"I've never been afraid to fail..." -Michael Jordan-
Good morning everyone. The NBA predictably decided to start the second round of this season's playoffs today (just to make me post an entry this morning), so here I am... ;) Let's begin with a recap of the first round, where I correctly picked the winner in 6 out of the 8 series. I picked the correct number of games in none of the these series because I didn't want it to seem like I was showing off... :) Here's your recap of round one:
My Prediction/Actual Result
Heat over the Bucks in 5 games/Heat in 4 games
Knicks over the Celtics in 7 games/Knicks in 6 games
Pacers over the Hawks in 7 games/Pacers in 6 games
Bulls over the Nets in 6 games/Bulls in 7 games
Thunder over the Rockets in 5 games/Thunder in 6 games
Spurs over the Lakers in 5 games/Spurs in 4 games
Nuggets over the Warriors in 7 games/Warriors in 6 games
Clippers over the Grizzlies in 5 games/Grizzlies in 6 games
Without any further suspense (or any suspense at all, because the first game tips in just over an hour), here are my predictions for the second round:
Heat over the Bulls in 5 games
Knicks over the Pacers in 7 games
Thunder over the Grizzlies in 7 games
Spurs over the Warriors in 7 games
I hope that you have a very enjoyable Cinco de Mayo (a group of five of us went to Taco Cabana after work last night, thank you very much...), and I'll see you again tomorrow!
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
I Remember The First Time (15)
"I'm the girl in line that'll tuck your tag in..." -@DietSauce- (via twitter)
"Even if I barely make it out of math with a C, I'll be satisfied. We are never ever ever ever getting back together after this semester..." -@kalieflower- (via twitter)
"I like you because you're good to me. It's really that simple..."
-@Mi_SSbehaved- (via twitter)
"Never sacrifice permanent happiness because of temporary pain..."
-@BestLoveNotes- (via twitter)
"From my phone to your screen... May you all have peace, love, and smile each and every day..."
-@MicheleAKALips- (via twitter)
I remember the first time that Colleen was right... This could also be titled, "I remember the first time that Mother Nature had a sense of humor..." So last night at work it's perfect weather-wise, and I post a facebook status about looking out over beautiful San Marcos, America from our rooftop bar. My friend Colleen responds that I should enjoy it because it will be raining and cold in a few hours. Fast forward to now, where the current temperature (64 degrees) is going to be the high for the day, and the low tonight is supposed to be 43 degrees. YUCK...
I remember the first time that I shared a horoscope here... Last night my friend Ashley shared a horoscope for Libra on facebook (a lot of my friends were on facebook last night evidently)... :) Being a Libra, I found this summary to be very interesting: "Nice to everyone they meet. Their love is one of a kind. Silly, funny, and sweet. Have own unique appeal. Most caring person you will ever meet! However, not the kind of person you want to mess with... you might end up crying. Libras can cause as much havoc as they can prevent. Faithful friends to the end. Can hold a grudge for years. Libras are someone you want on your side. Usually great at sports and are extreme sports fanatics. Very creative. A hopeless romantic..." NAH..., nothing in there sounds like me at all... ;)
I remember the first time that something else didn't sound like me at all... That first quote up there..., yeah..., I'm the one who will try to tuck your tag in, probably due to being helpful and a little bit of OCD... :)
I remember the first time that being a high seed came in handy. The Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs both took advantage of favorable playoff matchups in sweeping their first-round series. Every other NBA first-round playoff series is going to see at least a sixth game...
I remember the first time that I may have told you something new. I am almost positive (I am positive) that I have mentioned here before that I am a San Antonio Spurs fan. I may not have told you that I root for the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL. I'm just noting that because I usually don't talk much hockey here. Both of these teams are #2 seeds in their conferences this year, which should make the playoffs more interesting for me...
I remember the first time that my life was about to change in a big way... That second quote above references the fact that it is final exam time for the college students here in San Marcos, America. The graduation weekend for the spring semester will be complete nine days from now, and Texas State University will be saying goodbye to a lot of Bobcats. Graduation is definitely one of those bittersweet times in our lives. I have already been hearing stories of tears being shed, and we still have a week and a half to get through...
There is a chance that I will be posting here again this weekend. I think it's possible that the NBA may have a second-round playoff series starting on Sunday if things break right in the next couple of days. If that does not happen and there is nothing to predict, then I will see you again on Monday. Have a great day!
"Even if I barely make it out of math with a C, I'll be satisfied. We are never ever ever ever getting back together after this semester..." -@kalieflower- (via twitter)
"I like you because you're good to me. It's really that simple..."
-@Mi_SSbehaved- (via twitter)
"Never sacrifice permanent happiness because of temporary pain..."
-@BestLoveNotes- (via twitter)
"From my phone to your screen... May you all have peace, love, and smile each and every day..."
-@MicheleAKALips- (via twitter)
I remember the first time that Colleen was right... This could also be titled, "I remember the first time that Mother Nature had a sense of humor..." So last night at work it's perfect weather-wise, and I post a facebook status about looking out over beautiful San Marcos, America from our rooftop bar. My friend Colleen responds that I should enjoy it because it will be raining and cold in a few hours. Fast forward to now, where the current temperature (64 degrees) is going to be the high for the day, and the low tonight is supposed to be 43 degrees. YUCK...
I remember the first time that I shared a horoscope here... Last night my friend Ashley shared a horoscope for Libra on facebook (a lot of my friends were on facebook last night evidently)... :) Being a Libra, I found this summary to be very interesting: "Nice to everyone they meet. Their love is one of a kind. Silly, funny, and sweet. Have own unique appeal. Most caring person you will ever meet! However, not the kind of person you want to mess with... you might end up crying. Libras can cause as much havoc as they can prevent. Faithful friends to the end. Can hold a grudge for years. Libras are someone you want on your side. Usually great at sports and are extreme sports fanatics. Very creative. A hopeless romantic..." NAH..., nothing in there sounds like me at all... ;)
I remember the first time that something else didn't sound like me at all... That first quote up there..., yeah..., I'm the one who will try to tuck your tag in, probably due to being helpful and a little bit of OCD... :)
I remember the first time that being a high seed came in handy. The Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs both took advantage of favorable playoff matchups in sweeping their first-round series. Every other NBA first-round playoff series is going to see at least a sixth game...
