Breaker One-Nine, this here's the Rubber Duck...

Was the dark of the moon, on the sixth of June

In a Kenworth, pullin' logs

Cabover Pete with a reefer on

And a Jimmy haulin' hogs

We 'as headin' fer bear on I-One-Oh

'Bout a mile outta Shaky-Town

I sez Pig-Pen, this here's the Rubber Duck

An' I'm about to put the hammer on down

Cause we gotta little ol' convoy, rockin' through the night

Yeah we gotta little ol' convoy, ain't she a beautiful sight?

Come on an' join our convoy, ain't nothin' gonna git in our way

We're gonna roll this truckin' convoy, cross the USA

Convoy... Convoy...

lyrics courtesy of Bill Fries and Chip Davis

I got a postcard in the mail today from my friend Vernon. See, he's a trucker now, hauling those wonderful loads in those oversized trucks day in and day out. Postcard was from ATL (that's Atlanta, Georgia...). Quick and to the point, I just enjoyed the simplicity of his greeting.

So Vernon, where ever you are right now, drive carefully. And please, if you see those little kids pumping their arms up and down, give that air horn a quick tug. It always made my day when I was growing up.

Now, do you go into truck stop dives and challenge others to arm wrestling ala Stallone?

Tiger Woods...

8 and 7.

Six of the last seven; sixteen of the last thirty.

I remember my dad telling me that I should watch Jordan play his last few games before hanging it all up (at least the first time, before being subjected to Rodman's antics). I'm glad I did. Maybe golfers should take note and take some time to watch some really good golf.

Okay, to those of you that don't speak golf, here a great write-up.

Lent: Day 21

Ahh, going without that wonderful carne during the week has become an almost thoughtless process. Amidst all the hungry meat devouring folk, I stand out with my unslaked appetite for those wonderful nuggest of flesh. Eww, that was almost disgusting.

I had a bit of meat this weekend. Sunday, that glorious day of days, was a time for celebration. As Renee and I talked about what to make for dinner, we happened upon the meat aisle in H.E.B. and I could almost hear that angleic music playing: seasoned riblets. Yummy!

Grilled and accompanied with au gratin spuds, we had good eats homecooked and enjoyed in the company of loved ones. For the left overs, I devoured the spuds last night. The riblets? Those righteous little succulent strips were relegated to the freezer, to be enjoyed a week later.

The cruise control has been set; half way there and no real problems. It's difficult most when I'm at a tournament and the provided lunch is hamburgers or some other meat products. I can make due, but eating out some sort of fish or veggie plate gets pricey, even for my cheap arse.

Spring Break cannot get here soon enough.

Mean Streets of Ellinger

Ours was a situation not much different from, say, a long-distanced relationship by that hopeful girl still in high school and the anxious college freshman away for that first time. Tenative, but optimistic. Of course, we weren't exactly sweating about cheating on one another; we were too busy planning on conquering the invading horde of terrorists and ninjas.

Now that's something I remember with an almost guilty smirk. Ninjas were some really cool shit. Yeah, I said that. That's how cool they were. In fact, I remember Kris having a pair of ninja boots (do you still, bro?) and matching socks. Had to, as the boots had a split toe on them. Later, he even procured an actual katana. Maybe it was a small one, but it was a blade nonetheless. Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow from G.I.Joes were the coolest of characters from the series. American Ninja and Revenge of the Ninja were favorites movies to watch all the time. Always, our kung fu was stronger.

While Kris did on occasion visit Columbus and Bellville, it just seemed that visiting him was easier. His house wasn't large, but he had a decent yard. Best of all? The streets of Ellinger lacked the purveyors of justice already found in Columbus: armed and eager to right the wrongs of the world heroes. We, of course, never thought of ourselves as heroes. We were simply charged with going out like good soldiers and taking out the trash that existed in our Rambo-fueled minds.

Most of the time, we could just walk out the door at dark-thirty and meander about, avoiding the glare of headlights and neighbors alike, the occasional dog or two, and that quick stop to try (but never quite succeed) at pilfering the soda machine. Good thing was we never broke it; just never did get that free Pepsi. We would stroll until the moon was directly above, or until about 10:30, which ever came first. I can't remember shooting out streetlights (or not) with the BB gun we sometimes carried with us.

