was a little surreal.  On one hand, it is always good to remind me of all of the things he has accomplished in his business career.  On the other hand, it serves as a warning, “don’t screw this up!”

I couldn’t help but think of an obituary as I helped edit the announcement that he wrote.  I don’t want it to sound like one, and I hope that he wasn’t thinking about one as he wrote it.  I don’t want to write that for a long long time.

This business is all we have known our whole lives.  I can remember going to business conventions as our vacations, learning to drive on the job sites, and climbing scaffolding when I was way too young to be OSHA approved.

There is no doubt that my father knows more masonry than I will ever.  He has taught me almost everything I know about business.  The most important lesson, at least I feel right now, is to follow your instincts.  My instincts are telling me that the business will be fine, that it won’t fall on my watch.  They are also telling me, don’t screw this up.

Happy 15th Anniversay to.....

my beautiful wife Marlina.

It has been 15 years since you said "I do." We have had some wonderful adventures together.  I look forward to making memories with you for many more years to come.  I love you!!

 

Changes

Well, It has been sometime since my last update. My how things have changed.

The biggest of all is that my father is now mostly retired and we are in the process of completing the buyout.  We are extremely busy at work right now also, which means there is not much time in the day to focus on pesky things like the financial details of largest transaction in my life.

Just got back from the deer lease last weekend.  Uncle Jason got the go ahead for another year on the lease, and he invited Luke and I to participate.  Last year, Luke got his first deer ever, so we are very excited to get invited back.

M has started another business, this time selling cosmetics for a lady in a pink Cadillac. As if her office was crammed enough with stuff.  But it is exciting for her and who know, might pay for a vacation or two in the future.

Another change....the 5th annual pig roast has been changed from November till February.  I put out in the email that the change was due to unforeseen circumstances.  I stand by that statement, as it is impossible to see circumstances if YOU DON'T ACTUALLY CHECK.....Will be fun anyways.

One last notable... you can address me as Vice Commodore now....

Update more soon....
A

Message from Above???....

I saw this message in the sky.  It must be a sign.

Hoggatt

Updates galore

Well, it has been a while again, but here I am to post an update.

The bermuda grass is still there, but some of it is dead.  The zoysia around it has yellowed, but I think it is still alive.  Which is more than I can say of my queen palm in the back yard. It was a door nail, so I took my sawzall and cut the top off.  Now I have a stump sticking out of the ground at about 4 feet. 

My garden is faring really well this year.  I have tomatoes (multiple varieties), basil, sage, oregano, thyme, cilantro, and dill.  I have also planted three different kinds of strawberries that are doing awesome.  I like to watch the kids look for the strawberries.  Katie also wanted to plant some corn.  I told her I didn't think it was a good idea and that I had no where to put it.  So, we ended up planting some corn in a planter, and we have some decent stalks showing up.  I am going to transplant it next weekend to the spot near the dead palm tree stump and see what happens.

City Council election was last weekend.  Hoerner got ousted, and Angie Terrell and Kurt Otten got voted in.  Lets see how things go from here.  We all went up to Oakies for an election party last Sat night.  I had a blast, but I was also coming from our Derby De Mayo party, where I made mint juleps with a margarita chaser.  In addition, I made fresh tuna ceviche, shrimp and chorizo, chips and queso, and a crock pot full of carnitas.  I also made a garlic onion tortilla cake, but forgot to take it out of the refrigerator to serve.  Guess what we had on Sunday??  Anyways, lots of neighbors and friends showed up to watch.  Katie won the money on the horse race.  Marlina had Mothers Day with her mom last Sunday and I had a day with the kids.  I got my first sunburn of the year as we went to the pool.  It has reached 90 degrees during the day.  Summer is here.

Spring clean up

Well, the tree sale is complete.  It seems like the whole island liked the idea.  I am not against it, I just wanted to know why the City should subsidize private citizens' landscaping.

Anyways, spring clean up is underway.  I have got the lawn starting to look better.  Kate and I managed to plant some herbs and flowers.  Sprinkler system is working.  I even put down the spring fertilizer and herbicide.  Next week is mosquito repellent and trying to kill the gosh dern Bermuda grass that is threatening my Zoysia.  I hope I can kill it this time without killing the zoysia.  I will post before and after photos this time.