I remember the first time that I may have told you something new. I am almost positive (I am positive) that I have mentioned here before that I am a San Antonio Spurs fan. I may not have told you that I root for the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL. I'm just noting that because I usually don't talk much hockey here. Both of these teams are #2 seeds in their conferences this year, which should make the playoffs more interesting for me...
I remember the first time that my life was about to change in a big way... That second quote above references the fact that it is final exam time for the college students here in San Marcos, America. The graduation weekend for the spring semester will be complete nine days from now, and Texas State University will be saying goodbye to a lot of Bobcats. Graduation is definitely one of those bittersweet times in our lives. I have already been hearing stories of tears being shed, and we still have a week and a half to get through...
There is a chance that I will be posting here again this weekend. I think it's possible that the NBA may have a second-round playoff series starting on Sunday if things break right in the next couple of days. If that does not happen and there is nothing to predict, then I will see you again on Monday. Have a great day!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Could You? (15)/NHL 1st Rd.
"Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed..." -G.K. Chesterton- (via 'Criminal Minds')
"Got off of work, walk to my car, hop in on the passenger side. Realize I'm driving myself..." -Jennifer Hernandez- (via facebook)
"I can't make people like me. All I can do is show them who I am, how I feel, and what I believe. It's up to them to understand my worth..." -@VictorMochere- (via twitter)
"The amount of dip you put on something increases exponentially by the amount of people that can't see you putting dip on something..." -@yoyoha- (via twitter)
"Treat life as your personal playground. Don't make it a prison of your own creation..."
-_msnemo- (via twitter)
Could you do a favor for me? I posted really late yesterday, so please go back and read 'The 5th Annual Lone Star Music Awards' entry from yesterday if you missed it. The opening quote from my friend Lauren will make it worth your time...
Could you tell us more about Jennifer Hernandez? Jennifer posted that quote above as her facebook status a few days, but please don't worry about her well-being... :P Jennifer will be graduating from Texas Tech in the not-too-distant future. At least I think that she will - it's not like I've seen a photo of a ring or anything... ;)
Could you give us a quote from another San Marcos girl? I heard "COACH WYATT!" at work last weekend, and then received a hug from my friend and former student Ana. When she gave me a goodbye hug, Ana asked, "did you think you'd ever see me 'wasted-faced'?..." "Wasted-faced" - this has already been a great week for quotes... :)
Could you tell us why you posted so late yesterday? My Sunday started shortly after 5:00 p.m. at Harper's, and ended at 2:00 a.m. at the Cheatham Street Warehouse. If you didn't already know that my day ended at Cheatham Street, well, then you haven't done your homework assignment, which was to go back and read yesterday's post (shame, shame...). Shortly after taking my first sip of alcohol on Sunday, I hear from the far end of the bar, "you look familiar..." At the time, I was manipulating the three poker chips that I reference so often here, and my response was, "I get that a lot..." Then the customer exclaimed, "YOU'RE THE THIRD FLOOR DUDE!" I was dressed a little differently than I normally am for work, thus the confusion.
Could you tell us more about poker chips, and drinking, and another nickname that you learned about on Sunday? Fast forward to the Cheatham Street afterparty on Sunday night, where I'm standing in line at the bar... Two guys approach me, and the first asks, "are you the poker chip juggler?" At the time, I was PREDICTABLY playing with the chips, which I showed the guy. Instantly, and non-chalantly, his friend snaps off, "always..."
Could you tell us about the third nickname that you were given this weekend? Okay, sure... So I'm working Saturday night, and this girl comments on my knee sleeves (which I get a lot). "Did you hurt both of your ACL's?" I explained that I wear the sleeves as a preventative measure, due to the amount of stairs that I navigate (the MAZE, you know)... Minutes later the girl comes back down the stairs with a guy and a girl, and she says, "Hey, it's preventative ACL man!..." #thirdfloordude #pokerchipjuggler #preventativeaclman #pickyourfavorite
Could you mention another San Marcos native? I want to send official belated birthday wishes from Bikini Hill to my friend Gabby. Gabby asked to be mentioned in the blog (SO MUCH like her "big sister"), and since she hangs around with SO MANY questionable influences (can you say Chi-O?), I thought that I'd make her day... Now study for your finals Gabby... ;)
Could you mention just one more San Martian, and throw in a San Antonio native as well? By the way, this is also the official start of our sports talk today... :) When I woke up on Sunday, I saw on facebook that one of my friends and former softball players had completed a 5K that morning. I scrolled down a little bit, and what do you know, another one of my friends and former softball players had completed a 5K... Then I noticed that 'Norfolk, VA' was the mobile location of the photo that I had just seen with Bianca. It took about two seconds for me to click to the fact that Michele lives there too. I thought that it was really neat that I had just seen pictures of a couple of Texas girls who had just completed the Color Me Rad 5K, both military spouses who I coached in softball (at the very beginning and near the very end of my coaching career), who are separated by about ten years, and who grew up in hometowns located about a half-hour from each other. Although it's unlikely that they know each other, they had both participated in the same event, over a thousand miles away, due the fact that their husbands serve our country - very cool stuff... :)
Could you tell us something about the recent NFL Draft? I thought that it was very interesting that 63 players were selected from SEC schools, which is more than double the amount picked from any other conference (the ACC had 31 taken). There were 254 total players drafted, so almost 25% of those chosen (or almost 1 out of every 4) came from the SEC - very impressive...
Could you tell us if you've quit your fantasy baseball leagues? No, I haven't given up yet, but here are the current standings:
League 1 - (25 entry fee - 1st place 125, 2nd place 25)
1) Neshanic 74.00
2) DraftDodgers 67.50
3) Rocky Roto 56.50
3) Shazzam 56.50
9) The View From Bikini Hill 45.50
League 2 - (50 entry fee/40 w/discount - 1st place 300, 2nd place 50)
1) Breaking Bats 76.00
2) 4troublemakers 74.00
3) The Bikini Hill Bobcats 67.50 (A miracle, yes, I know...)
