The truth about Junkyard Dogs

I took a walk this Sunday morning around my old neighborhood. Birds were chirping. A slight, cool breeze could be felt, and the whole place just seemed somewhat, and oddly enough, natural.

The sky was beautiful, and the air was slightly misty and cool. As I turned the corner eastward, toward Randolph Air Force Base, a pair of dogs charged the fence toward me, snarling and growling at the potential intruder.

But I was perfectly calm. Not even a bit frightened, or nervous. I walked up toward them with amusement in my face, knowing fully well they were capable of doing some damage to my digits. I reached my hand out to them, because I felt, and knew for some reason, that they would not harm me. And sure enough, they simply wanted to make friends - now, they kept barking, and snarling and generally sounding like they wanted to rip me apart. But they didn't so much as snap at me. You know this is true because I am able to type this, and I assure you, I am not typing with my feet.

Inside every junkyard dog lives the spirit of a puppy, who wants to play and be friends with everyone he meets. Even if it is now his job to scare the daylights out of everyone who dares to approach their fences.

I wouldn't reccomend just offering your hand to any old dog, though.

Suicide Stinkbomber

So I was sitting at church the other day waiting for basketball to start and a lady siting there with three kids has to go into an interview as she is preparing to join the church. She is a Spanish speaker, and I offer to watch the kids so the interview can be done in relative peace and quiet.

The kids turn out to be an interesting bunch. The oldest, Jennifer is 11 and very intelligent and reserved. The youngest, Melvin, is mischievous - 5 years old and full of energy. The middle child happens to have something in common with me as his name is Armando. He tells me he is from outer space, and I sorta believed him. It takes about 30 seconds to establish some trust with them.

Turns out that was the worst mistake I made that night. As I'm busy telling the kids how much fun they'll have going to activities, and playing volleyball and soccer in the churchs' gym area, Armando was busy preparing a stink-bomb, which he threw in my direction right as momma was heading out from the interview and all had to get up. I see the kids rush toward her, smell rotten eggs, and hear Armando giggling, and the jig was up. I was ready to wallop the little hellion right in front of the future member of the fold. I shook my fist at him and couldn't help but grin. He had won the battle, but when he's stuck being a donkey in the church Christmas play, I'll be the one having the last laugh.

'Good luck is with you this month"

That's what I pulled out of the pocket of some long forgotten jeans. - Jeans I have absolutely NO recollection of ever having eaten chinese food in. Right as I was dealing with the fallout of what at the beginning of this month, I thought was the worst thing that could have happened to me. crrrazyyy!.

I talked to this guy the other day who was a former minister, active head of habitat for humanity in his community, head of the kiwanis group of the same community, 80 yrs. old, and who had a PhD in gerontology. Absolutely one of the most engaging people I've ever met. I just wanted to talk more to him after that conversation. It was a joy. and I thought, if anything, that's a goal in life to shoot for- to be a joy to talk to.

I also struck up a conversation with Blanca, a Colombian neighbor who lives with her brother here in my apartment complex. She offered to help as I moved a bookshelf down stairs I must have looked pretty ridiculous trying to move that thing, because It felt like it was wrapped right around me. I have to admit I tried several different ways to carry that thing down, so she must have had a good laugh before offering to help. It felt good (and weird) to actually talk to a neighbor.

taking a Prince of Persia to the apothecary....

I'm driving home from church this Sunday with all kinds of questions in my head:
What should I make to eat?
Why is it so hot out here?
Why haven't I got my air conditioning in my car fixed?
What is that old guy doing? - Man, is he old.
Why is his left arm all crooked?
Is he waiving me over? Is he having a heart attack?

Nah, he wasn't waiving me over. Oh well, I thought - I hope he's ok.

I proceed, only to look in my rear view mirror and see that yes, indeed, he was waiving me over. I thought to myself, this guy has got be having a heart attack. I pull back toward him, open my window, and ask if I can help. One word was his reply, in a thick, labored accent.

"Pharmacy"

OH CRAP, I think, this guy who doesn't know any English is going to die right in my car! What a Sunday! What mess! It sure will be tough to enjoy my grilled chicken and steamed broccoli and carrots now, knowing that this guy just died on me.