Old friend comes to town this week with new girl.  This ought to be fun.

Basketball and Trees

Ok, so last night concluded basketball season for Luke.  Last season, his team didn't win a game.  And Luke didn't score until the last game of the season when he hit a jump shot.  This season his team, The Legends, won several games after starting the season 0-3.  I don't know the final record of the team, but they managed to win quite a few, really improved on both offense and defense, and Luke scored quite a few baskets.

Last night, the Legends were facing another team in the second round of the playoffs.  Yes, that means they won their first round game.  Luke's team did well, but fell one point short in the end.  Luke did great with a sweet move along the baseline but couldn't convert as his shot missed his target.  He ended the game with one point as he swished a free throw that was the result of him getting fouled on shot in the paint.  It was really neat to see the team progress as a unit, and Luke personally progress.  Last season, many tears were shed after the losses kept mounting up.  This year, he dealt with the losses better, but last night, it took a little while and a McDonald's meal for him to open up about the game.  I did hear a bunch of "The referee was on the take", but I don't think he will remember that opinion for very long  Anyways, great season Legends.  Bring on baseball season.

Latest event on the island to draw some ire; trees.  Let me preface this by saying I didn't attend City Council meeting, I was at the Legends game.  However, it appears that the City Council voted to purchase several trees at wholesale prices, then sell them to the residents of CLS at half of the wholesale cost.  I know our area got hit by Harvey, and the freezes, but I have some questions about this.  1.  Where did the money to buy the trees come from?  2. Where does the revenue from the tree sales go?  3.  The City is ok taking a loss on this?  4. Why are we subsidizing peoples lawns anyway?  5. There are multiple people who bitched about the Oakies deal because it didn't make financial sense are now jumping at the chance to purchase trees at a discount.  I realize that one is the EDC and one is the City.  But, the EDC money comes from taxes that are paid for by the shops, and the other gets its money by taxing the residents. 

I intend on asking our councilmen these questions.  Perhaps I have my facts wrong, but I got them from a reliable source, Facebook.  Anyways, just drama on the island.  Its not like I shot anyone at IHOP.  IHOP Shooting

Super Bowl party

Well, what a game?  The game was a mere backdrop to the party that we hosted however.  On Saturday, M and I made a list of the groceries we needed and then decided to do the Clicklist from Kroger so that I would not be tempted to spend an extra $100 in the store while browsing.  I made two boxes of brownies on Sat night to get a head start.  It was then that I started receiving the RSVP's.

On Sunday morning, I woke up and cooked breakfast for the kids.  After that, we all cleaned the house as a family.  This was my favorite part of the day.  We all chipped in and it was nice to see the family working together to get stuff done.

After that, it was time to start cooking.  First up was the burger sliders.  I made approx. 35 sliders, knowing that we would eat some for lunch.  After that, came the smokies in BBQ sauce (as usual, in the football shaped crockpot).  First issue, no bbq sauce.  No problem, I made some from scratch.  Turned out beautifully.  Next up, mini corn dog muffins.  The verdict came back on these that I needed to add a bit more PAM to the muffin tin so that they come out easier.  Following those, I made taco dip with biscuit dippers..

This turned out fantastic.  It was really easy to make also.  The dip was better on tortilla chips, but the biscuit dippers made it look great.

Next it was time to make the Philly cheese steaks.  The Eagles were playing in the big game, so it was only natural that we have cheesesteaks.  I can normally make a pretty good one, but this time it was for a crowd so I chose sliders.  These turned out fair.  The peppers could have been cooked a bit longer as I like mine soft and these still had quite a bit of crunch.  But, by then, guests had started arriving and I needed to mingle.

Perhaps the best part of the game was the fact that Luke was watching upstairs cheering for the Eagles, while everyone else was watching downstairs.  M always cheers for the Pats.  Everytime the Eagles made a play, she would scream out Nooooo!!!!.  And from the upstairs, you could hear Yay!!!!!!  It was neat to see some back and forth from the two of them. Should make for a great season next year.

