Nike Soccer Commercial

If you haven't seen this yet on TV- check it out!

Nike Soccer Commercial

Bring it, America!


-Z

Tagged... I'm it

BC tagged me. I'm not usually one to do these things, but I had time today and wanted some stuff to talk about. So...

First memory: I think I can remember what the room looked like that I was born in. It was in Abilene, at Hendrick, and the rooms were blue. I don't remember what else. I'm probably just imagining this.

The first thing I really remember was in our first house in Odessa. It was near Thanksgiving time, and my dad and I were watching football. I had just turned 3. I was on one of our dining room chairs, rocking it back and forth. I remember he told me to stop and I would hurt myself. So, yeah, I had a Cowboys toboggan on, I pulled it over my face, and proceeded to get thrown off the chair and hurt myself. I guess my dad was right, but that wasn't the last time.

First kiss: That would be Melissa, my current wife (and the wife of the future). She totally r0x0rz my b0x0rz. But, yeah, I saved myself for her, and it was totally worth it. A must try in my opinion, but with someone else's wife, since mine's already taken!

(Actually, now that I read it, maybe not someone else's wife, since that means she's already married. Try someone single, but ask first.)



First concert attended: I don't really remember. I can't recall us going to many concerts growing up, my parents just weren't into that sort of thing. We went to the Flying W Ranch when I was in 2nd grade. That place is cool, but I had to have been to some before that...

First love: That would also be Melissa. Don't you remember my b0x0rz getting r0x0rzed?

First thing you think in the morning: Don't trip and fall and break something, you freak!!



First book you remember loving: My grandma gave me a big red book full of fairy tales and other types of stories. It was totally awesome. I remember tripping out as a young lad reading these yarns! It was awesome. I had my bunny rabbit stuffed animal and my red book and it rocked my world.

Now why do we call them fairy tales? That name just seems so fruity to me. There were some awesome stories though. I hope my kids can read the same book.


Not Fred

First pet: Frederick von Nieland and Underdog (Fred and Unders as we called them). They were totally cool. 2 daschunds that knew how to get the party started! They loved to dig (as most daschunds do). Unders would eat cats, which would totally be cool to some of you, but luckily she died when we got Blizzard, the world's greatest mother (next to BC's) and cat. Fred and Unders were there when I was first born, so it must have been 1978 or so when my parents got them.

Fred was the coolest. He fathered many puppies, all of them with stories of their own, but his greatest accomplishment were the kittens he inspired. When his long time love Unders died, he became friends with Blizzard. 6 months to a year after we got her, she had kittens. For some reason Fred thought he was the father and looked after the kittens like they were his own. If my parents had died in some freak gasoline fight, I knew I would be in good hands with such great role models as these two (Fred and Blizzard).



First question you'll ask in Heaven (If that's allowed): If life's a marathon, why aren't there people on the side of the road holding out cups of Gatorade?

I understand that you want us to love you ourselves, and for us to choose to follow you ourselves, but why didn't you just kill the devil before it all got out of hand? I would have liked that. I might not have appreciated it as much, but I'd be down with it.

(So, that's two questions, but the first one was just a joke, I think.)



First place you think of when you hear the word vacation: Canada. Or maybe Rosa's. Now if there was a Rosa's in Canada, the rest of life would be meaningless.

First best friend: Michael in Kindergarten. I know I had one in pre-school (Brooks), one in Junction (Dwight), but I don't have any stories to tell about them.

Michael is awesome at soccer and we were in the same class in Kindergarten (Mrs. Carroll's), so we got to know each other pretty well. The thing that "sealed the deal" on our friendship was one time, when I was waiting for my cousins to come to our house, I was watching for them out my window. The only way I could see was if I got up on my dresser. I was sitting up there, they drive up, I'm so excited that my foot misses where it should be, and I came tumbling down. I have 1 body part hit the floor, which is my front tooth. It cascades into my toy box, which it had hit, and everyone comes in to see what had happened.

The next Monday at school, I show some of my friends my toothless smile. Michael lost one the same weekend! He got hit by a golf club I think. Same tooth and everything. Very cool.



Last time you dressed up: Maybe our anniverary? We went to Carabba's. It's a nice place. I can't say we've dressed up much since. Maybe a wedding or funeral.



Last thing you ate: Mexican food (Josue's recipe actually). Last Sunday we were eating at Mexicali with some friends from Church, and their 8th grade girl said she could eat Mexican food everyday. I thought, why not give it a try?!? Here I am, 10 days into my new "diet", and it's totally awesome! When I wake up, instead of wondering if I will fall during the day, I wonder which Mexican food I will eat next.



