Spring Projects

Spring is a great time to indulge the "project manager" in each of us. I'm not one to actually spring clean... instead, I like to do projects!

Normally it revolves around my yard. As soon as we get a warm weekend, I break out the lawnmower and trudge through my weeds in an effort to transform my yard from a deathly wasteland into one of envy to my neighbors!

Ok, maybe they don't really show any signs of jealousy. One would know if they actually planted a damn flower!

But.... I digress...

Anyhoo, I enjoy working in my yard. Most people know that. But I also enjoy projects - either those that involve creation... or restoration!

A few weeks ago, Chandra went over to David's in search of help to build her a planter box. It was no ordinary planter box. This one would be big. BIG, I tell ya! I posted the picture above. It's so big, you could actually be buried in it. Literally. You see, it comes with a lid, too! (I think it does... maybe I'm confusing that with a real coffin)

Chandra, fearing hitting a sprinkler pipe in her yard, wanted something she could plant her vegetables, herbs, and roommate (uuhh... I mean "other plants"). She also wanted it to roll - therefore, she could easily maneuver it into her garage during the winter months.

So a day later, the box above was built using David's woodsman expertise. Chandra added the metal ornamental decoration, as well as some swift hits with a chain (for some sort of effect she saw on TLC or some other crazy chick channel).

Now I had approached David's assistance in building another compost container (long story... future blog), I decided a more immediate need would be a "shoring-up" and "restoration" project.

Yesterday, I spent the day over in Arlington as David welded sides to my trailer. My trailer has pseudo-sides, but they're just rails. We added the diamond-vented "expanding" metal to the sides so that my junk wouldn't fall out over never-neverland (or the highway). We also attached metal loops on each of the sides so I could use them for tie-downs.

The next project involved restoring my grandfather's grill. It is VERY old. Nothing spectacular... but I wanted to restore it more for the memories I remember. You see, growing up, we'd go to my grandparents' lakehouse near Tyler. Typically on Saturday nights, my grandfather was responsible for grilling steaks.

Now, he's in an Alzheimer's Care Unit. He's 90. Served in WWII as an Officer (numerous captivating stories!). Was a starting halfback at Baylor University. Was an incredible golfer - shooting 7 holes in 1 during his lifetime. And now he has trouble remembering his daily activities.

I guess I just want to work on a project that I can remember the good times. And I'm very fortunate to have a friend who has the skills to help me...

So David and I are halfway finished with the grill. We disassembled the entire structure and sanded and power-washed it. Next we'll paint it, and do some upcoming welding to make it stronger. Plus, it needs a new grill surface.

In a few weeks, I'll post the before/after photos. In the meantime, get busy on your own projects! Take advantage of this cool weather! And hopefully, you'll have some cool stories to share!

Dale Hansen UnPlugged: Pac-Man Jones

Link to the WFAA site (better video than above).

Woot

Several people who read my blog already know about "Woot!" However, in my attempt to spread the knowledge about what I'm learning, I thought it best to pass this info along.

There is a website/company called "Woot!" They are based in Dallas, and sell 1 item per day at a pretty dang cheap price. A lot of the things they sell are electronics or accessories for your computers. However, they also sell things like Pistachios or other "odds and ends."

Here is what they say about their company:

What is Woot and who's behind it?

Woot.com is an online store and community that focuses on selling cool stuff cheap. It started as an employee-store slash market-testing type of place for an electronics distributor, but it's taken on a life of its own. We anticipate profitability by 2043 – by then we should be retired; someone smarter might take over and jack up the prices. Until then, we're still the lovable scamps we've always been. But don't take our word for it: see what the online community has to say at this Wikipedia article.

I see only one item, do you sell anything else?

No. We sell one item per day until it is sold out or until 11:59pm central time when it is replaced (see next entry for details). However, each item we sell is in stock and typically ships within 2-3 business days.

What is the schedule for new items?

The short answer: we offer a new item every single day. The details: a new product is released every morning at 12am central time, seven days a week. (If you're not a morning person, this can be described as every night at midnight. Better?) If a product sells out during its run, a new item will not appear until the next release time. You will know if a product is sold out, because the main page says "SOLD OUT" instead of "I want one". (Clever, eh?)

Now they also have a section that sells T-Shirts, and another one that sells Wine!

Several of my coworkers have purchased items from Woot! and have been pleased with their results. Anyway, just thought I'd pass it along...

Who's Your City?