Ah, the streets were never more safe. Until we felt that itching to play a song.

Next time: A Concert for All

Lent: Day 12

What a week. No cheating, no beef or chicken or pork. Land animals rejoice (fowl too!), for I have been a good and devout sacrificer for the week. No crazy dreams, but damn if it wasn't difficult. Our Texas culture doesn't appreciate the typical vegetarian. In two days, I was offered a free lunch, but both were typical Lone Star fare: carne guisada (Mexican stewed meat and gravy; quite tasty!) and barbecue hoagies. I had to settle for rice and beans on Monday, and a barbecue hoage without meat (bread, onions, tomato sauce, pickles, and a smile; thanks to Mr. Harmon). The rest of the week strolled through without incident, but Friday and Saturday are probably the toughest, looking to eat out with family or friends but maintain the current dietary standard. Today we celebrated a nephew's birthday early, so steaks galore. I ate my fill and packed a Lupe plate for later. Amidst the struggles during the week, it's hard to stay humble and not be proud of what I'm doing. Everyone who knows says they couldn't do it, and I want to finish this right. My body is changing ever so slowly, but I imagine my heart is appreciative of the meat fasting right now.

For all this, life for me and mine is truly good. Perhaps an elaboration will follow later, but with good living comes goodness. Thanks to the Big Guy; he is my Superman. Cheers...

Picture courtesy of those wonderful artists at Worth1000.com. Man, those folks are really creative and talented.

Without Political Correctness

I've had to think about this for quite some time now. Kris and I decided to discuss, albeit to the possible detriment of our six readers, politics and their various themes/veins. Unlike many of the political opponents who are currently bombarding Texas with annoying and crappy ads (even a blatant plea pre-recorded and played back on my answering machine!), I plan on simply addressing many issues that we as voters should concern ourselves with. If you don't, you will die. In seven days. Okay, that last few parts are a lie. Voter knowledge is important and perhaps a healthy dose of self discovery.

So who is the best candidate for you to vote for? Most popular? Perhaps, to buck the system, a new candidate to bring about change? Or, that third party candidate that doesn't have a snowball's chance just because that's the super cool (not popular, but cool in a different way) thing to do? In my super smart days when I was 19, I knew everything as most 19 year olds do. I voted for the popular person, being that lemming and going with whoever was going to win. Two years later, garnered with even more knowledge and experience, I voted for not the popular person, but the person who basically gave lip service. In short, I totally misunderstood the concept of an informed voter. I took the easy way out, looking for flow charts and comparisons in the popular magazines they sell at the check-out aisles. After a lenghty discussion with a former golf student of mine (cheers to you Madi!), she proved to me that politics knows no boundaries and anyone willing to delve into it can learn more about candidates. As I learned more about the candidates, I discovered more about myself: what I wanted in a candidate and issues that I favored and opposed.

So what issues do I favor? I have to really think about this for quite some time. It may seem selfish, but I favor issues that affect me and mine. Not just my family and friends, but my corner of the universe. Are their important issues that are worldly? Absolutely. But the circle of responsibility starts small and works its way outwards. So as you go through this humble and quite personal exposition, bear in mind that this is a reflection of my circle.

Education
I doubt I can say enough about education. It truly is what drives a modern society. With the advent of internet and information being available at the fingertips, the learning process has taken quite a turn from traditional learning (that's why you're reading this, right?). Education, in my humble opinion, lays the foundation for our future, our caretakers. Ever wonder how to mold the ultimate society? Hitler knew how: form schools that taught his doctrine. Education is key to society. How does Kim Jong-Il manages his "people"? He controls the information that comes in to the people; basically, only his propaganda is available to the public. Now those are two not so gleaming examples of how education plays a role in society, but take a free society. The quality of schools can be outstanding, being a product of the hard work and tutelage of dedicated teachers. So what's the deal with politics and education? Well, politics affects education with cuts or mandates or law changes. All of these affects teachers and students. And parents. And taxpayers. And the citizens of that population. Such as anything out there, a dominio effect from one seemingly inoccuous action trickles down and bleeds onto the very fabric that makes up our daily lives. Don't believe me? Ask a teacher about No Child Left Behind Act. You may be surprised to hear the variety of responses from those on the front lines. Ask the kids about students in their class. You may be surprised to hear about the variety of students in a class and what it takes to pass a class or a grade. Education is a foundation for society, period. If you don't believe a word I just wrote, then at least thank an educator for teaching you how to read.