League 3 - (50 entry fee/40 w/discount - 1st place 300, 2nd place 50)
1) Nappy Heads 78.00
2) Fishing For Trout 61.50
3) jonnylove7 59.00
6) The Bikini Hill Nine 51.50
It's still the same old story for my teams - the pitching isn't living up to expectations, my teams aren't scoring runs or stealing bases, blah, blah, blah... (yet)... ;)
Could you FINALLY get to your first round NHL playoff predictions, for Serge if for no other reason... I have probably mentioned here in the past that NHL overtime playoff games are one of my favorite sporting events to watch. Give me a double or triple-overtime game where the players can barely skate, but someone HAS TO score for it to come to an end - AWESOME... :) I did not make regular season predictions before the hockey season, but here are my predictions for the first round of the playoffs:
Penguins over the Islanders in 5 games
Canadiens over the Senators in 7 games
Rangers over the Capitals in 6 games
Bruins over the Maple Leafs in 5 games
Blackhawks over the Wild in 5 games
Ducks over the Red Wings in 7 games
Sharks over the Canucks in 6 games
Kings over the Blues in 6 games
Phew..., big blog day... I hope that you have a great day, and I'll see you again on Thursday!
"Got off of work, walk to my car, hop in on the passenger side. Realize I'm driving myself..." -Jennifer Hernandez- (via facebook)
"I can't make people like me. All I can do is show them who I am, how I feel, and what I believe. It's up to them to understand my worth..." -@VictorMochere- (via twitter)
"The amount of dip you put on something increases exponentially by the amount of people that can't see you putting dip on something..." -@yoyoha- (via twitter)
"Treat life as your personal playground. Don't make it a prison of your own creation..."
-_msnemo- (via twitter)
Could you do a favor for me? I posted really late yesterday, so please go back and read 'The 5th Annual Lone Star Music Awards' entry from yesterday if you missed it. The opening quote from my friend Lauren will make it worth your time...
Could you tell us more about Jennifer Hernandez? Jennifer posted that quote above as her facebook status a few days, but please don't worry about her well-being... :P Jennifer will be graduating from Texas Tech in the not-too-distant future. At least I think that she will - it's not like I've seen a photo of a ring or anything... ;)
Could you give us a quote from another San Marcos girl? I heard "COACH WYATT!" at work last weekend, and then received a hug from my friend and former student Ana. When she gave me a goodbye hug, Ana asked, "did you think you'd ever see me 'wasted-faced'?..." "Wasted-faced" - this has already been a great week for quotes... :)
Could you tell us why you posted so late yesterday? My Sunday started shortly after 5:00 p.m. at Harper's, and ended at 2:00 a.m. at the Cheatham Street Warehouse. If you didn't already know that my day ended at Cheatham Street, well, then you haven't done your homework assignment, which was to go back and read yesterday's post (shame, shame...). Shortly after taking my first sip of alcohol on Sunday, I hear from the far end of the bar, "you look familiar..." At the time, I was manipulating the three poker chips that I reference so often here, and my response was, "I get that a lot..." Then the customer exclaimed, "YOU'RE THE THIRD FLOOR DUDE!" I was dressed a little differently than I normally am for work, thus the confusion.
Could you tell us more about poker chips, and drinking, and another nickname that you learned about on Sunday? Fast forward to the Cheatham Street afterparty on Sunday night, where I'm standing in line at the bar... Two guys approach me, and the first asks, "are you the poker chip juggler?" At the time, I was PREDICTABLY playing with the chips, which I showed the guy. Instantly, and non-chalantly, his friend snaps off, "always..."
Could you tell us about the third nickname that you were given this weekend? Okay, sure... So I'm working Saturday night, and this girl comments on my knee sleeves (which I get a lot). "Did you hurt both of your ACL's?" I explained that I wear the sleeves as a preventative measure, due to the amount of stairs that I navigate (the MAZE, you know)... Minutes later the girl comes back down the stairs with a guy and a girl, and she says, "Hey, it's preventative ACL man!..." #thirdfloordude #pokerchipjuggler #preventativeaclman #pickyourfavorite
Could you mention another San Marcos native? I want to send official belated birthday wishes from Bikini Hill to my friend Gabby. Gabby asked to be mentioned in the blog (SO MUCH like her "big sister"), and since she hangs around with SO MANY questionable influences (can you say Chi-O?), I thought that I'd make her day... Now study for your finals Gabby... ;)
Could you mention just one more San Martian, and throw in a San Antonio native as well? By the way, this is also the official start of our sports talk today... :) When I woke up on Sunday, I saw on facebook that one of my friends and former softball players had completed a 5K that morning. I scrolled down a little bit, and what do you know, another one of my friends and former softball players had completed a 5K... Then I noticed that 'Norfolk, VA' was the mobile location of the photo that I had just seen with Bianca. It took about two seconds for me to click to the fact that Michele lives there too. I thought that it was really neat that I had just seen pictures of a couple of Texas girls who had just completed the Color Me Rad 5K, both military spouses who I coached in softball (at the very beginning and near the very end of my coaching career), who are separated by about ten years, and who grew up in hometowns located about a half-hour from each other. Although it's unlikely that they know each other, they had both participated in the same event, over a thousand miles away, due the fact that their husbands serve our country - very cool stuff... :)
Could you tell us something about the recent NFL Draft? I thought that it was very interesting that 63 players were selected from SEC schools, which is more than double the amount picked from any other conference (the ACC had 31 taken). There were 254 total players drafted, so almost 25% of those chosen (or almost 1 out of every 4) came from the SEC - very impressive...
Could you tell us if you've quit your fantasy baseball leagues? No, I haven't given up yet, but here are the current standings:
League 1 - (25 entry fee - 1st place 125, 2nd place 25)
1) Neshanic 74.00
2) DraftDodgers 67.50
3) Rocky Roto 56.50
3) Shazzam 56.50
9) The View From Bikini Hill 45.50
League 2 - (50 entry fee/40 w/discount - 1st place 300, 2nd place 50)
1) Breaking Bats 76.00
2) 4troublemakers 74.00
3) The Bikini Hill Bobcats 67.50 (A miracle, yes, I know...)