All in all, we had about 30 people in attendance.  Food was great.  Boult boiled some shrimp and Mrs B made cookies, SanMiguels made lobster dip and jalapeno poppers, Dave made chicken wings with two types of sauces, and Matt brought over some eggrolls that are awesome (I'm having them for lunch today!)

If you missed it, you missed a great time.  Thanks to all who came by!  BTW, it is not an annual thing.  This was just a great party.

Steppin up to the plate

Well, neighbor Amy and PBro usually have a Super Bowl party in their palapa, but they don't feel too much like partying right now due to a death in the family (and we know all too well about that as it was one year ago that Vincent passed).  Neighbor Otto sold the Tree House. And the Millers are still assholes for moving half way across the country.  I say all of this to justify that this year, the Super Bowl party is at Hogg Heaven.

At Christmas, I told Marlina that I was partied out due to the Pig Roast being in November and that I didn't want Christmas Eve to be that big of a deal because it sounded like too much work for me.  Well, I guess that feeling lasted all of a month because a few weeks ago I hadn't heard of any parties on the island.  I started to get the itch.  The chili cookoff last weekend cemented it.  I volunteered our house to host the party, but really it is just an excuse for me to try out new party recipes and cooking techniques.

Needless to say, I will be planning a menu tonight and probably spending a fortune at the HEB tomorrow.  Least it keeps me out of the bars, right?  I'll post pics on Monday.

Someone say chili?

This past weekend was the annual chili cookoff on the island.  Now, this is a non-sanctioned event, and is actually the birthday party for an island resident.  Neighbor Ben was playing his guitar and I haven't gotten the privilege of listening to him since I hosted the 3rd Mr. Pig's Nightmare.  Normally, this event is flooded by islanders who all try to out do each other and put their best chili in.  Last year, Rob Scherer won the thing (not his first time), and I asked him how much he spent on his dish.  $130 was the reply. 

I have been making chili for over 20 years now, and I never use the same formula and never follow a recipe.  This year, I decided I was going to change that.  I used a recipe that I found online from an Aggie and the reviews were undeniably great.  Friday afternoon, I went to the store and gathered everything I needed (and then some more), and my bill only came out to about $40. 

I thought about cooking on Friday night, but that thought changed after three margaritas at the taqueria.  I got up on Sat morning and began the process, following the recipe exactly.  I used a chuck roast, dicing it myself.  I made a chili puree using four different kinds of dried chilies that I had to steep and re-hydrate.  I used multiple dishes and made a horrific mess, but I was having fun.

Now, everything was in the pot and it was time to let the flavors meld and the pot simmer.  But, alas, time was not on my side.  Luke had to be at his basketball game at 1:30, the judging for the chili cookoff was scheduled for 3:00.  I wasn't going to make it, so I had to turn in my chili early and hope for the best.  I ladled the chili/soup into a crock pot, keeping the vast majority for myself.  After the basketball game (Luke's team won and he scored his first points of the season, BTW), I hustled back to hear the results.

I ended up not placing as my chili never came solidified as it should have.  It was more soup than chili.  I know how to fix that.  Remember that I kept most of the chili for me?  Well, I added a bit of corn starch to the pot when I got home, and bingo, remarkable chili!!  I spent the rest of the weekend eating Frito Pie and liked it so much, that I burned through an entire bag of Fritos. 

Anyways, the contest was fun, I met some new islanders, and got a big pot of chili left that I froze and will eat again soon.  Can't believe that the winning entry had chocolate as one of the ingredients.  Guess you never know what wins in a contest on the island.  

I'm Back!!!

Hey, it's been a long time since my last post, but I am back baby!!  I've been busy at work and just haven't made the time to blog, but it is my goal to change that in the new year.  Several times over the past year I have been sitting in my truck thinking about something would make a good blog entry only to forget about it before I could access my computer.  I used to carry my laptop around with my mobile hotspot but it proved to be too big and bulky to carry around everywhere. I now have a new iPad with a keyboard so hopefully these time won't go fruitless as much.