Economy
The O'Jays sang about "For the Love of Money" and what a man would do for the almighty dollar. Reality TV exploits this with Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? and Moment of Truth. Do things, do things, bad things...yeah, we do that. So what about politics and money? The government can and does so many things regularly that affects our income, taxes, interest rates, loans, jobs, etc. Take your pick. Whether it's earning, spending, or saving, our government's movment controls it. The short of this? Politics and their stances take hold in certain areas that in one or two steps affects our money. Hell, my money and yours too. Our nice little economic stimulus package coming this summer? Well, there may be more there than what has been told upfront. One has to wonder where this $168 billion is coming from. Hmmm... I'm not going to rant on about economy because, well, I can't. I still need to inform myself (gotta love education!) on that facts of the package. Will I spend it? Yeah, we need a new car. But that was already in the plans before the package.

Immigration
I live in Texas, do I need to say anything else? Okay. There is obviously more to this. For the record, I'm the product of importation: I was born in Thailand many moons ago, the product of a native mother and GI Dad. I was fortunate that I wasn't privy to the necessary steps required to obtain US citizenship. It was my birthright because of my father. But what of the Mexcians, Cubans, Africans, Middle Easterners that come to our country every day?

I have my opinion on this. I love our diversity. I don't think that "My America" should lose her identity due to a watering down infusion of excessive immigration. But then, what is "My America"? I grew up four houses away from Claudia, a Mexican lady who used to baby sit us and did some laundry. Across the street was a retired couple, Polish or French I believe, that had a wonderful garden filled with aromatic seasons and vegetables. My French neighbor put up our regular and tire swing on the thirty-foot tall limb in the back yard. My in-laws, with all their wonderful Polish quirkiness, have some of the most filling food and thrilling stories that meander around the wonderfulness of nothingness. "My America" is the product of that which I may very well be fighting: diversity. I had a conversation about this a few weeks ago, and the one unintentionally trite argument was "I don't want us to lose our identity." His contention, in that other cultures celebrate their own heritage here (Mexicans = Fiesta; Chinese = Lunar New Years; Irish = St. Patrick's Day; etc.) but what of America's? We do have 4th of July and Thanksgiving, but aside from that, I am not quite sure what about our culture we can preserve. I like the diversity. I like believing in freedom of speech. I think my friend's point was the frustration of being politically correct. Here in Texas, a variety (in fact all) public signage and pamphlets are produced in English and Spanish.

Okay. I wrote some more. Be back later to finish!

Lent: Day 5

Whew! So far so good, but it's been challenging.

It's amazing how much of my diet consists of meat or meat-derived products (think broth or soup here). As much as I like to dine on beef, pork and chicken, this change has been one filled with constant thought and reminder.

Two nights ago, I dreamed I was at a party and filled my plate with various foods: burger, pork riblets, slabs of brisket, and wings galore. As soon as I took a bite of a riblet, Renee reminded me in the dream, "David, it's not Sunday; why are you eating that?" Damnit! I woke up smacking my lips, but realizing it was just a dream.

Been tempted a few times, but not to the point of wanting to cheat. I'd like to be able to say that I've kept up the willpower to complete this task.

I've got a few golf tournaments coming up. Usually, they feed the coaches and athletes at these functions. This may be difficult in the upcoming weeks, but I shall try to stay the course.

I better make sure that I have something beefy for dinner.

Love for Guns

I can’t remember exactly how it started up, but the two of us started to hang out frequently. Our adventures would usually entail making the prerequisite trip to our local Winn’s to peruse the selection of G.I. Joe’s and water guns. I think that was perhaps our common denominator: water guns. You could have all the action that Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and to a lesser extent Willis and Van Damme, made so popular. Fill ‘em up with liquid death and off you went. The best one? It was probably the cheap $1.09 red job with checked grip and extra clip for back-up. Those were some days of adventure.