But I was overreacting - He continued on and said, "Need medicine"

I opened the car door and let him in, and he promptly asked my name - His happened to be Ahmed. I don;t know if I'm spelling it right, but that's how it sounded. He asked where i was from, and told me he was from Iran. I tried not to make a big deal about the arm, it turned out that it was just an old injury at second glance. There was a pharmacy a couple blocks away, and he decided it was just too hot to walk the whole way. In trying to make small talk, I mentioned having read A Thousand Splendid Suns, which at least partly took place in Tehran, from my recollection. He totally ignored my attempt at connecting with his background and asked my family name. Then he offered up this gem - "I used to be mayor of Tehran"

'Great', I thought 'he's positively insane'.

I offered to stay and take him back to his home after he got his medicine. He offered a hearty handshake and wished well to me and my family.

It's not everyday you get to chauffer around a Babylonian king, so I decided to google it, and now I wish I would have asked his family name.



This is a list of Mayors of Tehran:

Gholamreza Nikpey
Gholamhossein Karbaschi (1988-1998)
Morteza Alviri (1999-2002)
Mohammad Hasan Malekmadani-(2002-2003)
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2003-2005)
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (since 2005)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mayors_of_Tehran

Having read that, i can only assume he was the guy right before Gholamreza Nikpey.

Fare thee well, ad box

I have decided to disavow myself of my TV. Getting ready to get back to studying, and remembering the fact that I don't really want a TV in my living room have spurred this decision. It's funny how important it seemed to have full resolution imaging and 9000 channels to watch, but man, I suspect that everyone just watches one or two things once in a while and the rest of the time we watch mildly interesting stuff that edifies us in no way - except for Jeopardy and Run's House, of course.

But it's long been time to put away the toys and put the tools to work. My books have been sitting in storage, and that just isn't right. I'm guessing it might be tougher for me once a tad bit of boredom sets in, especially since I have forgotten to make any friends since my move to Houston, but that's the breaks. I think I might come out better for this. In any case, between youtube and whatnot on the web, I don't rightly think I'll miss anything.

But, uhhh. let me know if anything good is on, K?

The 'I's' have it...

The Spurs handled the Kings today, putting the game essentially out of reach in the first quarter. The Kings made a nice run thorughout the third quarter to cut the lead to 13 and make it a game, but the Spurs were able to dig their heels in the ground, stop the run, and extend the lead. Particularly impressive for me was the debut in a Spurs uniform of Ime Udoka, brought in from portland, and Ian Mahinmi, the French import. Ime played extended minutes, while Ian was in for just the last five. However he had an immediate impact with a three-point play, and two quick blocks, and ended up with five points. Most impressive was Ian's athleticism, and the effort the bench guys like Mahinmi and Darius Washington are bringing. It's going to allow them to maintain sustained defensive intensity down the road. I like what I'm seeing so far in this early part of the season.

february, 2007

Sunday, February 11, 2007
there is no substitute for victory
-General Douglas Macarthur

from the 'other blog' archives: May, '06: Near death near Laramie, Tony remembered

May 26
Off to Wyoming to escape the Life...
I need to lay off the sopranos for a bit or not eat wendy's before sleeping - I had this dream that I killed two guys - they were soprano type characters and then Silvio from the sopranos was there too helping me and another guy who was 'on my side'. I had agreed to do a hit on one of the guys but one guy saw me about to kill the other, and then I had to kill him too. It was in a motel room and the guys were pretty much asleep in front of the TV. I knew I had condemned myself to hell afterward, but still talked to the Silvio character to get help in hiding the evidence. He showed me that what I thought was dried blood was actually leaves or something. That was it. I don't like these dreams. I remember in my dream I almost tried to rationalize what I had done since they were criminals and it might have been self defense because they would have killed me had they had the chance, but I knew that justification was false. I also tried to convince silvio to let me out of the 'family' although i didn't remember having ever been 'in' but he told me you never could. Any melfi's out there who want to analyze this? I think i just was replaying parts of past episodes including myself as a bit character. But it was interesting to me.

I'm going to Star Valley this weekend. I haven't been camping since flaming gorge last year, so this is exciting. I just hope it doesn't rain, and that the trip is better than my last trip through Wyoming:

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/2527701.htmlThat's what I barely missed. I was literally minutes behind the accident. I was cursing myself for not being ahead of the accident, but realize now that I was really blessed to have missed it. I hit some bad patches on I-80 retreating eastward to Denver, also - and before that hit a zero visibility area just past a small bridge along RT. 130 near Laramie - I had to make a blind stop and to be honest - I was fortunate I didn’t hit anything or slide into a ditch, as abruptly as I had to stop - it went from bad wind with a fair amount of snow to "pitch white" - (I couldn't see the hood of my car) almost instantly.- don't ever try Rt. 130 as a detour if I-80 is closed!! I thought for sure i was gonna drive right into a tree or another car - fortunately there was noone else around b/c the road was technically closed for the season - the crazy thing is i called AAA before i took that route, to make sure it would be safe and that the roads wouldn't be closed, and the guy was like 'go for it - you'll bypass the closed section of I 80 and be on your way' - the detour was 10 times worse!!!

