Dan in Real Life...

I watched a movie tonight called "Dan In Real Life." Steve Carrell is in it... and all I can say is it's NOT a typical Steve Carrell movie.

The plot deals with a guy who is an advice columnist who is raising his 3 daughters four years removed from his wife's death.

To me, there were a lot of similarities to life as I know it. First of all, the "repetition of the day. The opening scene begins with him waking up and beginning another day reluctantly. Now, part of me related to that - not because of his depression for his wife. More like, "here we go again" when I start another day. (Maybe I need to find another job... ha!)

Now when it comes to my views on "love," I gotta say... he really nailed some of my experiences and current feelings.

There is a moment towards the end of the movie that really captured that for me. I won't give anything away (because I think you should really see this movie), but he explains why he has been living "life" for the past few years and going through the motions. He further details what his "plan" will be going forward. Which, to those listening in the scene, they didn't buy it. In fact, they told him what he needed to do.

Now I'm not saying it will change my life. But, it was interesting to watch a movie that dealt with some of my thoughts and attitudes over the past few years.

And Steve Carrell? Well, he showed quite a bit of depth. I hope to see him do more movies like this in the future.

Oh the JOY of Business Traveling...

Yes... I know... I haven't been writing much this summer. I don't know what it is. Maybe I'm just a little bit busy these days... or tired when I get home... or "insert other excuse here."

Well, I've got a bit of a story to tell...

Monday morning I left for Washington DC for 2 days of meetings. I'm working on a project that will eventually lead to a new external website for my company - it'll launch next summer.

Anyway, woke up around 3:45 AM and headed to the airport around 5 (it takes me a while to get going in the mornings). I was actually running a little late and it took me longer than I expected. Not to mention I got caught up in "overnight contruction" as I approached the airport.

Well, it was raining pretty good and I missed the North Express Parking upon entering the airport... so I headed to the South Express lot. Now it's about 6:00 AM and my flight is at 6:45. I'm thinking, "Great... Rob (boss) is probably wondering where I am."

Once on the bus, I noticed someone was staring at me. Sure enough, it was Rob. At least I wasn't the only one late! Going through security was a breeze... no line! In fact, as soon as we got to the gate, the plane was already boarding - it was 6:10! Well, that's one thing that bugs me about American Airlines - they board WAY too early. Once you're on, you're jammed into a seat with a bunch of grumpy people and then you just sit there.

Lucky me... I got to ride the center seat for the 3 hour flight! (Surely you know me well enough to identify sarcasm!). Not only that, no arm rest due to the two jerks sitting on either side of me. And, to add just a bit more frustration, there was a guy behind me who snored the entire flight. I'm not lying... he was a loud snorer and he made sure everyone knew it!

We landed around 10:30 at Reagan National. Now, if you're familiar with DC, that is the airport (of the 2 area airports) that is closest to everything. One of the things I was looking forward to was to look out at the famous buildings as we were landing... but unfortunately, the jack-ass sitting next to me kept his blinds closed the entire flight!

Now I don't mind if you keep your shade down during the flight... but for goodness sakes, open the dang thing when you're landing as a courtesy to your seat mates! GRRR...

We met up with Joe & Shelley (coworkers from Atlanta) and jumped into our COMPACT car - 2-door Chevy Cobalt. Vrrroom Vrrrrrooom.... not! Headed to the office and began our afternoon meetings after lunch.

That night, we all went out (there was a group of 15 or so) to, what I would describe, as "Uptown." We were in Arlington, VA, at this point. It was a nice area - very young and some cool buildings. After dinner, we walked across the street to a bar called Whitlows. Got some pitchers of beer, and played games - pool & foosball. It was a ton of fun!

Now I made it back to the hotel (Marriott Tyson's Corner) around 11:00. Went to bed... figured I'd get a good night's sleep. Well, right around midnight all hell broke loose! I was unfortunate enough to have a room that was next to several SCREAMING high school girls! Uugh. From midnight until 4 AM (Seriously!) they screamed, giggled, laughed, cahorted, etc. It was misery! I ended up putting cotton balls into my ears after 1 AM. That seemed to help... I can't believe I forgot my earplugs!

So a very tired and grumpy Regan began the next round of meetings. They went just as I expected, and at one time I actually got irritated at someone and barked at them. Oh well... no harm, no foul. I guess I was just tired of listening to nonsense. Or I was just tired.