League 3 - (50 entry fee/40 w/discount - 1st place 300, 2nd place 50)
1) Nappy Heads 78.00
2) Fishing For Trout 61.50
3) jonnylove7 59.00
6) The Bikini Hill Nine 51.50
It's still the same old story for my teams - the pitching isn't living up to expectations, my teams aren't scoring runs or stealing bases, blah, blah, blah... (yet)... ;)
Could you FINALLY get to your first round NHL playoff predictions, for Serge if for no other reason... I have probably mentioned here in the past that NHL overtime playoff games are one of my favorite sporting events to watch. Give me a double or triple-overtime game where the players can barely skate, but someone HAS TO score for it to come to an end - AWESOME... :) I did not make regular season predictions before the hockey season, but here are my predictions for the first round of the playoffs:
Penguins over the Islanders in 5 games
Canadiens over the Senators in 7 games
Rangers over the Capitals in 6 games
Bruins over the Maple Leafs in 5 games
Blackhawks over the Wild in 5 games
Ducks over the Red Wings in 7 games
Sharks over the Canucks in 6 games
Kings over the Blues in 6 games
Phew..., big blog day... I hope that you have a great day, and I'll see you again on Thursday!
Monday, April 29, 2013
The 5th Annual Lone Star Music Awards
"I think my heart is going to explode with happiness! Last night was more fun than I ever could have imagined and I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many beautiful people. I'd tag you all but then my computer would probably explode too. I'm sure I told you guys a million times last night, but thank you for coming, for your support, and for being damn cool. I love you all!"
Lauren Meckel
Marketing and Advertising Coordinator
Lone Star Music
Good evening everyone. Sometimes things just work out... I felt bad about posting late today and was going to apologize for it, but that gave Lauren a chance to get up and around and post the quote above as her facebook status this afternoon. You won't read anything in the rest of this blog entry that is going to improve upon her quote...
Lauren was getting a shoutout here today even before she posted that status. I have been friends with Lauren for a while now, and I got to know her pretty well when I worked with her last year at the Texas Music Theater, which coincidentally was the host for last night's awards show. One of the more memorable moments of our friendship was the high-five that she gave me after she was hired at TMT last year... :) I contacted Lauren a few days ago after I was able to change my schedule at work, and she hand delivered my ticket. She later made this offer to everyone on her facebook page. Awesome - yes, I know... :) If you were at the show last night, Lauren was the girl in the black dress with the smile that LIT UP the venue - she just has one of those smiles... If you had seen Lauren last night and this quote was floating around, you would have been able to point to her and say, "SHE SAID IT!..." I'm happy to say that everyone that I know had a great time last night also. Thank you SO MUCH Meckel! :)
In my usual fashion (when possible), I arrived at TMT shortly after the doors opened at 6:00 p.m. so that I could relax, hang out with my friends, and watch the venue fill up. After chatting with my friend Zane and getting my VIP wristband, I said hey to my friend Ryan and repaid him for those fresh Vegas poker chips that I referenced recently. I also picked up my first beverage, which would be a recurring theme throughout the night (through no fault of mine). AHEM... Shortly afterwards I went upstairs to catch up with my friend Keller. Going up and down the stairs would be a recurring theme throughout the night (through no fault of mine), because we all know that I don't do enough of that at work. AHEM... While upstairs I made my first visit to the spread put out by Cody's Bistro & Lounge..., WHICH WOULD BE a recurring theme throughout the night (through no fault of mine)... :) Cody's place is located near the Starbucks on I-35 South (across from the outlet malls) if you get a chance to visit. Good guy, good food... After finishing my fajita, black beans, and meatballs, I ventured back downstairs. Let me interject here that the bands began performing at some point during this time, and that awards were being handed out... :) Last night's lineup included Jason Eady, Courtney Patton, Shinyribs, Six Market Boulevard, Rob Baird, John Fullbright, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Robert Earl Keen, and The Departed.
Okay, so I'm back downstairs, and I'm listening to music, and I'm enjoying a cold beverage, and I'm bothering my friend Kim, who is working security for the show (oh, and we'll get back to Kim later, TRUST ME)... :) I go back upstairs after a while to hang out with some other friends of mine - Cassie, Sandy, Danny, and Pam (oh, and we'll get back to Pam later, TRUST ME)... :) It seems like I went back downstairs before running into my friend Sam, at which point "through no fault of mine" began... AHEM... ;) Sam probably bought me a shot, and then he decides that the group of four that I'm suddenly a part of should go..., RIGHT BACK UPSTAIRS... Sam probably bought me a shot and another beer when we got upstairs, and then he spotted THE FOOD... 'Shy' isn't a word that I would associate with Sam, but I told him not to worry, that I would go and make him a fajita taco... I PROBABLY made myself another fajita taco at this point too... After drinking, and eating, and listening to some more music (yes, there is a concert going on), Sam says, "that was good Coach..." "YES SAM, I'll get you another taco..." :) At this point, I PROBABLY made myself another taco too (and before you judge me, remember that I did work at TMT before, and when Cody needed a trash can earlier in the evening, I knew right where to steal one from, and this was without him even having to ask)... ;) So there's more drinking, and eating, and performing going on, and then Sam and Josh take out their phones and start recording video of one of the songs. At this point, I MIGHT HAVE asked Sam, "so you're making a bootleg video of a concert that cost $5.00 to get into?..." This was basically met with a response of "ARRGGGHHH..." (yes, evidently we're pirates...). Anyway, the gist of the response was "whatever..." Shortly after that, Sam decides that we're going... BACK DOWNSTAIRS...