At least this trip won't go through Laramie, and it's May, so, hopefully there will be no blizzards.

from the 'other blog' archives: may . '06: Series end, mickey at work

May 23
Fin
Well, the series is over now. The Spurs lost to Dallas, and things seem just a little off kilter for us Spurs fans. I have nothing to write about the owner. I will only say this: I feared the departure from Spurs basketball was too great a risk, and it has turned out to be so. It almost worked out - albeit not perfectly. the Spurs almost out-Dallased Dallas with a four guard attack, but i think they ran out of gas and made a few too many mistakes. I do the same things in my own life, so i'm not going to curse Pop and die, but it wasn't fun to see them struggle in OT last night and go back for more. Meanwhile, digging yourself into a 20 point hole and allowing Dallas to shoot 83% from the field in a quarter is inexcusable, though credit must be given to Dallas for coming out with that blistering shooting. I really felt like a few different looks here and there could have gone a long way towards helping the spurs cause. But now we'll have to wait and see what adjustments are made for the upcoming season.

Soon I will be in Texas. I'm going to go down for the month of July and I'm really looking forward to it, although it will pretty much be a month of work. It will be great to be out in the sun, though, and spend time with family. Then a weekend in Chicago for pitchfork and off to wyoming for a campout. It will be fun.

I've taken to archiving old famly pictures on my computer, and its turned out to be a pretty rewarding process. I hope I can put together a good little family album or collage for everyone's viewing pleasure.

Interesting roadblock on my way to work: a 50 foot tall hot air balloon of Mickey Mouse right in the middle of the road leading to the building i work in - next to the City Library in Salt Lake City. Apparently it's Disney's 50th anniversary or something like that, hence Mickey was sporting gigantic golden ears. Talk about a surreal sight to see as you turn the corner at 6:30 in the morning. Here's some more info about Hot Air Mickey:
Balloon facts: - Mickey's giant gold ears span 53 feet - If Mickey's body were added to the balloon he would stand over 200 feet tall! - Pupils: 6 feet wide - Nose: 5 1/2 feet wide - Weight: Approximately 410 pounds - Thread Used: Approximately 9 miles - Gold Fabric for Ears: Approximately 750 square yards - The balloon fits in a bag 1,400 times smaller than the fully inflated balloon. The Happiest Celebration on Earth continues throughout the summer at Disneyland, where guests can experience all new attractions, including "Turtle Talk," "Buzz Lightyear" and a faster, darker "Space Mountain." source: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2006/02/c9827.html
whoo hoo - really. I wish I had my camera with me at the time.

Vicente Fox will be at my favorite local eatery today. I guess he means 'beansness' with this trip. If you're reading, Foxy, I highly suggest the carne asada, whether in a burrito or stuffed in tacos. My grandpa liked it, and he's a mexican chef (and American Business owner, as well as my grandma)....

from the 'other blog' archives: may . '06: A note to Pop, and the Davinci code?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euBQ7cwpHL8


May 18
On the cusp of something great
So my mighty spurs kept pounding away at the rock last night and pulled out a win, this one ultimately decided by the players, and not on the free throw line. Michael Finley showed us again why he was signed, throwing a ridiculously vicious dunk down on Erick Dampier, already having blown by former mate Dirk Nowitzki. I feel good about their chances for friday nights game. A chance for two game 7's in the first round? Maybe 3? The league should be salivating at this. I hope Pop lets nazr and rasho come in to contribute on the defensive end sometime - it seems that may be the cause of the Spurs not being able to stop Dallas as before. Maybe he's trying to force Timmy to take over, or prove that he can out Dallas- Dallas,what with the small ball and all that. But I really feel they need to get back to spurs basketball and rely on their defensive model that got them to where they are. Nevertheless, I trust his leadership.

After the game i went on a late night hike with some friends to Red Butte Gardens just to the east of the U. We were supposed to end up at this place called the living room, which is supposedly a bunch of large rocks which were nice for sitting on and enjoying the breezy summit, but ended up on a wild goose chase which ended up about a quarter of a mile away from said living room, with half a mountain to climb before we could actually get there. So we decided to call it a night since everyone had stuff to do... Ah well. At least the view was good from where we were, albeit the rocks that we sat on were a lot pointier than we had hoped. At least we didn't have to have a chopper airlift us outta there. It was scary though, going downhill in the dark seemed a lot harder, though physically less strenuous than up. And I snagged my shorts on a tree, losing half my left pocket. I felt like a kid again trying to run ahead on the way down and hide in the bushes to make my friends have to find me. I had a great spot too, but was foiled when a smart thinking friend called my cell phone and unceremoniously revealed my location. I should have known to set it to silent. (See, that type of thing never happened when I was six.)

I've been reading the DaVinci Code, and it's true what they say - the book moves lightning quick. I'm kind of excited to see the movie in spite of the negative press its been getting. I've always loved wordplay and brainteasers and have been fascinated with certain fraternal organizations (which shall remain unnamed) for a while, so this book is a nice melding of the two themes for me so far. I'm kinda wary about Tom Hanks playing the lead. all I can think about when i see him in movies is Him playing the giant floor piano in 'Big' or the wacko eponymus suburbanite in 'the 'burbs'.

from the 'other blog' archives: Feb, '06: scrabble

February 14
66 points for 'quiz'
anybody remember 'Cliffjumper' from the transformers? kinda looks like this thing..so yeah - i was the scrabble champ on Sunday.yippee.

from the 'other blog' archives: Dec . '05 granny's carpet

bananaman and danger mouse

Sometimes its hard not to wish to be back in those days where a plastic palette with a set of markers and watercolors included made for a more than ample prize... i find myself becoming way too demanding, maybe even needy with this life we got here and it just ain't right. Went to the hillside village convalescent home and caroled to the residents with a group of fellow twentysomethings - it was grand, ya know, (all i want is to be happy man,) n' i wondered why it was so tough for that to happen, but of course, i already know everything and realized (remembered) that it's because it's so worth it, right? The trouble and fuss we make to be happy invariably makes us stronger or more fulfilled, or maybe it just helps us realize that it ain't so bad to not be happy all the time and enjoy everything this existence brings. Or maybe enjoy the thought at what the next one surely will. whatever...
all will be well when I'm reading the K chronicles and 'I saw you' ads in the next leftist weekly...

All of you should be priviledged to meet Nanette Richardson one day. (for those of you who don't know I am Mormon) and Nanette (Sister Richardson) was my Sunday school teacher for some 8 years and has just been an amazing influence on my life. My mom and Dad instilled truth and indoctrinated the basic right and wrong which I needed in my life. Sister Richardson helped me learn to assimilate those things into my life and character... she helped me learn to learn and do those things for myself... not just because they were right , but because, I knew they were right and it wouldn't reflect who I truly am to not live those beliefs. And if you follow the previous link, you will see her art gallery (ies?) in San Antonio. It's rare to have afriend like Nanette, and she has done me and my family a huge service by expecting a lot out of us.

As i mentioned before, my family is really tight. My Mom and Dad were both born in Eagle Pass, TX and despite moves to Moorehead, MN (adjacent to Fargo North Dakota, where me an' my sister were born); and subsequent moves to San Antonio, and later Universal City, TX, I don't think Eagle Pass ever left us. My grandparents on my mom's side still live and work there, as a chef, and beautician, both running their own business from add-ons to their home. I could go on forever writing about my memories there, and I think I will, soon enough. It was in the bedroom across from theirs that i was introduced to Calvin and Hobbes, thanks to my uncles' appreciation of fine comics. I remember how cold that room would get with the little wall unit air conditioner they had there, and the weird red carpeting they had with a yellowish triangluar tesselation design. (I think the triangles had some strange paisley effect to them? ) I loved that strange carpet for some reason, and felt particularly sad when i almost ruined it after swallowing a whole package worth of gigantic globs from a package of big league chew. Strange little boy i was... I 've been far too random in these little blurbs, and hopefully i'll learn to be more cohesive in this online thingy, but hopefully if anyone ever reads, this, it can be enjoyed by a few of you. I gotta feeling I'll be writing to myself a lot with this thing.

I cant Believe People Deep Fry Turkeys!
I know it's supposedly really good and all, but I just cant fathom that much grease content in an already detrimental feast. I found out this thanksgiving that walk the line twice during my stay in san antone, and wondered if ol' johnny had good mexican food while doing basic training down here. I wondered if vivian's family was still in San antonio and what they thought of ginnifer goodwin's portrayal of her... I thought it was a good love story, and given the constraints of having to appeal to a pop audience the movie was good. It was understandably not an exploration of the weighty matters of Cash's life and pretty much romanticizes his problems and makes him a hero almost because of them... (I still liked it.)

Anyways... i gotta head off to school - i didnt mean to ramble but hanging out with my family was awesome, if all too short.

originally posted to MSN spaces blog : 'shadylane' december 2005
4:19 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

from the 'other blog' archives: Nov. '05

November 23
I can track a single bee to the hive...
Yeah Boy....so i'm going down to TEXAS tomorrow to see my family for thanksgiving and this is a trip long overdue. It's been like 4 months since I've seen the fambly and seriously, i'm just jonesin' to be back in San Antone... Wer'e gonna sit around eat, and go to a spurs game, and thats pretty much it. It's going to be great...

from the 'other blog' archives: Nov. '05

my gourd is two shaded
Back in the days when boys were green with purple or brown hair, it was so much easier to say what was what. I don't know if your debts are deserved but there's no question that my interest payments have been accruing and deservedly so. Sitting inert hurts more than that dart to the chest sometimes, and I can't share the blame when none's been passed on to me. What'll happen when I can' t find the hiding spots? Heaven knows I can barely find them as it is, and don't know where to go once they've been uncovered. You move on to your own cave, and it's a womb ripe for increase that maybe I can see. But I just don't know if I'll ever be a good part, or just a lamented orange peel, all chewed up without any more juice. Maybe I'll get moldy and green, and dust away like spores on a dirt brown carpetbagger. But I told that aborigine that I'd soon remove myself from the fray and cook dinner for two from here on out. It's a step slower than that octopus walking through your department store hallway. When he looks in the curio, he's sad he gets laughed at, but heaven help him if he doesn't get the last laugh wrapping all eight arms around a fresh coconut martini. Umbrella shields him from those rays which fed him. Why is the source that feeds so deadly to his surface? SPF 45 and RPM 78 - listen to the frayed tunes as the sunrays bend the tones. You threw your arms to celebrate and dropped the tear that seared me. I thought I'd bake a nice loaf of banana bread, but all I did was burn the thing, and now it's not making sense, I guess I'm not looking hard enough, or maybe my eyes just aren't what they used to be.

from the 'other blog' archives: Nov. '05 Steinbeck and George Herriman

Nov 22 2005

The Log from the sea of Cortez
So I've been reading the log from the sea of cortez, by John steinbeck, and I'll admit it, i am pretty much in love with steinbeck. He's like the johnny cash of literature, his stories are full of truth and are sometimes dark , but long for redemption. I think (part of) an apt description of this book would have to include that it's 'steinbeck at his crotchtiest'. He just rings true to me, (as to so many others of course), but i sit here as one who has hardly experienced life as such, and to that end, i can say very little. I may be verbose, but those words cannot ring quite as true - i dont know if my depth of experience can ring toward anyones' perception of truth.

Read the book though. Think about where you stand in this ecosystem, and where this ecosystem stands in the scheme of this universe. and forget about whats on tv tomorrow. cause it ain't gonna ring as true as experience. just ask the guy who got to photograph that eel from so close.

tell me i'm trite - it's okay, as long as it's true...

later that day:

November 22
George Herriman: Genius
I don't know if i have made it obvious enough that i love cartoons and cartoon art. I probably haven't since this is like my third entry, but i want to make that obvious first and foremost. Soon enough I'll be publishing my work musings on the diving board: my poolguy life. And i think i have to acknowledge a huge debt of gratitude to john porcellino who wrote diary of a mosquito abatement man, among other excellent works. (thank Low's Rob Sally for introducing that to so many of us.) But i digress. Calvin and hobbes is a lifework approaching genius. bill Watterson is far too modest in writing to admit this but his work is that good. Calvins life is so shared in this work that Bill connects to each of us and we feel his influence in our lives whether laughing at life and it's hyperbolic fancies, or shaking our heads at its oddities and frailties. Alan and Mimi of Low put it nicely when they sang Sometimes I could just choke my self with laughter, sometimes everything's so true... the comic strip medium introduces those feelings to us. buy yerself a compilation book. Go to goodwill to find one if you have to. just make sure that several of those make it into your collection.

from the 'other blog' archives: Nov. '05

This is an effort to consolidate. Trite, I know, but Heaven forbid anyone should have to miss out on something I wrote.

November 21
why do army men stay standing?