This morning, while perusing the Dallas Morning News, an article caught my eye. In essence, it detailed how the Metroplex is made up of mostly single guys. As a self-declared Bachelor (that frustrates the heck out of his family!), I thought, "Tell me something I don't know!"

I have a lot of buddies who are single. Why is that? Well, maybe it's because the "pick-ens" are pretty thin. Or maybe we're just more comfortable with our singleness? Whatever the case, there's a lot of us.

The article I'm posting below references a book called, "Who's Your City?" There is an actual website: http://www.whosyourcity.com/

While I'm mentioning the single aspect of the book (and article), there is a lot more you can gleam from the book and website. I recommend checking it out during your lunch hour. It talks about families, income, and other facets of our daily lives and how we all make up various cities.

As for the article... here you go:

Dallas singled out for unmarried guy supply

Tuesday, April 22, 2008
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News eaasen@dallasnews.com

In Sex and the City, Carrie and her girlfriends complain about how hard it is to find a man in New York. They should move to Dallas.

North Texas has 46,300 more single men than single women – the fourth-largest male surplus in the country, according to Richard Florida, a business professor who delves into singles stats in his book Who's Your City?

Would these men make good boyfriends? Dr. Florida didn't study that.

If you can't find what you're looking for among the 46,300 extra single men in Dallas, head to Los Angeles, where the surplus is even greater. And if you're looking for a woman, head to New York City or northern New Jersey.

Here's what Dr. Florida had to say:

Any theories on the gender gaps?

"Men, I speculate, are more likely to be opportunity-driven. And women are more likely to want to stay closer to friends and families in those older areas [of the country]."

Does that mean the women will eventually come to cities like Dallas?

"I think so. ... Forty million Americans move every year. We have to be aware of the job market, the career prospects and the lifestyle. The single stage is important. Young singles are the most likely to move. When you're young and single, you might want to pay attention to this."

What advice do you have for single people?

"The place you choose to live is important – much more important than most people think. And it's not only about a job. ... finding that right life partner is for many people even more important to their life happiness."

Movie Review: Run Fatboy Run

As most of you know, 2007 was the "year of running" for myself. I declared, on New Year's Eve, that I would run a marathon.

Last year I ran and ran and ran. I started out in the gym during the winter months. I then progressed to the field - running in my neighborhood and various trails around Dallas.

All in all... I ran. I was fortunate to have two dedicated partners - Chandra and Becky. We would run either in the middle of the week or during the weekends. Typically our runs would be in the dark morning hours to beat the heat...

Most of the time, I was one humongous sweat gland. Both ladies told me that I had "sweated" on them throughout our runs. My apologies... but that's just what you get when you run near me. Especially during periods of high humidity.

People at work were enthralled with my "injuries." Yes, I had blisters at times. I had chaffing. I even lost toe nails and bled from my nipples. Ahh... good times.

During one of my runs, I encountered my boss Rob. He couldn't believe what he was seeing... he was on his bike riding alongside Becky and myself, and heard the "squishing" sound coming from my shoes. Yes... I was sweating profusely. I believe we were running 14 or 15 miles at that time.

We ran into him again towards the end. When we reached the parking lot, he said he wanted to see my feet. (I think he had a foot fetish) His reasoning was if someone is that "wet" during a run, what must their feet look like? So... I took my socks off and showed him. (Not a pretty sight).

Fast forward... recently a movie came out called "Run Fatboy Run." It is from the same people that did "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz." It follows a guy who trains for a marathon in 3 weeks.

Rob called me up one night and said, "We need to see that movie together! You OWE me that!" Of course, I think I owed it more to Chandra and Becky!

So we went to see it last night: Chandra, Rob, and some of Rob's friends. It was pretty good. I think everyone expected something different, but it was good in my book. It reminded me of running and the obstacles I faced. Chandra came out saying, "I want to go running right now!"

Overall... it's very funny. It's also very compassionate. Meaning, if you think you're going to see a movie that's very funny, you'll like it. But you'll also like the tender side of it when it deals with feelings - especially a father to his son.

I told her: "Don't think this inspires me!" Now, it's inspirational... but running is just not for me at this time in my life. This is not the "year of running" for me... maybe another time/year.

Check it out... or wait for it on DVD. It's a good movie.

Those "Famous" People I Know...

Are you one of those people who knows someone famous? Well, I've been fortunate/unfortunate to know a few... or know "of" a few. After I posted my blog about my cousin below, someone said, "Hey... why don't you blog about that? You seem to know several famous people..."