Quickly, something neat happened last week that I wanted to make sure I didn't forget about.  Luke and Marlina were sleeping on the couch and Kate and I were watching tv.  I ended up flipping the station to Expedition Unknown, a show about a archeologist who travels about looking for different objects of desire.  This particular episode was about a story book in the 80's called The Secret.  Evidently this author wrote a bunch of poems and commissioned an artist to paint some images, then hid some treasure boxes all around the country in different parks.  Kate became engrossed watching this show and immediately ask me when will the next show air?  I informed her that I would record the series and that we could watch it together.  Ever since then she has been telling her brother all about it. Last night, we sat down to watch it and Luke, who hadn't seen the previous episode, joined us as well.  He got sucked in also.  Then, after we watched the latest episode regarding Butch Cassidy, he hit the On Demand feature and pulled up an episode regarding Stonehenge.  I grabbed Marlina knowing her infatuation with the English/Scottish area, and asked her to watch with us.  So, there we sat, all four of us, engrossed in a tv show that wasn't animated or on Nickelodeon and was somewhat educational.  Hopefully this is a glimpse into the future.

Look for more posts in 2018!
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The Astros!!

A few weeks ago, I signed Luke up for the Astros Buddies program.  This has been around for ever, and something I never got to do when I was a kid.  Luke received a backpack, socks, a cap, and 4 tickets to a game.  I thought that was a pretty good deal, especially this season as they have the best record in baseball and a legit shot at going to the Series.

Besides all of the items mentioned, his name got entered into a lottery where he could meet some players and get autographs.  Well, he got chosen this past weekend, so up to the stadium we went, arriving at 10:30 for a 1:10 start.  Marlina and Kate dropped us off and we waited in line to get the autographs.  By 10:45 we were next in line.  I looked at Luke and informed him that this was his chance to meet the players and to take advantage of it.  Ask the players a question, don't just hand him a ball to sign silently.  Luke walked up to Astros reliever Will Harris, and politely asked "How do you throw the ball so hard?".  Perfect, I thought. Now this professional probably gets asked that question a bunch and he should impart some wisdom regarding practicing hard, never giving up, listen to your coaches, etc.  Harris's reply?  "Shoot kid, I just throw it as hard as I can every time."  Not exactly the inspirational stuff that I was looking for, but hey, maybe Luke can gleam some wisdom from it anyhow.

 Well, after that, we went to the game and had a good time.  The Astros came from behind to win it, and I got to see the new parts of the stadium that I hadn't previously seen.  The kids got to run the bases afterwards, and it was a blast to see Luke run around as fast as he could and Kate parading around like she was in no hurry at all. 

Go Astros!!!

Hawk

So, last night Unk came over to eat some pizza with the kids.  As we are all gathered around the dining room table, we heard a loud THUNK.  Where is the cat and what the hell has he done now, immediately went through my mind.  It sounded as if it came from downstairs, but the cat never goes downstairs.  I went upstairs to look for him. He was no where to be found.  I went on the main floor, but couldn't find him there either.  I ventured down the stairs to see if he had gone down to the landing and knocked something over.  I was halfway down the stairs, just enough to see the window on the door that leads outside when something grabbed my attention.  Standing outside my door was a very large hawk.  Standing, not walking around, not doing anything.  Just standing there looking confused.

Something similar to the one pictured here, only this guy wasn't balancing on a pole, he was just dazed.  I then saw a little package on the front stoop. It took me a second to add it up, but that hawk had caught some prey, and was struggling with it, not able to fully control where he was flying.  He must have been fighting with the prey and flew right into the glass door.  I have heard of sparrows or pigeons flying into windows before, but I have never heard of a hawk.

Anyways, the dazed hawk shook off the cobwebs and when he saw me gawking at him, he high tailed it out of there, leaving me a little present on the doormat.  I think it was a baby night heron, but in any case, I disposed of it and went back upstairs to finish the pizza.  Only, I wasn't as hungry as before.

I'm on a boat!

Took my first boating lesson on Saturday.  Mr. Batchelor was kind enough to take me out and show me everything he knows about boats, or at least that is what he told me.  I climbed aboard his 18' Mako and we set off.  He explained about wakes, idling, channel markers, etc.  Basically all the things you take for granted when it isn't your boat and you are not driving.