Last CD bought: Smalltown Poets' 3rd album, 3rd Verse. But that was a while ago. I don't buy CDs. That's a good one. The latest one I'm listening to is Rich Mullins' Jesus Demos. Man, awesome stuff. I've been on a Christian kick lately, and it doesn't get any better than that one.



Last time you cried: Watching those Little Leaguers giving it their all in the LLWS! It was heart-wrenching drama. Seriously. Whew.

Last time you told someone you loved them: I guess it would have to be Melissa, as I don't usually say that at work, Tom Thumb, Mexicali, etc.



Last really fun thing you did: Now I have something to write about. Yesterday was just about the most fun we've had in a long while. Mainly because it was spontaneous, and we were surrounded by good fun people. Me and a couple of the teens at Church have been wanting to play Ultimate Frisbee for a while now, so we told everyone in class Wednesday of our intentions to play this Saturday. I even called people on Friday to make sure they knew about it and were coming.

Then the city of Dallas got in our way! A few of us went to Snuffer's (a burger joint, not a cigar shop) for burgers before hand. We arrive at the field, only to find the road is not there! Not just being worked on, but physically dug up. This means everyone that I gave directions to can't find the place, everyone is lost and most of them gave up. There were 8 of us that made it, but by then we didn't want to play.

That's when the fun began.

We went back to one of the teens houses and went swimming. But we didn't swim, we played keep away with a nerf football for 3 hours straight. This is much harder than swimming, as we were running all across the floor of the pool, trying to tackle whoever had the ball (that wasn't on your team). We just had such a blast and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. It didn't even feel like that long. Melissa and Debbie came late, and just watched the madness, but I think they got a kick out of it too.

For those of us that were involved, we have crazy sunburns, claw marks, almost loose teeth, etc. The person who got the worst of it was Adam. His nose is just a bit crooked-er after I popped him. He held onto the ball, however, so that's to his credit. Maybe the ladies will like it.

So, yeah, we had a blast and want to do it again, but only once our feet heal. Most of us have bloody big toes, where blood was just seeping out. Not the best thing for being in the water, but it was worth it!



Last thing you watched on T.V.: Midland Lee vs. Southlake Carroll. Didn't get to see much, but it looks like SLC might be defeatable this year, at least in the playoffs. They won 48-25, but Lee isn't as good this year I think. SLC has a pretty weak district, though, so it shouldn't be hard for them to win everything again.



Last Halloween costume: The Big Tuna. Yep, I was Bill Parcells. I have to say, with all the details I thought of in 2 hours, I looked pretty convincing. Unfortunately, I have heard we might not do Trunk or Treat this year, but I hope those rumors aren't true. I have a great one planned...



Last Concert attended: I think it was Point of Grace on Melissa's birthday. The people in charge of LTC at Church got us tickets and a big group of us that had helped with it went. It wasn't bad. I'm not really into "Adult Contemporary" anything, but PoG is pretty good.

Last time you had a really moving spiritual experience: When I was the Big Tuna at Halloween. Okay, I'm kidding. Lately, actually, just thinking... contemplating... wondering... struggling... why?


That concludes this, my longest blog ever. I'm calling out:

Shea
Grubbs
Kent
Brown Sugar
Debbie

Peace out!

Stella

Does anyone else watch this show?? I think it's hilarious. Definitely my kind of laugh out loud humor. They always seem to keep you guessing. Tonight's episode they grew a farm in their apartment. Totally stupid, but you can't look away.

Anyways, Michael Showalter on that show (on the right) reminds me of Grubbs. I could totally see Grubbs going into show business and being like him.

------

Speaking of things that are totally straight (like Stella), but can be twisted into gay jokes- the rainbow "Random Bible Verse" logo was a bit too much for one or two of you (who weren't as "secure in their manhood" as I). Therefore, I changed it. Now it has a cool sunbeam going into blue. Still not a monster truck rally, but it should work!

Batting Gkloves

I WIll not hit backspace once on thuis post. if i mess up, i mess upo!


(Mine are the navy ones)

i'M WRITING tjhis isn my new bnatting gloves. THehy obviolsuly don;t work as well as my bare hands, btut i hiotpre they help during ioyur bassoftbakllo league. that's right, skillman's getting back into softball! Tomorrow I get the jerseys delivered. (Looks like I'm gettuing the hang of thise.!)