I think it just comes up when I'm out and I see someone on TV or something and I mention, "I used to know him/her."

Ok, so here goes my "famous encounters" in life...

It all started back in High School. I think my first "brush" with fame came when I attended a party in Richardson. I remember seeing this "loud-mouth" guy and asked who he was. His name was "Rob Van Winkle." I saw him a few other times... never spoke to him. Just remembered he was always the center of attention. A few years later, when I was in college, some guy came out with this song called "Ice Ice Baby." Yes, he became known as "Vanilla Ice."

Also during high school, I was friends with a guy named Chad Deering. Actually knew him since 8th grade. We played soccer together, but he was incredibly gifted and talented at the sport. After high school, he went on to play soccer for the University of Indiana... then turned professional by playing in Europe. He returned to the states in the late 90's and played for the Dallas Burn and Dallas Sidekicks. I never hit him up for tickets, though. Now I believe he's retired and living in the Metroplex.

Now the picture I post at the top is of Alan Tudyk. He's probably the most famous actor I know, even though most people haven't heard of him. If I said, "He was the pirate in the movie 'Dodgeball,'" then you'd know him. The first movie I saw him in (and didn't realize it was him) was Patch Adams. I saw Wonder Boys (Michael Douglas) and didn't know he was in that flick, either. The first one I saw him in was 28 Days with Sandra Bullock. Since then he's gained fame in many other movies, including 3:10 to Yuma and Death at a Funeral. He's also been on Frasier (played a guy who got rich during the .COM era and bought the station and became Frasier's boss - later copied everything Frasier did, including his apartment).

So, how did I know Alan? When you're attending school in Plano, the division between middle school and high school starts at 9th grade. Ninth and Tenth graders are in high school, while Eleventh and Twelth graders are in Senior High School. When I transitioned from middle school to high school, a lot of my friends started getting involved in drugs. I wasn't too keen on that, so I walked away. I started hanging out with friends who were skaters (board, not roller). Yes, I dressed in black and rode my "stick" around the neighborhood, in parking garages, on half pipes, etc. One of my friends was Alan. Pretty much every weekend we were skating or hanging out at someone's house. Then around mid-10th grade, I started "not skating." Guess that's what happens when you get a car.

I didn't see Alan that much after that until our senior year when we were in the same English class. We sat next to each other (alphabetical) and had a great time that year. I remember one of my last conversations with him: "What are you going to do after high school?" He said he was going to the University of Houston to get a degree in their Hospitality program - running a hotel or a restaurant was what he had hoped to accomplish. Well, I think he's done a lot more than that!

In 1997 I was a high school teacher in Spring, Texas. One of my students was Josh Beckett. He is the starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox right now, and in 2003 won the MVP during the World Series as a pitcher for the Florida Marlins. Josh was a 10th grader in my Accounting class. Back then, he was just a lanky kid who pitched a 97 mph fast ball. He would say things like, "Mr. Rawlinson, I'll bet you were a wild man at Baylor." He even said he wanted to go to Baylor, but he never met with any of their coaches. The next week, he came in to tell me, "Hey... the Baylor coaches showed up to watch me pitch!" Hmmm... wonder if it had anything to do with the letter I wrote to them? Anyway, Josh was drafted immediately out of high school (I think the 2nd overall pick) and he is doing great in the major leagues.

While I mentioned my cousin Nick in a previous blog, I had another "cousin" who appeared on a reality show a few years ago called The Joe Schmo Show. Her name is Angela Dodson and was doing some work out in California. She returned to her hometown to care for her ailing grandparents. They have since passed away, so I'm not sure what she will do next. I say "cousin" because she's "Family," but basically she's a cousin of my cousin if that makes sense.

I think that's it. I'm just waiting for my friend, Chad Peterson, to make it big! He's a local actor that has been in numerous productions throughout the Metroplex. I tell him that he has the talent to be on TV... he just needs to make that jump!

That will be a blog dedicated entirely to him!

Pub Review: Black Friar Pub

Last night we had a Happy Hour at a new pub in Uptown called Black Friar Pub. It is right across the street from the Idle Rich Pub next to the vacant lot where the old Dallas Hard Rock once stood. Coincidently, the owners of the Idle Rich (and Old Monk and the Dubliner) run both pubs.

Chandra said it used to be called "LuLu's." I remember it as a Tex-Mex restaurant called Ariba's.

The weather was great, so we sat outside. I think it will give The Ginger Man some good competition for those that like patio drinking.

