On Saturday I threw a hissy fit. It started as a dang bad day and I really have not had a kick the dog, flip the bird, cuss in public fit in a while. But like they say about riding a bike.....
Early I went to the bank to deposit my check. Easy enough. As usual I left my keys in my truck, hey this is Oklahoma City and I still trust the folks..But when I came out my doors were locked. I peeked in the windows and my keys were in the ignition. All Chevy's have a safety built in ...keys in: doors wont lock. Except Saturday.So with my trusty Iphone I look up lock smith. "As low as 19 dollars" So I called and what the ad meant was $35. I said ok they said 30 minutes. Waiting and hungry I walked across the street to Carl's Jr to get a hamburger. No one in the parking lot but a car pulled up. I am not in a hurry so I stay a second and hold the door let the couple in before me. Every one there knows these folks, take their order and shoot the bull. I wait. I look at the menu then the girl behind the register. A manager ask her" are you on break" she says yes. They all go back to talking and wont wait on me.I get mad and try to leave but try a locked door..No one will wait on me but all say "Wrong Door" so I leave without anyone trying to take my order...Then the locksmith comes up and charges me 50 for the once 19 dollar then 35.....Next I stop to buy a few things and my debit card is declined. Impossible I think I just deposited 700 dollars. The bank does not reflect this and is closed until Monday.....I wear my emotions on my sleeve. When I get mad...Well its easy to see. I am in my front yard cussing- i am very good at this, sorry mom-when a dang truck shows up with a roofing company's logo on the side...This poor dude is picking a poor time. Well I figure I might have slipped a few F Bombs to the computer I was talking to on the phone when I see the guy out of the roofing truck...Jody Madden. Friend is not enough of a word...more about that some other time.
I haven't seen Jody in a year and a half and Carl was inside but some way they got me calmed down. I think food had alot to do with it.I really hated Jody, and Carl running into me while I was that mad. Me mad is not like Bill Cosby mad. I am not good to be around. So we went to Bruams for a burger and fries, and Carl gave me his ice cream.I was no longer the Hulk.
Jody left, going back to Colorado, Carl ended up staying with my brother and his kids, so I chilled out.
The Oklahoma City Marathon started at 630 am and I met my sister in law and Carl to cheer my brother on. I had another friend running the race, a pretty little girl that I worked with for about 8 years, so I wanted to support her too.Oh..I am friends with her husband Kevin just so people who know me dont get the wrong idea....
I guess my point is: what I thought was such a bad weekend at the start was really great. I got to watch my little skinny brother finish 3rd out of over 10,000 in the half marathon. His friend won the marathon. My buddy Sarah finished over 12 miles without training for it. These people inspire me.Then I got to spend all day long with Carl. We are addicted to NCIS so we watched alot of that on dvd. I went to visit my uncle Billy in the hospital but I am not gonna mention what most think until we get word.
I started the weekend cussing at the phone , ended up hugging my boy in the front yard. All is well that ends well.
ps Carl going to his moms is the worst part of my week every week. Not because he doesn't deserve to be with her and need to be with her, it is because he has only been gone a few hours and I miss him. It is not real hard for me to get a little rowdy, or mad, or to find a little trouble on my own. It is hard when me and the boy are watching Gibbs and the crew solving crimes.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Boston
Well the Boston trip had unexpected, unwanted tragedy and drama added by some sick individual or group. Terror will never break the American people so I want to take a moment and do what terrorist don't want us to do. I want to talk about the great city of Boston and the great people of Boston.
Boston the week of the marathon is like an Olympic village. I must have talked to people from over 40 countries, all of them so excited just to be in the city of Boston for the the marathon. For many they have worked years just to qualify. Many worked years to save the money to come in from various countries on the African continent. I spoke to others from Japan, the Netherlands, Australia... But to tell you the truth the people from right there in Boston were just about as foreign to us..Well that is stretching it a little but not much!
On this trip was me and Carl, my nephew Teel, and cousin Sandy out of Mississippi , my mom who planned the whole deal , and the reason we all went my brother Jason who ran the race.