We then headed to the airport and I was subjected AGAIN to the middle seat. This time, it wasn't as bad as the previous morning because I at least gained control of the armrest (one). But the worst was a 2-3 year old boy who would scream bloody murder every 15-20 minutes of the 3-hour flight. I'm serious... he had some lungs on him! And while I normally can sleep on planes, this time it wouldn't happen. I'd just reach that point of serenity and then "WHHHAAAAA!!!!!"

Well, we landed on time and I was back at my house by 7 PM. I was very tired, and I think I crashed around 9 PM that night.

Smoke-O-Licious!!!

Last Saturday I went a little crazy... I smoked just about everything in my house that I could think of. OK, not like a "cigarrette," but more like "meat."

For quite some time, I've thought about getting into the "smoked" method of cooking. For those that don't know, smoking is a slower and longer process than grilling. The temperatures are a lot lower, and the goal is to produce a lot of smoke and steam to add flavor to your meats.

So I went to WAL-MART on Friday and bought a cheap smoker for $28. It's the Brinkman "Smoke N Grill" that you see here. It has 2 grills to place the meat products on, a water pan, and then a charcoal pan at the bottom.

My main reason for "smoking" was to smoke a brisket. But before I got it home, I perused the meat section and bought a whole chicken ($4), sausage, and chicken breasts.

Putting this together took about an hour. No big deal. It's small enough that I did it in my living room - and avoiding the 105 degree temps we've been having!

On Saturday, I began getting everything ready. I used lime juice to season the brisket and the chicken, as well as an assortment of onions, salt, pepper, garlic, and other seasonings. For the chicken I added one extra ingredient - beer! I let everything marinate for about two hours. (NOTE: Looking back, I probably should have done this Friday and let it marinate overnight.)

After building the fire, I placed the brisket and chicken on separate grills. The smoke was crazy! I thought if my neighbors were looking, they might think there was a REAL fire behind my house!

I noticed after 2 hours that I was going to have some problems. First, the fire would have to be "re-fueled." This means I needed access to the fire bowl to add more charcoal and wood (I was using oak). Second, this same fire bowl seemed to just hold all of the ash... which means it was smothering the hot coals.

Anyway, I had to make numerous adjustments throughout the day as I cooked everything. I also had picked out a nice looking slab of brisket, but later discovered the meat should have more fat on it. This led to the meat being flavorful, but too tough to chew. Let's just say my jaw muscles got sore!

Now the chicken turned out amazingly good! It was probably the best I've ever had. One other thing I did was to add beer into the water bowl (half beer/half water). This meant I had a nice "beer steam" flowing up through my meats.

Along with the chicken and the brisket, I also smoked: Boudain, sausage, brats, and 2 chicken breasts. Why so much? Here's my reasoning:

Boudain: I've been wanting to grill it for a while, so why not try it smoked?
Sausage: I will freeze this for now, but later cut it up and use it in my pasta sauces.
Brats: Hot dogs anyone? Easy to throw one in the microwave for a quick meal.
Chicken breasts: Cut them up and added to pasta that I'm eating for my lunches.

I'm still eating on the smoked chicken and brisket this week. However, after doing a little searching, I found someone who has modified their Brinkmann smoker that I think is going to be a worth-while project for yours truly.

Here is what I plan to do:

Link

We're #4!!!

I found this humorous blog where a guy ranked the "20 Coolest College Football Logos." In fact, he also ranked the "29 Most Boring College Football Logos."

The good news is we came out as the #4 coolest logo. However, he writes with A LOT of sarcasm. (Now you know why I'm recommending these blogs!) If you're interested in viewing both, read on:

Coolest Logos
Boring Logos

Update on My Mom...

As some of you know, my mom underwent a lumpectomy today to address the cancer in her breast. The good news prior to this procedure was that it was contained in a duct, and that it appeared to have not spread. Also, she would not have to undergo chemotherapy. Instead, they would do surgery and then radiation therapy.

Well, we've been waiting to hear from Joel on how the surgery went today. He called my sister around mid-afternoon to let her know that mom was now in "Recovery" and would be allowed to leave around 4:30. The doctor did not think any cancer was on the fringes of the tissue he removed, but they will know for sure on Friday when they hear from the Pathologist.

I will be going over there tomorrow to check on her, but I wanted to let those who have asked that she's doing great and the power of God's healing hand is at work!

Thank you again for your prayers...

That's so CUIL...

A new search engine was launched yesterday. It's called "cuil," and pronounced "cool." It was started by former Google employees who hope to give web surfers a better "search" experience.

One thing you'll notice immediately is the "text dropdown" as you type in your query. And when you've completed your search, it will provide a lot more information than other search engines.