I thinjk we'll have a prtetty solid team. At least we'll have a fun timwe. It'll be cool trying to treach some iof the opeioople how tio play,. I'll try to post the stats up here.

Anywyas, ui was excuited abiout my news softball batting gloves. .I also have a goldf glovre for my left hand, and a raqucuetball glove fior my right. I geuess I could have used tghiose, btut why?? I also have som,e suimilar gloves for skuiing, but it's a bit warm ioyut for those!!

What gfloves do yall like? I thuinjk my next peair of gloves will be driving gloves, like the ones worn on the Transporter (the miovie). That wiould be awesome! Don't have muich used for em, bnut I don't care. I would lookk cool.

\Okay, I thinjk I'll take em off now. I've had a chance to break them in!

ESPN & Texas Football

ESPN has been touring the country, seeing different sporting events in different states every day. Today is ESPN's stop in Texas. And, of course, they must stop in the mecca of high school football- Odessa. That's right- my hometown.

Let me tell you about Odessa. I don't feel it's much different than Dallas. It feels faster in Dallas, but as for the people, very comparable. I think Odessa gets a bad rap because all that people see is from I-20. Explore the place- you'd be surprised! Odessa (at least the Odessa I grew up in) wasn't all hick and nowheresville like some people think. Then again, I have a different view of Odessa.

My parents both work in the school district- my dad was a football/basketball coach at Bonham Jr. High (feeder for Permian) for many years as well as a history teacher. He's been an assistant principal now for 12 years. My mom has been a biology teacher at Bowie Jr. High for 16 years. This made it easy for me as they got me into all the best schools. Even at Bowie, while the majority was hispanic, you couldn't tell from our advanced "AAP" classes. They tried to get all the rich white kids over to the west side of town. It was basically a Highland Park school inside an Irving. That was the environment I went to school in.

Not many of my friends (if any) were "west texas hicks" like you would think. Those are more up near Lubbock. Odessa didn't have all the ranchers/farmers etc. as it was oil land. Of course there were some, mainly in west west Odessa, but I lived on the east side, in a country club, along with others like me. Maybe that's why it feels so much like Dallas. Driving the streets in Lake Highlands, it reminds me a lot of home. This was my home since 5th grade. (No, it's not a ranch!)

So, back to the story. ESPN is in Odessa and it'll be on SportsCenter tonight and tomorrow morning. They'll be taping Permian's practice at Ratliff Stadium (which is probably the first time they've ever practiced there). So, even though I didn't go to Permian, I'll still be tuning in.

To satisfy your ratliff stadium fix - Try this, this, and this!

Also, next Saturday, the 27th of August, is the High School football kickoff!! In Abilene Midland Lee is facing all-world Southlake Carroll. We saw Abilene High almost vanquish the dragons (SLC) last year in the playoffs. Perhaps a very good Lee team can get it done. This game will be on UPN in Dallas I believe at 2 pm. It will also be shown across the state.

Let's get ready for some football!

Here we are in front of the Alamo (obviously). I've been there many times but everytime is interesting and makes you reflect on our past. The actual battle of the Alamo was only 90 minutes long. In our lives we waste that much time watching TV or a movie in that amount of time. Crazy.

We ate at the "Mexican Manhattan" restaurant on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. The food wasn't that great, but the company was!

This is at the gardens of the Alamo.

Here are a few of the pictures from our trip to Schlitterbahn. We had a blast and most of can't wait to go again next year! We are blessed to have some of the coolest teens at our Church.

That time of year...

I just got an awesome sensation. We've had a bit of flooding in our office building due to water heater leaks. I was walking down the hall to the restroom, and this musty smell in the stairwell got to me. I then continued down the hall, where an Asian man was putting some paint on a door. Wow. What memories these smells bring. It reminds me of past Augusts, when I was in elementary school. My dad was a teacher/coach at Bonham Jr. High. Every August my brother and I would go up to the school to "help" him set up his room. The mustiness reminds me of the old gym, where my brother and I would play while my mom and dad worked. Then we would go upstairs to his room, our noses enveloped in the smell of new paint. Ah, the prospects of another great school year. Getting to see our friends again. Having your friends in class with you. The new football season upon us. Such hopefulness, such memories.



Tonight I'll be helping at the kids lock-in, and then tomorrow the teens Schlitterbahn trip. I'll be off here for a bit. Should be a blast. See ya Sunday! I'll have pictures.

GOTW, August 1