Sandy is not really a hick like the rest of us but she was born and raised in Oklahoma so you get the idea of our make up. Me and Jason grew up in a part of Texas that still had party lines when were were young. My graduating class was eight his around 20. My mom grew up in Thackerville Oklahoma, a town of a few hundred people until the Indians built the worlds 4th largest casino in a pasture by I 35. I am not kidding about that. Carl my boy lives in Jones Oklahoma when he is not staying with me, and Jones has two gas stations and one red light.Sandy grew up in Ponca City and I do not know much about it except it is in Oklahoma and is not Oklahoma City or Tulsa so most like she would be considered a small town girl by most. Why all this background? Well our version of the Beverly Hillbillies just hit Boston!
We found the people of Boston to be great! It started with the cab driver who answered around 4,000 questions from us in the 10 minute cab drive from the airport to our hotel. His accent was worse than mine so when I asked he said he was from Boston. Then I asked no before that? Oh Jamaica! But he considers himself from Boston know. I like that. The line in the hotel was very long. When it was our turn,before the girl could get us checked in and tell us all her spill I asked a question a long time coming : How far are we from Cheers? I know this girl must have had a long day and she probably had that question thrown to her a million times but she acted as excited as I was...." Oh we are close " she said and not only gave us directions but pulled out a map and showed us how she would go. I was expecting " the cab driver will know". But this girl loved her town. We were starting to also.
After putting our things away we all decided to walk to Cheers. As we were walking around like typical tourist looking at tall buildings and pointing at sights strange to us, a young police woman on a very large horse shines a big ole smile at me-in my boots, wranglers, and black Stetson- and says "You are not from Boston!" ..It was pretty funny. I kind of wanted to get frisked but was with the whole family...
We did eat at Cheers. We bought stuff, and we took pictures, but I did not drink a beer but I am taking Cheers off of my Bucket list. I was there and I was not disappointed. Good enough. On the way back a construction worker gave me a " Hi Tex!" All the kids laughed. Back at the Hotel some kid about 3 years old shrieked so loud I jumped then asked very loud "Are you a real cowboy?" I started to put on my best John Travolta impression on and reply " That depends on what you think a real cowboy is" but I figured an Urban Cowboy reference would go over a three year old head....
We split up the big ole group sometimes. Once me and my brother went walking down the streets of Boston. I thought to my self This is a long way from Plumb Creek. We took cheesy pictures of each other in front of Fenway Park.
I had a roomate in the army that grew up around 50 miles from Boston. He has worked their most of his adult life. Vincent Pedone spent all day Sunday giving us a great tour of Boston with insights of a local. I got to meet his two boys he he met my family. We did all the history stuff that I love then he took us to a 250 year old tavern for lunch, and it was out of the world great! Hope I can repay him some day down here.
So Sunday morning we all go to church. Jason googles a church and we take a cab. Remember where we are from. Like a scene out of a movie we walk into a full to the back, all black church...Just saying it was different. Man the singing was out of this world. Same songs not same delivery. Think of a song sang by Pat Boone. A good singer. Now listen to that same song by Ray Charles.. You get the point..If not listen to America the Beautiful by Ray Charles...Man that was great.
I was wearing normal stuff for me. Wranglers, boots, and a pearl snap shirt. These people were dressed up! I sneezed once and three different people gave Kleenex. I asked my mom for a pen but a woman behind us shot one out first. Some man rushed over to loan my mom his bible.We were very welcomed. They gave us a ride back to the hotel in a van. I met a young girl: Senior at Harvard. Two young but very shy guys...Students at MIT that the van picked up every Sunday. Less than an hour after the bombs went off Monday the church texted my brother to see if we were all right and if we needed anything...
I have been to NFL, NBA. and MLB games. I have been to hockey games and pro rodeo as well as Nascar. Marathons stand up to any sport on earth as far as energy and excitement, and make no mistake...there is no place like Boston..Complete stranger scream encouragement to complete strangers for hours.. I mean real screams real energy!!! I can not express what it was like to watch my brother compete in a world class event against the best runners on earth.. Well over 20,000 people ran and he came in 322. And he is 40 years old. Check one off of his bucket list..a big one
Last thing. Six people , six schedules, airlines hotels ...My mom made it happen without a flaw. She has never been afraid to take charge. Why should she, she is good at it.
I know its a sad time. I hurt for the 8 year old and the other victims. To dwell on that is to let the terrorist win
Boston the week of the marathon is like an Olympic village. I must have talked to people from over 40 countries, all of them so excited just to be in the city of Boston for the the marathon. For many they have worked years just to qualify. Many worked years to save the money to come in from various countries on the African continent. I spoke to others from Japan, the Netherlands, Australia... But to tell you the truth the people from right there in Boston were just about as foreign to us..Well that is stretching it a little but not much!