Instead of showing snippets of of your search results, it displays longer entries and uses more pictures. It also provides tools to help users refine their searches.

The site boasts a database that searches over 120 billion web pages - larger than any other search engine. The company uses a form of data mining to group web pages by content, which makes the search engine more efficient.

So check it out. www.cuil.com

How Great Thou ART...

I'm a HUGE Baylor fan... much to the chagrin of most of my friends and family. We've taken our lumps in the Big 12 since it began in 1996. However, across the board, we're competitive (if not champions) in most sports. And last year, in men's basketball, we had a great team that made it to the NCAA Tournament! Sic Em!

But alas, when you're in the Big 12, football is what matters. And yes, we haven't done a very good job of taking care of what matters. When we were in the old Southwest Conference, we were typically in the top 3 teams... not the cellar dwellars of today. It kills me that we've only won 11 conference games since 1996.

So here we go again... hired a new coach. His name is Art Briles, and I have a feeling he just might turn things around. He comes from the University of Houston, and he is extremely positive and has a penchant for producing champions.

A recent article was posted in the Tulsa newspaper. I thought I'd share with everyone why we're all hoping ART will be our next "Grant Teaff."

Link

My Mom...

I'm not sure if you have a good solid relationship with your parents, but I definitely am a guy who loves his folks. They have been great supporters of my life... my choices... my decisions... my goals. And most importantly, they've been there for me during the good times and the bad.

I've told my mom before that she has been my "biggest fan." We have a unique relationship - more like friends through the years. She's a strong woman, and has a huge heart... and most importantly, she puts her family above her own needs.

So imagine my shock last week when she called me and told me she has breast cancer. Before that, I thought I was having a very bad day (work was terrible for the entire week and especially that day). Needless to say, it wasn't about "me" anymore.

For the past week, I've been a bit consumed with thinking about what she's going through. And not just her, but my father Joel. I went over to their house on Sunday and I could see the worry in his eyes. She? Well she's got a great attitude about the whole thing!

My mom has been very diligent to have mamograms every year. Her mom, my grandmother, had breast cancer. Her sister, my aunt Charlene, has been battling hip cancer for the past few years. And last week we found out her brother, my Uncle Wayne, has prostate cancer. If you remember, his daughter, my cousin Angie, passed away on Christmas Eve last year.

When it rains it pours...

However, today we got some good news! She meets with the surgeon on Monday (21st), but wanted to come prepared. So on Wednesday she had an MRI done on both of her breasts. I didn't know this, but for the past several years she's had problems with her right breast. So she was surprised last week when they said cancer was found in her left one.

So the good news is NO cancer was found in the right breast. And, for the left breast, the cancer is contained in a "duct" and has not spread. They categorize this as Stage Zero.

When I spoke with them tonight, you could just hear the joy in their voices! I was SO happy for both of them!

We're not out of the woods yet, but at least today we got some good news! Prayers are being answered!

DIY: Make Your Own Air Conditioner

As most of you know, when you have questions about certain products in your house, the answer is as simple as finding a FORUM on the topic. I usually go to Google and look for discussions on topics I'm interested in. Well, for HVAC questions, I found HVAC Talk.

While perusing the topics, I found this little gem above. It was linked to You Tube, and I found it fairly interesting. Especially during the hot days of summer...

Enjoy!

Vacation Update: Part 2

Sorry it has taken me almost a week to complete my vacation blog. It's been a rough week at work...

Ok, when I left visiting my family in Port Neches, I headed to Galveston to meet my parents and sister's family.

I always enjoy driving this route - it's a coastal highway that goes through numerous beach towns. The highway ends at the Bolivar Peninsula, which is at the mouth of Galveston Bay. From there, you drive onto a Ferry. It's about a 20-minute ride across the bay, but it's always fun and brings up old memories when I was a kid.

Normally I stay in the same condo with my parents (above). The Galvestonian is a great place to vacation, and it's totally geared towards families. It's 12 stories tall, has a large pool and jacuzzi, and sits on a great beach. In fact, the beach is private, so it's legal to drink.

However, this vacation I decided to stay at the Tremont Hotel. It's a Wyndham hotel located in the heart of the Strand. It's very old, and is one of the few buildings still standing after the 1900 Hurricane. I would highly recommend staying at this hotel if you're in need of a quiet place.

The first night, my parents and I feasted on fresh red snapper stuffed with crabmeat, shrimp, and oysters. My mom picked it up from the pier when they arrived. That's something I really like about Galveston - you can buy fresh fish right off the boats!

The next day, July 4th, Rachel/Steve/Carson/Tanner arrived. We spent the morning on the beach, and in the pool... up until a big storm blew ashore in the middle of the day. It was a very fast moving storm - high winds, a lot of rain... but it was over with around 3:00 PM. My mom made another fantastic meal that night, then I retired back to the Tremont.

Saturday was a perfect beach day! I spent a majority of the day on the beach with the family. Want to know what a day is like? You go down with a ton of stuff (chairs, towels, toys, etc.). The kids dig in the sand, then beg to be taken out to the deep (chest deep is "deep" to them...). I also bring down a big sein net, so of course they love that! Later, they tire out and I just sit in my chair next to Joel reading my book for the rest of the day. Awesome...

That night, my parents and I went to The Waterman restaurant on Pirates Cove. It was excellent - we sat on the deck and ate our meals looking out over an incredible sunset across the bay. After dinner, they both wanted to show me the historic Balinese Room. A lot of celebrities have been there, and it used to be an illegal casino. We went inside for a drink.

After I dropped them off, I headed back to the Tremont. The next day, I headed back home. I had such a great vacation. I got to see family, spent time on the beach, and ate some great meals.

Unfortunately, the relaxation was taken away the moment I came back to work... sigh.

Vacation Update: Part 1

What a vacation! I loved it! Given that there was almost a week of it, as well as 2 parts, I decided to tell my story in increments.

First of all, here is a great picture of my Aunt Loretta. I took this right before I left.

So everyone knows the story of how I came about surprising my family. Well, I forgot to include another key component: My 2nd cousin Kaelyn. Ahem

You see, a few weeks prior to my trip, I emailed her for the first time. My motive was pure - to thank her for all of her help & love towards my aunt during this difficult time. Kaelyn not only came down with her parents when the stroke happened, but she returned for a 3-week stay in May.

Well, I had tried to establish how long her mom (Julie) would be visiting Loretta and Jerry during my trip. It turned out great as she told me her mom was staying for a few weeks. So "Thanks," Kaelyn!

Ok, after I shocked everyone, Lori and Stacey took me out to their new house they are building. It's amazing... beautiful, lots of amenities, and it sits right on a small lake with a dock. They're even adding a jacuzzi and fire pit! Lori had a hard time (A VERY HARD TIME) accepting me staying in a hotel while I was there... so she made certain to point out "The Bro Room" for my future visits.

On Wednesday I came over to the house and hung out with Julie and Loretta all day. Christie and her kids came over, too. It was great... just spending the day talking, catching up, and watching how much my aunt has progressed!

Later that day, we met up with Jerry and went to see "Get Smart." I'd probably give it a "B" rating. It was funny, and it was even better watching my aunt and uncle laugh so much! Although, the theater had seen better days. We had some sound issues...

That night I went with Stacey and Lori out to Larry's. For those that know me, this is the place I go each spring to eat my boiled crawfish! Oh baby... let's just say we put the hurt on them! We each ordered 4 lbs. To say it was fantastic wouldn't do justice to how good it was...

Thursday I checked out of my hotel and headed back over to my aunt's house. Would you believe she was making a FULL breakfast for us? She made homemade biscuits, eggs, bacon, blueberry muffins... it was awesome! That was HUGE for her recovery! We were so proud of her. She worked so hard to get to that point, and I know she'll just continue to get better and better!

One interesting moment happened. Kaelyn called after we had finished our breakfast wanting to speak with her mom. She was in Chicago visiting friends. While Julie was out of the room, Loretta and I had a chat. I asked her how she was really doing, and she told me she guesses she's doing ok. I asked her if she worried about anything, and she said no. I specifically asked if she worried about a specific family member. She said she didn't... then said, "Maybe I should, but I don't think about things like that." She then said, "I have a hard time remembering recent things. I'm afraid I won't remember Julie being here after she leaves. That's the one thing that bothers me about all of this."

It made me sad... so I said a quick prayer right there that she'd remember Julie's visit and how much her family loves her.

BIG Suprise!

For over a month, I have been planning a "surprise" for my family down in the Beaumont area. Well, yesterday was D-Day!

I set out on my little drive from Dallas to SE Texas around 11:30 AM. For those that have never had the pleasure, it's about a 4.5 hour drive. There are two ways to go: I-45, or Highway 69. I like to take the East Texas route, so I drive down to Jacksonville, then come south on 69.

My goal? To surprise my aunt and cousin! As most of you know, my aunt had a stroke (numerous, actually) in March. It was a blow to our family, and it also caused me to re-schedule my visit.

Now my aunt is like a 2nd mom to me. We're very close. She's my late father's sister, and I love spending time with her (and eating her incredible food!). Whenever I call, she'll always ask, "When are you coming down?"

The plan was simple: Drive into town, show up at Lori's work, surprise her, then go to my aunt's house and do the same.

Well, plans don't always work out as "planned."

First, I enlisted the help of Chandra. She met Lori and Stacey (above, along with my aunt) a few years ago. She sent an email to Lori last week saying she would be down in Beaumont on business and wanted to see if they could meet up on Tuesday. Lori responded that she would be out in the afternoon, but to call her on the cell.

Sure enough, we started calling around 4:30. Nothing. It went straight to voicemail. We then (We're doing this with 2 phones so I can hear) call Lori's house. Nothing. Voicemail. I then think, "Maybe she's at her new house with the contractor." So I go out to the new place... yep... Nothing. Nobody is there.

I then call Lori and leave a message, "Hey... Chandra needs your help finding the airport. Can you call her?" (Believe me... the airport is VERY easy to find).

Well, I gave up with that surprise and decided to focus on my aunt. I gave her a call and she answered. "What are you doing?" I asked, and she said just sitting in the cool air. I told her I was on my way home from work and was thinking about her. Of course, she immediately asked, "When are you coming down?" I told her in the Fall and she said, "Ok... I guess I thought you were coming around the 4th."

Then I told her I was going to Galveston and she asked if I would make it their way. (My heart was breaking because I could hear how much she wanted to see her only nephew). Well, at this point I was on her street and was bursting with excitement! I pulled into the driveway, hopped out of the truck, and headed to the door.

When I walked in, she and I were still talking. My uncle Jerry was in the kitchen and he stopped and had that "deer in the headlights" look. I immediately shushed him and kept talking with her as I headed to the living room.

As soon as I walked in (her back was to me), my cousins Julie and Christie looked up and then had the same shocked look on their faces! I then stood right in front of her and she looked up... pause... pause... and then "click." It registered. "REGAN????" (She was still talking to me on the phone!)

The next thing was the room erupted and I hugged my aunt and everyone else in the room. My cousin Julie, who I haven't seen in 10 years, said she wished she had a video camera! It was priceless...

Then my phone rang. It was Lori. "Hey Bro... wait... I thought I was calling Chandra!" Then after a minute she said how much she missed me and wished she could get her "Bro hug." I said, "Hey... I have someone who wants to say something to you." I then handed the phone to her mom...

Now this literally took about 2 minutes for it to register... finally, I heard this, "Oh my gosh! I'm SOOO confused! He's there???"

Yes, I'm here. And I'm having the time of my life surprising my family... but more importantly, spending time with them! I leave tomorrow, so I'm soaking it all up!

Sprinkler System is IN!!!

Just call me, "Mr. Irrigator." No, that's not my name after a night of drinking... or... well... maybe it is. But NOT in this sense. You see, my sprinkler system has finally been installed!

WHOO HOO!!!

As you know from a previous post, I have been without a system for 7 years. As much as I enjoy working in my yard, I simply felt that dragging the hoses around was fine and dandy.

Well, not anymore!

The process took almost 3 days. It began last Saturday when Ducky's Sprinklers came out to start digging. I think most people, myself included, figured they'd bring a machine to do the trenching. Nope... 3 guys with shovels.

They must have dug all day. When I came home around 6:30 that evening, they were gone. In fact, there were trenches all over the front and side of my house. They hadn't started digging the back. Nor had they laid any pvc pipe in the trenches.

Hmmm....

Sundays they don't work, so Monday morning they showed up about the same time: 9:00. Sure enough, they went back to digging. This time there were 5 of them. While some worked on the front of the house with the pipes, the rest were digging in the back. What a day to work in the yard - it was bordering 100 degrees!

Right around 6:00 PM, they cleaned up and drove off. It looked complete, but I was a little surprised they hadn't walked me through the controller (above) yet. Sure enough, I see it's not connected to any power source, and I see some heads in the yard that aren't completely buried.

Jerry and I spoke on the phone and he needs to send his crew back on Tuesday. They show up that morning and completed the job. They still had to install the rain sensor, and then test the entire system. As well as to go over everything with me.

Man... all I can say is it is awesome! I have 9 zones and 54 sprinkler heads. They ring the entire foundation of my house (no more soaker hoses!), and are scattered about to provide total coverage of the yard and flower beds.

What I'm impressed with is the professionalism of the install. There is very little damage to my existing plants or yard, and the heads work perfectly to soak everything. The controller is a snap to use, too.

This morning was the first day I had it scheduled to water. I'm pretty particular, so I had it timed to not be going in the front yard when my paper arrived. I also knew exactly when it would start in the back yard. Sure enough, at 5:10 AM, I heard the sound of misting water shooting out from the sprinkler heads near my window.

Ahh... good times.

So, what advice can I give you... the ones that are desperate for a system (or need to repair their current system). First, see if you can find a company that you trust. I actually searched the BBB to find one in my area. I also relied on friends to provide references.

This leads to getting several of the companies to come out. Honestly, knowing what I know now, I'd recommend being there to speak with the representative. This will let you know how comfortable you feel with them "tearing up your yard." All 3 bids had different plans, so it's good to find the one that you like the best.

And finally, go with the company that has the most experience. I think that really helps because they've seen all types of situations. For me, the problem was low water pressure. This company installed the most zones... thus... I've got great water pressure and coverage!

Oh, and one last thing: It wasn't that expensive. Just food for thought...

Well, good luck and happy watering!

Men are happier people...

My friend Mike sent me an email last night that actually spoke volumes. Not only that, it cracked me up.

Now while some may make some comments (I'm thinking the women-folk), can you really argue any of this???

Besides, don't shoot the messenger. I'll just deflect it all to Mike! In fact, leave your comments here: link

Ha Ha Ha

Why Men Are Happier People


NICKNAMES

If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each
other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to
each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.

MONEY

A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on
sale.

BATHROOMS

A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste,
shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel ..
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337.
A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these
items.

ARGUMENTS

A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new
argument.

FUTURE

A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

SUCCESS

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can
spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

MARRIAGE

A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she
does.

DRESSING UP

A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty
the
trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL

Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING

Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about
dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods,
secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the
house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!

"Bang! Bang! Shoot Em' Up!"

That's what Chandra kept calling our weekend adventure.

A group of us (Chandra, Kevin, Becky, and Jay) met up with David for instructions and adrenaline-pumping excitement on Saturday at the DFW Gun Club.

David has been after me for over a year to get a gun. I said I wanted to try it out first (obviously!) before venturing into something like that.

Kevin & Becky recently purchased a 9mm and wanted to try it out. I believe Jay has shot before, and wanted to join in on the fun.

And Chandra? Well... let's just say she wanted to shoot anything that moved!

So we all got setup and fired away. This place is pretty cool... literally. It is air conditioned, which was definitely a bonus on a hot June day in Dallas!

We had several guns to shoot from. Besides Kevin and Becky's 9mm, David had one as well. He also had a 357 and a .22 pistol. And Becky rented another one, though the model escapes me at this time.

Shooting is a lot of fun. We shot for over an hour, and I felt the most control with the 9mm. David's 357 is unbelievable... Dirty Harry would be proud!

Anyway, pics are on my site if you want to see them.

Have You Checked Your A/C Unit???

As some of you know, I like to write. Whether it's a subject in this blog, or a lengthy email, yours truly likes to make sure he expresses himself via the power of verbiage.

Normally I write of things I'm doing: Sharing stories, experiences, happenings... you name it, I blab it!

But other times I like to write in order to educate my reading public. My main reason for this is to help you learn from my mistakes... :-)

Several years ago, when I first bought my house, I entered into one of those "Home Warranties." (I can see some of you rolling your eyes because you know what I'm about to say)

Well, pardon me for stating the obvious, but buying a Home Warranty is the biggest waste of your money! Twice in one year I had my heat go out. When I called them up, and the service technician showed up (several days later), I was told that the repairs wouldn't be covered because they had no record of the units being serviced.

So $50 for the visit and $600 later (both times), and after MUCH arguing, I was fed up. So... I decided to take matters into my own hands the next time that happened. Sure enough, during an extremely hot August, my A/C went out.

This time, I let my fingers do the walking. I pulled out the phone book, found Moore A/C and Heating Services in downtown Rowlett, and made the call. When I spoke with Steve (the owner), he said... "Well, we're pretty busy. I don't think I'll be able to make it out until (and I'm thinking at this point he's going to say 'next week') 3:00 PM today. Is that OK?"

OK? Are you kidding me? Those other companies would have me waiting for weeks! Especially in August!

Since that day, Steve has been my guy. He services my units (a/c and heat) once a year (spring and winter). He has added an additional air duct/vent in my bedroom. And, he's found shoddy work from the previous repair company that, "could have caused an attic fire!"

Why do I go through all of this with his company? First and foremost, I trust him. He and his son run the business, and they have always done excellent work. Secondly, I don't want to lose my "comfort" during extreme weather - especially the A/C. Finally, it's extremely important you have someone check out these critical units regularly.

Let me ask you this: How often do you change the oil in your car? Probably every 3 months. Why do you do that? Because you've been told to by an expert. You rely on your car everyday. Don't you rely on your A/C everyday during the summer? Your heat during the winter?

What people don't realize is when they run their A/C, they're using up Freon. Usually Steve has to add at least a can, if not more, of Freon to my unit each year. If you haven't had this done, then how hard is your unit working just to cool your house? Having it serviced could save you money, not only on costly repairs, but in monthly energy expenses.

So... for those that ignored my previous posts (i.e. "make sure you put oil in your lawnmower!"), this one is for you: Make sure you have someone come out at least once a year and give your unit its "Spring Checkup." It costs anywhere from $60-$90. That's like 2-3 oil changes in your car...

Oh, and those "Home Warranties?" I asked Steve about those. He said, "Think about it. The companies that they use are quoting the cheapest prices for their services. There are also companies that are new that need to build up their client base. And worst, you're not getting the quality technicians as with other, more experienced companies."

Anyway, take my advice... or leave it. But as for me and my house, we will be cool this summer! Steve shows up tomorrow!

Book Review: The Color of Law

I just finished a book that I really enjoyed, and wanted to share this novel with those that are looking for something to read this summer.

The Color of Law was given to me by my mother. It was a break from some of the normal books I read. Typically I enjoy reading books dealing with CIA Operatives thwarting terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.

This book... MUCH different.

First of all, it's a murder mystery that focuses on the aspects of the law. Secondly, it's centered around a character whose life is perfect (and has been perfect!) and has to deal with threats and conflicts to his "normal" life. And finally, the entire setting takes place in Dallas.

This was the first novel I've ever read where I knew all of the places the author was describing. Highland Park, Turtle Creek, Harry Hines, South Dallas, etc. He not only describes sites, but he delves into some of the history (ugly at times) of Dallas. At times, I actually learned a few things about my hometown.

Here is a description from Amazon:

A. Scott Fenney, the hotshot young Dallas attorney of Gimenez's debut, has a beautiful house, an idle, social-climbing wife and a spoiled daughter; his most lucrative client is local magnate Tom Dibrell, whom he regularly rescues from sexual harassment suits. When Clark McCall, the no-account son of Texas' senior senator (and presidential hopeful), is murdered, Fenney is forced by his firm to pro bono the suspect, heroin-addicted prostitute Shawanda Jones. Jones claims innocence, and refuses to plead out to avoid the death penalty--giving Fenney fits." With Jones's life on the line, Fenney agonizes about whether he can do the trial, losing wife, job, and country club membership as he slowly uncovers the truth about McCall. Along the way, Fenney takes custody of Jones's precocious daughter, Pajamae, in a cross-cultural subplot with more cliché than life-lesson.

Overall, I think most people will enjoy it. There are some adult situations (and language) that could make some uncomfortable. However, if you enjoy reading "John Grisham-type" books, then you'll thoroughly enjoy this one.

Pete... One Top Dog!

The world suffered a big loss yesterday... Pete passed on.

"Who was Pete," you may ask? Well, hold on to your seats when I say this: He was one of the very few dogs that I truly liked.

You see, I grew up a "cat person." I know... we're an odd group. Lord knows I've tried to like dogs (as some of you know). I even like fish better than dogs. Dogs and I haven't always gotten along... maybe it was the time I got bitten as a child. Or maybe we just don't mesh. I figured, "one dog is the same as every other dog."

But Pete wasn't like most dogs. He was special in his own right, and truly has an amazing story... a story that is worth telling.

About 7 years ago, my friend Laura was looking for a dog. She had just moved into her house in Plano, and was seeking security... and companionship. Fortunately, she had some friends who were driving through one of our busy highways in the Metroplex and noticed a skinny dog running in the median.

Yep... it was Pete. He was about 6 months old and full of love! When Laura and Pete met, it was a perfect match.

At the time, Laura had a lot on her hands. She was extremely busy in both her professional and church life, and now had a "baby" to take care of. Like anything, she grabbed the reins and went full-force. Pete got all of the care (probably much more than most dogs!) and love he needed. Not only that, but Laura took on training him.

To say Pete was "obedient" would be an understatement. She trained him extensively, and it showed! And the reward? He got to play ball...

Besides Laura, Pete's numero uno joy in life was playing ball! You could sit outside for hours and throw that slimy tennis ball over and over and over. He would run after it, bring it back, and drop it at your feet... just panting and waiting for you to do it all over again!

Man, I loved that dog!

Well, in recent years, Pete started to develop some bumps. These bumps were tumors. Laura did everything to help him. About a year ago, Pete underwent major surgery. You can notice that in his face above... although, hanging out with him, you'd swear he never knew there was any difference in his appearance.

Besides... he just wanted to run and play ball!

The last time I saw our hero, he was livin' life like a prince. Laura kept him inside more, he was a little heavier, and life was fine with him... just as long as we played ball. That was New Year's...

In the past few months, the bumps returned. This time, it became worse. According to Laura, his face got more swollen - his tumors were back. His eye even closed up.

This week, the ball playing stopped. Laura tossed the ball to him. When he brought it back, he just laid down. It was time...

As you can imagine, this decision was very difficult for Laura. Pete was her child. Her sweet, faithful, loving child. When she called me last night to break the news to me, I was shocked... and saddened... because I knew her heart was broken. As was mine...

But you know what? She was strong. She told me what was getting her through it: Pete had impacted numerous lives. When she brought him to the clinic, the entire staff paid their respects. One of the staff members walked Pete around the entire office so people could say their good-byes... it was a telling moment.

So Pete is gone... but he will never be forgotten. He was truly a special dog... friend... and family member.

I was better for knowing him...

I'm Finally Doing It...

This may surprise a lot of people, but I don't have a sprinkler system.

(pause for laughter)

Yes, it's true. I live in Texas... in one of the hottest cities in the state... enduring scorching 100-plus degree days (day after day after day)... and I don't have a sprinkler system.

Well, that's all about to change...

When I first moved into my house, back in 2001, I knew what I wanted to purchase first: a sprinkler system. Back then I relied on my folks to recommend residential companies. Given that they had recently installed a sprinkler system (I come from a long line of "irrigationally stubborn" people), I decided to use their company.

Not only did they recommend the company, but so had Neil Sperry, the local/Texas expert on all things "yard." So, "Company A" came out and gave me a bid... to the sum of $4,500. My jaw dropped, especially after my parent's MUCH LARGER lot came in around $3,500.

So, I did what any other new homeowner with a depleted bank acount would do: I didn't seek out any other bids.

Ok, maybe others would have pursued more estimates. I guess I was naive enough to figure, "Well, if that's how much it's going to cost, then I'll just water it myself."

That worked out fine for the first few years. I'd go out and drag the hoses around the house... spending hours of my evenings to make sure proper coverage allowed for proper greenage!

Then we went into a drought... and half my front yard just died off. It was dreadful. I'd water, but my time was limited and by late August it resembled something from a Mad Max movie.

Last year my yard started to recover. In fact, it's looking pretty good right now. However, I know that it's going to get hotter (and harder) in the coming weeks.

So everything changed recently when my good friend Jason informed me that he purchased a sprinkler system. Given that he's probably one of the tightest (er... cheapest!) people I know, I was shocked. But when he told me the cost, I was intrigued enough to get another bid.

In fact, I got several. All were right around the same dollar amount. After meeting the owner, I decided to go with Ducky's Sprinklers. They're out of Royce City, and I actually found them via the BBB website.

Anyway, my life of dragging hoses in the oppressive heat will end next week. They arrive on Monday to trench the yard (and anything else that stands in their way). I'm excited... so we'll just see how much of an impact this will make!

"New" Grill!

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I worked on a project to restore my grandfather's grill (with the help of a David "the master craftsman!")

Anyway, I wanted to show it off.

Now, why did I decide to restore it? Memories, for one. My grandfather would grill "the best steaks" - at least we all thought they were incredible. My mom always thought it was due to this grill.

Well, my parents inherited the grill and used it for many years. Then recently, when I heard they were going to take it to the dump, I asked if I could give "fixin' it" a shot.

David and I first took the entire grill apart. All of the bolts, nuts, brackets, and anything else attached was removed. We then pressure washed it, painted it, added new hardware, cut new boards for the shelves, and added a new grilling surface.

The photo above doesn't even begin to describe how bad it was. Here is a link to the before/after pictures:

Link