Not long after returning downstairs, I see that my friend Kim (I told you that we'd get back to her) has HER PHONE out, and now she's recording one of the bands... So now I decide to share my clever little joke about making a bootleg video of the concert with her... Somewhere between that and threatening to have a heart attack ON THE SPOT from laughter if Kim WOULD HAVE fallen off of the stool that she was sitting on (it ALMOST happened), I'm suddenly getting slapped, punched, and having bottled water thrown on me (I KNOW, INNOCENT little me)... AHEM... ;) Anyway, I think that bottled water is way too expensive to waste on me, and I learned that evidently girls don't talk like pirates... #themoreyouknow ;)
Again, there was a concert happening through all of these highlights, and it was great, and THEN there was an afterparty at the Cheatham Street Warehouse. "You wanna drive Coach?," which was followed by a predictable, "Sure Sam, I'll drive..." :) The highlight of the afterparty for me occurred at the bar when I was "introducing" Sam to Pam (I told you that we'd get back to her)... "Pam, Sam..." At this point I was thinking that this was like a Dr. Suess book, if you give it a second look, because their names rhyme, but we don't have the time... ANYWAY..., shortly after this, Sam wants to know her last name, and Pam says, "Sam DeLaRosa?" It turns out that Pam was Sam's KINDERGARTEN teacher! The impressive part to me was that Pam recognized who Sam was, after teaching him in Kindergarten... As we've covered here in the blog before, I don't recognize all of my former students immediately, and mine were HIGH SCHOOL students... :)
And there you have it - my personal 3rd Annual Lone Star Music Awards show was a huge success, and everyone lived happily ever after... :) Have a great evening and I'll see you again tomorrow!
Lauren Meckel
Marketing and Advertising Coordinator
Lone Star Music
Good evening everyone. Sometimes things just work out... I felt bad about posting late today and was going to apologize for it, but that gave Lauren a chance to get up and around and post the quote above as her facebook status this afternoon. You won't read anything in the rest of this blog entry that is going to improve upon her quote...
Lauren was getting a shoutout here today even before she posted that status. I have been friends with Lauren for a while now, and I got to know her pretty well when I worked with her last year at the Texas Music Theater, which coincidentally was the host for last night's awards show. One of the more memorable moments of our friendship was the high-five that she gave me after she was hired at TMT last year... :) I contacted Lauren a few days ago after I was able to change my schedule at work, and she hand delivered my ticket. She later made this offer to everyone on her facebook page. Awesome - yes, I know... :) If you were at the show last night, Lauren was the girl in the black dress with the smile that LIT UP the venue - she just has one of those smiles... If you had seen Lauren last night and this quote was floating around, you would have been able to point to her and say, "SHE SAID IT!..." I'm happy to say that everyone that I know had a great time last night also. Thank you SO MUCH Meckel! :)
In my usual fashion (when possible), I arrived at TMT shortly after the doors opened at 6:00 p.m. so that I could relax, hang out with my friends, and watch the venue fill up. After chatting with my friend Zane and getting my VIP wristband, I said hey to my friend Ryan and repaid him for those fresh Vegas poker chips that I referenced recently. I also picked up my first beverage, which would be a recurring theme throughout the night (through no fault of mine). AHEM... Shortly afterwards I went upstairs to catch up with my friend Keller. Going up and down the stairs would be a recurring theme throughout the night (through no fault of mine), because we all know that I don't do enough of that at work. AHEM... While upstairs I made my first visit to the spread put out by Cody's Bistro & Lounge..., WHICH WOULD BE a recurring theme throughout the night (through no fault of mine)... :) Cody's place is located near the Starbucks on I-35 South (across from the outlet malls) if you get a chance to visit. Good guy, good food... After finishing my fajita, black beans, and meatballs, I ventured back downstairs. Let me interject here that the bands began performing at some point during this time, and that awards were being handed out... :) Last night's lineup included Jason Eady, Courtney Patton, Shinyribs, Six Market Boulevard, Rob Baird, John Fullbright, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Robert Earl Keen, and The Departed.
Okay, so I'm back downstairs, and I'm listening to music, and I'm enjoying a cold beverage, and I'm bothering my friend Kim, who is working security for the show (oh, and we'll get back to Kim later, TRUST ME)... :) I go back upstairs after a while to hang out with some other friends of mine - Cassie, Sandy, Danny, and Pam (oh, and we'll get back to Pam later, TRUST ME)... :) It seems like I went back downstairs before running into my friend Sam, at which point "through no fault of mine" began... AHEM... ;) Sam probably bought me a shot, and then he decides that the group of four that I'm suddenly a part of should go..., RIGHT BACK UPSTAIRS... Sam probably bought me a shot and another beer when we got upstairs, and then he spotted THE FOOD... 'Shy' isn't a word that I would associate with Sam, but I told him not to worry, that I would go and make him a fajita taco... I PROBABLY made myself another fajita taco at this point too... After drinking, and eating, and listening to some more music (yes, there is a concert going on), Sam says, "that was good Coach..." "YES SAM, I'll get you another taco..." :) At this point, I PROBABLY made myself another taco too (and before you judge me, remember that I did work at TMT before, and when Cody needed a trash can earlier in the evening, I knew right where to steal one from, and this was without him even having to ask)... ;) So there's more drinking, and eating, and performing going on, and then Sam and Josh take out their phones and start recording video of one of the songs. At this point, I MIGHT HAVE asked Sam, "so you're making a bootleg video of a concert that cost $5.00 to get into?..." This was basically met with a response of "ARRGGGHHH..." (yes, evidently we're pirates...). Anyway, the gist of the response was "whatever..." Shortly after that, Sam decides that we're going... BACK DOWNSTAIRS...