The beer selection was pretty good - basically the same as what you'd find at the Idle Rich. I tried several, but I stayed with Leffe Blonde and Delirium Tremens. Both are very good Belgium-style brews. They did have a hefe that I've never had before - some organic beer from McKinney, TX of all places called Franconia! (Jason, you need to try it!)

Those that had the food thought it was very good - a step above traditional pub grub. I had a quesadilla and it was tasty.

My only complaint was the service was a little slow at first. However, it picked up as the night wore on.

Overall, I had a lot of fun. It's a great atmosphere to sit on the huge patio and watch the cars (and trolleys) go by. So I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to drink a cold beer or enjoy some good times in Uptown.

My First Experience with the NASCAR Nation...

Sunday was a very interesting day for me... yes... I lived and breathed... NASCAR NATION! I attended the SAMSUNG 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Chandra asked me several weeks ago (after I had consumed several beers, of course!) if she could get tickets, would I go with her to this "sports spectacular". Again... I was under some inebriation, so I obviously said, "Suuuuuure."

Well, the day came. I was a bit apprehensive... "I don't have my DOO Rag... I don't look like I just rolled out of my Double-Wide... Where's my wife-beater shirt???"

Ok, I'm being a little harsh.

We arrived with 190k of our closest friends and family around 10ish. The race started at 12:30, so we had some things to do. Mainly, cook!

We set up a mini-grill and proceeded to cook up some burgers and sausages. Chandra did a great job preparing everything. The goal was to get the food going and bring it into the Track. She even had breakfast tacos!

After we finished cooking, and watching our neighbor's antics (getting stuck in the mud with a Hyundai Accent and having to get pushed out by a big 4x4 pickup), we headed to the track with our cooler and backpack.

Along the way, we passed numerous (thousands!) RVs and tents. Lots of tailgating going on... lots of "redneck stuff" to look at... overall, it was preparing me for what I was about to experience.

Before we entered the gates, Chandra spotted her future boyfriend: A guy wearing a belt that contained full cans of Natural Lite Beer. I guess he wasn't interested in bringing in a cooler... nor did he think they'd get warm pressed against his massive physique.

Once inside, the main event!

Now I post this picture above so you can see what was sitting around us. No, I didn't take that picture. It was in the newspaper. But take a closer look - the dude has a plastic Bud Lite bottle (that he paid $6) and a Bloody Mary. Livin-it-UP!!!

People were either dressed like that guy, or not wearing a shirt, or sporting at least 5 tatoos. Seriously!

Man, these people get up for their drivers! They screamed, they cheered, they booed (other drivers)... they are VERY loyal fans!

After the National Anthem and flyover (that was really cool!), the drivers were introduced and then we got to see them warm up their cars behind the Pace Car. It was exciting... the cars were shiny and everyone was ready for the start.

Once it began, WOW! It was extremely loud! If I wanted to speak to Chandra, I had to yell. I'm serious. It was like that for the next 4 hours! Luckily, we had headsets provided by Chandra's sister Dana. We could be shielded from the noise, but also listen in on the action.

And are those cars fast! The track was a mile and a half... for them to go one lap around took about 30 seconds. No lie! And they had 335 laps to go!

I saw one accident right in front of me... that was interesting. I think it woke everyone up, too. I stood up and pointed and then everyone around me caught on to what had just happened. Most of the excitement happens after a caution flag as the drivers jockey to get new positions. Also, most fans decide that's the time to go to the restroom! Ha!

To give my short review, I'd say it was ok... not terribly exciting... not terribly boring. I did start to follow Jimmie Johnson (#48) and thought he was a good driver. I'm sure about a million people will boo me, but hey... at least I found someone to follow!

Leaving wasn't bad - we left with about 20 laps remaining. After we got to the car (20 minute hike), we zipped out of there.

Now, would I go back? Hmm... maybe. Guess it depends how much "beverage" I've got in my system the next time I'm asked!

To see Chandra's pictures of the race, go here: Link

Baylor Football: Spring Game Comments

Saturday, my friend Britt and I drove down to Waco to watch the Baylor spring game. Using the term "spring game" would be a loose interpretation of what actually took place on the field. It was more of "Offense vs. Defense."

Here are my thoughts/comments for my Baylor Bear friends...

The entire game was about an hour and a half. Kirby Freeman, the Miami Transfer and a Senior, was the first QB to take the reins as the starter. His first snap was a fumble. Typical.