We cruised passed the swimming hole and he let me take the wheel.  Now we are talking!  Back the other way and out into the bay.  Getting the boat up on plane is going to take some practice.  So is looking for underwater obstacles and other boats.  What has kept me from driving boats in the past still freaks me out now, but you can't get over the fear without facing it.

Two hours and $75 worth of fuel later, we headed back in, where he showed me how to tie the boat off "the way the US Navy does". 

Really looking forward to my next time.

Dolphins....

Marlina and Trish decided that our excursion down in Ol Mexico was to be one that they had always wanted to do, but disguised it under the rouse that it was something the kids would always remember.  I think I will always remember it as well.

We got to swim with the dolphins at a place called Chankanaab Wildlife Park.  When we arrived at the park, we found our place to change into swimsuits, then watched in amazement as we saw the dolphins in the lagoon.  We got paired up with our host and photographer and prepared to enter the water.  It was chilly, but not too bad.  At least not to me.  Marlina thought otherwise.  But she managed to push through it.

One by one, they called us to touch the dolphins and rub their bellies.  Then they pulled Marlina and Kate out to swim with the dolphins.  Katie got to grab the fins and go for a ride.  Marlina did the same.  When it was time for Luke and I, they tried something different.  We got a boogie board and were told to place our legs straight out.  The dolphins came from behind us and their noses hit the soles of our feet and pushed us through the water at a surprisingly fast rate of speed.  We created a wake!

We spent the rest of the time playing around and watching the dolphins do tricks until it was time to leave.  After we got out, we walked around the pier and got to see a manatee.  I have never seen one of these beasts until that time. What a large animal!  We took several photos of the dolphins and manatee, but then we discovered how they get ya.  We were not allowed to bring our cameras into the dolphin area, but they did give us a personal photog.  She took awesome photos and they were glad to sell us the disk for $200 per family.  We politely passed and went to lunch.  But before we left the park, we negotiated them down to a slightly less obscene price and bought the CD, but they only allowed us the photos of the kids.  Sorry, but no bikini pics of Marlina (or me).

We had a blast.  Trent and I then rented snokels and took off.  I saw a lobster under the water that was bigger than anything I had ever seen in a tank.  Bring on the butter.  Too soon, it was time to leave and get back on the boat.  After a stop in downtown at the Hotel Barracuda, a lovely plate of nachos and cold margarita later, we boarded the boat and prepared to cruise back to Galveston.  Good times....Good times....

Cruisin......

Well, Marlina and I got to do something that I have always wanted to do.  We got to surprise the kids with a vacation.  I am talking full on surprise here.  We dropped the kids off at school for the day, then showed up at the school office at 10:15 to pick them up.  They had no idea of why they were being called to the office.  We loaded them up in the car under the guise that Dad had taken the day off and wanted to go to Galveston.  As we crossed the Causeway bridge, Katie looks at the cruise boat docked and asks, "Hey, when do you think we will be able to go on that cruise boat?"  We looked at each other sheepishly and changed the subject.  First stop, the Olympia Grill on the Strand.  This is where the Murphy's walked in.  Trent and Trish walked in with both of their kids and we all got seated together.  At that point, we told the kids to turn around and see what was on their chairs.  The ladies had put together a backpack for each of the kids.  Inside the backpack was a pair of sunglasses, some sunscreen, a travel journal, an envelope with $75 spending money, and a note that read "See that big boat anchored up right outside?  Here is your ticket, now lets go get on board!"

 The cruise was set for one day at sea, one day in Cozumel, and one day at sea. The first day at sea was quite windy. Luke was a bit disappointed as the Sports Deck was shut down due to the high winds.  Even the water slide was closed.  However, we still managed to have some fun and the kids and ladies picked up First Place in the on-board scavenger hunt.  We ended the night with show about music through the years.  We loved it as the kids cringed as we danced along to the sounds of ABBA and Barry Manilow.  

We got up and we were in Cozumel.  It occurred to me as we headed out on our excursion that our kids had never been in water where they could see their feet.  Boy are they in for a treat.