Not long after returning downstairs, I see that my friend Kim (I told you that we'd get back to her) has HER PHONE out, and now she's recording one of the bands... So now I decide to share my clever little joke about making a bootleg video of the concert with her... Somewhere between that and threatening to have a heart attack ON THE SPOT from laughter if Kim WOULD HAVE fallen off of the stool that she was sitting on (it ALMOST happened), I'm suddenly getting slapped, punched, and having bottled water thrown on me (I KNOW, INNOCENT little me)... AHEM... ;) Anyway, I think that bottled water is way too expensive to waste on me, and I learned that evidently girls don't talk like pirates... #themoreyouknow ;)
Again, there was a concert happening through all of these highlights, and it was great, and THEN there was an afterparty at the Cheatham Street Warehouse. "You wanna drive Coach?," which was followed by a predictable, "Sure Sam, I'll drive..." :) The highlight of the afterparty for me occurred at the bar when I was "introducing" Sam to Pam (I told you that we'd get back to her)... "Pam, Sam..." At this point I was thinking that this was like a Dr. Suess book, if you give it a second look, because their names rhyme, but we don't have the time... ANYWAY..., shortly after this, Sam wants to know her last name, and Pam says, "Sam DeLaRosa?" It turns out that Pam was Sam's KINDERGARTEN teacher! The impressive part to me was that Pam recognized who Sam was, after teaching him in Kindergarten... As we've covered here in the blog before, I don't recognize all of my former students immediately, and mine were HIGH SCHOOL students... :)
And there you have it - my personal 3rd Annual Lone Star Music Awards show was a huge success, and everyone lived happily ever after... :) Have a great evening and I'll see you again tomorrow!
Friday, April 26, 2013
I Remember The First Time (14)
"My physique is best described as "I can't believe it's not butter"..."
-@SortaBad- (via twitter)
"Fans don't run the show..." -Matthew Weiner- (message from the creator of 'Mad Men' to critics of season six of the AMC hit - via Yahoo!)
"The Omaha airport and the middle of a field look awfully similar. This should be exciting..."
-Kourtney Chalmers-
"Hey Cordarrelle, this is Christian Ponder... I'll be the guy throwing the ball at your feet. Welcome aboard..." -@FauxJohnMadden- (via twitter)
I remember the first time that I was a day late making this post, and then decided to blatently rip off and straight plagarize a friend's facebook status to lead things off... "So for the first time in 4 years, and with just over 2 weeks left of school, my fear of accidentally getting on the wrong bus has finally come true..." -Natalie- For those of you asking why I didn't just put that up top with the rest of the quotes, it's my blog, so shut up... :P
I remember the first time that I was going to tell you a story on Tuesday, but it would have been anticlimactic mixed in with my brain freeze story... It has been well documented here in several riveting stories that customers must transfer their drinks from glass to plastic cups before proceeding to our rooptop bar. This is a conversation between customers from last week:
Customer 1: "Chug it!"
Customer 2: (whiny voice) "It's cold..."
Customer 1: "DEAL WITH IT!"
I remember the first time that I was accused of bluffing... It has been well documented here in several riveting stories how I keep track of how many customers are up at our rooftop bar for capacity purposes. Recently a customer evidently told one of our bartenders, "You know Coach? He has no counter, only poker chips..." Well, it's actually BOTH, and a special shoutout goes out to my friend Ryan, who recently returned to San Marcos, America from the desert with 9 FRESH poker chips for me (3 each from MGM, the Rio, and Excalibur)... :) If you don't know me, you really would not believe how much the clay wears away from my CONSTANT manipulation of these things...
I remember the first time that I was proud to be from Texas... Last night things got off to a slow start at work. Then I noticed that less than five minutes after the completion of the first round of the NFL Draft is the time that I started to see a significant increase in the number of customers in our establishment. God bless football... :) This was totally understandable when you think about it - both the Texans and the Cowboys had late first round picks. On that note, every Cowboys' facebook status that I saw bemoaned the trading down of their first pick, and every status hated that Dallas drafted a center... :)
I remember the first time that I brought up 'capacity' in a post, just because I know that you enjoy reading about 'capacity'... So last night, within a minute of reaching capacity at our rooftop bar, about thirty customers come cruising down the stairs. I swear that I heard one of them mention something about rain, and later in the night, after we closed, it was "spitting" outside... Anyway, when a couple of our regular customers came down the stairs a few minutes later (customers that I recognize but don't know by name), I asked them, "is it raining hard?" One of the young ladies turned and broke into a dance move, complete with hand and arm gestures (mimicking rain) as she repeated, "is it raining hard?" Then she said, "it's..., 'RAINING HARD..., but it's..., NOT raining... It's dry..." As I just nodded and smiled as the girls turned and walked away, she says to her friend, "he may be too old to understand that..." BA HA HA HA :)
Have an outstanding weekend and I'll see you again on Monday!
-@SortaBad- (via twitter)
"Fans don't run the show..." -Matthew Weiner- (message from the creator of 'Mad Men' to critics of season six of the AMC hit - via Yahoo!)
"The Omaha airport and the middle of a field look awfully similar. This should be exciting..."
-Kourtney Chalmers-
"Hey Cordarrelle, this is Christian Ponder... I'll be the guy throwing the ball at your feet. Welcome aboard..." -@FauxJohnMadden- (via twitter)
I remember the first time that I was a day late making this post, and then decided to blatently rip off and straight plagarize a friend's facebook status to lead things off... "So for the first time in 4 years, and with just over 2 weeks left of school, my fear of accidentally getting on the wrong bus has finally come true..." -Natalie- For those of you asking why I didn't just put that up top with the rest of the quotes, it's my blog, so shut up... :P
I remember the first time that I was going to tell you a story on Tuesday, but it would have been anticlimactic mixed in with my brain freeze story... It has been well documented here in several riveting stories that customers must transfer their drinks from glass to plastic cups before proceeding to our rooptop bar. This is a conversation between customers from last week:
Customer 1: "Chug it!"
Customer 2: (whiny voice) "It's cold..."
Customer 1: "DEAL WITH IT!"
I remember the first time that I was accused of bluffing... It has been well documented here in several riveting stories how I keep track of how many customers are up at our rooftop bar for capacity purposes. Recently a customer evidently told one of our bartenders, "You know Coach? He has no counter, only poker chips..." Well, it's actually BOTH, and a special shoutout goes out to my friend Ryan, who recently returned to San Marcos, America from the desert with 9 FRESH poker chips for me (3 each from MGM, the Rio, and Excalibur)... :) If you don't know me, you really would not believe how much the clay wears away from my CONSTANT manipulation of these things...