On this trip was me and Carl, my nephew Teel, and cousin Sandy out of Mississippi , my mom who planned the whole deal , and the reason we all went my brother Jason who ran the race.
Sandy is not really a hick like the rest of us but she was born and raised in Oklahoma so you get the idea of our make up. Me and Jason grew up in a part of Texas that still had party lines when were were young. My graduating class was eight his around 20. My mom grew up in Thackerville Oklahoma, a town of a few hundred people until the Indians built the worlds 4th largest casino in a pasture by I 35. I am not kidding about that. Carl my boy lives in Jones Oklahoma when he is not staying with me, and Jones has two gas stations and one red light.Sandy grew up in Ponca City and I do not know much about it except it is in Oklahoma and is not Oklahoma City or Tulsa so most like she would be considered a small town girl by most. Why all this background? Well our version of the Beverly Hillbillies just hit Boston!
We found the people of Boston to be great! It started with the cab driver who answered around 4,000 questions from us in the 10 minute cab drive from the airport to our hotel. His accent was worse than mine so when I asked he said he was from Boston. Then I asked no before that? Oh Jamaica! But he considers himself from Boston know. I like that. The line in the hotel was very long. When it was our turn,before the girl could get us checked in and tell us all her spill I asked a question a long time coming : How far are we from Cheers? I know this girl must have had a long day and she probably had that question thrown to her a million times but she acted as excited as I was...." Oh we are close " she said and not only gave us directions but pulled out a map and showed us how she would go. I was expecting " the cab driver will know". But this girl loved her town. We were starting to also.
After putting our things away we all decided to walk to Cheers. As we were walking around like typical tourist looking at tall buildings and pointing at sights strange to us, a young police woman on a very large horse shines a big ole smile at me-in my boots, wranglers, and black Stetson- and says "You are not from Boston!" ..It was pretty funny. I kind of wanted to get frisked but was with the whole family...
We did eat at Cheers. We bought stuff, and we took pictures, but I did not drink a beer but I am taking Cheers off of my Bucket list. I was there and I was not disappointed. Good enough. On the way back a construction worker gave me a " Hi Tex!" All the kids laughed. Back at the Hotel some kid about 3 years old shrieked so loud I jumped then asked very loud "Are you a real cowboy?" I started to put on my best John Travolta impression on and reply " That depends on what you think a real cowboy is" but I figured an Urban Cowboy reference would go over a three year old head....
We split up the big ole group sometimes. Once me and my brother went walking down the streets of Boston. I thought to my self This is a long way from Plumb Creek. We took cheesy pictures of each other in front of Fenway Park.
I had a roomate in the army that grew up around 50 miles from Boston. He has worked their most of his adult life. Vincent Pedone spent all day Sunday giving us a great tour of Boston with insights of a local. I got to meet his two boys he he met my family. We did all the history stuff that I love then he took us to a 250 year old tavern for lunch, and it was out of the world great! Hope I can repay him some day down here.
So Sunday morning we all go to church. Jason googles a church and we take a cab. Remember where we are from. Like a scene out of a movie we walk into a full to the back, all black church...Just saying it was different. Man the singing was out of this world. Same songs not same delivery. Think of a song sang by Pat Boone. A good singer. Now listen to that same song by Ray Charles.. You get the point..If not listen to America the Beautiful by Ray Charles...Man that was great.
I was wearing normal stuff for me. Wranglers, boots, and a pearl snap shirt. These people were dressed up! I sneezed once and three different people gave Kleenex. I asked my mom for a pen but a woman behind us shot one out first. Some man rushed over to loan my mom his bible.We were very welcomed. They gave us a ride back to the hotel in a van. I met a young girl: Senior at Harvard. Two young but very shy guys...Students at MIT that the van picked up every Sunday. Less than an hour after the bombs went off Monday the church texted my brother to see if we were all right and if we needed anything...