On the next post, I will fill you in on dolphin encounter excursion.........

To Build a Bear, or not to build a bear, that is the question....

This past weekend,  I had to work on Saturday.  Marlina and the kids had no definite plans and that usually means trouble for me.  Sure enough, they call mid day and explain that they had to get out of the house and they are going to Academy so Luke could purchase a basketball jersey.  Well, I get home to find out that he purchased the jersey and Katie purchased a geology kit where she dissolves this brick of mud to expose the buried gems inside.  Well, she gets ripped off in the fact that this particular one only encased one ugly rock instead of the normal 8-9 crystals.  Lesson learned, I assumed.

After showing me their treasures (or lack thereof), I decide to settle down for a late afternoon nap.  After snoozing for a few, I was awakened by my little girl announcing that it was time for Dad and Kate time, bemoaning the fact that, in her opinion, it had been forever since we had spent some time just her and I.  I relented and got up.  She suggested a few places to go, and I suggested we go to Kemah in hopes that we could have a happy hour together at one of the many fine establishments on the water.  She had other ideas.

We ended up over there and she immediately drug me to the new Build A Bear workshop.  Thats fine, I said to myself, we will just look.  And, she had already purchased a new toy earlier in the day.  But.................She really, really wanted one, but my Dad voice took over and I shut down the episode.  Then she brought out the big gun.  "Dad, I will use my own money!"  Normally, I would think this was great, but A)She had been telling me for weeks that she wants to save enough money to purchase and Apple watch and B)She had already purchased one toy the same day, and C)25$ for a teddy bear is a bit absurd, then you have to purchase the clothes separately.  But....on the other hand, A)who am I to tell someone how to spend their own money, even if I don't agree with what they are spending the money on, and B)I don't really want her to have an Apple watch anyways, because a 6 year old doesn't need that kind of toy.

Well, as you can see, I was in a bit of a pickle.  This is what I did, and I don't know if it was right or wrong, but it is what I did.  I shut the plan down on site.  I explained to her that she informed me that she wanted to save her money for a larger purchase down the road and that by spending her money she would never accomplish that goal of saving up.  She didn't cry, but she was disappointed.  I couldn't even get her to eat ice cream.  We made the journey home and she went upstairs and shut the door to her room.  I waited a few minutes going through everything in my mind and then I also went upstairs.  I knocked and entered.  I then sat her down and explained to her that I wanted her to think long and hard about it over night and decide if she truly wanted to spend her money or would she rather save it up.  If she truly wanted to spend her money, we would return the next day.  After all, it was her money.  Her face lightened up and she said she would think about it.  She liked the plan.

Well, long story short, we returned the next day and she purchased Rosy the bear with her own money.    I didn't want her to get that Apple watch anyways......

March, where did you go???

Well, here we are, already in April, and I didn't manage to blog once in March.  Now that I am looking back, it is a good time to evaluate those new year's resolutions. 

1.  Exercise three times a week, minimum--Well, I have joined a gym, and am efforting to get there three times a week.  I have started going before work, but have not found it always conducive to do so.  After work is not an option either, as the gym is crowded and someone needs to cook dinner.  That only leaves during lunch time, which I might try on days that I don't make it before work.  I have enjoyed it, and it does make me feel better.  But, then again, it has only been one month of doing so.  Lets see if the habit sticks.

2.  Go camping 5 times--Well, we have been once, and are scheduled to go again in May.  Two times out of the first half of the year is not going to cut it.  Need to up that and see if I can go again before May ends.  We ended up going to Huntsville State Park with the Garza's, Murphy's, and the Sender's.  We are going with them again, only this time we are going to Austin State Park in Sealy.  I have never been to this park as an adult, so I am curious as to the amenities.  There is not much to do around Sealy, so I am a little skeptical, but will come with an open mind.  I would love it if yall shared some insight on this park.  Also, when we went camping with this bunch last time, Marlina and I were the last around the campfire, and definitely had the most empty containers around us.  Hopefully, this time around, the campfire will be attended better. 