I remember the first time that I was proud to be from Texas... Last night things got off to a slow start at work. Then I noticed that less than five minutes after the completion of the first round of the NFL Draft is the time that I started to see a significant increase in the number of customers in our establishment. God bless football... :) This was totally understandable when you think about it - both the Texans and the Cowboys had late first round picks. On that note, every Cowboys' facebook status that I saw bemoaned the trading down of their first pick, and every status hated that Dallas drafted a center... :)
I remember the first time that I brought up 'capacity' in a post, just because I know that you enjoy reading about 'capacity'... So last night, within a minute of reaching capacity at our rooftop bar, about thirty customers come cruising down the stairs. I swear that I heard one of them mention something about rain, and later in the night, after we closed, it was "spitting" outside... Anyway, when a couple of our regular customers came down the stairs a few minutes later (customers that I recognize but don't know by name), I asked them, "is it raining hard?" One of the young ladies turned and broke into a dance move, complete with hand and arm gestures (mimicking rain) as she repeated, "is it raining hard?" Then she said, "it's..., 'RAINING HARD..., but it's..., NOT raining... It's dry..." As I just nodded and smiled as the girls turned and walked away, she says to her friend, "he may be too old to understand that..." BA HA HA HA :)
Have an outstanding weekend and I'll see you again on Monday!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
I Will Remember Tomorrow
Good afternoon everyone. I am just writing this little note to let you know that your regularly scheduled programming has been moved to tomorrow. I have had a very busy day today after taking a short nap when I came home from work last night, and I have to catch a few more hours of sleep before I go back to work tonight. At some point I will catch you up on what I was doing today (wow, the suspense - yes, I know)... :) If you are looking for something interesting to grab your attention, Round 1 of the NFL Draft will air tonight from 7:00 to 10:30 p.m. CST on ESPN. That will probably be more interesting than my blog... Also, if you walk outside right now and watch that grass grow..., THAT will probably be more interesting than my blog... ;) I hope that you have a great day and I WILL see you again tomorrow!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Could You? (14)
"When I write "spiritual" on my online dating profiles, it means I like to watch 'Ghostbusters'..." -@TylerComeOn- (via twitter)
"Some of the (stuff) you women do with your hair is absurd. Looks like a damn eagle spread its wings then got run over by a truck..." -@iAmJuddy- (via twitter)
"I know there's no such thing as stupidity poisoning because you'd be dead by now..."
-@BeenToHellPal- (via twitter)
Could you tell us something that you're afraid you might actually say to one of your customers who irritates you? If you know me, you know that I'm a pretty nice person, and that I actually use this blog to do a lot of my venting. However, that last quote above..., that's the one that's going to have me biting my tongue at work soon... Speaking of that, I have no shortage of material for you to read today or Thursday... :P
Could you share a quote with your friend? I have a friend named Angelica who I mentioned in this blog because of the way that she wears her hair, and although that second quote above does not describe her hair, I tagged her to this entry in facebook because I KNOW that she will laugh as soon as she reads it. :) You always have to remember two things people: 1) I only pick on people that I like; and 2) I like to make people laugh, and I LOVE people who can make me laugh... ;)
Could you please mention Melanie and Alyssa, since it seems like DAYS since they've seen their names in print here?... I went for a walk earlier (I started at about 1:00 a.m.) because I almost have to get out and walk when I do most of my serious thinking. I ended up at work after about half an hour, and only after having some BATS swoop down at me (yes, I did jump and hustle out of the way) as I approached the Square (walking at 1:30 a.m. - go figure)... I used the restroom, and then I went to the bar and said hey to all of my friends (all of whom were working diligently I might add)... :) I explained that I had been WALKING, and then Alyssa asked if I'd like a ride home... Do you remember that recent post where the two ladies approached me at work, and I was told that I looked "so broken and beat up?" YEAH..., I thought of this INSTANTLY when Alyssa about me about the ride - I was WALKING... :P Naturally I accepted the ride, because I wouldn't want to be rude, AHEM... (and I WAS practically attacked by bats), but c'mon... :) Oh, by the way..., 8 more days until these girls finish their internship, and 19 until they graduate... WHAT WILL I write about then?... ;)
Could you tell us another story about walking Coach? A group of customers was making their way to the Veranda this past weekend, when the reluctant one stopped, not wanting to make the journey (through THE MAZE I suppose)... :P The group leader exclaimed, "you can see all of San Marcos from here!" The reluctant one answered that encouraging plea with, "I'VE SEEN SAN MARCOS!!..." :) And yes, they DID go up to the Veranda...
Could you tell us about a possible conspiracy? During this past weekend (speaking of the maze), I had a customer (to my face) tell me that the hallway at work is "like a maze..." I started thinking that someone is reading the blog and was put up to saying that DIRECTLY TO ME... I think that I will know for sure that something strange is afoot the night that FIFTY people make that comment to me... Can you imagine me squirming if that does happen? UGGHHH...
Could you please make just one more maze reference Coach? I'm not making this up..., over the weekend, someone said to their friend, "I wonder if people get lost in here..." They HAVE TO BE saying these things just to bother me, right?
Could you tell us about one of the funniest things that you've ever seen at work? At closing time one night this weekend, most of the customers had already left the building. As I reached Harper's, I saw a group of five people, which included a guy who was leaning with his back to the wall, holding his head like someone had recently..., PUNCHED HIM or something, but without the moaning or the blood... As I watched, trying to figure out what was going on, a SECOND PERSON in the group then grabbed their head SUDDENLY... I looked at the drink that they were hurriedly trying to finish before leaving the bar, and then I realized what was going on... The group had a frozen drink from upstairs, and as each person in the group took their turn at trying to kill it..., WELL..., EACH PERSON IN THE GROUP was subjecting their head to a BRAIN FREEZE... I now watched a THIRD PERSON in the group clutching their own head, and it was all that I could do to not start laughing...