I've always wondered why it's so quiet sometimes, and i realized that maybe I should just shut up and enjoy that.

this pic is done by leia bell - i got it from ken sander's rare books in salt lake city

thanks for the highlights, MJ and Spurs. plus, Governor Ann Richards waiving the rowdy rag!

This is from one of the best games ever of my young Spurs fanhood. Just what I wanted to see back then. Incredible games from MJ, the greatest, and a Spurs win. Too bad the Spurs could never make it past their Western Conference competition to make it to the finals back then. They were always ultra competetive with MJ's Bulls.

This game is just packed with highlights for both teams - a steal and dunk right past MJ for David Robinson, and a spinning, reverse alley-oop dunk by same. We see MJ throwing a couple down on David, and getting blocked on a couple by David as well. A couple of sweet dunks,including a great follow jam by my all-time favorite sidekick, Sean Elliott. There are a couple great plays by the original Big Dog, Antoine Carr, and then SCOTTIE PIPPEN almost jumping right over the Big Dog for a Vince Carter-like dunk in the first half. Why this game isn't available on NBA.com digitally remastered, I don't know. Maybe because it's a meaningless regular season game from 1992. Ah, well.



and here's the second half.

Thank you, Yo la Tengo...

for always being in rare form. couple a thursdays ago,(maybe just last week) they played in SLC. After they play I find myself thinking about the songs for weeks on end. Constantly. This last time, they reminded us all just how great the music of The Zombies is, with a cover of 'You Make Me Feel Good.' Ira signed the blankie we brought to sit on, and a good time was had by all - dancing, rockin' out, and just enjoying the show. Here's a little taste of the Zombies:



let's not forget YLT themselves, however:

Baseline Bums, SLC chpt. 393 unite!

OK after a weekend in Coconino county, it's time to get back to what matters, and that's watching my beloved hometown Spurs pick apart their competition and send them fishing. I need to get a sign ready for tomorrows game and also to get myself emotionally ready to represent amidst the throngs of salivating Jazz fans here in Utah. I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but I wasn't into the game like these Jazz fans were. - I mean, these guys are INTO IT. They want blood. They are happy when a Spurs player appears to be injured. While watching the game at the Dam Bar in Page, Arizona they were whooping and yelling at every Jazz score/steal/smile, while I was quietly thinking "okay just string together a couple of stops and we can chip away at this thing" or, "man that rotation was a little late - he should be cheating over a couple of feet". They seriously act like they haven't been there before, what with all their heavy breathing and whooping, and I've found myself thinking maybe that's not really a bad thing. Maybe it's OK to act like a blithering, myopic idiot sometimes.

Case in point: There should be no empty seats in the playoffs, and yet it happened in my beloved hometown. We Spurs fans have got a major problem, and it's this 'acting like we've been there' business. It has to stop. We have to hearken back to '99 or even 2003 when winning in the playoffs meant something every step of the way, and we loved our team like they were our tall, rich uncles. Utah has the little team that could right now, and while logic dictates that the Spurs take this thing, our fans are getting their fannies handed to them by PHOENIX and UTAH. Are you kidding me? Who'd a thunk that Phoenix and Utah would throw a better party in their respective barns than us folks down here in San Antonio? A sea of baby blue, who looks like they should be holding a bunch of signs that say "It's a Boy' is doing a better job of representing than my fellow flour tortilla and BBQ brisket loving townspeople.

This is a town that started the tradition of the Baseline Bums, we've been doing the drunken idiot rowdy fan thing for a lot longer than those guys, and it's time to show what our experience has taught us. I'll be there for game four. I'ma go there and represent, y'all! Get out there for game 5, folks! Show 'em whatcha got. Drool and slur your epithets at the opposition. Jump around with some clever sign. Curse at the refs and the squadron from otta town. And for heavens sakes, act like you haven't been there.

Hotel California - Rodriguez Style

Best 4th of July in a while for me - I was finally home again in Texas and with family. We ate a ton of meat, watched Italy beat France - or was it Germany? and then excercised our vocal cords. First on the list were Sweet Home Alabama and a couple of other favorites, and then this attempt at Hotel California gave everyone the giggles. It was more fun than I can remember. I'll always love hearing my Dad shout the lines in advance to remind everyone what was next, at least when he was able to remember. I'll remember my cousin's buddy and bandmate doing his best to keep the song respectable, and I'll just remember all of my family and relatives laughing and enjoying each others company. Can't beat that.

Okay enough of the sappiness. Click on the video and laugh at our attempts to bring the eagles into our fourth of july party.