Our adventures took us everywhere in the town that was Columbus. Typical small town, it had a courthouse square, three lighted intersections, and a Wal-Mart. Locals actually refer to the streets that are connected on the lighted intersections as “The Triangle”. Riding our steel pedal-driven ten-speed steeds, we would make our way from one side of town to the other, constantly evading enemy forces and purveying justice to villainy wherever it existed. To this day, I’m still amazed how far $3 would get us in those days. A hero cannot exist on superpowers alone, and Winn’s was always willing to take a grubby dollar in exchange for life-giving Gobstoppers or the ultimate buy, a genuine Slurpee. The only question? Having to decide on Coke flavor or the psychedelic mix.

Perhaps one of the smallest seemingly innocuous moments in my life that would have a most profound moment on me was when he left. It’s amazing, that as an adult, I realize that the size of my school district is quite large. Kris would move only twelve miles away, to the busy hubbub of Ellinger, epicenter capital of the state of Nowhere. It just also happened to be just across the district line; he would attend neighboring La Grange’s schools.

We were in P.E. I can still remember the stale fungus and wet concrete smell that stained your clothes. We herded ourselves to quickly change and line up. Amidst the rustling of undressing, we were still able to converse about various topics and issues, but this day was different.

“…so you’re moving?”
“Yeah. I’m already staying there. I spent the last four nights there already.”
“When’s your last day?”
“I think next week, but I’m not sure.”

I don’t remember being hurt by this departure. I don’t remember feeling any sort of despair. It was simply my friend was leaving. My “No Homework in Mrs. Steven’s Class” compatriot. I had other friends, but it wouldn’t be until I was able to actually reflect back on things that I realize how this would affect me for the years to come.

His departure wasn’t one filled with celebration and well wishes. It was without congratulatory and sincere farewells. One day, he was there (and we hung out outside of Mrs. Steven’s class without our homework) and the next he was gone.

Next time: Mean Streets of Ellinger

Lent: Sacrifices

Day 1 - It's been a tough twenty-four hours. I thought long and hard about it, and decided to go ahead and give up meat for forty days. Almost. It's allowed on Sundays. It's old school, but I figured that this is something that forces me to truly consider each and every meal, be thankful for what I do have, and remember the sacrifice that He made for man.

Can it be done? We shall see. I had a co-worker who actually did it in 1996. He did eat two porterhouses each Sunday, but the rest of the week was sans beef or chicken. Lots of grains and veggies. Now I have to plan on how to accomplish this without breaking the bank. $5 a day eating out is not something She Who Must Be Obeyed (SWMBO) would be down with.

Participating in Lenten traditions? Want to share? Leave a comment!

Upcoming: Thoughts and More & Sound and Fury

And so it has been chosen.

Yes, the next topic has been established. As Kris and I spoke last night for a few hours over, well, everything, we went ahead and decided on the next topic.

Anyone remotely familiar with US politics knows that 2008 is an election year. As the primaries roll on (we're about halfway through them now), the candidates present their issues/platforms and what s/he represent. Sometimes laughable, sometimes shameful; it is these issues that should help us choose our vote.

So often we choose to be "on the winning side" or the "cool side". What is that? So, in an effort to promote healthy and wise voting, Kris and I are going to write about what we feel are the most important issues. Obviously, everyone has their perspective on this; and, based upon an invidual's experience, you will very well could feel different.

So, as we began on our stances, feel free to take part in the vote. Let me know what you think. If you have an opinion, voice it. Vote and let democracy ring out. You don't even have to be 18!

Weekend of Sports

The New York Giants win the Super Bowl.

I liked it. A great game, no matter who you were rooting for. Obviously, bittersweet for the Pats as they were seeking an undefeated season. As Steve Hahn of local station 99.5 KISS put it, "The Giants are a team of destiny!" I was rooting for them, even though they beat my beloved Cowboys. Congrats to the Giants, and to Eli for his MVP effort. I truly thought he was sacked on that 3rd and long play. Wow.