Next up, Robert Griffin (see picture). He is a TRUE Freshman - he graduated early in December from Copperas Cove High School and was highly recruited. He switched his Houston commitment to Baylor when Art Briles was named the head coach. All I can say is WOW!

This kid is the real deal. It's been a while since I've seen an "athlete" run the Baylor offense. Maybe J.J. Joe was the last one. Griffin is fast. He seems to have a very accurate arm, and he truly spreads the defense when he has the ball. When he runs on a keeper, he "jukes and shifts" and people miss. It was like watching a man among boys when he had the ball... and, if I haven't said it enough, "He's a freakin' FRESHMAN!"

Our running game is very-much improved. Jacoby Jones and Jay Finley were very good runners. Remember the past 2 years where our offense basically lined up the same on every down? Not anymore. We have sets with 2 RBs and then one runs out of the box in motion. We have sets where we have 4 players in the backfield, then they all take off to compliment the receivers.

I'll say this: Our offense should be able to move the ball this year. Whether running or passing, we didn't bog down like we did in past years. I saw some good downfield blocking, too, from the O-line, which was encouraging. I hadn't seen them do that in the past - hit someone and keep running downfield to find someone else.

Areas of improvement: Receivers dropped too many balls. There were some key passes where it would have been a huge gain, yet the ball was dropped.

Now on the Defense. We're running a 4-3. My hope is that our Offense is REALLY good, but if our defense is that bad we're in trouble. There were some bright spots, such as Sam Sledge getting a sack and numerous hurries by the D-Line on the QBs. I saw some blitzes, too. I also read they were given a very basic package.

My concerns are with the backfield. There were passes thrown to receivers where it looked like the CB was playing about 5 or more yards away from them. I've heard we're very thin, thus why they moved Krys Buerk from WR to CB. He did pretty good, by the way.

Special Teams were fine. Decent punts (I think there were 2) and the field goals were all made. Nothing very long - I think the longest was 41.

Back to the quarterbacks: The way they would run the offenses would be to mix it up between the starters and the non-starters. So Kirby would get a shot with the starters, then Griffin, then Blake Syzmanski. Then they'd mix it up. I did think they gave a lot more reps to Kirby.

Britt and I came away with Griffin being the true starter, followed by Syzmanski and then Kirby. They were just a distant 2nd to Griffin. That kid will be a playmaker for us!

By the way, Briles calls every play. He's right there on the sideline. I also noticed the coaches VERY excited and encouraging to each player. The morale seemed totally different.

At the end of the game, the team came over and was clapping really loud towards the fans and then led us in "Sic Em Bears!" I didn't see it, but people that were there said Griffin was front and center cheering!

Now, given our schedule, I think we've got a VERY tough year ahead of us. I see us going two directions. If this makes sense, I think we might be a better team than last year but come away with a worse record...

However, through my green & gold glasses, I can also see us surprising some folks. I'm going to be there on August 30 when we open against Wake Forest in Waco. And, I'm contemplating purchasing season tickets.

Yes... THAT'S how excited I am for the upcoming football season!

Sic Em!

TV: Step Up And Dance

There is a new reality/contest show debuting this week called "Step Up and Dance." It's on Bravo, and begins April 3 at 10:00 PM Central.

Anyway, I will be watching it for one reason: My cousin Nick is a contestant!

Nick has been living in LA for the past several years attemping to make his big break in the business. He has had various acting opportunities - at one point he was even an extra on Friends.

However, his most recent work has all been centered around dancing. Here is his information on IMDB.com: Link

So this show is really an opportunity for him. We're all hoping that he'll make it far. If you can't watch it "live," just DVR it.

Here is a link to his BIO on the show: Link

Great News Regarding my Aunt Loretta!!!

I just received an email from my cousin Lori telling me that my Aunt has been discharged from the hospital and has gone home.

Awesome news!!!

Monday night I received a call from Lori giving me the latest update. She has been improving steadily each day, and has been working with the various therapists as she continues to recover from her multiple strokes.

Her speech is better - she is now saying phrases instead of just words. Her short-term memory is coming back, which is huge! And, her right arm (which she still is unable to move) is starting to show some improvement (they have electrodes working on her muscles).

As of Monday, Lori said they were going to meet with her "team" of doctors and nurses on Tuesday to determine her upcoming week. They had mentioned if she continues to show improvement, she could possibly leave at the end of the week (Sunday) or early next week.

So today's news was great... and a surprise!

Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers!