Monday Night Soccer

Mondays after work, a bunch of the guys get together to play soccer. There is also a handful of kids that I'm not really certain how they found out about our games, but they show up every week. It's always a good time!

Of course, I didn't have any pictures of myself playing. The closest representation I could find of my own soccer skills is a combination of Daffy Duck and the competitive jerk. Although, I think I will always have a Daffy complex, I'm really trying to lose the whole competitive jerk reputation that I've built up over the summer. This week I did plow into a defender. It was an honest mistake - I was completely focused on the ball and the sweet goal I was about to make when WHAM!!
Me, "Owwwww! Are you alright?!" She simply nodded yes.

"That really hurt me. It must have hurt you too?!" She just looked at me at me this time.
"Was that your chin that hit my shoulder!?" She nodded yes.
"And you're okay?!" Again the nod. I thought about asking one more time, but I was starting to figure out that she just might be okay. She obviously didn't know that soccer is a dramatic sport. Everyone knows that if you come into contact with the opposing team you're required to flail around and scream for a while. And if someone says, "Yo mama wears combat boots." then you head-butt them.

First Movie

Last night, I took my niece (GB#1) to the movies for the first time. We went to see Wall-E at the old downtown theater. I carry my camera with me everywhere, but wouldn't you know on this momentous occasion, I left it at home! All the great lighting and funky shots I could have taken - makes me sick! Anyway, I whipped out my phone and snapped a few pics. Until I can figure out how to post those, I'll just describe the pics to you :) See GB#1's cheesy smile in the above picture? Imagine that smile in front of the Wall-E movie poster, the popcorn machine, and the huge movie screen. And there you have it, our evening at the movies! Except - Wall-E wasn't all that great. Half way through the movie, GB#1 whispers, "I shink we need to go now. I shink I'm getting tired."

Dog Days of Summer

Saturday morning, Mom and Dad left for their road trip adventure, and they left poor Ranger with me. I got a wild hair to go plein air painting in the Wichita Mountains, so Ranger and I packed a picnic and some art supplies and hopped in the car.

The first time I ever went to these mountains I was ten years old, we lived in NM and were visiting our grandparents in Wichita Falls. They decided to take us to see they're mountains. I was unimpressed at the time - the Wichitas were ant hills compared to what I had grown up with. But now that I'm an Okie, I'm very grateful for these ant hills!

I rolled poor Ranger's head up in the window. We were on the winding road, near Meers. I thought I'd crack the passenger window a little for Ranger to enjoy some "mountain" air. But the window didn't crack - it went into that automatic mode where it just keeps going down even though you're not pressing the down button. Ranger was getting all excited about the fresh breeze and had half his body was already sticking out the window. Knowing that his little body could easily flop on out the window, I hit the up button. Automatic mode again, but this time Ranger's head was in the window. I panicked then, and went to hit the down button, but missed and accidentally hit the lock window button. At this point Ranger was kind of hanging, struggling to get his head free. I hit the down button, but nothing happened! Why isn't the window working!? I frantically started hitting buttons. I managed to unlock the window and roll it down far enough for Ranger to get his head free. Ranger fell back into the seat and just sat there. I don't really know what his little doggy feelings were, but he seemed to have that "what the heck!?" look. But I was already laughing at him! Even now it makes me giggle.

View from Mt Scott.

Ranger took this picture of me.

Ranger and I set out on a trail looking for the perfect place to paint. A good ways up the trail I found a nice shaded boulder with a this lovely view. Right as I sat down, some jets tore across the sky. How cool! Feeling all nice and giddy, I perched on top of my boulder and started getting out my paints and setting up.

After about an hour, I realize I hated plein air painting! My painting was terrible, the paint would dry before I could mix it and get it on the canvas, it was hot even in the shade, my rock was no longer comfortable, and the jets never moved on, so there was a constant roaring. And then the words of Thoreau came to me "Simplify". So I took the biggest brush I had and wiped out the everything but the purple mountains. Called it good (enough), packed my stuff, and trucked it back to the car.

Here's Ranger on the way home. We were both pooped!

The Easy Button only works at Staples

As many of you already know, my best friend in the whole wide world is getting married, and it’s really been hitting me hard lately! It feels like a hole in my heart. I’m the kind of person that when my dog dies, I go out the next day and buy a puppy to fill the void. But this hasn’t been such an easy fix for me. The last couple of weeks, I’ve been desperately searching for something to fill this emptiness. I’ve been slamming the easy button hoping something will appear quickly. A knight in shining armor flying me away in his jet plane would be especially nice ;) Maybe I could go to architecture school (You have to say architecture school like Mama Belle with her southern drawl.) Or maybe I could find a nice fitting backpack and hoof it across Europe. But I don’t think the Lord in His wisdom is going to let me have these things right now. I think I’m being required to learn something. Yesterday, I thought about something that Paul wrote in Philippians about learning the secret of both having abundance and suffering need. And I thought about Job and The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. I think I need to learn this secret of how to bless the Lord even after He takes away…and still have my joy made full, and life abundantly, and peace that surpasses all comprehension. I think this will be a good secret to possess – I’m actually kind of excited about it.

Austin - Labor Day Weekend

Labor day weekend, Grandma and I drove down to Austin to visit my uncle Craig and Catherine.

Grandma and Craig

Me and Catherine

Catherine gave us a tour of St Edward's University's beautiful campus where she teaches.

We stopped in a funky vintage shop.

Federline - Yo! & Spears

Catherine and Craig took us to hear Ray Wylie Hubbard in concert. His music was alright, but the stories he told between songs were much more entertaining!

Grandma and Uncle Craig knew Hubbard from when he was a jeep driver in Red River, NM. Grandma, a beautician, claims that Hubbard's was the first guy's hair she'd ever cut. Apparently, he's changed hair styles since then :)

It was a very relaxing atmospere - we just sat around, listened to the music, watched kids run around and play, ate food, and drank beer - very pleasant. I think Duncan needs some outdoor theaters and stages!

Grandma, myself, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Uncle Craig, Cousin Nina, and speacial thanks goes to Catherine for taking the picture!

Sunday morning, we went for a walk at Town Lake. Here's a picture of Catherine taking a picture.

We stopped at Austin Java for some breakfast.

Sculling facinates me!

We went swimming in the neighbor's pool while they were gone.

We went to the theater where they served dinner while you watched the movie. I'd never eaten in a theater and I always wondered how it worked - it's a pretty neat set up!

I love my family!

I had a wonderful labor day weekend - Thank you, Uncle Craig and Catherine!!!

Hotter'n Hell Hundred (25)

Saturday, a group of us rode in the Hotter'n Hell Hundred. Well, we only rode 25.

I had my coworkers and then my regular church friends all staying at my Grandma's house. Talk about "worlds colliding", but it was really a fun mixture of people and we had a great time!

My parents

The one picture we have of Jan. He's the only one in out group that did the full 100 miles, so he took a different route than the rest of us.

Jay getting his game face on.

Lindsay bored out of her mind while waiting for the race to start.

Pretty country side

We rode through Shepard Air Force base. For some reason I just really like this picture ;)

The airmen cheered us on. They really got into it too!


Here we are at the finish line!