Tiger continues his dominance at Dubai.

Yes, Tiger took care of business in dramatic fashion this weekend. Down four going into the final round, Tiger biridied five of the last seven holes to take the trophy. Niceness!

I didn't get to watch too much of this, but from what I did see, words cannot describe. Drama all the way. Keep it up, Tiger.

Rock On! It is announced...

"Rock Band Confirmed for Wii".

That's the caption for the brief article written by Shawn White over at a personal fav site of mine, The Wiire. I read this and just had to gather more evidence. I visit about every other day to update myself on our recent acquisition of a Wii. Love it. Read my review from earlier.

At this point, details are little, but it's appears as March get's closer, we'll have more news about it. I can only imagine the possibilities with the fully wireless Wiimote, guitars, drums, and mic. Whoo!

Now for those of you that don't know, Rock Band THE music game. If you are a Guitar Hero star, then this game will make you legendary. It's that good and more. A brief and quick intro.

The game (as I type this, I refer to the current 360 and PS3 versions) comes in a fairly large package, think double VCR box. In this comes the game, the current standard five-buttoned guitar, microphone, and a simplistic looking drum kit consisting of four head and a bass pedal.
I had the opportunity to play Rock Band over the holidays and it was quite an experience.

I had the chance to play with my two brothers and my second to youngest sister. I started off on the drums. A humbling experience to anyone without coordination, I fancy myself able to handle the challenge. Without intending to sound redundant, very humbling. My face hurt smiling so much. A raucous laughter broke through the house as my siblings would jam out with lighting accurate notes mixed with attrocious miskeys and warbled vocals.

Trying again, I took up the mic and this ended up being my forte. For whatever reason, I could really get into belting out song after song. My siblings and mother alike derived joy simply by watching me play out my Jon Bon Jovi fantasies of 1988 (Can you remember walking down the street singing "Shot through the heart, and your to blame; you give love a bad name!", eh Kris?). While the songs I knew presented little challenge, the songs I sort of knew but always mis-sang were more difficult, even amidst the karaoke-scrolling lyrics. There's even a meter to gauge your tone/key. It's rare that I've found a game to be so interactive, challenging, and simply fun for all that are simply present. Each player can even choose his/her own level to participate without messing up too often.

Playing with a group was my only opportunity, so I can only comment on group play. A friend chided me, "It can't be that fun alone." Perhaps not, but any game is more fun with a friend. Why would this be different? In fact, it's been argued that the drum portion, when set to Expert, would mimic that of an actual rock band's drummer. Not identical, but quite similar. The transition would be easily made.

I can't wait. You'll get a somewhat biased, but completely honest review here when it comes out. Rare do I say I'll buy it when it comes out, but this is one where I'll preorder and have it on Day

1.

Need more, check out G4's really informative article at The Feed.

Rudeness and Respect

Just thinking about a few things.

I talked with one of my players the other evening, helping him with a bit of homework. We talked about various things, particularly about attitudes. He mentioned a particular person and what he said to him, saying "You know, Coach has worked hard to get where he's at. You should respect what he does for us and the help that he gives." I had a difficult time keeping a steady voice the remainder of our conversation. Needless to say, I'm proud to see how much this young man has grown in the five-plus years I've known him.

That conversation made me remember a time when I lacked a great amount of respect to people beyond my scope of concern. I was about ten years old and visiting a friend's house across town . We were in his room and his "most annoying" sister came in and bugged us. Me, actually. It wasn't that she was doing anything wrong or truly annoying. It was simply a boys/no girls thing and I (yes, me) did not want her in the room. I was blatanly rude to her. What strikes me most about this whole incident was that her brother, my playmate, jumped my ass fierce about being rude to her. He poignantly pointed out, "She's my sister; you need to be nice to her or you have to leave." I'm sure his words weren't quite that eloquent, but no cussing or harsh tones. Just a straight forward demand for mutual respect. I remember that lesson quite well and it serves me in good stead.

Kim, sorry for being an ass to you then. I know I'm just beyond that line of not unlikeable now, but I never really got to apologize.

Cheers to you and your big brother.