3.  Read 5 books--I have completed one, and am halfway through the next one.  The first was Huck Finn, by Mark Twain.  It was the first time I have read this classic and I will admit, it took me a while to get in the flow of the language.  Those of you who have read it recently will remember that the entire book was written in the "language" of the uneducated American youth of the late 1800's.  That takes a smidgen of time to grasp when you used to the politically correct climate of today.

That was it, or at least as much as I am going to share today.  My other resolution was to blog more.  I did pretty good in the first months of the year, but fell off in March.  April will be better.  Don't forget to click the link below to subscribe. 

Roller coaster of emotions

Last night, Luke had his playoff basketball game.  So far this year, the Bulldogs were 0-8, but were improving every game.  The boys played hard but always seemed to come up a bit short.  Coach Steve played every kid and no kid played the entire game ever.  I am not one of the people who believes that every kid deserves a trophy.  Nor am I am guy who says there are no winners or losers.  Of course there are winners and losers.  The team with the most points at the end of the game wins and the other team lost.  Period.  But you go out there, try your best, give it your all, and aim to win.  Every time.

Well, as of the start of the game, Luke had been held scoreless for the year.  The usual final scores for Freshman Basketball are somewhere in the neighborhood of 18-14, so it is not like the NBA.  Luke had been shooting better, but still having trouble getting his shot off without the defense blocking it.  Well, that changed in the playoff game tonight.  I saw him take a pass, and head straight for the hoop.  Just before the defense arrived, he stopped and popped.  He missed, but great try anyways.  Well, the game got tight at the end, and Luke made a great steal to give his team another chance at tying the game up.  He posted up, then became free.  The point guard saw him, and made the pass.  Instead of driving it this time, Luke jumped and released the ball.  Swish!!!!  The pure joy I saw on his face as he pumped his fist in the air was priceless.  He was determined and it paid off.  His whole team celebrated. 

Well, it turned out that this was not the game winning shot.  The other team managed to score a few more times and took a 3 point lead to what appeared to be the end.  Suddenly, Luke was guarding the opponents best player (the opposing coach's son who was never taken out of the game and was responsible for 80% of the opposing team's points).  That boy was driving when Luke reached out and grabbed the ball, tying him up for a jump ball.  The possession arrow was pointing Bulldogs.  Luke had given his team one last chance to launch a three pointer on a pure hustle play.  Alas, the Bulldogs couldn't get a shot off and the other team won by 3, ending the Bulldogs season.

The tears were shed by many on the team, and Luke couldn't take a compliment for 30 minutes afterwards as he was "decompressing".  But I am very proud of the way my boy competed. 

He loves basketball and his looking forward to playing again in the summer.  Maybe I will have to show him some of my old Globetrotter moves, if I don't pull a muscle or two in the process.

Food porn without a photo

I know, I know, I am committing an error, but I couldn't help but share.

Yesterday, I hit up Tejas BBQ in Tomball after reading about it in a blog shared by Michael Berry.  Actually, the name is Tejas Chocolate Craftory.  Thats right, it is half BBQ joint, and half chocolate factory.  I arrived right after 12:00, lunch time.  I grabbed a menu and waited my turn to order.  I had just about made up my mind when I got to the front and read the daily special:  A house-smoked pastrami ruben on rye, with Shiner Bock sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and Russian dressing.  I couldn't pass it up.

I don't believe I have ever had pastrami made in Texas.  At first, I thought it would be just eating a brisket ruben, but you could definitely tell it was pastrami.  But the star of the show was the Shiner Bock Kraut.  It was more like a compote.  Imagine carmelized onions and cabbage that just melts in your mouth.  I wished they served it as a side dish.

I did not make it to try the chocolate on this journey, but look forward to doing so soon on my next trip back.  Luckily, I have a couple of jobs in the area, so I am in Tomball at least twice a week.

On a separate note, I have an unopened bottle of Rowan's Creek Bourbon. I am not a shooter, but do like a cocktail.  Any suggestions as to what I should make?

Saw this video on YouTube and thought it was awesome.  I love how the girl dotes on her father.

Have a good weekend everyone!!  Carti-gras is happening in our neighborhood.