Could you tell us about the cat that lived off of McDonald's food for over a year, and how it relates to your life? I saw this story on Yahoo! last week, and it reminded me of a story from my past involving myself and a good friend of mine. An abandoned cat in New Zealand basically lived in a McDonald's parking lot, successfully begging for food from customers, until an SPCA worker "rescued" (I mean, how bad could it be, right?) the cat... :) When I left coaching here in San Marcos a hundred years ago, my friend Kelley really helped me through a lot of personal bitterness, simply by being my friend... :) Well, Kelley is a HUGE animal lover, and she also worked a few hours each week at the swimming pool that I was managing. The pool had some stray cats that would stop by from time to time, and being the kind person that I am, I decided to feed them some of the food that I had on hand (and I'm talking healthy food, like Cheetos and corn chips)... WELL, being a hundred years ago, I don't remember the EXACT words in this conversation, but basically, the gist of it was Kelley asking, "WHAT are you feeding them?!" Needless to say, the rest of the summer these strays ate cat food... :)
Could you end this with one more reminder that you're a hundred years old Coach? During my second year of teaching and coaching, my good friends and colleagues had a baby girl. Last night when I was on facebook, I received a message asking me for my address..., for a... (wait for it..., wait for it...) GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENT! Ellen is graduating a year early (overachieving showoff), but STILL... Congratulations Ellen! ;)
I hope that you have a great day, and I'll see you again on Thursday!
"Some of the (stuff) you women do with your hair is absurd. Looks like a damn eagle spread its wings then got run over by a truck..." -@iAmJuddy- (via twitter)
"I know there's no such thing as stupidity poisoning because you'd be dead by now..."
-@BeenToHellPal- (via twitter)
Could you tell us something that you're afraid you might actually say to one of your customers who irritates you? If you know me, you know that I'm a pretty nice person, and that I actually use this blog to do a lot of my venting. However, that last quote above..., that's the one that's going to have me biting my tongue at work soon... Speaking of that, I have no shortage of material for you to read today or Thursday... :P
Could you share a quote with your friend? I have a friend named Angelica who I mentioned in this blog because of the way that she wears her hair, and although that second quote above does not describe her hair, I tagged her to this entry in facebook because I KNOW that she will laugh as soon as she reads it. :) You always have to remember two things people: 1) I only pick on people that I like; and 2) I like to make people laugh, and I LOVE people who can make me laugh... ;)
Could you please mention Melanie and Alyssa, since it seems like DAYS since they've seen their names in print here?... I went for a walk earlier (I started at about 1:00 a.m.) because I almost have to get out and walk when I do most of my serious thinking. I ended up at work after about half an hour, and only after having some BATS swoop down at me (yes, I did jump and hustle out of the way) as I approached the Square (walking at 1:30 a.m. - go figure)... I used the restroom, and then I went to the bar and said hey to all of my friends (all of whom were working diligently I might add)... :) I explained that I had been WALKING, and then Alyssa asked if I'd like a ride home... Do you remember that recent post where the two ladies approached me at work, and I was told that I looked "so broken and beat up?" YEAH..., I thought of this INSTANTLY when Alyssa about me about the ride - I was WALKING... :P Naturally I accepted the ride, because I wouldn't want to be rude, AHEM... (and I WAS practically attacked by bats), but c'mon... :) Oh, by the way..., 8 more days until these girls finish their internship, and 19 until they graduate... WHAT WILL I write about then?... ;)
Could you tell us another story about walking Coach? A group of customers was making their way to the Veranda this past weekend, when the reluctant one stopped, not wanting to make the journey (through THE MAZE I suppose)... :P The group leader exclaimed, "you can see all of San Marcos from here!" The reluctant one answered that encouraging plea with, "I'VE SEEN SAN MARCOS!!..." :) And yes, they DID go up to the Veranda...
Could you tell us about a possible conspiracy? During this past weekend (speaking of the maze), I had a customer (to my face) tell me that the hallway at work is "like a maze..." I started thinking that someone is reading the blog and was put up to saying that DIRECTLY TO ME... I think that I will know for sure that something strange is afoot the night that FIFTY people make that comment to me... Can you imagine me squirming if that does happen? UGGHHH...
Could you please make just one more maze reference Coach? I'm not making this up..., over the weekend, someone said to their friend, "I wonder if people get lost in here..." They HAVE TO BE saying these things just to bother me, right?
Could you tell us about one of the funniest things that you've ever seen at work? At closing time one night this weekend, most of the customers had already left the building. As I reached Harper's, I saw a group of five people, which included a guy who was leaning with his back to the wall, holding his head like someone had recently..., PUNCHED HIM or something, but without the moaning or the blood... As I watched, trying to figure out what was going on, a SECOND PERSON in the group then grabbed their head SUDDENLY... I looked at the drink that they were hurriedly trying to finish before leaving the bar, and then I realized what was going on... The group had a frozen drink from upstairs, and as each person in the group took their turn at trying to kill it..., WELL..., EACH PERSON IN THE GROUP was subjecting their head to a BRAIN FREEZE... I now watched a THIRD PERSON in the group clutching their own head, and it was all that I could do to not start laughing...
Could you tell us about the cat that lived off of McDonald's food for over a year, and how it relates to your life? I saw this story on Yahoo! last week, and it reminded me of a story from my past involving myself and a good friend of mine. An abandoned cat in New Zealand basically lived in a McDonald's parking lot, successfully begging for food from customers, until an SPCA worker "rescued" (I mean, how bad could it be, right?) the cat... :) When I left coaching here in San Marcos a hundred years ago, my friend Kelley really helped me through a lot of personal bitterness, simply by being my friend... :) Well, Kelley is a HUGE animal lover, and she also worked a few hours each week at the swimming pool that I was managing. The pool had some stray cats that would stop by from time to time, and being the kind person that I am, I decided to feed them some of the food that I had on hand (and I'm talking healthy food, like Cheetos and corn chips)... WELL, being a hundred years ago, I don't remember the EXACT words in this conversation, but basically, the gist of it was Kelley asking, "WHAT are you feeding them?!" Needless to say, the rest of the summer these strays ate cat food... :)
Could you end this with one more reminder that you're a hundred years old Coach? During my second year of teaching and coaching, my good friends and colleagues had a baby girl. Last night when I was on facebook, I received a message asking me for my address..., for a... (wait for it..., wait for it...) GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENT! Ellen is graduating a year early (overachieving showoff), but STILL... Congratulations Ellen! ;)
I hope that you have a great day, and I'll see you again on Thursday!
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