I have been to NFL, NBA. and MLB games. I have been to hockey games and pro rodeo as well as Nascar. Marathons stand up to any sport on earth as far as energy and excitement, and make no mistake...there is no place like Boston..Complete stranger scream encouragement to complete strangers for hours.. I mean real screams real energy!!! I can not express what it was like to watch my brother compete in a world class event against the best runners on earth.. Well over 20,000 people ran and he came in 322. And he is 40 years old. Check one off of his bucket list..a big one
Last thing. Six people , six schedules, airlines hotels ...My mom made it happen without a flaw. She has never been afraid to take charge. Why should she, she is good at it.
I know its a sad time. I hurt for the 8 year old and the other victims. To dwell on that is to let the terrorist win
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Reading
I like alot of things. Football, pizza and beer come to mind. I like the smell of leather, and opening doors for people who do not expect it. I like boxing and black and white movies. I like pretty girls, and girls that don't know they are. I like hound dogs and Chevy trucks and Elvis. Some times I like looking at an American flag and fireworks so much it makes me want to cry. I like beef jerky and Bugs Bunny. I like oil paintings and movie posters, and I like reading..Yea I said it, i'm out of the closet I like reading. Books. With no pictures.
My moms sisters were teachers so I got books for Christmas. I got books for my birthday, but heck I didn't know everyone else were getting Tonka Trucks and playdough , I thought everyone got books so I loved them. And I read them. I read about dinosaurs and hero's. I read about monsters and villains and trains then cowboys...
I went to a very small school and to those that went to a big school ...I had a very big advantage....very individualized help and VERY above average teachers. By far the meanest teacher was Ms. Lightsey and no person smart or challenged, rich or poor risked her wrath...but she taught literature and I was hooked on westerns. Louis La'amour..best writer ever...sorry Moses, not counting you. She used to bust me reading my westerns all the time but never busted my b... well never gave me grief over it.Once I was in the principals office and another teacher asked her why she didn't punish me for it... she said at least I was reading..God bless you Miss Lightsey...
Back before most people had cable and no one had internet I had a good racket going. I showed movies at the theater so I read books while I worked.I got INFO Please Almanacs for Christmas every year so I came across semi smart ..I was..still am ..pretty good at trivia.
Some way I did get into a good University...Baylor. I made friend with some very smart , high achieving people there. I made just some good friends there. But from Jonesboro Texas to Baylor one thing stands out... Reading.. If you can read you can learn to do anything..Well maybe not read a woman....But if you can read the sky is the limit.. Read comics. Read Sports Illustrated , read the Bible, read your newspaper. Read the note that girl just sent you! read read read..
I drive a truck now...yea yea reading did me well :) But now I listen to books on cd because I work 10-12 hours a day. Books on cd are not quite the same, but hey it is still information.
There is really nothing like the written word when it comes from a master....Pick up something paper and read it...Thomas
My moms sisters were teachers so I got books for Christmas. I got books for my birthday, but heck I didn't know everyone else were getting Tonka Trucks and playdough , I thought everyone got books so I loved them. And I read them. I read about dinosaurs and hero's. I read about monsters and villains and trains then cowboys...
I went to a very small school and to those that went to a big school ...I had a very big advantage....very individualized help and VERY above average teachers. By far the meanest teacher was Ms. Lightsey and no person smart or challenged, rich or poor risked her wrath...but she taught literature and I was hooked on westerns. Louis La'amour..best writer ever...sorry Moses, not counting you. She used to bust me reading my westerns all the time but never busted my b... well never gave me grief over it.Once I was in the principals office and another teacher asked her why she didn't punish me for it... she said at least I was reading..God bless you Miss Lightsey...
Back before most people had cable and no one had internet I had a good racket going. I showed movies at the theater so I read books while I worked.I got INFO Please Almanacs for Christmas every year so I came across semi smart ..I was..still am ..pretty good at trivia.
Some way I did get into a good University...Baylor. I made friend with some very smart , high achieving people there. I made just some good friends there. But from Jonesboro Texas to Baylor one thing stands out... Reading.. If you can read you can learn to do anything..Well maybe not read a woman....But if you can read the sky is the limit.. Read comics. Read Sports Illustrated , read the Bible, read your newspaper. Read the note that girl just sent you! read read read..
I drive a truck now...yea yea reading did me well :) But now I listen to books on cd because I work 10-12 hours a day. Books on cd are not quite the same, but hey it is still information.
There is really nothing like the written word when it comes from a master....Pick up something paper and read it...Thomas
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